By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD/Communications
A home weekend for Centenary basketball, the start of the stunt season for the college’s national top 10-ranked team and the beginning of lacrosse’s 2026 slate at home Saturday are the top sports headlines as the Kings Highway campus thaws out.
The Gents (4-12, 2-5 SCAC) return to action on Friday for the first of consecutive home games in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference basketball play as they face Austin College (5-12, 2-6 SCAC) in the Gold Dome at 5:30. The Maroon and White wrap up the weekend on Saturday at 4 against the University of Dallas (8-8, 4-3 SCAC).
Centenary fell 82-77 to Concordia last Friday at home before last Saturday’s game against Texas Lutheran University was postponed due to weather. The Gents held the Tornados to a season low in points. Concordia entered Friday’s contest third in the country in scoring offense, averaging a staggering 106.4 points, and have scored 100 or more 10 times this season.
Junior forward Dontarius Coleman, from Gibsland, led the Gents with a season-high 25 points as he finished 10-of-13 from the floor, 3-6 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 at the line in 32 minutes. Coleman added six rebounds, two blocked shots, and a steal.
The Ladies (3-13, 2-5 SCAC) snapped an eight-game losing streak Friday with their 63-62 victory over Concordia, capturing their first home game of the season. Saturday’s game against Texas Lutheran was postponed.
Senior guard Amiyah Barrow led all scorers with a season-high 20 points as she played 34 minutes and finished 8-10 from the floor, 2-2 from beyond the arc, and 2-2 at the FT line. The Ladies host Austin College (9-8, 6-2 SCAC) Friday at 7:30 and then on Saturday go against Dallas (3-13, 2-5 SCAC) at 6 in the Gold Dome.
STUNT: The Ladies are eighth in the country in the Division III preseason rankings — https://collegestunt.org/2026-rankings/
Centenary opens its season in the McNeese State Tournament on Sunday in Lake Charles, where they will face Texas Woman’s University and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Centenary will welcome Muskigum (Ohio) and McNeese to the Gold Dome on Sunday, Feb. 8. It will be a milestone day as the Ladies make their home debut as a program with the matches set for 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
LACROSSE OPENS SATURDAY AT HOME: The Gents host LaGrange College on Saturday at 1 at Atkins Field to launch their 2026 season.
Centenary, led by sixth-year head coach Billy LeClair, is set for 14 games this season – seven at home. Centenary will play Rhodes College on April 11 in its home finale and finish the regular season at Colorado College on April 15. The Gents’ roster features nine returners and 17 newcomers.
STAFF CHANGES: Morgan Dorsey, who has been head coach of the women’s soccer program for the past six years, is the new Assistant Athletics Director for Internal Operations and Senior Woman Administrator, Director of Athletics and Recreation David Orr announced.
Dorsey led the Ladies to an 8-4-0 record in her first season in 2020 which included a 4-3 mark in conference play and an appearance in the SCAC Tournament quarterfinals. She coached 19 All-SCAC selections in her tenure and eight Ladies were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Women’s Soccer Team in her six seasons.
Merlinn Campagna, who just completed her first season as an assistant coach with the Ladies, is Dorsey’s replacement.
THREE CENTENARY STUDENT-ATHLETES AT NCAA CONVENTION: The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference continued its long-standing commitment to student-athlete leadership and engagement last week, as 23 SCAC student-athletes attended the 2026 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C. With support from the NCAA Division III Strategic Initiative Grant, the trip marked the fifth time since 2012 that the conference has brought student-athletes to the Convention, pushing the total number of SCAC participants to 102 across five trips.
Student-athletes from all 12 SCAC member institutions attended. Centenary was represented by three student-athletes: Sam Brocato (men’s soccer) Lenny Forth (baseball), and Marie Smith (women’s soccer).
SAAC ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL: The SCAC announced its Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll for the 2025 fall term and 903 student-athletes competing in fall sports made the list – the highest fall total ever. Centenary had 75 student-athletes earn a spot on the team. Visit gocentenary.com for a full list.
Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu
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