MARCH 3, 2008 --- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Women’s Basketball One Step Away From Nationals 
Lady Pioneers Will Host District J Tournament on Saturday

SPARTANBURG, SC – The Spartanburg Methodist College Lady Pioneers claimed the College’s first women’s Region X basketball title this past weekend and are looking forward to a win this weekend at the District J tournament. 

SMC will host the District title game on Saturday, March 8, at 2 pm, where it will face Georgia Perimeter (19-14).  

“SMC is very excited to host the Districts.  We definitely have an advantage having such an important game on our home floor,” says SMC Athletic Director Mark Perdue. 

If the Lady Pioneers win the district matchup, it will be their first trip ever to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s women’s basketball tournament. 

“The women continued to improve throughout the year and all their hard worked paid off,” Perdue adds. 

The SMC women’s basketball team defeated Wilkes Community College 60-53 on Sunday at the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Region X tournament to clinch the region title and advance to the District J title game. 

The Lady Pioneers entered the region tournament as the No. 2 seed, with a two game bye, after posting its best regular season record (15-3, 19-10) in more than five years.  In its first matchup of the Region tournament, SMC defeated Clinton Junior College 68-64 on Saturday. 

SMC’s Erica Caldwell, a sophomore from Columbia, SC, who was named the Region X Player of the Year on Wednesday, Feb. 27.   

She and teammate Markesha Smith, a sophomore from Clemson, SC, were both named to the Region X Women’s Basketball 1st Team All-Region. 

Caldwell hit 19 points, with 11 rebounds against Clinton Junior College in the semi-final round of the region tournament.  In the championship, she hit 14 points. 

Sophomore India Belton, of Blythewood, SC, hit 15 points in the final game, with sophomore Latisha Lee, of Columbia, SC, scoring 12 points. 

“They played strong. But they had their sights set on bigger things during the region tournament.  When we won those games, it just felt like winning any other game. The main thought on everyone’s mind right now is beating Georgia Perimeter and going to nationals,” says women’s head coach Ralph Patin. 

Patin says because Georgia Perimeter opened their season with a series of tough games and tough losses to very strong opponents, the team’s record does not truly reflect their strength. 

“Georgia Perimeter is going to be tough. They’ll be at the top of their game, so we will need to be also,” says Patin. 

Perdue adds that the SMC community is very proud of what the College’s basketball teams have accomplished this year. 

The men’s team was eliminated in the third round of play at the Region X tournament and finished its season with its best season record (16-5, 24-8) in seven years.

“Our basketball teams this year have exceeded all expectations.  Having both teams winning 20 games in a season is a very great year,” says Perdue. 

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.  

The College is in its 97th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning. 

For more information, contact men’s basketball coach Ralph Patin at (803) 309-5539 or Athletic Director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237. 

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