(2) Nicholls State 80, (7) Texas State 75
No. 2 Nicholls State trailed by eight at halftime to No. 7 Texas State, but the Colonels used a 17-4 run midway through the second half to pull ahead and slip past the Bobcats for an 80-75 win. Sophomore forward Anatoly Bose and senior forward Ryan Bathie each scored 20 points to lead Nicholls State in the game. In a foul-filled affair, Bose made 10-of-13 free throw attempts, and the Colonels hit 35-of-43 as a team. Texas State struggled to make shots down the stretch, finishing with 39 percent shooting from the field.
(6) Texas-San Antonio 83, (3) Sam Houston State 74
No. 6 Texas-San Antonio hit 10 three-pointers and shot 57 percent from the field to win 83-74 against No. 3 Sam Houston State. Sophomore guard Devin Gibson led the Roadrunners with 25 points, making 14-of-15 free throws to help Texas-San Antonio move a step closer to defending its Southland championship.
(1) Stephen F. Austin 67, (8) Southeastern Louisiana 56
No. 1 Stephen F. Austin beat back No. 8 Southeastern Louisiana 67-56 by hitting 11 three-pointers to help overcome a 39 percent shooting day. Senior forward Josh Alexander led the Lumberjacks with 25 points and made six three-pointers. Stephen F. Austin will play No. 4 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals. The Lumberjacks won in Corpus Christi by five in the teams’ only meeting this season.
(4) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 79, (5) UT Arlington 72
Junior swingman Kevin Palmer had 35 points for No. 4 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, helping the Islanders to a 79-72 win against No. 5 Texas-Arlington. Palmer and the Islanders outdueled junior guard Marquez Haynes, who finished with 36 points for the Mavericks.
