Texas Lutheran advances to SCAC semifinal round; Tonight's game called off due to COVID-19 safety protocols

SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran will advance to the semifinal round of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship after Friday night's scheduled home game with St. Thomas (Texas) was called off due to COVID-19 safety precautions and protocols.

"Adhering to the league's COVID-19 safety precautions and protocols, tonight's women's basketball tournament quarterfinal contest between No. 3 Texas Lutheran and No. 6 St. Thomas, originally scheduled for 6 p.m. at TLU, has been cancelled," the SCAC office announced early Friday afternoon. "Texas Lutheran will advance to play the winner of No. 2 Colorado College and No. 7 University of Dallas next weekend at a site and time to be determined."

The TLU v. St. Thomas game is considered a no-contest. TLU does not get credit for a win on its women's basketball season record, and St. Thomas does not receive a loss.

If Colorado College defeats Dallas in Saturday's quarterfinal game, the Bulldogs would travel to Colorado Springs, Colo. for the semifinal contest next weekend. If Dallas wins, the Bulldogs would host the Crusaders in Seguin next weekend. Colorado College and Dallas tip-off at 4 p.m. mountain time Saturday in Colorado Springs.

Normally conducted over one weekend among the top six teams at a single predetermined site, this year the top eight men's and women's teams qualified for the postseason conference tournaments, which will stretch over three weekends.

First round play will be conducted the weekend of March 5-7. Semifinals are scheduled for March 12-14, and the men's and women's championship will occur the weekend of March 19-21.
 
The top four seeds will host first-round games on both the men's and women's side, and the top remaining seeds will host semifinal and championship rounds.

"In order to maintain our current testing cadence, this was the most efficient way of playing our men's and women's tournaments this year," said SCAC Commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "It also made sense to expand the field as our regular-season scheduling format did not allow us to complete a full round-robin."

In a decision that was made by the membership earlier in the fall, in any sport where the NCAA cancels national championship play (which is the case with basketball), St. Thomas is eligible for postseason conference play. The Celts are in their second year of NCAA and SCAC provisional membership.

 

TLU Men's Basketball is in Shreveport, La. for today's 5 p.m. tournament quarterfinal contest with Centenary (La.).
 
TLU and SCAC member institutions currently do not allow spectators at athletics events.