By CHASE UPTON/Sports Editor
TYLER, Texas — The University of Texas at Tyler women’s basketball team will enter the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship as the No. 7 seed in the South Central Regional, beginning its quest for the first national title in program history.
The Patriots finished the season 21-10 overall with a 16-4 mark in the Lone Star Conference and will be looking to bounce back after falling to West Texas A&M University (28-4) in the LSC Tournament semifinals.
In that matchup, the teams traded momentum throughout a tightly contested first half that featured eight lead changes. Milena Sablinskaite led UT Tyler with eight points, including two 3-pointers, while Polina Latysheva added seven points and five rebounds.
West Texas A&M held UT Tyler without an offensive rebound in the opening half and converted all 10 of its free-throw attempts before halftime. Karley Motschenbacher led all scorers with 10 first-half points while Randi Harding added eight for the Lady Buffs.
The Patriots responded with a 13-0 run early in the third quarter to briefly take the lead, but West Texas A&M regained control late and held off a late UT Tyler push to secure a 67-61 victory.
Freshman Leila Davis and Hayley Cumming led UT Tyler with 18 points each in the loss. Davis added five rebounds and three assists, while Cumming recorded four assists.
Despite the defeat, the Patriots believe they are playing their best basketball entering the postseason.
“We’re really coming together, playing some of our best basketball at the end of the season. That’s what great teams do,” freshman Hayley Cumming said.
UT Tyler will now have an opportunity for revenge when the teams meet again in the opening round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional on Friday, March 13 at 2:30 p.m. in Denton, marking the third matchup between the programs this season.
If the Patriots advance past the opening round, additional opportunities for revenge could await. The regional will be hosted by No.1 Texas Woman’s University (29-1, 20-0 LSC), the LSC regular-season and tournament champion and the top seed in both the region and the country. Also in the field is Adams State University (22-10), which defeated UT Tyler earlier this season during non-conference play in late 2025.
The South Central Regional also features two additional Lone Star Conference programs that UT Tyler defeated during the regular season in Eastern New Mexico University (21-10) and Lubbock Christian University (23-7). The field is rounded out by University of Colorado Colorado Springs (21-10) and No. 4 Colorado Mesa University (33-1).
The regional will take place March 13–16 in Denton, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
The official 2026 NCAA South Central Regional Tournament Central page can be found here. It has links to all information, tickets, tournament schedule, and each team.
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