SAC Basketball NCAA Tournament Preview
Four SAC basketball teams will be in action this weekend at the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Southeast Regionals. Click here for previews of each matchup.
Women's Southeast Regional – Friday at Morrow, Ga. [Championship Central]
No. 3 Anderson vs. No. 6 Pfeiffer – 1 p.m.
About Anderson: AU is in the midst of one of the best seasons in program history, having won both the SAC regular-season and Tournament championships. The Trojans went 14-4 in the conference and are 23-8 overall.
Anderson is led by SAC Player of the Year Alissa Diaz, who averages 16.9 points per game. She was also named the SAC Championship MVP after scoring a total of 55 points in three tournament games. The Trojans have allowed opponents to score only 56.9 points per game and shoot 36.8-percent from the field this season.
About Pfeiffer: The Falcons enter the NCAA Tournament at 24-6 overall, and went 17-5 in Conference Carolinas to finish third in the league standings. They advanced to the semifinal round of the conference tournament before falling to Mount Olive.
Pfeiffer had two players earn All-Conference honors this season - Christina Harvey, a first-team selection, and Brittany Cox, a second-team honoree. Harvey averages 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while Cox averages 18 points.
No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 5 S.C.-Aiken – 8 p.m.
About Lenoir-Rhyne: L-R finished second in the SAC standings at 13-5 and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Bears are currently 19-9.
Lenoir-Rhyne boasted the SAC's top statistical defense in 2012-13, surrendering just 55.9 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot only 35.5-percent from the field. All-Conference First Team selection Jazmine Charles leads the team in scoring at 11.1 per game.
About S.C.-Aiken: The Pacers finished second in the Peach Belt east division standings this season at 13-6 and enter the NCAA Tournament at 21-7 overall. They reached the PBC Tournament semifinals before being eliminated by Clayton St.
Aiken's Daniela Tarailo – a member of the All-PBC First Team – averages 14.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game to lead the team. The Pacers led the conference in rebounding margin this season, outgaining their opponents on the boards by an average of 6.1 per game.
Men's Southeast Regional – Saturday at Aiken, S.C. [Championship Central]
No. 2 Lincoln Memorial vs. No. 7 UNC Pembroke – 2:30 p.m.
About Lincoln Memorial: LMU won the SAC regular-season title after going 15-3 in conference play, and finished as the runner-up at last week's Food Lion SAC Basketball Championship. The Railsplitters enter the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 24-5, and were ranked No. 13 in the latest NABC national poll.
LMU has been led this season by All-SAC First Team selections Vincent Bailey and Jake Troyli. Bailey is averaging 13.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Troyli enters the tournament averaging 13 points and 6.1 boards. As a team, the Railsplitters have allowed opponents to shoot just 39.6-percent from the field in 2012-13.
About UNC Pembroke: UNCP went 14-5 in the Peach Belt this season, finishing second in the conference's east division standings. The Braves fell to Montevallo in the semifinal round of last week's PBC Tournament.
Leading the Braves this season has been All-PBC First Team pick George Blakeney, who averages 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. UNCP's Quamain Rose was named the conference's Freshman of the Year after averaging 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
No. 4 Wingate vs. No. 5 Limestone – 7:30 p.m.
About Wingate: WU enters the NCAA Tournament on a four-game winning streak after capturing the title at last week's SAC Basketball Championship. The Bulldogs, who went 14-4 in the SAC and are 21-8 overall, cracked the national rankings for the first time this season earlier this week, checking in at No. 25.
A stingy defense has carried the Bulldogs this season, as they have allowed opponents to shoot just 40.6-percent overall and 32.2-percent from long range. WU has also outrebounded its opponents by a margin of 6.8 per game. SAC Tournament MVP Paidrick Matilus leads the team in scoring at 12.8 per game.
About Limestone: The Saints won a share of the Conference Carolinas regular-season title after going 15-5 in the league, and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament before falling to Belmont Abbey. They enter the NCAA Tournament at 21-8 overall.
Limestone's Charles Blue was named to the All-Conference First Team after averaging 15.7 points per game, and Joe Raga's 9.1 rebounds per game earned him the conference's Defensive Player of the Year honors.