CLAYTON STATE WINS D-II WOMEN'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

In case you missed it, there's a new national champion in NCAA Division II women's basketball, and a team from D-II South Nation has won it all!


The Clayton State University Lakers won their first-ever national championship Friday night, as they rolled past Michigan Tech, 69-50, in St. Joseph, Mo. The Laker women finished the 2010-2011 season at 35-1 with the win.

Click here for the full story, courtesy of Clayton State University Sports Information

Click the following links below for bonus coverage:

Clayton News-Daily (Ga.)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Basketball: NCAA Regional Finals Monday and Tuesday

Just one win away from the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.  That's the position seven teams from D-II South Nation find themselves in, as the finals in both the Southeast and South Regions, respectively, get underway tonight (Monday) and Tuesday.  

In the Southeast Region, it's an all-Peach Belt Conference final for the women, as No. 1 seed Clayton State (31-1) does battle with No. 2 seed Lander (29-3), while Arkansas Tech (29-2) takes on Delta State (28-3) in another 1 vs. 2 match-up for the right to represent the South Region in the national quarterfinals.

On the men's side, Southeast No. 1 seed Augusta State (30-3) hopes to advance to the Elite Eight for the fourth straight season.  But the Jaguars must outlast the No. 7 seeded Trojans from Anderson (S.C.)--(20-11) in Tuesday night's regional final contest. The Trojans upset No. 2 seed Lincoln Memorial (27-3), then knocked off No. 6 seed Montevallo (19-11), to advance to the Sweet 16.

In the South Region, it's the Gulf South Conference vs. the SIAC, as No. 1 seed Alabama-Huntsville (28-4) takes on another No. 7 seed in Stillman (25-7), also on Tuesday night.  The Tigers from Tuscaloosa, Ala.  advanced to the regional finals by stunning No. 2 seed Harding (25-5), followed by a win over No. 6 seed Florida Southern (23-9).

NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament Preview and Analysis

The NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament gets underway today (Saturday).  Here are the links to both the Southeast and South Regionals, respectively, as well as the complete 64-team bracket below.

Southeast Region (at Augusta State)

South Region (at Alabama-Huntsville)

NCAA Division II Tournament Interactive Bracket (courtesy of NCAA.com)

Analysis: Although seeded first, as well as being the host team yet again for the Southeast Region, the path to a fourth straight NCAA Division II Elite Eight will be anything but smooth for Augusta State (28-3), as South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament champion Lincoln Memorial (27-2) comes into the regional as the second seed.  

In the South Region, it's a crapshoot, as all eight teams including top seed and host Alabama-Huntsville (26-4) have at least four losses.  Additionally, both the Gulf South Conference and SIAC have three teams in the South Regional, while the Sunshine State Conference landed the other two bids.  That alone should make for an interesting regional.

Basketball: Conference Tournament Wrap-Ups

Gulf South Conference--at Southaven, Miss.


Arkansas Tech wins women's title, Harding takes men's crown (gscsports.org)


Peach Belt Conference--at Aiken, S.C.

Georgia College rolls past USC Aiken to win women's championship (peachbelt.com)


Augusta State crushes UNC Pembroke, wins men's title (peachbelt.com)


SIAC--at Atlanta

Fort Valley State wins women's crown (thesiac.com)

Clark Atlanta claims men's title (thesiac.com)





 

Basketball: Recapping the conference tournament action...so far

Missing out on the conference basketball action so far?  You're not alone.  Here's what has happened through Thursday.

Gulf South Conference Women's Quarterfinals (at Southaven, Miss.) 

Peach Belt Conference Men's Quarterfinals

Peach Belt Conference Women's Quarterfinals  


SIAC Tournament (Atlanta)--Day 1

SIAC Tournament (Atlanta)--Day 2