D2SS: The Weekend (Part 2)

Regular season champions crowned. No. 1 seeds secured. Many more questions still unanswered. Those are just several of the storylines involving men's basketball teams in D-II South Nation, as the final day of the regular season in NCAA Division II hoops approaches. Here's how things shape up in each of three conferences going into Saturday.



Gulf South Conference: Well, it finally happened. No. 1 (NABC) Arkansas Tech suffered its first loss of the season, as Arkansas-Monticello (13-10, 8-5) pulled off the 58-51 upset win at home Thursday night. Despite the loss, though, ATU (25-1, 12-1) will still be seeded first out of the West Division in the GSC tournament at Southaven, Miss. next week. Delta State (18-7, 9-4) will be the No. 2 seed in the GSC West, despite losing 100-88 at Harding (15-11, 7-6) Thursday night. The Bisons are doing battle with Christian Brothers (17-9, 7-6) for the fourth and final GSC tourney berth from the West. CBU travels to ATU, while Harding pays a visit to Ouachita Baptist Saturday.


In the East, Alabama-Huntsville (20-5, 8-1) extended its winning streak to six straight games, by snapping the 15-game winning streak of No. 8 (NABC) Valdosta State (23-3, 8-1) in a 89-71 rout last weekend. UAH can win the GSC East crown with a win at home over West Alabama (13-13, 3-6), combined with VSU loss to West Georgia (13-13, 3-6). Both UWA and UWG are battling North Alabama (12-14, 4-6) for the East's final two spots in next week's GSC tournament.

Peach Belt Conference: Augusta State (24-2, 16-1) has clinched the regular season title, as well as the top seed in the East Division for next week's PBC tournament. On the other hand, Georgia College & State University (21-4, 14-2) has won the West Division, and will host a quarterfinal round PBC tourney game next Wednesday. How will the rest of the postseason puzzle in the "Belt" be put together? That question can be answered by clicking here. Also see Part 1 of this post here.

SIAC: Clark-Atlanta (22-5, 19-5) is the regular season champion, as the Panthers head into the SIAC tournament next week. Tuskegee (17-9, 16-7) can lock up second place with a win over Stillman on the road Saturday night.