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Congratulations to these two fine young men, who not only were good players but also were people with excellent character traits. I'm glad I had the privilege of covering their careers at Lamar State, and I believe they will be front-line players at Texas State.

The 2010-11 season finally ended Friday for the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team as they lost a heartbreaker to Cape Fear (NC) Community College, 66-63, in the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division I Tournament. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said the game was typical of the Seahawks' season – a hard-fought, tight contest that could have gone either way at the end. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones led the Seahawks with 17 points and had six assists. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman closed out his junior college career with a double-double, 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Roman Vaughn added 16 points. But in the end, it wasn't enough. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “We've been in situations like this many times this season and won. We've been a team known for comebacks. But today wasn't our day.” The loss was tough, but Cross said his team still had a very impressive season. “I couldn't be more proud of these guys,” he said. “They made some special accomplishments this year. Very few people thought we would win our conference championship and even be here at the national tournament. Only the best teams make it here, and we were one of those teams.” Cape Fear head coach Ryan Mantlo said the teams at this year's tournament were very equal. “There are so many good player. None of the 16 teams had much separation,” Mantlo said. “Lamar State's zone gave us a lot of trouble, and we were able to hold on at the end.” Lamar State broke on top 13-6 in a slow starting first half, but then allowed Cape Fear to go on a 15-2 run to lead 21-15 with seven minutes remaining. The Sea Devils led by eight, 34-26, at the 2:00 mark. The Seahawks cut that to 34-29 at the break. The second half offered more of the same. Cape Fear pulled away by eight, 44-36, in the first five minutes. Lamar State pulled back to a one-point deficit by the mid-point of the period, 51-50, and tied the game at 56-56 on two Vonn Jones free throws. The final minutes were nail-biting time for both teams. Sophomore center Gordon Ball got a layup, was fouled and made a free throw to put the Seahawks up 63-60 with 3:02 left. Cape Fear made to free throws to lead 66-63 with 14.9 on the clock. Lamar State took the ball out in their front court, but committed a turnover. The Sea Devils returned the favor with a turnover of their own on their in-bounds play. The Seahawks had a final opportunity to score, but couldn't get a good shot before time expired and their season ended.

The 2010-11 season finally ended Friday for the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team as they lost a heartbreaker to Cape Fear (NC) Community College, 66-63, in the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division I Tournament. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said the game was typical of the Seahawks' season – a hard-fought, tight contest that could have gone either way at the end. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones led the Seahawks with 17 points and had six assists. Sophomore guard Keenen Coleman closed out his junior college career with a double-double, 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Roman Vaughn added 16 points. But in the end, it wasn't enough. LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said, “We've been in situations like this many times this season and won. We've been a team known for comebacks. But today wasn't our day.” The loss was tough, but Cross said his team still had a very impressive season. “I couldn't be more proud of these guys,” he said. “They made some special accomplishments this year. Very few people thought we would win our conference championship and even be here at the national tournament. Only the best teams make it here, and we were one of those teams.” Cape Fear head coach Ryan Mantlo said the teams at this year's tournament were very equal. “There are so many good player. None of the 16 teams had much separation,” Mantlo said. “Lamar State's zone gave us a lot of trouble, and we were able to hold on at the end.” Lamar State broke on top 13-6 in a slow starting first half, but then allowed Cape Fear to go on a 15-2 run to lead 21-15 with seven minutes remaining. The Sea Devils led by eight, 34-26, at the 2:00 mark. The Seahawks cut that to 34-29 at the break. The second half offered more of the same. Cape Fear pulled away by eight, 44-36, in the first five minutes. Lamar State pulled back to a one-point deficit by the mid-point of the period, 51-50, and tied the game at 56-56 on two Vonn Jones free throws. The final minutes were nail-biting time for both teams. Sophomore center Gordon Ball got a layup, was fouled and made a free throw to put the Seahawks up 63-60 with 3:02 left. Cape Fear made to free throws to lead 66-63 with 14.9 on the clock. Lamar State took the ball out in their front court, but committed a turnover. The Sea Devils returned the favor with a turnover of their own on their in-bounds play. The Seahawks had a final opportunity to score, but couldn't get a good shot before time expired and their season ended.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur head Coach Matt Cross has been saying all season that his basketball team has a lot of heart and determination. The Seahawks certainly proved it Thursday at the NJCAA Division I Tournament, when they rebounded from their 70-52 first-round loss to No. 19 Monroe College with an impressive 69-62 victory No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains. MSU-WP was upset by No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College, 77-66, in the first round. Lamar State pulled away early and led by 15 points, 18-3, at the midway point of the first half on 50 percent shooting from the field. A defensive letdown allowed Missouri State to put up a 15-4 run with three-point shots from the corners that tightened the score to 22-18 with five minutes left in the half. The Seahawks finally regained their composure and went on a 12-4 run to lead by 10 at the break, 34-24. Lamar State came out cold in the second half and turned the ball over several times in the first three minutes to allow Missouri State to take the lead, 36-35. The Grizzlies led by eight points, 53-45, with 8:40 left, before the Seahawks started focusing their efforts on both ends of the floor. Reserve forward Darrion Booker got a put-back basket to tie the game 58-58 at the 3:14 mark. The Seahawks took control at that point and pulled away for their 26th win of the season. LSC-PA sophomore guard Vonn Jones, who scored only seven points Tuesday, led all scorers with 19 points. Booker had a big game in the post with nine rebounds and 17 points, including nine free throws. Keenen Coleman hit for 10 points, and Roman Vaughn, who had the flu and was a non-factor Tuesday, added nine for the Seahawks. Twann Oakley led MSU with 17 points, including five treys. The win was the fifth against a nationally-ranked team this year for the Seahawks, who previously defeated No. 4. San Jacinto College, No. 9 Trinity Valley Community College, No. 21 Shelton State  Community College and No. 34 Jacksonville College. Lamar State will play at 1 p.m. Friday against Cape Fear (NC) Community College, which came into the tournament unranked with a 24-7 record. The Sea Devils lost to Tallahassee (FL) Community College, 64-61, in the opening round and eliminated Redlands (OK) Community College on Thursday, 93-83.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur head Coach Matt Cross has been saying all season that his basketball team has a lot of heart and determination. The Seahawks certainly proved it Thursday at the NJCAA Division I Tournament, when they rebounded from their 70-52 first-round loss to No. 19 Monroe College with an impressive 69-62 victory No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains. MSU-WP was upset by No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College, 77-66, in the first round. Lamar State pulled away early and led by 15 points, 18-3, at the midway point of the first half on 50 percent shooting from the field. A defensive letdown allowed Missouri State to put up a 15-4 run with three-point shots from the corners that tightened the score to 22-18 with five minutes left in the half. The Seahawks finally regained their composure and went on a 12-4 run to lead by 10 at the break, 34-24. Lamar State came out cold in the second half and turned the ball over several times in the first three minutes to allow Missouri State to take the lead, 36-35. The Grizzlies led by eight points, 53-45, with 8:40 left, before the Seahawks started focusing their efforts on both ends of the floor. Reserve forward Darrion Booker got a put-back basket to tie the game 58-58 at the 3:14 mark. The Seahawks took control at that point and pulled away for their 26th win of the season. LSC-PA sophomore guard Vonn Jones, who scored only seven points Tuesday, led all scorers with 19 points. Booker had a big game in the post with nine rebounds and 17 points, including nine free throws. Keenen Coleman hit for 10 points, and Roman Vaughn, who had the flu and was a non-factor Tuesday, added nine for the Seahawks. Twann Oakley led MSU with 17 points, including five treys. The win was the fifth against a nationally-ranked team this year for the Seahawks, who previously defeated No. 4. San Jacinto College, No. 9 Trinity Valley Community College, No. 21 Shelton State  Community College and No. 34 Jacksonville College. Lamar State will play at 1 p.m. Friday against Cape Fear (NC) Community College, which came into the tournament unranked with a 24-7 record. The Sea Devils lost to Tallahassee (FL) Community College, 64-61, in the opening round and eliminated Redlands (OK) Community College on Thursday, 93-83.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team must rise to the challenge Thursday, when the Seahawks face No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains at noon in the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division I Tournament. This is make-or-break time for the Seahawks. The loser of Thursday's game will be eliminated, while the winner moves on to play Friday in pursuit of seventh or eighth place in the tournament. Both the Seahawks and the Grizzlies had first-round losses --  Lamar State fell to No. 10 Monroe College (NY), 70-52, while Missouri State was upset by No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College, 77-66. Lamar State never got its offense on track Tuesday. Leading scorers Keenen Coleman, Roman Vaughn and Vonn Jones, who came into the game averaging 15.6, 15.1 and 12.6 points, respectively, were ineffective. Coleman went 4-of-16 from the field and added a pair of free throws for nine points. Vaughn, who was recovering from the flu, was 1-of-8, including several air balls, and spent most of the second half on the bench with two points. Monroe defenders kept the ball out of Jones' hands. He put up just five shots and two free throws for seven points. The Mustangs out-rebounded the Seahawks, 44-31, and got 25 points off LSC-PA's 24 turnovers. Missouri State trailed the entire game against Coffeyville, which used its deeper bench to keep the Grizzlies at bay and break MSU's 17-game winning streak. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross and MSU head coach Yancy Walker were frustrated with their team's performances. Both men hope their offense returns to regular season form. Cross hopes his team finds the spark they had when they won the Region XIV championship a week ago. “Ever since we have got off the bus in Kansas, we had no legs. That, coupled with Roman and Ray (Lewis) being sick, made it tough on us last night,” Cross said. “The other side is the mental factor. Being our first time in the national spotlight, I don't think we handled the environment the way this team is capable of. Yet we were still right there and had our opportunities to take control of the game.” A day of rest should help, Cross said. “Tomorrow, we get a chance to bounce back and show why we are champions when we come up against the No. 1 team in the nation,” Cross said. “This will be another great opportunity our team, which already has proved it can overcome adversity and beat highly-ranked teams.”

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men's basketball team must rise to the challenge Thursday, when the Seahawks face No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains at noon in the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division I Tournament. This is make-or-break time for the Seahawks. The loser of Thursday's game will be eliminated, while the winner moves on to play Friday in pursuit of seventh or eighth place in the tournament. Both the Seahawks and the Grizzlies had first-round losses --  Lamar State fell to No. 10 Monroe College (NY), 70-52, while Missouri State was upset by No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College, 77-66. Lamar State never got its offense on track Tuesday. Leading scorers Keenen Coleman, Roman Vaughn and Vonn Jones, who came into the game averaging 15.6, 15.1 and 12.6 points, respectively, were ineffective. Coleman went 4-of-16 from the field and added a pair of free throws for nine points. Vaughn, who was recovering from the flu, was 1-of-8, including several air balls, and spent most of the second half on the bench with two points. Monroe defenders kept the ball out of Jones' hands. He put up just five shots and two free throws for seven points. The Mustangs out-rebounded the Seahawks, 44-31, and got 25 points off LSC-PA's 24 turnovers. Missouri State trailed the entire game against Coffeyville, which used its deeper bench to keep the Grizzlies at bay and break MSU's 17-game winning streak. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross and MSU head coach Yancy Walker were frustrated with their team's performances. Both men hope their offense returns to regular season form. Cross hopes his team finds the spark they had when they won the Region XIV championship a week ago. “Ever since we have got off the bus in Kansas, we had no legs. That, coupled with Roman and Ray (Lewis) being sick, made it tough on us last night,” Cross said. “The other side is the mental factor. Being our first time in the national spotlight, I don't think we handled the environment the way this team is capable of. Yet we were still right there and had our opportunities to take control of the game.” A day of rest should help, Cross said. “Tomorrow, we get a chance to bounce back and show why we are champions when we come up against the No. 1 team in the nation,” Cross said. “This will be another great opportunity our team, which already has proved it can overcome adversity and beat highly-ranked teams.”

Lamar State College-Port Arthur (BTW: there is NO Lamar University-Port Arthur) will play No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains at noon Thursday. The Grizzlies lost, 77-65, to No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College in the final game on Tuesday night.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur dropped into the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division I Tournament with a Tuesday night 70-52 loss to No. 10 Monroe College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team needed to play “perfect” basketball if they wanted to beat the Mustangs. But the closest the Seahawks came to perfect was holding Monroe's two leading scorers, Jeff Early and Davon Marshall, to just six points. Unfortunately, three other Mustangs made up the difference, scoring in double digits, while they smothered LSC-PA's leading scorers, Vonn Jones and Keenen Coleman. Jones, who had 30 points against San Jacinto College in the Region XIV championship game, took just three shots from the field and scored seven points, while Coleman collected nine points on a 4-of-16 night, including one of six three-point attempts. The unranked Seahawks came into the game with starting forward Roman Vaughn and reserve guard Ray Lewis recovering from the flu. Lewis said he felt much better, but Vaughn wasn't his usual self, throwing up several air balls and scoring only two points before taking a seat on the bench midway through the second half. Cross said, “Roman and Vonn have been the keys to our success much of the season, and they weren't able to do much tonight. Our team just didn't have the same energy and spark they had last week. We couldn't get our shots to fall, couldn't get rebounds, and our defense certainly was lacking.” Turnovers played a factor in the game, although both teams committed 24. Monroe took advantage of their opportunities, hitting 20 points off turnovers and 12 second-chance points. Lamar State never got their offense going in the first half, shooting only 26 percent from the field, while Monroe hit 46 percent and got 10 points off 13 Seahawk turnovers. But the Seahawks didn't forget how to play defense, collecting nine steals and converting them to keep the game close, 27-23 at halftime. The second half started the same, but Lamar State errors, coupled with fortunate bounces for the Mustangs, let Monroe pull ahead by 12 points with nine minutes remaining in the game. The Seahawks cut the lead to 52-44 with five minutes left, but then the wheels came off and Monroe pulled away for the win. Lamar State will play at noon Thursday against No. l Missouri State University-West Plains, which lost 77-65 to No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur dropped into the consolation bracket of the NJCAA Division I Tournament with a A Tuesday night 70-52 loss to No. 10 Monroe College. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said his team needed to play “perfect” basketball if they wanted to beat the Mustangs. But the closest the Seahawks came to perfect was holding Monroe's two leading scorers, Jeff Early and Davon Marshall, to just six points. Unfortunately, three other Mustangs made up the difference, scoring in double digits, while they smothered LSC-PA's leading scorers, Vonn Jones and Keenen Coleman. Jones, who had 30 points against San Jacinto College in the Region XIV championship game, took just three shots from the field and scored seven points, while Coleman collected nine points on a 4-of-16 night, including one of six three-point attempts. The unranked Seahawks came into the game with starting forward Roman Vaughn and reserve guard Ray Lewis recovering from the flu. Lewis said he felt much better, but Vaughn wasn't his usual self, throwing up several air balls and scoring only two points before taking a seat on the bench midway through the second half. Cross said, “Roman and Vonn have been the keys to our success much of the season, and they weren't able to do much tonight. Our team just didn't have the same energy and spark they had last week. We couldn't get our shots to fall, couldn't get rebounds, and our defense certainly was lacking.” Turnovers played a factor in the game, although both teams committed 24. Monroe took advantage of their opportunities, hitting 20 points off turnovers and 12 second-chance points. Lamar State never got their offense going in the first half, shooting only 26 percent from the field, while Monroe hit 46 percent and got 10 points off 13 Seahawk turnovers. But the Seahawks didn't forget how to play defense, collecting nine steals and converting them to keep the game close, 27-23 at halftime. The second half started the same, but Lamar State errors, coupled with fortunate bounces for the Mustangs, let Monroe pull ahead by 12 points with nine minutes remaining in the game. The Seahawks cut the lead to 52-44 with five minutes left, but then the wheels came off and Monroe pulled away for the win. Lamar State will play at noon Thursday against No. l Missouri State University-West Plains, which lost 77-65 to No. 6 Coffeyville (KS) Community College.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur head basketball coach Matt Cross has been named the District 14 Coach of the Year. Cross earned the accolade after his seventh-seeded Seahawks defeated three nationally-ranked teams, including No. 4 San Jacinto College and No. 9 Trinity Valley Community College, on their way to capturing the Region XIV championship and a berth in the NJCAA Division 1 Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Hutchinson, KS. Sports writers across the country continue to marvel at the post-season success of Lamar State, which won a school record 21 games in the regular season, followed by four victories in the conference tournament. Phrases ranging from “shocking upset” to “improbable run” to “mind-boggling feat” to “uncharted territory” showed up in news stories and opinion columns about the Seahawks. Cross doesn't see his team's record-setting accomplishment as a miracle. He sees it as the product of hard work, discipline and very tough defensive work by players he describes as “great kids who have tremendous character and tremendous heart.” That character and heart was tested often in the Region XIV Tournament. The Seahawks were 20 points down and nine and a half minutes from elimination in their first-round game against Kilgore College, before coming back to win in overtime. Lamar State easily handled No. 9 Trinity Valley Community College in the quarterfinals, but had to overcome double-digit deficits against Jacksonville College in the semi-final. In the championship game, the seventh-seeded Seahawks trailed San Jacinto by 16 points with 17 minutes remaining, then staged a 29-7 run to claim the lead and hold off the top-seeded Ravens, 72-67. When he was introduced as the Lamar State's third head coach in 2009, Cross talked about winning a national championship. Most observers thought that was nice oratory, but not very likely, especially on the short term considering that this is only Lamar State's seventh season of intercollegiate basketball and Cross' second year at the helm. But the Seahawks and Cross believe they can win it all. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones, the MVP of the Region XIV Tournament, and sophomore guard Dion Waiters told reporters Thursday that they and their teammates are confident that they will return to Port Arthur with a national championship. Lamar State begins that quest at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Hutchinson Sports Arena, where they will will face another highly-rated team that isn't used to losing. No. 10 Monroe College (28-4) from Bronx, NY, comes into the tournament after winning 19 straight games. The Mustangs went undefeated in conference play for the second straight year.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur head basketball coach Matt Cross has been named the District 14 Coach of the Year. Cross earned the accolade after his seventh-seeded Seahawks defeated three nationally-ranked teams, including No. 4 San Jacinto College and No. 9 Trinity Valley Community College, on their way to capturing the Region XIV championship and a berth in the NJCAA Division 1 Tournament, which begins Tuesday in Hutchinson, KS. Sports writers across the country continue to marvel at the post-season success of Lamar State, which won a school record 21 games in the regular season, followed by four victories in the conference tournament. Phrases ranging from “shocking upset” to “improbable run” to “mind-boggling feat” to “uncharted territory” showed up in news stories and opinion columns about the Seahawks. Cross doesn't see his team's record-setting accomplishment as a miracle. He sees it as the product of hard work, discipline and very tough defensive work by players he describes as “great kids who have tremendous character and tremendous heart.” That character and heart was tested often in the Region XIV Tournament. The Seahawks were 20 points down and nine and a half minutes from elimination in their first-round game against Kilgore College, before coming back to win in overtime. Lamar State easily handled No. 9 Trinity Valley Community College in the quarterfinals, but had to overcome double-digit deficits against Jacksonville College in the semi-final. In the championship game, the seventh-seeded Seahawks trailed San Jacinto by 16 points with 17 minutes remaining, then staged a 29-7 run to claim the lead and hold off the top-seeded Ravens, 72-67. When he was introduced as the Lamar State's third head coach in 2009, Cross talked about winning a national championship. Most observers thought that was nice oratory, but not very likely, especially on the short term considering that this is only Lamar State's seventh season of intercollegiate basketball and Cross' second year at the helm. But the Seahawks and Cross believe they can win it all. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones, the MVP of the Region XIV Tournament, and sophomore guard Dion Waiters told reporters Thursday that they and their teammates are confident that they will return to Port Arthur with a national championship. Lamar State begins that quest at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Hutchinson Sports Arena, where they will will face another highly-rated team that isn't used to losing. No. 10 Monroe College (28-4) from Bronx, NY, comes into the tournament after winning 19 straight games. The Mustangs went undefeated in conference play for the second straight year.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team climbed a huge hill last week in Tyler, where they started as the seventh seed and won the Region XIV championship after defeating three nationally-ranked teams, capped by a 72-67 victory over No. 4 San Jacinto College. The 25-9 Seahawks now are preparing to climb an even higher hill as they prepare to face the 28-4 Monroe College Mustangs from Bronx, New York, next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the opening round of the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. The NJCAA tournament is a two-loss elimination event (www.njcaabbtrny.org/pdfs/bracket_2011.pdf) featuring 16 teams. This year’s field includes eight teams that were ranked in the Top 36 in the final NJCAA weekly poll – No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains, No. 2 College of Southern Idaho, No. 3 Midland College (TX), No. 6 Coffeyville Community College (KS), No. 10 Wabash Valley Community College (IL), No. 12 East Mississippi Community College, No. 19 Monroe College and No. 35 Cape Fear Community College (NC). Monroe College has a well-established basketball program with a .726 winning percentage over the past 10 years. Over the same time period, the Mustangs won four Region XV championships and finished seventh in last year’s NJCAA tournament. Monroe went undefeated in Region XV play for the second straight year. The Mustangs’ last loss was a Dec. 12 non-conference game. They closed the season with 15 straight wins, followed by three post-season victories, capped by a 79-78 overtime contest with Hagerstown Community College to earn the tournament berth. Monroe’s leading scorer, Jeff Early, was the Region XV Player of the Year. Coach Jeff Brustad was the Coach of the Year. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said Monroe will provide a tough test for his team. “They are extremely athletic. The guards are really quick, and the inside players are very good. But we’ve already seen teams this year that were comparable, especially in our conference, which is one of the toughest in the country,” Cross said. “Everyone’s equal when the game begins. We’re ready for Tuesday’s tipoff and plan to come home with a national championship.” NJCAA will provide live and archived video of each game at www.njcaa.org/tv and www.psblive.com.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team climbed a huge hill last week in Tyler, where they started as the seventh seed and won the Region XIV championship after defeating three nationally-ranked teams, capped by a 72-67 victory over No. 4 San Jacinto College. The 25-9 Seahawks now are preparing to climb an even higher hill as they prepare to face the 28-4 Monroe College Mustangs from Bronx, New York, next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the opening round of the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division I Championship Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. The NJCAA tournament is a two-loss elimination event (www.njcaabbtrny.org/pdfs/bracket_2011.pdf) featuring 16 teams. This year’s field includes eight teams that were ranked in the Top 36 in the final NJCAA weekly poll – No. 1 Missouri State University-West Plains, No. 2 College of Southern Idaho, No. 3 Midland College (TX), No. 6 Coffeyville Community College (KS), No. 10 Wabash Valley Community College (IL), No. 12 East Mississippi Community College, No. 19 Monroe College and No. 35 Cape Fear Community College (NC). Monroe College has a well-established basketball program with a .726 winning percentage over the past 10 years. Over the same time period, the Mustangs won four Region XV championships and finished seventh in last year’s NJCAA tournament. Monroe went undefeated in Region XV play for the second straight year. The Mustangs’ last loss was a Dec. 12 non-conference game. They closed the season with 15 straight wins, followed by three post-season victories, capped by a 79-78 overtime contest with Hagerstown Community College to earn the tournament berth. Monroe’s leading scorer, Jeff Early, was the Region XV Player of the Year. Coach Jeff Brustad was the Coach of the Year. Lamar State head coach Matt Cross said Monroe will provide a tough test for his team. “They are extremely athletic. The guards are really quick, and the inside players are very good. But we’ve already seen teams this year that were comparable, especially in our conference, which is one of the toughest in the country,” Cross said. “Everyone’s equal when the game begins. We’re ready for Tuesday’s tipoff and plan to come home with a national championship.” NJCAA will provide live and archived video of each game at www.njcaa.org/tv and www.psblive.com.

Tyler, Tx. -- Sophomore guard Vonn Jones put on a 30-point tournament MVP performance Monday in Tyler as the Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks won the Region XIV championship after stopping the No. 4 junior college team in the nation, San Jacinto College, 72-67, in the Herrington Patriot Center at the University of Texas-Tyler. The start of the men's championship game was delayed 30 minutes by overtime in the women's championship game between Lon Morris College and Trinity Valley Community College. San Jacinto breezed through the quarterfinal and semi-final rounds of the tournament, winning by more than 20 points. But the Ravens didn't find the going as easy against Lamar State. The game was close for the first 18 minutes of the first half. But then, San Jacinto's big men scored several put-backs to put the Ravens up by 11 points at halftime, 39-28. Sophomore guard Vonn Jones, the tournament MVP, put up 12 first half points for the Seahawks, who hit only 36 percent from the field and missed six of seven free throws by halftime. The Ravens pulled away by 16 points early in the second period with three-pointers and strong inside play. But the Seahawks slowly cut the deficit and tied 57-57 with seven minutes remaining on a three-pointer by Jones. The game was tight in the final minutes, but the Seahawks maintained control to come away with the win and a trip to the NJCAA Division Championship Tournament, March 15-17 in Hutchinson, Kansas.. Jones led all scorers with 30 points. Keenen Coleman and Dion Waiters added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Marsell Holden paced San Jacinto with 21 points.