Westmont College will host eight basketball games over the next two days as both the men’s and women’s basketball programs conclude their non-conference season. Westmont Women’s Basketball will host the 2011 GSAC Challenge beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 28. The 36th Annual Tom Byron Classic will begin at 3:00 p.m. Thursday.
The Tom Byron Classic, named after the Warriors’ head coach who died of cancer during the 1972 season, is one of the oldest collegiate men’s basketball tournaments in the west. This year’s participants are UC Merced (0-4), British Columbia (11-5), Trinity International of Illinois (2-11) and Westmont (7-2).
The Warriors are looking to win the tournament for the fifth year in a row. Westmont has won 20 out of 34 years including nine of the last eleven. Westmont head coach John Moore played in the first Tom Byron Classic in 1977 and was named the Most Valuable Player.
British Columbia returns to the Byron for the second year in a row, seeking to avenge a narrow 87-84 loss to the Warriors in last year’s championship game. Trinity International and UC Merced will play in the Classic for the first time.
For the second year in a row, Westmont will host the GSAC Challenge. This year’s participants include two teams from the California Pacific Conference and two from the Golden State Athletic Conference. Pacific Union (4-3) and Cal State Maritime (6-7) represent the Cal Pac while #5 Westmont (10-1) and San Diego Christian (10-2) represent the GSAC.
Last year, Westmont earned two victories in the GSAC Challenge. On the first day the Warriors knocked off Westminster (Utah) by a score of 93-78 and then outpaced Georgetown (Ky.) 94-86 on the second day.
For both the Westmont men’s and women’s teams, the games serve as a tune-up for return to conference play. The Warriors will travel to Vanguard on January 3 for the first of 16 straight games against GSAC competition.
With a GSAC record of 2-0, the women’s team is in a three-way time with #8 Vanguard and Fresno Pacific for first place in the GSAC standings. At 1-1 in conference play, the men’s team is tied with five other GSAC opponents for a share of third place.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES:
Thursday, December 29
1:00 p.m. GSAC Challenge Game 1: CSU Maritime vs. San Diego Christian
3:00 p.m. Tom Byron Classic Game 1: UC Merced vs. British Columbia
5:30 p.m. GSAC Challenge Game 2: Pacific Union vs. Westmont
7:30 p.m. Tom Byron Classic Game 2: Trinity International vs. Westmont
Friday, December 30
1:00 p.m. GSAC Challenge Game 3: Pacific Union vs. San Diego Christian
3:00 p.m. Tom Byron Classic Consolation Game
5:30 p.m. GSAC Challenge Game 4: CSU Maritime vs. Westmont
7:30 p.m. Tom Byron Classic Championship Game
