Wallace State's basketball teams hosting second annual Comfort Suites New Year's Classic this weekend
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State’s basketball teams are ringing in 2015 with some opponents visiting Tom Drake Coliseum for the first time as they host the second annual Comfort Suites New Year’s Classic on Jan. 2-4.
Joining the 24th-nationally ranked Wallace State Lady Lions in the women’s field are Snead State, No. 21 Shelton State, No. 23 Wabash Valley College (Ill.), LSU-Eunice and Lakeland College (Alberta, Canada).
Women’s games are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s the first trip to Hanceville for Wabash Valley, LSU-Eunice and Lakeland College.
“It’s going to be fun and beneficial to start the new year by playing some new teams and quality competition. It should get us better prepared for the conference season,” said Wallace State women’s coach Ron Burdette. “I’m sure these games are going to come down to the last few minutes and final possessions. It should be some exciting basketball.”
The men’s bracket features Wallace State, Snead State, Wabash Valley and Richard Bland College (Va.). Men’s games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. It’s the first trip to Hanceville for Richard Bland.
“We are excited to bring in such a great field for this season’s Comfort Suites New Year’s Classic. All teams represented are performing at a high level. It will be a great weekend of basketball,” said Wallace State men’s coach John Meeks. “We appreciate Comfort Suites’ sponsorship of the classic for the second straight year.”
Wallace State’s women play LSU-Eunice at 4 p.m. on Friday, Wabash Valley at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Lakeland College at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Wallace State’s men play Wabash Valley on Friday at 8 p.m. and Richard Bland College on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Games start at noon on Friday, 9 a.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Wallace State’s women enter the tournament red-hot. The Lady Lions (13-1) are riding a nine-game winning streak after winning a pair of contests in Memphis against Dyersburg Community College and Southwest Tennessee Community College on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Burdette’s squad is also 5-0 on its home court.
Wallace State sophomore forward Morgan Smith is the conference’s second-leading scorer, averaging 16.7 points per game. Sophomore guard Haven Albright pitches in with 11.3 points per game and BreAnna Thompson, who joined the team in early December after volleyball season, is averaging 8.6 points and seven rebounds in seven games.
Wallace State’s men, the defending Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) champion, enter the tournament with an 8-7 record. The Lions, who have played only one home game this season, are led by freshman forward Dante Battle, a North Carolina native who averages 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Kriston Beasley adds 8.2 points for the Lions while Richard Smith scores 7.4 points off the bench.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit wallacestate.edu.
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8443 direct
Russell.Moore@wallacestate.edu
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu