Lamar State closes regular season at home Saturday / LSC-PA 68, Tyler 60

[LamarStatesports]

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center on Saturday to close out the regular season with a 1 p.m. conference game against Tyler Junior College.

Lamar State matched their 2010 season record of 20 wins Wednesday night in Brenham with a commanding 83-61 victory over Blinn College.

Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman led the Seahawks with 36 points, which broke Lamar State’s single-game scoring record of 34 points set by George Williamson in 2008.

The 20-9 Seahawks are 9-9 in Region XIV action and go into Saturday’s game with a three-game winning streak.

Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team is taking care of the ball and playing very tough defense, something they didn’t do in last minute losses to San Jacinto College and Lon Morris College.

“The win at Blinn was another example of that progress. We have been able to build a lot confidence lately by going on the road and winning in tough environments. That is a good sign for us as we enter the most important part of the season.”

The Seahawks’ improved defense made the difference in the last three games, Cross said.

“The main reason we are playing so well right now is this team really locked in defensively. We have been making it very difficult on our opponents to get into any offensive rhythm.”

Tyler (19-9) has a 10-8 conference record and an outside chance to earn a first round bye. The Apaches are tied with Paris Junior College in the North Zone, one game behind second-place Navarro College.

“We must continue our defensive mindset on Saturday against a very good Tyler team,” Cross said. “They are by far the biggest junior college team in the country this year, and our frontcourt better be ready for the interior challenge.”

Seven sophomores will play their final home game for Lamar State on Saturday. Several of them will finish their careers as Seahawks record holders.

Vonn Jones already broke his own single season assist record and will set a new two-year record in that category.

Gordon Ball will own the two-year rebounding record.

Dion Waiters will set the career steals mark. He needs three more to break his own season record of 80.

Keenen Coleman needs another productive game to break the two-year scoring record of 723 set by George Williamson in 2008. Coleman currently has 691 points.

“Saturday certainly will be an emotional and significant day as we bid farewell to a sophomore class, five of whom made a lot of school history over the last two years, They won 40 games so far in their career, which trails only San Jacinto, Navarro, Trinity Valley and Paris in wins over the past two years,” Cross said.

“This program has a bright future because of the hard work and dedication these men provided to our program and the pride they took in being Seahawks. I cannot thank them enough for the sacrifices they made and the trust they had in me to become a Seahawk two years ago. They will be forever remembered as the ones who established the winning tradition at Lamar State.”

The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament.

The top two teams in each zone get a bye in the first round.

San Jacinto (16-2) won the South Zone title. Jacksonville (13-5) is the runner-up.

Trinity Valley (13-5) is the North Zone champion. The second slot is up for grabs on Saturday with Navarro (11-7), Paris (10-8) and Tyler (10-8) still in the running.

Bossier Parish (2-15) and Lee (3-15) will not make the cut.

Angelina (5-13) will be the 12th seed, but will have to play a one-game elimination contest against Coastal Bend College before the tournament begins Thursday.

[LamarStatesports]

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team ended the regular season in style at home Saturday with a 68-60 victory over Region XIV rival Tyler Junior College.

The win moved the Seahawks to 21-9 overall, a new school record, and gave them a 10-9 mark in conference play and a four-game winning streak going into next week’s Region XIV Tournament at the University of Texas-Tyler.

Three of Lamar State’s seven sophomores, playing their final home game for the Seahawks, scored in double figures, led by sophomore guard Keenen Coleman with 22 points.

Vonn Jones hit for 15, and Roman Vaughn had 13, while sophomores Dion Waiters and Darrion Booker each added eight points.

The Region XIV Tournament begins March 3 in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The top four teams get a bye in the first round.

San Jacinto College, currently No. 2 in the nation and the conference South Zone champion, is the top seed.

No. 11 Trinity Valley Community College, the North Zone champion, gets the second seed.

South Zone runner-up Jacksonville College and North Zone runner-up Navarro also earned byes.

Angelina College, which finished 12th in the conference, will play Coastal Bend College on Tuesday in Lufkin for the final tournament berth.  

Lamar State opens the tournament Thursday at 6 p.m. against Kilgore College.

The Seahawks won both regular season games with the Buccaneers, 88-76 on Jan. 8 in Port Arthur, and 83-61 in Brenham this past Wednesday.