ATLANTA -- The Southern States Athletic Conference announced late Mon. that Berry College has been chosen as the host for the SSAC Women's Basketball Tournament. The event will be held from March 4-7 in the brand-new Steven J. Cage Athletic & Recreation Center
"We are very excited to have the opportunity to host this tournament," said Berry's head coach Jonathan Norton. "It will be a great occasion to showcase what I think is the best facility in the conference."
The facility that will play host to the tournament is the Steven J. Cage Athletic & Recreation Center, known around campus as The Cage. Opened in Jan. of 2008, The Cage is a 131,000-square foot facility, that sits in the center of Berry's main campus, making it a hub for campus activity. The performance arena, which hosts home basketball games, provides comfortable seating for nearly 2,000 spectators and also provides a concourse area around the top of the arena.
"We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to partnering with the conference to make it a wonderful experience for all involved," said Athletic Director Todd Brooks. "We have a history of hosting this tournament and a wonderful new facility that should make it a great event for the community, visiting fans and fans of Berry College alike."
The tournament will be held in conjunction with the men's tournament, which was allocated to Shorter College. The event will bring a total of 16 teams to the greater-Rome area for the tournament for a weekend of fun and festivities.
"We are looking forward to working with the city of Rome, Shorter and the Berry community to provide a great experience for the entire tournament," added Norton.
The Lady Vikings posted a 26-7 record last season, including a 4-1 mark in games played at The Cage. The team advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the second time in Norton's three-year career. The only senior that graduated from last year's squad is Mickey Duncan, an All-American center from Dallas, Ga.
"We are excited at the prospect of a home court advantage for such an important tournament," said Norton. "We look forward to being able to keep our regular schedules, including attending classes during the day and sleeping in our own beds at night."
The Berry women's basketball season will kick off this year with the Bob Williams Classic. The Lady Vikings will face a pair of tough tests in the Classic with Mobile at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 followed by last year's national runner-up Trevecca Nazarene on Nov. 8 at 8 p.m.
In addition to providing Berry with the opportunity to host the SSAC Women's Basketball Tournament, the new facility also allows the school to host the SSAC Volleyball Tournament (Nov. 12-15). Berry will also become a host for games during the Rome News-Tribune Holiday Tournament this year.