VALDOSTA — VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State Blazers and Lady Blazers left the Gulf South Conference basketball tournament disappointed, but this weekend, they will get a shot at a bigger tournament — the 64-team Division II Big Dance.
The Blazers (25-4) and Lady Blazers (18-8) both did enough in the regular season to receive at-large bids to their respective national tournaments for the second straight year.
The Blazers will face Clark Atlanta in their first round game on Saturday in Russellville, Ark. It is the second consecutive season the Blazers have received an at-large bid to the national tournament, and the third time in four years.
“Playing in the NCAA tournament is always a goal for our program,” Blazers head coach Mike Helfer said. “It’s a great accomplishment, and we have to get ready to go this weekend.”
The Lady Blazers will face Fort Valley State in their first round game on Friday. It will also be in Russellville, Ark. The Lady Blazers are making their fourth straight appearance in the national tournament.
Late Sunday night, the NCAA selected the 64 Division II men’s and women’s teams that will compete for a national championship.
The Division II tournament field is made up of eight teams from eight different regions around the country. The Blazers and the Lady Blazers both compete in the South Region. The GSC, Sunshine State Conference and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament champions each received an automatic bid to the South Region portion of the national tournament. The other five teams that make up the South Region received at-large bids.
On the men’s side, VSU is the No. 4 seed in the South Region, and Clark Atlanta is the No. 5 seed. The winner of that first round game plays the winner of No. 1 Arkansas Tech and No. 8 Tuskegee. Arkansas Tech, which beat VSU in the GSC tournament, is the host school.
The other first round games in the men’s South Region are No. 2 Rollins vs. No. 7 Alabama-Huntsville and No. 3 Florida Southern vs. No. 6 Barry.
All South Region men’s first round games are on Saturday. The second round games are on Sunday, and the finals will be next Tuesday.
The South Region winner moves on to the Elite Eight.
Delta State and Eckerd were the only teams in last week’s South Region top eight that did not make the national tournament.
Arkansas Tech held off a late charge by Alabama-Huntsville on Sunday to win the GSC championship, 64-63, and earn the GSC’s automatic bid. Rollins beat Barry in the Sunshine State final, and Tuskegee upset Clark Atlanta in the SIAC’s men final. Tuskegee was ranked No. 10 in last week’s South Region poll, and needed to win the SIAC tournament to get in.
On the women’s side, the Lady Blazers are the No. 6 seed and Fort Valley State is the No. 3 seed. The winner of that first round game will face the winner of No. 2 Delta State and No. 7 Lynn.
The other two women’s South Region games are No. 1 Arkansas Tech vs. No. 8 Benedict and No. 4 Tampa vs. No. 5 Barry.
All South Region women’s first round games are on Friday. The second round games are on Sunday, and the finals will be next Tuesday.
The South Region winner moves on to the Elite Eight.
Arkansas Tech defeated Delta State 75-73 in double overtime to clinch the GSC’s automatic bid. Like the Arkansas Tech men, the Arkansas Tech women will serve as the host of the South Region tournament.
Lynn, which was ranked No. 10 in last week’s South Region poll, needed to win the women’s Sunshine State tournament to have a shot at making the national tournament. Lynn did just that, defeating Barry on Sunday in the Sunshine State finals.
Benedict, unranked in last week’s South Region poll, defeated Stillman in the SIAC women’s final to gain the SIAC’s automatic bid. Fort Valley State is the only other SIAC team in the women’s South Region tournament.
Rollins, ranked No. 5 in last week’s poll, did not make the tournament.
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Blazers, Lady Blazers going to Big Dance
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