Lady Vols Open Hoops Season at SIU Arena and JALC

The John A. Logan College women's basketball team will open its 2007-08 season by hosting the Logan Invitational Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4. The tournament tips off on Saturday at 6 p.m. when Lincoln Trail College faces John Wood Community College. The Lady Vols' game against Mineral Area College will follow at 8 p.m. These games will be played at the SIU Arena in Carbondale.

The tournament continues on Sunday afternoon at John A. Logan College. Lincoln Trail and Mineral Area will play at 1 p.m., and Logan will square off against John Wood at 3 p.m.

The Lady Vols return three players from a team that went 23-9 last season and reached the semifinals of the Region 24 Tournament. Lacy Hester of Salem, Illinois, started every game at the guard position last year, averaging 6.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Emily Scheer from Paducah, Kentucky, contributed 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per contest. Abby Rankin of McLeansboro, Illinois, battled an injury last season but still averaged 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game when healthy.

"I'm glad to have Lacy, Emily, and Abby back," said Marty Hawkins, head coach of the Lady Vols. "They were an important part of our success last season, but with 11 newcomers on the squad this year, we are practically a brand new team. This tournament will be a good test for us. We're playing two quality opponents, and that will give us a chance to measure where we are as a team and determine what we need to work on."

Saturday's games are being played at the SIU Arena to accommodate a scheduling conflict at Logan, and Coach Hawkins says his players are looking forward to playing there.

"The players are excited about playing at the Arena," he said. "It isn't very often that they get to compete in the facilities of a big-time Division I basketball program."

For more information on the tournament, contact Logan's athletic department at 618-985-2828 or 618-457-7676, Ext. 8369.