The LSC Awards banquet had a strong Tarleton State favor Tuesday night. As expected, senior post Kiara Wright took home both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, further adding to her illustrious career as one of Tarleton’s most decorated players ever.

      But she wasn’t the only TexAnn taking home some hardware. Junior point guard Kathy Thomas was the LSC’s Newcomer of the Year but she looked more like a veteran in the opening game of the LSC Championship in Allen Wednesday.

      In her first season with Tarleton after transferring from the University of Iowa, Thomas helped guide Tarleton to an 84-55 win over a Texas A&M-Commerce squad that had upset the TexAnns four days earlier in the regular-season finale. But with Thomas running the show, TSU fed Wright early and often as they cruised to a 12-0 lead and never looked back. Thomas scored 12 points, dished out three assists and had three steals.

      “We saw some things on Twitter so it got back to us,” Thomas said, referring to motivating chatter from A&M-Commerce. “We played the game with a chip on our shoulder. They beat us at their place and we wanted to come out and prove a point.”

       Speaking of the point, that’s where Thomas has found a home for the TexAnns. She started the season as the point guard and Tarleton began the season 13-1 but after two straight losses in the middle of the year, TSU coach Ronnie Hearne thought it was time for a change. He moved Thomas to the 2-guard spot and replaced her with Morgan Ashmore in a game against Eastern New Mexico.

      “That worked for about a half,” Hearne recalled. “We scored 44 points but right at buzzer before halftime, Morgan got clocked by a player and tears up her knee.”

      Ashmore suffered an MCL injury and was gone for the season. So “out of necessity,” Hearne said he had no choice but to go back to Thomas, who says she feels more natural at the point.

      “Being a point guard, you have to be a leader,” Thomas said. “You have the ball 90 percent of the time.  I feel like I’ve adapted pretty well and catch on pretty easily.”

      Hearne said he loves the scoring ability of Thomas, even though the strength of the TexAnns is the low-post game, led by Wright, the LSC’s leading scorer and rebounder.

      “We know where our real strong is and that’s inside. But the guards know that’s where the ball needs to go most of the time,” Hearne said. “Kathy is a strong guard and she can handle pressure. She’s hard to guard because she can take it the hole. She’s’ got a good mid-range jumper and she can knock down 3s. People have to play her honest.”

      Still, even Thomas knows the offense goes through Wright, who actually helped recruit her to Stephenville, along with Tarleton men’s standout De’Andre Upchurch.

      “Kiara is a beast. She brings it every night,” Thomas said of her teammates. “We feed off of her. We know the ball is going to her.”

      Not only does Thomas know her role, but Hearne said he loves the consistency she brings on and off the court.

      “She’s just the same every day,” Hearne said of Thomas. “Every day in practice, every game – there’s no real highs or lows like some kids are. You know what you’re getting every day with her.”

      And what they’ve gotten is one of the best point guards in the LSC.