PR2010 Feb U2

SHELTON STATE, TUSCALOOSA SPORTS FOUNDATION

READY FOR 2010 ACCC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

TUSCALOOSA – Shelton State Community College, in association with the Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation,

hosts the 2010 Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament

Sunday, February 28, through Saturday, March 6, at The Umphrey Center on the College’s Martin Campus at

9500 Old Greensboro Road.

The women’s tournament begins Sunday, Feb. 28. Game times for Feb. 28 and March 1 are scheduled for 1 p.m.,

3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Game times for the semifinal round on March 2 are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and

7:30 p.m. The women’s championship game will conclude the five-game schedule for Wednesday, March 3,

tipping off at 7:30 p.m. The winner will advance to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament, beginning

March 16th in Salina, Kansas.

The men’s tournament features three Top 20 teams in the most recent National Junior College Athletic

Association rankings, Shelton State (26-3, 11-2) seventh, Wallace State-Hanceville (26-3, 11-2) eighth, and

Alabama Southern (25-4) at 19th. The potential matchup of two top 10 teams is one of the more intriguing of

the tournament, as they split in their regular season battles, Wallace St. claiming a 71-67 victory over the Bucs in

Hanceville and Shelton topping Hanceville, 77-69, in Tuscaloosa on Feb. 20.

Men’s play begins at 11 a.m. on Wed., March 3, followed by games at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. Games

scheduled for Thursday, March 5, tip off at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Men’s semifinals are

scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 5, and the men’s championship game will be played at

7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. The winner will advance to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament,

starting March 16th, in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Exact pairings for all games will be released as soon as they become available at the ACCC Tournament page on

the Shelton State Web site, www.sheltonstate.edu, and on the ACCC site, www.accccsports.org. Fans may also

follow the games via a live stats option on the Shelton State Web site.

“I am so pleased that Shelton State has been afforded this opportunity to service our sister schools in the state by

hosting these events,” said Dr. Mark Heinrich, Shelton State President. “We also are grateful for the assistance

from the Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation and look forward to a collaboration that will allow us to showcase our

campus, facilities, and community.”

A previous host of both tournaments, this year Shelton State worked in tandem with the Tuscaloosa Sports

Foundation (TSF) to secure the event. “Almost a year ago we met with Dr. Heinrich with the plan to work with

Shelton State in order to bring quality events to Tuscaloosa that would benefit both our community and Shelton

State,” said Don Staley, executive director of the TSF. “This tournament begins an exciting partnership, and the

Foundation is thrilled to work with a first class organization like Shelton State. It is a win-win situation, as it

brings visitors to our city and exposes them to what Tuscaloosa has to offer. Plus, it allows Shelton State to

highlight its impact in and commitment to our community.”

Shelton State is no stranger to success in the ACCC Tournament. The Lady Bucs are defending their fourth

consecutive title, while the men are looking for their third straight championship and the fifth in six years. The

Lady Bucs finished sixth in the country last season at the NJCAA National Tournament in Salina, Kansas. Both

teams receive a first-round bye in this year’s ACCC Tournament.

The Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation, established in 2007, operates with a mission to provide, organize, and

administer youth, amateur, and professional sports activities, programs, and events to enhance the quality of

community life in the Tuscaloosa County area. In just over two years of operation the TSF is off to a great start,

most recently hosting the Alabama High School Athletic Association's Super Six football championships in

Bryant-Denny Stadium, the first of three such events over the next six years. Other TSF initiatives have included

collegiate rugby, Olympic developmental soccer camps, youth baseball, and events with Olympic bronze

medalist Deontay Wilder.