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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.

Nick Walters was No. 2 in the conference last week. But each week the minimum number of attempts increases. This week it was 65, and Nick only had 61 attempts, so he dropped out of the standings. Hopefully, he will light up the scoreboard in the Seahawks' final four games.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center this Wednesday looking for their third straight conference victory in a 7 p.m. matchup with the Blinn College Buccaneers. The Seahawks are 17-9 overall and 7-8 in conference play after last week’s victories over No. 13 San Jacinto College at home Wednesday and on the road Saturday at Angelina College. Blinn (14-12, 5-10) is led by Kahlil McDonald, a 2009 All-American and 2010 pre-season All-American selection. McDonald currently leads Region XIV in scoring with 582 points (24.3 points per game) and three-point shooting accuracy (44.7 percent). The Buccaneers are coming off four straight conference losses, the most recent a 99-89 defeat at home Saturday to Jacksonville College. Lamar State lost at Blinn, 101-95 in overtime, on Dec. 5. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said the Blinn game has huge post-season implications. “With a win, we can clinch a spot in the Region XIV Tournament, which would be a great accomplishment for this school and our basketball program, which won just two conference games in 2009, our first year in Region XIV,” Cross said. “We lost a tough overtime game at Blinn before the holiday break, and we expect tomorrow night’s game to be just as challenging. They probably have the best shooting guard in the conference, and we will have our hands full trying to contain him.” 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. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips continues to lead Region XIV in rebounding (11.5 per game) and is second in shot blocking (3.6 bpg). * Freshman guard Dion Waiters leads the conference in steals with 4.9 per game. Freshman guard Von Jones is second in assists (6.0 per game) and is sixth in steals (2.3 per game). * The top 12 teams in the 14-team conference qualify for the March 2-5 Region XIV Tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler. With four games left in the regular season, 13 teams still are in contention. Blinn, Lon Morris and Panola are tied at 5-10 and are fighting to avoid elimination.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center this Wednesday looking for their third straight conference victory in a 7 p.m. matchup with the Blinn College Buccaneers. The Seahawks are 17-9 overall and 7-8 in conference play after last week’s victories over No. 13 San Jacinto College at home Wednesday and on the road Saturday at Angelina College. Blinn (14-12, 5-10) is led by Kahlil McDonald, a 2009 All-American and 2010 pre-season All-American selection. McDonald currently leads Region XIV in scoring with 582 points (24.3 points per game) and three-point shooting accuracy (44.7 percent). The Buccaneers are coming off four straight conference losses, the most recent a 99-89 defeat at home Saturday to Jacksonville College. Lamar State lost at Blinn, 101-95 in overtime, on Dec. 5. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said the Blinn game has huge post-season implications. “With a win, we can clinch a spot in the Region XIV Tournament, which would be a great accomplishment for this school and our basketball program, which won just two conference games in 2009, our first year in Region XIV,” Cross said. “We lost a tough overtime game at Blinn before the holiday break, and we expect tomorrow night’s game to be just as challenging. They probably have the best shooting guard in the conference, and we will have our hands full trying to contain him.” 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. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips continues to lead Region XIV in rebounding (11.5 per game) and is second in shot blocking (3.6 bpg). * Freshman guard Dion Waiters leads the conference in steals with 4.9 per game. Freshman guard Von Jones is second in assists (6.0 per game) and is sixth in steals (2.3 per game). * The top 12 teams in the 14-team conference qualify for the March 2-5 Region XIV Tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler. With four games left in the regular season, 13 teams still are in contention. Blinn, Lon Morris and Panola are tied at 5-10 and are fighting to avoid elimination.

[Hidden Content] By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News Almost all of downtown Port Arthur's opening Mardi Gras night activities were shot down Thursday, but not the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks. San Jacinto College, its dreaded full-court pressure, its legendary coach and its No. 13 national ranking roared into Carl Parker Center with a 20-4 record. Apparently San Jac should not have messed with the Seahawks during Mardi Gras. Lamar State unleashed a ball-hawking defense on San Jac early and rolled to a much easier victory than the 66-55 final score suggested. It arguably may have been as prestigious of a triumph in this school's history. It certainly was not a fluke and it was a strong indication that LSC-PA (16-9 and 6-8) wants to qualify for the NJCAA Region XIV men's tournament Mar. 4-8 in Tyler. San Jacinto (20-5 and 9-5) trailed 14-2 seven minutes into this game. The underdog Seahawks only had to play on even terms the rest of the night with 23rd-year head coach Scott Gernander's Ravens. Yet first-year head coach Matt Cross' squad commanded a 36-19 halftime advantage and padded it to a whopping 52-23 by midway in the second half. That's a bit more impressive than barely defeating Navarro College in Carl Parker Center 62-56 on Jan. 16. But the Seahawks started the night on a four-game losing streak and needed a win to improve their survival mode. A number of Division 1 coaches took in this game, including Lamar boss Steve Roccaforte. Perhaps that's why 6-8 sophomore Ahyaro Phillips put his best foot forward. Jumping to the ceiling with superb vertical leap, the New Orleans transfer from Nevada-Las Vegas scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked six shots while disturbing a number of others. Phillips, Elkins 6-9 freshman Gordan Ball and Flint, Mich. freshman Keenan Coleman contributed four steals apiece. That stat, more than any, told this game's early story. "That was our plan early," Seahawks coach Cross said. "They're a set-oriented half-court team and we wanted to keep them from getting into their half-court offense. "It's been hard to get them to play consistently for 40 minutes. This was a great win for our program. This is definitely a signature win for us, probably our most prestigious win because of the great tradition and history of San Jac's program." San Jacinto's Gernander is one of the true legends in junior college basketball. The Ravens' 23rd-year head coach with 606 victories never saw Thursday night's performance coming from his squad, which has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation this winter. "I was embarrassed," the Ravens head coach said. "I've never been as embarrassed. Our big plan coming into the game was stressing ball-control and then we had two turnovers right in the first minute." Lamar State forced 17 turnovers -- seven in the first five minutes. The Seahawks shot 46.4 percent, owning a mesmerizing 55-26 edge with 8:37 to play. That's about the time San Jac decided to get its act together. The Ravens delivered 11 unanswered points and produced a 19-2 run, reducing Lamar State's lead to 57-45 with three minutes to go. That was still too much to overcome in too little time. Brooklyn freshman Dion Waiters and Houston freshman Ball supported Phillips with 12 and 10 points respectively. Coleman and Kavon Rose added eight each. New Zealander Dion Prewster of San Jac led all scorers with 21 points. The only other Raven in double figures was Marsell Holden with 12. "We've got to keep it going now, though," Cross said. "We've played real well here but we've struggled more on the road." The Seahawks need to continue their Mardi Gras mentality Saturday in Lufkin against Angelina College at 4 p.m.

[Hidden Content] By Tom Halliburton The Port Arthur News Almost all of downtown Port Arthur's opening Mardi Gras night activities were shot down Thursday, but not the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks. San Jacinto College, its dreaded full-court pressure, its legendary coach and its No. 13 national ranking roared into Carl Parker Center with a 20-4 record. Apparently San Jac should not have messed with the Seahawks during Mardi Gras. Lamar State unleashed a ball-hawking defense on San Jac early and rolled to a much easier victory than the 66-55 final score suggested. It arguably may have been as prestigious of a triumph in this school's history. It certainly was not a fluke and it was a strong indication that LSC-PA (16-9 and 6-8) wants to qualify for the NJCAA Region XIV men's tournament Mar. 4-8 in Tyler. San Jacinto (20-5 and 9-5) trailed 14-2 seven minutes into this game. The underdog Seahawks only had to play on even terms the rest of the night with 23rd-year head coach Scott Gernander's Ravens. Yet first-year head coach Matt Cross' squad commanded a 36-19 halftime advantage and padded it to a whopping 52-23 by midway in the second half. That's a bit more impressive than barely defeating Navarro College in Carl Parker Center 62-56 on Jan. 16. But the Seahawks started the night on a four-game losing streak and needed a win to improve their survival mode. A number of Division 1 coaches took in this game, including Lamar boss Steve Roccaforte. Perhaps that's why 6-8 sophomore Ahyaro Phillips put his best foot forward. Jumping to the ceiling with superb vertical leap, the New Orleans transfer from Nevada-Las Vegas scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked six shots while disturbing a number of others. Phillips, Elkins 6-9 freshman Gordan Ball and Flint, Mich. freshman Keenan Coleman contributed four steals apiece. That stat, more than any, told this game's early story. "That was our plan early," Seahawks coach Cross said. "They're a set-oriented half-court team and we wanted to keep them from getting into their half-court offense. "It's been hard to get them to play consistently for 40 minutes. This was a great win for our program. This is definitely a signature win for us, probably our most prestigious win because of the great tradition and history of San Jac's program." San Jacinto's Gernander is one of the true legends in junior college basketball. The Ravens' 23rd-year head coach with 606 victories never saw Thursday night's performance coming from his squad, which has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation this winter. "I was embarrassed," the Ravens head coach said. "I've never been as embarrassed. Our big plan coming into the game was stressing ball-control and then we had two turnovers right in the first minute." Lamar State forced 17 turnovers -- seven in the first five minutes. The Seahawks shot 46.4 percent, owning a mesmerizing 55-26 edge with 8:37 to play. That's about the time San Jac decided to get its act together. The Ravens delivered 11 unanswered points and produced a 19-2 run, reducing Lamar State's lead to 57-45 with three minutes to go. That was still too much to overcome in too little time. Brooklyn freshman Dion Waiters and Houston freshman Ball supported Phillips with 12 and 10 points respectively. Coleman and Kavon Rose added eight each. New Zealander Dion Prewster of San Jac led all scorers with 21 points. The only other Raven in double figures was Marsell Holden with 12. "We've got to keep it going now, though," Cross said. "We've played real well here but we've struggled more on the road." The Seahawks need to continue their Mardi Gras mentality Saturday in Lufkin against Angelina College at 4 p.m.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team needs a win Thursday if they want to capture one of the 12 berths in the up-coming Region XIV Tournament. The Seahawks dropped their fourth straight conference game Saturday at Lon Morris College, 73-63, a team that had been the cellar dweller in the South Zone of Region XIV. With six games left in the regular season, Lamar State is 15-9 overall and 5-8 in conference play and is tied with Lon Morris, Blinn College and Lee College for the ninth through 12th positions in the tournament. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said the Lon Morris game was one of the toughest, if not the toughest road games the Seahawks have played this season. "It was their homecoming, and they had a near sell-out crowd," Cross said. "I thought we did a good job early of handling the adversity and taking their crowd out of the game. However, Lon Morris went on a big run to start the second half, and we were unable to overcome that." It won't be easy for the Seahawks to win Thursday. San Jacinto College (20-4, 9-4) is tied for second in the conference. The Ravens lost for only the fourth time this season, at home Saturday to Jacksonville College, 90-76. They previously lost to Lee College, Paris Junior and Tyler Junior College. San Jacinto dropped from No. 10 to No. 13 in this week's NJCAA poll after Saturday's game. "San Jacinto is coming off a tough home loss to Jacksonville on Saturday. They will be hungry, determined and focused on walking out with a win," Cross said. "Both teams have a lot to play for regarding post-season play and seedings. We must be ready for a 40-minute battle." Lamar State will be on the road Saturday at Angelina College. Seahawk Notes * Lamar State freshman forward Dion Waiters leds all Region XIV players in steals after the 12th week of the season. Von Jones is fifth in steals and second in assists. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips is back on top of the conference rebounding statistics with 11.6 rebounds-per-game. Phillips is second in blocked shots with 3.6 per game. He leads the conference in total blocks with 80. * Freshman guard Nick Walters is second in the conference for three-point accuracy at 45.5 percent. Keenan Coleman is fifth. * Lamar State currently is tied for fourth place in the Region XIV South Zone with Blinn, Lon Morris and Lee. The Seahawks won their first game with Lee, but lost to Blinn in overtime and lost to Lon Morris this past Saturday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team needs a win Thursday if they want to capture one of the 12 berths in the up-coming Region XIV Tournament. The Seahawks dropped their fourth straight conference game Saturday at Lon Morris College, 73-63, a team that had been the cellar dweller in the South Zone of Region XIV. With six games left in the regular season, Lamar State is 15-9 overall and 5-8 in conference play and is tied with Lon Morris, Blinn College and Lee College for the ninth through 12th positions in the tournament. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said the Lon Morris game was one of the toughest, if not the toughest road games the Seahawks have played this season. "It was their homecoming, and they had a near sell-out crowd," Cross said. "I thought we did a good job early of handling the adversity and taking their crowd out of the game. However, Lon Morris went on a big run to start the second half, and we were unable to overcome that." It won't be easy for the Seahawks to win Thursday. San Jacinto College (20-4, 9-4) is tied for second in the conference. The Ravens lost for only the fourth time this season, at home Saturday to Jacksonville College, 90-76. They previously lost to Lee College, Paris Junior and Tyler Junior College. San Jacinto dropped from No. 10 to No. 13 in this week's NJCAA poll after Saturday's game. "San Jacinto is coming off a tough home loss to Jacksonville on Saturday. They will be hungry, determined and focused on walking out with a win," Cross said. "Both teams have a lot to play for regarding post-season play and seedings. We must be ready for a 40-minute battle." Lamar State will be on the road Saturday at Angelina College. Seahawk Notes * Lamar State freshman forward Dion Waiters leds all Region XIV players in steals after the 12th week of the season. Von Jones is fifth in steals and second in assists. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips is back on top of the conference rebounding statistics with 11.6 rebounds-per-game. Phillips is second in blocked shots with 3.6 per game. He leads the conference in total blocks with 80. * Freshman guard Nick Walters is second in the conference for three-point accuracy at 45.5 percent. Keenan Coleman is fifth. * Lamar State currently is tied for fourth place in the Region XIV South Zone with Blinn, Lon Morris and Lee. The Seahawks won their first game with Lee, but lost to Blinn in overtime and lost to Lon Morris this past Saturday.

I'm disappointed to say that AJ25 was correct. final score: Lon Morris 73, Lamar State 63 Here is the story filed by assistant coach Kyle Blankenship: Lamar State's Region XIV skid continued on Saturday, as they dropped a 73-63 decision to the Lon Morris Bearkats. Trailing 30-29 at the break, the Bearkats used an 8-0 to start the second half. The Seahawks got within striking distance at the five-minute mark, as freshman Keenen Coleman cut the Bearkat lead down to just four points, 55-51, on an old-fashioned three-point basket. However, that is as close as the visitors would get, as Lon Morris knocked down 13 consecutive free throws to close out the game and walk away with a 10-point win on homecoming afternoon on the LMC campus. Jorge Redmon scored a game-high 22 points to lead the home team, while fellow guard Greg Chiasson added 15. Demetrius Ford had a season-high 13 points for the Seahawks. Roman Vaughn and Dion Waiters finished the afternoon with 12 apiece, and Coleman rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10.  The Seahawks fell to 15-9 overall and 5-8 in conference action with their fourth-straight defeat. Lamar State returns home Thursday night to take on the No. 12 San Jacinto Ravens in a 7 p.m. match-up at the Parker Center.

There has been some confusion about that issue. However, Coach Cross told me today that the top 12 teams (by conference record) qualify for the tournament. Ties are settled by head-to-head record. With seven games left in the season, the standings may tighten or some schools may drop behind. We will have a better idea of where we stand by the end of next week, which includes games against No. 10 San Jacinto College, the South Zone leader, and Angelina College, the second place team in the South Zone. Lamar State is two games behind Angelina going into tomorrow's game at Lon Morris college.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will try to break a three-game losing streak Saturday, when they travel to Jacksonville for a 4 p.m. game against Region XIV rival Lon Morris College. Lamar State dropped to 15-8 overall and 5-7 in conference play Wednesday, when they lost 80-58 at Paris Junior College, the current Region XIV leader and the No. 22 junior college team in the nation. Paris mounted an 18-4 run late in the first half and led 45-25 at halftime. The Seahawks opened the second half with an 8-2 run. But the Dragons came right back with an 8-0 run, and Lamar State never got back in the game. The Seahawks had another dismal night at the free-throw line, hitting just 11 of 20 for 55 percent. Lon Morris (12-11, 4-8) is coming off five straight conference losses capped by an 80-73 defeat Wednesday at No. 24 Navarro College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said the Lon Morris game is a pivotal contest for the Seahawks’ season. “Although Lon Morris has been struggling, they are one of the most talented teams in the conference and they were picked to be the regular season champion,” Cross said. “So, Saturday’s game is not a game to be taken lightly. We are 5-7 in conference play, as are three other teams. A win would be very important to give us some separation as we go into the final games of the season.” Lamar State returns home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto College, which currently is No. 12 in the nation. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips, who sat out the Trinity Valley game with an injury, led the Seahawks against Paris with 17 points and 19 rebounds. * After 21 games, four Seahawks are averaging in double figures – sophomore guard Kavon Rose (15.2 points per game), Keenan Coleman (12.0), Von Jones (10.9) and Ahyaro Phillips (10.7). * The closing games of the season are very important to Lamar State, which currently is tied for third place in the South Zone of Region XIV with Blinn College, Jacksonville College and Lee College. The Seahawks won their first games with Jacksonville and Lee, but lost to Blinn in overtime.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will try to break a three-game losing streak Saturday, when they travel to Jacksonville for a 4 p.m. game against Region XIV rival Lon Morris College. Lamar State dropped to 15-8 overall and 5-7 in conference play Wednesday, when they lost 80-58 at Paris Junior College, the current Region XIV leader and the No. 22 junior college team in the nation. Paris mounted an 18-4 run late in the first half and led 45-25 at halftime. The Seahawks opened the second half with an 8-2 run. But the Dragons came right back with an 8-0 run, and Lamar State never got back in the game. The Seahawks had another dismal night at the free-throw line, hitting just 11 of 20 for 55 percent. Lon Morris (12-11, 4-8) is coming off five straight conference losses capped by an 80-73 defeat Wednesday at No. 24 Navarro College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said the Lon Morris game is a pivotal contest for the Seahawks’ season. “Although Lon Morris has been struggling, they are one of the most talented teams in the conference and they were picked to be the regular season champion,” Cross said. “So, Saturday’s game is not a game to be taken lightly. We are 5-7 in conference play, as are three other teams. A win would be very important to give us some separation as we go into the final games of the season.” Lamar State returns home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto College, which currently is No. 12 in the nation. Seahawk Notes * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips, who sat out the Trinity Valley game with an injury, led the Seahawks against Paris with 17 points and 19 rebounds. * After 21 games, four Seahawks are averaging in double figures – sophomore guard Kavon Rose (15.2 points per game), Keenan Coleman (12.0), Von Jones (10.9) and Ahyaro Phillips (10.7). * The closing games of the season are very important to Lamar State, which currently is tied for third place in the South Zone of Region XIV with Blinn College, Jacksonville College and Lee College. The Seahawks won their first games with Jacksonville and Lee, but lost to Blinn in overtime.

Out of curiosity, I checked some of the other schools in Region XIV and found that some of them offer other sports than the ones I already listed. Lon Morris has track and cross-country. Both are co-ed sports. Northeast Texas Community College, Panola College and Trinity Valley Community College have rodeo. Paris Junior College has men's golf. Texarkana and Tyler Junior College have men's and women's golf. Tyler Junior College has men's and women's tennis.

That's a good question. This is personal opinion only: I think there is a possiblity of the college adding more sports, but that is not likely in the next few years. The is the sixth season of intercollegiate sports at Lamar State, and progress is slowly being made. I think the college will wait until the men's basketball and women's softball programs are better established before starting to think about adding more sports. Region XIV schools also have the following sports: women's basketball women's soccer, women's volleyball men's baseball men's football men's soccer The most important factor in deciding to start a new sport is having a facilty or field to accomodate the sport. Women's basketball or volleyball would need a practice facility. Games and matches could be played in the Carl Parker Center. There is enough land to set up a soccer field near the former Woodrow Wilson Middle School. PAISD's Board of Trusttees would have to agree to lease the area to the college. Adding baseball would be much harder because the college doesn't have a baseball field, and I'm not sure there is a baseball field near the school that we could use. So, there's your answer: more sports at LSC-PA - maybe; soon - not likley.

West Brook High School pitcher Ashlee Frank will join her teammate, catcher/outfielder Tiffany Schwartzenberg, on the Lamar State College-Port Arthur softball team next fall. Frank signed a scholarship letter Tuesday and became the seventh recruit for next fall’s Seahawk team, which plays in Region XIV, one of the most competitive Division I junior college conferences in the nation. Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said Frank will make his fall pitching staff much stronger. “Ashlee is a power pitcher with great control. She also has a very good bat,” Edward said. “She will make an immediate impact on our team. We look forward to having her here.” Lamar State previously signed Bridge City catcher/infielder Valerie Brown, Port Neches-Groves pitcher Katy Austin, Pasadena utility player Victoria Day and Nederland infielder Logan LeBlanc and outfielder Krista Mayer. The year’s team begins their season Feb. 12 at the two-day Cowtown Classic Tournament in Fort Worth. The Seahawks will face the No. 9 pre-season selection, Midland College, and Ranger College before starting bracket competition on Saturday.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks dropped their third consecutive Region XIV contest Wednesday night, as the No. 22 ranked Paris Bulldogs defeated the visitors from Port Arthur 80-58. The Bulldogs used an 18-4 run late in the first half to take control of the contest and head into the halftime break with a 45-25 lead. Coming out of the locker room, Lamar State looked poised to make a second-half rally as they scored eight of the first 10 points in the half. However, Paris answered again with an 8-0 run of their own, and the Seahawks would never threaten again. Sophomores Ahyaro Phillips and Kavon Rose led the way for Lamar State, scoring 17 and 16 points respectively. Phillips had 19 rebounds. Desmond King came off the bench to pace the Bulldogs with a game-high 18 points. Lamar State (15-8, 5-7) returns to action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Jacksonville to take on Lon Morris College in another pivotal Region XIV matchup.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks dropped their third consecutive Region XIV contest Wednesday night, as the No. 22 ranked Paris Bulldogs defeated the visitors from Port Arthur 80-58. The Bulldogs used an 18-4 run late in the first half to take control of the contest and head into the halftime break with a 45-25 lead. Coming out of the locker room, Lamar State looked poised to make a second-half rally as they scored eight of the first 10 points in the half. However, Paris answered again with an 8-0 run of their own, and the Seahawks would never threaten again. Sophomores Ahyaro Phillips and Kavon Rose led the way for Lamar State, scoring 17 and 16 points respectively. Phillips had 19 rebounds. Desmond King came off the bench to pace the Bulldogs with a game-high 18 points. Lamar State (15-8, 5-7) returns to action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Jacksonville to take on Lon Morris College in another pivotal Region XIV matchup.

Heavy rain forecast for Thursday morning in the Golden Triangle had one effect before the first raindrops hit the ground. The projected weather report scrubbed Lamar State College-Port Arthur's season-opening Thursday home doubleheader against Temple College. Instead, the Seahawks will kickoff their season Friday, February 12, at the two-day Cowtown Classic Softball Tournament in Fort Worth. Lamar State will play Midland College and Ranger College before bracket play begins Saturday. The Seahawks' schedule now includes five games at the Feb. 26-27 Temple College Tournament. The 2010 Lamar State softball schedule is available on-line at: [Hidden Content]

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will face the current Region XIV leader Wednesday at nationally-ranked Paris Junior College. Lamar State dropped to 15-7 overall and 5-6 in Region XIV play after losing in overtime, 75-68, at home Saturday to Trinity Valley Community College. This was the Seahawks’ second straight conference loss. Lamar State was up 61-60 with 11 seconds left in regulation, but allowed the Apaches to tie the game. The Seahawks actually lost the game at the free-throw line, where they hit only 20 of 32 attempts, several of which came in the final seconds of the game. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said his team let a victory slip away. “We were in control against Trinity Valley, which is viewed as one of the top junior college teams in the nation. But our lack of focus at the free-throw line allowed them to hang around and take the game to overtime, where their experience took over,” Cross said. Paris Junior College is 18-4 overall and has the best record in the conference at 9-2. The Dragons won seven of their last eight games including victories over South Zone leader San Jacinto College and highly-rated Navarro College. The only defeat was a one-point loss to Angelina College. This will be Lamar State’s third game this season against a nationally-ranked team. The Seahawks previously defeated then-No. 25 Lon Morris College and then-No. 8 Navarro College. Paris is No. 22 in this week’s NJCAA poll. San Jacinto College is No. 10. Cross said his Seahawks team looks forward to playing another nationally-ranked team. “We are in the midst of a very difficult five-game stretch that started in Tyler. In the next four games, we will face programs that have the most history and tradition in the conference,” Cross said. “I believe we can be successful against all of them if we stay focused and play tough. The teams that understand the value of becoming tougher through tough times are the ones that go on to achieve greatness.” Lamar State will be on the road again Saturday afternoon at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks return home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto. Seahawk Notes * Freshman forward Dion Waiters took over first place on the Region XIV Week 11 list for steals, displacing teammate Von Jones, the former leader, who now is in third place. Jones is second in assists. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips sat out the Trinity Valley game with an injury. His status is day-to-day. Phillips also moved from first to second in blocked shots in Region XIV this week. * Sophomore guard Kavon Rose is ninth in the conference in scoring with 15.2 points-per-game. * Freshman guard Nick Walters’ performances in last week’s games moved him up to No. 2 in the conference for three-point shooting accuracy. Keenan Coleman is fifth and Kavon Rose in ninth. * Freshman guard Roman Vaughn and Ahyaro Phillips are eighth and ninth in the conference, respectively, in field goal percentage.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will face the current Region XIV leader Wednesday at nationally-ranked Paris Junior College. Lamar State dropped to 15-7 overall and 5-6 in Region XIV play after losing in overtime, 75-68, at home Saturday to Trinity Valley Community College. This was the Seahawks’ second straight conference loss. Lamar State was up 61-60 with 11 seconds left in regulation, but allowed the Apaches to tie the game. The Seahawks actually lost the game at the free-throw line, where they hit only 20 of 32 attempts, several of which came in the final seconds of the game. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said his team let a victory slip away. “We were in control against Trinity Valley, which is viewed as one of the top junior college teams in the nation. But our lack of focus at the free-throw line allowed them to hang around and take the game to overtime, where their experience took over,” Cross said. Paris Junior College is 18-4 overall and has the best record in the conference at 9-2. The Dragons won seven of their last eight games including victories over South Zone leader San Jacinto College and highly-rated Navarro College. The only defeat was a one-point loss to Angelina College. This will be Lamar State’s third game this season against a nationally-ranked team. The Seahawks previously defeated then-No. 25 Lon Morris College and then-No. 8 Navarro College. Paris is No. 22 in this week’s NJCAA poll. San Jacinto College is No. 10. Cross said his Seahawks team looks forward to playing another nationally-ranked team. “We are in the midst of a very difficult five-game stretch that started in Tyler. In the next four games, we will face programs that have the most history and tradition in the conference,” Cross said. “I believe we can be successful against all of them if we stay focused and play tough. The teams that understand the value of becoming tougher through tough times are the ones that go on to achieve greatness.” Lamar State will be on the road again Saturday afternoon at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks return home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto. Seahawk Notes * Freshman forward Dion Waiters took over first place on the Region XIV Week 11 list for steals, displacing teammate Von Jones, the former leader, who now is in third place. Jones is second in assists. * Sophomore forward Ahyaro Phillips sat out the Trinity Valley game with an injury. His status is day-to-day. Phillips also moved from first to second in blocked shots in Region XIV this week. * Sophomore guard Kavon Rose is ninth in the conference in scoring with 15.2 points-per-game. * Freshman guard Nick Walters’ performances in last week’s games moved him up to No. 2 in the conference for three-point shooting accuracy. Keenan Coleman is fifth and Kavon Rose in ninth. * Freshman guard Roman Vaughn and Ahyaro Phillips are eighth and ninth in the conference, respectively, in field goal percentage.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Trinity Valley Community College traded leads throughout their Saturday conference game in the Carl Parker Center and went to overtime, where the Cardinals put the game away in the final seconds to win 75-68. This was the second straight conference loss for Lamar State, which slipped to 15-7 overall and 5-6 in Region XIV action. It also was only the second loss at home this season for the Seahawks, who are now 10-3 at home and 4-5 on the road. Lamar State was up by three points, 61-58, with 36 seconds left in regulation. They still held a 61-60 lead with 11 seconds left. Trinity Valley tied the game, 61-61, with three seconds on the clock and the game went to overtime. The overtime was much like the rest of the game. Trinity Valley pulled the win out in the closing seconds. Sophomore guard Kavon Rose led Lamar State with 17 points. Freshman post Gordon Ball added 11, and the trio of Nick Walters, Dion Waiters and Von Jones each added nine points for the Seahawks. Lamar State will be on the road for two conference games this next week – Wednesday night at Region XIV North Zone leader Paris Junior College, and Saturday afternoon at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks return home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Trinity Valley Community College traded leads throughout their Saturday conference game in the Carl Parker Center and went to overtime, where the Cardinals put the game away in the final seconds to win 75-68. This was the second straight conference loss for Lamar State, which slipped to 15-7 overall and 5-6 in Region XIV action. It also was only the second loss at home this season for the Seahawks, who are now 10-3 at home and 4-5 on the road. Lamar State was up by three points, 61-58, with 36 seconds left in regulation. They still held a 61-60 lead with 11 seconds left. Trinity Valley tied the game, 61-61, with three seconds on the clock and the game went to overtime. The overtime was much like the rest of the game. Trinity Valley pulled the win out in the closing seconds. Sophomore guard Kavon Rose led Lamar State with 17 points. Freshman post Gordon Ball added 11, and the trio of Nick Walters, Dion Waiters and Von Jones each added nine points for the Seahawks. Lamar State will be on the road for two conference games this next week – Wednesday night at Region XIV North Zone leader Paris Junior College, and Saturday afternoon at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks return home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be looking to return to the win column Saturday, when Trinity Valley Community College visits the Carl Parker Center for a 4 p.m. game. Lamar State slipped to 15-6 overall and 5-5 in Region XIV play after losing a Wednesday night conference game at Tyler Junior College, 73-95. The Seahawks stayed with the Apaches through the first half and trailed 43-40 at halftime. Tyler mounted a 9-0 run to start the second half, and Lamar State never got back in the game. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross attributes the loss to poor defense. “Anytime you play on the road against a good team, you must commit to playing great defense. We didn’t do that against Tyler,” Cross said. “We traded baskets with them, and the game stayed close through halftime. Then, we went cold offensively and never picked up our defense over the last 15 minutes of the game, which enabled Tyler to go on a big run and close out the game.” Trinity Valley (17-4, 6-4) is coming off an 81-71 win over Lee College. The Cardinals won three of their last four starts. The loss was to South Zone leader San Jacinto College. “There is no question which Region XIV team is the most talented. This Saturday, we will host a very special junior college team in Trinity Valley,” Cross said. “We will have to be up for the challenge, and we will have to perform flawlessly on both ends of the court to get a win.” Lamar State will be on the road for two conference games this next week – Wednesday night at Paris Junior College, and Saturday afternoon at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks return home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be looking to return to the win column Saturday, when Trinity Valley Community College visits the Carl Parker Center for a 4 p.m. game. Lamar State slipped to 15-6 overall and 5-5 in Region XIV play after losing a Wednesday night conference game at Tyler Junior College, 73-95. The Seahawks stayed with the Apaches through the first half and trailed 43-40 at halftime. Tyler mounted a 9-0 run to start the second half, and Lamar State never got back in the game. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross attributes the loss to poor defense. “Anytime you play on the road against a good team, you must commit to playing great defense. We didn’t do that against Tyler,” Cross said. “We traded baskets with them, and the game stayed close through halftime. Then, we went cold offensively and never picked up our defense over the last 15 minutes of the game, which enabled Tyler to go on a big run and close out the game.” Trinity Valley (17-4, 6-4) is coming off an 81-71 win over Lee College. The Cardinals won three of their last four starts. The loss was to South Zone leader San Jacinto College. “There is no question which Region XIV team is the most talented. This Saturday, we will host a very special junior college team in Trinity Valley,” Cross said. “We will have to be up for the challenge, and we will have to perform flawlessly on both ends of the court to get a win.” Lamar State will be on the road for two conference games this next week – Wednesday night at Paris Junior College, and Saturday afternoon at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The Seahawks return home Thursday, Feb. 11, for a Mardi Gras kick-off game against San Jacinto.

Tyler Junior College continued their mid-season roll Wednesday night with a 95-73 home win over Lamar State College-Port Arthur. The Apaches now have won four straight games, beginning with a victory over Region XIV South Zone leader San Jacinto College. Lamar State stayed with the Apaches through the first half and trailed by only three points, 43-40 at halftime. But the second half belonged to Tyler. The Apaches opened with a 9-0 run and the Seahawks never recovered, shooting just 3-of-19 from behind the three-point line while trying to get back in the game. Freshman guard Von Jones led Lamar State with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Sophomore guard Kavon Rose added 14. Ahyaro Phillips and Dion Waiters each had 10. The loss moves Lamar State's overall record to 15-6. The Seahawks fall to 5-6 in Region XIV action. Lamar State will be home Saturday for a 4 p.m. conference game in the Carl Parker Center against Trinity Valley Community College.