MIAA Tournament Picture Starting to Take Shape

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - With one slate of games left in the MIAA basketball regular season this weekend, the tournament picture is starting to take shape. However, a lot is still at stake in the 10 games that take place Saturday and Sunday.

In the men's bracket, Central Missouri has clinched the top seed and Fort Hays State has clinched the two seed. Central will play the eight seed at noon on Friday, March 5. The Mules' opponent in the first round will be decided Saturday when Northwest Missouri hosts Missouri Southern. If Northwest wins, the Bearcats will lock up the final spot in the tournament. If Southern comes out on top in Maryville on Saturday, Washburn will lock up the final spot and face Central in the opening round.

Nebraska-Omaha, Southwest Baptist, Missouri Western, Missouri Southern and Emporia State have all clinched berths in the tournament, but the No. 3 through No. 7 seeds have yet to be determined. The official bracket will be announced Sunday evening. Men's quarterfinals will be played Friday in two sessions. The first session tips off at noon and the second session at 6pm.

In the women's bracket, Washburn has clinched the top seed and will face the eight seed Thursday at noon. Emporia State has locked up the two seed and will take on the seven seed Thursday at 6 p.m. Central Missouri, Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern have all punched their tickets to Kansas City, but where they will be seeded is still in question. Seeds three through eight will be announced Sunday evening along with first round pairings. Women's quarterfinals will be played Thursday in two sessions. The first session tips off at noon and the second session at 6 p.m.

Please check www.themiaa.com following the completion of the regular season for information regarding tournament seeding. For more information on the 2010 MIAA Basketball Championships, visit www.themiaa.com/tournament/2010basketball/index.