The Lone Star Conference basketball regular season is down to just one week. Games will be played on Wednesday and Saturday to finalize the championship field.
On the men’s side, three teams - Central Oklahoma, Texas A&M-Commerce and Tarleton State - have punched tickets to Bartlesville, with the remaining five spots up for grabs.
For the women, the eight teams are set with Northeastern State, UCO, Texas Woman’s and Southeastern Oklahoma from the North Division and Tarleton, West Texas A&M, Angelo State and Abilene Christian from the South. Games this week will determine the seeding with only Tarleton positioned as the top seed in the South.
UCO has claimed the North men’s title for the fourth straight year, with only one loss at 9-1. Tarleton captured the men’s South crown to earn its fifth divisional title and first since 2006 with an 11-1 mark.
On the women’s side, Tarleton remains unbeaten in the South at 12-0 and grabbed the South title for the first time in school history.
The LSC men have a 207-164 overall record so far this season, including a 105-70 mark in the South Division and 92-84 in the North. In league crossover action, the South Division holds a 36-20 record over its North opponents including a flawless 7-0 record by West Texas A&M. In the NCAA South Central Region, the men’s teams are currently 25-12 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 6-2 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).
The LSC women are 196-195 overall, with an 87-106 mark in the South and 109-89 in the North this season. In league crossover play the North has the advantage, 38-26, including a perfect 8-0 mark by Northeastern State over the South teams. The women’s teams are currently 18-22 combined versus Heartland Conference squads and 4-2 against the MIAA in the NCAA South Central Region.
CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS ON SALE
All-session tickets are now available for the upcoming Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship at a discounted rate. All tickets purchased by the February 23 deadline will come with a $20 savings off the regular price as well as a free LSC Basketball Championship souvenir.
This year’s LSC Basketball Championship will be played March 2-6 in Bartlesville, Okla., for the fourth and final time. The top eight men’s and top eight women’s teams from the conference will combine to play 14 games over a five-day span, culminating with the women’s championship game on Saturday night, March 5, and the men’s championship contest on Sunday afternoon, March 6.
All-session tickets are $35 if purchased in advance. After Wednesday’s deadline for advance purchases, the price will be $55 for all-session tickets or $12 per session. Student prices will be $27 for all-session tickets or $7 per session. The tournament will be played in eight separate sessions, with two sessions per day on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, along with single sessions on both Friday and Sunday.
Fans can purchase tickets by contacting their local athletic department through Wednesday, Feb. 23. Also, tickets are available online at the LSC website (www.lonestarconference.org).
STAT LEADERS
In men’s games played last week, the LSC had three players score more than 30 points, 20 over the 20-point mark and eight double-digit rebounders, while seven recorded a double-double. Top performances included:
Points, Men: 40, Richard Thomas, ASU vs ENMU
Rebounds, Men: 14, Chris Roussell, SE at A&M-C
Assists, Men: 10, Lionel Foster, WTAMU vs MSU
Steals, Men: 5, Dauntae Williams, UCO at ECU; Chris Roussell, SE at A&M-C
On the women’s side, the league had two players clear the 30-point mark, 10 with more than 20 points and 19 double-digit rebounders, while 17 posted double-doubles in action last week. Top performances included:
Points, Women: 38, Jamie Simmons, WT at Tarleton
Rebounds, Women: 17, Chloe Wallace, UIW at ACU
Assists, Women: 7, Four players
Steals, Women: 6, Lindsey Youngblood, ASU at UIW
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
NORTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Jamere King, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, JR, Guard, Tulsa, Okla., Booker T. Washington HS
King averaged 18.5 points and shot better than 58% from three-point range in leading Southwestern Oklahoma to a 2-0 week that included victories over Texas A&M-Commerce and Southeastern Oklahoma. King scored a season-high 27 points in the 80-72 win against A&M-C, which included seven three-pointers. He has taken over the conference lead in three-point accuracy making better than 47% of his shots.
NORTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Tyris Dowell, Texas A&M University - Commerce, SR, Guard, Avinger, Texas, Avinger HS/ Clarendon JC
In three games Dowell averaged 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists with four steals and two blocks. He had a three-steal effort in a win over Southeastern Oklahoma as the Lions held the Savage Storm to 29% shooting from the field and forced them into 19 turnovers.
SOUTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Corin Henry, Tarleton State University, SR, Guard, Randallstown, Md., New Town HS
Henry led the Tarleton Texans to three wins and a LSC South Division title this week after leading the squad in scoring in all three games. He scored 13 points against West Texas A&M in Stephenville before tallying 14 points at Texas A&M-Kingsville and 10 points at Midwestern State. Henry scored the last five points of the game on Monday to give the Texans the victory. He tied the game at 47 with 1:28 left on the clock with a three from the top of the key before hitting a jumpshot from the elbow to put Tarleton ahead 49-47 with 19 seconds remaining. The win gave the Texans the LSC South title and ensured Tarleton the top-seed in the South for the LSC Championship Tournament. Henry shot .481 from the field on the week and also pulled down 14 rebounds – 11 of them on the defensive end of the floor. He led the team in steals with eight and assists with 14 – moving up to No. 12 on the Tarleton all-time assists list. He led the team with eight rebounds at TAMUK.
SOUTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Donta Smith, Tarleton State University, SR, Forward, Baskin, La., Mangham HS
Smith led the Texans with a 5.3 rebounds per game average this week and two blocks. He helped Tarleton to the LSC South Division title as the Texans claimed three wins (West Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Midwestern State). Smith led Tarleton with seven rebounds in the game at MSU on Monday. He recorded 16 total rebounds this week - with 10 on the defensive end. Tarleton’s defense held opponents to a .341 shooting percentage form the floor, including a .208-mark from the three-point arc. Tarleton held opponents to a 42.0 points per game average.
NORTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Kayla Weaver, Texas Woman’s University, SR, Forward, Aquilla, Texas, Aquilla HS
Weaver averaged a team best 16.7 points to lead the Pioneers to a 2-1 record during the week including a win over #6 Northeastern State. She recorded her fifth double-double of the season at East Central with 16 points and 10 rebounds. On the season Weaver leads the team in scoring with 14.4 ppg and second rebounding with 7.0 rpg.
NORTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Jessica Hanna, Texas Woman’s University, JR, Guard, China Spring, Texas, China Spring HS
Hanna helped the team to 2-1 record during the week including a win over #6 Northeastern State. She cleared 17 defensive rebounds and recorded five steals in three games. She was the leader on defense against NSU and helped TWU hold the RiverHawks to 21 points below their season average (67.7) and 30 percent shooting. With the post players in foul trouble, Hanna was forced to guard NSU’s Jasmine Webb giving up three inches in height. With her help the Pioneers held Webb to 1-for-9 shooting. Hanna also drew two key charges on defense and helped the Pioneers to their third win over a top-25 team this season. She finished the week with 39 points including a game-high 16 points and 8 rebounds against Northeastern State. The Pioneers also held two of the three opponents to just 46 points.
SOUTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Shelby Adamson, Tarleton State University, JR, Guard, Rockwall, Texas, Rockwall HS
Adamson scored 19 points in the first two games and 17 in the third, as the TexAnns clinched the Lone Star Conference South title for the first time in school history last week. Adamson has led Tarleton in scoring all season and last week was no different. The junior guard scored 19 points, grabbed six boards, dished out five assists, and recorded five steals in the win over West Texas A&M. She followed that up with 19 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, while going 7-of-7 from the floor in the win over A&M-Kingsville. To finish off the week, Adamson scored 17 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line to seal a comeback victory at Midwestern State.
SOUTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Lindsey Youngblood, Angelo State University, SO, Forward, Thorndale, Texas, Thorndale HS
Youngblood finished last week with a team-best seven steals and helped hold the Belles’ opponents to just 43.0 points. The sophomore forward helped Angelo State hold Eastern New Mexico to just 37 points, the first time the Zias were limited to less than 40 points in a game since 2000. Youngblood was excellent defensively for the Belles in their 53-49 win at Incarnate Word as she recorded a career-high six steals and 13 points in the game. The Thorndale, Texas, native finished the week with 21 points, 10.5 points per game, eight rebounds, 4.0 rebounds per game, seven steals, three assists and one block.