LamarStatesports

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.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be home in the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Lee College. Lamar State’s Wednesday game with Kilgore first was moved to Tyler Junior College, then later to Shreveport because of the winter weather. But the Seahawks apparently didn’t gain any advantage from taking Kilgore out of their home gym. The Runnin’ Rangers easily grounded the visitors, 72-61, to drop Lamar State to 16-7 overall and 5-7 in Region XIV games. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross watched his team open strong against Kilgore, but let their lead slip away. “We started out well against Kilgore, going up 11-1 early on. But after that, we struggled the rest of the night to find any rhythm,” Cross said. “On top of that, we were not able to get the defensive stops in the crucial times that you must come up with to win on the road. Lee College has struggled to a 9-12 and 2-8 record this season. The Runnin’ Rebels lost all but two of their last seven games, the most recent a 71-61 home loss to Kilgore College this past Saturday. Lee’s Wednesday night game at Tyler was postponed until Feb. 7 because of the weather. “Lee is playing much better than they were the first time we faced them,” Cross said. “They lost three or four really close games lately. So, we know they are right there and are determined to come up with a win. We would be crazy to take this team lightly right now.” Lamar State will travel to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Lon Morris College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be home in the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Lee College. Lamar State’s Wednesday game with Kilgore first was moved to Tyler Junior College, then later to Shreveport because of the winter weather. But the Seahawks apparently didn’t gain any advantage from taking Kilgore out of their home gym. The Runnin’ Rangers easily grounded the visitors, 72-61, to drop Lamar State to 16-7 overall and 5-7 in Region XIV games. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross watched his team open strong against Kilgore, but let their lead slip away. “We started out well against Kilgore, going up 11-1 early on. But after that, we struggled the rest of the night to find any rhythm,” Cross said. “On top of that, we were not able to get the defensive stops in the crucial times that you must come up with to win on the road. Lee College has struggled to a 9-12 and 2-8 record this season. The Runnin’ Rebels lost all but two of their last seven games, the most recent a 71-61 home loss to Kilgore College this past Saturday. Lee’s Wednesday night game at Tyler was postponed until Feb. 7 because of the weather. “Lee is playing much better than they were the first time we faced them,” Cross said. “They lost three or four really close games lately. So, we know they are right there and are determined to come up with a win. We would be crazy to take this team lightly right now.” Lamar State will travel to Jacksonville on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Lon Morris College.

Cold weather continues to affect the Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team. The Seahawks’ Thursday home season opener with Temple College already was postponed, and now the Seahawks will go to Galveston this weekend instead of playing in the Northeast Texas College tournament in Mt. Pleasant. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said, “The Northeast Texas tournament is being rescheduled because of the weather, and we got the opportunity to play in the Galveston College Invitational Tournament. It’s a lot closer to home, and it has some very good teams, including some of our conference rivals. We’re just looking forward to getting on the field and starting our season.” The Seahawks open the tournament at 8 a.m. Saturday against Alvin Community College, followed at noon by Galveston College. At 4 p.m., Lamar State faces Blinn College, which won the 2010 Region XIV championship and is ranked No. 8 in the nation in the NJCAA pre-season poll. On Sunday, the Seahawks will play Texarkana College at noon and the University of Houston-Victoria at 4 p.m.

Cold weather has caused the cancellation of Lamar State College-Port Arthur’s softball doubleheader with Temple College at Martin Field in Port Arthur. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said the games were postponed and will be played at a later date. The Seahawks opened every season since 2007 against the Leopards. Last year’s opener in Port Arthur was canceled by snow.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be on the road Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game at Kilgore College. Lamar State traveled to Athens this past Saturday, where they lost 77-71 to No. 16 Trinity Valley Community College. The Seahawks led most of the game and had a seven-point lead with seven minutes remaining, but let it slip away. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “I was very disappointed with our inability to close out the game. We have been playing better on the road this year, and we need to find away to win some road games down the stretch to build our confidence heading into the postseason.” Kilgore (15-7, 5-6) broke a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 63-61 road victory at Lee College. “Kilgore has been a lot like us within the conference this year,” Cross said. “But they are showing signs of being a contender come March. I expect a closely contested game that will be settled in the final minutes, or seconds.” Lamar State returns home Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Lee College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be on the road Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game at Kilgore College. Lamar State traveled to Athens this past Saturday, where they lost 77-71 to No. 16 Trinity Valley Community College. The Seahawks led most of the game and had a seven-point lead with seven minutes remaining, but let it slip away. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “I was very disappointed with our inability to close out the game. We have been playing better on the road this year, and we need to find away to win some road games down the stretch to build our confidence heading into the postseason.” Kilgore (15-7, 5-6) broke a four-game losing streak Saturday with a 63-61 road victory at Lee College. “Kilgore has been a lot like us within the conference this year,” Cross said. “But they are showing signs of being a contender come March. I expect a closely contested game that will be settled in the final minutes, or seconds.” Lamar State returns home Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Lee College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team begins their 2011 season at home this Thursday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Temple College at Martin Field, 1000 Lakeshore Drive. This is the seventh year for Lamar State’s softball program, and the sixth year in Region XIV, one of the top junior college conferences in the nation. The Seahawks’ first test this year will be a tough one. Temple is the 2010 Region V champion, and has seven returning sophomores, including two ex-Nederland High School players – catcher Lindsey Rossi and infielder Jordan Bodin. The Leopards reached the NJCAA national championship tournament three times in the past six years. They were eliminated in the first round in 2010 by Region XIV champion Blinn College. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards also has an impressive team this spring with more talent and more players than any time since the college added intercollegiate sports in 2004.   “We are excited about this team and looking forward to starting the season,” Edwards said. “We have more depth than ever. The players are focused on having a successful season. We are looking for good things to happen.”             Only three of the 18 players on Lamar State’s roster are sophomores, including two starters from the 2010 squad -- all-conference outfielder Kirstyn Krugman from Dayton and pitcher/outfielder Lacey Simmons from Jersey Village. Krugman ranked second in stolen bases in Region XIV this past year. She was eighth in hits and 11th in batting average with a .408 mark in conference action. Krugman hit .424 on the season to lead the Seahawks. Simmons committed only two errors and had a .964 fielding average while playing in 32 of the Seahawks’ 35 games. Sami Williams, a sophomore infielder from Port Neches-Groves, also returns after being red-shirted for medical reasons last spring, which would have been her second season at Lamar State. Williams hit .304 and was a starting outfielder as a freshman. Assistant coach Megan Rowe, a former all-conference pitcher at Louisiana State University-Alexandria, is working with Simmons and the other three pitchers – Katy Austin from Port Neches-Groves, Ashlee Frank from Beaumont West Brook and Candice Spurlock from Texas City. The team has four experienced catchers – Valerie Brown from Bridge City, Samantha Lunceford from Port Neches-Groves, Keely Borel from Nederland and Shelby Klein from Seattle, Washington. Klein transferred from George Fox University in Oregon, where she started 31 games as a freshman and was named to the All-Northwest Conference second team. The fall roster also includes: outfielders Logan LeBlanc from Nederland; utility players Vicki Day from Pasadena, Erica Schmalenberger from Houston, Emily George from League City; and infielders Krista Mayer from Nederland, Katie Parker from League City, Tiffany Schwartzenburg from Beaumont and Kayla Adams from Silsbee. Adams signed with Angelina College in 2009, but didn’t play because of an injury.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team travels to Athens this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Trinity Valley Community College, the No. 16 team in the nation in the most recent NJCAA weekly poll. The Seahawks improved to 16-5 overall and 5-5 in Region XIV action Wednesday night with an 86-65 home win over Bossier Parish Community College, which is in last place in the conference’s North Zone. Lamar State head coach enjoyed the win after seeing his team lose two straight conference games. “We played really good basketball during the first 30 minutes versus Bossier. We finally were able to get out in transition and get some easy baskets scoring,” Cross said. Cross also was pleased with the play of sophomore post Gordon Ball, who scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half. “Gordon had his best offensive game of the year,” Cross said. “We need him to continue to step up and play big the rest of the way for us to continue winning.” The Seahawks will need potent offense to top Trinity Valley (18-3, 7-3), which is coming off an 87-69 home win over Lee College. The Cardinals have won five straight games and eight of their last nine. Lamar State’s sophomores would like some payback against the Cardinals, who eliminated the Seahawks, 73-67, in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Region XIV Tournament. “Trinity Valley has a very good team this year, and they have been wreaking havoc at home this year because of their full-court pressure defense, which is difficult to handle,” Cross said. “How successful we are handling that pressure will be the biggest key to winning the game. They also want to get the ball up the floor quickly and convert easy baskets. So, it’s important for us to take those transition looks away and get our defense set.” Injuries also will be a key for Lamar State, which suffered several injuries in the Bossier game. “Vonn Jones severely bruised his calf, Ray Lewis pulled his groin and Darrion Booker is suffering from shin splints,” Cross said. “We are trying to address these injuries and hope these players will be able to give it a go Saturday afternoon.” Lamar State will be on the road again next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game at Kilgore College. The Seahawks will be home Saturday, Feb. 5, against Lee College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team travels to Athens this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Trinity Valley Community College, the No. 16 team in the nation in the most recent NJCAA weekly poll. The Seahawks improved to 16-5 overall and 5-5 in Region XIV action Wednesday night with an 86-65 home win over Bossier Parish Community College, which is in last place in the conference’s North Zone. Lamar State head coach enjoyed the win after seeing his team lose two straight conference games. “We played really good basketball during the first 30 minutes versus Bossier. We finally were able to get out in transition and get some easy baskets scoring,” Cross said. Cross also was pleased with the play of sophomore post Gordon Ball, who scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half. “Gordon had his best offensive game of the year,” Cross said. “We need him to continue to step up and play big the rest of the way for us to continue winning.” The Seahawks will need potent offense to top Trinity Valley (18-3, 7-3), which is coming off an 87-69 home win over Lee College. The Cardinals have won five straight games and eight of their last nine. Lamar State’s sophomores would like some payback against the Cardinals, who eliminated the Seahawks, 73-67, in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Region XIV Tournament. “Trinity Valley has a very good team this year, and they have been wreaking havoc at home this year because of their full-court pressure defense, which is difficult to handle,” Cross said. “How successful we are handling that pressure will be the biggest key to winning the game. They also want to get the ball up the floor quickly and convert easy baskets. So, it’s important for us to take those transition looks away and get our defense set.” Injuries also will be a key for Lamar State, which suffered several injuries in the Bossier game. “Vonn Jones severely bruised his calf, Ray Lewis pulled his groin and Darrion Booker is suffering from shin splints,” Cross said. “We are trying to address these injuries and hope these players will be able to give it a go Saturday afternoon.” Lamar State will be on the road again next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game at Kilgore College. The Seahawks will be home Saturday, Feb. 5, against Lee College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball collected their 16th win of the year tonight in the Parker Center with an 86-65 victory over Region XIV rival Bossier Parish Community College. Lamar State jumped out to an early lead in this contest and led 52-25 at halftime. The Seahawks’ offensive production dropped in the second half, although they led by as many as 30 points at the 10-minute mark. Bossier Parish mounted a small run with seven minutes left, but the Cavaliers weren’t able to overtake Lamar State, which moves to 16-5 on the season and 5-5 in conference action. The loss drops Bossier Parish to 6-15 and 0-10. Four Seahawks hit for double figures, led by sophomore post Gordon Ball with 19 points. Roman Vaughn collected 16 points, Vonn Jones had 13 and Darrion Booker added 10. Jeremy Malone led Bossier Parish with 12 points. Lamar State travels to Athens on Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Trinity Valley Community College, which is ranked No. 16 in the nation.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball collected their 16th win of the year tonight in the Parker Center with an 86-65 victory over Region XIV rival Bossier Parish Community College. Lamar State jumped out to an early lead in this contest and led 52-25 at halftime. The Seahawks’ offensive production dropped in the second half, although they led by as many as 30 points at the 10-minute mark. Bossier Parish mounted a small run with seven minutes left, but the Cavaliers weren’t able to overtake Lamar State, which moves to 16-5 on the season and 5-5 in conference action. The loss drops Bossier Parish to 6-15 and 0-10. Four Seahawks hit for double figures, led by sophomore post Gordon Ball with 19 points. Roman Vaughn collected 16 points, Vonn Jones had 13 and Darrion Booker added 10. Jeremy Malone led Bossier Parish with 12 points. Lamar State travels to Athens on Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Trinity Valley Community College, which is ranked No. 16 in the nation.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball returns to the Carl Parker Center this Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Bossier Parish Community College. The Seahawks squad has been in turmoil since Friday, when head coach Matt Cross suspended his leading scorer, sophomore guard Keenen Coleman, and four freshmen – leading rebounder David Laury and reserves Markens Charles, Dame Ka and David Duncan. On Saturday, Cross took only six players to Corsicana, where they pulled out a hard-fought 61-59 victory over Region XIV leader Navarro College to move the Seahawks’ record to 15-5 overall and 4-5 in conference games. “The Navarro victory was one of the greatest moments in my coaching career,” Cross said. “It was a miracle that we defeated them with only six players, considering all the adversity this team has experienced since the holiday break. Those six players laid it all on the line for their team and school. Everyone involved with that win will remember it forever.” Cross met with the suspended players Monday. He then announced that Charles, Laury and Ka had been dismissed from the team. Cross said Coleman and Duncan remain on suspension, but will suit up and could appear in Wednesday’s game “for emergency purposes only.” Bossier Parish is 0-9 in conference action this season, most recently losing to Lee College, 95-67. Cross isn’t taking the 6-14 Cavaliers lightly. “There is so much parity within our conference this year. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night,” Cross said. “Bossier hasn’t won a conference game, but their time will come. We are doing everything we can to be prepared so their break-though won’t come at our expense.” Lamar State travels to Athens on Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Trinity Valley Community College, which is ranked No. 16 in the nation.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball returns to the Carl Parker Center this Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Bossier Parish Community College. The Seahawks squad has been in turmoil since Friday, when head coach Matt Cross suspended his leading scorer, sophomore guard Keenen Coleman, and four freshmen – leading rebounder David Laury and reserves Markens Charles, Dame Ka and David Duncan. On Saturday, Cross took only six players to Corsicana, where they pulled out a hard-fought 61-59 victory over Region XIV leader Navarro College to move the Seahawks’ record to 15-5 overall and 4-5 in conference games. “The Navarro victory was one of the greatest moments in my coaching career,” Cross said. “It was a miracle that we defeated them with only six players, considering all the adversity this team has experienced since the holiday break. Those six players laid it all on the line for their team and school. Everyone involved with that win will remember it forever.” Cross met with the suspended players Monday. He then announced that Charles, Laury and Ka had been dismissed from the team. Cross said Coleman and Duncan remain on suspension, but will suit up and could appear in Wednesday’s game “for emergency purposes only.” Bossier Parish is 0-9 in conference action this season, most recently losing to Lee College, 95-67. Cross isn’t taking the 6-14 Cavaliers lightly. “There is so much parity within our conference this year. Anyone can beat anyone on any given night,” Cross said. “Bossier hasn’t won a conference game, but their time will come. We are doing everything we can to be prepared so their break-though won’t come at our expense.” Lamar State travels to Athens on Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Trinity Valley Community College, which is ranked No. 16 in the nation.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball will be in Corsicana this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Navarro College, which has the best record in Region XIV. Lamar State fell to 14-5 overall and 3-5 in conference action Wednesday with a 75-72 home overtime loss to Panola College. The Seahawks’ offense, which was averaging above 90 points per game, came out cold against the Ponies, scoring just 21 points in the first half. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said his team needs to regain their focus. ‘We were totally out of sync the first half, and our sloppy play, combined with bad officiating, just made things downright discombobulated,” Cross said. “But even though we ended up falling short in overtime, I was very proud of the effort our team put forth in the second half. They showed a lot of heart, but just weren't quite tough enough to hold on at the end.” After two straight losses, the Seahawks must rebound on the road against Navarro (15-4), which is 7-1 in conference games. The Bulldogs have lost only once since Nov. 23 and won their last five games. Navarro slipped by Lee College on the road Wednesday, 95-88 in overtime. “The road never gets any easier in Region 14, and Navarro will be our toughest game of the year so far,” Cross said. “We haven’t been able to play the style we had so much success with at the first the season. We’re working to get back to that fast pace. It’s just not happening for us right now. Our defensive has been better this year, and we need to continue to make improvements in that area.” Lamar State will be home next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Bossier Parish Community College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball will be in Corsicana this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game against Navarro College, which has the best record in Region XIV. Lamar State fell to 14-5 overall and 3-5 in conference action Wednesday with a 75-72 home overtime loss to Panola College. The Seahawks’ offense, which was averaging above 90 points per game, came out cold against the Ponies, scoring just 21 points in the first half. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said his team needs to regain their focus. ‘We were totally out of sync the first half, and our sloppy play, combined with bad officiating, just made things downright discombobulated,” Cross said. “But even though we ended up falling short in overtime, I was very proud of the effort our team put forth in the second half. They showed a lot of heart, but just weren't quite tough enough to hold on at the end.” After two straight losses, the Seahawks must rebound on the road against Navarro (15-4), which is 7-1 in conference games. The Bulldogs have lost only once since Nov. 23 and won their last five games. Navarro slipped by Lee College on the road Wednesday, 95-88 in overtime. “The road never gets any easier in Region 14, and Navarro will be our toughest game of the year so far,” Cross said. “We haven’t been able to play the style we had so much success with at the first the season. We’re working to get back to that fast pace. It’s just not happening for us right now. Our defensive has been better this year, and we need to continue to make improvements in that area.” Lamar State will be home next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Bossier Parish Community College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball returns to the road this Saturday for a 2 p.m. conference game at Paris Junior College. Lamar State climbed to 14-3 overall and 3-3 in Region XIV action this past Saturday with an 88-76 home win over Blinn College. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones hit 18 first-half points and ended the night with 29 points, his best ever performance as a Seahawk. Freshman guard David Laury put up 21 points, and sophomore wing Keenen Coleman added 17. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “Vonn finally is reaching the high level of play we expected in his entire sophomore year. He carried his team to a victory. Blinn really had no answer for him.” Cross believes his sophomores will carry the team to a conference championship and a berth in the national championship tournament. “This sophomore class has turned this program around over the past year and a half,” Cross said. “They have 34 wins and 14 losses. They are 13-13 in conference games over two seasons, which really is impressive considering how tough this conference is.” Cross believes his team is ready for Paris, one of four Region XIV teams the Seahawks have not defeated since Lamar State joined the conference in 2008. The others are Kilgore College, Trinity Valley College and Tyler Junior College. Paris (12-3, 3-3) is coming off three straight conference wins, the latest a 60-53 victory over Kilgore College. “This will be the first game this season that our team will be at full strength,” Cross said, noting that nagging injuries plagued the Seahawks since November. “Everyone’s healthy now, and we will have more depth with the addition of Darrion Booker.” Booker, a sophomore forward from Whitmire, South Carolina, was ineligible to play during the fall, but worked out with the team and attended classes. “Darrion hasn’t played in a college game in two years, and I know he has been anxiously waiting his return,” Cross said. “He will add some punch on the inside that will put us over the hump.” Booker comes from a family of accomplished basketball players. His older brother, Trevor, plays for Clemson University and now in the NBA with the Washington Wizards. His younger brother, Devin, is at Clemson. His cousin, Jordan Hill, is a center for the NBA Houston Rockets. “Darrion has had to spend his career in the shadow of his two brothers,” Cross said. “I'm excited that he has been able to withstand some adversity in his life, and now he has the chance to start anew and begin to make his mark on college basketball like his brothers.” Lamar State will be home next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Panola College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball returns to the road this Saturday for a 2 p.m. conference game at Paris Junior College. Lamar State climbed to 14-3 overall and 3-3 in Region XIV action this past Saturday with an 88-76 home win over Blinn College. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones hit 18 first-half points and ended the night with 29 points, his best ever performance as a Seahawk. Freshman guard David Laury put up 21 points, and sophomore wing Keenen Coleman added 17. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “Vonn finally is reaching the high level of play we expected in his entire sophomore year. He carried his team to a victory. Blinn really had no answer for him.” Cross believes his sophomores will carry the team to a conference championship and a berth in the national championship tournament. “This sophomore class has turned this program around over the past year and a half,” Cross said. “They have 34 wins and 14 losses. They are 13-13 in conference games over two seasons, which really is impressive considering how tough this conference is.” Cross believes his team is ready for Paris, one of four Region XIV teams the Seahawks have not defeated since Lamar State joined the conference in 2008. The others are Kilgore College, Trinity Valley College and Tyler Junior College. Paris (12-3, 3-3) is coming off three straight conference wins, the latest a 60-53 victory over Kilgore College. “This will be the first game this season that our team will be at full strength,” Cross said, noting that nagging injuries plagued the Seahawks since November. “Everyone’s healthy now, and we will have more depth with the addition of Darrion Booker.” Booker, a sophomore forward from Whitmire, South Carolina, was ineligible to play during the fall, but worked out with the team and attended classes. “Darrion hasn’t played in a college game in two years, and I know he has been anxiously waiting his return,” Cross said. “He will add some punch on the inside that will put us over the hump.” Booker comes from a family of accomplished basketball players. His older brother, Trevor, plays for Clemson University and now in the NBA with the Washington Wizards. His younger brother, Devin, is at Clemson. His cousin, Jordan Hill, is a center for the NBA Houston Rockets. “Darrion has had to spend his career in the shadow of his two brothers,” Cross said. “I'm excited that he has been able to withstand some adversity in his life, and now he has the chance to start anew and begin to make his mark on college basketball like his brothers.” Lamar State will be home next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Panola College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball will be home in the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game with Blinn College. Lamar State slipped to 13-3 overall and 2-3 in Region XIV action Wednesday, when the Seahawks lost by 29-points to conference rival Angelina College in Lufkin. The Seahawks’ 55-point effort in that contest was their lowest offensive production of the season. And it came against the now 9-6 Roadrunners, who had not won a Region XIV game in three previous outings. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross was not pleased with his team’s performance Wednesday. “Storms on the East Coast delayed the return of several players, so we only had two days of practice, and it showed,” Cross said. “We were out of sync from the start and allowed Angelina to build up a lead that we were unable to close. I expect a much better effort out of everyone on Saturday.” Blinn (10-4) is 2-2 in conference play. The Buccaneers are coming off three straight wins. Lamar State has a bye next Wednesday and will return to action Saturday, Jan. 15 at Paris Junior College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball will be home in the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game with Blinn College. Lamar State slipped to 13-3 overall and 2-3 in Region XIV action Wednesday, when the Seahawks lost by 29-points to conference rival Angelina College in Lufkin. The Seahawks’ 55-point effort in that contest was their lowest offensive production of the season. And it came against the now 9-6 Roadrunners, who had not won a Region XIV game in three previous outings. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross was not pleased with his team’s performance Wednesday. “Storms on the East Coast delayed the return of several players, so we only had two days of practice, and it showed,” Cross said. “We were out of sync from the start and allowed Angelina to build up a lead that we were unable to close. I expect a much better effort out of everyone on Saturday.” Blinn (10-4) is 2-2 in conference play. The Buccaneers are coming off three straight wins. Lamar State has a bye next Wednesday and will return to action Saturday, Jan. 15 at Paris Junior College.

Four members of the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team are listed at the top of the Region XIV statistics charts after six weeks of play. Sophomore wing Keenen Coleman leads the conference in scoring average with 20.8 points per game. Freshman guard David Laury is first in rebounding with 10.2 per game, fifth in scoring and sixth in shot blocking. Sophomore forward Dion Waiters is the top ball stealer in the conference Sophomore guard Vonn Jones is No. 2 in assists (8.7 apg). He trails Mitch Marquis of Tyler Junior College by one assist.

Four members of the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team are listed at the top of the Region XIV statistics charts after six weeks of play. Sophomore wing Keenen Coleman leads the conference in scoring average with 20.8 points per game. Freshman guard David Laury is first in rebounding with 10.2 per game, fifth in scoring and sixth in shot blocking. Sophomore forward Dion Waiters is the top ball stealer in the conference Sophomore guard Vonn Jones is No. 2 in assists (8.7 apg). He trails Mitch Marquis of Tyler Junior College by one assist.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team begins the second half of their 2010-11 season Wednesday night at conference rival Angelina College in Lufkin. Lamar State is 13-2 overall and 2-2 in Region XIV action after closing 2010 with a conference win at Lee College followed by four home non-conference victories. Head coach Matt Cross hopes to see his team continue the success they had in the first half of the season. “I believe 2011 will special for this team. The sky is the limit for this group, and I really enjoy coaching them,” Cross said. “We have a couple weeks before classes start. So, we will take advantage of all the extra practice time to make the necessary strides in forming a championship team. Four Seahawks began the year ranked in the Top 15 players in the nation. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones is No. 9 in assists with 7.43 per game. Freshman forward David Laury is No 10 in rebounding (10.17 rpg), and sophomore guard Dion Waiters is No. 10 in steals (3.43 spg) Sophomore wing Keenen Coleman is eleventh in scoring with 20.72 points per game. Four other Seahawks have double-figure scoring averages – David Laury (17.75), sophomore guard Roman Vaughn (12.29), Vonn Jones (11.85) and injured freshman guard Markens Charles, who was hitting 11.3 ppg before he broke his wrist Nov. 29. Lamar State’s hopeful return to the Region XIV post-season tournament won’t be an easy one. The Seahawks have 15 games left, all with conference teams. Five Region XIV basketball teams started the year ranked in the Top 30 junior college teams in the nation. San Jacinto is No. 3 after going 14-0, including four conference wins. Trinity Valley, which was ranked as high as No. 8, dropped to No. 14 after losing conference games to Kilgore and Navarro. Lon Morris currently is No. 26, Jacksonville is No. 29 and Panola is No. 30. Cross is very concerned about his team’s preparation going into Wednesday’s game at Angelina and Saturday’s home game with Blinn College. “The next two games will be critical,” Cross said, “We haven’t had adequate practice time after the holidays because of the severe winter weather on the east coast and in Europe, which affected the travel of most of our team back to Texas. We just had our first full practice Monday and still are missing three players due to the travel complications. After being off for so long, there is no way two days of practice will prepare us for a conference game. So, win or lose this week, we want get as much as possible out of these games. Angelina (8-6, 0-3) is one of four Region XIV teams still looking for a conference victory. The Roadrunners lost their last two conference outings against Blinn and San Jacinto, and are coming off a 79-67 win on Monday over Richland College Lamar State will be back in the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game with Blinn College. 

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team begins the second half of their 2010-11 season Wednesday night at conference rival Angelina College in Lufkin. Lamar State is 13-2 overall and 2-2 in Region XIV action after closing 2010 with a conference win at Lee College followed by four home non-conference victories. Head coach Matt Cross hopes to see his team continue the success they had in the first half of the season. “I believe 2011 will special for this team. The sky is the limit for this group, and I really enjoy coaching them,” Cross said. “We have a couple weeks before classes start. So, we will take advantage of all the extra practice time to make the necessary strides in forming a championship team. Four Seahawks began the year ranked in the Top 15 players in the nation. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones is No. 9 in assists with 7.43 per game. Freshman forward David Laury is No 10 in rebounding (10.17 rpg), and sophomore guard Dion Waiters is No. 10 in steals (3.43 spg) Sophomore wing Keenen Coleman is eleventh in scoring with 20.72 points per game. Four other Seahawks have double-figure scoring averages – David Laury (17.75), sophomore guard Roman Vaughn (12.29), Vonn Jones (11.85) and injured freshman guard Markens Charles, who was hitting 11.3 ppg before he broke his wrist Nov. 29. Lamar State’s hopeful return to the Region XIV post-season tournament won’t be an easy one. The Seahawks have 15 games left, all with conference teams. Five Region XIV basketball teams started the year ranked in the Top 30 junior college teams in the nation. San Jacinto is No. 3 after going 14-0, including four conference wins. Trinity Valley, which was ranked as high as No. 8, dropped to No. 14 after losing conference games to Kilgore and Navarro. Lon Morris currently is No. 26, Jacksonville is No. 29 and Panola is No. 30. Cross is very concerned about his team’s preparation going into Wednesday’s game at Angelina and Saturday’s home game with Blinn College. “The next two games will be critical,” Cross said, “We haven’t had adequate practice time after the holidays because of the severe winter weather on the east coast and in Europe, which affected the travel of most of our team back to Texas. We just had our first full practice Monday and still are missing three players due to the travel complications. After being off for so long, there is no way two days of practice will prepare us for a conference game. So, win or lose this week, we want get as much as possible out of these games. Angelina (8-6, 0-3) is one of four Region XIV teams still looking for a conference victory. The Roadrunners lost their last two conference outings against Blinn and San Jacinto, and are coming off a 79-67 win on Monday over Richland College Lamar State will be back in the Carl Parker Center this Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game with Blinn College. 

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team closed out the 2010 part of their season Tuesday night with a 107-70 home non-conference win over University Park Academy, a prep school from Houston. The win gives the Seahawks a 13-2 record as the holiday break begins. Lamar State, playing without leading scorer Keenen Coleman who already went back to Michigan for the holidays, showed the effects of playing four games in five days. The Seahawks allowed University Park to stay close through most of the first half before pulling ahead to lead 45-26 at halftime. Lamar State dominated the second half, but still let the smaller Wolverines drive all the way to the basket on many occasions. Sophomore forward Roman Vaughn and freshman guard David Laury led the Seahawks with 20 points and 19 points, respectively. Four other Seahawks scored in double figures – Vonn Jones  and Dion Waiters each had 12 points, while David Duncan and Dame Ka recorded 11 points apiece. After the holiday break, Lamar State has 15 games left in the season, all of which are conference games. The Seahawks start the new year on the road Wednesday, Jan. 5, at Angelina College in Lufkin. The Seahawks then return to the Carl Parker Center to host Blinn College at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8.