Incarnate Word’s men’s basketball team Saturday night captured its second consecutive Heartland Conference championship and as a result gained the automatic bid in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional tournament.
The pairings were announced Sunday and the Cardinals, seeded eighth, travel to Wichita Falls to engage the top-seeded and host Midwestern State Mustangs. The first round games are set for Saturday, March 13, with the semi-finals on the 15th and the title game on Tuesday the 16th. Game times will be announced.
A year ago these same two clubs met in the regional tournament. That game was played in Warrensburg, Mo., with Midwestern State narrowly winning 87-82.
Now into their 11th year of NCAA membership the Cardinals are making their third trip to the tournament. The first time was in the spring of 2002 when UIW won its first round game only to fall in the semi-finals.
The matchups for the South Central regional are:
#1 Midwestern State vs. #8 Incarnate Word
#4 Tarleton State vs. #5 Nebraska / Omaha
#3 Fort Hayes vs. #6 Central Oklahoma
#2 Central Missouri vs. #7 Missouri Western