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The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the road for their next two Metro Athletic Conference games, beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday against North Lake College in Irving. The Seahawks are 9-10 overall and 2-2 in conference play after they escaped with an 80-76 win at home Wednesday against Richland College. Lamar State led by 10 at half-time and built that lead to 16 points with two minutes left in the game. Unforced turnovers and missed foul shots allowed the Thunderducks to cut the margin to single digits in the closing seconds of the game. Sophomore forward Cody Guidry from Hamshire-Fannett led all Seahawks scorers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Vidor Pirate-exes Noah Cole and George Williamson each contributed 17 points. West Brook-ex Sam Stelly collected 16 points in the eighth straight game in which he hit double figures. Stelly is averaging 11.52 point per game for the season, but has hit 17.5 ppg game in four conference tilts. North Lake (9-12, 2-2), the 2007 MAC champion and fourth-place finisher in last year’s NJCAA Division III tournament, is coming off three-straight conference wins, the latest a 56-54 victory Wednesday over Cedar Valley College. Lamar State will be on the road again next Wednesday at Mountain View College in Dallas. The Seahawks return home Saturday, Feb. 2, for a conference rematch with Cedar Valley.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be back in the Carl Parker Center this Wednesday for 7 p.m. conference game with Richland College. The Seahawks are 8-10 overall and 1-2 in Metro Athletic Conference play after losing, 87-76, this past Saturday in Dallas to Brookhaven College, the No. 2-ranked Division III team in the nation. The win moved the Bears to 4-0 in conference play and 18-1 overall. Lamar State’s offense was led by sophomores – forward Sam Stelly with 22 points and guard Noah Cole with 21. Sophomore forward George Willamson added 11 points before becoming the first of three Seahawks to foul out of the contest. Stelly and sophomore forward and leading rebounder Cody Guidry (8 rebounds) joined him on the bench as the game progressed. Richland (10-9, 1-2) is coming off a 65-62 home conference loss to Cedar Valley College. The Thunderducks lead all MAC teams this year in defense, holding opponents 68.18 points per game. Three Metro Conference teams are in the Top 10 offenses in the nation – No. 1 Brookhaven (107.842 ppg), No. 4 Eastfield (96.2 ppg) and No. 5 Lamar State (90.938 ppg). Lamar State will be on the road for the next two conference games – Saturday at North Lake College in Irving and next Wednesday at Mountain View College in Dallas. The Seahawks return to the Parker Center on Saturday, Feb. 2, for a conference rematch with Cedar Valley College.

It’s been a tough week for the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team and it won’t get easier this weekend. The Seahawks are 8-9 overall and 1-1 in Metro Athletic Conference play after dropping a heart-breaker Wednesday night at home against conference rival Eastfield College, No. 12 in the nation going into the game. Lamar State, down 13 points at half-time, came back to lead by four in the second half and had the score tied with less than a minute to go, but missed some free throws down the stretch to lose 81-75. Five Seahawks scored in double figures, led by freshman guard Jemel Douriso with 16 points. Sophomore post Sam Stelly had 14 points and 13 rebounds for his sixth-in-a-row double-figure scoring game. Stelly has been the Seahawks’ rebounding leader in four of the past five games. Freshman forward George Williamson collected 11 points and sophomore guard Noah Cole added 10. The Seahawks will have to pick up their game this Saturday, when they travel to Dallas for a 2 p.m. game against MAC leader Brookhaven College (18-1, 3-0), which is ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Bears’ sole defeat came Nov. 7, when they lost 99-88 at Hill College. “Brookhaven is averaging about 107 points per game, so we know they want to run and gun,†said Lamar State head coach Don Bryson. “Everyone will have to keep their head in the game. If we run our offense, take care of the ball and play tough defense, we can stand in there with them.†The Seahawks played the Bears three times last year, losing twice during the regular season, including a 107-103 double overtime loss in Port Arthur. Going into the conference tournament, Lamar State had just seven players left on the roster. But they surprised Eastfield with a hard-fought 72-69 victory in the first round of the conference tournament. The Seahawks were eliminated the following night by the eventual tournament winner, North Lake College. Lamar State will be back in the Carl Parker Center next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Richland College (10-8, 1-1).

Tonight's game between the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks and the Eastfield Harvesters at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center will feature two of the top Division III offenses in the nation. Eastfield, 13-5 overall and 1-1 in Metro Athletic Conference play, is ranked No. 8 in the National Junior College Athletic Association poll. The Harvester are No. 4 in offense with 96.556 points per game. Lamar State (8-8, 1-0) is No. 6 in offense with 90.938 ppg and No. 2 in three-point shooting at 54.55 percent. The Seahawks are on four-game winning streak after opening their conference schedule this past Wednesday in Lancaster with a 96-78 win over Cedar Valley College, followed by a 76-55 non-conference victory Saturday over Coastal Bend College in Port Arthur. Lamar State is 6-1 at home in the Carl Parker Center. The loss was a six-point margin against Temple College, a Division I team that currently is 16-1 for the season.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will face a tough opponent in their Metro Athletic Association home conference opener this Wednesday, when nationally-ranked Eastfield College comes to town for a 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center. Eastfield, 12-5 and currently ranked No. 8, is coming off a 98-93 loss to Mountain View College in both teams’ first conference game this past Wednesday. Lamar State (8-8) is on a four-game winning streak after opening conference play this past Wednesday in Lancaster with a 96-78 win over Cedar Valley College, followed by a 76-55 non-conference victory Saturday over Coastal Bend College in Port Arthur. Seahawks freshman guard Jason Williamson led the team with 23 points against the Cougars. Sophomore forward Sam Stelly had 20 points and sophomore guard Noah Cole added 13. Stelly and freshman forward John Payton each collected nine rebounds for the Seahawks. Lamar State is 6-1 this season at home and 1-7 on the road. Head coach Don Bryson said the next two games are pivotal in the season. “Eastfield will be tough, but Brookhaven, who we play next Saturday in Dallas, is ranked No. 2 in the nation. We have to be ready to play both nights,†Bryson said. Lamar State played a tougher non-conference schedule than any of the MAC teams with games against 11 Division I teams. Brookhaven faced six Division I teams and Eastfield played only three this year. “But that’s all behind us now. It’s time to focus on playing in control,†Bryson said. “If we execute our offense and take care of the ball, we can be successful. If we get careless, that’s another story. All of our conference opponents are capable of scoring 90 to 100 points per game if we let them.â€

Lamar State College-Port Arthur is breaking new ground this year as the Seahawks basketball program is appearing in the Top 50 in several categories of the National Junior College Athletic Association's basketball statistics. The NJCAA currently has 98 Division III teams. Although the NJCAA stats pages sometimes change as you are looking at them, as of 10 a.m. this morning, Lamar State held the following positions (not including stats from the Seahawks' wins over Southern University-Shreveport and Cedar Valley College): No. 7 in offensive average 89.36 ppg No. 47 in defensive average 82.57 ppg No. 50 in free throw percentage 59.06 % No. 3 in three-point field goal percentage 54.27 % No. 19 in field goal percentage 47.74 % George Williamson No. 14 in free throw percentage 85.71 % John Payton No. 32 in field goal percentage 61.11 %

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns home to the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 2 p.m. non-conference rematch with Coastal Bend College. The 7-8 Seahawks are looking to extend a three-game winning streak after posting a 96-78 victory Wednesday in Dallas against Metro Athletic Conference rival Cedar Valley College. Lamar State had five players in double figures led by freshman forward Sam Stelly, a 2006 West Brook High School graduate, who had his best game of the season with 32 points and 9 rebounds to lead his team in both categories. Stelly’s performance broke the team’s single game scoring record for the second straight game after freshman forward George Williamson surpassed the previous record Monday with 30 points. Freshman guard Jemel Douriso had 21 points in his second game of the season and is averaging 17.1 points per game. George Williamson and his brother, Jason, each hit for 12 points, while sophomore forward Cody Guidry added 12 points. Coastal Bend (0-12) and looking for their first win after losing several players to eligibility problems. Lamar State head coach Don Bryson said his team has to keep their focus in this game. “No matter what anybody’s record is, we must do the things that bring us success,†Bryson said. “There’s no time for a let up because next week we face two conference teams that are ranked in the Top 10. Eastfield College (12-4), currently ranked No. 8 in the nation, will be in Port Arthur on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game in the Carl Parker Center. The Seahawks travel to Dallas next Saturday for a conference game against Brookhaven College (14-2), which was ranked No. 2 in the nation in this week's NJCAA poll.

The Lamar State Seahawks staged an impressive comeback Monday night in the Carl Parker Center to defeat Southern University-Shreveport, 86-79. Down by five points, 42-37, at halftime, Lamar State allowed the Port City Jags to extend their lead to 10 points in early in the second half, but rallied to lead by 10 points with seven minutes remaining in the contest and then held on for the victory. Freshman forward George Williamson from Vidor led the Seahawks with 30 points and nine rebounds, breaking Lamar State's single game scoring record of 28 points set last season by Kevin Charles. Freshman guard Jemel Douriso, playing in his first game after sitting out since the beginning of the season with an injury, contributed 14 points. Sophomore guard Noah Cole had 12 points and freshman forward Sam Stelly added 11 points. Sophomore forward Cody Guidy had eight points and 10 rebounds, leading the Seahawks on the boards. Lamar State travels to Lancaster on Wednesday to open Metro Athletic Conference play against Cedar Valley College, which is 8-6 so far this season. The Seahawks will be back in Port Arthur Saturday for a 2 p.m. non-conference rematch with Coastal Bend College, which lost to Lamar State, 80-66, on Nov. 1, in the first game of the season.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team have just a couple of practice daus after a month-long holiday layoff before they return to the Carl Parker Center on Monday to play a final tune-up game against Southern University-Shreveport and then begin Metro Athletic Conference action Jan. 9 at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster. The Seahawks are 5-8, closing the fall Dec. 8 with a 95-86 home victory over Montgomery College. Southern U edged Lamar State, 79-72, on Nov. 30 in Shreveport. Noah Cole and George Williamson from Vidor are leading the Seahawks’ offense. Cole is scoring 16 points per game, while Williamson is hitting 15.1 ppg and is second in rebounding. Both players scored in double figures in 10 games Sophomore forward Cody Guidry from Hamshire-Fannett High School leads the Seahawks in rebounding and is adding 9.7 ppg. Freshman forward Andre Boutte Jr. from Ozen has an 8.9 ppg average. Freshman forward Sam Stelly from West Brook is contributing 8 ppg. Lamar State head coach Don Bryson got some good news and some bad news regarding personnel as the new year started. The bad news is former Ozen High School standout Burdest Jenkins, who was ineligible but worked out with the team during the fall, remains ineligible for the spring semester. The good news is former Port Neches-Groves star guard Jemel Duoriso, who has been out with an injury since the beginning of the season, received clearance from his doctor and will be suited up Monday. The 5’-10†guard was the district offensive player of the year in 2004, the year he graduated from PN-G. “We’re surprised and pleased to have Jemel back,†Bryson said. “He will help our rotation at the guard slot so we won’t have to have forwards handling the ball in the ball court very often.†Lamar State also achieved another milestone in its basketball history as the Seahawks broke into the national statistics for the first time, ranking 26th in offense, 45th in defense and 23rd in field goal percentage in the 98-team Division III. George Williamson is No. 19 in the nation in field goal average at 85.71 percent, while freshman forward John Payton is 36th with 61.11 percent. The Seahawks travel to Lancaster on Wednesday to open Metro Athletic Conference play against Cedar Valley (6-6). Two of the MAC teams currently are ranked in the Top 10 in the nation – No. 3 Brookhaven College (11-1) and No. 8 Eastfield College (11-4).

Ex-Vidor Pirates Noah Cole and George Williamson lead the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team in scoring at the mid-season break. After 13 games, Cole, a sophomore guard, is scoring 16 points per game, while freshman forward Williamson is hitting 15.1 ppg and is second in rebounding. Both players scored in double figures in 10 games Sophomore forward Cody Guidry from Hamshire-Fannett High School leads the Seahawks in rebounding and is adding 9.7 ppg. Freshman forward Andre Boutte Jr. from Ozen has an 8.9 ppg average. Freshman forward Sam Stelly from West Brook is contributing 8 ppg. Freshman forward Seth Harley, a Little Cypress-Mauriceville graduate, was averaging 13.1 ppg and was leading the team in rebounding until he was dropped from the team after the Nov. 24 game for a violation of team rules. Lamar State is 5-8 going into the break after a 95-86 victory over Montgomery College this past Saturday in the Carl Parker Center. The Seahawks will have one more tune-up game at home Jan. 7 against Southern University-Shreveport before beginning their 12-game Metro Athletic Conference schedule on Jan. 9 at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster. Two of the MAC teams currently are ranked in the Top 10 in the nation – No. 3 Brookhaven College (11-1) and No. 8 Eastfield College (11-4). Lamar State head coach Don Bryson may be able to add another player to his roster in January. “Burdest Jenkins, a 6-3 forward from Ozen who was an all-district first team pick, was ineligible in the fall. He should be eligible after fall grades are posted,†Bryson said. “Jason Williamson, George’s brother, is back after missing six games with a broken hand. He scored 11 points against Montgomery in his first game. Jason will give us a better rotation at guard, which will help Noah and George get more open shots.†Former Port Neches-Groves standout Jemel Douriso missed all of Lamar State’s fall games because of an injury he sustained just before the season began. “We would love to have Jemel suited up, but I’m not counting on him until he is cleared to play. I have no idea when that will be,†Bryson said. Bryson is pleased with his team’s offensive output, which is averaging 76.5 ppg this year compared to 60.2 ppg during the 2006-07 season. “We’re generating more points, but our shot selection isn’t what I would like to see. Our forwards should concentrate on hitting two-pointers. We have too many people trying to hit threes, and some of those shooters aren’t always the most accurate at that range,†Bryson said. “We were very close at the end of the game in several of our losses. A couple of two-point field goals might have won some of those games.†Lamar State sports news is available on-line at: www.lamarpa.edu.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team will play the final game of their fall schedule at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Carl Parker Center against Montgomery College. The Seahawks are 4-8 after dropping a close 79-72 game at Southern University-Shreveport this past Friday. Lamar State freshman forward George Williamson from Vidor tied his season-best 24 points and he also led all Seahawk rebounders against the Port City Jags. Freshman forward Peanut Boutte hit six of seven three-pointers for 18 points, while freshman forward Sam Stelly had 10 points and sophomore guard Noah Cole added nine. Montgomery College, located in Conroe, is competing as an independent this year. The Seahawks return to action Jan. 7 with one more tune-up game at home against Southern U-Shreveport. Lamar State begins Metro Athletic Conference play Jan. 9 at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team travels to Shreveport on Friday for a 7 p.m. game against Southern University-Shreveport. The Seahawks are 4-7 after losing to Navarro College (84-47) and Angelina College (79-74) at last weekend’s Angelina Roadrunner Classic Tournament in Lufkin. Lamar State still is without the services of freshman guard Jason Williamson, who broke his hand and has missed the last seven games. Head coach Don Bryson expects Williamson to be back in the lineup after the first of the year. Sophomore guard Noah Cole from Vidor continues to lead the Seahawks in scoring with 16.1 points per game. Navarro held Cole to just six points, marking only the second time this season that he didn’t score in double figures. Cole came back the next night to lead the Seahawks with 20 points against Angelina. The Southern-Shreveport Port City Jags won the Louisiana Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship in 2007 and are 2-1 against junior college teams this fall. Lama State closes its fall schedule with a Dec. 8 home matchup with Montgomery College in the Carl Parker Center. The Seahawks return to action Jan. 7 with one more tune-up game at home against Southern U-Shreveport. Lamar State begins Metro Athletic Conference play Jan. 9 at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be in Lufkin this weekend to play in the annual Roadrunner Classic Tournament at Angelina College. The Seahawks, 4-5 after losing 119-88 at Temple College on Monday, will face the Navarro College Bulldogs (2-3) at 6 p.m. Friday, and the host Angelina College Roadrunners (0-5) at 8 p.m. Saturday. The Seahawks had highs and lows in the past week, starting with an impressive 77-66 Homecoming Game win over the Division I Lee College Runnin’ Rebels on Saturday in Port Arthur. Temple had been scoring 99 points per game before Nov. 8 in Port Arthur, when the Leopards edged the Seahawks, 88-82, Temple’s lowest winning margin of the season and second lowest point total. Monday was another story. Temple, the 2007 NTJCAA co-champion, demonstrated why they are 9-0 so far this season as they crushed the Seahawks, setting a Lamar State record for points allowed in a game. Ex-Vidor Pirate forward George Williamson led the Seahawks with a season-best 26 points. Sophomore guard Noah Cole pumped in 16 points, while freshmen forwards John Payton and Andre Boutte Jr. each collected 10 points. Sophomore forward Cody Guidry paced the Lamar State’s rebounding with eight boards. The Seahawks hope to recover this weekend. Navarro is coming off back-to-back losses to Temple and Weatherford College. Angelina, also is coming off a loss to Temple. The Roadrunners, still looking for their first win, lost to Lamar State, 78-72, in overtime Nov. 10 in Port Arthur. The Seahawks close out their fall schedule with a Nov. 30 game at Southern University-Shreveport and a Dec. 8 home matchup with Montgomery College. Lamar State returns to action Jan. 7 at home against Southern U, then begins Metro Conference play Jan. 9 at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team goes back on the road Monday for a 7 p.m. rematch against the Temple College Leopards, who beat the Seahawks, 88-82, on Nov. 8 in Port Arthur. Lamar State even its record to 4-4 with an impressive 77-66 win over Lee College on Saturday in the Seahawks’ Homecoming Game in the Carl Parker Center. The Seahawks opened with the game with a 10-0 run and never looked back, leading 39-29 at halftime and extending their lead to 18 points with four minutes left in the contest. Lamar State had five players in double figures led by sophomore guard Noah Cole with 18 points. Freshman forward Seth Harley returned after missing a game and canned 15 points, while freshman forward George Williamson had 13 points. Freshman forward Peanut Boutte added 10 points along with sophomore forward Cody Guidry, who also collected 10 rebounds for the Seahawks, who outrebounded Lee on both end of the floor. Temple, the co-champion of the Division I North Texas Junior College Athletic Association, is off to an impressive 7-0 record this season, including two victories over Angelina College and two against Navarro College. The Leopards are averaging 99 point per game, although the Seahawks held them to 88 in their first meeting, which produced Temple’s lowest winning margin of the season. The 2007 Homecoming Court was introduced at halftime. The Homecoming Queen is Vanessa Castillo, a sophomore academic studies major from Beaumont. The King is Noah Cole, a sophomore kinesiology major from Vidor. The Homecoming Court includes sophomores Sadie Dykes, Wafif Fayyaz and Travis Hensley and freshman Heather Gisclair. Lamar State will be in Lufkin over the Thanksgiving weekend to play in the Roadrunner Classic Tournament. The Seahawks face Navarro College on Friday and the host Angelina College on Saturday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center on Saturday for a 7 p.m. rematch against Lee College, which beat the Seahawks 95-74 on Nov. 3 in Baytown. Lamar State is 3-4 after losing at San Jacinto College, 80-68, on Wednesday in a game that the Seahawks went into with two injured players – freshman guard Jason Williamson (broken finger) and freshman forward Seth Harley (ankle sprain). Freshman forward Andre Boutte Jr. went down in the first half with a neck injury, leaving Lamar State with only seven players. Lamar State head coach Don Bryson expects Boutte to be back for Saturday’s game. “Peanut will be ready to play, but Jason will be out for the rest of our fall games and Seth is questionable for at least one more game,†Bryson said. The Seahawks kept it close in the first half, but the No. 10 ranked Ravens pulled away in the second half to improve their record to 4-2. Lamar State sophomore guard Noah Cole led the Seahawks with 21 points. Sophomore forward Cody Guidry had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Sam Stelly added 10 points and freshman forward John Payton also collected 10 rebounds. Lee (4-0) is led by former Port Arthur Memorial standout Dominique Keller, a pre-season junior college All-American selection. The Runnin’ Rebels have been off since Nov. 10, when they defeated Southwest Mississippi Community College, 99-84, in Baytown. Lamar State will introduce its 2007 Homecoming king, queen and their court at half-time of the game. The Seahawks return to the road Monday for a rematch with the Temple College Leopard, who beat then 88-82 on Nov. 8 in Port Arthur. Lamar State will be in Lufkin over the Thanksgiving weekend to play in the Roadrunner Classic Tournament. The Seahawks face Navarro College on Friday and the host Angelina College on Saturday.

The answer regarding baseball at Lamar State College-Port Arthur is: "in the near future, no." Looking out several years, however, anything is possible. The addition of intercollegiate men's basketball and women's softball in 2005 made a tremendous impact on the visibility of the college in the community. It also made an impressive impact on the student body, the faculty, the staff and the community. The new mascot, the Seahawk, and new colors (Columbia Blue and Navy Blue) also played part in the popularity of sports at Lamar State. I now see LSC-PA Seahawks clothing, car decals and other paraphenalia all over the Golden Triangle. Area high school students now are aware that they have another option for playing competitive sports after graduating from high school. If they can put up some decent numbers at the junior college level, they stand a good chance of getting a scholarship to a four-year school. The first two years, area high school seniors weren't really aware of the LSC-PA teams. Last year, students from outside the area opted to come to the college and play sports. If this summer's softball recruiting is any indicator, many high school graduates want to play for the Lamar State-PA Seahawks. Vance Edwards' softball recruiting list reads like a Southeast Texas all-star squad roster. The Seahawks third season in the Division I Region XIV conference promises to be very interesting. Head basketball coach Don Bryson and his new assistant, former LC-M High School coach Oliver Simmons, are hard at work recruiting for the Seahawks second season in the Division III Metro Athletic Conference. The logical extension, in my miind, of sports at the college, would be a spring men's sport (baseball) and a winter women's sport (volleyball). The college has the facility for volleyball, but coming up with a baseball park would be moe of a challenge. But no challenge is too great if the students and the community continue to support the college's sports teams as they have in these first three seasons.