Arkansas Tech University will face Missouri Western State University in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. at John Lance Arena on the campus of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan.
Radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and www.arkansastechsports.com will provide live coverage.
The Golden Suns (26-3) earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament from the Great American Conference by defeating Southwestern Oklahoma State University 106-85 in the GAC Tournament championship game in Bartlesville, Okla., on Sunday.
It is Arkansas Tech’s second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in women’s basketball.
Missouri Western (27-3) was regular season champion of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Golden Griffons lost in the semifinal round of the MIAA Tournament to eventual champion Emporia State University and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
MWSU is seeded No. 3 in the NCAA Division II Tournament Central Regional, while Arkansas Tech is the No. 6 seed.
Other first-round games at Pittsburg, Kan., on Friday will pit No. 4 seed Winona State University (29-3) against No. 5 seed Fort Hays State University (25-5) at noon, top-seeded Emporia State (26-5) against eighth-seeded Northern State University (23-7) at 2:30 p.m. and No. 2 seed Pittsburg State (26-5) against No. 7 seed University of Sioux Falls (27-5) at 6 p.m.
Pitt State is hosting the regional as a No. 2 seed because of a scheduling conflict at Emporia State’s home arena.
The regional semifinals are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, and the regional championship game is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14. The region champion will advance to the NCAA Elite Eight, which will begin with the national quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 22.
View the complete bracket for the 2016 NCAA Division II Tournament.
