Holiday flight cancelations caused a change in the South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets Holiday Classic women’s basketball tournament this weekend including the game scheduled for tonight, Thursday, December 29th at 6 p.m. Instead of facing Snow College from Ephriam, Utah, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) fourth ranked Lady Jets will now match-up against the 12th seeded Pensacola Lady Pirates from Pensacola, FL.
Snow College was unable to make the tournament after Southwest Airlines cancelled their flights. SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey was able to reschedule the game tonight to include a showdown between two top 12 women’s basketball teams, the Lady Jets and the Lady Pirates.
Tonight’s game is a stand-alone game and a precursor to the tournament which actually begins Friday, December 30th and features four of the top 12 nationally ranked NJCAA Division 1 women’s basketball teams.
Eastern Florida State, the top ranked team in the NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Standings, as well as the current number two team in the nation, Gulf Coast Community College, will join the host and 4th ranked NJCAA Division 1 South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets along with 12th seeded Pensacola in the nine-team tournament in the SGTC Hangar or James S. Peters gymnasium beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, December 30th and ending with a 5 p.m. game on Sunday, January 1st.
The other teams in the tournament include Chattahoochee Valley Community College, Central Georgia Tech, St. Petersburg College, Shelton State, Tallahassee Community College, and Georgia Highlands.
Twelfth ranked Pensacola will replace Snow College for the Friday December 30th game as well and take on top-ranked Eastern Florida at 5 p.m., after matching up with SGTC on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Pensacola is currently 13 – 2 on the season with their only two losses coming against the 15th ranked Jones College Lady Bobcats earlier in the season. Jones College is currently 8 – 3 on the season with two losses against Trinity Valley, which was third and first in the nation at the time of the losses. Trinity Valley is currently ranked 6th in the nation.
Jones College’s other loss was to Shelton State, which is 8 – 3 with losses to Walters State Community College, Florida Southwestern State College and Jones College. Shelton State is also participating in the Lady Jets Holiday Classic.
The Lady Jets Holiday Class officially kicks off on Friday, December 30th at 1 p.m. with the NJCAA second ranked Gulf Coast Community College squad facing off against Chattahoochee Valley Community College. That game will be followed by Central Georgia Tech vs. St. Petersburg College at 3 p.m. and 12th seeded Pensacola State College facing the top ranked Eastern Florida team at 5 p.m. Shelton State and Tallahassee Community College will play at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, December 31st, Gulf Coast will open again against St. Petersburg College with an 11 a.m. game. Chattahoochee Valley and Eastern Florida will matchup at 1 p.m. and Central Georgia Tech will take on Shelton State at 3 p.m. The SGTC Lady Jets will take on Tallahassee Community College at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
The tournament will wrap-up on New Year’s Day, Sunday, January 1st with Tallahassee Community College and St. Petersburg College taking the court at 11 a.m. Shelton State will face the top-ranked Eastern Florida team at 1 p.m. followed by Gulf Coast and Georgia Highlands at 3 p.m. South Georgia Tech and Chattahoochee Valley Community College will have the last game of the tournament at 5 p.m.