Wednesday, November 03, 2010

MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conference and Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) announced the schedule of televised women’s basketball contests with six regular-season games on this season’s docket extending a partnership between the conference and the network for a ninth season.

CSS descends on the renovated Hodge Center on the campus of USC Upstate for the season premiere when the Spartans host the Lipscomb Lady Bisons on Monday, January 24. The Spartans, who won 20 games for the first time since the 1994-95 season, feature a pair of preseason all-conference performers in guard Tee'Ara Copney and the A-Sun’s Preseason Player of the Year, Chelsea McMillan. Lipscomb counters with preseason all-conference guard Jenna Bartsokas. As a junior she paced Lipscomb in scoring, assists and steals.

The following Monday, preseason favorite FGCU travels to Nashville for a showdown with Belmont, led by first-year head coach Brittney Ezell. Junior post Haley Nelson will lead the Bruins into this matchup while FGCU counters with senior guard Shannon Murphy. Both earned unanimous spots on the preseason All-Atlantic Sun squad.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Comcast to produce our ninth straight year of airing women’s basketball on CSS,” Atlantic Sun Commissioner Ted Gumbart said. “We’ve got great momentum building rivalries and fans in our women’s basketball programs and this television package showcases the outstanding student-athletes and universities that make up the A-Sun.”

The Eagles make their second CSS appearance in as many weeks when they host the ETSU Lady Buccaneers on February 7 at Alico Arena. Since FGCU joined the league in 2007, the two have stood atop the standings, combining to post a 90-12 record against the rest of the conference. The two teams split their regular-season meetings a season ago – each winning on their home court.

On day later, CSS shines a spotlight on the River City Rumble with Jacksonville hosting UNF. The Dolphins and Ospreys met three times last season. Both successfully defended their home courts but when the two met in Macon at the General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championship, the Ospreys used a stifling defensive effort to win the rubber match and advance to their first title game.

A Valentine’s Day meeting between the conference’s two oldest members, Stetson and Mercer, takes place on the floor of the 2011 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championship. The Bears have won the last five in the series to square the all-time score at 29 wins apiece. Like Belmont, Mercer features a fresh face at head coach in Susie Gardner who has gone to the NCAA Tournament three times at head coach.

The regular-season portion of the A-Sun/CSS calendar concludes on Sunday, Feb. 20 with Kennesaw State visiting UNF. These long-time rivals have met 27 times in their history with the Owls owning a 16-11 overall advantage and a 6-4 lead since the two joined the A-Sun

“CSS is pleased to offer A-Sun fans this selection of women’s basketball games”, CSS General Manager Mark Fuhrman said. “We have always valued our partnership with the Atlantic Sun Conference and are excited women’s basketball continues to be a part of it.”

CSS will carry both General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Basketball Championship semifinal games on Friday, March 4 – at Noon and 2:30 p.m. from Mercer’s University Center. They will again broadcast the title game, set for Noon on Saturday. The most current television schedule is always available at www.atlanticsun.org.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts five of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

CSS is a 24-hour sports channel carrying a full slate of college sports programming and can only be found on cable. With over 40 live football games including the SEC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, and Gulf South Conferences, the channel offers a comprehensive sports lineup throughout the year. The channel also offers more than 175 men's and women's live college basketball games and over 60 live baseball games, as well as a comprehensive mix of sports news and in-depth sports analysis geared toward fans in the south.

For more information on CSS, or to find out how you can get CSS on your cable system, log on to www.css-sports.com.