Three Lone Star Conference women's basketball teams played in first-round contests Friday at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional but only Central Oklahoma was victorious as host West Texas A&M and Angelo State were eliminated.

      UCO needed overtime to top St. Mary's, while ASU fell to Washburn and top-seed WTAMU was upset by Northwest Missouri State on a half-court buzzer beater.

      The Bronchos, making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II national tournament, improved to 24-7 on the season and advance into Saturday's 6 p.m. semifinals against No. 2 seed Washburn.  

UCO 75, STMU 73 (OT)

      Micha Hester and Karlie Free may not have ever hit bigger shots in their lifetime as Hester drained a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to force overtime and Free dropped in the game-winning basket with two seconds remaining in the extra session to send third-seeded Central Oklahoma past No. 6-seed St. Mary's, 75-73 at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional here Friday afternoon.

Link to complete release courtesy of UCO sports information

WU 69, ASU 44

      The season came to a close for the Angelo State women's basketball team (23-9) on Friday afternoon with a 69-44 loss to No. 24-ranked Washburn in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament, played at the First United Center in Canyon.

Link to complete release courtesy of ASU sports information

NWMSU 72, WTAMU 71

      In the first ever West Texas A&M basketball postseason game at the First United Bank Center, the top-seeded Lady Buffs were upended by No. 8-seed Northwest Missouri State, 72-71, in overtime on a desperation half-court buzzer beater by junior Bearcat Meghan Brue. WTAMU, ranked 10th in the country in the most recent national poll, ends its season with an overall record of 26-5, while NWMSU improves to 18-13 and advances to the D-II South Central Regional Semifinal against fourth-seeded Emporia State.

Link to complete release courtesy of WTAMU sports information