By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Holiday breaks have given way to fast breaks in college basketball, and locally there’s action this evening with a doubleheader at Centenary’s Gold Dome and Saturday afternoon at Bossier Parish Community College’s Billy Montgomery Court.
Centenary’s doubleheader against Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Texas Lutheran tips at 5:30 with the Gents playing first, followed by the Ladies. The BPCC men host Lee at 2 Saturday.
The red-hot LSUS teams were in a Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader late Thursday at Hobbs, N.M. and will be playing at home next Thursday night.
MEN
Centenary: 7-6 overall, 2-2 in conference
Senior forward Seth Thomas leads the conference in scoring as he is averaging 19.5 PPG and ranks fourth in rebounding (8.1/game). Thomas capped off an impressive month by reaching double figures for the 13th-straight game in a 77-71 home win over Colorado College on Sunday. Thomas scored 22 points and just missed his fourth-straight double-double as he grabbed a team and game-high nine rebounds. He was a busy 15-18 from the free throw line in 37 minutes with four assists and a steal. He sank a pair clutch free throws with just three seconds remaining in the game to give the Gents a 69-68 victory over the Louisiana Christian University Wildcats in a non-conference contest in Pineville on Dec. 19.
Sunday’s win marked the Gents’ 39th victory in their last 47 home games. Centenary is 15-2 in its last 17 home games. (Notes courtesy Patrick Meehan, Centenary Athletics)
NEXT – Today, 5:30, home vs. Texas Lutheran; Sunday, noon, vs. Southwestern
Bossier Parish CC: 7-7 overall, 1-2 in conference
The Cavaliers have won their last two, including a 78-65 tuneup at home Wednesday over the Baton Rouge Aces. Braylan McNeal and X’Zaevion Barrett each scored 20 with McNeal snatching 16 rebounds. BPCC is scoring 78 per game, hitting 47 percent from the floor but only 64 percent at the free throw line.
NEXT – Saturday, 2:00, home vs. Lee College.
LSUS: 9-1 overall, 0-1 in conference (not including at Southwest, late Thursday)
The Pilots, as noted in Wednesday’s edition, are off to another strong season. They were ranked fourth in the Dec. 13 NAIA coaches’ Top 25 poll, but that was before an overtime loss at Langston and an exhibition loss Dec. 30 at North Texas.
NEXT – Saturday at Paul Quinn.
WOMEN
Centenary: 1-11 overall, 0-4 in conference
Sophomore guard Amiyah Barrow is fifth in the conference in scoring (13.6 PPG) and eighth in assists (2.6/game). She played all 40 minutes on Sunday against Colorado College for the fifth time this season and was 5-9 from the floor and 8-10 from the FT line with 18 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists. Barrow has reached double figures 11 times this season and done so nine straight times. (Notes courtesy Patrick Meehan, Centenary Athletics).
NEXT – Tonight, 7:30, home vs. Texas Lutheran; Sunday, 2:00, home vs. Southwestern
LSUS: 8-2 overall, 4-0 in conference (not including at Southwest, late Thursday)
The Lady Pilots are on an early-season roll with men’s coach Kyle Blankenship doing double duty, as chronicled in Wednesday’s edition in a story by John James Marshall.
NEXT – Saturday at Paul Quinn