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****ANCELOT ACCEPTS ASST. POSITION AT LAMAR****

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hoops2000

hoops2000

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Heard this afternoon she will be named as an assistant tomorrow.  Another great move by Larry Tidwell.  Coach A will be a tremendous fit at Lamar.  Former Lady Cardinal player and has experience as a Division I assistant.  Her experience as a highly successful high school HEAD COACH will also be invaluable.

Lamar Cardinal Lady Hoops is headed for gret things.  Should be fun to watch.

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Guest bleed orange

Guest bleed orange

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If in fact this is true, its a sad day for Orangefield. I will be happy for her don't get me wrong but the kids will be sad. i know one will be for sure.

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Cat22

Cat22

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Good hire by Lamar.  Sondra will be a great addition.  that was a very good move on Coach Tidwell's part.  I think they will work great together.  With her local ties and his great recruiting record, I can see the crowds coming back already!

I could not agree more.  I look for Lamar to improve greatly starting this next season.

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KFDM COOP

KFDM COOP

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1177535326-luancelot.jpg

BEAUMONT, Texas - Sondra Ancelot, who served as the Head Coach at Orangefield High School the past six years, has been named assistant women’s basketball coach at Lamar University, announced Head Coach Larry Tidwell.

In six seasons at Orangefield, Ancelot posted an impressive 139-35 (.798) record and guided the Bobcats to two district championships, four playoff appearances and two regional tournament appearances. She was also named the 24-3A coach of the year, the 21-3A coach of the year and the TGCA South All-Star coach during her time at Orangefield.

A four-year letterwinner for the Lady Cardinals, Ancelot returns to the University where she was a member of the NCAA Midwest Regional finalist team in 1991. As a player she made her mark in the record books, ranking fourth in single-season free throw percentage at 84 percent, fourth in career free throw percentage at 79.9 percent and fifth in three-point field goals made in a career with 80.

Ancelot has prior experience as an assistant coach on the division I college level, spending five years at Northern Illinois University and three years at TCU before heading to the high school ranks.

Before taking over at Orangefield, Ancelot made a pair of stops on the high school level. She spent one season as the head coach at Hardin-Jefferson High School where she posted a 15-13 record, and was the freshman girls head coach and varsity assistant coach at North Crowley High School.

Tidwell also officially announced the retaining of assistant coach Janet Eaton, who has spent the last three seasons with the lady Cardinals.

Eaton, who served as interim head coach for the Lady Cardinals for the final five games of the 2006-07 season, is a native of Eastabuchie, Miss. She was the head coach at Xavier Prep in New Orleans for four seasons.

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KFDM COOP

KFDM COOP

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OF’s Ancelot named LU assistant coach

Gabriel Pruett

The Orange Leader

BEAUMONT — Sondra Ancelot will coach at Lamar University after all.

Ancelot, formerly the girl’s head basketball coach at Orangefield High School, was announced Wednesday as an assistant women’s basketball coach for the Lady Cardinals and will serve with Janet Eaton under Head Coach Larry Tidwell.

“I am happy to be here,†Ancelot told a crowd of fellow high school coaches, Lady Cardinal players and media representatives on Wednesday. “It is good to be wearing the red and white again.â€

Ancelot played at Lamar from 1990-94 and ranks fourth in several categories in the all-time statistical leaders at Lamar. In 1990-91 the Lady Cardinals went 29-4 and reached the Elite Eight and were America South champions and the following season Lamar went 21-7.

Even with a deep history at Lamar, Ancelot found the decision to leave the Lady Bobcats program very difficult.

She held a 139-35 record at Orangefield and won two district championships to go with four playoff appearances. The last two seasons saw Orangefield finish the year at the regional tournament in Huntsville.

Ancelot grew close to her players in Orangefield where the community opened up to the girls’ basketball program and its success.

“This was a very difficult decision,†Ancelot said. “I don’t think people will ever really understand how hard it was. I hope they look at it and realize what I think we can do here and it was no risk, no reward. At Orangefield I coached a lot of great kids and worked with a lot of great people who love basketball.â€

Ancelot spoke to the players at Orangefield on Wednesday morning and tried to explain to them the situation set before her.

“I told them that sometimes life presents you an opportunity and you cannot pass it up,†Ancelot added. “I always want the best for the kids at Orangefield and I hope they feel the same way about me. They may not be happy with my decision but I hope they realize it is the best decision for me. I plan to follow and cheer for the Lady Bobcats every step of the way and would help them every chance I get.â€

Tidwell first heard of Ancelot from each coaches’ days at Texas Christian University and followed her career from TCU all the way through Orangefield.

“When I first got into this area I knew she was a candidate for this position,†Tidwell said. “She is driven to make Lamar better and I appreciate that very much. Sondra has six years of college experience and that part of her life had not closed. She has been given a shot to fulfill that ambition again.â€

Ancelot spent five years at Northern Illinois University and three years at TCU as assistant women’s basketball coach.

Tidwell expects Ancelot’s exact role with the team to be decided within a month but already knows she will work closely with the Lady Cardinal guards and help “heavily†with recruiting.

Tidwell, who was hired on March 28 as head coach, even went as far to say Ancelot made a great candidate for the head coaching position with Lamar.

“That does not bother me,†Tidwell said. “I am a secure person and I am secure in what I want with Lamar. Still I want the best coaching staff possible and without a doubt I am bringing in not only one of the best coaches in the area but one of the best coaches in the state.â€

Both Ancelot and Tidwell expect the Lady Cardinals to improve on last season’s 15-17 record very quickly.

Since starting women’s basketball for the 1969-70 season, the Lady Cardinals have experienced just 13 winning seasons. Lamar’s last winning year came in 1994 when they Lady Cardinals went 16-12.

Tidwell announced Lamar is expected to ink five recruits in about a week and are close to completing the schedule for the upcoming season. Tidwell did announce the Lady Cardinals a few stern opponents next year like Texas, Oklahoma State, New Mexico State and Houston. Lamar is also working on scheduling Rice and Baylor.

Orangefield Athletics Director Blake Morrison said the girl’s head basketball position would open up starting today.

“I hate that she is leaving for Orangefield but I am very happy for her,†Morrison said. “She is a great job and will do an outstanding job at Lamar. Her future is bright but Orangefield lost a great coach and a great person.â€

Morrison said Orangefield will be looking for the best coach available that fits the type of program Ancelot helped grow into a playoff contender each season.

“Our kids will continue to work hard,†Morrison said. “We have some very good returners coming back and both our JV and freshmen teams won district. Then our junior high only lost three games last year so our future is still bright.â€

Morrison said he hopes to have the process complete around the time the Bobcats hold graduation.

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