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   With the Boll Weevils’ win over Southern Arkansas Thursday night in Magnolia, the team earned a berth in the Gulf South Conference basketball tournament in Tupelo, Miss.

   The tournament will be held at the BancorpSouth Center beginning March 1 and will run through March 5. The Weevils are currently alone in second place, but there is not much separation in the standings between the second and fifth-place teams. It is possible that UAM could enter the tournament anywhere between the No. 2 and No. 5 seed in the West division (Delta State has already clinched the No. 1 seed).

   Both the Boll Weevils and Cotton Blossoms will play a pair of home games at Steelman Fieldhouse this coming week, hosting Central Arkansas on Monday (women at 5, men at 7) and Ouachita Baptist on Saturday afternoon (men at 2, women at 4). The Cotton Blossoms are still fighting for a spot in the tournament, and both teams need your support in these games.

   If the Weevils enter the tournament as the No. 4 or No. 5 seed, they will play on Wednesday evening. If they enter as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed, they will open tournament play on Friday. An official tournament bracket can be found below.

   If your schedule permits, go to Tupelo and support the Boll Weevils as they attempt to win a Gulf South Conference championship. Hotels in Tupelo are affordable and convenient, there is a wide variety of restaurants of all types, and there is no shortage of tourist attractions (such as Elvis Presley’s birthplace). For more information on Tupelo, visit http://www.tupelo.net.

   Sweet Magnolia Tours is offering a GSC Basketball tournament package including a tournament pass for all games, a visit to one of three tourist attractions (Elvis’ birthplace, the Tupelo Automobile Museum or the Tupelo Buffalo Park), and $10 in Sweet Magnolia Bucks at Jefferson Place Restaurant, The Big Easy Restaurant or Vanelli’s/Papa’s Place, including hotel accommodations for two or more nights. Two-night packages begin at $165 with extra nights in the hotel at $69. Additionally, if you book a package through Sweet Magnolia Tours, you can add for a round of golf at Big Oaks Golf Club for $34 on Wednesday or Thursday or $39 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The course has been named the top daily fee course in Mississippi. For more information on tournament packages, visit Sweet Magnolia Tours at http://www.sweetmagnoliatours.com/P_Tupelo_GSC_Tournament.php.

   If you wish to make your own arrangements, an All-Tournament pass for all 18 men’s and women’s tournament games can be purchased for $21 for adults or $11 for senior citizens and students with a valid student ID. Adult daily passes are $7; student and senior daily passes are $5. All children 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Parking is also free. Tickets can be purchased at the window on the day of the game without any difficulty. For more ticket information, visit http://www.gulfsouthconference.org/sports/menssports/basketball/mbktourinfo.htm.

   If you choose to make your own hotel reservations, I encourage you to book online. Friday morning, I searched room rates in Tupelo for the dates of the tournament and found several hotels booking single rooms as low as $31.50.

   For any and all updates leading into the tournament, you can check the Gulf South Conference website at http://www.gulfsouthconference.org or visit the UAM athletic website at http://www.uamsports.com.

   Thanks for your continued support and we’ll see you at the games!

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