Six Lone Star Conference women’s basketball teams went undefeated last week with Eastern New Mexico, Lubbock Christian, Texas A&M International, Texas A&M-Commerce and West Texas A&M all picking up multiple conference wins. No. 2 LCU and No. 8 A&M-C remained the only undefeated teams in conference play.
LSC women’s basketball teams are 102-77 overall this season and 20-11 against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams, the other league in the NCAA South Central Region.
LSC schedule and results available here:
https://lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=wbball&
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Nicole Heyn, Texas A&M International, JR, Health Administration, G, Spanish Fork, Utah, Maple Mountain HS
Heyn led the way for the Dustdevils in back-to-back 22-point performances in a pair of conference home victories over Western New Mexico and UT Permian Basin. Heyn finished a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc and shot 80 percent from the field on 8-of-10 shooting while compiling a game-high five steals in an 80-42 win over WNMU. Heyn continued her offensive success by shooting 42.8 percent from the field while connecting from long distance three times against UTPB. She also dished out four assists and nabbed six steals in the 80-70 victory over the Falcons.
DEFENSIVE
Chania Wright, Texas A&M-Commerce, JR, Biological Science, G, DeSoto, Texas, DeSoto HS
Wright was a pickpocket in both games last week for the Lions, recording eight steals, many of which led directly to baskets for either herself or her teammates. Against TWU, Wright had a career-high six steals and helped lead the Lion defense to cause 34 TWU turnovers, including 22 steals. Wright’s perimeter defense also helped limit the effectiveness of the Pioneer attack, as they shot just 28 percent from the field. Her strong defense continued in the Lions’ 9-point win over Tarleton. She had two more steals and was quick in transition and on recovery defense, not allowing the Texans to find much space on the wing. Wright was also a strong offensive weapon, as she used her defense to create offense for herself. She scored 21 points against TWU, a season high, and 15 points against Tarleton.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
N-11 Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton
N-18 Maddi Chitsey, Lubbock Christian
N-25 Ashton Duncan, Lubbock Christian
D-2 Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton (2)
D-9 De’Anira Moore, Angelo State
D-16 Deijah Blanks, St. Edward’s
D-23 Nicole Heyn, Texas A&M International
Defensive
N-11 Maddison Glass, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-18 Juliana Robertson, Lubbock Christian
N-25 Alexis Bryant, Texas A&M-Commerce
D-2 Juliana Louis, Texas A&M-Commerce
D-9 Sawyer Lloyd, Angelo State
D-16 Sammie Dufek, St. Edward’s
D-23 Chania Wright, Texas A&M-Commerce
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Ava Battese, Cameron, put up historic numbers from deep this past week in Cameron's games against top-ranked Lubbock Christian and Angelo State. The senior from Elgin, Okla. had 24 points, going 8-14 from three-point range, tying the program's single-game record, which she already held. Two days later, Battese broke that same record by going 10-16, one three shy of the conference record, from the perimeter on her way to a career-high 30 point outing. Those numbers resulted in the CU guard averaging 27.0 points while going 18-30 from three over the two-game span. Since the start of LSC play, Battese has averaged 23.3 points and gone 27-51 (52.9 percent) from three-point range.
Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State, averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds last week after leading Tarleton to a 1-1 weekend. On Thursday, the senior forward led the Texans to their first Lone Star Conference win and best defensive performance in a decade with rout of UT Tyler. Tarleton defeated the Patriots, 61-30 – the fewest points allowed by the Texans since 2009. Hailey scored a game-high 15-points and passed Shelby Adamson for fifth place on the all-time scoring list in program history. Including this weekend’s match-ups, Hailey has tallied 1,577 career points. Hailey also recorded five rebounds and three steals in Thursday’s win. She shot 6-12 from the field and was perfect behind the free-throw line. Despite Saturday’s 72-63 loss to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, the Burleson native recorded her 28th career double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. She was 7-14 from the floor and 3-3 from downtown. Hailey also added two blocks and three steals.
Catara Samuel, Angelo State, showed her offensive prowess for Angelo State this weekend against Cameron and Midwestern State. Samuel scored 33 total points for the Belles over the weekend, shooting 33 percent from the field, 20 percent from the three point line, and 90 percent from the free throw line. Samuel registered one block, eight steals, and four assists to help the Belles defeat the Cameron Aggies.
Dyani Robinson, Texas A&M-Commerce, was a potent weapon for the Lions in their two wins last week, averaging 16.5 points per game in only 21 minutes per contest. She was also a hot shooter, shooting 56 percent in the No. 8 Lions’ two road wins. Against TWU, Robinson netted a season-high 18 points, shooting 8-of-14 from the field in 22 minutes. Against Tarleton, she continued her hot shooting, going 7-of-13 from the field to net 15 points in 20 minutes of action. The Lions relied on the freshman often in the tough-fought win. Robinson has reached double figures in six of her first 11 games as a true freshman.
Maddi Chitsey, Lubbock Christian, helped LCU to a 2-0 record on the week, with road wins at Cameron and Midwestern State, leading the team with 16.0 points a game. She had 16 points in each contest and also had eight blocks, which moved her into fourth all-time in LCU program history in career blocks (now with 125 in her career). Six of the blocks came along with eight rebounds and 16 points to help LCU claim a comeback win over Midwestern State.
De'Anira Moore, Angelo State, continues to show versatility and power on the court for the Belles. Moore scored 37 for Angelo State against Cameron and Midwestern State, shooting 54 percent from the field, and 50 percent from the free throw line. Moore registered five assists, and nine blocks total for the Belles, which in turn helped in the Belles victory against the Cameron Aggies.
Alivia Lewis, Eastern New Mexico, Recorded her third and fourth double-doubles of the season in wins over UAFS and Oklahoma Christian. Lewis averaged 16.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game while helping hold the UAFS and OC offenses to just 37.5 percent from the floor. Lewis also added four blocks and three steals during the week.
Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State, led the Texans with 14 points in Saturday’s nine-point loss to No. 2 Lubbock Christian. The Burleson native also tallied a season-high three blocks and added nine rebounds and a steal. Hailey helped forced 10 turnovers, 16 total, in the first half against a team that averages 14 per game.
Patrycja Jaworska, Texas A&M International, averaged five steals per game while holding opponents to 41 percent (39-of-95) from the field in a pair of conference home victories over Western New Mexico and UT Permian Basin. Jaworska nabbed a season-high eight steals that helped contribute to tie a conference-high 22 steals in a game in the 80-70 victory over UT Permian Basin. Jaworska currently ranks fourth in the conference in steals (29) and steals per game (2.6).
Abby Spurgin, West Texas A&M, continued to dominate in the paint this past week as the junior led the Lady Buffs to Lone Star Conference home victories over Oklahoma Christian and UAFS to move to 11-3 overall. The Fredericksburg, Texas native went 8-of-18 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe to average 12.5 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds, three assists and seven blocks. WT's defense held opponents to 42.5 points per game this past week and a 32.7 shooting percentage.
Lucy Benson, Tarleton State, tallied 10 rebounds and seven steals last week after leading the Tarleton to a 1-1 weekend. On Thursday, the junior forward led the Texans to their first Lone Star Conference win and best defensive performance in a decade with rout of UT Tyler. Tarleton defeated the Patriots, 61-30 – the fewest points allowed by the Texans since 2009. Benson recorded seven points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in Thursday’s win. She shot 60% from the field.