Tip-off will be 5 p.m. at Beames Fieldhouse in Tishomingo, Okla. The game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

Murray State is the only remaining West Division opponent UA Fort Smith hasn’t played in crossover action this season.

UA Fort Smith (13-2), which has won five games in a row, improved to 4-2 against the West Division in crossover play with its 90-79 win against Seminole State College on Wednesday night.

The Lions, who are among the favorites to win the East Division, have crossover wins against Seminole State (twice), Redlands Community College and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid and losses to Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa and Western Oklahoma State.

It will be just the fifth road game for the Lions, who are 3-1 away from the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith, which is ranked No. 9 in the latest NJCAA Division I Top 25, is averaging 91.7 points per game and is ranked No. 19 in the nation in scoring. Nine of the 12 Lions are averaging five points or more per game.

Sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., leads the Lions in scoring with 13.3 points per game, sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., is averaging 12.7 points per game, sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., is averaging 12.5 points per game and sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., is averaging 10.8 points per game.

Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, is averaging a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game off the bench.

The Lions are allowing 74.5 points per game and forcing 21 turnovers per contest, including seven steals per game. Williams leads the Lions with 35 steals – 2.3 per game.

Murray State (3-10) is just 1-3 against the East Division with losses to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, Carl Albert State and Connors State and a win against Eastern Oklahoma State.

SATURDAY’S TICKET

UA FORT SMITH VS. MURRAY STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 5 p.m.

SITE: Beames Fieldhouse, Tishomingo, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, No. 9; Murray State, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (13-2), Murray State (3-10)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman; Murray State, Mike Kelley

BROADCAST: KHGG-FM 103.1, www.sportshog1031.com

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith sophomore sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie the game and force overtime during the Lions’ 109-100 win against the Trojans in their first Bi-State Conference crossover encounter at Raymond Harber Fieldhouse in Seminole, Okla.

He didn’t produce the same late-game heroics Wednesday night like he did the first time against Seminole State, but then again, he didn’t have to.

Cunningham hit for a team-high 20 points and topped off his double-double with 10 rebounds to lead the No. 9 Lions to a 90-79 win at the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith (13-2) won its fifth game in a row and improved to 4-2 against the West Division in crossover play. Seminole State (9-7) lost its second in a row and slipped to 2-4 against the East Division in crossover play.

Cunningham, who is from Oregon City, Ore., and is a preseason first-team NJCAA All-American, was 6-of-8 shooting from the field – he was 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range – and as 5-of-6 shooting at the line.

He was one of five Lions to score in double-figures and helped UA Fort Smith shoot a sizzling 60 percent (30 of 50) from the field.

UA Fort Smith’s depth once again proved to be a difference against the Trojans – 10 Lions scored in all and all 10 had at least two points. The Lions’ depth was big down the stretch – three players fouled out – and helped them fend off a late rally Trojans’ rally.

Seminole State trailed by eight points at halftime and fell behind by as many 19 points midway through the second half. The Trojans got back within six points (74-68) late on a jumper by sophomore Lindsey Hughey, but they got no closer as UA Fort Smith pushed its lead back to double-digits.

Hughey led the Trojans with 25 points and was one of four Trojans to score in double-figures. The sophomore was 9-of-16 shooting from the field – he was 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range – and only 3-of-8 shooting from the line. He also had a team-high eight rebounds.

Seminole State connected on just 18 of 35 free throws, while UA Fort Smith, which missed 27 free throws in its win over Temple College on Sunday, connected on 24 of 34 free throws.

UA Fort Smith held Seminole State to just 45 percent (27 of 60) shooting from the field.

UA Fort Smith will return to crossover play at 5 p.m. on Saturday when it travels to Tishomingo, Okla., to play the Murray State College Aggies. It will be the first encounter between the two teams this season.

JUNIOR COLLEGE MEN

NO. 9 UA FORT SMITH 90, SEMINOLE STATE 79

Seminole State 35 44 — 79

UA Fort Smith 43 47 — 90

Seminole State (9-7): Hughey 25, Jackman 18, Ikhinmwin 17, New 11, Ivy 5, Burge 2, McCleary 1.

UA Fort Smith (13-2): Cunningham 20, Johnson 14, Bush 14, Jackson 11, Sanford 11, Cox 9, Cline 4, Williams 3, Rutledge 2, Kohlheim 2.

UA Fort Smith opened the new year this past weekend with three wins in their own Doe’s of Fort Smith New Year’s Classic and will jump back into Bi-State Conference crossover play on Wednesday against Seminole State College.

Tip-off will be 8 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center. The game also will be broadcast live on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

The Lions (12-2), who slipped to No. 9 in the latest NJCAA Division I Top 25 that was released on Tuesday, beat Hill College (89-71), Northwest Mississippi Community College (88-66) and Temple College (98-93) in their classic.

UA Fort Smith has won four in a row since losing to Western Oklahoma State College (69-52) on Dec. 5 in Altus, Okla.

The Lions are 3-2 against the Bi-State West Division in crossover play with wins against Seminole State (109-100 OT), Redlands Community College (92-78) and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid (82-77) and losses to Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa (57-54) and Western Oklahoma State.

UA Fort Smith, which is among the favorites to win the East Division, opened crossover play on Nov. 13 with an overtime win against Seminole State at Raymond Harber Fieldhouse in Seminole, Okla.

Five Lions scored in double-figures in the overtime thriller with sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., leading the way with 23 points.

UA Fort Smith is averaging 91.8 points per game, and the Lions are No. 18 in the nation in scoring. Four Lions are averaging in double-figures – sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., with 13.3 points per game; sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., with 13.1 points per game; Bush with 12.6 points per game and sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., with 10.1 points per game.

Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, leads the Lions with 6.5 rebounds per game.

The Lions are holding opponents to 74.2 points per game and forcing 21.5 turnovers per game. Williams leads the Lions with 2.4 steals per game.

Seminole State (9-6) opened the new year with a split during the Three Rivers Community College Classic. The Trojans beat Mineral Area Community College (70-68) but lost to Three Rivers (73-63).

The Trojans are 2-3 against the East Division in Bi-State crossover play with wins against Carl Albert State (79-70) and Eastern Oklahoma State (86-68) and losses to UA Fort Smith, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (77-72) and Connors State (79-49).

Sophomore Lindsey Hughey leads the Trojans in scoring with 15.9 points per game, while sophomore Dauntae Williams is averaging 15.8 points per game.

Williams is averaging a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game, while freshman Orlan Jackman, a 6-5 forward from London, England, is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game.

WEDNESDAY’S TICKET

SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE TROJANS VS. UA FORT SMITH LIONS

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Seminole State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 9

RECORDS: Seminole State (9-6), UA Fort Smith (12-2)

COACHES: Seminole State, Dr. Tom Mills; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

BROADCAST: KHGG-FM 103.1, www.sportshog1031.com

PROMOTIONS: KTCS Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout

Sophomore Tyrone Hanson scored a career-high 29 points to lead a trio of Lions in double-figures as UA Fort Smith edged Temple College 98-93 at the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith went undefeated in the three-day, eight-team classic, extending its winning streak to four games in a row. After winning its opener against Arkansas Baptist (106-60) on Friday, Temple lost its final two games to Carl Albert (86-78) and UA Fort Smith.

Hanson was 12-of-20 shooting from the field, including a 4-of-6 effort from 3-point range, but was only 1-of-5 shooting from the free-throw line. The New York, N.Y., product’s woes at the free-throw line were indicative of the entire Lions team, which won despite netting only 20 of 47 free-throw attempts.

Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., added 21 points and sophomore Paul Kohlheim of Tupelo, Miss., chipped in 12 points to round out the double-figure scoring for the Lions, who shot 44.4 percent (36 of 81) from the field.

Hanson topped off his double-double with 12 rebounds and was the second Lion to reach double-figures in rebounding. Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, just missed his second double-double in a row, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Six Lions had five or more rebounds as the Lions out-rebounded the Leopards 58-43.

UA Fort Smith trailed 50-48 at halftime and fell behind by as many as eight points in the second half. The Lions took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Hanson that broke an 84-all tie and pushed their lead to as many as seven points late on a layup by Johnson.

Temple was playing without starting forward Russ Permenter, a 6-foot-9 sophomore who was ejected after receiving consecutive technical fouls in the first half of the loss to Carl Albert on Saturday.

Still, the Leopards had four players score in double-figures. Freshman guard Allyn Cooks hit for 24 points, sophomore guard Jordan Brown had 16 points, sophomore forward Sean Jones added 13 points and sophomore Chris Ellis chipped in 11 points.

The Leopards shot 46 percent (30 of 65) from the field and connected on 68 percent (28 of 41) of their free-throw attempts. Temple and UA Fort Smith combined to commit 62 total fouls in the sloppy contest.

JUNIOR COLLEGE MEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 98, TEMPLE COLLEGE 93

Temple 50 43 — 93

UA Fort Smith 48 50 — 98

Temple (10-6): Cooks 24, Brown 16, Jones 13, Ellis 11, Morrison 9, Robinson 8, Beasley 5, Guerrero 5, Miller 2.

UA Fort Smith (12-2): Hanson 29, Williams 21, Kohlheim 12, Bush 9, Johnson 8, Cox 4, Cunningham 4, Rutledge 4, Jackson 3, Sanford 2, Cline 2.

DOE’S OF FORT SMITH NEW YEAR’S CLASSIC

UA FORT SMITH STUBBLEFIELD CENTER

FRIDAY

Howard College 66, Carl Albert 60

Temple College 106, Arkansas Baptist 60

Jacksonville College 108, NW Mississippi CC 75

UA Fort Smith 89, Hill College 71

SATURDAY

Carl Albert State 86, Temple College 78

Hill College 83, Arkansas Baptist 80

Howard College 73, Jacksonville College 63

UA Fort Smith 88, NW Mississippi CC 66

SUNDAY

Howard College 65, Arkansas Baptist 44

NW Mississippi CC 76, Hill College 69

Jacksonville College 79, Carl Albert State 62

UA Fort Smith 98, Temple College 93

The No. 8 Lions (11-2) will play Temple College (10-5) in the classic finale at 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Stubblefield Center.

In other final-day action, Arkansas Baptist College will play Howard College at noon, Hill College will play Northwest Mississippi Community College at 2 p.m. and Jacksonville College will play Carl Albert State College at 4 p.m.

Johnson, who’s from San Antonio, Texas, hit for 12 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 shooting from the line and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. He was one of four Lions to score in double-figures.

Sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., led the Lions with 16 points and had six rebounds, while freshman David Cline of Rogers, Ark., had 12 points and sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., added 10 points.

UA Fort Smith forced 23 turnovers, including 14 steals. Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., led the Lions with three steals. He also was one of three Lions with four assists.

The Lions held the Rangers to just 38 percent shooting (26 of 69) from the field, and it was defense that sparked the Lions’ onslaught, especially early.

UA Fort Smith took control of the game early by holding Northwest Mississippi to just 28-percent shooting (9 of 32) from the field while forcing 13 turnovers in the first half.

The Lions turned the 13 miscues into easy buckets, shooting 49 percent (18 of 37) from the field in building their 19-point halftime lead.

Ten of the 12 Lions scored in the first-half barrage with sophomores D’Angalo Jackson of Milwaukee, Wis., and Cunningham leading the way with eight points apiece.

UA Fort Smith pushed its lead to more than 20 points quickly in the second half and kept its double-digit cushion throughout the final 20 minutes. The Lions shot 49 percent (36 of 74) from the field for the game.

JUNIOR COLLEGE MEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 88, NW MISSISSIPPI CC 66

NW Mississippi CC 22 44 — 66

UA Fort Smith 41 47 — 88

NW Mississippi CC (7-4): Harris 18, Edwards 15, Wilks 7, Gillard 7, Davis 6, M. Jennings 5, Pegues 4, D. Jennings 2, Hilliard 2.

UA Fort Smith (11-2): Cunningham 16, Johnson 12, Cline 12, Bush 10, Williams 9, Hanson 8, Rutledge 8, Keese 5, Kohlheim 4, Sanford 2, Jackson 2.

DOE’S OF FORT SMITH NEW YEAR’S CLASSIC

UA FORT SMITH STUBBLEFIELD CENTER

FRIDAY

Howard College 66, Carl Albert 60

Temple College 106, Arkansas Baptist 60

Jacksonville College 108, NW Mississippi CC 75

UA Fort Smith 89, Hill College 71

SATURDAY

Carl Albert State 86, Temple College 78

Hill College 83, Arkansas Baptist 80

Howard College 73, Jacksonville College 63

UA Fort Smith 88, NW Mississippi CC 66

SUNDAY

Arkansas Baptist vs. Howard College, Noon

Hill College vs. NW Mississippi CC, 2 p.m.

Jacksonville College vs. Carl Albert State, 4 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Temple College, 6 p.m.

UA Fort Smith (10-2) will play Northwest Mississippi Community College (7-3) at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at the Stubblefield Center.

In other second-day action, Carl Albert State College (2-11) will play Temple College (10-4) at 1 p.m., Arkansas Baptist College (2-11) will play Hill College (8-6) at 3 p.m. and Jacksonville College (10-2) will play Howard College (10-3).

Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., scored a team-high 16 points and forced a team-high five steals for the No. 8 Lions, who have won two in row. Sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, and freshman Mark Rutledge of Tulsa, Okla., added 14 points.

UA Fort Smith led by 11 points at halftime after shooting 44 percent (15 of 34) from the field. Hill College never got closer than six points in the second half despite shooting 50 percent (14 of 28) from the field in the final 20 minutes.

The Rebels shot 44 percent (26 of 59) from the field for the game, while the Lions shot 43 percent (31 of 72).

Hill College had plenty of chances to cut into the Lions’ lead but couldn’t connect at the free-throw line. The Rebels sank only 36 percent of their free throws (12 of 36), while the Lions hit just 58 percent (18 of 31).

Sophomore Quincy Owens led the Rebels with 16 points and had a team-high 11 rebounds. Freshman Slavko Kristo chipped in 12 points, and sophomore Henry White added 11 points and seven rebounds.

JUNIOR COLLEGE MEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 89, HILL COLLEGE 71

Hill College 35 36 — 71

UA Fort Smith 46 43 — 89

Hill College (8-6): Owens 16, Kristo 12, Clark 11, Sharp 6, Akins 6, Henderson 6, Rodriguez 5, Tisby 4, Martin 3, Ollor 2.

UA Fort Smith (10-2): Williams 16, Hanson 14, Rutledge 14, Jackson 9, Cox 8, Cline 8, Kohlheim 7, Bush 6, Keese 3, Cunningham 2, Johnson 1, Sanford 1.

DOE’S OF FORT SMITH NEW YEAR’S CLASSIC

UA FORT SMITH STUBBLEFIELD CENTER

FRIDAY

Howard College 66, Carl Albert 60

Temple College 106, Arkansas Baptist 60

Jacksonville College 108, NW Mississippi CC 75

UA Fort Smith 89, Hill College 71

SATURDAY

Carl Albert State vs. Temple College, 1 p.m.

Arkansas Baptist vs. Hill College, 3 p.m.

Jacksonville College vs. Howard College, 5 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. NW Mississippi CC, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY

Arkansas Baptist vs. Howard College, Noon

Hill College vs. NW Mississippi CC, 2 p.m.

Jacksonville College vs. Carl Albert State, 4 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Temple College, 6 p.m.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lions will host the eight-team Doe’s of Fort Smith New Year’s Classic beginning Friday afternoon.

The three-day affair will feature a competitive field of men’s teams that include No. 8-ranked UA Fort Smith, Carl Albert State College, Howard College, Temple College, Arkansas Baptist College, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Jacksonville College and Hill College.

Action gets under way on Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. each day and on Sunday at noon.

UA Fort Smith will open classic play at 7 p.m. on Friday against Hill College. The Lions will play Northwest Mississippi Community College at 7 p.m. on Saturday and will play Temple College at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Despite two losses, the Lions continue to command a lot of respect in the NJCAA Division I Top 25. The Lions (9-2) slipped to No. 8 in the latest rankings, which were released on Dec. 9. It is the last national poll until Jan. 6.

UA Fort Smith is one of only four teams with multiple losses in the Top 25 and is the highest ranked team of those four teams. The Lions’ losses have been to unranked teams — Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa and Western Oklahoma State College.

The Lions finished the fall portion of their schedule with a two-game, two-day road trip on Dec. 5-6 during which they lost to Western Oklahoma State College (69-52) and beat Northern Oklahoma College - Enid (82-77).

UA Fort Smith is averaging 91.8 points per game and has scored more than 100 points five times, including a season-high 124 points during its season-opening 124-60 win against International Sports Federation on Oct. 31.

The Lions, who are outscoring opponents by an 18.3-point margin, are holding opponents to just 73.5 points per game.

Sophomore guard Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., leads the Lions in scoring with 13.8 points per game, while sophomore guards LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., and Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., are averaging 12.5 and 12.3 points per game, respectively.

Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, leads the Lions with 6.4 rebounds per game.

Hill College (8-5) is coming off consecutive losses to Southwest Texas Junior College (105-95) and Cedar Valley College (87-75). The Rebels and the Lions share one common opponent in International Sports Federation, which Hill College beat 98-67.

The Rebels are averaging 80.9 points per game with a season-high of 98 points against International Sports Federation and are holding opponents to 75.5 points per game.

Freshman Demario Fountain leads a trio of Rebels in double-figure scoring with 17 points per game, while sophomores Eric Tisby and Quincy Owens are averaging 12.1 and 10.4 points per game, respectively.

Fountain and Owens are the Rebels’ top rebounders, averaging 9.2 and 6.2 boards per game.

DOE’S OF FORT SMITH NEW YEAR’S CLASSIC

STUBBLEFIELD CENTER

FRIDAY

Carl Albert State vs. Howard College, 1 p.m.

Temple College vs. Arkansas Baptist College, 3 p.m.

NW Mississippi CC vs. Jacksonville College, 5 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Hill College, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY

Carl Albert State vs. Temple College, 1 p.m.

Arkansas Baptist College vs. Hill College, 3 p.m.

Jacksonville College vs. Howard College, 5 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. NW Mississippi CC, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY

Arkansas Baptist College vs. Howard College, Noon

Hill College vs. NW Mississippi CC, 2 p.m.

Jacksonville College vs. Carl Albert State, 4 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Temple College, 6 p.m.

The Lions (9-2), who lost to unranked Western Oklahoma State College on Friday, slipped to No. 8 in the latest rankings, which were released late Tuesday afternoon. It is the last national poll until Jan. 6.

UA Fort Smith, which was ranked No. 4 in last week’s poll, is one of only four teams with multiple losses in the Top 25 and is the highest ranked team of those four teams. The Lions’ losses have been to unranked teams – Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa and Western Oklahoma State College.

The Lions finished the fall portion of their schedule this past weekend with a two-game, two-day road trip during which they lost to Western Oklahoma State College (69-52) and beat Northern Oklahoma College - Enid (82-77).

UA Fort Smith will return to action on Jan. 2, when it opens play in the three-day Doe’s of Fort Smith Classic against Hill College at 7 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.

The Lions are still the only ranked Bi-State Conference team. However, Western Oklahoma State College (12-2) received five points in this week’s voting.

With previously top-ranked Cowley County Community College losing last week, Chipola College (12-1) moved up one spot to No. 1 in the poll. Chipola received nine of the 16 first-place votes.

Southeastern Illinois College (11-0) received three first-place votes and is ranked No. 2, followed in the Top 10 by Indian Hills Community College (12-1), Cowley County Community College (10-1), Northwest Florida State College (11-0), Midland College (12-1), Paris Junior College (10-1), UA Fort Smith, North Dakota State College of Science (13-0) and Southeastern Community College (13-0).

The Lady Lions kept their unbeaten streak alive this past weekend with road wins against Western Oklahoma State College (104-62) and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid (87-77).

However, the Lady Lions (14-0) remained steady at No. 5 in the latest national poll, which was released on Wednesday morning. It is the fourth consecutive week the Lady Lions have been ranked No. 5.

It is the last national poll until Jan. 6.

UA Fort Smith is one of two ranked Bi-State Conference teams. Connors State College (12-0) moved up one spot to No. 9. The two teams, who both compete in the Bi-State East Division, are among 11 undefeated teams ranked in the Top 25.

Jefferson College (13-0) received all eight first-place votes to retain the top spot in the rankings. Central Arizona College (9-0) is second, followed in the Top 10 by Gulf Coast Community College (12-0), Midland College (16-0), UA Fort Smith, Walters State Community College (14-0), Trinity Valley Community College (9-5), Chipola College (12-2), Connors State College and Northwest Florida State College (11-0).

The Lady Lions will return to action on Jan. 7, when they will host the Seminole State College Belles at 6 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center in Bi-State Conference crossover play.

The Lions trailed by nine points at halftime and fell behind by double-digits early in the second half before rallying for an 82-77 win against Northern Oklahoma College-Enid on Saturday afternoon at Mabee Gymnasium.

UA Fort Smith (9-2), which lost to Western Oklahoma College at Altus, Okla., on Friday night, settled for a split in the two-game, two-day road junket to end the first semester of play. The Lions improved to 3-2 in Bi-State Conference crossover play, while the Jets (10-4) slipped to 4-1 in crossover play.

Freshman forward David Cline of Rogers, Ark., sparked the Lions’ second half rally with clutch baskets in the paint. Cline hit for a team-high 16 points and proved to be a near-perfect complement for sophomore guards Jenirro Bush and Tehran Cox. Bush, who’s from Starkville, Miss., and Tyrone Hanson, who’s from New York, N.Y., had 15 and 12 points, respectively.

UA Fort Smith’s depth – 10 players scored for the Lions – eventually took its toll on the Jets, whose hot shooting cooled off considerably in the second half as fatigue took over.

Wayne Runnels, who was playing in only his second game since returning from injury, hit for 16 points and was the spark plug early for the Jets, who led 48-39 at halftime. Runnels was one of four Jets to score in double-figures.

MEN

NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 82, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE – ENID 77

UA Fort Smith 39 43 — 82

Northern-Enid 48 29 — 77

UA Fort Smith (9-2): Cline 16, Bush 15, Hanson 12, Cox 11, Sanford 7, Rutledge 6, Williams 5, Cunningham 4, Kohlheim 3, Johnson 3.

Northern-Enid (10-4): Runnels 16, Smith, 16, Lay 13, McHenry13, Beal 7, Grant 7, Piotrovicz 4, Simmons 1, Smith 1.

All but one player scored for the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith as the No. 5 Lady Lions routed the Western Oklahoma State College Lady Pioneers 104-62 on Friday night in Bi-State Conference crossover play.

UA Fort Smith (13-0), which improved to 3-0 in crossover play, eclipsed its previous scoring output of the season. The Lady Lions scored 103 points during their season-opening win against Northwest Shoals Community College.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., scored 28 points to lead four Lady Lions in double-figure scoring. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., chipped in 13 points, sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., had 11 and sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., added 10.

UA Fort Smith led 50-29 at halftime. The Lady Lions’ depth took its toll on the Lady Pioneers (6-7) in the second half as UA Fort Smith’s lead quickly reached the 30-point margin.

Jana Nickelson and Nikki Gonzalez led the Lady Pioneers, who slipped to 2-3 in crossover play, with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Western Oklahoma 69, UA Fort Smith 52

MEN – Western Oklahoma already had knocked off a highly-ranked opponent earlier this season, and the Pioneers added another to their list on Friday night.

The Pioneers held the No. 4 Lions to a season-low 52 points en route to posting the home upset. UA Fort Smith (8-2) slipped to 2-2 in crossover play with the loss and has now lost two of its last four games.

Only six players scored for the Lions, who were plagued by early foul trouble. Sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., hit for a team-high 14 points despite early foul trouble and sophomore LaDustin Williams, who also battled foul trouble, added 11 to account for the Lions’ only double-figure scorers.

UA Fort Smith trailed by double-digits early on but rallied to cut its deficit to eight points (34-26) at halftime. The Lions cut their deficit to as few as six points midway through the second half but got no closer.

The Pioneers (12-3), who slowed the tempo of the game down considerably in the second half, dominated the boards and severely limited the Lions’ second-chance opportunities. UA Fort Smith played a zone defense for the most part to try to offset the Pioneers’ size advantage, and the Pioneers took advantage by hitting seven 3-pointers.

The Pioneers also converted several traditional 3-point plays, which allowed their lead to balloon back to double-digits.

Only five Pioneers scored with Kendall Cutler leading the way with 23 points. Akeem Bennett chipped in 20 points and Tadre Shepard added 12.

WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 104, WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 62

UA Fort Smith 50 54 — 104

Western Oklahoma 29 33 — 62

UA Fort Smith (13-0): Boyd 28, Brown 13, Sanders 11, Johnson 10, Duffey 9, Parsons 8, Kemp 8, Cosby 8, Arnold 5, Key 4.

Western Oklahoma (6-7): Nickelson 15, Gonzalez 13, Vanterpool 9, Harris 7, Williams 7, Davis 4, Banks 4, Roberts 3.

MEN

WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 69, NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 52

UA Fort Smith 26 26 — 52

Western Oklahoma 34 35 — 69

UA Fort Smith (8-2): Hanson 14, Williams 11, Bush 9, Rutledge 7, Johnson 7, Cunningham 3, Sanford 1.

Western Oklahoma (12-3): Cutler 23, Bennett 20, Shepard 12, Shaw 9, Collier 5.

Both the Lady Lions and the Lions will play at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus on Friday and at Northern Oklahoma College - Enid on Saturday. It will be the last action for both teams until January.

The No. 5 Lady Lions (12-0) have played half of their games on the road and are coming off two-game stint in the Georgia Perimeter College Classic at Decatur, Ga., this past weekend. UA Fort Smith beat Shelton State Community College 80-73 and routed host Georgia Perimeter 93-56.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 13.5 points per game, while sophomores Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., and Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., are averaging 12.5 and 12.3 points per game, respectively.

The Lady Lions are averaging 88.2 points per game and beating their opponents by an average of 22 points per game.

UA Fort Smith is 2-0 in crossover play with wins against Seminole State College and Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa.

Western Oklahoma State (6-6) is coming off a crossover win against Eastern Oklahoma State College on Monday and is 2-2 in crossover play. The Lady Pioneers’ other crossover win was against Carl Albert State College.

The Lions (8-1) will make only their third road trip of the young season but are undefeated on the road with wins against Seminole State College and Redlands Community College. UA Fort Smith is 2-1 in crossover games with its only loss coming at home against Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa.

UA Fort Smith is coming off a pair of wins in this past weekend’s Lions Classic. The Lions beat Iowa Western Community College 120-116 in triple overtime and Southern University - Shreveport 85-61.

Five Lions are averaging double-figures in scoring with sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., leading the team with 14.2 points per game. Sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game to go along with 12.6 points per game.

UA Fort Smith is averaging 97.3 points per game, while holding opponents to 73.7 points per game.

Western Oklahoma State (9-2) is 2-1 in crossover play with wins against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Eastern Oklahoma State College and a loss to Connors State College. The Pioneers beat Eastern Oklahoma State 78-41 on Monday night.

Five Pioneers are averaging double-figures in scoring led by Kendall Cutler with 13.5 points per game. Tadre Sheppard is the Pioneers’ top rebounder with 8.3 rebounds per game.

FRIDAY’S TICKET

UA FORT SMITH AT WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE

TIME: 5 p.m. (women), 7 p.m. (men)

SITE: WOSC Gymnasium, Altus, Okla.

RANKINGS: Women – UA Fort Smith, No. 5; Western Oklahoma State, Not Ranked. Men – UA Fort Smith, No. 4; Western Oklahoma State, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Women – UA Fort Smith, 12-0; Western Oklahoma State, 6-6. Men – UA Fort Smith, 8-1; Western Oklahoma State, 9-2

COACHES: Women – UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Western Oklahoma State, Janice Hardwick. Men – UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman; Western Oklahoma State, Rolando De La Barrera.

BROADCAST: KHGG-FM 103.1, www.sportshog1031.com

SATURDAY’S TICKET

UA FORT SMITH AT NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE - ENID

TIME: 2 p.m. (women), 4 p.m. (men)

SITE: Mabee Center, Enid, Okla.

RANKINGS: Women – UA Fort Smith, No. 5; Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, Not Ranked. Men – UA Fort Smith, No. 4; Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Women – UA Fort Smith, 12-0; Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, 10-3. Men – UA Fort Smith, 8-1; Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, 10-3

COACHES: Women – UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, Scott Morris. Men – UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman; Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, Greg Shamburg.

BROADCAST: KFPW-AM 1230, www.fortsmithradiogroup.com

The Lions (8-1) slipped one spot to No. 4 in the men’s Top 25, which was likely a residual effect of their home loss Nov. 24 to unranked Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa. UA Fort Smith was ranked No. 2 prior to the loss to Tonkawa on Nov. 24 and slipped one spot to No. 3 in last week’s poll, which was released on Nov. 25.

UA Fort Smith is still the only ranked Bi-State Conference men’s team and the only league team to garner votes.

Cowley County Community College (9-0) received all 12 first-place votes to remain atop the rankings. Chipola College (9-1) is No. 2, followed in the Top 10 by Southeastern Illinois College (9-0), UA Fort Smith, Indian Hills Community College (9-1), Paris Junior College (9-1), Northwest Florida State College (9-0), Midland College (10-1), South Plains College (9-0) and Arizona Western College (8-0).

The Lady Lions remained steady at No. 5 in the women’s Top 25. UA Fort Smith (12-0) is one of two ranked Bi-State Conference women’s teams. Connors State College (12-0) moved up two spots to No. 10.

They are the only two league teams to garner votes.

Jefferson College (11-0) received all eight first-place votes to remain atop the poll. Central Arizona College (7-0) is No. 2, followed in the Top 10 by Gulf Coast Community College (10-0), Midland College (14-0), UA Fort Smith, Chipola College (11-1), Pensacola Junior College (11-0), Walters State Community College (12-0), Trinity Valley Community College (6-3) and Connors State College.

Needless to say, there wasn’t near as much excitement during the Lions’ classic finale against Southern University-Shreveport on Saturday night at the Stubblefield Center.

Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., scored 25 points to lead a trio of Lions in double-figure scoring as the No. 3 Lions roared past the Jaguars 85-61 to top off a perfect two-game stint.

UA Fort Smith (8-1) beat Iowa Western Community College 120-116 in triple overtime in the opener on Friday.

The Lions shot 44 percent (16 of 36) from the field in the first half while building a comfy 43-28 lead and were never threatened down the stretch. UA Fort Smith shot 49 percent (34 of 70) from the field for the game, despite connecting on only 2 of 12 3-point shots.

Williams scored his team-high points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the line. He also had five rebounds, a team-best three steals and one assist to polish off his stellar performance.

Freshman David Cline of Rogers, Ark., had 14 points and a team-leading nine rebounds, while freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, had 13 points and six rebounds for UA Fort Smith, which out-rebounded Southern-Shreveport 53-34.

Treasure Whitworth led Southern-Shreveport with 28 points on 7-of-23 shooting from the field and 10-of-10 shooting from the line. He also had five rebounds and a team-best three steals.

Corin Jones had a team-high six rebounds for the Jaguars, who lost 93-82 to Trinity Valley Community College on Friday night.

UA Fort Smith will return to action on Friday when it travels to Altus, Okla., to play Western Oklahoma State College a 7 p.m. in Bi-State Conference crossover play.

MEN

NO. 3 UA FORT SMITH 85, SOUTHERN-SHREVEPORT 61

Southern-Shreveport 28 33 — 61

UA Fort Smith 43 42 — 85

Southern-Shreveport: Whitworth 28, Watson 8, Dantzler 6, Holley 5, Harris 4, Thurston 4, English 4, Ellis 2.

UA Fort Smith (8-1): Williams 25, Cline 14, Johnson 13, Hanson 9, Cunningham 8, Bush 5, Jackson 4, Rutledge 3, Kohlheim 2, Sanford 2.

UA Fort Smith (7-1), which narrowly avoided its second consecutive home loss, will play Southern University-Shreveport at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the classic finale at the Stubblefield Center.

Bush hit for a career-high 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field, and Hanson netted a career-high 28 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field – he sank 4 of 8 3-pointers – and topped off his first double-double with 16 rebounds.

UA Fort Smith trailed 46-45 at halftime and fell behind by as many seven points in the second half. With the Lions trailing 86-84, Bush drained a pair of free throws with seconds to spare to tie the game and force overtime.

The Lions led by as many as five points (97-92) in the first overtime, but the Reivers ended the first extra frame on a 5-0 run, tying the game at 97 on jumper by Anthony Salter, who hit for 26 points before fouling out.

UA Fort Smith again led by five in the second overtime, but Iowa Western rallied to within 106-105 with seconds left. Salter went to the line to shoot a pair of free throws to seal the win, but he missed the first one and made the second one to force a third overtime.

The Lions – and foul trouble – eventually took their toll on the Reivers in the third overtime. Iowa Western played the waning minutes of the third OT with only four players after having six players eventually foul out.

Hanson scored eight of his points in the third OT, including 1 of 2 free throws with seconds left to give the Lions a four-point lead and secure the win.

UA Fort Smith won despite shooting a paltry 54 percent (32 of 59) from the free-throw line and committing 21 turnovers. The Lions finished the game shooting a respectable 47 percent (39 of 83) from the field.

It was the Lions’ first triple-overtime game in recent history and their second-most points scored in a game this season. UA Fort Smith scored 124 in its season-opening win against International Sports Federation. It was the fifth time the Lions have scored more than 100 points this season.

The Reivers shot 54 percent (44 of 82) from the field and had four players score in double-figures. Shay Shine led the Reivers (8-2) with 29 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 11-of-13 shooting from the line.

MEN

NO. 3 UA FORT SMITH 120, IOWA WESTERN CC 116 (3OT)

Iowa Western 46 40 11 9 10 — 120

UA Fort Smith 45 41 11 9 14 — 116

Iowa Western (8-2): Shine 29, Salter 26, Wooten 23, Westbrook 14, Emile 7, Hausley 6, Scott 6, Johnson 5.

UA Fort Smith (7-1): Bush 34, Hanson 28, Williams 12, Johnson 11, Rutledge 9, Cunningham 9, Keese 8, Jackson 4, Kohlheim 3, Sanford 2.

UA Fort Smith Lions Classic

At Stubblefield Center

Friday’s Results

Trinity Valley CC 93, Southern-Shreveport 82

MSU-West Plains 73, Ranger College 63

Indian Hills CC 92, Weatherford College 59

UA Fort Smith 120, Iowa Western CC 116 (3OT)

Saturday’s Games

Indian Hills CC vs. Ranger College, 11 a.m.

MSU-West Plains vs. Trinity Valley CC, 3 p.m.

Weatherford College vs. Iowa Western CC, 5 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Southern-Shreveport, 7 p.m.

The Lions will host the eight-team UA Fort Smith Lions Classic at the Stubblefield Center on Friday and Saturday, and the Lady Lions will compete in the Georgia Perimeter College Classic on Friday and Saturday in Decatur, Ga.

The Lions (6-1) will play Iowa Western Community College at 7 p.m. on Friday night in the opening round of the Lions Classic and will play Southern University-Shreveport at 7 p.m. on Saturday night in the finale.

Friday's game will be broadcast via the Internet at www.fortsmithradiogroup.com,while Saturday's game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

Other opening-round classic games will be Trinity Valley Community College vs. Southern-Shreveport at 1 p.m., Indian Hills Community College vs. Weatherford College at 3 p.m. and Ranger College vs. Missouri State University-West Plains at 5 p.m.

Saturday’s games will be Indian Hills vs. Ranger College at 11 a.m. (originally scheduled for 1 p.m.), MSU-West Plains vs. Trinity Valley Community College at 3 p.m. and Weatherford College vs. Iowa Western at 5 p.m.

The Lions will look to bounce back after suffering their first loss of the season on Monday night against Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa at the Stubblefield Center. Tonkawa’s Sterling Jackson drained a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left, was fouled and hit the free throw to lift the Mavericks to the 57-54 win.

UA Fort Smith was held to its fewest points of the season and 48 points under its season average of 102 points per game.

The Lady Lions will look to keep their perfect start intact during their fourth road trip of the season.

UA Fort Smith (10-0) will play Shelton State Community College at 4 p.m. on Friday in the opening round of the Georgia Perimeter Classic and will play host Georgia Perimeter at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The Lady Lions are coming off an easy 97-62 win against Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa on Monday night at the Stubblefield Center. The Lady Lions are averaging 88.5 points per game and boast a gaudy 22-point average margin of victory.

UA Fort Smith Lions Classic

At Stubblefield Center

Friday’s Games

Trinity Valley CC vs. Southern-Shreveport, 1 p.m.

Indian Hills CC vs. Weatherford College, 3 p.m.

Ranger College vs. MSU-West Plains, 5 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Iowa Western CC, 7 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Indian Hills CC vs. Ranger College, 11 a.m.

MSU-West Plains vs. Trinity Valley CC, 3 p.m.

Weatherford College vs. Iowa Western CC, 5 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Southern-Shreveport, 7 p.m.

Georgia Perimeter Classic

At Decatur, Ga.

Friday’s Games

Spartanburg Methodist College vs. South Georgia Tech, Noon

Walters State CC vs. Neosho County CC, 2 p.m.

UA Fort Smith vs. Shelton State CC, 4 p.m.

Georgia Perimeter vs. Southwest Tennessee CC, 6 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Southwest Tennessee CC vs. Spartanburg Methodist College, Noon

Neosho County CC vs. South Georgia Tech, 2 p.m.

Shelton State vs. Walters State CC, 4 p.m.

Georgia Perimeter College vs. UA Fort Smith, 6 p.m.

The No. 2 University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lions became the last Bi-State Conference team to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten on Monday night, falling to Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa 57-54 in an upset at the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith slipped to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in Bi-State Conference crossover play, while Tonkawa improved to 5-4 overall.

The Lions only led 28-24 at halftime but extended their lead to as many as nine points in the second half. The Mavericks rallied and took a 53-52 lead with under a minute left to play on a 3-pointer by Sterling Jackson.

UA Fort Smith answered back with a stickback by sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., with eight seconds left to regain a 54-53 lead.

Eight seconds was plenty of time for the Mavericks to work the ball up the floor and get it in the hands of Jackson, who launched a 3-pointer while he was being fouled by UA Fort Smith’s Tehran Cox of Nassau, Bahamas, and made it with 1.4 seconds left.

He sank the free throw to give the Mavericks a three-point lead, and that was enough as D’Angalo Jackson’s desperation 3-point try was well short as the buzzer sounded.

Jackson led Tonkawa with 18 points – he was 2 of 4 from 3-point range – and Javier Nasarre chipped in 14 points. Chuck Sanders led the Mavericks with 11 rebounds. Tonkawa’s 57 points were the fewest points allowed by the Lions, who held the Mavericks to just 36 percent (20 of 56) from the field.

The Mavericks held the Lions’ prolific scoring machine well in check. UA Fort Smith had been averaging 103 points per game going into the game. UA Fort Smith shot only 35 percent (23 of 66) from the field.

Sophomore David Cline of Rogers, Ark., led UA Fort Smith with 14 points and was the only Lion to score in double-figures.

MEN

NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE-TONKAWA 57, NO. 2 UA FORT SMITH 54

Tonkawa 24 33 — 57

UA Fort Smith 28 26 — 54

Tonkawa (5-4): Jackson 18, Nasarre 14, Razor 6, Sanders 6, Bartlett 5, Young 4, Morissett 4.

UA Fort Smith (6-1): Cline 14, Kohlheim 8, Hanson 8, Williams 5, Bush 5, Cox 4, Cunningham 4, Keese 3, Johnson 3.

The 5-foot-11 point guard signed with the Lions on Thursday, becoming their first NCAA Division II player.

“It’s really exciting,” said third-year UA Fort Smith coach Josh Newman, whose Lions are currently competing in their final season as a member of NJCAA. “We’ve talked a lot about making the transition from junior college to Division II, but the big thing is you’ve got to have players.

“He’s the first guy to ink with us (as a D-II player), and he will always be remembered.”

Mitchell also received offers from the University of Central Arkansas and McNeese State University – both NCAA Division I programs – and Harding University, which competes at the NCAA Division II level.

“I think it’s a good situation for me,” Mitchell said. “I want to go somewhere to play. I don’t want to sit on the bench until my junior year.”

Mitchell averaged 14 points, six rebounds and six assists per game as a junior and earned All-State and All-Conference honors for the Class 5A Raiders. He also was named to the Jonesboro Sun’s All Best Under The Sun Team.

Mitchell, who also plays for the Arkansas Wings Gold AAU team, was a Wendy’s High School Heisman Award state finalist.

“He’s an explosive player,” said Newman of Mitchell, who boasts a 40-inch vertical leap. “He’s a guy we would have recruited even if we weren’t going D-II. He’s a good up-tempo player and can get up and down the floor. He’s playing the two-guard right now in high school, but he will be a point guard at the college level.”

With time running out in regulation and the Lions trailing Seminole State 84-81, Cunningham drained a 3-pointer to tie the game and force overtime Thursday night. That provided the spark the Lions needed as they went on to beat the Trojans 109-100 in overtime in the Bi-State Conference crossover opener for both teams.

UA Fort Smith (5-0) outscored Seminole State (3-2) 25-16 in overtime to seal the dramatic come-from-behind win. The No. 6 Lions trailed by 18 points at halftime.

Sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., hit for a team-high 23 points to lead five Lions in double-figure scoring. Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., chipped in 19 points, and Cunningham, who’s from Oregon City, Ore., added 15 points.

Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, had a team-high 11 rebounds to lead the Lions.

Dauntae Williams led the Trojans with 30 points and 12 rebounds.

MEN

NO. 6 UA FORT SMITH 109, SEMINOLE STATE 100

UA Fort Smith 39 45 25 — 109

Seminole State 57 27 16 — 100

UA Fort Smith (5-0): Williams 19, Bush 23, Cox 13, Cline 6, Cunningham 15, Hanson 10, Jackson 9, Rutledge 3, Kohlheim 4, Johnson 7.

Seminole State (3-2): Ivy 2, New 12, Williams 30, Hughey 22, Ikhinmwin 9, Jackman 16, Burge 5, McCleary 4.

Four players scored in double-figures to lead the No. 6 Lions to a 68-60 win at the Stubblefield Center on the final day of the Dr. Doug Parker, Jr., M.D. Memorial Classic.

It was the first time the Lions (4-0) were held under 100 points in scoring, and it was their closest win of the young season.

Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., hit for 15 points and had five rebounds to lead the Lions. Freshman Mark Rutledge of Tulsa, Okla., had 13 points, sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., had 12 points and freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, had 10 points.

UA Fort Smith led 33-24 at halftime and never surrendered the lead despite a late second-half surge by Kilgore College.

Sophomore Troy Cage sparked the Rangers with 26 points, including seven 3-pointers.

MEN

NO. 6 UA FORT SMITH 68, KILGORE COLLEGE 60

Kilgore 24 36 — 60

UA Fort Smith 33 35 — 68

Kilgore: Cage 26, Smith 8, Dorsey 6, Graham 4, DaCruz 4, Soloman 4, Ferguson 4, Malone 2, Soders 2.

UA Fort Smith (4-0): Williams 15, Rutledge 13, Cunningham 12, Johnson 10, Hanson 5, Bush 4, Cox 4, Kohlheim 4, Sanford 1.

No. 6 UA Fort Smith (3-0) will play Kilgore College at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Stubblefield Center in the classic finale.

UA Fort Smith shot a blistering 55 percent (22 of 40) from the field in the first 20 minutes to take a 25-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Arkansas Baptist cut into UA Fort Smith’s lead early in the second half, but the Buffaloes faded down the stretch.

The Lions, who shot 55 percent (18 of 33) in the second half, pushed their lead to more than 40 points down the stretch before settling on the final 36-point margin.

Every UA Fort Smith player who suited up played and scored, and five scored in double-figures. Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., led the Lions with 16 points, while sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., added 15 points.

Lions sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., who had a double-double in each of the first two games, just missed his third double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.

David Green led the Buffaloes with 21 points – 19 points in the first half alone – and Chancellor Jones chipped in 13 points to round out Arkansas Baptist’s double-figure scoring.

In other second-day action on Saturday, Carl Albert State will play Arkansas Baptist at 2 p.m. and Coffeyville Community College will play North Arkansas College at 4 p.m.

MEN

NO. 6 UA FORT SMITH 108, ARKANSAS BAPTIST 72

Arkansas Baptist 30 42 — 72

UA Fort Smith 55 53 — 108

Arkansas Baptist: Green 21, Jones 13, Mack 8, Coleman 6, Long 6, Scott 5, Patterson 4, Millsap 4, Smith 2, Dumcombe 2, Williams 1.

UA Fort Smith (3-0): Williams 16, Hanson 15, Jackson 13, Rutledge 12, Bush 10, Cox 9, Cline 9, Cunningham 9, Sanford 6, Kohlheim 5, Johnson 4

Arkansas Baptist will be one of six teams competing in the two-day classic hosted by UA Fort Smith.

The Buffaloes will play the host Lions at 7 p.m. on Friday. In other opening-round action, North Arkansas College will play Carl Albert State College at 3 p.m. and Coffeyville Community College will play Kilgore College at 5 p.m. UA Fort Smith will play Kilgore College at 6 p.m. on Saturday, while Carl Albert will play Arkansas Baptist at 2 p.m. and North Arkansas College will play Coffeyville at 4 p.m.

It will be the second classic in as many weekends for the No. 6 Lions, who went undefeated in last weekend’s UA Fort Smith Lions Classic at the Stubblefield Center. The Lions (2-0) beat International Sports Federation 124-60 and beat Shorter College 116-59.

UA Fort Smith survived the upset bug during a weekend that saw the top three teams in the NJCAA Division I Preseason Top 30 suffer their first losses.

No. 2 Chipola Junior College lost to Three Rivers Community College 78-71, and No. 3 Midland College lost to Western Oklahoma State College 63-58 on Saturday night. Top-ranked Indian Hills Community College-Ottumwa lost to Chipola 62-61 on Monday night.

So far, the Lions have a balanced scoring attack with seven players averaging double-figures after the lopsided season-opening wins.

Sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., a NJCAA Preseason All-American, leads the Lions with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game, while sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., a Sporting News Super Sophomore selection, is averaging 18 points per game.

The Lady Lions will compete in the MCC-Penn Valley Thanksgiving Classic in Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday and Sunday. UA Fort Smith will play host Penn Valley at 6 p.m. on Saturday and will play Iowa Central Community College at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

UA Fort Smith (4-0) is coming off a hard-fought 73-66 road win against Arkansas Baptist College on Tuesday night in Little Rock. The No. 8 Lady Lions trailed by as many as seven points in the second half before rallying for the win.

Sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., led the Lady Lions with 24 points, while freshman Jawanda Duffey of Jonesboro, Ga., chipped in 16 points.

FRIDAY’S TICKET

DR. DOUG PARKER, JR., M.D. MEMORIAL CLASSIC

UA FORT SMITH VS. ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE

TIME: 7 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Arkansas Baptist College, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 6 NJCAA Division I

COACHES: Arkansas Baptist College, Charles Ripley; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

BROADCAST: KFPW-AM 1230, www.sportsinthefort.com

OTHER CLASSIC GAMES: North Arkansas College vs. Carl Albert State College, 3 p.m.; Coffeyville Community College vs. Kilgore College, 5 p.m.

The Oregon City, Ore., product had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Cunningham was one of eight Lions to score in double-figures. All but two Lions scored.

UA Fort Smith again struggled offensively early but pulled ahead 45-32 at halftime. The Lions used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to push their lead from 28 points to 42 points. UA Fort Smith’s final 57-point margin was its largest lead.

The Lions shot 54 percent from the field (44 of 82) and hit 32 percent from 3-point range (6 of 19).

Parker Smith led Shorter College with 23 points, while Nate Reese added 10 points.

MEN

NO. 6 UA FORT SMITH 116, SHORTER COLLEGE 59

Shorter 32 27 — 59

UA Fort Smith 45 71 — 116

Shorter (0-2): Smith 23, Reese 10, Dunigan 7, Burnett Jr. 6, Scott 5, Hurst 4, Hill 2, Allen 2.

UA Fort Smith (2-0): Cunningham 20, Johnson 15, Williams 14, Cline 13, Hanson 12, Bush 11, Rutledge 10, Kohlheim 10, Jackson 8, Cox 3.

Every starter scored in double-figures and eight hit the double-digit mark in all as the No. 6 Lions routed the International Sports Federation All-Stars 124-60 on Friday night during the opening round of the UA Fort Smith Classic at the Stubblefield Center.

The Lions will finish classic play on Saturday against Shorter College at 2 p.m.

Sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., led UA Fort Smith with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including a 2-of-4 effort from deep. Sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., a NJCAA Preseason All-American, had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

UA Fort Smith led 58-23 at halftime behind a sizzling 59 percent (24 of 41) shooting performance and turned the game into a runaway in the second half while shooting 65 percent from the field (26 of 40).

The Lions (1-0) forced 29 turnovers that led to 46 points.

Jeff Feenstra led ISF, an all-star team made up of former college players, with 17 points, while Chris Grant added 14 points.

UA Fort Smith 103, NW Shoals 73

WOMEN – Five Lady Lions scored in double-figures as No. 8 UA Fort Smith eased past Northwest Shoals Community College during Friday’s opening round of the Lions Classic.

The Lady Lions (1-0) will play Tyler Junior College at 8 p.m. on Saturday in second-round action.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., scored a career-high 25 points to lead UA Fort Smith, which only led 48-34 at halftime. Sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., chipped in 16 points and had a team-high six steals. Sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., had five steals to go along with 11 points.

UA Fort Smith forced 38 turnovers, scoring 36 points of the Patriots’ miscues.

Whitley Mayberry and Zenaunnie Campbell led Northwest Shoals with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

WOMEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 103, NW SHOALS CC 73

NW Shoals 34 39 — 73

UA Fort Smith 48 55 — 103

NW Shoals: Mayberry 12, Campbell 11, Bell 9, Je. Kinlaw 8, Horne 7, McDaniel 5, Stover 5, Parrish 4, Hood 4, Chavous 4, Hathcock 2, Davidson 2.

UA Fort Smith (1-0): Boyd 25, Cosby 16, Key 13, Brown 13, Johnson 11, Kemp 9, Lee 8, Duffey 5, Parsons 2, Sanders 1.

MEN

NO. 6 UA FORT SMITH 124, ISF 60

ISF 23 37 — 60

UA Fort Smith 58 66 — 124

ISF: Feenstra 17, Grant 14, Starr 10, Johnson 7, Allen 6, Masterson 5, Smith 1

UA Fort Smith (1-0): Bush 25, Cunningham 16, Jackson 15, Cline 15, Hanson 14, Williams 10, Cox 10, Rutledge 10, Sanford 4, Johnson 3, Kohlheim 2.

The Lions, who will join the NCAA Division II ranks next year, were ranked No. 4 in Sporting News Magazine’s Preseason Junior College Top 25 and were ranked No. 6 in the NJCAA Division I Preseason Top 30.

UA Fort Smith will open the season at 8 p.m. on Friday against International Sports Federation at the Stubblefield Center during the opening day of the UA Fort Smith Lions Classic.

“This will be the last (men’s basketball) team to ever play junior college athletics at UA Fort Smith, so it’s going to be a special year,” UA Fort Smith coach Josh Newman said. “It’s a very unique year, and it’s a great opportunity. This will be a team that will always be remembered as the last (junior college) team.

“Obviously, we want to go out there and represent all the players, all the coaches and everybody who has done everything to get us to this point. We want to make sure we have a tremendous amount of effort, that we play hard and that we pay tribute to those people as we finish out our transition to Division II.”

The Lions finished 28-4 last season, winning the East Division and advancing to the semifinals of the region tournament.

UA Fort Smith, which had six players sign NCAA Division I scholarships last season, returns four players from last year’s team, including starters Jared Cunningham and Jenirro Bush. Cunningham, a 6-foot-9 forward from Oregon City, Ore., averaged 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while earning All-Conference and All-Region honors. He was named a first team NJCAA Division I Preseason All-American.

Bush, a 6-7 guard from Starkville, Miss., averaged 9.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was named a second team Super Sophomore by Sporting News Magazine.

They’ll be joined be sophomore returners Tehran Cox, a 6-1 guard from Nassau, Bahamas, and LaDustin Williams, a 6-1 guard from Jonesboro, Ark. As freshmen, Cox averaged 5.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game and Williams averaged 8.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

“It makes a world of difference, and that’s one of the luxuries we’ll have as we transition to a four-year program,” said Newman of having a solid corps of returning players. “You have guys in the program who understand and expect not only the drills but what you want as a coach.

“We have four returners, and those four understand what I want. You can just tell. It’s a maturity process they’ve gone through, and I’m glad they’re here because they can teach the younger guys and the newer guys what I am like, what I expect and what I demand. It relieves a little bit of the burden from the coaching staff when you have returners.”

Added to the mix will be a talented group of sophomore transfers that will make an immediate impact, like Tyrone Hanson, a 6-7 guard who transferred from the University of Nevada; Paul Kohlheim, a 6-5 forward who transferred from Jacksonville University; and D’Angalo Jackson, a 6-foot guard from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Hanson, who is from New York, N.Y., played in 30 games as a freshman at Nevada, averaging 1.6 points and one rebound per game. Kohlheim, who is from Tupelo, Miss., averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game as a freshman at Jacksonville.

Jackson, who is from Milwaukee, Wis., signed with Creighton out of Pius XI High School but transferred to the UW - Green bay prior to the start of last season. He averaged three points, one rebound and one assist per game at UW - Green Bay, playing only nine games after becoming eligible after the semester break.

“Just playing the college game is an experience that you can’t put a price on,” Newman said. “We’ve got three guys who have done that and played at the Division I level. That game experience and that practice preparation will help us as the year continues.

“It’s been good early, but at the end of the season when we’re trying to make a push late, that’s when it will really come to fruition.”

The Lions also boast a strong freshmen class that will make an immediate impact, like Chris Johnson, a 6-7 forward from San Antonio, Texas; Mark Rutledge, a 6-4 guard from Tulsa, Okla.; Ryan Keese, a 6-2 guard from Muskogee, Okla.; and David Cline, a 6-7 forward from Rogers, Ark., who redshirted at Missouri State University last season.

Johnson was All-State, All-Region and All-District 28-4A last season at Brackenridge High School. Rutledge averaged 19.8 points, five rebounds and five assists per game last season at Tulsa Edison High School, and Keese averaged 25.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last year at Fort Gibson High School.

Cline, who played at Shiloh Christian High School, redshirted at Missouri State University last season.

“We have three really high-quality kids who can come in and play right away, and we have some other ones who might redshirt,” Newman said. “Chris Johnson is going to be able to play immediately. He’s physically ready. Mark Rutledge is another young man who can come in physically and play minutes right away, and Ryan Keese is going to be able to plug some holes for us.”

Freshmen Chase White, a 5-11 guard from Fort Smith; Nick Murry, a 6-foot guard from Fort Smith; Anthony Sanford of Memphis, Tenn.; and Michael Pharis of Van Buren, Ark., possibly could play some minutes for the Lions.

White averaged 10.1 points per game as a senior last season at Southside High School, Sanford averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game as a senior last season at Pullman (Wash.) High School, Murry averaged 9.5 points and 3.8 assists per game as a senior last season at Northside High School and Pharis averaged 14.7 points and five rebounds per game as senior last season at Van Buren High School.

“Right now, we are talking about possibly redshirting them, but we are going to do what’s best for them,” Newman said.

Newman likes the overall make-up of his team but is still a little concerned about the lack of size inside. Last season, the Lions enjoyed an abundance of size inside with 6-9 sophomore forward Lester Ferguson, 6-8 sophomore forward Aramie Brooks and 6-7 freshman forward Malcoln Kirkland.

Ferguson signed with University of Louisiana - Lafayette, Brooks signed with Northwestern State University and Kirkland signed with Oklahoma State.

“I like our length, and I like our ability to score,” Newman said. “We are a skilled team, but right now, I’m concerned about our lack of size in the post. We’re going to have to do some things to negate that.

“I think we’re going to have to speed the game up a little bit more than we did last year. We’re going to run offensively – that’s what we do – but maybe defensively we’re going to have to speed the tempo up with some pressure or some trapping-type defenses in the full court.”

UA Fort Smith is one of only two Bi-State Conference teams ranked in the NJCAA Preseason Top 30 – Seminole State is No. 26 – but Newman said the league will likely be the toughest it has been since he became Lions coach three seasons ago.

“There’s no question it’s better than last year, and it’s looking like it’s better than when I first got in the league,” Newman said. “There are a lot of teams with a lot of experience. Seminole returns the nucleus of its team, and it finished third overall in the region last year and reached the (region tournament) semifinals.

“NEO is probably the youngest team, but (coach Dustin Grover) has done a great job of reloading with some talent. Connors has some experience, and most of its returners played significant minutes. Western Oklahoma has some returners who were the key to its success last year. They made the playoffs and gave us a run for our money in the tournament. Then, there’s (Northern Oklahoma) Enid, who made it all the way to the (region tournament) finals and returns its three best players.”

The men are ranked No. 6, and the women are ranked No. 8.

The Lions, who were also ranked No. 4 in the Sporting News Preseason Top 25, are one of two Bi-State Conference teams ranked in the Top 30. The Seminole State Trojans are ranked No. 26.

Indian Hills Community College is the top-ranked team in the poll, followed in the Top 10 by Chipola College, Midland College, Walters State Community College, Cowley County Community College, UA Fort Smith, San Jacinto College, College of Southern Idaho, Georgia Perimeter College and Mineral Area College.

Lions sophomore Jared Cunningham, a 6-foot-9 forward from Oregon City, Ore., was named a NJCAA Division I Preseason First Team All-American. Cunningham averaged 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a freshman, earning All-Conference and All-Region honors.

The Lady Lions are one of two Bi-State Conference teams ranked in the Top 30. Connors State College, which lost to UA Fort Smith in last year’s NJCAA Region II tournament championship game, is No. 10.

Jefferson College is the top-ranked team in the poll, followed in the Top 10 by Trinity Valley Community College, College of Southern Idaho, Central Arizona College, Gulf Coast Community College, Midland College, Cloud County Community College, UA Fort Smith, Chipola College and Connors State.

The Lions are ranked No. 4 in Sporting News Magazine’s Preseason Junior College Top 25. UA Fort Smith is among 10 junior college men’s basketball teams profiled in the magazine’s college basketball preview, which is currently on newsstands.

It’s the highest preseason ranking the Lions have received since they were the preseason No. 1-ranked team during the 2005-06 season. UA Fort Smith went on to win the national championship that season.

Also, it’s the second time in Lions coach Josh Newman’s three seasons that the Lions have been ranked in the Top 5 of a national preseason or regular-season poll. Last season, UA Fort Smith was ranked No. 4 at one point in the NJCAA Division I Top 20.

UA Fort Smith finished 28-4 last season, having won the Bi-State Conference East Division title and advanced to the semifinals of the NJCAA Region II tournament.

“Preseason rankings are great for the fans and good for the players,” Newman said. “They (preseason rankings) don’t mean a lot, though. They don’t award a paper champion. They give out the most important award at the end of the year.”

UA Fort Smith is one of three Bi-State Conference teams ranked in the magazine’s Top 25. Connors State, which finished 22-9 last season, is ranked No. 16, and Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, which finished 19-13 last year, is ranked No. 24.

Lions sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., was named a second team Super Sophomore by the magazine. Bush, a 6-foot-7 guard, played in 31 games as a freshman and averaged 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Lowry, the former director of basketball operations at the University of Arkansas - Little Rock, replaces former Lions assistant coach Justin Stuckey, who resigned earlier this summer to pursue a high school teaching position in Texas.

The 36-year-old Lowry will join the UA Fort Smith staff on Sept. 1.

“We’re excited to be able to add him to our staff,” Newman said. “He’s a guy who has a tremendous reputation of being a workaholic, and he has a great understanding of the game.”

As UALR’s director of basketball operations, Lowry coordinated the video exchange program, team travel and meals, organized community relations events, supervised study hall and monitored academic progress.

Prior to his three seasons at UALR, Lowry was an assistant coach at San Bernardino Valley College (2003-04), where he helped guide the Wolverines to the first round of the California state playoffs.

Lowry also has a high school coaching background having been assistant varsity coach at Riverside Poly High School (2001-03), where he helped lead the Bears to their first Ivy League championship in 19 years and to two-consecutive playoff appearances.

He also had coaching stints at San Gorgonio High School (2000-01), helping the team earn its first playoff appearance in 15 years, and at Yucaipa High School (1999-2000).

A native of Moreno Valley, Calif., Lowry is a graduate of Canyon Springs High School, where he led Canyon to consecutive Mountain View League championships (1988-89, 1989-90).

He played one season at Chaffey College (1990-91) and San Bernardino Valley College (1992-93) before finishing his college career at the University of California - Riverside, where he helped lead the Highlanders to two CCAA championships, an appearance in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 (1993-94) and a national runner-up finish (1994-95).

Sophomore Malcoln Kirkland, whom the Lions were expecting to play a pivotal role this upcoming season, signed with Oklahoma State University on Monday, becoming the sixth Lion from this past year’s team to sign with a NCAA Division I team.

It was somewhat of a surprising turn of events, but it didn’t totally catch Newman off guard. Kirkland, a 6-foot-7 forward from Madison, Miss., was a NCAA qualifier when he signed with the Lions last summer and recently had received offers from St. Louis University and the University of Alabama - Birmingham.

“Malcoln had opportunities (to play Division I basketball) coming out of high school, but he chose to come here to better his opportunities,” Newman said. “Oklahoma State is a great opportunity for him. (The Cowboys) play in one of the top three leagues in the country.”

Kirkland played in all 32 games this past season and averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Lions, who finished 28-4 overall, won the Bi-State Conference East Division title and reached the semifinals of the NJCAA Region II tournament.

“We’re excited for Malcoln,” Newman said. “He’s going to play in the Big 12, and that’s a great opportunity.”

Kirkland is one of the first recruits signed by new Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford. The former University of Massachusetts coach was hired in April to replace former Cowboys coach Sean Sutton, who resigned following the Cowboys’ 17-16 finish this past season.

With Kirkland’s departure, Newman suddenly has one more scholarship available with which to bolster an already solid recruiting class that includes freshmen Mark Rutledge (Tulsa, Okla.), Chris Johnson (San Antonio, Texas), Ryan Keese (Muskogee, Okla.), Nick Murry (Fort Smith), Chase White (Fort Smith) and Michael Pharis (Van Buren, Ark.), redshirt freshman David Cline (Rogers, Ark.) and sophomore transfers D’Angalo Jackson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Paul Kohlheim (Tupelo, Miss.).

“Now, we have to get back to work,” Newman said. “Replacing a guy like Malcoln who was going to start for you is hard. It’s going to be tough to find someone to replace him, especially this late.”

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward was drafted by Chicago with the 39th overall pick in the second round of Thursday’s NBA draft, but following the draft, the rights to Weems were traded to the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team trade.

“We had a lot of conversations. There was a lot of talk, a whole lot of talk. As the draft unfolded, we saw guys sliding, and as that happened we started to become more active,” said Nuggets vice president of player personnel Rex Chapman in a news release on the team’s Web site. “Other teams became more active, and we have been working on these types of scenarios for days.”

In the late-hour deal, the Portland Trailblazers received the Nuggets’ second-round pick in 2009, the New York Knicks’ second-round pick in 2009 (via Chicago) and Chicago’s second-round pick in 2010.

Chicago received the rights to Turkey’s Omer Asik, who was drafted by Portland in the second round with the 36th overall pick.

Denver vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said the Nuggets had their eye on Weems for quite some time.

“It’s just kind of the nature of the draft. In the NBA, now the time you can work guys out is more limited. Often guys hit a certain point in the draft, and there’s seven to eight teams that they haven’t worked out for,” said Warkentien in a release on the team’s Web site.

“A lot of teams won’t take a guy that hasn’t worked out for them. They reach those pockets and they need parachutes because they are falling . . . who is slipping, where’s the value? With Sonny slipping (Thursday), we chose to make a play. He was in the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp and then there was a multi-team workout (in Oakland on June 13 and 14) and he participated in that. We saw him in junior college too.”

Weems, a West Memphis, Ark., native, was a two-year starter for UA Fort Smith, leading the Lions to the 2006 NJCAA national championship. He went on to become a two-year starter at the University of Arkansas, earning first team All-SEC honors this past season.

“Oh, he’ll get drafted,” said Cox, now assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Kentucky.

Cox recruited Weems to UA Fort Smith and for two years watched the 6-foot-6 guard/forward develop into the No. 1-ranked junior college player in the country and eventually sign with the University of Arkansas.

While Cox may have been convinced of Weems’ draft fate, Weems’ status was uncertain going into Thursday night’s draft. Most draft pundits had Weems as a late second-round pick at best, while a few didn’t even have him on their draft boards.

All the uncertainty was cleared up about 3 ½ hours into the draft when the West Memphis, Ark., native was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 39th pick in the second round. He will join former University of Memphis point guard Derek Rose, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Bulls.

The two players are the first draft picks for new Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, who was hired earlier this month as the 17th coach in the franchise’s history. Del Negro was previously assistant general manager of the Phoenix Suns.

As a freshman, Weems averaged 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and two steals per game while leading UA Fort Smith to a 29-4 win-loss record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship and runner-up finish in the NJCAA Region II tournament.

Weems earned All-Conference and All-Region II honors and was named a NJCAA third team All-American.

As a sophomore, Weems was the preseason No. 1-ranked junior college player in the nation according to JucoJunction.com and Street & Smith Magazine.

He averaged 15.7 points per game while leading the preseason No. 1-ranked Lions to a 33-3 win-loss record, the Bi-State Conference East Division title, the Region II tournament championship and the 2006 national championship.

Weems earned All-Conference and All-Region honors and was named a NJCAA honorable mention All-American.

He went on to become a two-year starter at Arkansas, where he averaged 13.4 points, five rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during his career. He was named first team All-SEC honors and earned Associated Press All-SEC honors this past season.

“He has three things that you need to have to be a pro. He’s got athleticism with size and length, he’s got the desire and the attitude and he’s selfless and very coachable,” Cox said. “He’s used the talents that God gave him, and that’s a credit to him, his parents, his high school coaches and the others who have coached him.”

Weems is the fifth player Cox has coached – as an assistant coach or head coach – to be selected in the NBA draft, including former lottery picks Theo Ratliff (Wyoming) and A.C. Law (Texas A&M). He also is the fourth former Lion to be drafted by an NBA team, joining Maurice Jeffers, Darrell Walker and Ron Brewer.

Jeffers, who is from Morrilton, Ark., played two seasons (1997-99) at UA Fort Smith (then Westark College) and, after two seasons at St. Louis University, was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 55th pick in the 2001 draft.

Walker, who is from Chicago, played one season (1979-80) for the Lions and, after playing three seasons at Arkansas, was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 12th pick in the 1983 draft.

Brewer, who is from Fort Smith, played one season (1974-75) for the Lions and, after playing three seasons at Arkansas, was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers with the seventh pick in the 1978 draft.

Cline, a 6-foot-7 forward from Rogers, Ark., was a redshirt at Missouri State University this past season, and Jackson, a 6-foot guard from Milwaukee, Wis., was a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay this past season.

Cline averaged 18 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.8 steals per game during his senior season at Shiloh Christian High School and led the Saints to a 27-5 record and the 3A-1 Conference championship. He also earned All-Conference and All-State honors, was named to the All-Region Tournament Team and the All-State Tournament Team and was selected to play in the AHSCA All-Star Game.

He was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and was a member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Area Team and the Morning News of Northwest Arkansas All-Area Team. He also was the KURM Player of the Year.

“It’s not every day that you can recruit a player of David Cline’s ability. He’s 6-7, 225,” Newman said. “He redshirted at Missouri State, so he’s had some time to get stronger. I think he’ll come in here and have an immediate impact.”

Jackson averaged 18.1 points, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game as a senior at Milwaukee’s Pius XI High School. He was a Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and Associated Press second team All-State selection and was named first team All-Area by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

He was the Classic 8 Conference Player of the Year.

Jackson originally signed with Creighton University but transferred to UW-Green Bay last fall. Jackson, who only played in nine games after becoming eligible on Dec. 22, averaged three points, one rebound and one assist per game for the Phoenix.

“D.J. is going to give us quickness. There won’t be many nights where there’s anybody on the court quicker than him,” Newman said. “He’s going to allow us to continue our up-tempo style of play. He should be able to come in and play right away with all the guys we have in our program.”

Along with Cline and Jackson, UA Fort Smith has signed Ryan Keese, a 6-3 guard from Muskogee, Okla.; Chris Johnson, a 6-8 forward from San Antonio, Texas; Mark Rutledge, a 6-4 guard from Tulsa, Okla., Paul Kohlheim, a 6-5 forward from Tupelo, Miss.; and Nick Murry, a 5-11 guard from Fort Smith.

The Lions also have added Chase White, a 6-foot guard from Fort Smith who received an academic scholarship to UA Fort Smith, and Tyrone Hanson, a 6-7 sophomore guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., who transferred to UA Fort Smith at semester from the University of Nevada.

“I don’t know if we’re setting any records, but if you were to ask any junior college coach in the country if they were done (recruiting) at this point, they would all tell you no. I’m really glad (we’re done),” Newman said. “I’m very fortunate. I think (assistant coaches) Justin Stuckey and Nate Mast have done a phenomenal job recruiting and have put us in position to be done at this point.”

Echols, a 6-foot-6 forward from Blytheville, Ark., signed with Georgia State University in Atlanta. Johnson, a 5-10 point guard from Kansas City, Mo., signed with North Texas University in Denton. Hardiman, a 6-4 guard from Milwaukee, Wis., signed with Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant.

They are three of five Lions who have signed with Division I schools. Last fall, sophomore forward Aramie Brooks of Earle, Ark., signed with Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., and sophomore center Lester Ferguson of Baton Rouge, La., signed with the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

The sophomore class helped lead the Lions to a 28-4 finish this past season and a No. 12 ranking in the final NJCAA regular-season poll. The Lions won the Bi-State Conference East Division championship and advanced to the NJCAA Region II tournament semifinals.

“Between Chris Echols, Jacolby, Aramie Brooks and Lester, those were the guys who took a chance on me as I took a chance on them that first year,” said Lions coach Josh Newman, who just finished his second season at UA Fort Smith. “To see them two years removed being able to walk out this door with a degree in hand and a Division I scholarship couldn’t make me more proud.

“They’ll be sadly missed, not only from a basketball perspective but more importantly from a character and teammate perspective.”

Echols, who was a two-year starter, was second on the team in scoring with 11 points per game this past season, while shooting 53.8 percent from the field. He led the team in rebounding with 5.9 rebounds per game.

He was named first team All-Conference and All-Region this past season after being named first team All-Conference and second team All-Region as a freshman.

Along with Georgia State, Echols received interest from Kansas State, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and the University of Massachusetts. He chose Georgia State based on its academic program, especially is music department.

“They have a really good music department,” Newman said. “And, Atlanta is really connected with the music industry.”

Georgia State, which is coached by former Ole Miss coach Rod Barnes, competes in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Panthers finished 9-21 overall and 5-13 in conference play this past season – Barnes’ first season at the school.

Johnson, a one-year starter who transferred from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, averaged 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He led the team with 5.1 assists per game and was ranked No. 47 in the nation. He was named second team All-Conference.

Along with North Texas, Johnson received interest from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, Albany University, Central Arkansas University and the University of South Alabama.

“It’s similar to here with the same style of play. It will be a good fit for me,” said Johnson of North Texas. “I’ve got a lot of family from that area, and my parents like the school. It’s a good place to be.”

North Texas, which is coached by Johnny Jones, competes in the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green finished 20-11 overall and 10-8 in conference play this past season – Jones’ seventh season at the school.

Hardiman, a two-year starter, averaged 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game this past season. He averaged 2.4 assists per game and 1.7 steals.

Along with Central Michigan, Hardiman received interest from Eastern Illinois, Texas State, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, North Texas and Loyola-Chicago.

“When I went to visit, it was a nice environment,” said Hardiman of Central Michigan. “They have a good academic program. I want to major in business entrepreneurship, and they have a good business program. That topped it off.

“The guys on the team were really cool. I fit the system really well.”

Central Michigan, which is coached by Ernie Zeigler, competes in the Mid-American Conference. The Chippewas finished 14-17 overall and 8-8 in conference play this past season – Zeigler’s second season at the school.

Murry, a 5-foot-11 guard from Northside High School, signed a NJCAA letter of intent and received an athletics scholarship, and White, a 6-foot guard from Southside High School, received an academics scholarship.

They will be a part of the Lions’ last team to compete at the junior college level. UA Fort Smith is making the transition to NCAA Division II and will be a provisional member beginning with the 2009-10 season.

“We’re really excited that we can keep two hometown guys close to home,” Newman said. “They will help us build on what we expect to be a great foundation for (NCAA) Division II.”

Murry averaged 9.5 points and 3.8 assists per game for the Grizzlies, who finished second in the 7A-West Conference and advanced to the state tournament quarterfinals. He earned All-Conference and All-State honors and was the MVP of the Coca-Cola Classic.

He also was named to the Times Record All-Area Team and the state tournament All-Tournament Team.

White averaged 10.1 points per game for the Rebels, who finished fourth in the 7A-West Conference and advanced to the state tournament.

He earned All-Conference and All-State honors and was named to the Times Record All-Area Team and the state tournament All-Tournament Team.

“We’re fortunate to be able to have two young men from our community whom we feel like can really step in and help this team,” Newman said. “We’re looking for these guys to be the bridge between that junior college and Division II gap.”

Newman, who recently finished his second season as Lions coach, signed four recruits last week – Ryan Keese, a 6-foot-3 guard from Muskogee, Okla.; Chris Johnson, a 6-8 forward from San Antonio, Texas; Mark Rutledge, a 6-4 guard from Tulsa, Okla.; and Paul Kohlheim, a 6-5 forward from Tupelo, Miss.

“We’re excited,” Newman said. “We’ve added depth to our roster. All of these kids can come in and play right away, which is great for our team because it creates competition. Last year, the strength of our team was our depth. And without a doubt, the strength of next year’s team will be our depth as well.”

Newman is well on his way to replenishing his team, which lost five sophomores from this past season’s squad that finished 28-4, won the Bi-State Conference East Division and reached the Region II tournament semifinals.

Still, Newman has a couple of spots to fill and likely will sign a point guard and a small forward in the coming weeks.

“We’ll lose five guys, and all five will have signed Division I scholarships,” Newman said. “It’s going to be hard to replace those guys, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job in doing that with the class we’ve signed so far.”

The following is a brief synopsis of the Lions’ incoming players.

Ryan Keese, Fort Gibson (Okla.) High School

Keese averaged 25.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, four steals and 4.5 assists per game this past season, while leading the Tigers to a 19-8 finish. A McDonald’s All-American nominee, Keese earned Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State honors, was named to the Daily Oklahoman All-State Team and was the Muskogee Phoenix Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Keese also earned All-District Region III honors and All-Conference honors for the second-consecutive season and was named an Eastern Oklahoma All-Star for the second-consecutive year.

Chris Johnson, Brackenridge High School (San Antonio, Texas)

Johnson helped lead the Eagles to a 31-7 record and a berth in the Class 4A Region IV championship game, where they lost to Boerne 66-48. Johnson was named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 4A All-State Team and All-Region team and was first team All-District 28-4A. He was named to the Greater San Antonio All-City Super Team and the South San Antonio ISD All-Tournament Team and was the Northeast ISD Tournament MVP. He also received interest from Sam Houston State, Wichita State, Texas State and Long Island.

Mark Rutledge, Thomas Edison High School (Tulsa, Okla.)

Rutledge averaged a team-high 19.8 points, five assists and five rebounds per game for the Class 5A Eagles, who finished 19-8 and advanced to the state semifinals. Rutledge averaged 26 points per game during the Eagles’ two state tournament games – a 63-60 win against Harrah in the quarterfinals and 50-48 loss to Guthrie.

Rutledge was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and a three-time member of the Green Country All-Conference Team. He was named first team All-State by the Oklahoma sports writers and High School Sports The Magazine, was named first team All-Metro by the Oklahoma Coaches Association and was named to the Channel 8 Elite Eight Team of Oklahoma.

Paul Kohlheim, Jacksonville (Fla.) University

Kohlheim averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game this past season for the NCAA Division I Jacksonville (Fla.) University Dolphins. Kohlheim, a transfer who will be a sophomore at UA Fort Smith, led Tupelo High School to an 85-40 win-loss record during his four prep seasons. As a senior, he was named one of the Mississippi “Dandy Dozen” after averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per game and was named first team All-Area and preseason All-State.