Lamar State goes into holiday break at 8-4

[LamarStatesports]

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team is off until Jan. 4, after finishing the 2009 portion of their season with a record of 8-4 overall and 1-3 in conference action.

The Seahawks were scheduled to play Dec. 5 at Lone Star College-Tomball on Dec. 5, but that game was canceled by LSC-T.

Lamar State started the season with a school record eight straight wins, capped by a 67-65 home win over Lon Morris College, last year’s Region XIV regular season champion.

But the Seahawks couldn’t extend that streak and now have dropped four straight games, including conference losses to Blinn College, Angelina College and San Jacinto College.

Lamar State also lost a Dec. 7 non-conference game to Delgado Community College in New Orleans, closing out the 2009 part of the schedule.

Head Coach Matt Cross said his team’s letdown came from exhaustion.

“A major factor in some of our last losses was the team was mentally and physically drained,” Cross said. “Because of that, we weren’t able to establish any consistent depth in our line up.”

Cross thinks the holiday break will help the team get ready for the rest of their season.

“I think it will do all our freshman a world of good to get this two-week break from school and basketball, which will allow them a chance to rest up physically and mentally after coming off a three-month stretch of time demands like they have never experienced in their life,” Cross said. “I encouraged all of them to take some time to reflect on the transition they made from high school to college, learn from their experiences and come back re-energized and refreshed.”

Lamar State College-PA reopens after the holidays on Monday, Jan. 4. That night, the Seahawks will be back in action at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center for a non-conference rematch with Delgado Community College, which won the first meeting, 91-76, in New Orleans.

Two nights later, the Seahawks return to conference action at home against Jacksonville College.

Cross will start the year with one more player on his roster.

“As we enter the heart of our season, we will add some much needed depth to our team with 6-4 freshman guard Dion Waiters, who has a defensive presence and intensity that really will help our basketball team,” Cross said.


Seahawk Notes (through 12 games):

* The Seahawks broke six team records, three individual season records and four individual single-game records.

* Four players are averaging double figures. Freshman forward Leviante Davis leads the team with 18.5 ppg, followed by sophomore forward Kavon Rose (14.3), freshman forward Keenen Doyle (13.7) and sophomore post Ahyaro Phillips (12.8). Freshman guard Von Jones is averaging 9.1 ppg.

* Sophomore post Ahyaro Phillips in No. 5 in the nation in rebounding (12.583 rpg) and has 56 blocked shots to rank No. 7 (4.667 bpg).

* Freshman guard Von Jones is No. 27 in the nation in assists (5.57 apg).

* The Seahawks are No. 19 in the nation in offensive average with 90.583 points per game.

* Several Seahawks are in the Top 10 in Region XIV statistics after five weeks:
Leviante Davis 4th in scoring average (18.8 ppg)
Kavon Rose 6th in free throw percentage (75.9 %)
10th in scoring average (14.6 ppg)
Keenen Doyle 1st in three-point shooting average (53.7 %)
Ahyaro Phillips 1st in rebounding (12.5 rpg)
1st in blocked shots (4.8 bpg, 18 more than the next player)
2nd in field goal percentage (61.7 %)
Von Jones 2nd in assists (6.7 apg)
2nd in steals (2.5 spg)
Demetrius Ford 5th in assists (4.6 apg)
Nick Walters 5th in three-point shooting average (41.7 %)


Region XIV standings as of December 16:
North Zone
Team Overall Conference
Navarro 12-1 3-0
Paris 10-2 2-1
Trinity Valley 12-1 2-1
Kilgore 8-4 2-1
Tyler 9-3 2-2
Panola 7-5 1-3
Bossier Parish 8-5 0-4

South Zone
Team Overall Conference
San Jacinto 13-1 3-1
Angelina 8-6 3-1
Blinn 9-4 2-1
Lon Morris 7-5 1-2
Lee 4-7 1-2
Jacksonville 6-6 1-2
Lamar State 8-4 1-3

Seahawks’ remaining games:
Monday, Jan. 4 Delgado College 7 p.m.
*Wednesday, Jan. 6 Jacksonville College 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 9 Baton Rouge Community College 7 p.m.
*Wednesday, Jan. 13 at Lee College in Baytown             7 p.m.
*Saturday, Jan. 16             Navarro College 4 p.m.
*Wednesday, Jan. 20 at Kilgore College             7 p.m.
*Saturday, Jan. 23             Bossier Parish Community College             4 p.m.
*Wednesday, Jan. 27 at Tyler Junior College 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Jan. 30             Trinity Valley Community College             4 p.m.
*Wednesday, Feb. 3 at Paris Junior College 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Feb. 6 at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville                4 p.m.
*Thursday, Feb. 11 San Jacinto College 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Feb. 13 at Angelina College in Lufkin             4 p.m.
*Wednesday, Feb. 17 Blinn College 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Feb. 20 at Jacksonville College 4 p.m.
*Wednesday, Feb. 24 Panola College 7 p.m.
*Saturday, Feb. 27 Lee College 7 p.m.
Thursday-Sunday, March 5-8  Region XIV Tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler