The Lone Star Conference Basketball tournament kicks off this afternoon in the Men’s Bracket while the Women start Friday Night, so let’s take a look at the Brackets and the matchups and a synopsis of what could happen.

Women’s Hoops-

Here is the bracket and schedule of games for the LSC tournament.

LSC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Friday, March 8, 2019
SESSION THREE
Game 5: 12 p.m., 3) Tarleton State vs. 6) Midwestern State
Game 6: 2:30 p.m., 2) Angelo State vs. 7) Texas Woman’s
SESSION FOUR
Game 7: 6 p.m., 1) West Texas A&M vs. 8) Texas A&M-Kingsville
Game 8: 8:30, 4) Eastern New Mexico vs. 5) Texas A&M-Commerce

Saturday, March 9, 2019
SESSION SIX
Game 11: 6 p.m., Women Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Game 12: 8:30 p.m., Women Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6

Sunday, March 10, 2019
SESSION SEVEN
Game 14: 3:30 p.m., Women’s Championship: Winner G11 vs. Winner G12

At 19-9 and finishing 3rd in the LSC regular season standings, the Women of Lion Hoops are sitting at the 8th and final spot in the South Central Regional Rankings. Eastern New Mexico is ranked 7th, while Tarleton State is fifth. The Women split the season series with the TexAnns and the Zias. The first game sees the Lions taking on Eastern New Mexico, a team they can and have beaten. Should they win, they get a rematch with West Texas A&M, a team they have taken to the wire both times before letting WT pull away. A win over Eastern SHOULD get them into the tournament if they bow out to West Texas A&M, and the Lady Buffs win the LSC tournament. It all comes down to the first game. If the Lions do win the tournament, they are in via an automatic bid. If The Lions get in, it would only the second time in program history and the first since the great team of 2006-2007 went to the NCAA Division Elite 8.

Men’s Hoops-

Jaret Von Rosenberg’s squad sits at 21-7 overall, finishing second in the Lone Star Conference regular season, and fifth in the South Central Regional Rankings. Here is the schedule for the Men’s bracket-

LSC MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 7, 2019
SESSION ONE
Game 1: 12 p.m., 3) Angelo State vs. 6) Texas A&M-Kingsville
Game 2: 2:30 p.m., 2) Texas A&M-Commerce vs. 7) UT Permian Basin
SESSION TWO
Game 3: 6 p.m., 1) West Texas A&M vs. 8) Cameron
Game 4: 8:30 p.m., 4) Eastern New Mexico vs. 5) Tarleton State

Saturday, March 9, 2019
SESSION FIVE
Game 9: 12 p.m., Men Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 10: 2:30 p.m., Men Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Sunday, March 10, 2019
SESSION SEVEN
Game 13: 1 p.m., Men’s Championship: Winner G9 vs. Winner G10

Despite splitting the season series 1-1, the Lions should be the heavy favorite against Texas-Permian Basin in the LSC first round. Should they win, they face the winner of Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Lions split the season series with Angelo State and swept Kingsville. Getting a second seed looks pretty favorable for the Lions, but if the Lions want to win the LSC tournament, they will more than likely face West Texas A&M in the Championship game. If the Lions win the first game, they more than likely clinch a spot in the National tournament for the fourth time in 5 years, but a first round loss could derail the Lions out of the NCAA tournament, or drop them to a very uncomfortable 8th seed. Either way, this is why I love conference tournaments, a chance to rectify earlier season shortcomings.