Basketball Kicks Off New Year Hosting Texas Lutheran, Southwestern

Basketball Kicks Off New Year Hosting Texas Lutheran, Southwestern

SHREVEPORT, La. - The Centenary Ladies (2-9, 0-1 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) and Gents (7-4, 1-0 SCAC) basketball teams begin 2018 with a pair of home games - against Texas Lutheran Friday, January 5, and against Southwestern Sunday, January 7.

Gents vs Texas Lutheran: Live Video | Live Stats

Ladies vs Texas Lutheran: Live Video | Live Stats

Gents vs Southwestern: Live Video | Live Stats

Ladies vs Southwestern: Live Video | Live Stats

Gents Quick Hits

  • Centenary looks to take an early lead in the SCAC when it takes on 3-time defending Conference Tournament Champion Texas Lutheran (4-7, 0-0 SCAC).
  • In the last three games, the Gents have held opponents to 39.6 percent (36-for-91 shooting) in the second half (2-1).
  • The Maroon and White are 5-0 this season when leading at half and have won three-straight home games after starting 2017-18 with two losses.
  • The Gents lead the SCAC in fewest miscues.
  • Junior transfer Kaharri Carter has jumped up to second in the conference with a 3.8 assist/turnover ratio - including a 12.0 mark the past five games played.

Last Game against Texas Lutheran

In a game that featured eight ties (including 39-39 at half) and four lead changes, sixth-seeded Centenary fell to Texas Lutheran in the 2017 SCAC Tournament, 88-85.

In the final game of his Centenary career, James Sapp scored 25 points and added 13 rebounds. Travion Kirkendoll and Treylan Matthews added 18 points.

Jordan Kouremetis led Texas Lutheran with 23 points, including hitting all six free throws in the final two minutes to help seal the game for the Bulldogs.

Last Game against Southwestern

The Pirates led by as much as 17 and never trailed in an 89-80 win against Centenary on January 27, 2017.

Treylan Matthews etched the double-double with 14 points and 12 boards, while Travion Kirkendoll added 14 points. Cedric Harris came off the bench for 13 points.

A quintet reached double-digits for Southwestern, including Ryan Ogden with 21.

The Series with Texas Lutheran

This will be the 13th meeting between Centenary and Texas Lutheran, with the Bulldogs holding an 8-4 edge. The two teams have split the regular season meetings each of the last four years, but the Bulldogs have knocked Centenary out of the SCAC Tournament each of the last three years.

This will be the 16th meeting between the Gents and Southwestern. Centenary leads 10-5 in the series, but Southwestern has won the last four meetings by an average of 10.8 points. Centenary last beat Southwestern87-80 in the semifinals of the 2015 SCAC Tournament.

In the NCAA Rankings

Travion Kirkendoll ranks 10th in the country with 2.82 steals per game.

Ladies Quick Hits

  • Centenary kicks off 2018 Friday night when it hosts Texas Lutheran (4-7, 0-0 SCAC).
  • In only her fourth collegiate game of her career, freshman Bre Frierson tallied the double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds off the bench against Austin College.
  • Last season, Centenary almost knocked off Texas Lutheran when it was leading the SCAC. Centenary fell in overtime, 76-68.
  • Junior Savanah Doty is second in the conference, and first among guards, with 1.5 blocks per game.
  • Centenary has won its only Friday game of the season.

Last Time against Texas Lutheran

Centenary led 8-6 in the early going, but Texas Lutheran led by 11 after the first quarter and 22 at half en route to a 95-69 win January 28, 2017, in Seguin, Texas.

Jasmine Morris led Centenary with 15 points.

Kristen Lye led the Bulldogs with 22 points, while Savannah Hight added 20.

Last Time against Southwestern

Southwestern claimed a 65-54 win over Centenary January 27, 2017, in Georgetown.

Savanah Doty came off the bench for 16 points to lead Centenary.

Toni Carroway scored 19 for the Pirates, while Brooke Swift came off the bench for 13 points.

The Series with Texas Lutheran and Southwestern

Centenary won the first meeting with Texas Lutheran,71-67 on December 1, 2011, but the Bulldogs have won the last nine games. Last year in Shreveport on January 22, 2017, the Ladies tied the SCAC-leading Bulldogs with 2:18 left in regulation, but neither team scored the rest of the half. Texas Lutheran won in overtime.

Southwestern and Centenary will be meeting for the 12th time. The Pirates hold a 10-1 edge in the all-time series. However, Centenary led from start to finish in a 65-48 win against Southwestern at the Gold Dome January 29, 2016. Samantha Lyons hit 6-for-8 from behind the arc and scored a career high 28 points.

Race to 1,000

Junior Jasmine Morris is trying to become just the seventh Ladies basketball player to reach 1,000 career points. She has 935 in 62 career games played in her quest to become only the second Centenary player to reach this milestone in her junior season. Alexis Pettway - the Centenary career points leader with 1,416 points - is the fastest player in Ladies history to 1,000 points, accomplishing this feat in her 82nd game her junior season.

Rebounding the Freshman Way

Haylee Washington sits seventh overall and first among freshman in the SCAC with 7.0 rebounds per game. Deunya Small finished fifth and first, respectively, in that category last season.

Next Up

The Ladies and Gents hit the road for their first Conference games of the year at Dallas January 12 and at Colorado College January 14.