If it’s October 1, then it is college basketball time in Tennessee. With the official practice opening for NJCAA basketball, Cleveland State’s Head Women’s Basketball Coach Evelynn Thompson and Rafael Howard, Head Men’s Basketball Coach enthusiastically release their 2022-2023 season schedule.
Falling just one game short of going to the 2021-2022 National Tournament, the Lady Cougars boast a 26 game schedule with 12 home contests which includes nine conference games. The month of November features nine competitions starting with Snead State in the home opener on Tuesday November 1 at 5:30 p.m. Conference rival Chattanooga State and Walters State come to campus November 9 and 16 respectively with start times of 5:30 p.m.
December sports five games with one conference home game vs Jackson State slated for Saturday December 3 at 2:00 p.m. while the remaining games are on the road.
Fourteen more games are split evenly between January and February as the Lady Cougars start back after the New Year with a Wednesday January 4 home game at 5:30 p.m. vs Calhoun Community College. Six out of the seven January games are against conference opponents with the home games on January 14 at 2:00 p.m., 18 at 5:30 p.m. and 28 at 2:00 p.m. against the three conference foes of Dyersburg State,
Motlow State and Southwest Tennessee. Coach Thompson’s squad of Lady Cougars assisted by Josh Muncey play all conference games in February as they ready themselves to compete for the championship in the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII Tournament, leading to the National Tournament.
On Saturday the 4th Volunteer State comes to campus at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday the 15th features Roane State at 5:30 p.m. while the last game of the season on Saturday the 25th at 2:00 p.m. Cleveland State plays host to Columbia State.
Second year coach Rafael Howard starting the 2022-2023 year as permanent Head Men’s Basketball Coach, along with Assistant Coach Caleb Coleman has revamped and reloaded the Cougar roster and looks to use the regular season schedule of 26 games to charge towards the TCCAA/NJCAA Region VII Tournament championship and the National Tournament.
Five out of the eight games scheduled for the men in November are played at home with the opener set with Snead State on Tuesday November 1 at 7:30 p.m. Two conference home games showcase Cleveland State vs Chattanooga State on Wednesday November 9 at 7:30 and Walters State a week later on the 16th also with a 7:30 start.
A shortened three-game schedule in the month of December has the Cougars home for one game vs conference foe Jackson State on Saturday December 3 at 4:00 p.m.
It’s five at home again out of the eight game January schedule as contests in the friendly atmosphere of the L. Quentin Lane Gymnasium include conference opponents Dyersburg on the 14th at 4:00 p.m.,
Motlow on the 18th at 7:30 p.m. and Southwest on the 28th 4:00 p.m. Home opponents in February the final month of the regular season starts with Volunteer State at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday the 4th, Roane State on Wednesday the 15th at 7:30 p.m. and finally against Columbia State on Saturday the 25th at 4:00 p.m. The Cougar men complete February’s seven game schedule on the road playing four more competitions of conference play.
Complete home and away schedules for both women and men’s basketball are posted on the Cleveland State Athletics website on the home page of each team. All home games are played on the campus of Cleveland State in the L. Quentin Lane Gymnasium with an $8 admission charge per person. There is no charge for Cleveland State Students.