For the seventh straight season, the Angelo State women's basketball team will be making an appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The 'Belles (23-8) will serve as the No. 7 seed out of the South Central Regional and face second-seeded and No. 20-ranked Washburn (23-6) at 3 p.m. Friday, Mar. 14, in the first round.

The South Central Regional Tournament will be played at the First United Bank Center on the campus of top-seeded West Texas A&M in Canyon. The regional semifinals will take place Saturday evening, Mar. 15, with the regional title game set for 7 p.m. Monday night, Mar. 17. The winner of the regional tournament will advance to the NCAA DII Elite Eight, scheduled for Mar. 26-29, in Kearney, Neb.

The 'Belles ended the regular season in third place in the South Division of the Lone Star Conference and advanced to the semifinals of the LSC Tournament for the fifth consecutive season this past week, falling to eventual champion West Texas A&M, 67-55, in the round of four.

ASU is making its eighth-ever appearance in the NCAA DII field, also advancing in 1994 prior to the current seven-year string which began in 2002. The 'Belles are 2-8 all-time in the national tournament with wins in the first round of the 2003 and 2005 events.

Top-seeded WTAMU (26-4) will host the regional after claiming the LSC Tournament title, 85-73, Sunday afternoon. The Lady Buffs will face No. 8 Northwest Missouri State (17-13), the MIAA Tournament champion. Emporia State (21-7) is the No. 4 seed and will meet fifth-seeded Southwest Baptist (21-9), in an all-MIAA quarterfinal match-up. The final quarterfinal will pit No. 3 seed Central Oklahoma (23-7), the LSC runner up, and sixth-seeded St. Mary's (25-4), the regular season and tournament champion from the Heartland Conference.

For more information, visit www.angelosports.com on Monday, Mar. 10.

2008 NCAA DII National Tournament
South Central Regional
Mar. 14-15 & 17 (Canyon, Texas)

First Round, Mar. 14
No. 3 Central Oklahoma (23-7) vs. No. 6 St. Mary's (25-4), 1 p.m.
No. 2 Washburn (23-6) vs. No. 7 Angelo State (23-8), 3 p.m.
No. 4 Emporia State (21-7) vs. No. 5 Southwest Baptist (21-9), 6 p.m.
No. 1 West Texas A&M (26-4) vs. No. 8 Northwest Missouri State (17-13), 8 p.m. 

Semifinals, Mar. 15
6 & 8 p.m.

Championship, Mar. 17
7 p.m.