SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference released the men's and women's brackets for the upcoming 2021 SSC Basketball Tournament sponsored by S3 Design. The blind draw, which took place the previous evening, saw the Saint Leo men's basketball team earn the second seed who will host the seventh seed Barry on Tuesday, March 16 in the quarterfinal round of the seven-team tournament. Simultaneously, the drawing gave the Saint Leo women's team the seventh seed and the Lions will travel to play the second-seeded women's team, the Barry Buccaneers.  
 
Every institution was given a deadline date in order to declare its intent to play. Barry, Florida Southern, Florida Tech, Palm Beach Atlantic, Rollins, and Tampa all joined Saint Leo in declaring the intent to compete. Per the Spring 2021 Competition Plan for SSC Sports, approved by the SSC Athletic Directors and SSC Presidents Council, a blind draw Thursday night decided the seeding and home/away designations for the conference tournament. The higher seed will host each game throughout the championships.
 
The following format was developed by the SSC office to limit hosting duties at member institutions while also avoiding multiple games at one site on the same day. This format follows the traditional bracket with seven participants (1 vs. Bye, 4 vs. 5, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6). If a team is unable to participate due to COVID-19, their opponent will receive a bye.
 
According to the SSC Tournament Seeding Format and Procedures under the section labeled 'Automatic Date Change Prompts,' If the outcome of round one equates to School C hosting a women's and a men's semifinal game, both men's semifinal contests will be moved to Friday, March 19, and the men's championship will be played on Monday, March 22. The women's semifinals will remain on Thursday, March 18, and the women's final will remain on Sunday, March 21. If the semifinal round outcome equates to a school hosting the men's and women's championship finals, the men's contest will be played on Monday, March 22. The women's final will remain on Sunday, March 21.
 
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo basketball, be sure to visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
 
 
Keeping Our Lions Healthy & Safe
Saint Leo University Athletics is keeping our student-athletes healthy and safe by following a number of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes having student-athletes tested or screened on a regular basis, traveling in smaller groups, holding competitions without fans in attendance, avoiding overnight trips, and wearing masks when not competing. These safety standards meet those set by the NCAA Division II and the Sunshine State Conference President's Council. At Saint Leo University, the COVID-19 Incident Command Team also reviews the teams' safety protocol and monitors adherence on a regular basis.