Three Lone Star Conference men's basketball teams played in first-round games Saturday at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, with Central Oklahoma and Tarleton State advancing while West Texas A&M was eliminated.

UCO and TSU will both play in regional semifinal contests on Sunday.  The Bronchos will face Northwest Missouri State at 5 p.m., while the Texans play Southwest Baptist at 7:30 p.m.

The eight-team tournament, being played in Stephenville, Texas, on the Tarleton State University campus, continues with semifinals on Sunday before the championship contest on Tuesday. The regional winner advances to the NCAA Division II Men's Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass.

Here's a closer look at Saturday's first-round games:

UCO 65, FHSU 64

Not even a case of pre-tournament food poisoning could stop Central Oklahoma's postseason run here Saturday afternoon.

The No. 21-ranked Bronchos, who had half the team and the entire coaching staff fall ill Thursday night after eating at a local restaurant, held off Fort Hays State 65-64 in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional for their fourth straight postseason win.

Click here for complete release courtesy of UCO sports information

SBU 95, WTAMU 79

Fifth-seeded Southwest Baptist made 14 three-pointers as they surged past No. 4 seed West Texas A&M, 95-79, in game three of the NCAA South Central Regional. The Buffs, who made their 10th overall and third straight NCAA-II postseason appearance, conclude the regular season with a 21-8 overall record.

"It was a hard fought game but we never found a good way to stop them," said WT head coach Rick Cooper. "The first five minutes of each half hurt us. We got in foul trouble but, holy cow, you have to give them all credit. At one point, 10 minutes into game, they had 12 offensive boards - that combined with shooting is hard to stop. I'm proud of the seniors, they didn't quit. Really at this time of the season it's about playing hard. It's a disappointing loss but I'm proud of the team."

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TSU 70, STMU 64

The No. 15 Tarleton Texans used a strong shooting performance to outlast the eighth-seeded St. Mary's Rattlers Saturday in the final game of the day in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, 70-64.

The Texans, who improved to 24-6 on the season, were led by senior Avery Patterson with 23 points while Terrence Gamble added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds as Tarleton advanced to play Southwest Baptist in the second semifinal game Sunday scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Click here for complete release courtesy of TSU sports information