Saints Ready to Tip Off Season

October 31, 2009

SFC Basketball

Santa Fe College head basketball coaches Chanda Stebbins and Chris Mowry and their teams have made all the preseason preparations, run the conditioning drills and played the scrimmages. Now it's time for the regular season.

Both the men and women are coming off of state tournament berths in 2008-09, and will look to build on their success from last season. The women begin the year ranked #7 in the FCCAA state poll and the men are ranked #8.

Under Coach Stebbins, the women won the Mid-Florida Conference for the first time since 1985, and have the talent to repeat and make a deep run in the state tournament for the fourth straight year. The Lady Saints return three starters from last year's championship team: point guard Lanita Bartley, shooting guard Tracie Sneed and forward Letiecia Davenport.

The men's team, under the direction of Coach Mowry, won the Mid-Florida Conference Tournament last year and have won the MFC two of the last three years, advancing to Marianna and the state tournament the last three years. Only one starter returns from last year's squad, point guard Marlon Rivera.

The men will tip things off first, opening up at home against IMG Academy in the Cabot Lodge Classic on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4 .pm. They will continue the tournament on Monday, Nov. 2 when they face off against Coastal Georgia at 6 p.m.

Coach Stebbins and the women open up on the road at Tallahassee CC on Nov. 3 and play their first home game on Friday, Nov. 6 against Palm Beach CC at 7 p.m. The Lady Saints also play on Nov. 7 against St. Pete College at 5 p.m.

For complete schedules and more information on Saints Basketball, please visit santafesaints.com.