INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA released their third and final Region Rankings, and the Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team dropped to ninth in the Central Region. With their regular season coming to a conclusion last Wednesday, the Golden Bears will await to hear their NCAA Tournament fate on the NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show, which is set to air on NCAA.com at 9 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, March 10.
The NSIC, the Great American Conference (GAC) and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) make up the 42-team NCAA Central Region. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament on March 15-16, 18. Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the NSIC, GAC and MIAA postseason tournaments, with the remaining five spots being awarded on an at-large basis. Minnesota Duluth has claimed the automatic bid for the NSIC by winning the conference tournament, while the MIAA and GAC conference tournaments have yet to begin.
The Golden Bears were ranked seventh in the first two polls, falling two spots in the the final poll after dropping their first round contest in the NSIC Tournament 73-70 to Bemidji State. Concordia will need to jump at least one team to make it into the NCAA Tournament. The two teams directly above the Golden Bears in the rankings, Lindenwood and Pittsburg State, are set for a matchup in the MIAA tournament on Friday. The full rankings are listed below:
| CENTRAL |
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| Rank |
School |
Overall DII Record |
In-Region Record |
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| 1 |
Southwestern Oklahoma State |
27-1 |
27-1 |
|
| 2 |
Fort Hays State |
24-1 |
24-1 |
|
| 3 |
Central Missouri |
22-5 |
20-4 |
|
| 4 |
Minnesota State University Moorhead |
25-5 |
23-5 |
|
| 5 |
Minnesota Duluth |
21-6 |
21-6 |
|
| 6 |
Emporia State |
19-7 |
19-7 |
|
| 7 |
Lindenwood (Missouri) |
20-6 |
20-6 |
|
| 8 |
Pittsburg State |
18-7 |
17-7 |
|
| 9 |
Concordia-St. Paul |
19-7 |
19-7 |
|
| 10 |
East Central |
21-7 |
21-7 |
CSP has played two teams in the top 10, falling to MSU Moorhead in overtime (63-58) and collecting a 51-47 win over Minnesota Duluth.
Concordia has recorded 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, most recently reaching the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in the 2013-14 season.
