BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The seeds and pairings for the 2023 Mountain East Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, presented by The Health Plan, have been finalized after the conclusion of Saturday’s regular season action.
The top 10 teams qualify for the tournament at WesBanco Arena, with the top six seeds earning byes.
For the men, West Liberty, the No. 8 team in the country, won the MEC regular season championship with a 20-2 mark in conference play during the 2022-23 season. West Liberty currently ranks second in the NCAA Atlantic Region Rankings.
Fairmont State (17-5) earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament, followed by Charleston (16-6) and West Virginia State (14-8) rounding out the top four seeds. Notre Dame won a three-way tiebreaker to earn the No. 5 seed, followed by Davis & Elkins at No. 6 and Glenville State at No. 7. All three teams ended the season with a 12-10 conference mark. Concord (10-12) will be the No. 8 seed, followed by Alderson Broaddus (9-13) and Wheeling (4-18) rounding out the field.
Glenville State will open play against Wheeling on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Eighth-seeded Concord will face Alderson Broaddus at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
On the women’s side, Glenville State, the No. 4 team in the country, won the MEC regular season championship with a 20-2 mark in conference play during the 2022-23 season. The Pioneers also enter the tournament as the top-ranked team in the NCAA Atlantic Region.
West Virginia State (17-5) earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament following its 85-82 win over Charleston on Saturday afternoon. UC (16-6) emerged as the No. 3 seed after earning the tiebreaker over Fairmont State. The Falcons are the No. 4 seed, followed by West Liberty (15-7), Wheeling (12-10), Concord (9-13) and Davis & Elkins (7-15). Frostburg State (6-16) will be the No. 9 seed after earning the tiebreaker over Notre Dame College.
Concord will open play against Notre Dame on Wednesday at noon. Eighth-seeded Davis & Elkins will face Frostburg State at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Thursday’s quarterfinal schedule is listed below.
MEC Men’s Tournament Seeds
1. West Liberty (25-3, 20-2)
2. Fairmont State (22-6, 17-5)
3. Charleston (19-9, 16-6)
4. West Virginia State (20-8, 14-8)
5. Notre Dame (16-12, 12-10)
6. Davis & Elkins (18-10, 12-10)
7. Glenville State (16-12, 12-10)
8. Concord (14-14, 10-12)
9. Alderson Broaddus (11-16, 9-13)
10. Wheeling (6-22, 4-18)
MEC Men’s First Round Games (Wednesday, March 1)
6 p.m.: #7 Glenville State vs. #10 Wheeling
8:30 p.m.: #8 Concord vs. #9 Alderson Broaddus
MEC Men’s Quarterfinal Games (Friday, March 3)
Noon: #2 Fairmont State vs. #7/10 winner
2:30 p.m.: #3 Charleston vs. #6 Davis & Elkins
6 p.m.: #1 West Liberty vs. #8/9 winner
8:30 p.m.: #4 West Virginia State vs. #5 Notre Dame
MEC Women’s Tournament Seeds
1. Glenville State (26-2, 20-2)
2. West Virginia State (22-5, 17-5)
3. Charleston (21-7, 16-6)
4. Fairmont State (22-8, 16-6)
5. West Liberty (17-11, 15-7)
6. Wheeling (14-14, 12-10)
7. Concord (12-16, 9-13)
8. Davis & Elkins (7-19, 7-15)
9. Frostburg State (8-20, 6-16)
10. Notre Dame (7-21, 6-16)
MEC Women’s First Round Games (Wednesday, March 1)
Noon: #7 Concord vs. #10 Notre Dame
2:30 p.m.: #8 Davis & Elkins vs. #9 Frostburg State
MEC Women’s Quarterfinal Games (Thursday, March 2)
Noon: #2 West Virginia State vs. #7/10 winner
2:30 p.m.: #3 Charleston vs. #6 Wheeling
6 p.m.: #1 Glenville State vs. #8/9 winner
8:30 p.m.: #4 Fairmont State vs. #5 West Liberty
