Four Lone Star Conference women’s basketball teams were unbeaten last week with No. 1 Lubbock Christian picking up a record-tying 87th straight win at home in a 2-0 week and Cameron winning its third consecutive game against a Top 25 opponent in a two-game sweep of No. 5 West Texas A&M. Midwestern State and Texas A&M International also went undefeated picking up one conference win each heading into the final week of the season.
LSC schedule and results available here:
https://lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=wbball
LSC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The LSC Women’s Basketball Championship is set for March 2-5-6, 2021, with quarterfinal games on campus sites on Tuesday, March 2. The four winning teams will advance to the final site at the highest remaining seed to play semifinal games on Friday, March 5, followed by the championship game on Saturday, March 6. The top eight teams will qualify for the tournament based on the
basketball point rating system. The divisional champions will automatically qualify for the tournament and be seeded according to the point rating system. All teams must play a minimum of 11 games to qualify for the conference tournament.
DIVISION II MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Due to COVID-19, NCAA Division II has approved regional alignment adjustments, bracket reductions, and predetermined regional sites for the basketball championships. With the adjustments, the LSC will be joined by the Great American Conference (GAC) in the South Central Region for the 2021 postseason. The Division II Championship bracket has been reduced to 48 teams from 64, with six teams selected from each of the eight regions this year. The predetermined regional site for women’s basketball is Canyon, Texas hosted by West Texas A&M, with games set for March 12-13-15.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Maighan Hedge, Cameron, JR, Sports and Exercise Science, G, Melbourne, Australia, Rowville Secondary School
Maighan Hedge led the way offensively as the Aggies pulled off a weekend sweep of No. 5 West Texas A&M to push their win-streak to six games. The Sports and Exercise Science major averaged 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals and shot well over 48 percent from the field during the two-game span. Hedge led the way with 17 points in the game one overtime win, scoring four of those in the five extra minutes of play. The junior guard was 5-8 from the field, 3-3 from three, and 4-4 from the charity stripe while adding four assists and two steals. She followed that up with 18 points in a 10-point victory over WT on Saturday. Hedge added five rebounds, five assists, and three steals and was 6-8 from the foul line in game two.
DEFENSIVE
Stephanie Peterson, Cameron, SO, Biology, G, Broomfield, Colo., Broomfield HS
Stephanie Peterson was a key part of the Aggies’ smothering defense during a two-game sweep of No. 5 West Texas A&M over the weekend. In the 72-66 overtime win on Friday, the sophomore guard led the way with six steals as the Black and Gold recorded a program-record 22 steals while forcing WT into a season-high 35 turnovers. Peterson added 14 points, two rebounds, three assists, and a block in the win, with 10 of her points coming during the second half. She scored 10 more points and recorded four boards, three assists, and another steal in the 10-point victory on Saturday. Peterson helped turn up the pressure again as CU forced 28 WT turnovers in the second game of the series, with eight coming via steals. The Cameron defense limited the Lady Buffs to just 63 points per game and held them to a .279 three-point shooting percentage.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
D-14 Ashton Duncan, Lubbock Christian
D-21 Dyani Robinson, Texas A&M-Commerce
J-5 Lexy Hightower, West Texas A&M
J-11 Brooklin Bain, Oklahoma Christian
J-18 Allie Schulte, Lubbock Christian
J-25 Lexy Hightower, West Texas A&M (2)
F-1 Dyani Robinson, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
F-8 DesiRay Kernal, Texas A&M-Commerce
F-15 Emma Middleton, Lubbock Christian
F-22 Maighan Hedge, Cameron
Defensive
D-14 Anastacia Mickens, Texas A&M-Kingsville
D-21 Juliana Louis, Texas A&M-Commerce
J-5 Nicole Heyn, Texas A&M International
J-11 Haevyn Risley, Midwestern State
J-18 Abby Spurgin, West Texas A&M
J-25 Juliana Robertson, Lubbock Christian
F-1 Hannah Wilson, St. Mary’s
F-8 Juliana Louis, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
F-15 Emma Middleton, Lubbock Christian
F-22 Stephanie Peterson, Cameron
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Morgan Lenahan, Midwestern State, poured in a career-high 29 points to lead MSU to its ninth consecutive home win as the Mustangs took down Angelo State 81-62 Saturday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The senior guard connected on 11-of-20 shots and was 4-of-7 from the 3-point arc against the 'Belles. It was her third effort with at least 20 points this season. The Mustangs won all of them including victories over nationally-ranked West Texas A&M (25) and Texas A&M-Commerce (21). Lenahan added a trio of assists and a pair of rebounds in the win.
Ashton Duncan, Lubbock Christian, led the way offensively as LCU swept UT Permian Basin in an LSC West Division series. A 72-48 home win Sunday for LCU matched the NCAA Division II women's basketball record for consecutive home victories (87). On Friday in Odessa, Texas, Duncan's first points of the game (2:18 into the game) put LCU on the scoreboard and ignited a 13-3 LCU run. Eleven (11) of the 13 points in the run were from Duncan, who connected on three consecutive three-point attempts. She ended up with 18 points in the half and finished with 25 in the game (one point from matching a career high), featuring a 6-of-8 outside shooting performance in the game (she was 5-of-6 from three-point range in the opening half). Sunday, LCU had trouble breaking away from UTPB until Duncan's three-pointer to open the second half scoring started a 7-0 run. She finished with 11 points in the game, as she was part of a Senior Day performance in which 80% of LCU's 45 points in the second half were from the senior class. She combined for 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) shooting performance from beyond the arc and picked up five steals.
Ally Winnen, Texas A&M International, led the team in scoring in just her second game as a Dustdevil with 23 points in just 27 minutes in TAMIU’s 98-60 win over UT Tyler. The freshman also secured her first career double-double, adding 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Winnen shot 9-for-13 from the floor to match the single-game high in scoring this year for the Dustdevils.
Emma Middleton, Lubbock Christian, was the defensive catalyst as LCU swept UT Permian Basin in an LSC West Division series, which included a 72-48 home win Sunday to help LCU match the NCAA Division II women's basketball record for consecutive home wins (87). On Friday in Odessa, Texas, Middleton had six rebounds, three steals and 13 points to help LCU claim a 74-43 road win. She followed with a 4-of-6 shooting performance in the lane en route to a 14-point Senior Day performance. Middleton also had six rebounds and three steals in the home win. She completed the weekend with a +41 plus/minus, which included a +28 in the road win.
Nicole Heyn, Texas A&M International, continued her fantastic season, compiling her third double-double of the year. The third leading rebounder in the conference secured 12 rebounds, including 10 on the defensive glass, to go along with a game high three steals. Heyn and the Dustdevils held the Patriots to just 37% shooting in the game. Heyn also contributed offensively, scoring 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including 6-for-9 from three.
Abby Spurgin, West Texas A&M, had a historic weekend for the #5 Lady Buffs in a pair of Lone Star Conference crossover road losses in Lawton against the Cameron Aggies. The Fredericksburg product went 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from the floor including 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) from the charity stripe to average 13.0 points per game to go along with 15 total rebounds (five offensive, 10 defensive), one assist and four blocks. Spurgin became the 24th Lady Buff to reach the 1,000 Career Point plateau on Friday night while also moving into second on WT's all-time list of career blocked shots with 200.