ATLANTA, March 3 (UPI) -- Belmont, Winthrop, Davidson and Eastern Kentucky Saturday earned their way into the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The four schools were the first champions crowned in what will be a series of 30 league tournament title games, leading to the announcement of the NCAA field March 11.
Pennsylvania was the first team in the NCAA tournament, having captured the Ivy League regular-season championship Friday night.
Belmont surprised top-seeded East Tennessee State in Saturday's Atlantic Sun final, 94-67. Winthrop fought off VMI to win the Big South crown, 84-81.
Davidson advanced from the Southern Conference over College of Charleston, 72-65. Eastern Kentucky edged Austin Peay in the Ohio Valley Conference, 63-62.
Winthrop, which advanced to 28-4 for the season, might have received a tournament bid even it had lost to VMI. But the Eagles made sure thanks to a dramatic victory that was not wrapped up until VMI missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Another tournament bid will be decided Sunday in the Missouri Valley Conference, where 11th-ranked Southern Illinois will meet Creighton.
The national championship will be determined April 2 in Atlanta.
