Midwestern State topped Incarnate Word, 87-82, to advance to the semifinals, while Central Oklahoma, Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville were eliminated on the first day of play at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Warrensburg, Mo.

MSU faces host Central Missouri at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, while Dallas Baptist and Southwest Baptist square off at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal.  The winners move on to the championship game Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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

DBU 89, UCO 75

Central Oklahoma picked a bad time to experience one of its worst shooting games of the season.

The No. 13-ranked Bronchos shot just 37.7 percent (29-of-77) from the field -- missing six straight shots during one crucial stretch -- and saw its season come to an end with a stunning 89-75 setback to Dallas Baptist here Saturday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.

UCO owned a decided inside advantage against the Patriots but couldn't capitalize, missing repeatedly from close range -- and long range -- in having its second-worst shooting game of the season.  The Bronchos also struggled from the free throw line again, hitting only 10-of-20 attempts (50.0 percent). 

Click here for complete release courtesy of UCO sports information

SBU 89, ASU 84

The Angelo State men's basketball team (20-9) could overcome a 12-point halftime deficit in falling to No. 7-ranked Southwest Baptist (25-4), 89-84, in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Warrensburg, Mo., Saturday afternoon.

The Rams, making their first appearance in the NCAA Championships in eight years, saw their season come to a close with a four-game losing streak. The Bearcats, the No. 7-ranked team in the country, advances to play Dallas Baptist, an 89-75 upset winner over Central Oklahoma in the first game of the day, at 4 p.m. Sunday.

SBU took control of the game at the onset, racing out to an 11-0 lead before Shavar Burch put ASU on the board with a free throw at the 17:08 mark. That seemed to settle the Rams down as they would cut the lead in half, 30-25, over the next 10 minutes.

Click here for complete release courtesy of ASU sports information

UCM 78, TAMUK 55

A loss is an unfortunate way to end a season and a career, but Texas A&M-Kingsville senior point guard Wendell Mulkey went out on top despite the team's 78-55 loss in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament to Central Missouri on Saturday night in the UCM Multipurpose Building. 

Playing despite a badly injured shoulder that he sustained during the Lone Star Conference Championship last week, Mulkey played one of the finest games of his career and kept the Javelinas (19-11) in the game until the final minutes.  Mulkey finished the game with 13 points, seven assists and six rebounds while connecting with fellow senior Anthony "Chip" Jones on four alley-oop lobs. 

Click here for complete release courtesy of TAMUK sports information

MSU 87, UIW 82

The method of basketball in March is to survive and advance.

That's exactly what No. 21 Midwestern State accomplished Saturday night in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional at the University of Central Missouri's Multipurpose Building as the Mustangs held on for an 87-82 win.

"We kinda just hung on," Midwestern State coach Jeff Ray said. "We didn't cover like we normally do, but we did a great job moving the ball on the offensive end."

The Mustangs, who have now won 22 of their last 24 games to improve to 25-6 on the season, move on to face host and No. 1 seed Central Missouri Sunday night in a regional semifinal at 6:30 p.m.

Click here for complete release courtesy of MSU sports information