The Paris Junior College Women’s Basketball Classic has seen tremendous growth, with eight teams competing on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16, in the Hunt Center on the Paris campus.
“We’re excited for the Classic,” said PJC Athletic Director Clay Cox. “It’s an event that is bringing in a lot of quality teams, players, and coaches, and hopefully it’s a recruiting event for all these teams. It’s also a great, great opportunity for the city of Paris to bring in business and so we’re excited all around. We think it’s going to be a great tournament.”
“This is the second year of the classic, but our first year hosting this many teams,” said PJC Women’s Basketball Coach Brittany Christian. “In year one, we had a four-team field and the games were outstanding. It resulted in a lot of great feedback and interest for this year’s field.”
PJC will host Blinn College, Midland College, Seminole State College (OK), Shorter College (AR), South Plains College (ranked 18th nationally), Trinity Valley Community College (ranked 16th nationally), and Western Texas College.
“Attendees can expect to see some very high-level basketball,” said Christian. “The field contains two nationally ranked teams, with others receiving votes, and several highly ranked individual players. The games will be fast-paced, exciting and very competitive.”
A player of the game will be named for each game, and the weekend will be capped with all-classic team selections.
“Our team is excited to compete,” Christian said. “We have a young group, with a lot of freshmen playing big minutes for us. But the group is very athletic, hardworking, and hungry to learn. Our non-negotiable is to get better every time we take the floor, and this group is really leaning into their growth.”
Game schedule for Friday, Nov. 15 is Trinity Valley vs. South Plains, 1 p.m.; Blinn vs. Midland, 3 p.m., PJC vs. Seminole State, 5 p.m.; and Western Texas vs. Shorter College, 7 p.m. The schedule on Saturday, Nov. 16, is Western Texas vs. TVCC, 12 p.m.; Seminole vs. Blinn, 2 p.m., South Plains vs. PJC, 4 p.m.; and Midland vs. Shorter, 6 p.m. All games will be in the Hunt Center and concessions will be available both days. Admission is $4 per adult.
For those wanting to learn more about the basketball programs, PJC is partnering with the Paris – Lamar County Chamber of Commerce for a Tip-Off lunch. PJC Women’s Basketball Coach Brittany Christian and Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Foy will give a season preview at the lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the McLemore Student Center Ballroom. Tickets are $10 for Chamber members, $15 for non-Chamber members, and free for students with ID.
