Flying Queens, Pioneers open SAC Tournaments with home doubleheader

Wayland Baptist's Flying Queens and Pioneers open play in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournaments with home games Tuesday.
 
The top four seeds in each of the eight-team brackets host quarterfinal games Tuesday before the tournaments shift to Oklahoma City University's Abe Lemons Arena on March 1 and 2 for the semifinals and championships.
 
On the women's side, the sixth-ranked Flying Queens (25-5) are the No. 2 seed and host seventh-seeded Texas Wesleyan (14-16) – a team Wayland defeated in Fort Worth on Thursday, 73-64 – at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The winner faces third-seeded USAO (20-10) or sixth-seeded John Brown (17-12) in Friday's semifinal at a time to be determined. Saturday's championship is at 1 p.m.
 
In the men's tournament, ninth-ranked Wayland (24-6), as a result of claiming its first-ever SAC regular-season title, earned the No. 1 seed and hosts eighth-seeded Oklahoma-Panhandle State (15-13) at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Pioneers defeated the Aggies during the regular-season, 82-76 and, most recently, 97-87, on Feb. 12 in Goodwell, Okla. The WBU-OPSU winner takes on the winner between fourth-seeded Langston (21-9) and fifth-seeded OCU (18-10) in Friday's semis at a time to be determined. Saturday's championship is at 4 p.m.
 
The tournament winners earn automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships, although both Wayland's men's and women's teams are expected to gain at-large bids regardless of what happens next week based on their national rankings.
 
The women's national tournament will be played March 13-19 in Billings, Mont., while the men's national tourney is March 20-26 in Kansas City, Mo.
  WOMEN
At campus sites
Tuesday's Games
Quarterfinals
Game 1: No. 5 Mid-America Christian (20-8) at No. 4 Southwestern Assemblies of God (20-10), 6 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 John Brown (17-12) at No. 3 USAO (20-10), 6 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Texas Wesleyan (14-16) at No. 2 Wayland Baptist (25-5), 6 p.m.
Game 4: No. 8 Panhandle State (14-14) at No. 1 Oklahoma City (27-3), 6 p.m.
At Abe Lemons Arena
Oklahoma City
Friday's Games
Semifinals
Times TBD
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Saturday, March 2
Championship
Game 7: Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
 
MEN
At campus sites
Tuesday's Games
Quarterfinals
Game 1: No. 5 Oklahoma City (18-10) at No. 4 Langston (21-9), 7 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Mid-America Christian (19-11) at No. 3 USAO (20-9), 8 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Southwestern Assemblies of God (19-11) at No. 2 John Brown (21-9), 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 8 Panhandle State (15-13) at No. 1 Wayland Baptist (24-6), 8 p.m.
At Abe Lemons Arena
Oklahoma City
Friday's Games
Semifinals
Times TBD
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Saturday, March 2
Championship
Game 7: Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.