LSC BASKETBALL
The Lone Star Conference Basketball Championship is rapidly approaching, with only three weeks of regular season play remaining. Midwestern State remains atop the standings on both the men’s and women’s side.
The MSU men have won five-straight to improve to 12-2 in conference play ahead of Incarnate Word (8-4).
On the women’s side, the Mustangs stretched their winning streak to 11 games and lead the league with a 13-2 mark, which is just in front of Abilene Christian (12-3), Tarleton State (11-3), and UIW (10-4). The top teams will meet this week with ACU at MSU on Wednesday, and UIW traveling to Tarleton on Saturday.
The LSC champion will be the regular season winner determined by conference games, while the postseason tournament winner is designated as LSC Tournament Champion and earns the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. The top eight teams in the final conference standings qualify for the postseason tournament set for March 6-9 in Allen, Texas.
The LSC men have a 116-94 overall record so far this season. In the NCAA South Central Region, the men’s teams are currently 18-18 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 3-1 opposed to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The LSC women are 113-117 overall. The women’s squads are currently 17-12 combined versus Heartland teams, and 5-1 against the RMAC, which are the other conferences in the NCAA South Central Region.
LSC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Lone Star Conference officials revealed a new team spirit pass option as advance tickets are on sale now for the 2013 LSC Basketball Championship, set for March 6-9 at the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas.
The pass, featuring modest pricing of $30 for adults and $20 for students, will cater to those fans whose primary interest is simply to follow their favorite team instead of attending all of the tournament’s seven sessions. Available only for purchase at member schools through Feb. 21, team spirit passes entitle the bearer to admission to all games (up to three) played by a men’s or women’s team from the school of choice.
Those wanting access to all seven sessions can purchase all-session tickets at a reduced rate of $45 through Feb. 27 at member schools. After the advance purchase deadline, the adult price moves to $60 for all-session tickets or $15 per session. Student prices will be $32 for all-session tickets or $10 by session.
Tickets are also available at the Allen Event Center Box Office or through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com). Another option available to fans is to enjoy the view from one of the Allen Event Center’s luxury suites. For information on suites, contact Mike Martin at MichaelMartin@allenamericans.com or (972) 912-1025.
This marks the second straight year for the LSC Basketball Championship to be played in Allen, with the tournament again featuring eight men’s and eight women’s teams. The format is set to change slightly this year, with all games being played in doubleheader sessions throughout the event. Every doubleheader session will consist of a women’s game followed by a men’s game, including Saturday night’s final session that features both the men’s and women’s championship games.
NCAA BASKETBALL STATISTICS (through games 02/10)
Men: Midwestern State is fifth in the nation in rebound margin (10.4).
Men: Tarleton State is fifth in scoring defense (58.5).
Men: Abilene Christian’s Eric Lawton is fifth in three-point field-goal percentage (47.0).
Women: Tarleton State is second in field-goal percentage (47.3).
Women: Abilene Christian is fifth in three-point field-goal defense (24.7) and fourth in three-point field goals per game (8.9).
Women: Tarleton’s Kiara Wright is third in field-goal percentage (60.7), second in rebounds per game (13.4) and third in double-doubles (15).
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Rodney Blackmon, Eastern New Mexico University, JR, Guard, Los Angeles, Calif., David Starr Jordan HS/West LA College
Blackmon averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in contests against Cameron and Midwestern State. Blackmon scored 22 points including 16 of the Greyhounds’ final 18 points against the Aggies. He made the game-winning jumper in the paint with 2.9 seconds left as Eastern won 74-72. He dished out five assists, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a career-high two shots against CU as well. On the road at Midwestern State, Blackmon was 6-for-18 from the field and 9-of-12 at the free throw line as he netted 24 points in Eastern’s setback. He handed out a game-high six assists, pulled down three boards and his three steals tied his career-best in 39 minutes of action. With his two 20-plus point scoring efforts, Blackmon has scored 20 points or more in six of ENMU’s last eight games.
MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Eddie D’Haiti, Midwestern State University, JR, Forward, Orlando, Fla., Oak Ridge HS/Youngstown State
D’Haiti played a central role in one of the Midwestern State’s most dominating defensive efforts of the season Wednesday night at First United Bank Center. He had two blocked shots and severely altered five more shots while playing a key role in forcing NCAA Division II field goal percentage leader and LSC Preseason Player of the Year Donald Sims into a 4-for-14 shooting night. D’Haiti’s efforts helped the Mustangs limit WT to 3-of-23 shooting (13 percent) officially in the opening half as the Buffs managed their second lowest scoring output since moving to NCAA Division II in 1986-87 in the 55-42 victory. D’Haiti blocked three more shots against Eastern New Mexico Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.
WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Mackenzie Lankford, Abilene Christian University, JR, Guard, Weatherford, Texas, Weatherford HS
Lankford, who was hurt earlier in the week at Commerce, finished with 31 points Saturday in an 86-70 win over Tarleton State. The victory pushed the Wildcats ahead of the TexAnns for second place in the Lone Star Conference. Lankford’s effort vs. Tarleton marked the second-best scoring game of her career behind a 38-point effort against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Feb. 19, 2012. Against the TexAnns, Lankford poured in 25 first-half points on 7 of 9 shooting, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. She was also 6 of 7 from the free throw line, pulled down four rebounds and had one assist in 16 minutes of play. With Tarleton’s defense concentrating even more on Lankford in the second half, she had just six points in 14 minutes, but that allowed Whitney West (eight points), Kelsey Smith (nine points) and Sadie Dickinson (five points) to take over the scoring load for the Wildcats, who beat Tarleton State for the first time since 2009.
WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Andrea Carter, Midwestern State University, SO, Forward, Angleton, Texas, Angleton HS
Led Midwestern State in a in a pair of victories including the Mustangs first win in Canyon in a decade to place the Mustangs alone at the top of the Lone Star Conference standings. The 5-10 sophomore forward from Angleton had 12 points with seven rebounds and a blocked shot in the Mustangs 58-55 win at West Texas A&M, the first for MSU at the First United Bank Center since 2003. She followed that with her 11th double-double of the year, collecting a career-high 21 points with 10 rebounds in a 67-52 win over Eastern New Mexico where she added three steals. For the week, Carter shot 73.7 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent from the foul line while averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. She helped MSU hold its opponents to 53.5 points and shooting 38.5 percent from the floor as the Mustangs extended their conference-best winning streak to 11 games, the second-best winning streak this season in the South Central Region.