SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Head coach Dean Walsh and the Converse College basketball team have announced an intriguing schedule for the upcoming 2017-18 campaign. The schedule will consist of two tournaments, three games versus the South Atlantic Conference, one against the Peach Belt, and a grueling 20-game Conference Carolinas slate.
The Valkyries will kick the season off on Nov. 10-11 as they travel to Greenville, Tenn. to take part in the Conference Carolinas/SAC Tipoff. On Friday Converse will be matched up against the host team, Tusculum, before turning around on that Saturday and squaring off against the Lions of Mars Hill University.
Two days later the Vals will start a season-long 7-game home stand, beginning with Bob Jones (11/13) followed by home dates with P.R.- Bayamon (11/15), Columbia International (11/17), Mars Hill (11/18), Winston-Salem (11/26), the first conference game with Emmanuel (11/28), and Lees-McRae (12/02).
On Monday, December 4 the Purple and Gold will begin a 7-game road swing, starting with a trip to Greenwood, S.C. to take on Peach Belt member, Lander. Converse then travels to King (12/09), Barton (12/16), Erskine (01/02), North Greenville (01/05), Southern Wesleyan (01/06), and Limestone (01/10).
Belmont Abbey visits Hannah Gymnasium on Monday, January 15, followed by King (01/20), Southern Wesleyan (01/26), and North Greenville (01/27) all before rounding out the month of January with a trip to Mount Olive, N.C. to face the Trojans.
February starts with back-to-back road games, first with Belmont Abbey (02/03) and then Emmanuel (02/06). A quick home game against Erskine on Saturday, February 10 leads into the last away game of the schedule against Lees-McRae (02/14). The Valkyries will wrap-up the regular season with three-straight home games, beginning with Mount Olive (02/17), Barton (02/20), and Limestone (02/23).
Converse was selected to finish 8th in the preseason coaches poll released last week by the conference office.