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November 17, 1999
Ouachita to Open Basketball Season this Weekend
Mac Sisson
ARKADELPHIA - The 1999-2000 basketball season gets underway for the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers and Lady Tigers this weekend with both teams showing the extremes in terms of court experience.
Mike Reynold’s youthful Tigers, along with new assistant coach Michael Wagstaff, will report to the Farris Center on the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway on Friday, November 19 for a 6 p.m. season-opening game against the Arkansas Tech University Wonder Boys in the University of Central Arkansas Tipoff Classic. On Saturday, the Tigers will play the UCA Bears at the Farris Center at 8 p.m.
The Tigers are very young this season with only two lettermen returning from a 19-6, 6-8 season. There are seven freshmen, two of whom were redshirts last season, and four junior college transfers, along with returning guards Kyle Dean and Michael Medlin The team was ranked eighth in the North Division LSC Pre-Season Basketball Poll by coaches, sports information directors and media.
The weekend soiree to Faulkner County will reunite some old acquaintances. Both UCA and Tech are members of the NCAA Division II West Division of the Gulf South Conference. Ouachita is a member of the North Division of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference. Beginning in the 2000-2001 academic year, Ouachita and Harding University will rejoin their old Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference neighbors as members of the GSC.
The first opportunity for Tiger fans to see their team in the friendly confines of Bill Vining Arena in OBU’s Roy and Christine Sturgis Physical Education Center will be in a non-conference tilt on Monday, November 22 at 7 p.m. against the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes from Little Rock.
Following the home opener against ABC, the North Division Tigers will go on the road for Lone Star Conference crossover action in San Angelo, Texas on Friday, November 26 against the LSC South Division Angelo State University Rams at the ASU Physical Education Building. ASU is ranked sixth in the pre-season LSC poll. Tipoff for the Thanksgiving holiday fare is at 8 p.m.
The Texas sojourn continues on Saturday, November 27 when Ouachita journeys to Abilene, Texas to play the Abilene Christian University Wildcats, another LSC opponent, at 8 p.m. in Moody Coliseum. The Wildcats are ranked fourth in the pre-season poll.
The Tigers return to Sturgis on Thursday, December 2 for a Lone Star Conference game against the West Texas A&M University Buffaloes from Canyon, Texas at 8 p.m. West Texas is ranked third in the pre-season poll.
IN the meantime, OBU Lady Tigers coach Garry Crowder has a veteran team and a bevy of experienced players. He and new assistant coach Jason Jones, will get to see how the pieces fit together when the Jarvis Christian College Lady Bulldogs from Hawkins, Texas comes to Arkadelphia to open the Lady Tigers’ season with a 2 p.m. non-conference encounter on Saturday, November 20 at the Sturgis Center.
The Lady Tigers will be looking to better their 13-13, 6-8 record and a fifth place tie in the LSC during the injury-riddled 1998-99 season. Conference forecasters this season have Crowder’s veteran team ranked surprisingly low at sixth place in the conference pre-season poll.
Following the season and home opener against Jarvis Christian, the Lady Tigers will join the male counterparts at OBU and travel to Angelo State and Abilene Christian to play in post-Thanksgiving contests.
The ASU Rambelles will be the opponent on Friday night, November 26 in a 6 p.m. LSC match-up preceding the ASU-OBU men’s game. The Rambelles are ranked eighth in the pre-season crystal ball gazing by the conference voters.
On Saturday, November 27, the Lady Wildcats at Abiliene Christian will be the host as the Lady Tigers test another Lone Star Conference opponent at Moody Coliseum in Abilene, Texas. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. The game will pit a potentially emerging OBU team against the conference’s pre-season south division pick.
The Lady Tigers will be at home on Thursday, December 2 in a LSC game against the Lady Buffaloes from West Texas A&M University from Canyon, Texas. The lady Buffaloes are ranked second in the LSC South Division poll. The game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff at the Sturgis Center.
Ouachita Baptist University• Lady Tigers
