Showdown of 3-0 teams from Sunshine State

The University of West Florida men play host to the University of Tampa in a battle of 3-0 NCAA Division II men's basketball teams Friday at Pensacola, Fla. The Argos hope to return to the Gulf South Conference tournament this season after missing out on it four years in a row, while the Spartans hope to return to the NCAA Division II tournament after finishing 21-9 a year ago.

Game Notes--Tampa at West Florida (Men)--1 p.m. CST

University of West Florida

University of Tampa

Augusta State-Benedict Men's Basketball Game Notes

The defending NCAA Division II men's basketball runners-up face off against the defending SIAC regular season and tournament champion Tigers in the season opener for both teams.

Game notes courtesy of Augusta State University Sports Information

Know your state

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently published a special section on the small college basketball programs in the state of Georgia, including the teams competing at the NCAA Division II level. Click the link below.

Click here!

GSW women win season opener against UNA

The Georgia Southwestern State University women's basketball team actually won their season opener? Yes, they did, against North Alabama of all teams. Final score: GSW 60, UNA 52.

Article courtesy of the Albany (Ga.) Herald

NCAA Division II Volleyball Field Announced

The 64-team field for the 2008 NCAA Division II volleyball championships have been announced. And D-II South Nation is well represented. Here's how the brackets for both the South and Southeast Regionals, respectively, look below, with links to teams in conferences covered by D-II South Sports highlighted below.

South Region Hosted by University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida - November 20-22

No. 1 Tampa (25-4) vs. No. 8 Albany State (Georgia) (31-3)
No. 2 Florida Southern (25-8) vs. No. 7 Saint Leo (28-10)
No. 3 Lynn (24-12) vs. No. 6 Nova Southeastern (21-11)
No. 4 West Florida (29-7) vs. Eckerd (20-13)

Southeast Region Hosted by Wingate University, Wingate, North Carolina - November 21-23

No. 1 Wingate (30-1) vs. No. 8 Anderson (South Carolina) (24-13)
No. 2 Carson-Newman (24-14) vs. No. 7 Lincoln Memorial (20-15)
No. 3 Armstrong Atlantic State (25-6) vs. No. 6 Lander (20-9)
No. 4 Catawba (20-10) vs. No. 5 Francis Marion (23-8)

Source: NCAA.com (including entire 64-team field)

AASU Men's Hoops Notches Season Opening Win

Article courtesy of Armstrong Atlantic State University Sports Information

Pirates Win Men's Basketball Opener, 77-58 Over Queens (NC)

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Senior guard T.T. Hall led the way with 19 points as the Armstrong Atlantic State men's basketball team picked up a 77-58 season-opening win over visiting Queens (N.C.) on Monday evening at Alumni Arena.

For head coach Jeff Burkhamer and the Pirates (1-0), it was a sixth straight opening-season win, with three of those six wins coming against the visiting Royals (0-1). Both teams came into the matchup returning just four players from 2007-08, and the Pirates had the upper hand early in the contest.

AASU jumped out to a quick 13-3 lead in the first five minutes, thanks to defensive pressure that forced six Queens turnovers in those five minutes and 16 overall in the first half. The Pirates finished the half with 10 steals and took a 38-24 lead into halftime.

The Royals came out after the intermission and scored the first seven points, eventually cutting the AASU lead to six, 40-34, with 15:36 remaining. The Pirates answered back quickly as T.T. Hall and Keron McKenzie drained back-to-back three pointers, pushing the lead back to double digits, where it stayed for the rest of the night.

Hall finished the night 6-of-19 from the foor, including 3-of-12 three-pointers, for his game-high 19 points but also added six rebounds and four steals. Senior Uriah Hethington came off the bench to record 14 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, while senior Brian Moultrie added 11 points and six rebounds. Junior point guard Gabriel Robinson dished out nine assists as well.

Queens was led by Devin Seaford's 13 points and J.B. Baldwin's 11 points. Preston Newlin hit three three-pointers in the first half for nine points, but crashed to the floor hard with 13 minutes left in the first half and did not return to the game.

AASU shot 38.2 percent from the floor in the contest, hitting 26-of-68 shots, while Queens hit just 16-of-55 shots from the floor for 29.1 percent.

The Pirates held a 49-39 rebounding edge and finished the night with 12 steals.The Pirates return to action on Friday, November 28, with a 6:00 p.m. contest against Lock Haven in the Charleston (W. Va.) Invitational.

AASU Volleyball wins Peach Belt tournament

Press release courtesy of Armstrong Atlantic State University Sports Information

PBC TOURNAMENT CHAMPS! Pirates Blank FMU, 3-0, For Title

PEMBROKE, N.C. - The Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball squad defeated Francis Marion, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon to capture the 2008 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament championship at the English E. Jones Center in Pembroke, N.C. Game scores were: 25-16, 25-20, 25-18.

Freshman Torrie Bevolo led the way for the Pirates (25-6) with a match-high 13 kills, 15 digs and four blocks, earning PBC Tournament MVP honors. Senior Rindy Vidovich, earlier in the weekend crowned the 2008 PBC Player of the Year, earned All-PBC Tournament honors as well as she collected 12 kills and 13 digs on the afternoon. Sophomore Gwen Clarke hit .385 with 10 kills and was AASU's third honoree on the All-Tournament team.

Sophomore Hannah Segebart tallied 43 assists and freshman libero Casey Howett notched a match-high 16 digs as well for AASU. Francis Marion was led by All-PBC Tournament honoree Amanda Mitchell, who notched nine kills, libero Kelsie Deaton's 15 digs and setter Jenna Kaiser's 23 assists.

The first set was a nip-and-tuck affair until junior Marina Marinova went back to serve at 13-13. Marinova ripped off 10 straight points on her service as the Pirates built a large lead and closed out the first set, 25-16. Set number two was also nip-and-tuck as FMU led 20-18 on a kill by Jenna Kaiser, but AASU ended the match with seven straight kills, five from Clarke, to take the set 25-20.

AASU closed out the match in set three behind Vidovich, who collected six kills, none more emphatic than the one she delivered on match point.

For the Pirates, it was just their second PBC Tournament title, but for head coach Will Condon, it was his third straight league tournament crown as he led USC Aiken to the 2006 and 2007 titles. Prior to this season, AASU's only tournament title came in the 2002 season.

AASU now will advance to the NCAA Southeast Regional as the automatic bid recipient from the PBC. It is the Pirates' first appearance in the NCAA Championships since 2004 and the sixth overall appearance in school history.

Fall Sports Update--November 14, 2008

The regular season is over. Postseason play has arrived for the fall sports in D-II South Nation. In fact, NCAA tournament action is already underway in both men's and women's soccer respectively, as well as conference tournament play in volleyball.

NCAA Division II Women's Soccer

The Peach Belt Conference is well represented in the Southeast Regional, as three teams, including No. 1 seed, have advanced to the big dance in D-II. Georgia College & State University makes its first-ever NCAA appearance, while UNC Pembroke also looks to make a big splash!

In the South bracket, the University of West Florida is the lone team from D-II South Nation to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament, as all of the other squads come from the Sunshine State Conference.

Women's Soccer Bracket

NCAA Division II Men's Soccer

It's been a rough postseason for D-II South Nation teams so far, as Montevallo was shut out by Tampa in the South Regional bracket, Francis Marion got by Carson-Newman in a thriller, and Lander's season ended in heartbreaking fashion.

Men's Soccer Bracket (Interactive)

Men's Soccer Bracket (Printable)

Volleyball

Gulf South Conference Tournament

Nationally ranked (#15 AVCA) West Florida is the favorite to win the GSC title.

Bracket

Tournament Home Page

Peach Belt Conference Tournament

After one of the most competitive regular seasons in recent memory, Armstrong Atlantic State (23-6, 8-2 PBC) has emerged as the top seed out of six teams heading into this weekend.

Tournament Home Page

SIAC Tournament

Albany State took its first step towards its eighth straight conference title, as the Lady Rams swept Paine in three games.

Updated Tournament Bracket

2008-09 BASKETBALL PREVIEW--Gulf South Conference Men

Our preseason basketball previews wrap up with the look at the men's squads in the Gulf South Conference.

EAST DIVISION

1. North Alabama

2. Valdosta State

3. West Georgia

4. Montevallo

5. Alabama-Huntsville

6. West Alabama

7. West Florida

WEST DIVISION

1. Christian Brothers

2. Ouachita Baptist

3. Harding

4. Delta State

5. Arkansas Tech

6. Arkansas-Monticello

7. Southern Arkansas

8. Henderson State

Analysis: With nine lettermen, including three starters, returning from last season's Elite Eight team, look for UNA (27-9 in 2007-08) to be the hunted in the GSC East once again this winter. In the West, Christian Brothers is expected to be in a dogfight with Harding and Ouachita Baptist for the division crown.

2008-09 BASKETBALL PREVIEW--Gulf South Conference Women

Another preseason basketball preview is on the way, as the women's teams in the Gulf South Conference are next to be profiled.

EAST DIVISION

1. West Georgia

2. Valdosta State

3. North Alabama

4. West Alabama

5. West Florida

6. Montevallo

7. Alabama-Huntsville

WEST DIVISION

1. Delta State

2. Arkansas Tech

3. Harding

4. Christian Brothers

5. Arkansas-Monticello

6. Henderson State

7. Southern Arkansas

8. Ouachita Baptist

Analysis: Despite losing four starters from a squad that finished 33-1 overall, and in the NCAA Division II Final Four last season, the Lady Statesmen were picked by the coaches to once again rule the roost in the GSC, although Arkansas Tech might give DSU a run for its money. In the East, the road to the title might go through Carrollton, Ga., as the West Georgia is the preseason favorite to win that division. But don't count out Valdosta State, whose Lady Blazers finished a solid 26-6--and advanced to the NCAA tournament to boot--in 2007-08.

2008-09 BASKETBALL PREVIEW--SIAC Men

The preseason basketball predictions continue with a look at the men's teams in the SIAC.

1. Benedict

2. Claflin

3. LeMoyne-Owen

4. Fort Valley State

5. Albany State

6. Clark Atlanta

7. Morehouse

8. Paine

9. Lane

10. Miles

11. Stillman

12. Tuskegee

13. Kentucky State

Analysis: After losing last season's South Regional final to North Alabama, the Benedict Tigers (28-5 in 2007-08) hope to take the next step, and advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight this season. But their biggest challenge to repeating as both SIAC regular season and tournament champions, respectively, might come a few miles down the road in Orangeburg, S.C. That's where the newcomer Claflin University Panthers are located, as they begin their first season in the SIAC. The Panthers, though, aren't the typical newcomers to a brand-new conference, as they finished 24-2 last season.

2008-09 BASKETBALL PREVIEW--SIAC Women

Our preseason previews continue with a look at the women's teams in the SIAC.

1. Fort Valley State

2. Tuskegee

3. Kentucky State

4. Claflin

5. Albany State

6. Miles

7. Paine

8. Lane

9. Clark Atlanta

10. LeMoyne-Owen

11. Benedict

12. Stillman

Analysis: Take any of these 12 teams, and draw them out of hat. The bottom line here is that any team in the SIAC can beat the other on any given night. And that certainly seems to be the case this season. While NCAA tournament participants Kentucky State and Tuskegee look to do battle for top honors in the regular season once again, don't count out Fort Valley State as a serious contender either. And don't be surprised if league newcomer Claflin (20-6) make things interesting between now and March.

2008-09 BASKETBALL PREVIEW--Peach Belt Conference Men

After a hiatus of a little over a week, the preseason thoughts on NCAA Division II basketball in the Southeast continue on D-II South Sports. This installment features what's likely to be a tight regular season men's race in the Peach Belt Conference.

1. USC Aiken

2. Augusta State

3. GC&SU

4. Clayton State

5. Armstrong Atlantic State

6. Francis Marion

7. Georgia Southwestern State

8. Columbus State

9. North Georgia

10. Lander

11. UNC Pembroke

Analysis: With four of five starters returning from last season NCAA Tournament, USC Aiken is the team to beat going into this season. But don't count out defending national runner-up Augusta State, as the Jaguars bring back field goal percentage leader Garrett Siler, as well as all-conference Ben Madgen. From there, it's anybody's guess as to who will finish third or lower in the PBC. That includes defending conference tourney champion Clayton State, whose Lakers overcame a sluggish regular season to earn the Peach Belt's autobid to the NCAA D-II dance, losing to ASU in the South Atlantic regional semifinals.

Rowland's shot lifts GCSU over Mercer

It was only an exhibition game, but a late basket helped the NCAA Division II Georgia College & State University men's basketball team knock off the NCAA Division I Mercer University Bears in Macon, Ga. Thursday.

Article courtesy of the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph