Basketball: Rivalry Week on tap
Lone Star Conference action continues with Rivarly Week, as
divisional rivals play a home-and-home series.
After three weeks of divisional play, four teams - three men's and
one women's - remain undefeated in conference play. Due to
severe winter weather, Saturday's Central Oklahoma and Northeastern
State game was postponed until tonight (Monday).
Teams are competing for one of 16 spots, eight on both the men's
and women's side, in the Lone Star Conference Championship to be
held in Bartlesville, Okla., March 3-7.
The LSC men have a 158-118 overall record so far this season,
including a 84-55 mark in the South Division and 74-63 in the
North. In league crossover play the South has the advantage,
27-22. In the NCAA South Central Region, the men's teams are
currently 24-11 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 3-2
against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
(MIAA).
The LSC women are 161-129 overall, with a 87-53 mark in the South
and 74-76 in the North this season. In league crossover
action, the South Division holds a 38-18 record over its North
opponents. In the NCAA South Central Region, the women's
teams are currently 25-11 combined versus Heartland Conference
squads and 5-4 against the MIAA.
In men's games played last week, the LSC had three players score
more than 30 points, 15 over the 20-point mark and nine
double-digit rebounders, while seven recorded
double-doubles.
Points, Men: 37, Dauntae Williams, UCO at
A&M-C
Rebounds, Men: 15, Donta Smith, Tarleton vs
ACU
Assists, Men: 10, Two players
Steals, Men: 5, Four players
On the women's side, the league had nine score more than 20 points
and eight double-digit rebounders, while nine posted double-doubles
in action last week. Top performances included:
Points, Women: 28, Casi Rawls, ECU vs CU
Rebounds, Women: 14, Two players
Assists, Women: 12, Tiandrea Dixon, TWU vs
A&M-C
Steals, Women: 9, Joni Unruh, WTAMU at ASU
Players of the Week
NORTH MEN'S OFFENSIVE
Mychal Horn, Southeastern Oklahoma, So., Guard, Alexandria,
La./Peabody HS
Horn helped Southeastern to a 2-0 week and a pair of LSC
North Division victories. He averaged 13.5 points, including
a 16-point outing against Southwestern Oklahoma. He was the
consummate point guard, dishing out 8.0 assists per game on the
week, including 10 against SWOSU to complete the
double-double. Horn also added 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals
per outing.
NORTH MEN'S DEFENSIVE
Wes Badley, East Central, Sr., Forward, Ponca City, Okla./Ponca
City HS
Badley averaged 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks
as the Tigers went 1-1 in a pair of games last week. Badley, who
averaged 10.5 points for the two games, registered a double-double
with 15 points and 13 rebounds (seven on the defensive end) to go
with a pair of blocks and one steal in ECU's 68-61 home
double-overtime win over Cameron. He had six boards (four on the
defensive end) and three steals to go with six points in a loss at
Southwestern Oklahoma.
SOUTH MEN'S OFFENSIVE
Eddie Thompson, Abilene Christian, Jr., Guard, Houston,
Texas/Cypress Springs HS
Thompson enjoyed a solid week averaging 25 points against
No. 10 Midwestern State and Tarleton State. Thompson hit the
go-ahead three pointer against MSU with 2.8 seconds left in a
one-point buzzer beater loss to finish with 26 points including 6
of 7 from behind the three-point arc, which was two shy of an ACU
record. Against Tarleton, 17 of Thompson's game-high 24 points came
in the second half. He was 100 percent from the free throw
line in both games going 5-5 and 2-2. Thompson is second in
the LSC, averaging 2.9 three pointers per game and has moved up to
a tie for fifth in scoring as he leads ACU with 14.8 points per
game
SOUTH MEN'S DEFENSIVE
Donta Smith, Tarleton State, Jr., F, Baskin, La./Mangham HS
Smith helped the Texans to two LSC South Division
victories after leading Tarleton in rebounds in both
contests. He had a season-high 15 rebounds in the win over
Abilene Christian and threw in nine more at Texas
A&M-Kingsville. He had 10 defensive rebounds against ACU
and five at TAMUK to total 15 for the week. He also had three
steals and shot .600 from the floor. He averaged nine points
and 12.0 rebounds per game this week. The opponents averaged
.375 this week and Tarleton outscored the two teams by an averaged
of 22.0 points.
NORTH WOMEN'S OFFENSIVE
Cristy Nitz, Northeastern State, So., Forward, Dewey, Okla./Dewey
HS
Nitz scored nine of her team-high 18 points during a span
of 3:55 to open the second half as Northeastern State erased an
eight point halftime deficit against Texas Woman's and held on for
a 75-67 win to remain unbeaten in Lone Star North Division action
on Jan. 27. Nitz's bucket in the paint with 16:05 left put the
RiverHawks ahead by one, 46-45, and Northeastern State never
trailed again. Nitz was eight of nine from the field, one of two
from the arc and one of one from the free throw line. She also
grabbed four rebounds and had two assists in just 19 minutes of
action.
NORTH WOMEN'S DEFENSIVE
Kayla Weaver, Texas Woman's, Jr., G/F, Aquilla, Texas/Aquilla
HS
Weaver averaged 18.0 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds
in two games last week. She recorded nine rebounds (9
defensive), two steals and career-high 19 points at Northeastern
State. Weaver also added seven rebounds (5 defensive), three
steals, one block and 17 points against Texas
A&M-Commerce. She helped the Pioneers hold Texas
A&M-Commerce to 23.5 percent shooting in the first half and
build a 31-point lead at the half. Weaver also shot 70.6 percent
(12 for 17) from the floor including 75.0 percent (6 for 8) from
the three-point range and 100.0 percent (6 for 6) from the
free-throw line in two games.
SOUTH WOMEN'S OFFENSIVE
Kayla Naylor, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Sr., Point Guard, Corpus
Christi, Texas/Calallen HS
Naylor played an important role in two wins for the
Javelinas. First, she dished out a game-high nine assists
with eight points in an overtime victory at Midwestern State.
Then, with 3.3 seconds left against Tarleton State, she knocked
down a pair of free throws to give the team a 63-62 win over the
TexAnns. She finished the game with 10 points, four assists
and four rebounds.
SOUTH WOMEN'S DEFENSIVE
Joni Unruh, West Texas A&M, Jr., Guard, Amarillo,
Texas/Amarillo HS
Unruh led the Lady Buffs to a win in the team's only game this
week against Angelo State with 18 points. She shot 41.2 percent
from the field, making seven of 17 attempts. She also led the team
in rebounds with eight. Defensively, Unruh was incredible, grabbing
a career-high nine steals, nearly half of Angelo State's 20
turnovers. Six of her eight boards were also on the defensive side
of the floor.















