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Three members of the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team earned Region XIV post-season honors. Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips, the Seahawks’ leading rebounder and shot blocker, made the Region XIV All-Conference second team and the All-Region second team. Phillips finished the regular season as the No. 2 rebounder and shot blocker in the conference. Sophomore guard Kavon Rose, the team’s leading scorer, was named to the All-Conference third team. Freshman guard Von Jones, the team’s assist leader and fourth-leading scorer, was on the All-Conference Honorable Mention list. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said he is excited for the players. “I know the hard work they put in, both on and off the floor,” Cross said. “To make all-conference or all-region in the top junior college conference in the nation is a special accomplishment.” The post-season honors added more first-time achievements to the Lamar State basketball program since no one from the 2008-09 team was honored in the Seahawks’ first year in Region XIV. “Ahyaro and Kavon both are very deserving of their honors, and we wish them the best as they continue their collegiate basketball careers at a four-year school,” Cross said. “Von was second Region XIV in assists. That’s a great indicator of how unselfish he played because he also is a serious scoring threat from the point guard position.”

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team played head-to-head with Trinity Valley Community College for 38 and a half minutes Saturday, but lost in the final minute and a half, 76-67, to end the Seahawks’ best-ever season with a record of 20-11 overall. Saturday’s game saw 14 lead changes and the Seahawks clawing back from a nine-point second half deficit to lead by one point with 1:29 left in the game after Kavon Rose sank two pressure free throws. The Cardinals replied with a field goal to go up by a point. Von Jones missed a jump shot, and Keenan Coleman snatched the rebound. But a turnover gave the ball to the Cardinals. Jones fouled Trinity Valley’s leading scorer Chris Blake, who hit one of two free throws with the Cardinals getting another offensive rebound. Second leading scorer Isiah Rusher hit a lay-in, was fouled and made the free throw to up the score to 71-67 with 28 second left. Dion Waiters missed a layup and was fouled, but missed both free throws. Keenan Coleman snatched another offensive rebound but missed a layup and Trinity Valley got that rebound. A foul by Kavon Rose allowed the Cardinals to add two more free throw points to the final total. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team had two goals coming into the game – being able to rebound with Trinity Valley and handle their pressure defense. “We weren’t able to accomplish those keys,” Cross said. “They are deeper and more experienced, and, in this setting, I think our freshmen came up a little tight. Some of them were tentative, and that hurt us.” However, Cross believes this year’s experience will lead to a greatly improved team in the 2010-11 season. “This is a team with a great nucleus of freshmen. We came a long way in the last few weeks when it came to handling adversity and displaying mental toughness,” Cross said. Cross noted that his young team had a season of impressive accomplishments, including the best-ever overall record (20-11), best conference record (10-9), the first-ever berth in the Region XIV tournament and leading all Region XIV teams in total points, rebounds and steals. The Seahawks also set 10 team records, eight individual season records and four individual single-game records. The winner of Monday night’s championship game between No. 1 seed Paris Junior College and No. 2 see Navarro College will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament, March 16-20 in Hutchinson, KS. Seahawk Notes * Freshman forward Keenan Coleman led the Seahawks with 18 points, while freshman forward Dion Waiters had 16. Ahyaro Phillips and Gordon Ball each collected 7 rebounds. * The tournament loss could be attributed to several factors including the Seahawks missing nine free throws and allowing Trinity Valley to score 23 second-chance points and 22 points off turnovers.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team played head-to-head with Trinity Valley Community College for 38 and a half minutes Saturday, but lost in the final minute and a half, 76-67, to end the Seahawks’ best-ever season with a record of 20-11 overall. Saturday’s game saw 14 lead changes and the Seahawks clawing back from a nine-point second half deficit to lead by one point with 1:29 left in the game after Kavon Rose sank two pressure free throws. The Cardinals replied with a field goal to go up by a point. Von Jones missed a jump shot, and Keenan Coleman snatched the rebound. But a turnover gave the ball to the Cardinals. Jones fouled Trinity Valley’s leading scorer Chris Blake, who hit one of two free throws with the Cardinals getting another offensive rebound. Second leading scorer Isiah Rusher hit a lay-in, was fouled and made the free throw to up the score to 71-67 with 28 second left. Dion Waiters missed a layup and was fouled, but missed both free throws. Keenan Coleman snatched another offensive rebound but missed a layup and Trinity Valley got that rebound. A foul by Kavon Rose allowed the Cardinals to add two more free throw points to the final total. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team had two goals coming into the game – being able to rebound with Trinity Valley and handle their pressure defense. “We weren’t able to accomplish those keys,” Cross said. “They are deeper and more experienced, and, in this setting, I think our freshmen came up a little tight. Some of them were tentative, and that hurt us.” However, Cross believes this year’s experience will lead to a greatly improved team in the 2010-11 season. “This is a team with a great nucleus of freshmen. We came a long way in the last few weeks when it came to handling adversity and displaying mental toughness,” Cross said. Cross noted that his young team had a season of impressive accomplishments, including the best-ever overall record (20-11), best conference record (10-9), the first-ever berth in the Region XIV tournament and leading all Region XIV teams in total points, rebounds and steals. The Seahawks also set 10 team records, eight individual season records and four individual single-game records. The winner of Monday night’s championship game between No. 1 seed Paris Junior College and No. 2 see Navarro College will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament, March 16-20 in Hutchinson, KS. Seahawk Notes * Freshman forward Keenan Coleman led the Seahawks with 18 points, while freshman forward Dion Waiters had 16. Ahyaro Phillips and Gordon Ball each collected 7 rebounds. * The tournament loss could be attributed to several factors including the Seahawks missing nine free throws and allowing Trinity Valley to score 23 second-chance points and 22 points off turnovers.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks enter the Region XIV quarterfinals Saturday against Trinity Valley Community College, one of four teams which survived Thursday’s first round of the conference tournament in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Twelve teams qualified for the tournament. Lamar State, 20-10 overall and 10-9 in conference action, finished second in the South Zone to earn a first-round bye along with Navarro College, North Zone winner Paris Junior College and South Zone winner San Jacinto College. Trinity Valley trailed Panola by four points, 32-28, at halftime in their first-round game. The Cardinals opened the second half with a 27-0 run to take a commanding 23-point lead, then held on to win 82-73. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross got the match-up he was hoping for. The Seahawks wanted another shot at the Cardinals after losing their regular season game, 75-68, in overtime Jan. 30 in the Carl Parker Center. “That was a game we should have won in regulation,” Cross said. “We were in control and then just didn’t take care of the ball, missed some crucial free throws and let them tie it up go to overtime. We will be much more focused this time.” Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips, the Seahawks’ leading rebounder and shot blocker, sat out the first game with an injury. So, having him in the lineup Saturday will be a big plus, Cross said. “Trinity Valley is very talented, and they play tough pressing defense for all 40 minutes of a game,” Cross said. “We are a much better team than we were in January. But we will have to play our best basketball of the year to win.” Other first-round action saw Tyler Junior College edge Lon Morris, 62-62; Jacksonville College dispatch Kilgore College, 70-53 and Lee College blow out Angelina College, 84-58. Jacksonville plays No. 1 seed Paris Junior College at 1 p.m. Saturday. Lamar State and Trinity Valley follow at 3 p.m. Tyler faces No. 2 seed Navarro College at 6 p.m. No. 3 seed San Jacinto College and Lee College close Saturday’s action at 8 p.m. The winner of Monday night’s championship game will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament, March 16-20 in Hutchinson, KS. Seahawk Notes * The three-point accuracy of Lamar State freshman guard Nick Walters from Silsbee was inadvertently omitted from the final conference statistics. Walters hit 36 of his 80 three-point attempts and should have been listed at No. 2 in the conference in that category. The Region XIV statistics compiler revised the final regular season numbers Monday to reflect Walters’ accomplishment.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks enter the Region XIV quarterfinals Saturday against Trinity Valley Community College, one of four teams which survived Thursday’s first round of the conference tournament in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Twelve teams qualified for the tournament. Lamar State, 20-10 overall and 10-9 in conference action, finished second in the South Zone to earn a first-round bye along with Navarro College, North Zone winner Paris Junior College and South Zone winner San Jacinto College. Trinity Valley trailed Panola by four points, 32-28, at halftime in their first-round game. The Cardinals opened the second half with a 27-0 run to take a commanding 23-point lead, then held on to win 82-73. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross got the match-up he was hoping for. The Seahawks wanted another shot at the Cardinals after losing their regular season game, 75-68, in overtime Jan. 30 in the Carl Parker Center. “That was a game we should have won in regulation,” Cross said. “We were in control and then just didn’t take care of the ball, missed some crucial free throws and let them tie it up go to overtime. We will be much more focused this time.” Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips, the Seahawks’ leading rebounder and shot blocker, sat out the first game with an injury. So, having him in the lineup Saturday will be a big plus, Cross said. “Trinity Valley is very talented, and they play tough pressing defense for all 40 minutes of a game,” Cross said. “We are a much better team than we were in January. But we will have to play our best basketball of the year to win.” Other first-round action saw Tyler Junior College edge Lon Morris, 62-62; Jacksonville College dispatch Kilgore College, 70-53 and Lee College blow out Angelina College, 84-58. Jacksonville plays No. 1 seed Paris Junior College at 1 p.m. Saturday. Lamar State and Trinity Valley follow at 3 p.m. Tyler faces No. 2 seed Navarro College at 6 p.m. No. 3 seed San Jacinto College and Lee College close Saturday’s action at 8 p.m. The winner of Monday night’s championship game will advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament, March 16-20 in Hutchinson, KS. Seahawk Notes * The three-point accuracy of Lamar State freshman guard Nick Walters from Silsbee was inadvertently omitted from the final conference statistics. Walters hit 36 of his 80 three-point attempts and should have been listed at No. 2 in the conference in that category. The Region XIV statistics compiler revised the final regular season numbers Monday to reflect Walters’ accomplishment.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team has had a tough time getting started this spring because of inclement weather. Their original season opener, a Feb. 4 doubleheader against Temple College, was scrubbed by bad weather, as was their trip to the Feb. 12-13 Cowtown Classic Tournament in Fort Worth. The Seahawks finally kicked off the season with a Feb. 13 home doubleheader split with Coastal Bend College, followed by Feb. 23 doubleheader losses at Louisiana State University-Eunice. This week’s planned trip to the Temple College Tournament also evaporated after several inches of snow fell in central Texas on Tuesday night. So, the Seahawks will take their 1-3 season record on the road Friday to play seven games in three days against teams from the East Zone of Region XIV in the conference Crossover Tournament. Lamar State opens Friday at 2 p.m. against 2009 conference runner-up Paris Junior College, which was ranked just outside the Top 20 of Division I junior colleges in the nation in the NJCAA’s 2010 pre-season poll. The Seahawks close Friday’s action at 6 p.m. against Texarkana College. Lamar State’s Saturday games are with Trinity Valley Community College (11 a.m.), Bossier Parish Community College (3 p.m.) and Lon Morris College (7 p.m.) Sunday games are Navarro College (11 a.m.) and Northeast Texas College (3 p.m.). The results from the crossover tournament count in each team’s overall record but do not count in the conference standings. Lamar State begins its conference games Wednesday, March 10, with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at San Jacinto College in Pasadena. The Seahawks’ next home games will be March 24 against Alvin Community College.

You're correct. Nck dropped out of the 3-point standings a few weeks ago because his attempts dropped below the category threshold. But in Week 15, the threshold was a minimum of 70 attempts. I'll contact the Region XIV stats collector tomorrow and see what he has to say. Nick's three-point shooting really played a big part in the Seahawks last two wins. It's not that he made that many, but after he hit a couple of long ones from the corners, the other teams had to play him tighter, which opened up the inside players to score. Nick was on the floor for the entire OT against Panola. I wasn't at the Lee game, so I don't know what happened there.

Eight junior college teams will square off Thursday in the first round of the Region XIV Tournament in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Lamar State College-Port Arthur qualified for the tournament for the first time in the school’s history, but the Seahawks don’t have to play in the first round. Lamar State moved to 20-9 overall and 10-9 in conference action Saturday, when they soared over the Lee College Runnin’ Rebels, 95-72, to take second place in Region XIV’s South Zone and earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Seahawks join three other teams – Paris Junior College, San Jacinto College and Navarro College – finished first and second in Region XIV two zones, giving them the luxury of not having to play until Saturday. LSC-PA head Coach Matt Cross said his team looks forward to making more history for the college. “I am excited that our team was able to accomplish so many first-time achievements in the history of Lamar State’s program during the regular season,” Cross said. “I describe them as the ‘little engine that could’ because we are small in numbers, and our freshmen just look like that are 18 years old on the court. But those freshmen really matured as the season progressed. I now can say confidently that we are the ‘little engine that could win a regional championship.’ ” Lamar State plays at 3 p.m. Saturday in the quarter-finals against the winner of Thursday’s contest between Trinity Valley Community College and Panola College. The Seahawks went to overtime with both teams this season in the Carl Parker Center, winning 105-102 over Panola and losing 68-75 to Trinity Valley. “We are in a great position as the No. 4 seed, and if we can get the ball to bounce our way, then we will be well on our way to cutting down the nets in Tyler with a conference championship,” Cross said. “To do that, we must continue to play with confidence on offense, shoot the ball well from the perimeter and play tough defense. We need to improve our intelligence level and have it match our intensity.” If Lamar State wins Saturday, they would play in the semi-finals at 6 p.m. Sunday. A win in that game would propel the Seahawks into the conference championship game at 8 p.m. Monday. The winner of the Region XIV Tournament advances to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament, March 16-20 in Hutchinson, KS. Lamar State will be headquartered at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tyler. Seahawks fans will be extended the team rate of $85 per night. For reservations, call Tracey Morales at (903) 509-1166. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips is ranked No. 8 in the nation in rebounding and No. 11 in shot blocking. Freshman guard Von Jones is No. 14 in assists. The Seahawks are No. 25 in the nation in offense with 82.345 points per game. * Freshman forward Gordon Ball was the Region XIV Player of the Week for Feb. 22-27 after he posted double-doubles in Lamar State’s wins over Panola College and Lee College. He scored 14 points, including eight straight points late in the second half, and pulled down nine rebounds Wednesday against Panola. Ball scored a career-high 17 points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds Saturday against Lee. * Freshman forward Dion Waiters ended the regular season as the No. 1 ball stealer in Region XIV. He collected 80 steals in just 17 games (4.7 per game), compared to the No. 2 player’s 75 steals in 27 games. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips was second in the conference in rebounding (11.2 per game) and blocked shots (103 blocks, 3.6 per game). Phillips actually one more shot than the conference leader, Latay Darden of Paris Junior College, who had 102. Darden was No. 1 because he played in fewer games and had a 4.3 block-per-game average. * Freshman guard Von Jones was No. 2 in the conference in assists and No. 5 in steals. * The Seahawks led all Region XIV teams this season in total points, steals and rebounds. * Three teams in the conference tournament are ranked in the final NJCAA poll of the regular season, with Paris Junior College at No. 14, San Jacinto College at No. 20 and Navarro College just outside the Top 25.

Eight junior college teams will square off Thursday in the first round of the Region XIV Tournament in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Lamar State College-Port Arthur qualified for the tournament for the first time in the school’s history, but the Seahawks don’t have to play in the first round. Lamar State moved to 20-9 overall and 10-9 in conference action Saturday, when they soared over the Lee College Runnin’ Rebels, 95-72, to take second place in Region XIV’s South Zone and earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Seahawks join three other teams – Paris Junior College, San Jacinto College and Navarro College – finished first and second in Region XIV two zones, giving them the luxury of not having to play until Saturday. LSC-PA head Coach Matt Cross said his team looks forward to making more history for the college. “I am excited that our team was able to accomplish so many first-time achievements in the history of Lamar State’s program during the regular season,” Cross said. “I describe them as the ‘little engine that could’ because we are small in numbers, and our freshmen just look like that are 18 years old on the court. But those freshmen really matured as the season progressed. I now can say confidently that we are the ‘little engine that could win a regional championship.’ ” Lamar State plays at 3 p.m. Saturday in the quarter-finals against the winner of Thursday’s contest between Trinity Valley Community College and Panola College. The Seahawks went to overtime with both teams this season in the Carl Parker Center, winning 105-102 over Panola and losing 68-75 to Trinity Valley. “We are in a great position as the No. 4 seed, and if we can get the ball to bounce our way, then we will be well on our way to cutting down the nets in Tyler with a conference championship,” Cross said. “To do that, we must continue to play with confidence on offense, shoot the ball well from the perimeter and play tough defense. We need to improve our intelligence level and have it match our intensity.” If Lamar State wins Saturday, they would play in the semi-finals at 6 p.m. Sunday. A win in that game would propel the Seahawks into the conference championship game at 8 p.m. Monday. The winner of the Region XIV Tournament advances to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament, March 16-20 in Hutchinson, KS. Lamar State will be headquartered at the Hilton Garden Inn in Tyler. Seahawks fans will be extended the team rate of $85 per night. For reservations, call Tracey Morales at (903) 509-1166. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips is ranked No. 8 in the nation in rebounding and No. 11 in shot blocking. Freshman guard Von Jones is No. 14 in assists. The Seahawks are No. 25 in the nation in offense with 82.345 points per game. * Freshman forward Gordon Ball was the Region XIV Player of the Week for Feb. 22-27 after he posted double-doubles in Lamar State’s wins over Panola College and Lee College. He scored 14 points, including eight straight points late in the second half, and pulled down nine rebounds Wednesday against Panola. Ball scored a career-high 17 points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds Saturday against Lee. * Freshman forward Dion Waiters ended the regular season as the No. 1 ball stealer in Region XIV. He collected 80 steals in just 17 games (4.7 per game), compared to the No. 2 player’s 75 steals in 27 games. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips was second in the conference in rebounding (11.2 per game) and blocked shots (103 blocks, 3.6 per game). Phillips actually one more shot than the conference leader, Latay Darden of Paris Junior College, who had 102. Darden was No. 1 because he played in fewer games and had a 4.3 block-per-game average. * Freshman guard Von Jones was No. 2 in the conference in assists and No. 5 in steals. * The Seahawks led all Region XIV teams this season in total points, steals and rebounds. * Three teams in the conference tournament are ranked in the final NJCAA poll of the regular season, with Paris Junior College at No. 14, San Jacinto College at No. 20 and Navarro College just outside the Top 25.

Gordon Ball, a freshman forward for the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team, was named the Region XIV Player of the Week for Feb. 22-27. Ball posted double-doubles in last week’s victories over Panola College and Lee College, while helping the Seahawks grab a first- round bye in this week’s Region XIV Tournament with a second-place finish in the South Zone. Ball scored 14 points, including eight straight points late in the second half, and pulled down nine rebounds in Wednesday’s 105-102 overtime win over Panola. On Saturday, he scored a career-high 17 points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds, as the Seahawks knocked off Lee College 97-72. The Region XIV Tournament begins Thursday with four games in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Lamar State will play Saturday at 3 p.m. in the tournament quarter-finals against the winner of Thursday’s game between Trinity Valley Community College and Panola College.

Gordon Ball, a freshman forward for the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team, was named the Region XIV Player of the Week for Feb. 22-27. Ball posted double-doubles in last week’s victories over Panola College and Lee College, while helping the Seahawks grab a first- round bye in this week’s Region XIV Tournament with a second-place finish in the South Zone. Ball scored 14 points, including eight straight points late in the second half, and pulled down nine rebounds in Wednesday’s 105-102 overtime win over Panola. On Saturday, he scored a career-high 17 points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds, as the Seahawks knocked off Lee College 97-72. The Region XIV Tournament begins Thursday with four games in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Lamar State will play Saturday at 3 p.m. in the tournament quarter-finals against the winner of Thursday’s game between Trinity Valley Community College and Panola College.

Saturday is a “must-win” day for four Region XIV junior college basketball teams. Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Angelina College, Jacksonville College and Lee College all are in position to take second place in the conference’s South Zone, which carries a bye in the first round of the March 4-8 Region XIV Tournament. The Seahawks are 19-9 overall and 9-9 in conference action after defeating Panola, 105-102, in overtime Wednesday in the Carl Parker Center. Lamar State closes the regular season with a 4 p.m. home game against Lee College (14-15, 8-10), which is one game behind the three tied teams and could join the tie with a win Saturday. The Seahawks defeated Lee College, 86-80 in overtime, Jan. 13 in Baytown. Region XIV commissioner Tim Drain said Lamar State will take second place with a win Saturday. Drain said the Seahawks are the only tied team with control of its destiny. LSC-PA head Coach Matt Cross said a win also would be a significant step toward a conference championship. “On the other hand, Lee still believes they can get the bye with a win over us. So, they will be on a mission when they arrive in Port Arthur,” Cross said. Cross hopes to see a big crowd of Seahawks fans in the Parker Center on Saturday. He expects Lee will have strong support because Baytown is just a one-hour drive from Port Arthur. “I encourage all of our students, faculty and staff, and everyone else in the area, to come out and support us in this historic game against our archrival, Lee College,” Cross said. Lamar State played its first intercollegiate game at Lee College on Nov. 1, 2004, with the Runnin’ Rebels posting a 37-point victory. Since then, Lee is 8-2 against the Seahawks. The Region XIV Tournament will be played March 4-8 in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Seahawk Notes * Freshman guard Von Jones recorded his 18th double-figure game of the season against Panola. Jones and freshman guard Nick Walters led the Seahawks with 16 points each. Sophomore guard Kavon Rose also has 18 double-figure games, while sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips has 19. * Going into the final regular season game, Ahyaro Phillips is sixth in the nation in rebounding (11.56 per game) and 10th in shot blocking (3.64 per game). Von Jones is 11th in the nation in assists.

Saturday is a “must-win” day for four Region XIV junior college basketball teams. Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Angelina College, Jacksonville College and Lee College all are in position to take second place in the conference’s South Zone, which carries a bye in the first round of the March 4-8 Region XIV Tournament. The Seahawks are 19-9 overall and 9-9 in conference action after defeating Panola, 105-102, in overtime Wednesday in the Carl Parker Center. Lamar State closes the regular season with a 4 p.m. home game against Lee College (14-15, 8-10), which is one game behind the three tied teams and could join the tie with a win Saturday. The Seahawks defeated Lee College, 86-80 in overtime, Jan. 13 in Baytown. Region XIV commissioner Tim Drain said Lamar State will take second place with a win Saturday. Drain said the Seahawks are the only tied team with control of its destiny. LSC-PA head Coach Matt Cross said a win also would be a significant step toward a conference championship. “On the other hand, Lee still believes they can get the bye with a win over us. So, they will be on a mission when they arrive in Port Arthur,” Cross said. Cross hopes to see a big crowd of Seahawks fans in the Parker Center on Saturday. He expects Lee will have strong support because Baytown is just a one-hour drive from Port Arthur. “I encourage all of our students, faculty and staff, and everyone else in the area, to come out and support us in this historic game against our archrival, Lee College,” Cross said. Lamar State played its first intercollegiate game at Lee College on Nov. 1, 2004, with the Runnin’ Rebels posting a 37-point victory. Since then, Lee is 8-2 against the Seahawks. The Region XIV Tournament will be played March 4-8 in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Seahawk Notes * Freshman guard Von Jones recorded his 18th double-figure game of the season against Panola. Jones and freshman guard Nick Walters led the Seahawks with 16 points each. Sophomore guard Kavon Rose also has 18 double-figure games, while sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips has 19. * Going into the final regular season game, Ahyaro Phillips is sixth in the nation in rebounding (11.56 per game) and 10th in shot blocking (3.64 per game). Von Jones is 11th in the nation in assists.

Well, I still wasn't correct in explaining the tie-breakers. It seems that Angelina lost twice to San Jacinto, so that tightens the race even further because their in-zone record is 7-5 and they are through playing zone teams. The Region XIV commissioner told the PA News that the Seahawks will take second place with a win Saturday. If we lose, the process of deciding the winner is almost more than I want to think about. So, I'll just hope for a win and leave it up to someone else to figure out the rest of it.

The tie-breaker actually is a little more complicated than the PA News story suggested. Needless to say, the Seahawks have to win Saturday to stay alive for the second spot, and the same applies to Angelina and Jacksonville. Lee actually could be in a tie if they beat Lamar State, however they most likely would not win a tie-breaker scenario. The first tie-breaker is head-to-head records. Angelina, Jacksonville and Lamar all split their games this season. Sp. that moves to the second tie-breaker, their records against South Zone teams. Angelina is at home Saturday against Tyler. The Roadrunners will take second place with a win because the they have the best in-zone record (8-4) and have finished all their in-zone games. The best Jacksonville (at home Saturday vs. Lon Morris) and Lamar State (at home Saturday vs. Lee) can do in-zone is 7-5 if they both win. Lee would finish at 6-6 in-zone with a win, and they also split with the other teams that could end up tied. So, like they always say, "It ain't over till the fat lady sings." BTW: The third tie-breaker is the record against the highest-ranked teams in the South Zone. The fourth tie-breaker is the record against the highest ranked teams in the North Zone.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur went to overtime for the fourth time this year Wednesday night and came away with their second OT win, a thrilling 105-102 home victory over Panola College in the next-to-final game of the 2010 regular season. The win keeps the Seahawks’ hopes alive of taking second in Region XIV's South Zone, which would give them a bye in the opening round of the March 5-8 conference tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler. Panola, down by five (47-42) at half-time, stayed in the game with three-point shooting and 34-for-40 at the free-throw line. The Ponies tied the ball game at 89-89 as the second half ended. Lamar State had to go the last minutes of regulation and all of the overtime without forwards Ahyaro Phillips and Gordon Ball, who both fouled out of the game. Six Seahawks scored in double figures led by Nick Walters and Von Jones with 16. Dion Waiters and Keenan Coleman each had 15 points, followed by Gordon Ball with 14 and Roman Vaughn with 11. Charlton Jones led Panola with 23 points. The win moved Lamar State to 19-10 overall and 9-9 in Region XIV action with one game left in the regular season at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Carl Parker Center against Lee College.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur went to overtime for the fourth time this year Wednesday night and came away with their second OT win, a thrilling 105-102 home victory over Panola College in the next-to-final game of the 2010 regular season. The win keeps the Seahawks’ hopes alive of taking second in Region XIV's South Zone, which would give them a bye in the opening round of the March 5-8 conference tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler. Panola, down by five (47-42) at half-time, stayed in the game with three-point shooting and 34-for-40 at the free-throw line. The Ponies tied the ball game at 89-89 as the second half ended. Lamar State had to go the last minutes of regulation and all of the overtime without forwards Ahyaro Phillips and Gordon Ball, who both fouled out of the game. Six Seahawks scored in double figures led by Nick Walters and Von Jones with 16. Dion Waiters and Keenan Coleman each had 15 points, followed by Gordon Ball with 14 and Roman Vaughn with 11. Charlton Jones led Panola with 23 points. The win moved Lamar State to 19-10 overall and 9-9 in Region XIV action with one game left in the regular season at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Carl Parker Center against Lee College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team faces two crucial games this week to close the regular season, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, when the Panola College Ponies visit the Carl Parker Center. Lamar State still has an outside chance of taking second place in Region XIV’s South Zone, which would result in a bye in the first round of the March 5-8 conference tournament. However, after losing 92-84 on the road Saturday at Jacksonville College, the Seahawks must win Wednesday and Saturday’s home game with Lee College, and they need some help from other teams. Lamar State went into last Saturday’s game tied with Jacksonville and Angelina College. The loss dropped the Seahawks to 18-10 overall and 8-9 in Region XIV action. Lamar State split the season meetings with Angelina and Jacksonville, who remained tied at 9-8 for second place. Angelina is on the road Wednesday at South Zone leader San Jacinto College, while Jacksonville travels to Lee College Panola College (13-13, 6-11) is coming off a 73-65 loss Saturday at Paris Junior College. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said his team must improve defensively against the Ponies. “We played really well offensively in Jacksonville, but we did not defend with any intelligence, which allowed them a ton of easy baskets,” Cross said. “We must pick up our defense against Panola because they are an offensive-minded team. This can be a big week for us with our final regular season games at home and the possibility of gaining some momentum as we head into the conference tournament.” The Region XIV Tournament is set for March 5-8 in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips currently is sixth in the nation in rebounding (11.56 per game) and 10th in shot blocking (3.64 per game). Von Jones is 12th in assists (6.04 per game) and 39th in steals (2.4 per game) * Lamar State is 43rd in the nation in offensive average (80.69 points per game).

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team faces two crucial games this week to close the regular season, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday, when the Panola College Ponies visit the Carl Parker Center. Lamar State still has an outside chance of taking second place in Region XIV’s South Zone, which would result in a bye in the first round of the March 5-8 conference tournament. However, after losing 92-84 on the road Saturday at Jacksonville College, the Seahawks must win Wednesday and Saturday’s home game with Lee College, and they need some help from other teams. Lamar State went into last Saturday’s game tied with Jacksonville and Angelina College. The loss dropped the Seahawks to 18-10 overall and 8-9 in Region XIV action. Lamar State split the season meetings with Angelina and Jacksonville, who remained tied at 9-8 for second place. Angelina is on the road Wednesday at South Zone leader San Jacinto College, while Jacksonville travels to Lee College Panola College (13-13, 6-11) is coming off a 73-65 loss Saturday at Paris Junior College. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said his team must improve defensively against the Ponies. “We played really well offensively in Jacksonville, but we did not defend with any intelligence, which allowed them a ton of easy baskets,” Cross said. “We must pick up our defense against Panola because they are an offensive-minded team. This can be a big week for us with our final regular season games at home and the possibility of gaining some momentum as we head into the conference tournament.” The Region XIV Tournament is set for March 5-8 in the Louise Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips currently is sixth in the nation in rebounding (11.56 per game) and 10th in shot blocking (3.64 per game). Von Jones is 12th in assists (6.04 per game) and 39th in steals (2.4 per game) * Lamar State is 43rd in the nation in offensive average (80.69 points per game).

Cal Ripken Jr., professional baseball’s “Iron Man,” will be the speaker March 2 in the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Distinguished Lecture Series. Ripken, a 2007 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame, broke several records during his 21 seasons as a shortstop and third baseman in the major leagues. The most impressive was his consecutive-games-played mark, which shattered Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,131 games by more than 500. Ripken’s streak ended at 2,632 games when he voluntarily removed his name from the lineup in the Orioles’ final home game of the 1998 season Ripken’s perseverance, endurance and every-day work ethic endeared him to baseball fans and transformed him into a national icon after he played entire career (1981-2001) for the Baltimore Orioles The 10-time American League MVP and 19-time AL all-star played 3,001 total games during his career. After his retirement from professional baseball, Ripken founded Ripken Baseball Inc., which focuses on youth baseball. He also devotes substantial time to charitable endeavors, including the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club and the charity NikeGo. Ripken also wrote and published three books – Play Baseball the Ripken Way (2004), Parenting Young Athletes the Ripken Way: Enduring the Best Experience for Your Kids in Any Sport (2006) and Get in the Game: Eight Elements of Perseverance that Make the Difference (2007). Distinguished Lecture Series presentations are free and open to the public. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center, 1800 Lakeshore Drive on the Lamar State campus.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women’s softball team will be on the road Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader at Louisiana State-University-Eunice. Weather cancelations took out Lamar State’s first two dates this spring, causing the Seahawks to miss a home doubleheader against Temple College and several games at the Cowtown Classic Tournament in Fort Worth. Lamar State finally kicked off the season at home Feb. 13 with a doubleheader split with Coastal Bend College. LSU-E went 33-18 in 2009 and reached the second round of the NJCAA Division II championship tournament before being eliminated in the second round. The Bengals were picked No. 11 in the nation in the 2010 pre-season poll.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks will play their final road game of the 2010 regular season at 4 p.m. Saturday at Jacksonville College. Lamar State climbed to 18-9 overall and 8-8 in conference play Wednesday with an overwhelming 101-55 home win over Blinn College. Although the victory secured a spot in the Region XIV post-season tournament, the Jacksonville game is very important for the Seahawks’ seeding because the Jaguars (14-13, 8-8) are tied with Lamar State and Angelina College for second place in the South Zone. The top two teams in the North and South zones earn a bye in the tournament’s opening round. Lamar State split with Angelina and won this season’s first meeting with Jacksonville, 83-73, in Port Arthur on Jan. 6. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “We need to close out Jacksonville to put us in a position to take second place in the South Zone. More importantly, we want to continue improving so we will be playing our best basketball of the season when we reach the conference tournament. It’s very important that we leave Jacksonville as a better team than when we arrived there.” Jacksonville’s three-game win streak was broken Wednesday, when they lost at home to Paris Junior College, 75-62. “Even considering the loss to Paris, Jacksonville has been one of the hottest teams in the region over the last month or so,” Cross said. “I’ve really been impressed with their improvement since the first time we played them.” Lamar State closes out the regular season at home against Panola College on Feb. 24 and Lee College on Feb. 27. The Region XIV Tournament is set for March 5-8 at the University of Texas-Tyler. Seahawk Notes * The Seahawks’ swarming, full-court defense threw a net over Blinn College’s All-American guard Kahlil McDonald, who came into Wednesday’s game leading Region XIV in scoring with 582 points (24.3 points per game). McDonald never was able to get into the flow of the game and finished with just nine points. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips recorded his 18th double-double of the season against Blinn with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. He also blocked six shots. * Blinn’s loss eliminated the Buccaneers from the race to qualify for the post-season tournament. Blinn joins Bossier Parish Community College on the sidelines this year.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks will play their final road game of the 2010 regular season at 4 p.m. Saturday at Jacksonville College. Lamar State climbed to 18-9 overall and 8-8 in conference play Wednesday with an overwhelming 101-55 home win over Blinn College. Although the victory secured a spot in the Region XIV post-season tournament, the Jacksonville game is very important for the Seahawks’ seeding because the Jaguars (14-13, 8-8) are tied with Lamar State and Angelina College for second place in the South Zone. The top two teams in the North and South zones earn a bye in the tournament’s opening round. Lamar State split with Angelina and won this season’s first meeting with Jacksonville, 83-73, in Port Arthur on Jan. 6. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “We need to close out Jacksonville to put us in a position to take second place in the South Zone. More importantly, we want to continue improving so we will be playing our best basketball of the season when we reach the conference tournament. It’s very important that we leave Jacksonville as a better team than when we arrived there.” Jacksonville’s three-game win streak was broken Wednesday, when they lost at home to Paris Junior College, 75-62. “Even considering the loss to Paris, Jacksonville has been one of the hottest teams in the region over the last month or so,” Cross said. “I’ve really been impressed with their improvement since the first time we played them.” Lamar State closes out the regular season at home against Panola College on Feb. 24 and Lee College on Feb. 27. The Region XIV Tournament is set for March 5-8 at the University of Texas-Tyler. Seahawk Notes * The Seahawks’ swarming, full-court defense threw a net over Blinn College’s All-American guard Kahlil McDonald, who came into Wednesday’s game leading Region XIV in scoring with 582 points (24.3 points per game). McDonald never was able to get into the flow of the game and finished with just nine points. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips recorded his 18th double-double of the season against Blinn with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. He also blocked six shots. * Blinn’s loss eliminated the Buccaneers from the race to qualify for the post-season tournament. Blinn joins Bossier Parish Community College on the sidelines this year.

Nick Walters started several games this season, but mostly he has been giving the Seahawks sold defense and deadly outside shooting in a reserve role. He's been averaging around 13 minutes per game and is the most accurate 3-point shooter on the team, hitting 25 of 61 attempts (.410 percent). I haven't seen the official stats from last night, but I know Nick hit two 3-pointers against Blinn at pivotal times in the game. The Bucaneers had to keep at least one player, and sometimes two, on him when he got near the corner on offense, which allowed the Seahawks to penetrate and score easily from in the paint. The coaches love Nick's work ethic. He usually is the first player on the court for practice and the last one to leave.

Wednesday night’s game between the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks and the Blinn College Buccaneers started out slowly with the teams trading leads for the first three minutes. But then, like a tsunami, the Seahawks started to roll and never looked back, leading by 14 points (54-30) at half-time and ending the game up 46 points, 101-55. Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips led Lamar State with 20 points. Five other Seahawks hit for double figures – Roman Vaughn (16), Keenan Coleman (15), Von Jones (13), Dion Waiters (10) and Kavon Rose (10). Lamar State’s trapping defense once again made the difference as Blinn struggled to bring the ball up the court. Marquis Tolliver paced the Buccaneers with 13 points, while the Seahawks held Blinn’s 2009 1st team All-American, Kahlil McDonald, to just nine points. McDonald led the conference and was averaging 24.3 points per game coming into tonight’s contest. The victory is Lamar State’s third straight and moves the Seahawks to 18-9 overall and 8-8 in conference action, virtually assuring them a place in the March 5-8 Region XIV post-season tournament. Lamar State will be on the road Saturday at Jacksonville College, and then will close out the regular season at home against Panola College on Feb. 24 and Lee College on Feb. 27.