March 3, 2008 – ATLANTA – The SIAC version of March Madness will begin Wednesday, when Morehouse squares off against Tuskegee in the opening round of the 75th Annual Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball tournament, in Birmingham, AL.

The showdown is scheduled for 6 p.m. (Central Time). All men’s and women’s games will be played at Fair Park Arena.

Morehouse, with a record of 12-14 (9-13 SIAC) enters the tournament as the number 10 seed. Tuskegee, at 11-16 (11-11 SIAC), is the number seven seed. The winner will play number-two seed Lemoyne-Owen, which drew a first-round bye. That game is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m.

Morehouse will be looking for payback against Tuskegee, which won both meetings this season and eliminated the Maroon Tigers in the first round of the 2006 SIAC tournament.

Benedict, at 23-4 (20-2 SIAC) is the number one men’s seed. On the women’s side, Tuskegee, at 18-8 (17-3 SIAC) is the number one seed.

The championship games will be played on Sunday at 1 and 4 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU, via tape delay.

On Tuesday, at a pre-tournament banquet, conference officials will announce the All-SIAC team. The tournament also includes a fashion show, a cheerleading competition and a concert, featuring Dem Franchise Boys, Novel and Dear Jayne.

For information about the events, brackets, highlights and up-to-the-minute scores, visit www.siacbasketballtournament.com.

Tickets ($10-$15) are available at the gate and via www.buysiac.com.