Pilots in the hunt for Back-to-Back GCAC Championships
February 21, 2006
Shreveport, LA---Once again, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship has come down to the wire and will not be decided until the last game has been played Saturday night. LSUS and Spring Hill College are deadlocked for first at 10-2 overall, while the University of Mobile still remains in the hunt at 9-3.
LSUS has two remaining games against teams they have previously beat this season. Thursday night they play host to the Loyola University Wolfpack (3-9) at 7:30pm. Thursday will also be a night on which the Pilots will recognize their six graduating seniors; Fredericko Payne, Derrick Sowell, Jeremy Johnston, Kyle Blankenship, and Shadrach Roome and Carlon "Snoop" Simmons. Snoop is expected to play his last year of eligibility as a graduate student next season but will be recognized this year's senior class.
The Pilots will then hit the road Saturday in their regular season finale to take on the (5-7) William Carey College Crusaders at 7:00pm.
The game of the week for the Pilots however may take place without them present. Assuming the Pilots and the SHC Badgers remain tied for top spot in the GCAC at 11-2 come Saturday night, both teams would have to win on the road Saturday to claim their share of the GCAC Championship. The Badgers will have to defeat the 3rd place UM Rams, which they did earlier this season by a 74-71 margin at home.
At stake is not only a GCAC regular season championship, but also the right to be the top ranked team in the GCAC which has become a very important factor in this year’s GCAC Conference Tournament. Because of Hurricane Katrina, this year’s tournament will not be played at one site with all teams present. This year’s post-season Gulf Coast Athletic Conference competitions will be held on designated dates on the home court of the higher seed, provided that the home team agrees to comply with playoff regulations and requirements. All-eight men’s teams are eligible to play for post-season play.
Men’s First Round-Thursday, March 2
5 vs 4, 6 vs 3, 7 vs 2, 8 vs 1
Men’s Semi-Finals- Saturday, March 4
Winner of 5-4 vs winner of 8-1, winner of 6-3 vs winner of 7-2
Men’s Championship-Tuesday, March 7
Held at the court of the highest seeded remaining teams
If the tournament were to start today, the Pilots would be eligible to host their first two conference tournament games at The Dock. If they made it to the finals, they would have to travel to SHC for the championship game assuming that they also won their first two games of the tournament. top two teams prevail throughout the tournament, because the Badgers hold the upper hand in the conference tie-breaker.
While Thursday night will represent senior night for the Pilots, it will not be the last night Pilot fans will get to see them in action at "The Dock" as play-offs are just around the corner. For more information, please contact Al Cantwell, LSUS Sports Information Director, at sports@lsus.edu.
