(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) – The Central Missouri Mules basketball team fell three spots to No. 7 in the latest NCAA Division II Central Regional Rankings released Wednesday afternoon.

The Mules finished the regular season 19-7 overall and won a share of the MIAA regular season championship with a 13-5 conference mark. UCM opens MIAA Tournament play as the No. 2 seed against seventh-seeded Pittsburg State on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Minnesota State is ranked first, followed by Winona State and Augustana (S.D.). Harding is fourth, followed by Northeastern State at No. 5 and Upper Iowa at No. 6.

The Mules, who have wins over the fifth and sixth ranked teams this season, are No. 7, followed by Washburn, St. Cloud State and Arkansas Tech.

The top eight teams in the final regional rankings released Sunday, March 10 will qualify for the NCAA-II Central Regional tournament March 16, 17, and 19 at a campus site to be determined.

The Central Regional is made up of teams from the MIAA, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Great American Conference. The NCAA-II Men’s Selection Show is set for 9:30 p.m. on NCAA.com March 10.