Along with earning the No. 1 seed in the South Region, the 16th-ranked Moccasins, who are making its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and is one of two schools to have played in seven straight NCAA Tournaments as Seattle Pacific is playing in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th straight season, were also awarded the right to host the eight-team South Regional at Jenkins Field House. It will mark the 11th time in school history and the second consecutive season that Florida Southern has hosted an NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. Last season, the Mocs won the South Regional title with a 90-88 win over Alabama-Huntsville and advanced to the NCAA D-II Elite Eight for the ninth time in school history.
Click here for the complete NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament bracket.
"We are excited about being able to host the regional here in Lakeland for the second straight season. It is something we've worked hard for this season," Mocs head coach Linc Darner said following the selection show. "This is a very strong region from top to bottom and the games should be really competitive."
FSC (26-4 overall) will open the South Regional against No. 8 seed Tuskegee (18-11) in one of the four quarterfinal games on Saturday, March 15. The FSC/Tuskegee winner will face the winner of the No. 4 seed North Alabama (22-9), who won the Gulf South Conference Tournament on Sunday with a 79-73 win over Christian Brothers and No. 5 seed Tampa (20-9), who lost in the SSC Tournament final on Sunday to FSC, in one of the regional semifinals on Sunday, March 16. UNA and Tampa will play in one of the quarterfinal games on Saturday, March 15.
The other side of the bracket in Lakeland as No. 2 seed Saint Leo (23-8) will meet No. 7 seed West Alabama (17-10), while No. 3 seed and 25th-ranked Delta State (24-6), who won the regular season Gulf South Conference title will face Barry (19-8), who finished fourth in the SSC regular season standings and lost in the quarterfinals of the SSC Tournament to Eckerd, 83-73.
This year's South Regional Championship game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. The winner of the South Regional will face the winner of the South Central Regional in one of four national quarterfinal games on Wednesday, March 26 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. The 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, March 29 in Evansville, Ind.
FSC is making its 28th all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament, which is third-most in Division II history and the Mocs have compiled a 38-29 record in the tournament all-time, including capturing the 1981 Division II National Championship and finishing as national runners-up in 1982. Last season, the Mocs earned the No. 1 seed in the South Regional and claimed its ninth regional championship and advanced to the Elite Eight where they fell 96-82 to Western Washington.
Information about ticket prices and other items related to the tournament will be announced on Monday by the FSC Athletic Department.
Complete South Regional Schedule (All game times are Eastern)Saturday, March 15 - Quarterfinals
Game 1 - #3 Delta State (24-6) vs. #6 Barry (19-8), 12 p.m.
Game 2 - #2 Saint Leo (23-8) vs. #7 West Alabama (17-10), 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 - #1 Florida Southern (26-4) vs. #8 Tuskegee (18-11), 5 p.m.
Game 4 - #4 North Alabama (22-9) vs. #5 Tampa (20-9), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 16 - Semifinals
Game 5 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 18 - Championship Game
Game 7 - Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
COURTESY FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE MEDIA RELATIONS
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