By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director
After four near misses by a total of 11 points, first-year Centenary Gents basketball coach J.A. Anglin and his team were able to celebrate after the final buzzer Tuesday night.
Anglin, the Shreveport native who moved over this summer from Bossier Parish Community College to steer the Centenary program, got his first NCAA coaching victory in Marshall, Texas.
Senior guard Craig Collier nailed a 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining against the East Texas Baptist Tigers to give the Maroon and White a 64-62 win.
Collier finished with 15 points. Quentin Beverly had 19, Bryce Evans 12, and Jaden Braden had 10.
The Gents (1-6) have two one-point losses, and two more by a combined nine points – including a 73-67 defeat in the Gold Dome three weeks ago in their first meeting with ETBU. The tables turned Tuesday night.
Centenary returns to action on Friday night against Howard Payne in Brownwood, Texas at 7:30. The Gents are home again Friday, Dec. 19 against Mary Hardin-Baylor.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Centenary fell 93-27 at East Texas Baptist on Tuesday. The Tigers are now 9-1. The Ladies (2-6) play again Friday against Howard Payne in the first half of a doubleheader with the Gents.
Freshman guard Nakalyn Wells is off to an impressive start as going into Tuesday night’s game, she ranked eighth in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in scoring, seventh in assists, fifth in assist to turnover ratio, top 10 in free throw percentage (76.5) and eighth in minutes played. Wells has scored in double figures six times, is shooting 37.6 from the floor, and averages 5.4 rebounds/game – tied for second on the team.
Senior forward Kyra Stokes, a former Captain Shreve standout, is tied for 17th in the league in rebounding, is tied for fifth in the league in blocked shots (1.0) per game and has a pair of double-digit scoring performances.
LOCAL WOMEN’S SOCCER PLAYER HONORED: Senior Lowrey Lain, a former Haughton High star, was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Character & Community Female Student-Athlete of the Week. The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
Lain played in 50 matches with 31 starts in her career for the Ladies, contributing with two goals scored and one assist for five total points. She also served as a campus Ambassador, is a member of the Dean’s List, and a two-time member of the SCAC Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll.
WOMEN’S FLAG FOOTBALL: Morgan Dorsey has been named head coach of the Centenary women’s flag football team when it begins competition in the spring of 2027.
Dorsey, who just completed her sixth season as head coach of the women’s soccer program, will guide the Ladies in what will become the 19th varsity sport sponsored by the SCAC.
“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to begin building this program,” said Dorsey.
“Flag football is growing at a rapid pace, and I’m looking forward to sharing my love and experience with our student-athletes. Women’s flag football is coming to Centenary at the perfect time, as interest in women’s sports continues to rise nationwide,” she said.
Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. Nationally, more than 200 collegiate varsity and club teams are expected to compete in 2026, with nearly 40 more launching programs in 2027. Flag football also has been added as a sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
GYMNASTICS TO HOLD FREE INTRASQUAD FRIDAY: The Ladies gymnastics program will hold a free intrasquad on Friday from 4-6 p.m. at the Gold Dome.
Centenary’s regular season begins on Jan. 11 and the Ladies will host three home meets this season – on Feb. 6 and 15 and March 6.
Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu