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The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team, who finished the regular season Saturday at home with a school record 21st win, has several goals in mind as they take prepare to compete in the Region XIV Tournament for the second straight year. First, they want to go much further than the first game, as five of the seven sophomores on this year’s team did in 2010, when the Seahawks won 20 games in the regular season to earn a first-round bye, then lost to Trinity Valley Community College, 73-67, in a quarterfinal game they had a chance to win in the final minutes. Lamar State closed this season with a four-game winning streak, capped by Saturday’s 68-60 victory over Tyler Junior College, which gave the Seahawks the No. 7 tournament seed going into Thursday’s 6 p.m. tournament opener against No. 10 seed Kilgore College. The Runnin’ Rangers (18-11, 9-10) ended their season with four straight defeats capped by a 51-47 loss Saturday at Paris Junior College. They defeated Lamar State, 72-61, on Feb. 2 in Kilgore. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said Kilgore presents a strong challenge for his team. “We haven’t had any success with Kilgore in the two times we met since I became head coach, or the three previous games before I got here,” Cross said. “Coach (Brian) Hoberecht does a great job of managing the game. He wants to dictate the tempo. We can’t let that happen.” Cross wants the Seahawks to control the pace of the game, as they did in their last four games. “In the Jacksonville, Angelina and Blinn games, we got a lot of easy baskets in transition, which allowed us to break them open,” Cross said. “Against Tyler, we were able to win in more of a half-court slugfest. Teams that win in the postseason are the ones who execute their stuff the best in the half-court.” The top 12 teams in the conference qualified for the tournament. The top four got a first-round bye. South Zone champion San Jacinto College (27-3, 16-3), currently No. 4 in the nation, is the top seed. North Zone champion Trinity Valley Community College (25-5, 14-5), No. 9 in the nation, is the second seed. The zone runners-up, Jacksonville College and Navarro College, also have byes. Other first-round games match up Tyler against Blinn, Lon Morris against Panola, and Paris against Angelina. If the Seahawks win Thursday, they have a chance to reach their second goal Saturday – to even the score with Trinity Valley and move on to Sunday’s semi-final round and, hopefully, Monday’s championship game. “We we are peaking at the right time,” Cross said. “This team has overcome a great deal of adversity this season, and I really hope our momentum carries over. I believe we can have a very successful postseason.” One-day tickets to the tournament are $6 for adults and $3 for students. Tournament passes are available for $25. Directions and other information are posted on the tournament website: www.region14hoops.com. The game will be broadcast live on the Lamar State’s new “Seahawks Athletics” website: athletics.lamarpa.edu.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team, who finished the regular season Saturday at home with a school record 21st win, has several goals in mind as they take prepare to compete in the Region XIV Tournament for the second straight year. First, they want to go much further than the first game, as five of the seven sophomores on this year’s team did in 2010, when the Seahawks won 20 games in the regular season to earn a first-round bye, then lost to Trinity Valley Community College, 73-67, in a quarterfinal game they had a chance to win in the final minutes. Lamar State closed this season with a four-game winning streak, capped by Saturday’s 68-60 victory over Tyler Junior College, which gave the Seahawks the No. 7 tournament seed going into Thursday’s 6 p.m. tournament opener against No. 10 seed Kilgore College. The Runnin’ Rangers (18-11, 9-10) ended their season with four straight defeats capped by a 51-47 loss Saturday at Paris Junior College. They defeated Lamar State, 72-61, on Feb. 2 in Kilgore. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said Kilgore presents a strong challenge for his team. “We haven’t had any success with Kilgore in the two times we met since I became head coach, or the three previous games before I got here,” Cross said. “Coach (Brian) Hoberecht does a great job of managing the game. He wants to dictate the tempo. We can’t let that happen.” Cross wants the Seahawks to control the pace of the game, as they did in their last four games. “In the Jacksonville, Angelina and Blinn games, we got a lot of easy baskets in transition, which allowed us to break them open,” Cross said. “Against Tyler, we were able to win in more of a half-court slugfest. Teams that win in the postseason are the ones who execute their stuff the best in the half-court.” The top 12 teams in the conference qualified for the tournament. The top four got a first-round bye. South Zone champion San Jacinto College (27-3, 16-3), currently No. 4 in the nation, is the top seed. North Zone champion Trinity Valley Community College (25-5, 14-5), No. 9 in the nation, is the second seed. The zone runners-up, Jacksonville College and Navarro College, also have byes. Other first-round games match up Tyler against Blinn, Lon Morris against Panola, and Paris against Angelina. If the Seahawks win Thursday, they have a chance to reach their second goal Saturday – to even the score with Trinity Valley and move on to Sunday’s semi-final round and, hopefully, Monday’s championship game. “We we are peaking at the right time,” Cross said. “This team has overcome a great deal of adversity this season, and I really hope our momentum carries over. I believe we can have a very successful postseason.” One-day tickets to the tournament are $6 for adults and $3 for students. Tournament passes are available for $25. Directions and other information are posted on the tournament website: www.region14hoops.com. The game will be broadcast live on the Lamar State’s new “Seahawks Athletics” website: athletics.lamarpa.edu.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team ended the regular season in style at home Saturday with a 68-60 victory over Region XIV rival Tyler Junior College. The win moved the Seahawks to 21-9 overall, a new school record, and gave them a 10-9 mark in conference play and a four-game winning streak going into next week’s Region XIV Tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler. Three of Lamar State’s seven sophomores, playing their final home game for the Seahawks, scored in double figures, led by sophomore guard Keenen Coleman with 22 points. Vonn Jones hit for 15, and Roman Vaughn had 13, while sophomores Dion Waiters and Darrion Booker each added eight points. The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top four teams get a bye in the first round. San Jacinto College, currently No. 2 in the nation and the conference South Zone champion, is the top seed. No. 11 Trinity Valley Community College, the North Zone champion, gets the second seed. South Zone runner-up Jacksonville College and North Zone runner-up Navarro also earned byes. Angelina College, which finished 12th in the conference, will play Coastal Bend College on Tuesday in Lufkin for the final tournament berth.   Lamar State opens the tournament Thursday at 6 p.m. against Kilgore College. The Seahawks won both regular season games with the Buccaneers, 88-76 on Jan. 8 in Port Arthur, and 83-61 in Brenham this past Wednesday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team ended the regular season in style at home Saturday with a 68-60 victory over Region XIV rival Tyler Junior College. The win moved the Seahawks to 21-9 overall, a new school record, and gave them a 10-9 mark in conference play and a four-game winning streak going into next week’s Region XIV Tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler. Three of Lamar State’s seven sophomores, playing their final home game for the Seahawks, scored in double figures, led by sophomore guard Keenen Coleman with 22 points. Vonn Jones hit for 15, and Roman Vaughn had 13, while sophomores Dion Waiters and Darrion Booker each added eight points. The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top four teams get a bye in the first round. San Jacinto College, currently No. 2 in the nation and the conference South Zone champion, is the top seed. No. 11 Trinity Valley Community College, the North Zone champion, gets the second seed. South Zone runner-up Jacksonville College and North Zone runner-up Navarro also earned byes. Angelina College, which finished 12th in the conference, will play Coastal Bend College on Tuesday in Lufkin for the final tournament berth.   Lamar State opens the tournament Thursday at 6 p.m. against Kilgore College. The Seahawks won both regular season games with the Buccaneers, 88-76 on Jan. 8 in Port Arthur, and 83-61 in Brenham this past Wednesday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center on Saturday to close out the regular season with a 1 p.m. conference game against Tyler Junior College. Lamar State matched their 2010 season record of 20 wins Wednesday night in Brenham with a commanding 83-61 victory over Blinn College. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman led the Seahawks with 36 points, which broke Lamar State’s single-game scoring record of 34 points set by George Williamson in 2008. The 20-9 Seahawks are 9-9 in Region XIV action and go into Saturday’s game with a three-game winning streak. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team is taking care of the ball and playing very tough defense, something they didn’t do in last minute losses to San Jacinto College and Lon Morris College. “The win at Blinn was another example of that progress. We have been able to build a lot confidence lately by going on the road and winning in tough environments. That is a good sign for us as we enter the most important part of the season.” The Seahawks’ improved defense made the difference in the last three games, Cross said. “The main reason we are playing so well right now is this team really locked in defensively. We have been making it very difficult on our opponents to get into any offensive rhythm.” Tyler (19-9) has a 10-8 conference record and an outside chance to earn a first round bye. The Apaches are tied with Paris Junior College in the North Zone, one game behind second-place Navarro College. “We must continue our defensive mindset on Saturday against a very good Tyler team,” Cross said. “They are by far the biggest junior college team in the country this year, and our frontcourt better be ready for the interior challenge.” Seven sophomores will play their final home game for Lamar State on Saturday. Several of them will finish their careers as Seahawks record holders. Vonn Jones already broke his own single season assist record and will set a new two-year record in that category. Gordon Ball will own the two-year rebounding record. Dion Waiters will set the career steals mark. He needs three more to break his own season record of 80. Keenen Coleman needs another productive game to break the two-year scoring record of 723 set by George Williamson in 2008. Coleman currently has 691 points. “Saturday certainly will be an emotional and significant day as we bid farewell to a sophomore class, five of whom made a lot of school history over the last two years, They won 40 games so far in their career, which trails only San Jacinto, Navarro, Trinity Valley and Paris in wins over the past two years,” Cross said. “This program has a bright future because of the hard work and dedication these men provided to our program and the pride they took in being Seahawks. I cannot thank them enough for the sacrifices they made and the trust they had in me to become a Seahawk two years ago. They will be forever remembered as the ones who established the winning tradition at Lamar State.” The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top two teams in each zone get a bye in the first round. San Jacinto (16-2) won the South Zone title. Jacksonville (13-5) is the runner-up. Trinity Valley (13-5) is the North Zone champion. The second slot is up for grabs on Saturday with Navarro (11-7), Paris (10-8) and Tyler (10-8) still in the running. Bossier Parish (2-15) and Lee (3-15) will not make the cut. Angelina (5-13) will be the 12th seed, but will have to play a one-game elimination contest against Coastal Bend College before the tournament begins Thursday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center on Saturday to close out the regular season with a 1 p.m. conference game against Tyler Junior College. Lamar State matched their 2010 season record of 20 wins Wednesday night in Brenham with a commanding 83-61 victory over Blinn College. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman led the Seahawks with 36 points, which broke Lamar State’s single-game scoring record of 34 points set by George Williamson in 2008. The 20-9 Seahawks are 9-9 in Region XIV action and go into Saturday’s game with a three-game winning streak. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team is taking care of the ball and playing very tough defense, something they didn’t do in last minute losses to San Jacinto College and Lon Morris College. “The win at Blinn was another example of that progress. We have been able to build a lot confidence lately by going on the road and winning in tough environments. That is a good sign for us as we enter the most important part of the season.” The Seahawks’ improved defense made the difference in the last three games, Cross said. “The main reason we are playing so well right now is this team really locked in defensively. We have been making it very difficult on our opponents to get into any offensive rhythm.” Tyler (19-9) has a 10-8 conference record and an outside chance to earn a first round bye. The Apaches are tied with Paris Junior College in the North Zone, one game behind second-place Navarro College. “We must continue our defensive mindset on Saturday against a very good Tyler team,” Cross said. “They are by far the biggest junior college team in the country this year, and our frontcourt better be ready for the interior challenge.” Seven sophomores will play their final home game for Lamar State on Saturday. Several of them will finish their careers as Seahawks record holders. Vonn Jones already broke his own single season assist record and will set a new two-year record in that category. Gordon Ball will own the two-year rebounding record. Dion Waiters will set the career steals mark. He needs three more to break his own season record of 80. Keenen Coleman needs another productive game to break the two-year scoring record of 723 set by George Williamson in 2008. Coleman currently has 691 points. “Saturday certainly will be an emotional and significant day as we bid farewell to a sophomore class, five of whom made a lot of school history over the last two years, They won 40 games so far in their career, which trails only San Jacinto, Navarro, Trinity Valley and Paris in wins over the past two years,” Cross said. “This program has a bright future because of the hard work and dedication these men provided to our program and the pride they took in being Seahawks. I cannot thank them enough for the sacrifices they made and the trust they had in me to become a Seahawk two years ago. They will be forever remembered as the ones who established the winning tradition at Lamar State.” The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top two teams in each zone get a bye in the first round. San Jacinto (16-2) won the South Zone title. Jacksonville (13-5) is the runner-up. Trinity Valley (13-5) is the North Zone champion. The second slot is up for grabs on Saturday with Navarro (11-7), Paris (10-8) and Tyler (10-8) still in the running. Bossier Parish (2-15) and Lee (3-15) will not make the cut. Angelina (5-13) will be the 12th seed, but will have to play a one-game elimination contest against Coastal Bend College before the tournament begins Thursday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will face seven of their Region XIV rivals next weekend at the March 4-6 conference Crossover Tournament, which begins Friday in Lufkin. Results from the tournament count in the overall standings, but do not count in the conference standings. Lamar State (0-8) did not play this past weekend because the Coastal Bend College Tournament was canceled. The Seahawks open the Crossover Tournament at 2 p.m. Friday against Lon Morris College. Friday’s second game will pit Lamar State against Navarro College (7-2), last year’s Region XIV North Zone champion. On Saturday, Lamar State plays Trinity Valley Community College at 11 a.m., Northeast Texas CC at 1 p.m. and Bossier Parish CC at 5 p.m. On Sunday, the Seahawks play Texarkana College at 9 a.m. and Paris Junior College at 1 p.m. LSC-PA head coach Vance Edwards said the Crossover Tournament is an opportunity to play a lot of games in a short period of time. “It’s also a good tune up before the conference schedule starts March 9,” Edwards said. “We got off to a rough start right this season. We have only two players returning from last year and 15 new ones who trying to adjust to the speed of the college game. We’re still searching for the right combination on the field.” Edwards said defensive mistakes hurt his team in their first eight games. “Our defense committed way to many errors, and our pitching struggled a bit,” Edwards said. “If we can get offense, defense and pitching to work at the same time, we will be successful.” Lamar State will be home March 8 for a doubleheader with Louisiana State University-Eunice. The Seahawks begin conference action March 9 in Brenham against last year’s Region XIV champion, Blinn College, which was ranked No. 8 in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur forward Roman Vaughn has been selected as the NJCAA’s Division I Player of the Week. The 6’-3” sophomore from Port Arthur is the only Region XIV player to earn that honor this season. Over the past three games, Vaughn averaged 24 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. He shot 62 percent from the field and 63 percent at the charity stripe. Vaughn’s best effort came this past Saturday at home against Angelina College, when he scored 24 points and added six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said Vaughn deserved the recognition for his dedication and work ethic. “I could not be more proud of Roman,” Cross said. “He came to us a year ago as a walk-on and worked his way to being a starter this year and one of the top offensive players in the conference. Roman works tirelessly on his game, and this award really is just a culmination of all his hard work. He is such a great kid and really deserving of the selection. He certainly has caught the attention of a lot of senior college coaches, and I believe he has a bright future on the next level” Vaughn played football and basketball at Monsignor Kelly High School in Beaumont, where he was a 5A first team All-State selection and a finalist for the 2009 James Gamble “Mr. Inside” Award. He caught on with Lamar State after an open tryout in the fall of 2009 and played in 30 games, scoring in double figures in 14 of those contests, including three double-doubles. Vaughn averaged 8.5 points per game as a freshman, finishing eighth in the conference in field goal accuracy at 55.6 percent. “This kid should be playing wide receiver at the NCAA Division I level, but he did not qualify out of high school. So, he decided to come here and play the sport he loves the most.” Cross said. “I am so grateful he made that decision.” Vaughn will play his final home game as a Seahawk this Saturday, when Lamar State closes the regular season against Tyler Junior College at 1 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur forward Roman Vaughn has been selected as the NJCAA’s Division I Player of the Week. The 6’-3” sophomore from Port Arthur is the only Region XIV player to earn that honor this season. Over the past three games, Vaughn averaged 24 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. He shot 62 percent from the field and 63 percent at the charity stripe. Vaughn’s best effort came this past Saturday at home against Angelina College, when he scored 24 points and added six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said Vaughn deserved the recognition for his dedication and work ethic. “I could not be more proud of Roman,” Cross said. “He came to us a year ago as a walk-on and worked his way to being a starter this year and one of the top offensive players in the conference. Roman works tirelessly on his game, and this award really is just a culmination of all his hard work. He is such a great kid and really deserving of the selection. He certainly has caught the attention of a lot of senior college coaches, and I believe he has a bright future on the next level” Vaughn played football and basketball at Monsignor Kelly High School in Beaumont, where he was a 5A first team All-State selection and a finalist for the 2009 James Gamble “Mr. Inside” Award. He caught on with Lamar State after an open tryout in the fall of 2009 and played in 30 games, scoring in double figures in 14 of those contests, including three double-doubles. Vaughn averaged 8.5 points per game as a freshman, finishing eighth in the conference in field goal accuracy at 55.6 percent. “This kid should be playing wide receiver at the NCAA Division I level, but he did not qualify out of high school. So, he decided to come here and play the sport he loves the most.” Cross said. “I am so grateful he made that decision.” Vaughn will play his final home game as a Seahawk this Saturday, when Lamar State closes the regular season against Tyler Junior College at 1 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns will play their final road game of the regular season Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Blinn College in Brenham. Lamar State improved to 19-9 overall and 8-9 in Region XIV play Saturday with an impressive 86-69 home victory over Angelina College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team must make better decisions in their final two games. “We looked really good through most of Saturday’s game. But there were short stretches in the first and second periods when we made some bad decisions offensively and played poor transition defense,” Cross said. “To get to where we want to go, we must search for more consistency in all facets of the game and start putting complete games together. After allowing critical games against San Jacinto College and Lon Morris College to slip away in the closing minutes, the Seahawks made major improvements in beating the No. 5 offensive team in the nation, Jacksonville College, on their home court Wednesday, and thoroughly controlling the Angelina game at home Saturday, Cross said. “We don’t have a great deal of depth right now, but we still have enough to continue to win games. And that is where our focus needs to be,” he said. Wednesday’s game at Blinn also is critical, Cross said. Blinn (17-11) is tied with Lamar State at 8-9 in the middle of Region XIV’s South Zone. The Buccaneers won their last two games, the latest on the road Wednesday at Kilgore College, 67-62. Lamar State topped Blinn, 88-76, earlier in the season in Port Arthur. “Blinn may be the hottest team in the conference right now. We must play defense the way we did in Jacksonville if we want to beat them,” Cross said. “Preparation for both of this week’s games is very important because there is a strong possibility we could turn right back around and play one these teams in the opening round of the tournament next week.” Lamar State closes the regular season at home Saturday against Tyler Junior College. The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. Bossier Parish (2-15) will not make the cut. Lee (3-14) and Angelina (4-12) are fighting for the 12th seeding. They meet Saturday in Lufkin.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns will play their final road game of the regular season Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Blinn College in Brenham. Lamar State improved to 19-9 overall and 8-9 in Region XIV play Saturday with an impressive 86-69 home victory over Angelina College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team must make better decisions in their final two games. “We looked really good through most of Saturday’s game. But there were short stretches in the first and second periods when we made some bad decisions offensively and played poor transition defense,” Cross said. “To get to where we want to go, we must search for more consistency in all facets of the game and start putting complete games together. After allowing critical games against San Jacinto College and Lon Morris College to slip away in the closing minutes, the Seahawks made major improvements in beating the No. 5 offensive team in the nation, Jacksonville College, on their home court Wednesday, and thoroughly controlling the Angelina game at home Saturday, Cross said. “We don’t have a great deal of depth right now, but we still have enough to continue to win games. And that is where our focus needs to be,” he said. Wednesday’s game at Blinn also is critical, Cross said. Blinn (17-11) is tied with Lamar State at 8-9 in the middle of Region XIV’s South Zone. The Buccaneers won their last two games, the latest on the road Wednesday at Kilgore College, 67-62. Lamar State topped Blinn, 88-76, earlier in the season in Port Arthur. “Blinn may be the hottest team in the conference right now. We must play defense the way we did in Jacksonville if we want to beat them,” Cross said. “Preparation for both of this week’s games is very important because there is a strong possibility we could turn right back around and play one these teams in the opening round of the tournament next week.” Lamar State closes the regular season at home Saturday against Tyler Junior College. The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. Bossier Parish (2-15) will not make the cut. Lee (3-14) and Angelina (4-12) are fighting for the 12th seeding. They meet Saturday in Lufkin.

After two road games this week in Jacksonville, the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns home to the Carl Parker Center on Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game with Angelina College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross was not pleased when his Seahawks had their weakest offensive game of the season Monday night, losing at Lon Morris College, 56-49. “In our last nine games, with the exception Bossier Parish, we either had the lead, were tied or trailed by one to three points with two minutes remaining,” Cross said. “I was disappointed we only beat Navarro and Lee in those games, while losing at Trinity Valley, Kilgore, Lon Morris and at home to San Jacinto. Lamar State was tied with San Jac with 1:57 remaining, but allowed the Ravens to score the final 11 points. Monday night, the Seahawks held a 49-48 lead with 1:15 on the clock, only to watch Lon Morris hit the final eight points for the win. Cross did like what he saw Wednesday, when the Seahawks responded with a 77-59 win over Jacksonville College, which had one of the top five offenses in the nation. “My staff and I met after Monday’s game and spent time going through different strategies for when we get to the two- minute mark,” Cross said. “Tuesday morning, we practiced those strategies at UT-Tyler in preparation for what we thought would be another close game at Jacksonville. However, our team decided to play their best second half of the season and dominate Jacksonville. So, the game never got close down the stretch.” With Saturday’s game and two more contests remaining in the regular season, every game is important for Lamar State. The Seahawks are tied with Blinn College at 7-9 in the middle of the Region XIV South Zone standings. Angelina is 4-11 in Region XIV action after losing 70-69 at home Wednesday to Blinn College. The Roadrunners are battling with Lee College (3-13) for the final berth in the conference tournament. Angelina won only one of its last nine games, a 73-66 overtime victory over North Zone leader Trinity Valley Community College. “We know we will be in tight games down the stretch, and we want to start finishing those games the way this team is capable of,” Cross said. “Angelina still has a chance to qualify for the conference tournament, which means everything for the recruitment of their sophomores. They still have a lot to play for, and we know the importance of gaining momentum going into the postseason. Those factors should produce a great game Saturday afternoon.” Lamar State closes the regular season next week with a Wednesday road game Blinn College and a Saturday home game against Tyler Junior College. The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top four seeds get a bye in the first round. The 12th seed first must play a one-game elimination contest against Coastal Bend College before the tournament begins. Only two games separate the top five North Zone teams. Bossier Parish (2-14) will not qualify for the tournament. South Zone leader San Jacinto College (14-2) is two games ahead of second-place Jacksonville.

After two road games this week in Jacksonville, the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns home to the Carl Parker Center on Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game with Angelina College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross was not pleased when his Seahawks had their weakest offensive game of the season Monday night, losing at Lon Morris College, 56-49. “In our last nine games, with the exception Bossier Parish, we either had the lead, were tied or trailed by one to three points with two minutes remaining,” Cross said. “I was disappointed we only beat Navarro and Lee in those games, while losing at Trinity Valley, Kilgore, Lon Morris and at home to San Jacinto. Lamar State was tied with San Jac with 1:57 remaining, but allowed the Ravens to score the final 11 points. Monday night, the Seahawks held a 49-48 lead with 1:15 on the clock, only to watch Lon Morris hit the final eight points for the win. Cross did like what he saw Wednesday, when the Seahawks responded with a 77-59 win over Jacksonville College, which had one of the top five offenses in the nation. “My staff and I met after Monday’s game and spent time going through different strategies for when we get to the two- minute mark,” Cross said. “Tuesday morning, we practiced those strategies at UT-Tyler in preparation for what we thought would be another close game at Jacksonville. However, our team decided to play their best second half of the season and dominate Jacksonville. So, the game never got close down the stretch.” With Saturday’s game and two more contests remaining in the regular season, every game is important for Lamar State. The Seahawks are tied with Blinn College at 7-9 in the middle of the Region XIV South Zone standings. Angelina is 4-11 in Region XIV action after losing 70-69 at home Wednesday to Blinn College. The Roadrunners are battling with Lee College (3-13) for the final berth in the conference tournament. Angelina won only one of its last nine games, a 73-66 overtime victory over North Zone leader Trinity Valley Community College. “We know we will be in tight games down the stretch, and we want to start finishing those games the way this team is capable of,” Cross said. “Angelina still has a chance to qualify for the conference tournament, which means everything for the recruitment of their sophomores. They still have a lot to play for, and we know the importance of gaining momentum going into the postseason. Those factors should produce a great game Saturday afternoon.” Lamar State closes the regular season next week with a Wednesday road game Blinn College and a Saturday home game against Tyler Junior College. The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top four seeds get a bye in the first round. The 12th seed first must play a one-game elimination contest against Coastal Bend College before the tournament begins. Only two games separate the top five North Zone teams. Bossier Parish (2-14) will not qualify for the tournament. South Zone leader San Jacinto College (14-2) is two games ahead of second-place Jacksonville.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game at Jacksonville College. Lamar State was in the same city Monday, when they lost to Lon Morris College, 52-49, dropping the Seahawks to 17-9 overall and 6-9 in the Region XIV South Zone standings. Jacksonville (19-6, 10-4) won their last five conference games, all by close margins except for an 81-63 drubbing of Bossier Parish Community College, which occupies last place in the North Zone. Lamar State will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Angelina College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game at Jacksonville College. Lamar State was in the same city Monday, when they lost to Lon Morris College, 52-49, dropping the Seahawks to 17-9 overall and 6-9 in the Region XIV South Zone standings. Jacksonville (19-6, 10-4) won their last five conference games, all by close margins except for an 81-63 drubbing of Bossier Parish Community College, which occupies last place in the North Zone. Lamar State will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Angelina College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will be home Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader with Louisiana State University-Eunice beginning at 1 p.m. on Martin Field, 1000 Lakeshore Drive. The Seahawks still are looking for their first win of the 2011 season after dropping their first six games. They lost Saturday in Lufkin to Trinity Valley Community College, 11-3, and Labette Community College, 5-0. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said his team needs to work harder on defense. “We’re having too many errors in the early innings. Our defense is supposed to keep us in games, but it hasn’t been coming through for us,” Edwards said. “We hope to get on the right track against LSU-E.” The Seahawks travel to Beeville this Saturday to play a doubleheader against Laredo Community College and a single game with Coastal Bend College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team got an extra practice day this week when the winter storm wiped out their Wednesday game at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks need those extra gym hours as they prepare to host a 4 p.m. Saturday game against San Jacinto College, ranked No. 4 in this week’s NJCAA poll. San Jac (23-2) leads Region XIV with a 12-2 record. The two losses, both in January, were by 4 points at home to Lon Morris College, and by 29 points on the road at Trinity Valley Community College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross is not surprised by the Ravens’ success this season. “They have a Hall of Fame coach and a lot of talent. And they will bring that talent and a ton of tradition into the Parker Center this Saturday afternoon. We ask all our students, friends and fans to come out and loudly cheer us on to victory,” Cross said. “Our team will only benefit from playing this great team at this point in the season. Our goal is to play well enough to put ourselves in position to have a chance to win down the stretch at home. It will not be easy, and some big keys for us will be defending the perimeter and rebounding.” San Jacinto won this season’s first game with Lamar State, 99-88, in Pasadena. The Ravens are coming off a 92-85 home win over Blinn College on Wednesday. Lamar State (17-7, 6-7) is in the middle of the conference standings with six games remaining in the regular season. The top 12 teams qualify for the postseason tournament, which determines who advances to the NJCAA national championship tournament. Lamar State goes to Jacksonville on Monday to play the rescheduled Lon Morris game, then returns to the same city Wednesday to face Jacksonville College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team got an extra practice day this week when the winter storm wiped out their Wednesday game at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks need those extra gym hours as they prepare to host a 4 p.m. Saturday game against San Jacinto College, ranked No. 4 in this week’s NJCAA poll. San Jac (23-2) leads Region XIV with a 12-2 record. The two losses, both in January, were by 4 points at home to Lon Morris College, and by 29 points on the road at Trinity Valley Community College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross is not surprised by the Ravens’ success this season. “They have a Hall of Fame coach and a lot of talent. And they will bring that talent and a ton of tradition into the Parker Center this Saturday afternoon. We ask all our students, friends and fans to come out and loudly cheer us on to victory,” Cross said. “Our team will only benefit from playing this great team at this point in the season. Our goal is to play well enough to put ourselves in position to have a chance to win down the stretch at home. It will not be easy, and some big keys for us will be defending the perimeter and rebounding.” San Jacinto won this season’s first game with Lamar State, 99-88, in Pasadena. The Ravens are coming off a 92-85 home win over Blinn College on Wednesday. Lamar State (17-7, 6-7) is in the middle of the conference standings with six games remaining in the regular season. The top 12 teams qualify for the postseason tournament, which determines who advances to the NJCAA national championship tournament. Lamar State goes to Jacksonville on Monday to play the rescheduled Lon Morris game, then returns to the same city Wednesday to face Jacksonville College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team didn’t take their annual trip Fort Worth today to compete in the two-day Cowtown Classic Tournament, which would have included teams from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. The winter storm and remaining cold temperatures forced the cancellation of the Cowtown tournament, just as it wiped out Lamar State’s games at the Feb. 5-6 Northeast Texas College Tournament in Mt. Pleasant. Last week, LSC-PA head coach Vance Edwards arranged for the Seahawks to play in the Galveston College Invitational Tournament, which also was shortened due to cold weather. This week, Edwards managed to book two games on Saturday at the Angelina College softball field in Lufkin, where the Seahawks will face conference rival Trinity Valley Community College at 10 a.m. and Labette Community College from Parsons, Kansas, at noon. “This is the second straight year that winter weather has affected our early season games,” Edwards said. “And those games are important because they help us get ready for the conference schedule, which begins this year on March 9.” Trinity Valley and Lamar State both finished the 2010 season in the bottom half of the Region XIV standings. Neither team qualified for the post-season tournament. Labette reached the 2010 Region VI championship game, where they lost to Johnson County College. The Cardinals are ranked No. 16 in the nation in this year’s NJCAA’s Division II pre-season poll. Weather forecasts predict much warmer weather on Tuesday, when Lamar State will be home for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with Louisiana State University-Eunice.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will take their annual trip Fort Worth this Friday to compete in the two-day Cowtown Classic Tournament, which features teams from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Lamar State started the 2011 season this past weekend at the Galveston College Invitational Tournament, which was shortened due to cold weather. The home opener, originally scheduled for Feb.3, took place Monday with the Seahawks dropping both games of the doubleheader to Temple College, the defending Region V champion. Although his team still is looking for its first win, LSC-PA head coach Vance Edwards isn’t worried. “Early season games count in our overall record, but they really doesn’t make any difference in how our season turns out,” Edwards said. “We didn’t get a chance to play very much in the fall, and we have a lot of talented freshman. So, we're looking to improve every game. If we can eliminate the fundamental mistakes, we will be on track to have a successful season when the conference games begin in March.” The Seahawks open this weekend’s action at 11 a.m. Friday against Cloud County Community College from Concordia, Kansas. At 4 p.m., Lamar State plays Hill College from Hillsboro, Texas. Saturday’s tournament pairings will be announced Friday evening. Lamar State will be home Feb. 15 for a doubleheader with Louisiana State University-Eunice.

Tonight’s Region XIV conference game between Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Lon Morris College has been canceled because of snow and ice in north Texas. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 14, weather permitting. The Seahawks will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. game against No. 7 San Jacinto College.

Tonight’s Region XIV conference game between Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Lon Morris College has been canceled because of snow and ice in north Texas. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 14, weather permitting. The Seahawks will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. game against No. 7 San Jacinto College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team travels to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Lon Morris College, which is ranked just outside the Top 25 in the most recent NJCAA poll. The Seahawks escaped with a 77-76 win at home Saturday against Lee College in a game the Seahawks dominated for one half, but nearly let slip away in the closing seconds. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said, “This was a big win for our program. We swept Lee for the second consecutive year, and once again hold the tiebreaker with them for possible postseason implications.” The top 12 teams in Region XIV qualify for the postseason tournament, which determines the team that advances to the NJCAA national championship tournament. With six games remaining in the regular season, Lamar State’s 6-7 record is in the middle of the pack. The Seahawks are five games behind South Zone and conference leader San Jacinto (11-2). “There is still an outside mathematical possibility for us to win the regular season title this year. However, that seems arfetched at this point,” Cross said. So, we need to use these next six games to start preparing for the postseason. Overall, I’m pleased with the way we have been playing, particularly in the effort column. As long as the effort is there, consistent execution is inevitable.” Lon Morris (17-6, 7-6) has been off since this past Wednesday, when the Bearcats lost 99-85 at Blinn College. Lamar State won this season’s first meeting, 94-83, in Port Arthur. “This game will be exciting,” Cross said. “Both teams match up well, and we always look forward to the great competition this conference provides.” Lamar State will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. game against No. 7 San Jacinto College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team travels to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Lon Morris College, which is ranked just outside the Top 25 in the most recent NJCAA poll. The Seahawks escaped with a 77-76 win at home Saturday against Lee College in a game the Seahawks dominated for one half, but nearly let slip away in the closing seconds. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said, “This was a big win for our program. We swept Lee for the second consecutive year, and once again hold the tiebreaker with them for possible postseason implications.” The top 12 teams in Region XIV qualify for the postseason tournament, which determines the team that advances to the NJCAA national championship tournament. With six games remaining in the regular season, Lamar State’s 6-7 record is in the middle of the pack. The Seahawks are five games behind South Zone and conference leader San Jacinto (11-2). “There is still an outside mathematical possibility for us to win the regular season title this year. However, that seems arfetched at this point,” Cross said. So, we need to use these next six games to start preparing for the postseason. Overall, I’m pleased with the way we have been playing, particularly in the effort column. As long as the effort is there, consistent execution is inevitable.” Lon Morris (17-6, 7-6) has been off since this past Wednesday, when the Bearcats lost 99-85 at Blinn College. Lamar State won this season’s first meeting, 94-83, in Port Arthur. “This game will be exciting,” Cross said. “Both teams match up well, and we always look forward to the great competition this conference provides.” Lamar State will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. game against No. 7 San Jacinto College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team came away with a close 77-76 win Saturday afternoon over conference rival Lee College. Lamar State dominated the first half, leading by as many as 13 points and led the Runnin’ Rebels at halftime, 45-35. But the Seahawks lost their poise during the second half and nearly allowed the game to slip away in the closing seconds. The Runnin’ Rebels, down by one point, had two chances to win the game with 9.7 seconds on the clock. But starting center Andre Jackson’s desperation shot went in after the final buzzer rang to preserve Lamar State’s win. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman put up 20 points to lead the Seahawks. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones had 19 points, and sophomore forward Roman Vaughn added 12. Vincent Garrett led Lee with 20 points. Lamar State improves to 17-7 overall and 6-7 in Region XIV games. Lee drops to 9-13 and 2-9 Lamar State travels to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Lon Morris College, which was ranked just outside the Top 25 in this week’s NJCAA poll.