For Immediate Release

Date February 29, 2008

For More Information, Contact: Keith Gentry (901) 333-4114/ (901) 619-1899

SOUTHWEST BASKETBALL TEAMS

The Southwest men’s and women’s basketball teams have each earned a first round bye in next week’s Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association/National Junior College Athletic Association Region VII Tournament at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee.

The Southwest men enter the tournament as the number two seed in the Western Division and will play a quarterfinal game at 8 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 6 against the winner of Tuesday’s Chattanooga State vs. Dyersburg State first round game. The Lady Saluqis are the top seed from the Western Division and will play at 2 p.m. EST on Friday, March 7 against Wednesday’s Cleveland State vs. Volunteer State winner.

The Southwest men ended the regular season 13-13 overall and 8-8 in the TJCCAA. (Included in the record are nine games forfeited due to an ineligible player.) The Saluqis average a conference-leading 101.7 points per game and are led in scoring by sophomore guards Dominique Johnson and A.J. Nance. Johnson leads the team with 17.6 points per game, 69 three-point field goals, a .406 three-point percentage, and 66 steals. Nance is second in scoring with a 17.3 average and leads the Saluqis with a .839 free throw percentage. Other top contributors are sophomore point guard Emmanuel Cheers (7.4 points, team-high 5.8 assists) and freshmen forwards DeAngelo Riley (9.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, team-high 3.9 blocked shots), Jeremy Rodgers (9.5 points, team-high 9.9 rebounds), and Markecio Beal (9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds).

The fourth-ranked Southwest women finished the regular season undefeated at 23-0 including 16-0 in the TJCCAA. The Lady Saluqis average 81.2 points per game while allowing only 60.9. Sophomore guard Candace Rucker leads the conference in scoring (20.9) and steals (4.2) and is also the team leader in field goal percentage (.556) and free throw percentage (.681). Sophomore post player Starkitsha Luellen averages 13.7 points and a conference-leading 12.3 rebounds per game. Other Lady Saluqi sophomores who have played a major role in the team’s success this season are Daumonique Lenhardt (9.7 points, 2.1 assists, 2.4 steals), Tiffany Simpson (4.4 points, team-high 3.2 assists), Cristil Camper (6.8 points, 3.1 assists), and Keona Brooks (7.1 points, 6.0 rebounds).

Tournament champions advance to the NJCAA national tournament March 18-22. The men’s tournament will be held in Hutchinson, Kansas and the women’s in Salina, Kansas.