SELINSGROVE, PA – The Susquehanna University men’s and women’s basketball teams will open their 2003-04 seasons this weekend in the 15th annual Pepsi/Weis Markets Tip-Off Tournament at O.W. Houts Gymnasium.

The men will hit the court first with games on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, while the women take to the floor for games on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. Admission to the tournament is $3 for adults and $1 for students per session.

In the men’s tournament, King’s will square off with New Jersey City in Friday’s opener at 6 p.m. while the Crusaders will battle Penn State Altoona in the nightcap at 8 p.m. Saturday’s consolation game will be at 1 p.m. with the championship game at 3 p.m.

The host Crusaders have won five tournament championships, including a 73-71 victory over Scranton in last year’s final. Susquehanna returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last year’s team that finished 18-8 and won the Commonwealth Conference regular-season championship.

Penn State Altoona (2-25 in 2002-03) is coached by former NBA standout Armon Gilliam and returns four starters as well, including the Lions’ leading scorer and rebounder in 6-5 senior center Brandon Battles (16.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg).

King’s is coming off a 16-10 season and a fourth-place finish in the Freedom Conference, with second-team All-Conference guard Dannie Evans leading the way for the Monarchs after averaging 13.7 points per game last season.

New Jersey City finished 14-13 last season for the program’s 33rd straight non-losing season. Three starters are back including the Gothic Knights’ leading scorer in 6-5 forward Samar Battle, who played in just 15 games and averaged 15.8 points and 6.6 rebounds.

The women’s tournament tips off on Saturday evening with Rutgers-Camden facing Lycoming at 6 p.m. and the Crusaders battling Trinity (DC) at 8 p.m. Sunday’s action starts with the consolation game at 1 p.m. and the championship at 3 p.m.

Susquehanna returns just five letterwinners from last year’s squad, and will look to extend its streak of consecutive season-opening wins to 14 since the 1989-90 season. The Crusaders have won nine tournament titles and the last four in a row, including a 72-34 win over Neumann last season.

Trinity finished 16-11 last season and advanced to the Atlantic Women’s Collegiate Conference championship game where they lost 61-58 to Hood. The Tigers are led by sophomore center Becky Worsham who ranked second in the AWCC with an average of 12.9 rebounds per game.

Rutgers-Camden looks to build upon its successful 2002-03 season when the Scarlet Raptors finished 22-7 and won the first New Jersey Athletic Conference championship in program history. Three starters are back including senior G Erin James who averaged 10.4 points per game.

Lycoming has four starters back from last year’s club that finished 10-14 overall and 5-9 in the highly-competitive Freedom Conference. The Warriors will rely on the scoring of senior G Emily DiMarco (11.7 points per game) along with junior guards Mindy Culp and Michelle Stine.