FROM STAFF REPORTS

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The University of Montevallo men’s basketball team is ranked No. 8 in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region regular-season rankings released March 6.

The top eight teams in each of the eight regions, which includes automatic qualifiers who captured a conference tournament championship, following the completion of all conference tournaments Sunday, March 10 advance to the NCAA Division II tournament. The final region rankings will be revealed during the NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament selection show, which will air Sunday, March 10 in a NCAA.com live stream at 9:30 p.m. CST.

The Falcons (18-8 overall, 14-5 in Peach Belt Conference) debuted at No. 8 in the initial NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings released Feb. 20. Montevallo fell one spot to No. 9 in the second edition of the poll Feb. 27 before moving back into the top eight in the latest rankings.

Montevallo, the Peach Belt Conference West Division regular-season champion, is one of three Peach Belt Conference teams ranked in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll, which also includes the South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas. USC Aiken, the Peach Belt Conference East Division champion, is ranked No. 2 in the poll. UNC Pembroke, which finished runner-up in the East Division, is two spots behind the Pacers at No. 4 in the rankings.

Lincoln Memorial University, the South Atlantic Conference regular-season champion, is ranked No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region poll. Barton College, the Conference Carolinas regular-season champion, is ranked No. 3 in the poll.

Limestone College is ranked No. 5 in the poll, followed by King College (Tenn.) and Wingate University. Anderson University and Belmont Abbey College are ranked No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, behind the Falcons.

The Falcons are looking for their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II tournament. Montevallo has advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament in seven of the past nine seasons under coach Danny Young.

Montevallo finished the 2011-2012 season as the No. 1 team in the Southeast Region. The Falcons hosted the Southeast Region tournament and claimed the tournament championship as they advanced to the NCAA Division II national championship game for the first time in school history.

Montevallo captured its second consecutive Peach Belt Conference West Division championship following a 92-70 win over visiting Young Harris in its final regular season game March 2 at Trustmark Arena, earning the West Division’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming Peach Belt Conference tournament.

The Falcons face Augusta State University, the No. 4 seed in the East Division, in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament Friday, March 8 at 6 p.m. CST at the Frank G. Lumpkin Center on the Columbus State University campus in Columbus, Ga.