Centenary Athletics: Winter 2024 Recap
The Winter sports season has come and gone, so let's take a look back at the highlights …
The Winter sports season has come and gone, so let's take a look back at the highlights …
Men's Basketball
The Gents had one of their finest seasons in program history as they won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.
Centenary, led by seventh-year head Chris Dorsey, finished 17-12 overall and 9-7 in league play during the regular season. The Gents finished third in the conference behind Trinity University and the University of St. Thomas to earn the No. 3 seed in the tournament – one which the Maroon and White had the pleasure of hosting at the Gold Dome.
The Gents, hosting the SCAC Championship for the first time since 2016, were fueled by a frenzied crowd three days in a row as they defeated Schreiner University in the quarterfinals by a score of 76-75, St. Thomas in the semifinals (64-51), and defeated Colorado College in the title game by a score of 83-76. The quarterfinal win over Schreiner was Dorsey's 100th in his Centenary tenure as he is now 102-72 in his seven seasons at the helm.
Centenary fell 58-41 to the nationally-ranked Nebraska Wesleyan University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio on March 1 but held the high-scoring Prairie Wolves to their lowest number of points scored all season.
Centenary, as always under Dorsey's leadership, was an excellent defensive team as the Maroon and White held 15 of their 29 opponents to 70 points or less during the season and 10 to 65 points or less. The Gents have finished .500 or better in all seven seasons under Dorsey, have made three trips to the SCAC championship game along with four semifinal appearances and finished the season winners of eight of their final 11 games. The Gents finished 11-3 on their home court this season counting the regular season and conference tournament and are now 22-5 in their last 27 home games and have won 46 of 53 overall.
The Gents, as a team, averaged 73.9 PPG, shot 41.6 % from the floor, 32.8 % from beyond the arc, 70.5 % from the FT line, and averaged 33.9 rebounds per game and 11.4 assists/game. Centenary was once again a well-rounded team as the Maroon and White found themselves ranked nationally in multiple statistical categories on both sides of the ball:
Ranked 17th in Turnover Margin (4.6)
Ranked 23rd in Turnovers Forced Per Game (16.8) and forced 488 total this season.
Tied for 74th in 3-point baskets made per game (8.7) with 251 made this season.
Ranked 64th in Field-Goal Percentage Defense (40.8 %)
Ranked 78th in Steals Per Game (8.6)
Five Gents earned All-SCAC honors - Senior F Seth Thomas (Kilgore, Texas), sophomore G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas), junior G Craig Collier (North Little Rock, Ark.), junior F Jakobi Greenleaf (Houston, Texas), and senior G AJ Hall (Thibodaux, La.). Thomas earned First-Team honors while the other four Gents earned Honorable-Mention recognition. Senior G Chrys Jackson (North Las Vegas, Nev.) was named to the 2023-24 SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
Thomas posted another stellar season as he cemented himself as one of the top players in D3 program history. He earned All-conference honors for the fourth-straight season as he garnered First-Team All-SCAC honors and was named to the 2024 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team. He was named to the 2023-24 LSWA All-Louisiana Men's Basketball team, earning Honorable-Mention honors, as he was one of just six players from a non-division 1 school to make the team.
During the regular season he ranked fifth in the SCAC in scoring, third in rebounding, and second in assists in the regular season. He reached double figures a staggering 23 times (21 times in the regular season and twice in the conference tournament (and posted five double-doubles). Thomas ranked in the top 15 in the conference during the regular season in assist to turnover ratio, minutes played, defensive rebounds, blocked shots, FG %, steals, free throw %, and 3-point FG made during the regular season.
Thomas recorded six double-digit rebounding performances and scored 20+ points eight times highlighted by a career-high 34 points at Dallas on Dec. 2. Thomas averaged 33.6 minutes/game and played 38 or more five times. He hit multiple 3-point baskets in game 10 times, had two+ steals 19 times, two+ assists 23 times, and two+ blocked shots six times. He made 10 or more free throws in a game six times this season with a season-high of 15 in 18 attempts on Dec. 31 versus Colorado College. Thomas was named the SCAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week twice this season.
Beverly had an impressive season as he averaged 9.2 PPG, 2.3 rebounds per game, shot 42.1 % from the floor, 38.7 % from beyond the arc, and 71.8 % from the FT line. Beverly reached double figures 12 times and did so in his final four games of the regular season and in eight of his last 11 games. He scored a career-high 30 points in a 97-64 win at Dallas on Jan. 20 and added 23 points against Texas Lutheran on Feb. 9. He was one of the league's deadliest long-range shooters as he hit two or more treys in a game 10 times during the season and did so in five-straight games to end the regular season. He finished in the top 30 in the league in scoring, top 15 in both 3-point FG made and 3-point FG %. He nailed seven 3-point baskets in his 30-point performance against Dallas which are the third-most in a game this season by a SCAC player and he is just the sixth different SCAC player to score 30 or more points in a game.
Collier joined the Gents after transferring from Hendrix College, made an impact as he has played in 26 games and made 19 starts and is averaging 9.2 PPG, 2.2 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists/game and 1.0 steals/game. He scored in double figures 11 times, topped 20 points twice, and scored 13 or more eight times with a season high of 26 against Texas Lutheran at home on Jan. 5. Collier finished in the top 10 in the conference during the regular season in 3-point FG's made and in the top 15 in 3-point FG %.
Greenleaf made an immediate impact in his first season with the Gents as he has reached double figures 13 times, was top five in the league in FG %, and ranked in the top 25 in the league during the regular season in both scoring and rebounding. He posted a pair of double-digit rebounding performances and had two double-doubles. He had 13 games with at least two assists and 10 games with two+ steals. Seven of his double-digit scoring performances during the regular season came in conference play.
Hall averaged 8.8 PPG, shot 48.2 % from the floor and also earned a spot on the SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team as he scored 30 points in the three wins including 16 off the bench in the win over St. Thomas as he was 4-7 from beyond the arc and 2-2 at the free throw line with five rebounds. He also scored 11 against Schreiner and hit a pair of treys. Hall finished the season shooting 38.7 % from 3-point range, and 80.6 % from the FT line. He reached double figures 10 times during the season and topped 20 points three times. He ranked in the top 10 in the SCAC in FG %, the top 30 in the league in scoring, and in the top 15 in both 3-point baskets made and 3-point FG %. Hall hit two more 3-point baskets in a game 10 times with a season-best five at Trinity on Jan. 13. He hit 13 treys in a four-game span from Jan. 7-19 as he was 65 % from beyond the arc in those four games.
Senior G Tykeem Singleton (Fort Worth, Texas) was named the SCAC Championship Tournament MVP after a career-best 33 points in the title game as he was a sizzling 12-14 from the field, and perfect from both the 3-point line (5-5) and the free throw line (4-4). Trailing 41-37 just before halftime in the title game against Colorado College, he gave the Gents some momentum as he drained a 3-pointer from just past half court at the buzzer to make it a 41-40 game. In the three weekend games, he averaged 15.7 PPG and totaled 12 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a blocked shot. Singleton became just the fifth player in SCAC championship game history to score at least 30 points and his 33 points are tied for second most in a SCAC title game. He scored in double figures five times during the season. Singleton averaged 8.8 PPG, 4.5 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals/game and reached double figures five times. He shot 31.3 % from beyond the arc and a solid 76.9 % from the FT line.
Beverly, Singleton, and Thomas each recorded an individual game with 30 points or more and Thomas' 34 points at Dallas on Dec. 2 were the second-most scored in a game by a SCAC player this season and Singleton's 33 in the SCAC title game are tied for the fourth-most and he became just the fifth player in SCAC history to score at least 30 points in the championship game.
Men's Swimming
The Gents finished seventh at the SCAC Championships in February in Garland, Texas, tallying 161 points to finish well ahead of eighth-place St. Thomas (32 points).
Centenary finished second in five meets during the regular season and in its Jan. 10 home meet against Millsaps, the Gents earned an impressive 14 individual top-10 finishes.
Sophomore Jameson Feeney (Shreveport, La.) and senior Aiden Peterkin (Zachary, La.) were named to the 2023-24 Academic All-District® Men's Swimming & Diving Team by the College Sports Communicators, the organization announced earlier this month. Feeney earned the honor for the first time in his career while Peterkin landed on the prestigious team for the second year in a row. Peterkin was also named to the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
A pair of rookie - Nick Gordon (Aurora, Colo.) and Ubaldo Ayala (Hallsville, Texas) had impressive debut seasons for the Gents as Gordon was named the SCAC Men's Swimmer of the Week on Oct. 9 as he recorded five top-three individual finishes in the Gents' first two meets of the season. Ayala earned three top-10 finishes in his first weekend of action. Senior Antonio Barbee (Plaquemine, La.), Feeney, and Peterkin all turned in solid seasons as each picked up individual wins, runner-up finishes, and several top-five and top-10 finishes.
Women's Basketball
The Ladies, under the direction of head coach Paul Reed, finished their 2023-24 season with a 2-22 record and finished 1-15 in SCAC play. Centenary landed three players on the All-conference team - sophomore G Amiyah Barrow (Baton Rouge, La.), sophomore G TaNyjah Plumber (Kinder, La.), and sophomore F Kyra Stokes (Shreveport, La.).
Centenary finished the season as one of the conference's top free-throw shooting teams (71.2 %) and ranked 90th nationally. The Ladies shot 70 % or better from the FT line 16 times during the season and did so in their final six games and shot 75 % or better nine times. Centenary was also a strong defensive club as the Maroon and White held nine opponents to 70 points or less.
Plumber, who earned Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors, played in 23 games and averaged a team-best 12.5 PPG (fifth in conference), reaching double figures an impressive 15 times. She shot 70.3 % from the FT line and scored a career-high 29 points at Colorado College on Feb. 2. She played the second-most minutes in the conference (33.0/game) and ranked in the top 15 in the league in both 3-point FG % and 3-point FG's made.
Barrow, named to the All-SCAC Third Team, finished second on the team in scoring (11.8 PPG) which ranked sixth in the league and reached double figures 15 times. She shot a team-best 42.6 % from the field which ranked in the top 10 in the league. Barrow proved to be one of the SCAC's top all-around players as she also ranked sixth in assists (67/2.9/game), 11th in FT % (72.8 %), seventh in 3-point FG % (35.4 %), and ranked in the top 15 in both defensive and offensive rebounds. Barrow also led the league in minutes played, averaging 34.7 minutes per game and played 40 minutes seven times.
Stokes followed up an impressive rookie season by being named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC as she averaged 8.3 PPG (third on team) and was the Ladies' leading rebounder at 6.8 boards per game. Stokes, who reached double figures eight times, finished second in the league in blocked shots (35 total - 1.5/game) and third in rebounding.
Senior F Amelia Bagwell (West Monroe, La.) was the Ladies' lone senior and finished her impressive five-year career by playing in 87 games with 44 starts and scored 413 points and grabbed 374 rebounds. Bagwell battled through injuries all season that caused her to miss nine games in the middle of the season, but she managed to play 16 games and made 11 starts as she averaged 5.6 PPG and 3.9 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 14 points at Southern Arkansas on Nov. 18.
Sophomore F Layla Powell (Fort Worth, Texas) had a solid season for the Ladies after transferring in from University of the Ozarks. She played in 23 games and made 22 starts while averaging 7.8 PPG, 3.1 rebounds/game, 1.1 assists/game and 1.0 steals/game. She reached double figures five times and scored a season-high 22 against Schreiner at home on Feb. 16. Powell was named to the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
Freshman G Mallory Dougharty (Evadale, Texas) turned in an impressive rookie season as she played in 16 games and made five starts and averaged 4.9 PPG and 2.8 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 11 points at Louisiana Christian University on Dec. 19.
Sophomore G Madison Davis (Shreveport, La.) played in 19 games (10 starts) and averaged 3.2 PPG and 1.8 rebounds per game and scored a season-high 10 points against Texas Lutheran University on Jan. 5. Freshman G Kira Latson (Pearland, Texas) was one of the Ladies' top reserves as she played in 21 games and made one start. She scored a season-best five points in 11 minutes off the bench on Jan. 12 at Schreiner.
The Ladies won their first game of the season on Nov. 25 as they defeated the Hendrix College Warriors by a score of 80-69 in the Millsaps Thanksgiving Classic in Jackson, Miss. Centenary's 80 points ended up being a season high and one of its best all-around offensive performances as the Maroon and White shot 41.3 % (26-63) from the floor for the game, 34.8 % (8-23) from beyond the arc, and 76.9 % (20-26) from the free throw line.
Centenary then snapped a 13-game losing streak on Jan. 30 as the Ladies earned a gritty 61-59 overtime win over the University of St. Thomas Celts in a conference contest at home. The Ladies led 18-10 after the first quarter but St. Thomas responded with a 17-12 advantage in the second quarter to trail the Ladies 30-27 at halftime. The Celts then outscored the Ladies 17-13 in the third period to take a 44-43 lead into the fourth quarter. Centenary edged St. Thomas 13-12 in the fourth to knot the game at 56-56 and send it to overtime, where the Ladies outscored the Celts in a low-scoring extra period, 5-3.
Women's Swimming
The Ladies finished sixth at the SCAC Championships in February in Garland, Texas, tallying 247 points to edge Austin College by one point.
Junior Madeline Vacula (Belton, Texas) turned in another superb season for the Ladies as she teamed with a pair of impressive rookies - Reece Esser (Huntsville, Texas) and Hannah Waddell (Shreveport, La.) as the trio recorded numerous individual wins, runner-up finishes, and top-five and top-10 finishes.
Esser made an immediate impact in her first collegiate meets as she recorded one individual victory, a pair of runner-up finishes, and two more top-five finishes and was appropriately named the SCAC Women's Swimmer of the Week.
Waddell capped off a stellar rookie season at the SCAC Championships by setting a new school record in the 200-yard breaststroke as she swam a time of 2:24.99. She also swam the second-fastest time in program history in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.51) and the eighth-fastest in the 200 IM (2:11.69). Waddell also recorded 10 individual wins during the season. She was also named to the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
Senior Anacelia Galeano-Balam (Baton Rouge, La.), sophomore Adriana de la Fuente (Baton Rouge, La.), and Vacula were all named to the 2023-24 Academic All-District® Women's Swimming & Diving Team by the College Sports Communicators, as all three earned the prestigious honor for the first time in their careers.
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