MARSHALL, Mo. - Two teams remain in the 2009 NCAA II Central Region Men's Basketball Tournament as No. 1 seed Southwest Minnesota State and No. 7 seed Augustana College meet for the regional championship on Tuesday, March 17, at the R/A Facility in Marshall starting at 7 p.m.  SMSU enters the championship game with a 27-6 record, while Augie is 21-9.

Southwest Minnesota State, ranked No. 12 in the country, advanced to the title game after earning a 69-47 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 seed Northern State on Saturday night and a 77-69 win over No. 4 seed Minnesota State, Mankato on Sunday night in the tournament semifinals.  Augustana earned its way to the championship game with a 73-72 victory over No. 2 seed St. Cloud State in the quarterfinals, before defeating No. 6 seed Winona State 88-82 in the semifinals. 

It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season with each team winning once.  Augie won 78-74 on Nov. 29 in Sioux Falls, S.D., while SMSU won 64-57 in Marshall on Jan. 23. 

It will also be the second regional appearance for both programs in their respective school's history.  Augustana advanced to the regional finals in 1978 before losing to Wisconsin-Green Bay, while Southwest Minnesota State won the regional championship in 2001, defeating St. Cloud State.