By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
INDIANAPOLIS – After winning both the MIAA regular season and tournament championships, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team has been selected as the No. 1 seed in the Central Region of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. The Tigers (28-3) will be hosting the Central Regional of the tournament for the third time inside Gross Memorial Coliseum March 11, 12 and 14.
Four quarterfinal games will open the festivities on Friday, followed by the semifinals Saturday evening. Two teams will then vie for a regional championship on Monday. The winner of that game will advance to Birmingham, Ala. for the Elite Eight, scheduled for March 21-25.
Fort Hays State’s first round opponent will be eighth-seeded Minnesota State-Mankato. The Mavericks were 21-6 on the year, reaching the NSIC semifinals while finishing third in the regular season Northern Sun standings.
Other quarterfinal matchups include No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State 29-4) against No. 7 Missouri Western (21-9), No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (24-4) facing off with No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney (23-7) and No. 4 Missouri Southern (24-6) squaring off with No. 5 Saint Cloud State (23-4).
This is the third time that the Tigers have served as DII regional hosts, joining 2015 and 2019. Fort Hays State reached the regional title game each year, but fell one win short of advancing to the Elite Eight. Fort Hays State was also the top seed in last year’s regional that was held at a predetermined site (Warrensburg, Mo.), with FHSU falling in the regional semifinals that year.
Fort Hays State has now been selected to play in seven of the last eight regional championships and eight overall during the Tigers’ DII history. The Tigers are 5-6 all-time in the big dance, including a 1-0 record against the Mavericks, a 3-1 record against teams from the NSIC, a 4-2 mark when playing in Hays, a 2-0 mark against the No. 8 seed and a 3-2 record in the quarterfinal round.
More tournament information will be released soon, including game times and ticket information.
2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship Central Region Tournament Quarterfinal Matchups
No. 1 Fort Hays State (28-3) vs. No. 8 Minnesota State (21-6)
No. 4 Missouri Southern (24-6) vs. No. 5 St. Cloud State (23-4)
No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State (29-4) vs. No. 7 Missouri Western (21-9)
No. 3 Minnesota Duluth (24-4) vs. No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney (23-7)