Conference Carolinas basketball off to strong start with three NCAA Division I victories

GREENVILLE, S.C. – It’s been a fantastic start to the 2020-21 men’s and women’s basketball season for Conference Carolinas. The NCAA Division II conference has shown the quality and depth of basketball teams in the league by already collecting three NCAA Division I victories in a little more than a week.

Defending Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Tournament (2020) champion Southern Wesleyan started the year strongly for the league by collecting an 82-72 road win at USC Upstate of the Big South on Wednesday, Nov. 25 in Spartanburg, South Carolina (Story).

The 2019 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Tournament champions (and 2020 semifinalists), Emmanuel followed up the impressive win by Southern Wesleyan by collecting a 64-61 road win over Stetson of the ASUN in DeLand, Florida on Monday, Nov. 30 (Story).

Currently ranked 23rd in NCAA Division II, Belmont Abbey women’s basketball opened their campaign by earning a 63-60 victory over UNC Greensboro of the SoCon in Greensboro, North Carolina on Friday, Dec. 4 (Story).

Conference Carolinas women’s basketball is 2-0 overall in regular season/exhibitions on the young season with 2019 Conference Carolinas Women’s Basketball Tournament champions (and 2020 semifinalists) Emmanuel earning an impressive 76-59 NCAA Division II Southeast Region home win over Augusta of the Peach Belt Conference (Story).

The 2021 Conference Carolinas men’s and women basketball schedule features 16 games and it is unique in that it has been designed to allow member institutions the ability to play back-to-back games against the same league foe on certain weekends where applicable due to the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Conference Carolinas men’s and women’s basketball schedule will officially begin on Wednesday, Jan. 13. The final date of regular season competition for Conference Carolinas men’s and women’s basketball will be on Thursday, Feb. 25.

All Conference Carolinas member institutions have had institutional discretion to compete in the fall 2020 semester against outside competition.