Two teams. One spot.
That’s what is left to determine the men’s basketball field for the Great American Conference Tournament, which will begin on Thursday, March 6, in Fort Smith.
Arkansas Tech University (11-16 overall, 8-13 GAC) and Southern Arkansas University (12-15, 9-12) will play a winner-take-all game for that final postseason berth at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 1, at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville.
ATU President Dr. Russell Jones has announced that admission will be free and is encouraging all who love Arkansas Tech to be there and help lift the Wonder Boys into the postseason.
If SAU wins, the Muleriders will earn the last ticket to the GAC Tournament and ATU will be eliminated. If ATU wins, the Wonder Boys will hold a tiebreaker over SAU by virtue of a 2-0 record against the Muleriders this season. That would put ATU in the GAC Tournament and leave SAU at home.
ATU would also win a three-way tiebreaker for the final berth if it wins and Southeastern Oklahoma State University (10-17, 8-13) wins its game at Northwestern Oklahoma State University on Saturday.
Arkansas Tech is in this position following back-to-back wins over East Central University and Henderson State University this week. The Wonder Boys rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat the Reddies 64-58 in Arkadelphia on Thursday night.
“I’ve been telling this team all year that if they would just fight and believe in themselves, we’re a pretty good basketball team,” said Mark Downey, ATU head men’s basketball coach, after the win at HSU. “We’re at home on senior day. We’ll go at it. We’ll fight with everything we’ve got and battle for every possession.”
Saturday’s basketball doubleheader will begin with the women’s game at 1 p.m. It will be the final game of the season for the Golden Suns.
Live coverage of the ATU-SAU doubleheader will be provided by KCJC 102.3 FM, www.arkansastechsports.com and the EAB Media Group app.
Talk to you on the radio.
Tech Tidbits is a column written by Sam Strasner, ATU director of university relations and radio play-by-play voice for ATU football and basketball.
