Latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Midlands

COLUMBIA – South Carolina earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003 and will face Eastern Michigan on Saturday, March 17 at the West Lafayette, Ind., site, hosted by Purdue University.  Game time is 11 a.m. with ESPN2 televising the matchup.

Purdue and South Dakota State will square off in the other game at the site with the winners meeting on Monday, March 19.

Fans can request tickets online at www.GamecocksOnline.com/Tickets, by phone through the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at 803-777-4274 or in person at the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at Colonial Life Arena. The deadline for requests is 5 p.m. (ET) Wed., March 14, and requests will be prioritized with Gamecock Club members and women’s basketball season ticket holders receiving first priority. All tickets requested through the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office must be picked up on site at the will call window by the Gamecock Club or women’s basketball season ticket account holder. Please contact the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office for more information.

This will be the ninth NCAA Tournament appearance for South Carolina, which has built an 8-8 record in the event. The 2001-02 Gamecocks reached the tournament’s Elite Eight, the deepest into the event than any South Carolina basketball team has progressed.

This season, South Carolina is 23-9 entering the NCAA Tournament, including 10 SEC regular-season wins, which tied the school record originally set in 2001-02.