LSC Roundup 1-26

Recruiting Center

Men's Basketball News
Late free throws lift MSU to 78-76 win
Dome Magic really is alive again at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

And the 2,578 people who witnessed Midwestern State’s 21st straight home victory on Monday night will certainly agree.

The Mustangs, despite shooting horribly, rallied from eight points down against Northeastern State in the final 5 ½minutes and won 78-76 when Rashad Austin hit two pressure-packed free throws with just 1.7 seconds left on the clock.

The River Hawks hit a dozen 3-pointers — five by Dominique Gaines — but lost when Gaines misfired from behind the arc in the final seconds and Jesse Scroggins fouled Austin in a battle for the rebound.

No. 11 MSU raised its record to 17-1 and ended a seven-game win streak for 13-6 Northeastern.

LSC Weekly Release
Players of the Week
NORTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Dauntae Williams, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Guard, Missouri City, Texas/Elkins HS
Williams sparked UCO to a pair of LSC North Division wins by averaging 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals a game while shooting 63.6 percent (14 of 22) from the field, including 58.3 percent (7 of 12) from 3-point range. The junior guard had 15 points, seven assists and three steals while playing just 18 minutes in a 96-76 home rout of Southwestern Oklahoma, then scored a season-high 29 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in a 71-69 overtime win at Cameron. He made five 3-pointers in the Cameron win and assisted on the game-winning basket at the buzzer in overtime.

NORTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Jason Jones, Northeastern State, Sr., Center, Cahors, France
Jones and the RiverHawks had to rely on a stingy defense to keep their unbeaten LSC North streak alive last week. Northeastern State limited Southeastern Oklahoma to 28.3 percent field goal shooting in a 45-40 home win on Wednesday. On Saturday at East Central, which boasts the league’s highest scoring average, the RiverHawks gave up 67 points to the Tigers in a 79-67 win. ECU scored 16 points in the final 3:09 against RiverHawk reserves once Northeastern State had built a 73-51 cushion. The two opponents made only three 3-point field goals in 28 attempts (10.7). Northeastern State has won seven straight, is 13-5 overall and 4-0 in LSC North action.

SOUTH MEN’S OFFENSIVE
Flavio Milam, Texas A&M-Kingsville, Sr., Forward, Killeen, Texas/Ellison HS
Milam led the Javelinas to a much needed victory over visiting Angelo State, 97-91 in overtime. The win snapped a five-game losing streak. Milam scored a career high 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting from the field and made 3 of 6 three-point attempts. He also contributed defensively with two blocks and two steals in the winning effort.

SOUTH MEN’S DEFENSIVE
Donta Smith, Tarleton State, Jr., F, Baskin, La./Mangham HS
Donta Smith helped the Texans defense hold opponents to a 37.1 field goal percentage and an average of 46 points per game in two victories this week as Tarleton moved atop the LSC South Division standings. He led the Texans in rebounds (seven) in the victory at West Texas A&M that handed head coach Lonn Reisman his 450th win at Tarleton. He was second in rebounding (nine) in the win over Eastern New Mexico. This week, he had a total of 16 rebounds, 11 of which were defensive. He also led the squad with two blocks in the win over the Greyhounds and one against the Buffaloes. Smith also had two steals. The Texans hold a No. 3 ranking in the nation in field goal percentage defense and No. 5 in scoring defense.


Women's Basketball News


LSC Weekly Release
NORTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Ashley Beckley, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Forward, Turpin, Okla./Turpin HS
Beckley had a sensational week in leading UCO to a pair of LSC North Division wins as she returned to the starting lineup after playing sparingly in the previous two games because of injury. The junior forward averaged 22.0 points and 4.5 rebounds a game while shooting 68.0 percent (17 of 25) from the field and 83.3 percent (10 of 12) from the line. Beckley had 21 points on 10 of 16 shooting from the field in just 22 minutes of an 82-43 home rout of Southwestern Oklahoma, then was even more unstoppable in an 89-69 road rout of Cameron with a season-high 23 points in 21 minutes on 7 of 9 shooting from the field and a 9 of 9 effort from the line.

NORTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Jasmine Webb, Northeastern State, Jr., Post, Owasso, Okla./Owasso HS
Webb led Northeastern State’s defensive presence in two LSC North wins last week. She was charged with guarding the leading scorer for Southeastern Oklahoma and did so by holding her to two points, all of those coming in the final half, after the RiverHawks had built an insurmountable lead. SE was limited to 28.0 percent shooting on the night (14 of 50), 2 of 12 from the arc, and made 19 turnover in the 77-43 RiverHawks win. Webb and the RiverHawks also flexed its defensive muscle at East Central, especially in the final 20 minutes, as the Tigers converted 7 of 26 shots (26.9 percent) in the second half as NSU prevailed 90-69.

SOUTH WOMEN’S OFFENSIVE
Joni Unruh, West Texas A&M, Jr., Guard, Amarillo, Texas
Unruh’s hustle plays in two tough Lone Star Conference matchups made her tough to defend in the Lady Buffs’ two wins last week. She averaged 18 points per game and 6.5 boards per game. She also contributed five steals and dished out a team-leading nine assists. She shot 59.1 percent from the field in the two games. Against Midwestern State, Unruh was 7 of 14 from the field and 7 of 10 from the charity stripe to finish with 21 points, her first 20-plus outing in her career. She led all rebounders against Tarleton with eight boards and also tallied 15 points, four steals and five assists in that game. Unruh currently leads the team in assists and steals this season.

SOUTH WOMEN’S DEFENSIVE
Casie Adams, Angelo State, Sr., Forward, The Colony, Texas/The Colony HS
Adams led the ‘Belles in both games as ASU went 1-1 last week, including an upset of rival Abilene Christian. She helped the Rambelles hold opponents to 45.0 field goal percentage and 61 points per game. In Wednesday’s game at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Adams tied a career high with 11 rebounds, 10 defensive, and added eight points and a steal for the ‘Belles. In Saturday’s 57-52 home win over ACU, Adams had eight points and pulled downed a team-best six boards, all defensive, as ASU out-rebounded the top rebounding team in the conference. She averaged eight points and 8.5 rebounds over the two games while shooting 46 percent from the field.

Recruiting News
Josh Dorman (QB Birdville HS) has committed to Southwestern Oklahoma.

General News
ACU alum Johnny Knox picked for Pro Bowl
Chicago Bears receiver Johnny Knox, a former Abilene Christian University standout, was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster Monday, replacing Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin as the NFC’s kick returner.

Harvin, the first alternate at kick returner, made the team because Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson was voted onto the roster at receiver and kick returner. The NFL decided to fill the spot at which he received the fewest votes with another player. But when Harvin was scratched from the roster due to injury, it left the spot open for Knox, the second alternate to the Pro Bowl.

Knox, a rookie, was a bright spot this season for a struggling Bears team. He caught 45 passes for 527 yards and five scores and led the Bears (7-9) in kickoff returns, racking up 32 returns for 927 yards, including a 102-yard touchdown return against the Detroit Lions.




A&M-Kingsville hires women's golf coach
Noel Allen has been hired as Texas A&M-Kingsville first women’s golf coach, athletics director Ken Oliver announced Monday.

After a national search, Allen was hired to coach the university’s first golf team since 1982, which was the last year the Javelinas fielded a men’s team.

“Allen is exactly the type of person we were looking for to start our women’s golf program,” Oliver said. “She brings the energy, enthusiasm and experience that will put the women’s golf program on the fast track to competing for Lone Star Conference championships.”