That’s how University of Arkansas - Fort Smith women’s basketball coach Louis Whorton describes his Lady Lions’ inaugural season as a NCAA Division II member.

“We have had a tradition of success here over the past several years, and we want that to continue into the NCAA,” said Whorton, who begins his 24th season at UA Fort Smith. “We are kind of the new kids on the block.”

The Lady Lions will compete in the Heartland Conference, but because they are provisional members of D-II, they will not be eligible to compete for regular-season championships or postseason play.

Still, that hasn’t dampened Whorton’s enthusiasm about the upcoming season, which includes a schedule loaded with tough in-state and regional foes in addition to conference opponents.

The Lady Lions will play their first official D-II game at 5:30 p.m. Friday against the Southern Arkansas University Lady Muleriders in the third annual Dr. Mary Jane Gilbert Classic at Steelman Fieldhouse in Monticello, Ark.

UA Fort Smith will play host UA Monticello in the classic finale at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

“We’re the new kids in the conference, and we’re playing entirely new teams,” Whorton said. “Everything we do will be the first time it has ever been done at this school as a member of NCAA. We’ve got a tradition built, and now we want to build on it and add to it.”

The Lady Lions ended their 33-year history as a junior college program last season, finishing 8-24 overall and as NJCAA Region II tournament runner-up. Only one starter returns from that team – junior Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark.

Sanders, a 5-foot-8 guard, played in all 32 games a year ago and averaged 9.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Sanders, however, will be joined by four returning players who saw playing time last season.

Junior Ashley Arnold, a 5-8 guard from Mountainburg, Ark., played in all 32 games last season and averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore Tracey Parsons, a 5-7 guard from Trenton, N.J., played in all 32 games and averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Sophomore Monica Williams, a 5-11 sophomore from Horn Lake, Miss., played in 26 games and averaged five points and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Whitney Lee also returns after having her promising freshman season cut short because of a season-ending knee injury. Lee, a 6-0 post from Pine Bluff, Ark., played in only 12 games last season and averaged 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Jawanda Duffey, a 6-2 post from Jonesboro, Ga., played last season for the Lady Lions but will redshirt this season for medical reasons.

“You have Vasha back, but we actually have five kids who played last year (back),” Whorton said. “You’ve got Vasha, Tracey Parsons and Ashley Arnold in there, and at the end of the year last year, Monica Williams was playing an awful lot of minutes.

“Then you have to consider that Whitney Lee was starting when she went down with an ACL injury at Thanksgiving.”

Whorton also welcomes back three players who redshirted last season – freshmen Brittney Stout of Charleston, Ark.; and Chelsea Sublett of Conway, Ark.; and junior Kaylena Andersen of Bentonville, Ark.

Stout, a 5-6 guard, originally signed with Harding University but transferred to UA Fort Smith for the spring semester. She averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a senior at Charleston.

Sublett, a 5-9 guard, was MVP of the 2008 Class 7A state tournament after leading the Lady Wampus Cats to the state championship. Anderson, a 5-8 guard, averaged 15.2 points and 6.1 rebounds during her sophomore season at York College before transferring to UA Fort Smith last season. However, she will redshirt this season for medical reasons.

Whorton and his staff replenished their roster in the offseason with seven newcomers, including three junior college transfers.

Adel Morris, a 5-4 guard from Atlanta, Ga., averaged 6 points 4 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game last season at Neosho County Community College. Monica Spearman, a 6-1 guard/forward from Dallas, Texas, averaged 16.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season at Tyler Junior College. Janae’ Hendreson, a 6-1 post from Orange, Texas, averaged 9.4 points and 6 rebounds per game last season at Kilgore College.

“They were in good programs and very familiar with our program,” Whorton said. “Monica Spearman had played against us twice, and we had scrimmaged Adel’s team and she had seen us play a bunch. They knew coming in what to expect. Janae’ Hendreson we didn’t know, but after watching her play, we sure recruited the heck out of her.”

Ashlee McDonald, a 5-6 guard from Hot Springs, Ark., averaged 11.2 points, 7.6 assists 4.8 rebounds per game last season while leading the Lady Trojans to a berth in the Class 5A state tournament. She will redshirt this season for medical reasons.

Whorton also added three players during the preseason – freshman Lyndsey Bockelman, a 6-1 post from Fort Smith; sophomore Tori Stocking, a 5-10 forward from Fort Smith; and freshman Cheyenne Grabe, a 6-1 post from Sallisaw, Okla.

“It’s an exciting time. It’s just like starting something new,” Whorton said. “How many times in your life do you get to create something brand new? Not often. Even though you’ve had all the tools in place, it’s still like a new toy, so to speak.”

UA Fort Smith’s SAAC will conduct its “Bundle Up Fort Smith” community service project on Nov. 17 when the UA Fort Smith men’s basketball team hosts the University of the Ozarks Eagles in its season opener at 7 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.

Fans are encouraged to bring a coat, a pair of shoes or both with them to the game, and members of SAAC will be on hand to collect these clothing items at both entrances of the Stubblefield Center.

The clothing items collected will go to help those in need to stay warm this winter.

“With the winter season approaching, some people don’t have coats or jackets to stay warm or shoes to keep their feet warm,” said UA Fort Smith director of athletic compliance Will Collier, who is the SAAC sponsor. “This is an opportunity for our student-athletes to do something to help those in need in our community and help improve their quality of life.”

This project is a part of SAAC’s on-going community service project aimed at assisting those in need in the Fort Smith area. Earlier this month, SAAC members participated in a canned food drive to collect food for Thanksgiving food baskets for needy families in Fort Smith. The group visited 398 houses and collected 1,019 canned food items, as well as $110 in donations.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight of the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses. It also is a public service organization and participates in various community service projects throughout the year.

Fifty-two students and student-athletes went door-to-door throughout Fort Smith neighborhoods on Saturday collecting canned food items for Thanksgiving food baskets they will prepare for needy families.

“One of the guys who was in my group was like ‘I feel really good that I used a Saturday to help people,’” said UA Fort Smith tennis player Cameron Terrell, who helped organize the food drive. “It was cool. That was pretty much the common sentiment among everybody. They were excited to be there and really glad they could help.”

The group visited 398 houses and collected 1,019 canned food items, as well as $110 in donations. Terrell, a sophomore from Little Rock, Ark., said the group was really excited about the response.

“Most of the people who were home were really excited about helping us,” Terrell said. “They were glad they could give, too. They were glad we included them in the giving process.”

Initially, Terrell said the group had hoped to collect enough food to make baskets for 40 families but because of the overwhelming outpouring of support from the community that they now hope to make baskets for 60-75 families.

The group is working with the Community Clearinghouse, which will provide them with a list of needy families. They expect to make their food basket deliveries the week before the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We had a lot of help from Caring for the Northside and Sebastian Commons,” Terrell said. “Sebastian Commons provided us pizza, and Caring for the Northside provided the T-shirts and the transportation, which we really needed.”

The door-to-door food drive also was a community service project adopted by the UA Fort Smith Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight of the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses. It also is a public service organization and participates in various community service projects throughout the year.

Student-athletes representing men’s and women’s tennis and baseball participated in the food drive.

“A huge part of SAAC is community service, and it was great to see our student-athletes jump on this opportunity to help a large number of people in our community,” said UA Fort Smith compliance director Will Collier, who is the SAAC sponsor. “Too often athletes are criticized for only wanting to do things for themselves, and it’s exciting that our athletes want to help others and be a positive influence in their community.”

UA Fort Smith SAAC members, along with members of Caring for the Northside, will be collecting canned food for Thanksgiving meals for those in need in Fort Smith.

SAAC is a committee made up of student-athletes assembled to provide insight of the student-athlete experience and offer input on the rules, regulations and policies that affect student-athletes’ lives on NCAA member institution campuses.

SAAC also is a public service organization and participates in various community service projects throughout the year.

Activities get under way at 7 p.m. and will include player introductions, team scrimmages, 3-point contests and dunk contests. Players and coaches will also be available for a meet-and-greet autograph and picture sessions with the fans.

There also will be free popcorn and fountain drinks. Admission is free, but fans are asked to bring a canned food item to support the local food bank.

“We would like to introduce our teams to our fans and our fans to our teams without doing that at midnight,” Lady Lions coach Louis Whorton said. “We felt like we would get a lot more of our young kids who come out to our games to come out at 7 o’clock versus midnight. Kids do have to go to school the next day.”

Whorton said he is excited about the opportunity to interact with the UA Fort Smith fans in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

“A lot of our fans are talking about what these teams are going to look like and things like that, and we wanted them to have a chance to see (our teams) in a relaxed atmosphere,” Whorton said. “There will be a lot of activities, and the players will be available for autographs and pictures. It will be more of a meet-and-greet event than anything else.”

Thursday will mark the first day of official team practice for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. After weeks of individual workouts, Whorton is ready to begin preseason preparation in earnest.

“I don’t know if I have ever been more antsy for practice to start in 34 years of coaching,” said Whorton, who begins his 24th season at UA Fort Smith. “It’s because I haven’t seen (the team). I’ve seen them in the weight room and doing individual workouts, but I have not seen them together.

“I’m kind of crawling the walls. I wish we started right now. The kids are eager to get started, and I am too.”

The Lady Lions will open the regular season on Nov. 20-21 in the third annual Dr. Mary Jane Gilbert Classic hosted by the University of Arkansas - Monticello. They will play Southern Arkansas at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 and UA Monticello at 2 p.m. on Nov. 21.

The Lions will open the exhibition season on Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. against Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo.

Prospective players must be current UA Fort Smith students. Prospective players must have had a physical within the past six months and have documentation from a physician on file with UA Fort Smith director of sports medicine/head athletic trainer Jeff McGee prior to the tryout.

Also, prospective players must fill out a UA Fort Smith walk-on form and have it on file with UA Fort Smith compliance director Will Collier prior to the tryout. The walk-on form is available at www.uafortsmith.edu/attach/Athletics/Nav/UAFSWalk-onForm.pdf.

For more information, contact women’s assistant basketball coach Tiffany Swoffard at (479) 788-7595 or tswoffar@uafortsmith.edu.

UA Fort Smith men’s basketball coach Josh Newman will conduct two individual camps for children in grades 2-6 on July 20-22 and Aug. 3-5 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.

Campers will receive individual instruction in the fundamentals of defense, rebounding, shooting and ball handling. Each camper will receive individual instruction from members of the UA Fort Smith coaching staff and players.

Cost of the day-long camps is $150 per camper and includes a camp T-shirt and commemorative certificate signifying completion of the camp.

Campers may bring their own lunch, or food will be available for purchase at the camp store.

Registration forms are available on-line at www.uafortsmith.edu/Basketball or at the athletics office located inside the Stubblefield Center. For more information, call (479) 788-7590.

Also, Newman will conduct an Elite Camp for boys in grades 7-12 on July 25 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.

Campers will participate in guard/post drills and 5-on-5 games and will receive a personal evaluation. Cost is $40 and includes a camp T-shirt.

Registration forms are available on-line at www.uafortsmith.edu/Basketball or at the athletics office located inside the Stubblefield Center. For more information, contact assistant coach Hank Plona at (479) 788-7593 or at hplona@uafortsmith.edu.

UA Fort Smith women’s basketball coach Louis Whorton will conduct an individual shooting camp for children in grades 3-6 on July 27-29 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center.

Camp participants will receive instruction in all phases of shooting the basketball, like shooting off the pass and shooting off the dribble. Campers will learn proper hand position, footwork and follow-through and will learn 10 shooting drills that they will be able to use at home. Also, participants will have their shot videotaped and critiqued by the women’s basketball coaching staff.

Cost of the day-long camps is $150 per camper and includes a camp T-shirt. Campers may bring their lunch, or food will be available for purchase.

Registration forms are available on-line at www.uafortsmith.edu/WBasketball or at the athletics office located inside the Stubblefield Center. For more information, call (479) 788-7590.

The NCAA has granted UA Fort Smith provisional Division II membership status beginning with the upcoming academic year. UA Fort Smith athletic director Dustin Smith received official notification from the NCAA during a conference call on Thursday afternoon.

“A lot of work has gone into getting to this point. By no means is it over, but it is a huge step in the right direction and a positive movement for the institution and the athletic department,” Smith said. “A lot of worries have ended with this decision. We are one step closer to the prize, and that prize is active membership in Division II.”

As a provisional member, UA Fort Smith will compete at the NCAA Division II level this upcoming season, but its teams will not be eligible to compete for conference or region championships or participate in postseason play.

Once the provisional year is completed, UA Fort Smith will be eligible for full active membership. That decision will be made by the NCAA in July 2010. Smith said he expects UA Fort Smith to be granted full active membership at that time.

“In the whole process if (the NCAA) doesn’t feel that you have done what you are supposed to do, you repeat the year that you are on,” Smith explained. “I can’t ever say that (full active membership) is a done deal, but hopefully a year from this time, we can say that it’s a done deal and that we are an active Division II school.

“We have the pieces in place, and I would not foresee them saying that we would have to repeat the third year (the provisional year).”

UA Fort Smith announced its intentions to leave the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and pursue NCAA Division II membership prior to the start of the 2007-08 season.

UA Fort Smith completed the first year of the two-year exploratory phase required for Division II membership and was given approval by the NCAA on July 24, 2008, to move to the second year of the membership process for the 2008-09 academic year.

Two members representing the NCAA membership committee conducted a two-day, on-site visit at UA Fort Smith this past April, during which time they toured the campus and the athletic facilities and interviewed administrators, faculty and staff about the university’s academic and athletic policies and procedures.

Their favorable report – as well as UA Fort Smith’s work throughout the early stages of the membership process – was instrumental in the committee granting the university provisional membership status.

“My goal in this whole process was to do as much as we could on the front end to look and present ourselves as a Division II school,” Smith said. “We looked at a lot of institutions both in the state and in the region to give us some guidance and to set a standard for us to follow.

“My whole philosophy was that ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Obviously, there are schools around us who have been successful as Division II schools. We wanted to implement some of the things they do, and (UA Fort Smith Chancellor) Dr. (Paul) Beran has given us great guidance in doing that and has been very supportive of that. I think the (membership) committee was pleased with what we have done.”

This past spring, UA Fort Smith accepted an invitation to join the Heartland Conference and will begin competition in the league beginning this fall. The Heartland Conference is the newest Division II conference. The conference, which was founded in 1999, covers a distance of more than 1,050 miles from north to south and 610 miles east to west.

UA Fort Smith will join current Heartland Conference members Dallas Baptist University, Incarnate Word University, St. Edward’s University, Lincoln University, St. Mary’s University, Newman University, Texas A&M International University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and the University of Texas - Permian Basin.

That wasn’t the case this year as the veteran coach prepares to lead the Lady Lions to the NCAA Division II level this fall.

“It’s kind of unusual. In junior college, a lot of the players that you get who are your top players sometimes don’t become available until later on in the summer. It wasn’t unusual for us to go into August with a couple of scholarships on the table,” said Whorton, who recently finished his 23rd season at UA Fort Smith.

“At (NCAA) Division II, if it’s going to happen for you, it’s going to happen on signing day probably. We had the good fortune to have been in on some junior college kids early.”

Whorton topped off his first NCAA Division II team by recently signing four recruits – Monica Spearman, a 6-foot-1 forward from Tyler (Texas) Junior College; Adel Morris, a 5-5 point guard from Neosho County (Kan.) Community College; Janae Hendreson, a 6-1 forward from Kilgore (Texas) College; and Ashlee McDonald, a 5-7 point guard from Hot Springs (Ark.) High School.

Spearman averaged a team-high 16.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and was one of only three sophomores on a Lady Apaches team that finished 9-21 overall and 3-15 in conference play.

The Irving, Texas, native, who played in all 30 of the Lady Apaches’ games, shot a team-high 52.2 percent (200 of 383) from the field and hit 72 percent (59 of 82) from the free-throw line.

Spearman led Region XIV in scoring and was in the Top 5 in rebounding. She was named to the All-Region team.

“She’s a very prolific scorer and a very fine outside shooter,” Whorton said. “She can really take it off the bounce and penetrate. She’s going to remind a lot of our fans of Tanisha Smith in her build and her game. I don’t know if she’s in that category just yet, but she’s capable of playing that kind of basketball.”

Morris averaged a team-high 6.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game on a Lady Panthers team that finished 11-20 overall and 6-12 in the Kansas Jayhawk Conference.

The Atlanta, Ga., native also averaged 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds for Neosho County, which lost in the first round of the Region VI tournament.

“She’s what I call a fast-breaking point guard,” Whorton said. “She likes to play the up-tempo style, and she’s at her best in the open court. We think she will come in and immediately give us help in triggering our press.”

Hendreson averaged 9.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on a Lady Rangers team that finished 23-7 overall and 12-6 in Region XIV play and lost in the championship game of the Region XIV tournament to Trinity Valley Community College.

The Orange, Texas, native shot 50 percent (66 of 133) from the field and 75 percent (27 of 36) from the free-throw line.

“She gives us something we haven’t had here this year and something you need at Division II, and that’s a presence on the low block,” Whorton said. “I think she will do that for us.”

McDonald averaged 11.2 points, 7.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game for Hot Springs while leading the Lady Trojans to a berth in the state tournament. She earned All-Conference, All-State and All-Garland County honors and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

“Ashlee is going to be able to step up and help us,” Whorton said. “She is going to give us two point guards who can play, and over the next four years, Ashlee McDonald is going to be a great asset to this program.”

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith sophomore trio of Sheena Johnson, Dannah Kemp and Morgan Boyd signed NCAA Division I letters-of-intent on Wednesday to play basketball for the Wichita State University Shockers.

They will join former Lady Lion point guard Marisah Henderson, who played this past season for the Shockers after helping guide UA Fort Smith to a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament in 2008.

Wichita State, which competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, finished 13-18 overall and 4-14 in conference play this past season.

“We would be interested in playing Wichita State, but it would be kind of like an intrasquad game, so I don’t guess we’ll do that,” quipped UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton, whose Lady Lions will compete at the NCAA Division II level next season. “They are getting three fine players who have worked hard.”

Johnson, a 5-foot-5 point guard from Clinton, Miss., averaged 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 steals and a team-high 6.4 assists per game this past season. She scored a season-high 17 points against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in the NJCAA Region II semifinals and had a season-high 11 assists and eight steals in the second game against Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa.

She earned second team All-Bi-State Conference East Division and second team All-Region honors.

“They’ve managed to sign a heck of a one-two, combo guard,” Whorton said. “I think Marisah being up there had a lot to do with Sheena’s choice.”

Kemp, a 5-6 guard from Alma, Ark., averaged 7.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.7 assists per game this past season. Kemp, who was recruited by the Shockers as an outside shooting threat, shot 29 percent from 3-point range (57 of 195).

She scored a season-high 16 points in the second game against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, sinking four 3-pointers in that contest. She made a season-high four 3-pointers in a game on three occasions.

“They really needed a 3-point shooter, and she will probably see more playing time than she was sharing here,” Whorton said.

Boyd, a 5-10 forward from Olathe, Kan., transferred to UA Fort Smith from Middle Tennessee State. She averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game and also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.

Boyd, who was a NJCAA honorable mention All-American, scored a season-high 30 points against Penn Valley Community College and scored 25 points or more in a game four times this season. She had a season-high 10 rebounds in the second game against Northern Oklahoma College - Enid.

She also earned first team All-Bi-State Conference East Division and first team All-Region honors.

“They’ve gotten a wing player who can handle the ball and shoot the three,” Whorton said.

The trio is the last group of junior college players to transfer from UA Fort Smith, so it is kind of an emotional time for Whorton, who has spent all of his 23 years as a college coach at the junior college level.

“We’ve been accustomed to losing great players around here, but it’s kind of sad. This is the last junior college class that will be transferring out of here,” Whorton said. “We certainly wish them the best of luck.”

Boyd, a 5-foot-10 guard from Olathe, Kan., played in 31 of the Lady Lions’ 32 games this past season. She averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game while shooting 43 percent (166 of 386) from the field overall and 35 percent (63 of 182) from 3-point range.

She was second on the team in field goals made and led the team in 3-point field goals made.

Boyd averaged 4.5 rebounds per game, led the team in steals with 67 and was second on the team in blocked shots with 26.

“It’s a great honor for her after she had such a great year,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “She is very deserving. She led our team in scoring, and she’s a heck of an athlete.”

Boyd was one of four Bi-State Conference players to earn All-American honors. Carl Albert sophomore Lakyn Garrison and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid freshman Deeva Vaughn were named second team All-Americans, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M sophomore Megan Fraley earned All-American honorable-mention honors.

The camp is for players who are currently in their senior year of high school and have not yet signed a letter of intent to play college basketball. Players should report at 2:30 p.m. for registration. There is no charge to participate, but players should bring a light and dark t-shirt as well as a copy of their high school transcript.

Among the colleges and universities in attendance will be UA Fort Smith, Connors State College, Carl Albert State College, Crowder College, North Arkansas College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Rogers State College, Neosho County Community College, Arkansas Baptist College, Tyler Junior College and Seminole State College.

Smith, who played at UA Fort Smith during the 2007-08 season, has started 15 of the Aggies’ 28 games this season and is third on the team in scoring with 9.6 points per game. The 6-foot combo guard from Kansas City, Mo., is averaging 3.6 rebounds per game and has 56 assists, 41 steals and 20 blocks.

She leads the Aggies with a 41 percent 3-point field-goal percentage, sinking 24 of 58 attempts.

The junior has averaged 14 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists during her last seven games and helped the Aggies earn the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament, which begins on Thursday at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Texas A&M (23-6) will play the winner of Thursday’s No. 5 Kansas State-No. 12 Colorado first-round game on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Smith, who transferred to UA Fort Smith after her freshman season at the University of Arkansas, helped the Lady Lions post a 34-2 win-loss record, win the Bi-State East Division and the NJCAA Region II tournament and finish third in the NJCAA national tournament.

She played in all 36 of the Lady Lions’ games as a sophomore. She was second on the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 5.2 rebounds. She led the team with 104 steals and was third with 106 assists. She made a team-high 71 3-pointers and shot 40.8 percent (71 of 174) from 3-point range.

Smith was 16th in the nation in scoring, was ranked 24th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage and was ranked in the Top 25 in steals.

She was named first team All-Conference, was the Region II regular-season MVP and was the Region II tournament MVP. She also was named to the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament team.

Franklin topped off her 16-point second half outburst with a jumper from the right baseline that just beat the buzzer as the top-seeded Cowgirls nipped No. 4-seeded UA Fort Smith 77-76 on Sunday in the title game at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex.

It was the second time this season that Franklin beat UA Fort Smith on a buzzer-beater. She scored on a baseline layup with seconds to spare to lift the Cowgirls to a 76-74 win at the Stubblefield Center on Jan. 29.

Connors State, which won all three meeting with UA Fort Smith this season, will represent Region II at the NJCAA national tournament. UA Fort Smith, which beat Connors State in the 2008 region title game, ended the season at 8-24.

Franklin scored only two points in the first half as Connors State fell behind by 18 points at the break, but the sophomore guard shredded the nets in the second half to help the Cowgirls rally to lead three times.

UA Fort Smith trailed 75-73 with 21.8 seconds left but regained the lead on a 3-pointer by sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., with about 10 seconds left. That was plenty of time for the Franklin to work her magic.

Franklin went to the right corner, dribbled up the baseline and pulled up to hit nothing but net as the horn sounded. After a brief discussion, the bucket was ruled to have been just before the horn, giving the Cowgirls the win.

Franklin was one of three Cowgirls to score in double-figures. Ricschanda Bickham led Connors State (29-3) with 22 points, and Gabrielle Rosiji did double-damage on the Lady Lions with 17 points and 17 rebounds.

Rosiji, who stands 6-foor-3, helped the Cowgirls out-rebound the Lady Lions 55-49.

UA Fort Smith appeared headed on its way to a second consecutive region title after dominating the final minutes of the first half behind the hot hand of sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo.

Brown, who has signed with Kansas, hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 3-pointers, in the first half on her way to 18 points. Connors State and foul trouble stymied Brown in the second half. She finished with 27 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., hit for 10 points and was the only other Lady Lion to score in double-figures. UA Fort Smith shot only 31.3 percent from the field (26 of 83) and hit only 61.5 percent from the line (16 of 26).

Connors State, which committed 18 first-half turnovers, committed only six turnovers in the second half in making its improbable comeback. The Cowgirls shot 42.1 percent from the field (24 of 57) and won despite sinking only 27.3 percent from 3-point range (3 of 11).

NO. 1 CONNORS STATE 77, No. 4 UA FORT SMITH 76

UA Fort Smith 48 28 — 76

Connors State 30 47 — 77

UA Fort Smith (8-24): Brown 27, Johnson 10, Boyd 9, Parsons 8, Sanders 7, Williams 4, Kemp 4, Arnold 4, Duffey 3.

Connors State (29-3): Bickham 22, Franklin 18, Rosiji 17, Dixon 6, Johnson 6, Roth 6, Mumphrey 2.

UA Fort Smith closed the first half on a 10-3 run to build a six-point halftime advantage against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and never surrendered the lead on its way to a 73-63 semifinal win at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex.

The No. 4 seed Lady Lions (8-23) will play No. 1 seed Connors State College (28-3) at 4 p.m. on Sunday in the title tilt. UA Fort Smith toppled No. 1 seed Northern Oklahoma College - Enid in the first round and No. 2 seed NEO to reach the title game.

It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. Connors State won both games, beating UA Fort Smith 77-75 at the Stubblefield Center on Jan. 26 and 91-77 at Melvin Self Fieldhouse in Warner, Okla., on Feb. 16.

Sophomores Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., and Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., led the Lady Lions with 17 points apiece, while sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., chipped in 16 points.

The Lady Lions beat the Lady Norse despite shooting a paltry 31.3 percent (21 of 67) from the field and 68.6 percent (24 of 35) from the free-throw line and despite being overwhelmed in rebounding 49-39.

Megan Fraley led the Lady Norse with 17 points, while Nolisha Markham had 16 points. Skye Rees chipped in 13 points. Jelena Cerina had team-high 11 rebounds.

UA Fort Smith trailed early on but took the lead for good (26-25) on a bucket by Sanders with four minutes left in the first half. The Lady Lions extended their lead to 34-28 at halftime thanks to a pair of free throws by sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., that came courtesy of a technical foul against Lady Norse coach Jim Rowland just before the half expired.

The Lady Lions extended their lead to as many as 14 point three times in the second half — the last time came on a pair of free throws by Johnson with 4:27 left in the game. The Lady Norse twice got within seven points – the last time on a pair of free throws by Fraley with 1:13 left.

UA Fort Smith held NEO without a field goal the final two minutes and sank 5 of 8 free throws during the last minute to seal the win.

NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 73, NO. 2 NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M 63

NEO 28 35 — 63

UA Fort Smith 34 39 — 73

NEO (22-8): Fraley 17, Markham 16, Rees 13, Cerina 8, Bassett 7, Hopkins 2.

UA Fort Smith (8-23): Johnson 17, Boyd 17, Sanders 16, Duffey 5, Parsons 5, Kemp 5, Brown 4, Williams 2, Arnold 2.

NJCAA REGION II TOURNAMENT

AT OBU NOBLE COMPLEX, SHAWNEE, OKLA.

WOMEN

Friday

Game 1: No. 1 Connors State 86, No. 4 Murray State 53

Game 2: No. 3 Carl Albert 85, No. 2 Northern-Tonkawa 69

Game 3: No. 4 UA Fort Smith 90, No. 1 Northern-Enid 70

Game 4: No. 2 NEO def. No. 3 Seminole State

Saturday

Game 5: No. 1 Connors State def. No. 3 Carl Albert

Game 6: No. 4 UA Fort Smith 73, No. 3 NEO 63

Sunday

Game 7: No. 1 Connors State vs. No. 4 UA Fort Smith, 4 p.m.

Clinging to a one-point halftime lead, the No. 4 seed Lady Lions held the No. 1 seed Lady Jets to just 27 percent shooting in the second half while turning the game into a rout and cruising to a 90-70 win in the first round of the NJCAA Region II tournament.

The Lady Lions (7-23) will play the winner of Friday’s late game between No. 2 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and No. 3 Seminole State College on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the semifinals at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex.

Prior to the Lady Lions’ late game, the Lions will play the Northern-Enid Jets at 3 p.m. in the men’s semifinal. The games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

It was the third meeting between the UA Fort Smith and Northern-Enid. UA Fort Smith won two of the three meetings on the court – the Lady Lions later forfeited their first win against the Lady Jets.

Northern-Enid (27-4), whose only regular-season losses were to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Connors State and Carl Albert State went undefeated in the Bi-State Conference West Division, dominating each division game.

UA Fort Smith led 41-40 at halftime of what was a nip-and-tuck battle the first 20 minutes.

The Lady Lions opened the second half on a 6-0 run to stun the Lady Jets. Northern-Enid hit just four field goals during the first 12 minutes of the second half while UA Fort Smith extended its lead to a whopping 22 points on a bucket by sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan.

It was the largest lead for the Lady Lions, who shot 51 percent from the field (18 of 35) during the second half after shooting 44 percent (17 of 39) in the first half.

Northern-Enid, which committed 22 turnovers, never recovered. The Lady Jets cut their deficit to as few as 12 points twice in the final three minutes – the last time coming on a free throw by Jacque Haffey.

Five Lady Lions scored in double-figures with Boyd leading the way with 21 points. Sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., hit for 15 points, while sophomores Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., and Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., and freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., had 12 points apiece.

Sanders topped off her double-double with 11 rebounds. UA Fort Smith out-rebounded Northern-Enid 50-27 – the Lady Lions had 20 offensive rebounds.

Tiffany Goldwire led Northern-Enid with 15 points off the bench. After a hot start, Deeva Vaughn finished with only 11 points after picking up three quick fouls in the first half. Krista Bullis had 11 points as well for the Lady Jets.

NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 90, NO. 1 NORTHERN-ENID 70

UA Fort Smith 41 49 — 90

Northern-Enid 40 30 — 70

UA Fort Smith (7-23): Boyd 21, Kemp 15, Sanders 12, Parsons 12, Johnson 12, Brown 9, Williams 4, Duffey 2, Key 2, Arnold 1.

Northern-Enid (27-4): Goldwire 15, Bullis 11, Vaughn 11, Haffey 9, Brozowski 8, Moses 7, Dick 6, Hankins 2, Shepherd 1.

NJCAA REGION II TOURNAMENT

AT OBU NOBLE COMPLEX, SHAWNEE, OKLA.

WOMEN

Friday

Game 1: No. 1 Connors State 86, No. 4 Murray State 53

Game 2: No. 3 Carl Albert 85, No. 2 Northern-Tonkawa 69

Game 3: No. 4 UA Fort Smith 90, No. 1 Northern-Enid 70

Game 4: No. 2 NEO vs. No. 3 Seminole State (n)

Saturday

Game 5: No. 1 Connors State vs. No. 3 Carl Albert, 6 p.m.

Game 6: No. 4 UA Fort Smith vs. Game 4, 8 p.m.

Sunday

Game 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.

NJCAA REGION II TOURNAMENT

MEN

AT OBU NOBLE COMPLEX, SHAWNEE, OKLA.

Thursday

Game 1: No. 3 Carl Albert State 70, No. 2 Western Oklahoma 68

Game 2: No. 1 Northern-Enid 97, No. 4 Northeastern Oklahoma A&M 77

Game 3: No. 2 UA Fort Smith 81, No. 3 Northern-Tonkawa 72 (OT)

Game 4: No. 1 Connors State def. No. 4 Seminole State

Saturday

Game 5: No. 3 Carl Albert vs. No. 1 Connors State, 1 p.m. Game 6: No. 2 UA Fort Smith vs. No. 1 Northern-Enid, 3 p.m.

Sunday

Game 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 2 p.m

UA Fort Smith will begin defense of its championship on Friday against the Northern Oklahoma College - Enid Lady Jets at 6 p.m. at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex in Shawnee, Okla.

The Lady Lions (6-23), who beat Connors State College in the championship game a year ago, are the No. 4 seed from the ultra-tough Bi-State Conference East Division and will play a Lady Jets team that dominated the West Division in earning a No. 1 seed.

UA Fort Smith and Northern-Enid had an intense Bi-State crossover series during the regular season. The two teams split the home-and-home series on the court, but the Lady Jets eventually swept the series after UA Fort Smith was forced to forfeit its win – an 87-77 victory at Mabee Gymnasium in Enid on Dec. 6.

Northern-Enid won the second encounter 76-74 in overtime at the Stubblefield Center on Jan. 20. The Lady Jets (27-3) went undefeated in West Division play, and their only losses were in Bi-State crossover play against Connors State, Carl Albert State and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Freshman Deeva Vaughn, who earned All-Region honors, leads the Lady Jets in scoring with 20 points per game, while sophomore Jacque Haffey, who also earned All-Region honors, is averaging 10.8 points per game. Seven Lady Jets are averaging five points or more per game.

Vaughn leads the Lady Jets with 9.4 rebounds per game.

UA Fort Smith closed East Division play with consecutive wins against Carl Albert State and Eastern Oklahoma State to finish in a tie for third place with Carl Albert State. The Lady Lions earned the No. 4 seed via the tiebreaker.

It is the lowest seed the Lady Lions have had since they were the No. 3 seed in 2006. That year, UA Fort Smith went on to win an unprecedented third consecutive region tournament title and win the consolation championship in the NJCAA national tournament.

UA Fort Smith is averaging 88.8 points per game with two players averaging double-figures in scoring. Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., who earned All-Conference and All-Region honors, is averaging 14.2 points per game. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., who earned All-Conference and All-Region honors, is averaging 13.4 points per game.

Brown, who has signed with the University of Kansas, is the Lady Lions’ top rebounder with 7.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., is averaging a team-high 6.3 assists per game. Johnson earned second-team All-Conference and All-Region honors.

NJCAA REGION II TOURNAMENT

AT OBU NOBLE COMPLEX, SHAWNEE, OKLA.

WOMEN

Friday

Game 1: No. 1 Connors State vs. No. 4 Murray State, 1 p.m.

Game 2: No. 2 Northern-Tonkawa vs. No. 3 Carl Albert, 3 p.m.

Game 3: No. 1 Northern-Enid vs. No. 4 UA Fort Smith, 6 p.m.

Game 4: No. 2 NEO vs. No. 3 Seminole State, 8 p.m.

Saturday

Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m.

Game 6: winner Game 3 vs. Game 4, 8 p.m.

Sunday

Game 7: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m.

Athletic director Dustin Smith announced on Monday that UA Fort Smith has accepted an invitation to join the prestigious Heartland Conference, a now 10-member league based in Waco, Texas.

UA Fort Smith will begin play in the Heartland Conference with the start of the 2009-10 season.

“It’s a historic day for UA Fort Smith athletics as we continue our transition to NCAA Division II status,” Smith said. “We are thankful to now have a home, and we feel the Heartland Conference fits the mission and goals of our institution and athletic department.”

UA Fort Smith, which is in its final year as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, is currently in the second year of the three-year Division II membership process.

UA Fort Smith will be a provisional Division II member next season while competing in the Heartland Conference. UA Fort Smith’s teams, however, will not be eligible to compete in postseason play until the 2010-11 season, when it becomes a full-fledged member of Division II.

“We are excited about beginning play in Division II next year and being a member of the Heartland Conference,” UA Fort Smith chancellor Dr. Paul B. Beran said. “We will be playing schools that will be on par with us. … This is a great moment.”

The Heartland Conference is the newest Division II conference. The conference, which was founded in 1999, covers a distance of more than 1,050 miles from north to south and 610 miles east to west.

UA Fort Smith will join current Heartland Conference members Dallas Baptist University, Incarnate Word University, St. Edward’s University, Lincoln University, St. Mary’s University, Newman University, Texas A&M International University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and the University of Texas - Permian Basin.

“We look forward to establishing ourselves at the Division II level, and the Heartland Conference will be a great opportunity for us to showcase our program – athletically and academically,” Smith said.

The Heartland Conference sponsors six men’s sports – cross country, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf and tennis – and seven women’s sports – cross country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, golf, softball and tennis.

UA Fort Smith currently competes in four men’s sports – basketball, baseball, golf and tennis – and four women’s sports – volleyball, basketball, golf and tennis. Next season, it also will field men’s and women’s cross country teams.

Smith said the Heartland Conference not only is a great fit for UA Fort Smith athletically but academically as well.

Universities in the Heartland Conference offer a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. The strength of the student-athlete concept is well supported by the many NCAA scholar-athletes in each school, the high cumulative GPA of the student-athletes in each school and the high number of student-athletes who graduate from each institution in the Heartland Conference.

“We are proud of their commitment to academics at the conference level,” Smith said. “That’s what we expect of our student-athletes.”

Smith said he is looking forward to a long relationship with the Heartland Conference.

“We are excited about being a member of the Heartland Conference and look forward to playing in the conference for many years to come,” Smith said.

The Lions (22-8) earned the No. 2 seed from the Bi-State Conference East Division and will play the Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa Mavericks, the No. 3 seed from the West Division, at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Oklahoma Baptist University’s Noble Complex in Shawnee, Okla.

It will be the third meeting between the Lions and Mavericks. The Mavericks swept the regular-season crossover series, winning 57-54 at the Stubblefield Center on Nov. 24 and 63-60 at Tonkawa.

The Lady Lions (6-23) finished tied for third in the East Division with the Carl Albert State Lady Vikings but earned the No. 4 seed via the tiebreaker. They will play the Northern Oklahoma College - Enid Lady Jets, the No. 1 seed from the West Division, at 6 p.m. on Friday at the Noble Complex.

It will be the third meeting between the Lady Lions and the Lady Jets. UA Fort Smith beat Northern-Enid 87-77 on Dec. 6 at Enid – a game the Lady Lions later forfeited – and Northern-Enid beat UA Fort Smith 76-74 in overtime on Jan. 20 at the Stubblefield Center.

Both the men’s and women’s games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com throughout the region tournament, which will conclude with the championship games on Sunday, March 8.

The Lions and Lady Lions will play their last regular-season game as members of the NJCAA. UA Fort Smith will compete at the NCAA Division II level next season.

Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game, and it will be homecoming. The games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

The Lions (21-8) will look to secure second place in the Bi-State Conference East Division and a No. 2 seed in next week’s NJCAA Region II tournament. UA Fort Smith is 4-3 in division play and is tied with Carl Albert for second place, but the Lions have the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage with the Vikings.

A loss to Eastern could push the Lions to third place or as low as fourth place depending on the outcome of Thursday’s games.

Connors State (22-7, 6-1) has already won the division and clinched a No. 1 seed in the region tournament, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (17-12, 4-4) has qualified for the region tournament. Eastern Oklahoma (4-22, 0-7) has been eliminated from region tournament consideration.

UA Fort Smith, which routed Shorter College 115-54 on Monday night, beat Eastern 93-68 on Feb. 9 at C.C. Dunlap Fieldhouse in Wilburton, Okla. Four players scored in double-figures in that game as the Lions shot 51.3 percent from the field.

Eastern is coming off an 89-72 home loss to Carl Albert on Monday night.

The Lady Lions (5-23) can finish as high as third place and earn the No. 3 seed with a win against the Lady Mountaineers.

UA Fort Smith is currently tied with Carl Albert for third place at 4-3, but the teams split during the regular season. Carl Albert owns the tiebreaker based on a better overall region record.

If UA Fort Smith wins and Carl Albert beats division champ Connors State, the Lady Lions will finish fourth and be a No. 4 seed. If UA Fort Smith wins and Carl Albert loses, the Lady Lions will finish third and be a No. 3 seed. If UA Fort Smith and Carl Albert lose, UA Fort Smith will finish fourth and be a No. 4 seed.

Connors State has clinched the division title and a No. 1 seed, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M will finish second and earn a No. 2 seed. Eastern (10-17, 1-6) has been eliminated from region tournament consideration.

The Lady Lions will be in action for the first time since beating Carl Albert 78-72 a week ago at Mick Thompson Fieldhouse in Poteau, Okla. Eastern is coming off an 86-76 home loss to Carl Albert on Thursday.

THURSDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

EASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Eastern Oklahoma State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Eastern Oklahoma State (10-17, 1-6), UA Fort Smith (5-23, 3-4)

COACHES: Eastern Oklahoma State, Andy Mace; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

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

THURSDAY’S TICKET

MEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. CARL ALBERT STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Eastern Oklahoma State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Eastern Oklahoma State (4-22, 0-7), UA Fort Smith (21-8, 4-3)

COACHES: Eastern Oklahoma State, Brenton Duncan; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

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

UA Fort Smith (5-23) improved to 3-4 in Bi-State Conference East Division play and owns a two-game lead over last-place Eastern Oklahoma State College with one game remaining. Carl Albert (17-10) slipped to 2-4 in division play – one game ahead of Eastern Oklahoma State.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., hit for 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field – she was 3-of-9 shooting from deep – and 4-of-5 shooting from the line. Freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss., kept the Lady Lions in the game down the stretch with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Williams tied a career mark for rebounds and sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., chipped in 10 rebounds of her own to help the Lady Lions out-rebound the Lady Vikings 44-35. UA Fort Smith shot 43.8 percent from the field (28 of 64) but hit 75 percent from the free-throw line (18 of 24).

The Lady Lions forced only 18 turnovers, but they held the Lady Vikings scoring leader Lakyn Garrison to just seven points on 2-of-14 shooting from the field – she as 0-of-1 shooting from deep – and 3-of-4 shooting from the line.

Garrison, who has verbally committed to Oklahoma State, was averaging more than 27 points per game and was the No. 2 scorer in the nation.

Carl Albert shot 42.6 percent from the field (26 of 61) and hit 68.2 percent from the free-throw line (15 of 22).

The Lady Vikings rallied to tie the game at 31 points at halftime, but Carl Albert pulled ahead by as many as five points in the second half. UA Fort Smith took the lead for good on a layup by Williams that pushed the Lady Lions ahead 56-55.

Carl Albert never got closer than that one-point margin the rest of the way.

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH 78, CARL ALBERT 72

UA Fort Smith 31 47 — 78

Carl Albert 31 41 — 72

UA Fort Smith (5-23, 3-4): Boyd 21, Williams 16, Sanders 15, Johnson 10, Kemp 6, Brown 4, Arnold 4, Parsons 2.

Carl Albert (17-10, 2-4): Dimitrov 23, Brdar 8, Wolfe 8, K. Beshoner 8, Garrison 7, J. Beshoner 5, Johnson 4, Walls 4, Jerrell 4, Thorton 1.

Tip-off in this long-time border feud will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game at Mick Thompson Fieldhouse in Poteau, Okla. Both games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

It will be the final time the two programs, who are separated by a mere 34 miles and a state line, will play each other barring a chance encounter in next month’s NJCAA Region II tournament.

UA Fort Smith will compete at the NCAA Division II level next season, while Carl Albert will remain at the NJCAA level.

The Lady Lions (4-23, 2-4) are in fourth place in the East Division – a half-game behind third-place Carl Albert (17-9, 2-3). Connors State leads the division at 5-1, while Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is second at 4-2. Eastern Oklahoma State is last at 1-4.

The Lady Lions are coming off their worst loss of the season on Monday night – a 91-77 setback against No. 8 Connors State at Melvin Self Fieldhouse in Warner, Okla. The Cowgirls swept the division series with the Lady Lions.

UA Fort Smith allowed its most points of the season in the loss, eclipsing its previous season-high mark of 77 points allowed against Northern Oklahoma College - Enid on Dec. 6 and Connors State on Jan. 26. The Lady Lions were out-rebounded 57-39 by the Cowgirls and gave up 25 offensive rebounds.

Carl Albert (17-9, 2-3) is coming off a close 62-59 road loss at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on Monday night. The Lady Vikings lost the first encounter with the Lady Lions 75-65 – a game UA Fort Smith later forfeited because of an ineligible player.

Sophomore Lakyn Garrison of Wickes, Ark., hit for 23 points to lead the Lady Vikings in the first encounter with the Lady Lions despite foul trouble. Garrison, who is No. 2 in the nation in scoring, has verbally committed to Oklahoma State.

Garrison is averaging 27.9 points per game. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., scored 20 points to lead the Lady Lions in the first meeting with Carl Albert. Brown and sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., lead UA Fort Smith in scoring with each averaging 13.7 points per game.

The Lions (19-8, 3-3) are tied with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for third place in the division – a half-game behind second-place Carl Albert State (3-2) and two games behind division leader Connors State (5-1). Eastern Oklahoma State (0-5) is last.

UA Fort Smith is coming off a close 79-75 road loss at Connors State on Monday night. It was the Lions’ second loss to the Cowboys this season.

The Lions will look to sweep the division series against the Vikings, who lost to the Lions 76-74 in overtime at the Stubblefield Center in the first meeting. Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., led the Lions with 21 points in the first meeting.

Williams leads the Lions in scoring with 13.6 points per game.

Carl Albert (10-16, 3-2) has won two of its last three games since losing to UA Fort Smith. The Vikings are coming off a 73-69 road win at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Monday night.

Bobby Lee led the Vikings with 23 points in the first game against the Lions. Lee leads the Vikings in scoring with 20.9 points per game.

THURSDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. CARL ALBERT STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Mick Thompson Fieldhouse, Poteau, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked; Carl Albert State, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (4-23, 2-4), Carl Albert State (17-9, 2-3)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Carl Albert State, Jeff Tadtman

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

THURSDAY’S TICKET

MEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. CARL ALBERT STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Mick Thompson Fieldhouse, Poteau, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked; Carl Albert State, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (19-8, 3-3), Carl Albert State (10-16, 3-2)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman; Carl Albert State, Mike St. John

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

It was the No. 8 Cowgirls’ second win against the No. 7 Lady Lions this season. Connors State beat UA Fort Smith 77-75 in the first division game at the Stubblefield Center on Jan. 29.

Kameisha Johnson hit for a team-high 21 points to lead the Cowgirls (25-2, 5-1), and Ashleigh Franklin posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

It was the most points allowed by the Lady Lions this season. The previous season-high mark for points allowed this season was 77 points against Connors State in the first division game and Northern Oklahoma College-Enid.

UA Fort Smith (4-23, 2-4) led 35-23 late in the first half but squandered the comfy lead in the waning minutes as Connors State closed the half on a 14-2 run to tie the game at 37 points at halftime.

Connors State extended its run to 21-2 with a 7-0 run to open the second half, and UA Fort Smith never recovered.

The Cowgirls forced 24 turnovers and held the Lady Lions to just 41.5 percent shooting from the field (27 of 65). The Lady Lions hit just 44.4 percent from the free-throw line (16 of 36).

Freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss., and sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., each had a team-high 14 points, while sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., chipped in 13 points.

The Lady Lions were out-rebounded 57-39 with the Cowgirls collecting a gaudy 25 offensive rebounds.

NO. 8 CONNORS STATE 91, NO. 7 UA FORT SMITH 77

UA Fort Smith 37 40 — 77

Connors State 37 54 — 91

UA Fort Smith (4-23, 2-4): Johnson 14, Williams 14, Boyd 13, Kemp 9, Sanders 8, Parsons 7, Brown 5, Duffey 4, Arnold 2, Key 1.

Connors State (25-2, 5-1): Johnson 21, Dixon 19, Bickham 18, Franklin 12, Rosiji 11, Mumphrey 9, Norwood 1.

And most importantly, they still control their own destiny.

UA Fort Smith will face a tough test on Monday night, however, when it travels to Melvin Self Fieldhouse in Warner, Okla., to play Connors State College.

Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game. The games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

The Lions (19-7, 3-2) are tied for second in the East Division with Carl Albert State (9-16, 2-2) and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (16-10, 3-2) and are one-game behind division leader Connors State (20-7, 4-1).

UA Fort Smith has won three in a row since beginning division play 0-2 and is coming off an impressive 74-66 win against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M on Thursday night at the Stubblefield Center.

It will be the second meeting between UA Fort Smith and Connors State. The Cowboys beat the Lions 78-73 at the Stubblefield Center on Jan. 29 to open division play. Connors State’s only division loss was to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

The Lady Lions’ hopes for another division title were dampened a bit last week after the program forfeited 22 games after it was discovered they had played in ineligible player.

Still, the Lady Lions’ Region II tournament hopes are very much alive and well. UA Fort Smith (4-22, 2-3) is tied for third in the win column with Carl Albert State College (17-8, 2-2). Connors State College leads the league at 4-1, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is second at 3-2. Eastern Oklahoma State is last in the division at 1-4.

The top four teams from each division advance to the Region II tournament.

The Lady Lions are coming off a lopsided 85-60 win against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on Thursday night at the Stubblefield Center. UA Fort Smith swept the regular-season division series with the Lady Norse.

It will be the second meeting between UA Fort Smith and Connors State. The Cowgirls beat the Lady Lions 77-75 on a last-second shot at the Stubblefield Center on Jan. 29.

MONDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. CONNORS STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Melvin Self Fieldhouse, Warner, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, No. 7; Connors State, No. 8

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (4-22, 2-3), Connors State (24-2, 4-1)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Connors State, Eddie Kite

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

MONDAY’S TICKET

MEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. CONNORS STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Melvin Self Fieldhouse, Warner, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked; Connors State, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (19-7, 3-2), Connors State (20-7, 4-1)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman; Connors State, Bill Muse

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

UA Fort Smith (19-7) won its third game in a row and climbed back in the hunt for the division title at 3-2. NEO (16-10), which beat UA Fort Smith 79-73 earlier this season, slipped to 3-2 in division play.

Williams, who is from Jonesboro, Ark., was 10-of-16 shooting from the field – he was 1 of 1 from 3-point range – and was 4-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. He also had a team-high three steals.

The quick-footed guard was one of three Lions to score in double-figures. Sophomore Paul Kohlheim of Tupelo, Miss., scored 14 points and had a team-high nine rebounds.

UA Fort Smith shot 49.2 percent from the field (31 of 63) and held NEO to 45.6 percent shooting from the field (26 of 57). The Lions also forced 24 turnovers, including 13 steals.

The Lions led 42-35 at halftime and maintained its lead throughout the second half as the Norsemen made repeated runs at the lead.

Raphael Brown led the Norsemen with 11 points, and Phillipe Martin chipped in 10 points. Martin scorched the Lions for 27 points in the first encounter.

UA Fort Smith 85, NEO 60

WOMEN – Three Lady Lions scored in double-figures as UA Fort Smith beat Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College for the second time this season.

UA Fort Smith (4-22) improved to 2-3 in Bi-State East Division play, while NEO (19-6) slipped to 3-2 in division play.

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., hit for 18 points, while sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark. chipped in 16 points, including four 4-pointers. Freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., added 12 points and collected a team-high nine rebounds.

UA Fort Smith out-rebounded NEO 50-35, and every Lady Lion who suited up had at least two rebounds.

The Lady Lions shot just 43.8 percent from the field (32 of 73), but they turned a close game at halftime (30-26) into a runaway in the second half behind a sizzling 55.3 percent (21 of 38) shooting effort.

Kali Bassett and Megan Fraley each had 12 points to lead NEO, while Jelena Cerina chipped in 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

UA Fort Smith, which committed 27 turnovers against Eastern Oklahoma on Monday, committed only 15 turnovers and forced 23 turnovers. Parsons led the Lady Lions with three steals.

MEN

UA FORT SMITH 74, NEO 66

NEO 35 31 — 66

UA Fort Smith 42 32 — 74

NEO (16-10, 3-2): Brown 11, Martin 10, Ross 9, Dos Santos 8, King 8, Davis 6, Cormier 5, Pigatto 4, Elliott 3, Moore 2.

UA Fort Smith (19-7, 3-2): Williams 25, Kohlheim 14, Johnson 11, Cline 6, Rutledge 5, Bush 4, Jackson 4, Keese 3, Cox 2.

WOMEN

NO. 7 UA FORT SMITH 85, NEO 60

NEO 26 34 — 60

UA Fort Smith 30 55 — 85

NEO (19-6, 3-2): Bassett 12, Fraley 12, Cerina 10, Woodard 8, Rees 7, Markham 5, Mekeel 4, McKinney 2.

UA Fort Smith (4-22, 2-3): Brown 18, Kemp 16, Parsons 12, Sanders 9, Boyd 8, Williams 6, Arnold 6, Duffey 5, Johnson 5.

The action comes in response to a random audit by the NJCAA, which indicated that the Lady Lions had played an ineligible player in 22 of their 25 games this season. As a result of the athletic department’s findings, UA Fort Smith has reported its violation to the NJCAA and will forfeit those games.

As a result of the forfeits, the Lady Lions’ season record is 3-22 overall and 1-3 in the Bi-State Conference East Division entering Thursday’s Bi-State Conference East Division game against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

“I would like to apologize to (UA Fort Smith Chancellor) Dr. (Paul) Beran, the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, the players and community for the findings of this audit,” UA Fort Smith women’s coach Louis Whorton said. “As women’s head basketball coach, I am responsible for crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s. This was a regrettable oversight, and everyone can be assured that it will never happen again.”

UA Fort Smith athletic director Dustin Smith said there was no intent to circumvent NJCAA rules and that the violation was “an oversight” that occurred simply because of “human error.”

“The results of the audit have shown us that we need to put another check and balance into our eligibility system to ensure that a violation such as this will never happen again,” Smith said. “There was no intent by anyone associated with the athletic program or the University to knowingly violate a NJCAA rule.

“We conduct ourselves and this program with the utmost integrity. We deeply regret and sincerely apologize that this violation has occurred. As a result, we will learn from and put measures in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

With the athletic program’s honesty and cooperation with the NJCAA, the Lady Lions will still be able to finish the season and compete for the NJCAA Region II tournament championship.

And it doesn’t get any easier.

UA Fort Smith will begin the second round of division play on Thursday when it hosts Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College at the Stubblefield Center. Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game, and the games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

The No. 7 Lady Lions (23-2, 3-1) are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the division with No. 9 Connors State College and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, while the Lions (18-7, 2-2) are just one game behind division co-leaders Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Connors State.

As part of their second-round opener on Thursday, the Lady Lions and Lions will join countless other college basketball teams in lending their support for breast cancer awareness by participating in the WBCA Pink Zone™ promotion.

The WBCA Pink Zone™ initiative is a global, unified effort for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (WBCA) nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.

The WBCA began the WBCA Pink Zone™, formerly known as “Think Pink”, in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women’s basketball, on campuses and in communities.

All fans who wear pink will receive $2 off the price of regular admission, and fans wearing a UA Fort Smith Pink Zone™ t-shirt will be admitted free. Proceeds will benefit the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. For more information about the Pink Zone™ promotion or to contribute, contact UA Fort Smith assistant athletic director Beth Presley at (479) 788-7575.

In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year a success. In 2008, more than 1,200 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research.

The Lady Lions are coming off a lopsided 94-59 win against Eastern Oklahoma State College on Monday night at C.C. Dunlap Fieldhouse in Wilburton, Okla. UA Fort Smith forced a season-high 53 turnovers, including 30 steals, in the win.

It was the third win in a row by the Lady Lions, whose only division loss was to Connors State College.

The Lady Lions won their first division encounter against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, beating the Lady Norse 68-63 on Jan. 31 at Miami, Okla. UA Fort Smith beat Northeastern Oklahoma A&M despite shooting only 34.8 percent from the field (24 of 69).

Four Lady Lions scored in double-figures during that game with sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., posting a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Norse enjoy a considerable height advantage over the Lady Lions, boasting four players 6-foot or taller. Sophomore guard Megan Fraley hit for a team-high 20 points against the Lady Lions in the first game, while sophomore forward Skye Rees, who stands 6-2, had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The Lions are coming off an impressive 93-68 road win at Eastern Oklahoma State College on Monday night. It was the second win in a row for the Lions and their fourth road win of the year. UA Fort Smith will look to exact a little revenge against the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, which beat the Lions 79-73 in the first encounter.

Sophomore LaDustin Williams had 20 points and sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead the Lions.

UA Fort Smith, however, struggled to contain Golden Norseman Phillipe Martin, who hit for 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 shooting from the line. He was one of three Norsemen to score in double-figures.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M took advantage of its opportunities at the free-throw line, sinking 81.8 percent (27 of 33) from the stripe.

THURSDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 7

RECORDS: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (19-5, 3-1); UA Fort Smith (23-2, 3-1)

COACHES: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Jim Rowland; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

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

THURSDAY’S TICKET

MEN

NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (16-9, 3-1), UA Fort Smith (18-7, 2-2)

COACHES: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Dustin Grover; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

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

The No. 9 University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions held the Lady Mountaineers to only 59 points and forced a season-high 53 turnovers on their way to a convincing 94-59 Bi-State Conference East Division win on Monday night at C.C. Dunlap Fieldhouse in Wilburton, Okla.

UA Fort Smith (23-2, 3-1) won its third in a row and retained at least a share of the division lead going into the second round of division play. Eastern (9-15, 0-4) remained in last place in league play.

Six Lady Lions scored in double-figures in the lopsided win with sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., leading the way with 13 points and seven assists. Sophomores Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., each had 12 points apiece.

Freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss., led the Lady Lions with seven rebounds off the bench.

UA Fort Smith led 44-26 at the half but turned the game into a runaway in the second half on the strength of its defense, which led to countless easy transition buckets. The Lady Lions shot 53.8 percent (21 of 39) from the field in the second half and 46.1 percent from the field (35 of 76) for the game.

Defensively, all but one Lady Lion forced at least one steal with Boyd forcing a team-high seven steals and Johnson forcing four steals.

Shantoya Fisher led Eastern with 16 points, while Kelly Adams chipped in 11 points to account for all of the Lady Mountaineers’ double-figure scoring. Eastern shot 43.2 percent from the field (19 of 44).

WOMEN

NO. 9 UA FORT SMITH 94, EASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 59

UA Fort Smith 44 50 — 94

Eastern 26 33 — 59

UA Fort Smith (23-2, 3-1): Johnson 13, Boyd 12, Parsons 12, Cosby 12, Duffey 11, Sanders 10, Arnold 8, Kemp 7, Williams 6, Brown 3.

Eastern (9-15, 0-4): Fisher 16, Adams 11, Clayborn 7, Cawhorn 7, Kania 5, Harris 4, Williams 3, Howard 2, Coleman 2, Kennedy 1, Leek 1.

It was the second consecutive win for the Lady Lions (22-2), who improved to 2-1 in division play. The Lady Vikings (15-8) lost their second in a row and dipped to 0-2 in division play. It was the first of two final regular-season meetings between the longtime rivals, who are separated by a mere 34 miles and the Arkansas-Oklahoma state line. UA Fort Smith will compete at the NCAA Division II level next season.

Brown, who has signed with the University of Kansas, had 20 points and 13 rebounds. The Kansas City, Mo., product was 6-of-17 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, and was 5-of-8 shooting at the line.

It was the 18th time the 5-foot-9 guard/forward has scored in double-figures this season and the third time in a row. Brown is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game with a season-high effort of 22 points against Weatherford College.

Brown was one of four players to score in double-figures for the Lady Lions, who shot 35.7 percent from the field (25 of 70). Sophomore Ashley Arnold of Mountainburg, Ark., scored a season-high 13 points, while sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., and freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Carl Albert shot 51.1 percent from the field (24 of 47), but the Lady Vikings hit only 55 percent from the line (11 of 20). UA Fort Smith forced Carl Albert into committing 32 turnovers, though, with Johnson collecting five of the Lady Lions’ nine steals.

Lady Vikings sophomore Lakyn Garrison, who is ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring with more than 27 points per game, hit for 23 points while battling through foul trouble.

The Wickes, Ark., native picked up two fouls in the first half and picked up her third foul early in the second half.

The guard, who transferred from Harding University, was 8-of-12 shooting from the field – she was 3-of-4 shooting from deep – and was 4-of-4 shooting from the line.

Garrison, who set the NJCAA national single-game record for field goals made earlier this season, was the only Lady Viking to score in double-figures.

UA Fort Smith only led 33-32 at halftime, but the Lady Lions extended their lead to 12 points down the stretch in the second half.

WOMEN

NO. 7 UA FORT SMITH 75, CARL ALBERT STATE 65

Carl Albert 32 33 — 65

UA Fort Smith 33 42 — 75

Carl Albert (15-8, 0-2): Garrison 23, Jerrell 9, J. Beshoner 8, Walls 8, Vines 7, Brdar 4, Wolfe 3, Miletic 2, K. Beshoner 1.

UA Fort Smith (22-2, 2-1): Brown 20, Arnold 13, Johnson 11, Parsons 10, Sanders 7, Boyd 4, Cosby 4, Kemp 3, Williams 3.

The two longtime rivals will clash in the latest installment of their border feud on Monday night when UA Fort Smith hosts Carl Albert in East Division play at the Stubblefield Center.

Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game. The games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

It will be the first of two final regular-season meetings between the two longtime rivals. UA Fort Smith, which will compete at the NCAA Division II level next season, will travel to Poteau, Okla., on Feb. 19 for the final game of the home-and-home series.

The No. 7 Lady Lions (21-2) are 1-1 in division play after earning their first division win on Saturday with a 68-63 win against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. NEO (17-5, 1-1) beat Carl Albert 90-74 in their division opener on Thursday night at Mick Thompson Fieldhouse in Poteau, Okla.

UA Fort Smith, whose only losses have been by two points to Northern Oklahoma College - Enid (76-74 OT) and No. 9 Connors State College (77-75), is averaging 89.3 points per game and allowing only 65.3 points per game.

Sophomores Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Kan., lead the Lady Lions in scoring with 14.5 and 14.1 points per game, respectively. Nine of the 12 Lady Lions are averaging five points or more per game.

Brown and sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., lead the team in rebounding with 7.1 and 6.4 rebounds per game, respectively. Five Lady Lions are averaging four rebounds or more per game.

The Lady Vikings (15-7, 0-1) boast one of the most prolific scorers in the women’s junior college ranks in sophomore Lakyn Garrison.

Garrison, who transferred from NCAA Division II Harding University, is No. 2 in the nation in scoring with 27.8 points per game. She recently set a new NJCAA single-game record with 23 made field goals during the Lady Vikings’ 126-37 win against Western Oklahoma State College, during which she scored 52 points.

Carl Albert is averaging 82.3 points per game and allowing 67.7 points per game.

The Lions (16-7, 0-2) return to the Stubblefield Center after suffering a 79-73 road loss to NEO on Saturday. UA Fort Smith has lost three in row, including both of its division games. All but one of the Lions’ seven losses have been by six points or less.

UA Fort Smith is averaging 88 points per game on the season – the Lions are averaging only 68.3 points per game during their three-game losing skid – and is allowing 73.8 points per game.

Sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., leads the Lions in scoring with 14.6 points per game and is one of four Lions averaging double-figures in scoring. Bush has led the Lions in scoring in seven of their 23 games.

Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, leads UA Fort Smith with six rebounds per game off the bench, while Bush and sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., are averaging 5.5 and 5.4 rebounds per game, respectively.

After losing 10 of its first 12 games, Carl Albert has won six of its last 10 games. The Vikings (8-14, 1-0) have won three in a row, including a 90-88 overtime win against NEO on Thursday at Mick Thompson Fieldhouse to open division play.

Four players are averaging double-figures in scoring for the Vikings led by Bobby Lee with 20.5 points per game. Andy Garcia leads the Vikings with 8.9 rebounds per game.

Carl Albert is averaging 74.4 points per game and allowing 73.1 points per game.

MONDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

CARL ALBERT STATE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Carl Albert, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 7

RECORDS: Carl Albert (15-7, 0-1), UA Fort Smith (21-2, 1-1)

COACHES: Carl Albert, Jeff Tadtman; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

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

PROMOTIONS: Alma Night, Fort Smith Radio Group Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout

MONDAY’S TICKET

MEN

CARL ALBERT STATE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Carl Albert, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Carl Albert (8-14, 1-0), UA Fort Smith (16-7, 0-2)

COACHES: Carl Albert, Mike St. John; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

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

PROMOTIONS: Alma Night, Fort Smith Radio Group Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout

UA Fort Smith (21-2) improved to 1-1 in division play and is tied for second behind Connors State College (20-1, 1-0), which beat the Lady Lions 77-75 on Thursday night at the Stubblefield Center.

The No. 7 Lady Lions led five points at halftime (34-29) and extended their lead to as many as 11 points (56-45) midway through the second half on a layup by sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark.

NEO (17-5, 1-1) rallied late and got within one point (64-63) on a 3-pointer by Sky Rees, who had 19 points.

The Lady Lions responded with a 4-0 run – two free throws by sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., and two free throws by sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss. – to seal the win.

Sanders, who stands all of 5-foot-8, delivered the huge blow to the Lady Norse defensively during the late surge, blocking a short jumper on the block by Jelena Cerina, who stands 6-foot-5, with UA Fort Smith clinging to a 66-63 advantage.

It was the second block for Sanders, who had seven points and six rebounds.

Four players scored in double-figures to lead the Lady Lions, who shot 34.8 percent from the field (24 of 69).

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Kan., hit for 18 points and topped off her double-double with a team-best 10 rebounds. Freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., and freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss., each had 11 points, and Johnson chipped in 10 points to go along with a team-high eight assists.

NEO actually shot better than UA Fort Smith from the field, hitting at a 40.7 percent clip (22 of 54). The Lady Norse, however, struggled against the Lady Lions’ pressure defense, committing 29 turnovers.

Johnson led the Lady Lions with four steals – UA Fort Smith had 16 steals total.

Megan Fraley led NEO with 20 points, sinking two of the Lady Norse’s five 3-pointers. Rees topped off her double-double with 12 rebounds, and Nolisha Markham had 12 rebounds as well for the Lady Norse, who out-rebounded the Lady Lions 42-37.

Cerina had six points, 10 rebounds and seven of the Lady Norse’s nine blocked shots.

WOMEN

NO. 7 UA FORT SMITH 68, NEO 63

UA Fort Smith 34 34 — 68

NEO 29 34 — 63

UA Fort Smith (21-2, 1-1): Brown 18, Williams 11, Parsons 11, Johnson 10, Sanders 7, Kemp 7, Arnold 4.

NEO (17-5, 1-1): Fraley 20, Rees 19, Mekeel 8, Cerina 6, Markham 5, Woodard 5.

Yet, Connors State College accomplished that feat on Thursday night as the No. 9 Cowgirls upset the No. 7 Lady Lions 77-75 and the Cowboys knocked off the Lions 78-73 at the Stubblefield Center.

It was the first time UA Fort Smith had been swept at home in more than seven years.

UA Fort Smith will have little time to ponder over their surprising losses. The Lady Lions and Lions will resume Bi-State Conference East Division play on Saturday when they travel to Miami, Okla., to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.

Tip-off will be 1 p.m. for the women’s game and 3 p.m. for the men’s game. The games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

The Lady Lions (20-2, 0-1), who won 19 in a row to start the season, have now lost two of their last three games. Thursday’s loss was the Lady Lions’ first loss to the Cowgirls since Friday, March 7, 2002, when Connors State beat UA Fort Smith 66-51 in the first round of the NJCAA Region II tournament at Shawnee, Okla.

It is the most home losses the Lady Lions have had in a season since losing four home games during the 2006-07 season, when they lost to Coffeyville Community College (80-79), New Mexico Junior College (62-49), South Plains College (81-55) and Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa (64-59).

Both of UA Fort Smith’s losses this season have been by two points.

Three Lady Lions are averaging double-figures in scoring with sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., scoring a team-high 14.5 points per game. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., is averaging 13.9 points and a team-high seven rebounds per game.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (17-4) has only lost to Coffeyville Community College (twice), Neosho County Community College and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid.

The Lady Norse are coming off a 90-74 win at Carl Albert State on Thursday night in their East Division opener.

Three players are averaging double-figures in scoring for the Lady Norse with sophomore Skye Rees leading the way with 17.3 points per game. Freshman Jelena Cerina leads the Lady Norse in rebounding with 7.1 rebounds per game.

The Lions recent struggles continued as they dropped their second consecutive home game and their third game in the last five outings.

UA Fort Smith trailed by 12 points at halftime against Connors State and fell behind by 16 points before rallying late to close the gap to as few as four points. The Lions could never completely recover, however, losing 78-73.

Sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., had 18 points in the loss and continues to lead the Lions in scoring with 14.5 points per game. Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, leads the Lions in rebounding with six rebounds off the bench.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (13-9) is coming off a 90-88 overtime loss at Carl Albert State on Thursday night.

Two Norsemen are averaging double-figures in scoring with freshman Phillipe Martin leading the way with 12.3 points per game. Martin is the Norsemen’s top rebounder, too, with 4.9 rebounds per game.

SATURDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M

TIME: 1 p.m.

SITE: NEO Fieldhouse, Miami, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, No. 7; NEO, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (20-2), NEO (17-4)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; NEO, Jim Rowland

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

MEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M

TIME: 3 p.m.

SITE: NEO Fieldhouse, Miami, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked; NEO, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (16-6), NEO (13-9)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman; NEO, Dustin Grover

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

It was the Bi-State Conference East Division opener for both teams, who had their Monday division games against different opponents postponed because of wintry weather.

It was the second home loss of the season for the Lady Lions (20-2, 0-1), who lost to Northern Oklahoma College - Enid 76-74 in overtime on Jan. 20, and the Lady Lions’ first loss to the Cowgirls in recent history.

UA Fort Smith trailed 75-73 on a pair of free throws by Ricshanda Bickham, who led Connors State (20-1, 1-0) with 20 points to go along with 12 rebounds. The Lady Lions tied the game on a layup by sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Kan., off an assist from sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss.

Franklin then drove nearly the length of the floor, catching the Lady Lions’ defenders off guard for the game-winner.

Along with Bickham and Franklin, who hit for a 19 points and topped off her double-double with 14 rebounds, Taylor Mumphrey also had a double-double with 10 points and team-high 19 rebounds.

Connors State dominated the boards, out-rebounding UA Fort Smith 66-54.

The Cowgirls shot 37.1 percent from the field (26 of 70), including 44.4 percent from deep (4 of 9). Connors State connected on 63.6 percent of their free throws (21 of 33).

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and Brown each hit for 17 points to lead the Lady Lions, while sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Lions shot only 30 percent from the field (27 of 90), including just 22.7 percent (5 of 22) from deep. They

UA Fort Smith trailed 36-33 at halftime after an ice-cold first-half shooting performance in which they hit just 22.2 percent (10 of 45) from the field, including just 15.4 percent (2 of 13) from 3-point range.

Connors State didn’t enjoy a much better shooting effort, netting only 30.3 percent (10 of 33) from the field. The Cowgirls, however, did sink 60 percent (3 of 5) from 3-point range.

Franklin sank two of Connors State’s treys on her way to 10 first-half points, while Bickham netted the other shot from deep to finish the half with 10 points as well.

WOMEN

NO. 9 CONNORS STATE 77, NO. 7 UA FORT SMITH 75

Connors State 36 41 — 77

UA Fort Smith 33 42 — 75

Connors State (20-1): Bickham 20, Franklin 19, Rosiji 15, Mumphrey 10, Johnson 8, Roth 3, Dixon 2.

UA Fort Smith (20-2): Boyd 17, Brown 17, Sanders 10, Williams 9, Johnson 8, Cosby 5, Key 4, Parsons 2, Kemp 2, Duffey 1.

UA Fort Smith was originally scheduled to begin East Division play on Monday at Miami, Okla., against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, but those games were postponed twice because of wintry weather and have been rescheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. (women) and 4 p.m. (men).

So now, UA Fort Smith will open division play on Thursday when it hosts Connors State College at the Stubblefield Center. Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game.

The games will be broadcast on KQBK-FM 104.7. UA Fort Smith is coming off an unexpected week-long layoff, having last played on Jan. 22 against Western Oklahoma State College.

The Lady Lions are coming off a season-best performance against Western Oklahoma during which they scored a season-high 121 points and allowed a season-low 50 points.

UA Fort Smith (20-1) and Connors State (19-1), who both have lost to Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, will renew a longtime, heated division rivalry that dates back to the days when Lady Lions coach Louis Whorton and former Cowgirls coach Monte Madewell matched wits with national rankings and division bragging rights on the line.

It will be a rematch of last year’s NJCAA Region II tournament championship game in which the Lady Lions beat the Cowgirls for a trip to the national tournament. The Lady Lions, who finished third in the nation a year ago, are No. 7 in the latest NJCAA Division I Top 25 rankings, and the Cowgirls are ranked No. 9.

UA Fort Smith is averaging 91 points per game – the Lady Lions are No. 2 in the nation in scoring – and allowing 65 points per game.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 14.3, while sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Kan., is averaging 13.8 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game.

Connors State is averaging 80.1 points per game and allowing 53.3 points per game. Sophomore Gabrielle Rosiji leads the Cowgirls in scoring with 15.9 points per game and rebounding with 9.4 rebounds per game.

The Lions will look for a new beginning with the start of division play. UA Fort Smith is coming off a 63-59 overtime home loss to Western Oklahoma.

After resuming crossover play on Jan. 7, the Lions lost three of their final seven Bi-State Conference crossover games.

Four of the Lions’ five losses have been by four points or less with the lone exception being a 17-point loss to Western on Dec. 5 at Altus, Okla.

UA Fort Smith, which fell out of this week’s NJCAA Division I Top 25, is averaging 89.4 points per game, while allowing 73.4 points per game.

Four Lions are averaging double-figures in scoring led by sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., who is averaging 14.4 points per game. Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, is averaging a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game off the bench.

Four players are averaging double-figures for Connors State (15-6) with Chris Washington leading the way with about 18 points per game.

THURSDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

CONNORS STATE COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Connors State, No. 9; UA Fort Smith, No. 7

RECORDS: Connors State (19-1), UA Fort Smith (20-1)

COACHES: Connors State, Eddie Kite; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

BROADCAST: KQBK-FM 104.7

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

THURSDAY’S TICKET

MEN

CONNORS STATE COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Connors State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, Not Ranked

RECORDS: Connors State (15-6), UA Fort Smith (16-5)

COACHES: Connors State, Bill Muse; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

BROADCAST: KQBK-FM 104.7

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

The games have again been rescheduled for Saturday afternoon at Miami, Okla. Tip-off will be 2 p.m. for the women’s game and 4 p.m. for the men’s game.

The games have tentatively been rescheduled for Tuesday (Jan. 27) at Miami, Okla., weather permitting. Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game.

Tip-off will be 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

The No. 4 Lady Lions (20-1), who are again the favorites to win the East Division, finished crossover play on Thursday with a convincing 121-50 win against Western Oklahoma State College.

UA Fort Smith went 9-1 against the West Division in crossover play with its only loss coming against Northern Oklahoma College - Enid on Jan. 20 at the Stubblefield Center. Northern - Enid was the only team to beat UA Fort Smith in the regular-season last year, and the Lady Lions went on to win the East Division title and the NJCAA Region II title and finish third in the national tournament.

The Lady Lions enjoyed arguably their best offensive performance of the season against Western Oklahoma, scoring a season-high 121 points and allowing a season-low 50 points. UA Fort Smith also made a season-high 13 3-pointers and shot a season-best 58.8 percent from the field (47 of 80).

Freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss., scored a career-high 18 points against the Lady Pioneers and topped off her double-double with 11 rebounds. Williams was one of seven Lady Lions to score in double-figures.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 14.3 points per game – she is one of three Lady Lions averaging double-figures in scoring – and sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., is averaging a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (16-4) is 8-1 against the West Division in crossover play – the Lady Norse have a make-up game against Western Oklahoma on Feb. 25 to finish crossover play.

The Lady Norse are coming off a 63-57 loss to Northern - Enid on Thursday night in crossover play.

Three players are averaging double-figures in scoring for the Lady Norse with sophomore Skye Rees leading the way with 17.3 points per game. Freshman Jelena Cerina leads the Lady Norse in rebounding with 7.1 rebounds per game.

MONDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

UA FORT SMITH VS. NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: NEO Fieldhouse, Miami, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, No. 4; Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (20-1), Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (16-4)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Jim Rowland

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

Seven players scored in double-figures as the No. 4 University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions beat the Western Oklahoma State College Lady Pioneers 121-50 on Thursday night in Bi-State Conference crossover play at the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith (20-1) posted its 18th 20-win season in the 33-year history of the program and its 17th 20-win effort under 23-year head coach Louis Whorton.

The Lady Lions, who are the favorites to win the Bi-State East Division, finished 9-1 against the West Division in crossover play.

UA Fort Smith, whose only loss was to Northern Oklahoma College - Enid, scored its most points in a game this season while allowing its fewest points of the year.

The Lady Lions’ previous high-point mark this season was 111 points against Murray State College, and their previous mark for fewest points allowed was 52 against Murray State College.

UA Fort Smith shot a season-best 58.8 percent from the field (47 of 80) and made a season-high 13 3-pointers. Sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark. was 4 of 9 from 3-point range, while sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., was 4 of 4 from deep.

Freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss., scored a career-high 18 points and topped off her double-double with 11 rebounds to lead the Lady Lions, who led 58-14 at halftime. Freshman Celeste Key of Delight, Ark., also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Every Lady Lion who suited up scored, and seven scored in double-figures.

Western (7-12) shot just 32 percent from the field (18 of 56) but did hit seven 3-pointers – five in the second half. The Lady Pioneers committed 32 turnovers.

Sharee Roberts and Chrystal Davis led Western with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Western 63, No. 19 UA Fort Smith 59 (OT)

MEN – Western’s Akeem Bennett broke a 59-all tie with a layup late in overtime and sank two free throws with under two seconds left to lift the Pioneers past the Lions for the second time this season.

UA Fort Smith (16-5) finished 7-5 in Bi-State Conference crossover play against the West Division with two losses to both Western and Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa and an overtime loss to Murray State College.

Western (16-2), which handed the Lions their worst loss (17 points) of the year on Dec. 5 at Altus, Okla., finished 11-1 in crossover play with its only loss coming against Connors State College.

Bennett led the Pioneers with 14 points, while Ronald Shaw chipped in 13 points. Williams Pratt had a team-high eight rebounds to help the Pioneers out-rebound the Lions 46-40.

UA Fort Smith led 28-20 at halftime but was outscored 33-25 in the second half. The Lions needed a late 3-pointer by sophomore Jared Cunningham of Oregon City, Ore., to tie the game and force overtime.

The Lions are 2-2 in overtime games this season.

UA Fort Smith shot just 32.3 percent from the field (21 of 65) and shot only 14.3 percent from 3-point range (2 of 14).

Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., led the Lions with 17 points, while sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., chipped in 15 points. Freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, had a team-high eight rebounds off the bench.

Western shot 40.7 percent from the field (24 of 59) and 25 percent from 3-point range (4 of 16).

WOMEN

NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 121, WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 50

Western 14 36 — 50

UA Fort Smith 58 63 — 121

Western (7-12): Roberts 14, Davis 11, Vanterpool 8, Nickelson 7, Harris 6, Shaw 4

UA Fort Smith (20-1): Williams 18, Kemp 16, Cosby 16, Parsons 14, Boyd 13, Key 12, Johnson 11, Arnold 9, Brown 8, Sanders 4

MEN

WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE 63, NO. 19 UA FORT SMITH 59 (OT)

Western 20 33 10 — 63

UA Fort Smith 28 25 6 — 59

Western (16-2): Bennett 14, Shaw 13, Cutler 9, Sheppard 9, Pratt 7, Bouie 6, Chambers 5

UA Fort Smith (16-5): Williams 17, Bush 15, Johnson 5, Cunningham 5, Kohlheim 4, Sanford 4, Rutledge 4, Cline 2, Hanson 2, Jackson 1

Tip-off will be 6 p.m. for the women’s game and 8 p.m. for the men’s game. The games will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

It will be the final tune-up for both UA Fort Smith teams before they begin defense of their East Division titles against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on Monday at Miami, Okla.

The Lions (16-4), who are among the favorites to win the East Division again, are 7-4 against the West Division in crossover play with losses to Northern Oklahoma College – Tonkawa (twice), Murray State College and Western Oklahoma State.

UA Fort Smith, which plummeted to No. 19 in the latest NJCAA Division I Top 25 released on Wednesday afternoon, will look for a little revenge against Western Oklahoma State, which handed their Lions their worst loss (69-52) of the season on Dec. 5 in Altus, Okla.

The Pioneers held the Lions to 34.7 percent shooting (17 of 49) from the field during the first encounter, including just a 25-percent effort (5 of 20) from 3-point range. Western also out-rebounded UA Fort Smith 36-20, and the Pioneers had 12 offensive rebounds.

Western shot 52.4 percent from the field (22 of 42) and hit 46.7 percent from 3-point range (7 of 15).

Sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., was the only Lion to score in double-figures, finishing with just 14 points.

Since losing to Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa on the road last week, UA Fort Smith has won two in a row, including a 91-68 win against Northern Oklahoma College - Enid on Tuesday night at the Stubblefield Center.

The Lions, who have won 13 of 14 home games this season, are averaging 90.9 points per game – they are No. 21 in the nation in scoring – and are allowing 73.9 points per game. Sophomore Jenirro Bush leads the Lions in scoring with 14.4 points per game, while freshman Chris Johnson of San Antonio, Texas, leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per game off the bench.

Western (14-2) was in action on Wednesday night at Eastern Oklahoma State College in Wilburton, Okla. The Pioneers, who have received votes in the previous national polls but aren’t ranked, have losses to Odessa College and Connors State College, which competes in the East Division.

Five Pioneers are scoring in double-figures led by sophomore Kendall Cutler with 14.7 points per game. Sophomore Tadre Sheppard leads the Pioneers with nine rebounds per game.

The Lady Lions find themselves in a very unfamiliar situation going into Thursday’s crossover finale. They’re coming off their first loss of the season.

UA Fort Smith (19-1) lost 76-74 in overtime to Northern Oklahoma College - Enid on Tuesday night at the Stubblefield Center. It was the Lady Lions’ first home loss since Nov. 27, 2006, when Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa beat UA Fort Smith 64-59.

The Lady Lions, who are 8-1 against the West Division in crossover play, will try again to reach the 20-win plateau for the second year in a row and the 18th time in the 33-year history of the program.

UA Fort Smith also will look to sweep Western, which lost 104-62 to the Lady Lions on Dec. 5 at Altus, Okla.

Four Lady Lions scored in double-figures in that lopsided win with sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., lead the way with 28 points.

WEDNESDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Western Oklahoma, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 4

RECORDS: Western Oklahoma (N/A), UA Fort Smith (19-1)

COACHES: Western Oklahoma, Janice Hardwick; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

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

PROMOTIONS: Van Buren Night, Fort Smith Classic Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout

MEN

WESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 8 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Western Oklahoma, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 19

RECORDS: Western Oklahoma (14-2), UA Fort Smith (16-4)

COACHES: Western Oklahoma, Rolando De La Barrera; UA Fort Smith, Josh Newman

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

PROMOTIONS: Van Buren Night, Fort Smith Classic Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout

The former Fayetteville Christian High School standout dished out a career-high 13 assists to help all but two of his teammates get in on the scoring action as No. 11 UA Fort Smith rolled to a 91-68 win against the Jets in Bi-State Conference crossover play.

UA Fort Smith (16-4), which swept Northern - Enid in the home-and-home series, improved to 7-4 against the West Division in crossover play.

The Lions, who compete in the East Division, will finish crossover play on Thursday when they host the Western Oklahoma State College Pioneers at the Stubblefield Center.

Four Lions scored in double-figures in the lopsided win – UA Fort Smith’s second consecutive win – with sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., leading the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds, which tied his season-high mark.

Bush shot 50 percent from 3-point range (4 of 8) and netted almost half of the Lions’ shots from deep. UA Fort Smith shot 48 percent from the field (31 of 64) and 41 percent from 3-point range (9 of 22).

Sophomore LaDustin Williams of Jonesboro, Ark., and sophomore Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., each chipped in 17 points apiece, and freshman David Cline of Rogers, Ark., added 11 points.

UA Fort Smith held Northern - Enid to just 36 percent shooting from the field (21 of 59) and just 32 percent from deep (7 of 22).

Cox’s former teammate at Fayetteville Christian, Northern - Enid’s Aaron McHenry, hit five 3-pointers in the first half on his way to 16 points but was held to just five points in the second half.

McHenry’s team-high 21 points came on 6-of-16 shooting from the field – he was 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range – and 4-of-5 shooting from the free-throw line. Wayne Runnels hit for 19 points for the Jets and topped off his double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds.

Northern Oklahoma - Enid 76, No. 4 UA Fort Smith 74 (OT)

WOMEN – And then, there were none.

UA Fort Smith became the last Bi-State Conference team to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, losing in overtime in crossover play.

The No. 4 Lady Lions rallied from a 14-point second half deficit to take the lead late, but the Lady Jets were able to tie the game and force overtime. In overtime, Northern - Enid tied the game at 74 points on a layup by Darcie Dick and took the lead for good on a pair of free throws by Deeva Vaughn.

Vaughn finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Dick had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., led UA Fort Smith (19-1) with 20 points and topped off her double-double with 10 rebounds. Sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., posted a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, and sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Northern - Enid held UA Fort Smith to a season-low 26 percent shooting performance (25 of 98), which including a sluggish 18-percent effort from 3-point range (6 of 34). The Lady Lions sank only 56 percent of their free throws (18 of 32).

MEN

NO. 11 UA FORT SMITH 91, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE - ENID 68

Northern-Enid 37 31 — 68

UA Fort Smith 38 53 — 91

Northern-Enid (13-6): McHenry 21, Runnels 19, B. Smith 12, Lay 7, Grant 5, T. Smith 2, Pietrowicz 2

UA Fort Smith (16-4): Bush 24, Williams 17, Hanson 17, Cline 12, Cunningham 7, Cox 6, Johnson 3, Jackson 3, Kohlheim 2

WOMEN

NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE - ENID 76, NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 74 (OT)

Northern-Enid 39 31 6 — 76

UA Fort Smith 30 40 4 — 74

Northern-Enid (14-4): Vaughn 27, Dick 12, Haffey 11, Moses 9, Bullis 6, Goldwire 4, Brzozowski 4, Hankins 3.

UA Fort Smith (19-1): Boyd 20, Brown 15, Johnson 11, Sanders 11, Cosby 5, Arnold 5, Kemp 4, Williams 2, Duffey 1.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions are on the verge of reaching the 20-win plateau, but they have the Northern Oklahoma College - Enid Lady Jets standing in their way.

UA Fort Smith will host Northern - Enid on Tuesday night at the Stubblefield Center in Bi-State Conference crossover play. Tip-off will be at 6 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on KOOL-FM 104.7 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

It will be the second and final regular-season meeting between the two teams. UA Fort Smith, which competes in the East Division, beat Northern - Enid, which competes in the West Division, 87-77 on Dec. 6 at Mabee Gymnasium in Enid, Okla.

The No. 4 Lady Lions improved to 19-0 on Saturday afternoon with a lopsided 111-52 crossover win against Murray State College at the Stubblefield Center. It was the Lady Lions’ eighth win against the West Division in crossover play.

UA Fort Smith has only two crossover games remaining before beginning defense of its East Division title – Northern - Enid and Western Oklahoma State College on Thursday at the Stubblefield Center.

A win against the Lady Jets will give the Lady Lions their second consecutive 20-win season and their 18th 20-win season in the program’s 33-year history. Seventeen of those 20-win seasons have come under the tutelage of coach Louis Whorton, who has coached the Lady Lions for 23 seasons.

The Lady Lions’ only other 20-win season came during the 1984-85 season when they finished 20-11 under then head coach Jo Bottoms.

UA Fort Smith, which is the only remaining undefeated team in the entire Bi-State Conference, set a couple of season-high marks during its win against Murray State.

The Lady Lions scored a season-best 111 points, surpassing their 108-point outing against Arkansas Baptist College on Jan. 12. UA Fort Smith also set a season-high mark of 44 forced turnovers.

UA Fort Smith had five players score in double-figures during its first encounter against Northern - Enid with sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., netting 17 points and collecting eight rebounds to lead the Lady Lions.

Brown, who has signed with the University of Kansas, is averaging 13.7 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 14.3 points per game.

Northern - Enid (13-4) is 4-4 against the East Division in crossover play with wins against Eastern Oklahoma State (twice), Connors State and Carl Albert State and losses to UA Fort Smith, Connors State, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Carl Albert State.

Freshman Deeva Vaughn leads the Lady Jets in scoring with 21.7 points per game and rebounding with 10.5 rebounds per game.

TUESDAY’S TICKET

NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE-ENID VS. NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Northern-Enid, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 4

RECORDS: Northern-Enid (13-4), UA Fort Smith (19-0)

COACHES: Northern-Enid, Scott Morris; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

BROADCAST: KOOL-FM 104.7, www.sportshog1031.com

PROMOTIONS: KHBS 40/29 Night, Arkansas Cheer Unlimited, Taco Bell 3-point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Shootout

Five Lions scored in double-figures as UA Fort Smith routed Murray State 113-61 in Bi-State Conference crossover play on Saturday afternoon at the Stubblefield Center.

The No. 11 Lions (15-4), who are among the favorites to win the Bi-State East Division, improved to 6-4 against the West Division in crossover play. Murray State, which beat UA Fort Smith 87-86 in overtime on Jan. 10 at Tishomingo, Okla., slipped to 4-12 overall.

UA Fort Smith built a convincing 45-21 advantage at halftime and was never threatened in the second half en route to its sixth 100-plus point game of the season.

The Lions shot a sizzling 59 percent from the field (38 of 55) and shot a season-best 63 percent from 3-point range (12 of 19).

Sophomores Tyrone Hanson of New York, N.Y., and D’Angalo Jackson of Milwaukee, Wis., each hit four 3-pointers apiece, and sophomore Jenirro Bush of Starkville, Miss., hit three treys.

Freshman David Cline of Rogers, Ark., and Hanson each hit for 19 points each to lead the Lions, while Bush had 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Only two Aggies scored in double-figures – Ryan Florie and LaRon Buggs had 13 and 10 points, respectively.

No. 4 UA Fort Smith 111, Murray State 52

WOMEN – The Lady Lions’ defense continues to be their biggest offense.

UA Fort Smith forced a season-high 44 turnovers and turned them into easy transition buckets on their way to the 59-point Bi-State crossover win. The Lady Lions swept the home-and-home crossover series with the Lady Aggies, who lost 80-61 to UA Fort Smith on Jan. 10 at Tishomingo, Okla.

The No. 4 Lady Lions, who are the favorite to win the Bi-State East Division, improved to 8-0 against the West Division in crossover play.

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., led the Lady Lions with 18 points, while freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., had a career-high 16 points. Freshman Jawanda Duffey of Jonesboro, Ga., collected a team-high 10 rebounds.

UA Fort Smith’s 44 turnovers included 25 steals.

Eight Lady Lions had two steals or more, and sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., led the team with five steals.

The Lady Lions held the Lady Aggies to just 31 percent shooting (18 of 59), and the Lady Aggies did not make a 3-pointer (0 of 11). Victoria Felix led Murray State with 16 points and topped off her double-double with 15 rebounds.

UA Fort Smith led 49-28 at halftime and dominated the second half scoring more points (62) in the 20-minute span than Murray State scored the entire game. UA Fort Smith shot 47 percent from the field (39 of 83) and hit 30 percent from 3-point range (6 of 20).

Murray State’s 52 points were the fewest points allowed by UA Fort Smith this season.

MEN

NO. 11 UA FORT SMITH 113, MURRAY STATE 61

Murray State 21 40 — 61

UA Fort Smith 45 68 — 113

Murray State (4-12): Florie 13, Buggs 10, Butts 9, Jackson 7, Carter 7, Thompson 5, Bailey 5, Wysznski 3, Daniels 2.

UA Fort Smith (15-4): Cline 19, Hanson 19, Bush 18, Jackson 15, Cunningham 10, Kohlheim 8, Sanford 8, Williams 7, Keese 3, Rutledge 2, Johnson 2, Cox 2.

WOMEN

NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 111, MURRAY STATE 52

Murray State 28 24 — 52

UA Fort Smith 49 62 — 62 Murray State (6-12): Felix 16, Baca 8, Harper 6, Burgett 6, Booth 4, Lankston 4, Scott 3, Madkin 3, Madden 2.

UA Fort Smith (19-0): Brown 18, Parsons 16, Sanders 15, Boyd 11, Kemp 11, Cosby 11, Johnson 10, Key 8, Williams 8, Duffey 3.

Well, it wasn’t exactly yesterday but more like a week.

The Lady Lions beat the Lady Aggies 80-61 at Beames Fieldhouse in Tishomingo, Okla., on Jan. 10, while the Lions lost to the Aggies 87-86 in overtime.

On Saturday, UA Fort Smith will host Murray State College in the second encounter of its home-and-home Bi-State Conference crossover series at the Stubblefield Center. Tip-off will be 2 p.m. for the women’s game and 4 p.m. for the men’s game. The games will be broadcast on KFPW-AM 1230 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com (second stream).

It will be UA Fort Smith’s third game this week.

The Lady Lions beat Arkansas Baptist on Monday and Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa on Thursday, while the Lions beat Redlands Community College on Monday and lost to Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa on Thursday.

The Lady Lions, who moved up to No. 4 in the latest NJCAA Division I Top 25, improved to 18-0 overall and 7-0 against the West Division in crossover play after beating Northern - Tonkawa 82-53.

UA Fort Smith is the only remaining undefeated team – overall and in crossover play – in the entire Bi-State Conference after Connors State lost to Northern Oklahoma College - Enid this week.

The Lady Aggies slipped to 6-11 overall on Monday night after losing to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami, Okla.

The Lions will no doubt be happy to return to the friendly confines of the Stubblefield Center after suffering a 63-60 road loss to Northern - Tonkawa. It was the second consecutive road loss for the Lions, who slipped to 14-4 overall and 5-4 against the West Division in crossover play. UA Fort Smith has won 11 of 12 home games but has won only three of six road games.

Murray State couldn’t capitalize on its upset win against UA Fort Smith, losing to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College on Monday night to fall to 4-11 overall.

SATURDAY’S TICKET

WOMEN

MURRAY STATE COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 2 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Murray State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 4

RECORDS: Murray State (6-11), UA Fort Smith (18-0)

COACHES: Murray State, Rennie Nickell; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

BROADCAST: KFPW-AM 1230, www.sportshog1031.com (second stream)

PROMOTIONS: Army Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout, Arkoma Players In Progress

MEN

SATURDAY’S TICKET

MURRAY STATE COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 4 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Murray State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 11

RECORDS: Murray State (4-11), UA Fort Smith (14-4)

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

BROADCAST: KFPW-AM 1230, www.sportshog1031.com (second stream)

PROMOTIONS: Army Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout, Arkoma Players In Progress

All you had to do was look in the turnovers column.

UA Fort Smith forced Northern -Tonkawa into committing 38 turnovers and turned them into easy transition baskets on their way to the lopsided win. It was the Lady Lions’ second win against the Lady Mavericks this season.

The Lady Lions (18-0), who are the favorite to win the Bi-State East Division, improved to 7-0 against the West Division in crossover play.

UA Fort Smith dominated the first half behind its stifling defense, forcing 21 turnovers. That led to easy transition baskets and a 26-point lead at halftime.

All but one of the Lady Lions who suited up scored in the opening 20 minutes with sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., and freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., each scoring eight points apiece.

After the initial shock of the Lady Lions’ defense wore off, the Lady Mavericks finally got their offense going behind the play of freshman Victoria Russell. Russell hit for seven points off the bench.

Russell finished with a team-high 14 points and had seven rebounds. Korie Hargus had a team-high eight rebounds for the Lady Mavericks, who trailed by 30 points in the second half.

Four Lady Lions scored in double-figures led by Brown, who finished with 19 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., hit for 16 points – 14 in the second half – and sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Parsons added 10 points.

Northern Oklahoma –Tonkawa 63, No. 11 UA Fort Smith 60

MEN – UA Fort Smith’s road woes continue.

The Lions watched a late lead disappear as the Mavericks rallied down the stretch to post the win. It was the second-consecutive Bi-State Conference crossover road loss for the season.

Northern – Tonkawa swept the regular-season series with UA Fort Smith after winning the first encounter at the Stubblefield in November.

In typical fashion, the Mavericks slowed the pace of the game early, methodically working their halfcourt offense to take a 29-23 halftime lead. Northern-Tonkawa was able to establish its inside game, but the Mavericks were able to knock down the perimeter shot, too.

The Mavericks hit four treys in the first 20 minutes with Demetrece Young sinking three shots from deep on his way to 10 first-half points.

UA Fort Smith tried to force a faster pace but committed seven turnovers in the process. Northern-Tonkawa held UA Fort Smith to just one 3-pointer – a bucket by freshman Mark Rutledge of Tulsa, Okla. It was three of Rutledge’s seven first-half points.

The Lions led by six points late in the second half but could not hold off the Mavericks down the stretch as sophomore Jared Cunningham’s 3-point try was no good with one second to play.

Cunningham led the Lions with 17 points off the bench and was the only Lion to score in double-figures.

Demetrece Young led the Mavericks with 18 points, while Sam Bartlett added 14 points.

WOMEN NO. 4 UA FORT SMITH 82, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA- TONKAWA 53

UA Fort Smith 43 39 — 82

Northern-Tonkawa 17 36 — 53

UA Fort Smith (18-0): Brown 19, Sanders 16, Boyd 11, Parsons 10, Johnson 9, Arnold 6, Key 6, Duffey 4, Kemp 3

Northern-Tonkawa (4-15): Russell 14, McBride 10, Hargus 9, Sheik 7, Rogers 6, Payne 4, Roush 3

MEN

NORTHERN OKLAHOMA-TONKAWA 63, NO. 11 UA FORT SMITH 60

UA Fort Smith 23 37 — 60

Northern-Tonkawa 29 34 — 63

UA Fort Smith (14-4): Cunningham 17, Williams 6, Bush 5, Hanson 6, Jackson 7, Keese 2, Cline 4, Rutledge 4, Sanford 2, Cox 7.

Northern-Tonkawa (12-5): Young 18, Jackson 8, Curry 2, Nasarre 8, Razor 6, Morrisett 7, Bartlett 14.

UA Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Paul B. Beran received the official notification of the decision made by the President’s Council of the Gulf South Conference during Wednesday’s session of the NCAA National Convention, which is being held this week in Washington, D.C.

In making its decision, the President’s Council cited the current balance within the conference’s two divisions – eight teams in the West Division and eight teams in the East Division – as being the desired management structure that they want to maintain for the conference.

“UA Fort Smith has a strong athletic program, excellent facilities, and most importantly, dedicated and energized athletic personnel,” Beran said. “The athletic department administration and I will immediately begin to pursue other conference opportunities.”

This past July, the athletic department received approval from the NCAA Division II membership committee to proceed to the second year of the two-year exploratory phase of the three-year membership process.

UA Fort Smith is currently competing in its final season as a member of the NJCAA.

“UA Fort Smith has demonstrated full ability to be a strong member of any NCAA Division II conference,” Beran said. “We will move forward to not only join another conference of equal or greater quality and stature, but also we will move forward to show our huge capacity for being the university of choice for student athletes.”

The No. 5 Lady Lions shook off a sluggish start and pulled away in the second half for a convincing 108-76 win against Arkansas Baptist College on Monday night at the Stubblefield Center.

It was the Lady Lions’ third win against the Lady Buffs this season. Previously, the Lady Lions beat the Lady Buffs 73-66 in their first encounter on Nov. 4 in Little Rock and beat them again 86-75 on Nov. 21 at the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith (17-0) scored its most points of the season and eclipsed the 100-point mark for the fourth time.

Six Lady Lions scored in double-figures and another – freshman Monica Williams of Horn Lake, Miss. – just missed reaching the double-figure mark. Sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., and sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., each had 16 points to lead the Lady Lions.

Williams finished with eight points – a career-high – and had a team-best 12 rebounds – also a career-high.

Lions sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., had a team-high eight assists – two shy of her season-high – and sophomore Ashley Arnold of Mountainburg, Ark., had a career-high five assists.

UA Fort Smith shot a sizzling 50 percent (47 of 94) from the field and hit 31 percent (5 of 16) from 3-point range. Kemp, who was 6-of-12 shooting from the field, hit 4 of 8 3-point attempts to lead the Lady Lions.

The Lady Lions’ defense wasn’t too shabby either.

UA Fort Smith forced 29 turnovers, including 17 steals. Arnold had a team-high three steals for the Lady Lions, while six players has two steals apiece. The Lady Lions held the Lady Buffs to just 42 percent shooting (25 of 60) from the field.

Arkansas Baptist led for most of the first half until the fast pace and UA Fort Smith’s pressure finally took its toll on the Lady Buffs, who were only seven players strong. UA Fort Smith closed the first half on a 17-4 run to lead 49-35 at the break.

The Lady Buffs cut their deficit to nine points twice midway through the second half on buckets by Ayla Lockhart and Jelessa Williams, but Arkansas Baptist faded down the stretch as the UA Fort Smith lead ballooned to more than 30 points.

Brittney Coleman had 25 points to lead four Lady Buffs in double-figures. Porsha Donnerson finished with a double-double – 13 points and 12 rebounds.

JUNIOR COLLEGE WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 108, ARKANSAS BAPTIST 76

Arkansas Baptist 35 41 — 76

UA Fort Smith 49 59 — 108

Arkansas Baptist (5-13): Coleman 25, Donnerson 13, Lockhart 11, Gordon 10, Walker 9, Williams 6, Stovall 2.

UA Fort Smith (17-0): Brown 16, Kemp 16, Boyd 15, Sanders 13, Johnson 12, Duffey 11, Williams 8, Parsons 7, Key 6, Arnold 4.

After all, it will be the third meeting between the two teams this season.

Tip-off will be 6 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center. The game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

UA Fort Smith (16-0) is 2-0 against Arkansas Baptist (5-12) this season, but each win was far from the lopsided outcomes that have been the norm for the Lady Lions this season. The Lady Lions beat the Lady Buffs 73-66 at Little Rock on Nov. 4 and edged the Lady Buffs 86-76 on Nov. 21 during the Lady Lions Classic.

The Lady Lions’ seven-point win against the Lady Buffs is tied for the closest margin of victory this season. UA Fort Smith beat Shelton State Community College 80-73 on Nov. 28 during the Georgia Perimeter Classic.

UA Fort Smith is winning by an average margin of 22 points per game.

The Lady Lions are coming off an 80-61 Bi-State Conference crossover road win against Murray State College on Saturday afternoon at Beames Fieldhouse. With the win, UA Fort Smith, which is the favorite to win the Bi-State East Division, remained unbeaten (6-0) against the West Division in crossover play.

UA Fort Smith only led by two points at halftime (33-31) but outscored the Lady Aggies by 17 points it the second half to turn the game into a runaway.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., hit for a team-high 20 points in the win. Boyd leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 14.4 points per game. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., chipped in 14 points. The University of Kansas signee is the Lady Lions’ second-leading scorer with 13.2 points per game.

Arkansas Baptist isn’t a member of the Bi-State Conference but is a member of NJCAA Region II along with the members of the Bi-State Conference. Among the Lady Buffs’ five wins this season is an 85-70 win against Eastern Oklahoma State College, which competes in the Bi-State Conference’s East Division with UA Fort Smith.

The Lady Buffs are led in scoring by freshman Porsha Donnerson, who is scoring in double-figures.

MONDAY’S TICKET

ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE VS. UA FORT SMITH

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Arkansas Baptist, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 5

RECORDS: Arkansas Baptist (5-12), UA Fort Smith (16-0)

COACHES: Arkansas Baptist, Dion Cross; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

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

PROMOTIONS: KISR Night, Northside High School and Fort Smith Boys and Girls Club Night, Taco Bell 3-Point Shootout, The Great Randall Ford Car Shootout

UA Fort Smith (16-0) remained undefeated overall and has now beaten each of the Bi-State West Division teams at least once in building a 6-0 record – the Lady Lions have beaten Seminole State twice.

Boyd, who is from Olathe, Kan., was one of three Lady Lions to score in double-figures. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., chipped in 14 points and topped off her double-double with 11 rebounds, and sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., added 11 points, sinking three 3-pointers.

UA Fort Smith only led 33-31 after a sluggish first half, but the Lady Lions quickly turned the game into a runaway in the second half in building a double-digit advantage. UA Fort Smith outscored Murray State (6-10) by 17 points in the second half to secure the win.

Three Lady Aggies scored in double-figures, and sophomore Tristin Scott scorched the Lady Lions for 29 points and 15 rebounds. Freshman Jessica Lankston chipped in 11 points, and freshman Maria Baca chipped in 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Murray State 87, No. 9 UA Fort Smith 86 (OT)

MEN – The Lions got late-game heroics from sophomore Jenirro Bush to force overtime, but they couldn’t make the magic happen again in the extra frame, falling to the Aggies for the first time in recent history.

Bush, a sophomore from Starkville, Miss., hit for 27 points and sank three 3-pointers. Bush’s final trey with 11.4 seconds left tied the game at 77 points apiece. Lions freshman A.J. Sanford of Memphis, Tenn., blocked a last-second shot attempt by Murray State’s LaRon Buggs to send the game into overtime.

The Lions led by just one in overtime but trailed by two points with 1.7 seconds left with sophomore Tehran Cox at the free-throw line attempting two free throws. Cox, who is from Nassau, Bahamas, sank the first one but missed the second.

Murray State secured the rebound on the miss as time expired.

Bush was one of five Lions to score in double-figures. Freshman David Cline of Rogers, Ark., hit for 16 points and finished his double-double with 12 rebounds.

Sahlih Butts led the Aggies with 25 points, while Wayne Jackson chipped in 21 points and 12 rebounds. Butts sank five of Murray State’s eight 3-pointers.

WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 80, MURRAY STATE 61

UA Fort Smith 33 47 — 80

Murray State 31 30 — 61

UA Fort Smith (16-0): Boyd 20, Brown 14, Kemp 11, Sanders 8, Parsons 6, Johnson 6, Cosby 6, Williams 5, Duffey 4.

Murray State (6-10): Scott 29, Lankston 11, Starnes 5, Burgett 2, Madkins 4, Boca 10,

MEN

MURRAY STATE 87, NO. 9 UA FORT SMITH 86 (OT)

UA Fort Smith 44 33 9 — 86

Murray State 43 34 10 — 87

UA Fort Smith (13-3): Bush 27, Cline 16, Rutledge 13, Williams 12, Cox 12, Sanford 2, Kohlheim 2.

Murray State (4-11): Butts 25, Jackson 21, Buggs 14, Carter 10, Florie 9, Daniels 4, Bailey 2, Wzynski 2.

The No. 5 Lady Lions are 15-0 overall with eight wins coming within the confines of their own Stubblefield Center, five wins coming on the road and two coming at neutral sites.

UA Fort Smith will look to continue its success on the road on Saturday when it travels to Tishomingo, Okla., to play the Murray State College Lady Aggies in Bi-State Conference crossover action. Tip-off will be 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on KHGG-FM 103.1 and via the Internet at www.sportshog1031.com.

It will be the first encounter between the two teams this season. Murray State will visit UA Fort Smith’s Stubblefield Center on Jan. 17 in the final game of the home-and-home crossover series.

UA Fort Smith, which is the favorite to win the East Division, is 5-0 against the West Division in crossover play with wins against Seminole State College (twice), Western Oklahoma State College, Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid.

The Lady Lions opened the second semester of play on Wednesday with a convincing 85-61 home win against Seminole State. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Kan., paced the Lady Lions with 17 points and career-high 12 rebounds in the win, while freshman Celeste Key of Delight, Ark., had a career-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 14.1 points per game, while Brown, who has signed with the University of Kansas, is averaging 13.2 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game.

The Lady Lions are averaging 88.9 points per game, while holding opponents to just 66.3 points per game. UA Fort Smith is forcing 31 turnovers per game, and Brown leads the team with 36 steals – 2.7 per game.

It will be the first action for Murray State (6-9) in more than a month. The Lady Aggies, who are under the direction of first-year coach Rennie Nickell, are coming off a 73-50 road loss against Grayson County College on Dec. 6 at Denison, Texas.

SATURDAY’S TICKET

UA FORT SMITH VS. MURRAY STATE COLLEGE

TIME: 3 p.m.

SITE: Beames Fieldhouse, Tishomingo, Okla.

RANKINGS: UA Fort Smith, No. 5; Murray State, Not Ranked

RECORDS: UA Fort Smith (15-0), Murray State (6-9)

COACHES: UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton; Murray State, Rennie Nickell

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

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions ended their month-long layoff on Wednesday night with a convincing 85-61 win against the Seminole State College Belles in Bi-State Conference crossover play at the Stubblefield Center.

UA Fort Smith (15-0) had last played on Dec. 6 when it beat Northern Oklahoma College - Enid at Mabee Gymnasium in Enid, Okla., in crossover play to end the first semester.

With the win against Seminole State – the Lady Lions’ second this season – No. 5 UA Fort Smith improved to 5-0 against the West Division in crossover play. The Lady Lions remained one of only two undefeated teams in the entire Bi-State Conference. Connors State College, which competes against UA Fort Smith in the East Division, is 15-0 and ranked No. 10 in the nation.

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., hit for 17 points and topped off her double-double with a career-high 12 rebounds to lead the Lady Lions. Sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss., chipped in 11 points, while freshman Jawanda Duffey of Jonesboro, Ga., added 10 points.

Freshman Celeste Key of Delight, Ark., also had a career-high 12 rebounds for UA Fort Smith, which surprisingly was out-rebounded 58-50.

The Lady Lions shot just 41 percent (32 of 79) from the field and only 48 percent (12 of 25) at the line, but they used their defense to overwhelm the Belles.

Seminole State (4-12), which slipped to 0-6 against the East Division in crossover play, shot just 26 percent (17 of 66) from the field and committed 28 turnovers. Johnson led UA Fort Smith with four steals, while sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and Cosby had three steals apiece.

Freshman Trelishiea Prince led the Belles with 13 points and eight rebounds, while freshman Sierra Barnhart came off the bench to score 12 points and grab eight rebounds.

UA Fort Smith will return to action at 3 p.m. on Saturday when it travels to Tishomingo, Okla., to play the Murray State College Lady Aggies in Bi-State Conference crossover play.

JUNIOR COLLEGE WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 85, SEMINOLE STATE 61

Seminole State 26 35 — 61

UA Fort Smith 44 41 — 85

Seminole State (4-12): Thompson 13, Barnhart 12, Prince 9, Cox 9, Coleman 7, Wojciak 5, Hodnet 2, Birmingham 2, Abbott 2.

UA Fort Smith (15-0): Brown 17, Johnson 11, Duffey 10, Kemp 9, Boyd 9, Sanders 7, Cosby 7, Key 6, Parsons 4, Arnold 3, Williams 2.

Tip-off will be 6 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 No. 5 Lady Lions finished the first semester with a 14-0 record and are one of 10 undefeated teams in the NJCAA Division I Top 25. UA Fort Smith and Connors State (12-0), who compete in the Bi-State East Division, are the only remaining undefeated teams in the entire Bi-State Conference.

It will be the first action of the new year for the Lady Lions and the Belles.

The Lady Lions last played on Dec. 6, when they beat Northern Oklahoma College - Enid 87-77. That win concluded a two-day, two-game road trip for the Lady Lions and topped off their perfect first-semester performance.

UA Fort Smith is 4-0 against the Bi-State West Division in crossover play with wins against Seminole State (100-63), Northern Oklahoma College - Tonkawa (97-62), Western Oklahoma State College (104-62) and Northern Oklahoma College - Enid.

The Lady Lions are averaging 89.2 points per game – they have scored 100 points or more three times this season – and are ranked No. 3 in the nation in scoring average.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd, a 5-foot-10 guard from Olathe, Kan., is averaging a team-high 14.4 points per game, while sophomore Marisha Brown, a 5-9 guard from Kansas City, Mo., and sophomore Donica Cosby, a 5-6 guard from Coldwater, Miss., are averaging 12.9 and 12 points per game, respectively.

Brown, who already has signed with the University of Kansas, leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game.

The Lady Lions are holding opponents to just 66.6 points per game. They allowed a season-low 56 points against Georgia Perimeter College and allowed a season-high 77 points against Northern Oklahoma College-Enid.

UA Fort Smith is forcing more than 31 turnovers per game. Brown leads the Lady Lions with 2.7 steals per game.

Seminole State (4-11) won its first three games but has since lost 11 of its last 12 games. The Belles’ lone win during that stretch was a 76-39 win against Bacone College’s junior varsity team.

The Belles are 0-5 against the Bi-State East Division in crossover play with losses to UA Fort Smith, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (73-51), Carl Albert State (77-61), Connors State (79-70) and Eastern Oklahoma State (81-80).

Sophomore Holly Birmingham, a 5-5 guard from Tulsa, Okla., leads the Belles in scoring with 14.1 points per game, while sophomore Katie Sanderson, a 5-8 guard from Sanger, Texas, is averaging 11 points per game. Freshman Jacy Cheadle, a 5-11 forward from Oklahoma City, Okla., is averaging a team-high 4.7 rebounds per game.

WEDNESDAY’S TICKET

SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE BELLES VS. UA FORT SMITH LADY LIONS

TIME: 6 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Seminole State, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 5

RECORDS: Seminole State (4-11), UA Fort Smith (14-0)

COACHES: Seminole State, Rita Story-Schell; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

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

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

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 (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.

And it wasn’t Saturday afternoon.

UA Fort Smith (14-0) built what seemed like an insurmountable 21-point lead in the second half only to watch Northern - Enid rally to within single digits late before posting an 87-77 Bi-State Conference crossover win at Mabee Gymnasium.

The No. 5 Lady Lions will enter the holiday break with a 4-0 crossover mark.

Five Lady Lions scored in double-figures in the pivotal road win. UA Fort Smith’s only regular-season loss last season was at Northern - Enid. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., overcame early foul trouble to score a team-high 17 points for the Lady Lions.

Freshman Jawanda Duffey of Jonesboro, Ga., had arguably her best game yet with 14 points, sophomores Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., had 12 points apiece and sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., added 11 points.

Deeva Vaughn scored 20 points to lead four Lady Jets in double-figure scoring.

UA Fort Smith led by 11 points at halftime (41-30) and quickly extended that margin to 21 points behind a strong second-half effort by Brown, who saw limited playing time in the first half after picking up a pair of early fouls. Northern-Enid rallied late to close the gap behind the play of Darcie Dick and Jacque Haffey, who hit for 17 and 13 points, respectively, for the Lady Jets.

WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 87, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE – ENID 77

UA Fort Smith 41 46 — 87

Northern-Enid 30 47 — 77

UA Fort Smith (14-0): Brown 17, Duffey 14, Boyd 12, Cosby 12, Kemp 11, Johnson 9, Arnold 6, Sanders 4, Parsons 2.

Northern-Enid (10-4): Vaughn 20, Dick 17, Haffey 13 Moses 12, Goldwire 8, Hankins 4, Brozozowski 2, Shepherd 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 (13-0) 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.

Sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., hit for a team-high 18 points, sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., had 16 points and sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and freshman Tracey Parsons of Trenton, N.J., had 11 points apiece to lead the Lady Lions (12-0), who led 48-21 at halftime.

UA Fort Smith will return to action on Friday when it travels to Altus, Okla., to play Western Oklahoma State College at 5 p.m. in Bi-State Conference crossover play.

WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 93, GEORGIA PERIMETER 56

UA Fort Smith 48 45 — 93

Georgia Perimeter 21 35 — 56

UA Fort Smith (12-0): Sanders 18, Brown 16, Boyd 11, Parsons 11, Kemp 9, Arnold 8, Key 5, Johnson 5, Cosby 4, Lee 2, Williams 2, Duffey 2.

Georgia Perimeter: Johnson 10, Smith 10, Brown 10, Jacobs 8, Blakely 8, Gray 4, Wright 4, A. Terrell 2.

UA Fort Smith (11-0) will play host Georgia Perimeter College at 6 p.m. today in the final round.

Five Lady Lions scored in double-figures with freshman Whitney Lee of Pine Bluff, Ark., and sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., each netting 12 points apiece.

The Lady Lions led 41-35 at halftime and pushed their lead to double-digits midway through the second half before settling on the seven-point final margin.

WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 80, SHELTON STATE CC 73

Shelton State 35 38 — 73

UA Fort Smith 41 39 — 80

Shelton State: Bullard 24, Loper 10, Woods 9, Antoine 7, Walker 7, Rockwell 6, Salomonsky 4, Carter 3, Lyles 2, Brown 1.

UA Fort Smith (11-0): Lee 12, Cosby 12, Boyd 11, Sanders 11, Johnson 10, Kemp 9, Brown 6, Duffey 6, Parsons 2, Arnold 1

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 Lady Lions (10-0) improved to 2-0 in crossover play, while the Lady Mavericks slipped to 1-4 overall.

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., and sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., each hit for 13 points, and sophomores Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., and Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, to pace the Lady Lions.

Cosby also had five steals and three assists to top off her solid performance, while Brown had a team-high nine rebounds.

UA Fort Smith led 40-27 and extended its lead to as many as 36 points in the second half. The Lady Lions shot only 41 percent (34 of 84) from the field but used their defense to keep the Lady Mavericks in check.

Tonkawa shot only 36 percent (34 of 84) from the field and committed 33 turnovers. Korie Hargus led Tonkawa with 14 points, while Bethany McBride chipped in 11 to round out the Lady Mavericks’ double-figure scoring.

WOMEN

NO. 5 UA FORT SMITH 97, NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE - TONKAWA 62

Tonkawa 27 35 — 62

UA Fort Smith 40 57 — 97

Tonkawa (1-5): Hargus 14, McBride 11, Payne 9, Hill 7, Campo 6, Upshaw 6, Roush 3, Combs 2, Russell 2, Kunschik 1, Rey 1.

UA Fort Smith (10-0): Brown 13, Kemp 13, Cosby 12, Sanders 10, Arnold 9, Parsons 8, Johnson 8, Duffey 8, Boyd 7, Lee 5, Key 2, Williams 2.

UA Fort Smith (7-0) will play NJCAA Region II foe Arkansas Baptist College at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, and the Lady Lions will play Weatherford College at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the classic finale.

It will be the Lady Lions’ second encounter with Arkansas Baptist this season. UA Fort Smith edged the Lady Buffaloes 73-66 at Little Rock on Nov. 4.

It will be UA Fort Smith’s first action in more than a week. The Lady Lions beat the Seminole State College Belles 100-63 to open Bi-State Conference crossover play on Nov. 13 at Seminole, Okla.

UA Fort Smith has scored 100 points or more twice. The Lady Lions are averaging 87 points per game, while allowing only 65 points per outing. Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., and sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., are averaging a team-best 14.3 points per game.

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., who signed with Kansas last week, is averaging 12 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game.

In other classic games this weekend, Connors State College will play Weatherford College on Friday evening at 5:30 p.m., and the Cowgirls will play Arkansas Baptist College at noon on Saturday.

FRIDAY’S TICKET

UA FORT SMITH LADY LIONS CLASSIC

UA FORT SMITH VS. ARKANSAS BAPTIST COLLEGE

TIME: 7:30 p.m.

SITE: Stubblefield Center, Fort Smith

RANKINGS: Arkansas Baptist College, Not Ranked; UA Fort Smith, No. 8 NJCAA Division I

COACHES: Arkansas Baptist College, Dion Cross; UA Fort Smith, Louis Whorton

BROADCAST: None

OTHER CLASSIC GAMES: Connors State vs. Weatherford College, 5:30 p.m.

The 5-foot-9 guard/forward from Kansas City, Mo., signed a NCAA Division I letter-of-intent on Thursday to play for the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, which is about 40 miles west of Kansas City.

“That was a big factor,” Brown said. “I wanted to be closer to home where my family can come see me play.”

Brown is the third player signed by Jayhawks coach Bonnie Henrickson during the early signing period. She joins Annette Davis, a 6-1 forward from Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas, and Carolyn Davis, a 6-3 forward from George Bush High School in Houston, Texas.

“In Marisha we are gaining an experienced player with tremendous athletic ability,” said Henrickson. “She does so many things well. She is a great rebounder and is a kid who knows how to make a play on both ends of the floor.”

Brown, who transferred to UA Fort Smith from Missouri State University, will get the opportunity to play in the Big 12 Conference, which boasts such national powers as Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and Baylor University.

During her freshman season at Missouri State, Brown averaged 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game had 12 blocks. She was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team.

“(Kansas) is a good program as far as basketball and academics. I want to go to medical school, and they have one of the top medical schools in the country. That was the big thing for me (academics). Basketball was second,” Brown said. “It’s a great conference – one of the toughest conferences – and I should be able to play early.”

Brown has played in all but one of UA Fort Smith’s seven games this season and is averaging 12 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 18 points against Iowa Central Community College and collected a season-high 12 rebounds against Tyler Junior College.

“She’s just a very, very gifted athlete. She makes plays every once in a while that we just go ‘wow,’” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “She’s just a great kid. She works hard in the classroom and takes care of that end of it. We know she’s going to get her degree. … She’s just been a blessing to be around.’

1. graduate of Center High School, Brown was a four-year letterman in basketball, earning All-Conference and All-District honors. She averaged 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game during her senior season.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions converted 21 first-half turnovers into easy buckets in building a 19-point halftime lead en route to a convincing 100-63 win against the Seminole State College Belles.

UA Fort Smith won for the seventh consecutive time, and the No. 8 Lady Lions (7-0) improved to 1-0 in Bi-State Conference crossover play. Seminole State (3-3) slipped to 0-1 in crossover play.

The Belles took advantage of early sloppy play by the Lady Lions – they had 15 first-half turnovers – to stay within striking distance through the first 10 minutes, but UA Fort Smith smothering pressure defense began to take its toll on Seminole as the first half drew to a close.

UA Fort Smith took a 51-32 lead at halftime on the scoring of sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Kan., and sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., who had 11 and 10 points, respectively, and the defense of Brown and sophomore Dannah Kemp of Alma, Ark., who had three steals apiece.

Eleven of Seminole State’s first-half turnovers came courtesy of UA Fort Smith steals. The Lady Lions forced 18 steals in all and 33 total turnovers.

UA Fort Smith’s lead reached upwards of 40 points in the second half as the Lady Lions pulled away for the lopsided win.

Brown led the Lady Lions with 17 points, while freshman Whitney Lee of Pine Bluff, Ark., had 11 points and team-high nine rebounds. Kemp had a team-high four steals, and sophomore Sheena Johnson of Clinton, Miss. had a team-best six assists.

Holly Birmingham led Seminole State with 19 points.

WOMEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 100, SEMINOLE STATE 63

UA Fort Smith 51 49 — 100

Seminole State 32 31 — 63

UA Fort Smith (7-0): Boyd 14, Johnson 4, Sanders 6, Brown 17, Cosby 13, Duffey 5, Parsons 6, Arnold 3, Kemp 9, Key 12, Lee 11.

Seminole State (3-3): Wojciak 6, Torix 1, Coleman 4, Birmingham 19, Cheadle 11, Hodnet 3, Thompson 8, Barnhart 2, Prince 7, Cox 2.

The Lady Tritons, however, didn’t go away that easily.

Iowa Central cut its double-digit deficit to as few as three points in the second half, but No. 8 UA Fort Smith held on down the stretch to post a 67-59 win Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Penn Valley Thanksgiving Classic in Kansas City, Mo.

It was the fewest points scored by the Lady Lions this season and the fewest they have allowed.

The Lady Tritons flustered the Lady Lions by playing a zone defense, but UA Fort Smith still managed to take a 29-28 halftime lead. The Lady Lions stretched their advantage to 40-28 early in the second half before Iowa Central rallied.

Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., scored 18 points and sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., and freshman Whitney Lee of Pine Bluff, Ark., each had 13 points to lead the Lady Lions.

Sophomore Kylie Dilla of Cherokee, Iowa, led the Lady Tritons with 12 points.

The Lady Lions (6-0) will open Bi-State Conference crossover play on Thursday when they travel to Seminole, Okla., to play Seminole State College. Tip-off for the women’s game will be 6 p.m., and tip-off for the men’s game will be 8 p.m.

WOMEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 67, IOWA CENTRAL CC 59

UA Fort Smith 29 38 — 67

Iowa Central 28 31 — 59

UA Fort Smith (6-0): Brown 18, Cosby 13, Lee 13, Boyd 5, Johnson 5, Sanders 4, Kemp 3, Arnold 3, Duffey 3.

Iowa Central: Dilla 12, O’Hern 9, Crooks 6, Brown 5, Markert 6, Christensen 5, Brend 5, Twait 3.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith only led by 10 points at halftime of Saturday’s game against Penn Valley, but the No. 8 Lady Lions poured it on in the last 20 minutes en route to a lopsided 91-64 win in the Penn Valley Thanksgiving Classic.

Eleven Lady Lions scored in all, led by sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., who hit for a career-high 30 points. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., added 11 points and sophomore Vasha Sanders of Little Rock, Ark., chipped in 10 points for the Lady Lions, who led 40-30 at halftime.

Freshman Crystal Marcial led the Lady Scouts with 20 points.

UA Fort Smith (5-0) will play Iowa Central Community College at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the final round of the classic. The game will be broadcast on KFPW-AM 1230 and via the Internet at www.sportsinthefort.com.

WOMEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 91, PENN VALLEY 64

UA Fort Smith 40 51 — 91

Penn Valley 30 34 — 64

UA Fort Smith (5-0): Boyd 30, Brown 11, Sanders 10, Duffey 8, Parsons 8, Johnson 7, Lee 5, Cosby 4, Arnold 4, Kemp 2, Key 2

Penn Valley: Marcial 20, Taylor 14, Booker 6, Steward 4, Cade 4, Norwood 4, Crawford 4, Gant 2, Trice 2, Morris 2.

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.

UA Fort Smith trailed by as many as seven points in the second half but rallied to escape with a 73-66 road win against Arkansas Baptist College on Tuesday night in Little Rock to remain undefeated.

It was almost déjà vu for the No. 8 Lady Lions (4-0), who struggled at Arkansas Baptist College a year ago before pulling out the road win. UA Fort Smith was a paltry 25-of-48 at the free-throw line and did not make a 3-pointer.

UA Fort Smith trailed by as many as five points in the first half but went into the locker room at halftime with a five-point lead behind the strong early play of freshman Jawanda Duffey of Jonesboro, Ga., and freshman Celeste Key of Delight, Ark.

Duffey scored nine of her 16 points in the first 20 minutes, and Key chipped in all eight of her points.

Sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., kept the Lady Lions in the game down the stretch, hitting for a team-high 24 points despite sinking only 6 of 14 free throws.

Arkansas Baptist (1-3), which competes in NJCAA Region II with UA Fort Smith but isn’t a member of the Bi-State Conference, couldn’t capitalize on its big win against Eastern Oklahoma State on Sunday during the UA Fort Smith Classic.

Porsha Donnerson led the Lady Buffs with 21 points, while Nykita Gordon chipped in 13 points.

WOMEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 73, ARKANSAS BAPTIST 66

UA Fort Smith 39 34 — 73

Arkansas Baptist 34 32 — 66

UA Fort Smith (4-0): Cosby 24, Duffey 16, Johnson 9, Key 8, Lee 6, Parsons 3, Williams 2, Boyd 2, Kemp 2, Sanders 1.

Arkansas Baptist (1-3): Donnerson 21, Gordon 13, Joseph 7, Williams 6, Coleman 6, Walker 6, Jamison 5, Stovall 2.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lady Lions completed a successful season-opening home stand on Sunday evening with an 80-67 win against Coffeyville Community College in the final round of the UA Fort Smith Classic.

UA Fort Smith (3-0) beat Northwest Shoals Community College 103-73 on Friday and beat Tyler Junior College 93-64 on Saturday at the Stubblefield Center.

Freshman Whitney Lee of Pine Bluff, Ark., led the Lady Lions with 17 points and had seven rebounds, while sophomore Donica Cosby of Coldwater, Miss., added 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Sophomore Morgan Boyd of Olathe, Kan., had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with 10 points.

Coffeyville (2-1) had four players score in double-figures. Tarita Gordon led the Red Ravens with 13 points.

The No. 8 Lady Lions will travel to Little Rock, Ark., on Tuesday to play NJCAA Region II foe Arkansas Baptist at 5 p.m.

Arkansas Baptist (1-3) also competed in the Lions Classic. The Lady Buffaloes ended a two-game losing skid on Sunday with a decisive 85-70 win over NJCAA Region II foe Eastern Oklahoma State.

Cosby, who is from Coldwater, Miss., was one of four Lady Lions to score in double-figures. Sophomore Marisha Brown of Kansas City, Mo., and freshman Whitney Lee of Pine Bluff, Ark., had 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively, for the Lady Lions.

WOMEN

NO. 8 UA FORT SMITH 93, TYLER JC 64

Tyler 23 41 — 64

UA Fort Smith 43 50 — 93

Tyler (0-2): Stewart 25, Spearman 14, Newell 9, Thomas 7, Williams 4, Autry 2, J. Thomas 2, Powell 1.

UA Fort Smith (2-0): Cosby 16, Boyd 14, Sanders 14, Johnson 13, Brown 9, Duffey 8, Key 8, Lee 5, Kemp 4, Arnold 2.

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.

No. 6 UA Fort Smith 124, ISF 60

MEN — It took a few minutes for the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Lions to find their scoring touch, but once they did, they scorched the nets.

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 classic.

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.

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.

Whorton has coached the Lady Lions for 23 years of their 33-year history, and all have been at the junior college level. However, this will be the Lady Lions’ last season of competition as a member of NJCAA. UA Fort Smith will begin competition at the NCAA Division II level next year.

UA Fort Smith will open the season on Friday, when they host Northwest Shoals Community College at 6 p.m. at the Stubblefield Center during the opening night of the three-day UA Fort Smith Lions Classic.

“When you’ve done this for 23 years, you’re going to miss it,” said Whorton, whose Lady Lions won the 1995 NJCAA national championship. “I really have enjoyed our time in junior college – all the way from the kids who have played, the administration and the people at the national office. It’s been a fun ride.”

“I’m going to miss it, but at the same time, the adventure of moving to NCAA Division II is like starting a program all over again and starting anew. It just kind of charges your battery up.”

After making a deep run in the NJCAA national tournament last season, the Lady Lions are primed to make one final run at the national championship.

And the pollsters agree.

The Lady Lions are among the favorites to win the Bi-State Conference East Division, as well as the NJCAA Region II tournament. UA Fort Smith also is ranked No. 8 in the NJCAA Division I preseason poll.

“When you look at the preseason poll, that’s more of a ranking of tradition than it is anything else,” Whorton said. “We don’t have a whole lot coming back, but we’ve had a great recruiting year. People don’t always know that. It’s just based on what we had coming back. That’s a tremendous compliment to what we do have coming back.”

The Lady Lions, however, return only four players from last year’s team that finished 34-2 — the second-most wins in school history — won the Bi-State Conference East Division title and the NJCAA Region II tournament and finished third in the national tournament.

And, only one true starter returns — sophomore Sheena Johnson, a 5-foot-5 guard from Clinton, Miss.

Johnson averaged 7.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, was second on the team with 120 assists and tied for third on the team with 64 steals.

However, sophomores Dannah Kemp, a 5-6 guard from Alma, Ark.; Ashley Arnold, a 5-8 guard from Mountainburg, Ark.; and Vasha Sanders, a 5-8 guard from Little Rock, Ark., all logged quality minutes as freshmen.

Kemp averaged 5.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, Arnold averaged 5.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and Sanders averaged 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

“Our sophomores who are returning have shown a tremendous amount of leadership,” Whorton said. “One of the greatest difficulties in junior college basketball is developing chemistry on your team and making the new kids understand the way of doing things and the tradition that you have.

“Our sophomores have done a great job of that.”

That talented group of returning players will be joined by a host of experienced sophomore transfers, like Morgan Boyd, a 5-10 guard who transferred from Middle Tennessee State; Marisha Brown, a 5-9 guard who transferred from Missouri State; and Donica Cosby, a 5-6 guard who transferred from Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Boyd, who is from Olathe, Kan., averaged 21.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during her senior season at Olathe East High School. She originally signed with Arkansas but transferred to Middle Tennessee State, where she played in only one game before transferring to UA Fort Smith.

Brown, who is from Kansas City, Mo., played in 30 games last season at Missouri State University, averaging 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team.

Cosby, who is from Coldwater, Miss., played in 30 games as a freshman at Arkansas, averaging 11.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She transferred to Northwest Mississippi Community College last season and redshirted because of injury.

“They are very talented players, but they’re also older kids with whom you don’t have to worry about home sickness and stuff like that. They have helped (with the chemistry) by being a little older,” Whorton said.

“They have shown a lot of maturity in practice and off the court as well in helping this team come together.”

That wealth of experience will be joined by a young, talented freshman class that includes Jawanda Duffey, a 6-1 post from Jonesboro, Ga.; Tracey Parsons, a 5-7 guard from Trenton, N.J.; Celeste Key, a 5-9 guard/forward from Delight, Ark.; Whitney Lee, a 5-11 forward from Pine Bluff, Ark.; and Monica Williams, a 5-10 forward from Horn Lake, Miss.

Duffey averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior at Jonesboro High School and originally signed with Middle Tennessee State. Parsons was a multi-sport athlete at Trenton Central High School, competing in basketball, soccer and track.

Key averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game as a senior at Delight High School, Lee averaged 14 points and six rebounds per game as a senior at Watson Chapel High School and was the MVP of the Class 6A state tournament and Williams averaged 16.1 points per game as a senior at Horn Lake High School.

“That’s a good group of freshmen, and those freshmen will be staying with us as we go into (NCAA) Division II,” Whorton said.

It won’t be your typical Whorton-coached Lady Lions team.

During the offseason, Whorton tweaked several aspects of his offensive game plan in order to better suit the talent he has, especially considering the Lady Lions won’t have a dominate presence in the post as in seasons past.

“We’ve gone away from the motion offense and adopted the dribble-motion, which is very similar to what Memphis has been running, to allow these kids we have to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket,” Whorton said. “One of the reasons we went to this offense is to fit our personnel, and another reason is to see if you can teach an old dog like me new tricks.”

UA Fort Smith is the highest-ranked Bi-State Conference team in the preseason rankings. UA Fort Smith and No. 10 Connors State, which lost to UA Fort Smith in last year’s region tournament championship game, are the only conference teams ranked in the poll.

“Connors is a very talented team, and Carl Albert has reloaded with a couple of big international kids and a couple of transfers at guard who will help them,” Whorton said. “At Eastern, (coach) Andy (Mace) has completely retooled his roster from last year. NEO is going to be NEO. They are always going to be talented, and they’re always going to play tough defense and shoot threes.

“Seminole always has outstanding athletes, and (Northern Oklahoma College) Enid has a big post player who is really good. It looks like the league has gotten tougher this year.”

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.

Lewis, a 6-foot-2 forward from Clinton, Miss., signed a NCAA Division I letter of intent on Tuesday to play basketball for the Ole Miss Lady Rebels.

The highly-recruited Lewis, who was a two-year starter for the Lady Lions, also considered North Carolina State University, the University of Miami (Fla.) and Middle Tennessee State University.

Lewis is the fourth Lady Lions sophomore to sign with a four-year university in the past week. Tanisha Smith, a 5-10 combo guard from Kansas City, Mo., signed with Texas A&M University, Elisa Shoate, a 5-9 forward from Spiro, Okla., signed with the University of Cincinnati and Candice Nelson, a 6-4 post from Port-au-Spain, Trinidad, signed with NCAA Division II Lock Haven University.

That sophomore class helped lead the Lady Lions to a 34-2 record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship, the NJCAA Region II tournament championship, a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament and a No. 2 final regular-season ranking.

Lewis, who played in 35 of the Lady Lions’ 36 games this past season, averaged a team-high 20.5 points per game and was ranked ninth in the nation in scoring. She also led the team in rebounding with 8.7 boards per game and was ranked 43rd in the nation.

She also shot a team-high 54.7 percent (276 of 505) from the field.

Lewis was named first team All-Conference and All-Region and was a member of the NJCAA Region II All-Tournament Team and the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament Team. She also was named a NJCAA second team All-American.

“Katorra was All-Conference and All-Region and was on the All-Tournament Team at the region and national tournaments. She was a second team All-American,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “She really developed into a good low-post player.”

As a freshman, Lewis averaged 19 points and 8.7 rebounds and was named first team All-Conference and All-Region. She helped lead the Lady Lions to an 18-12 record, the Bi-State Conference East Division title and the NJCAA Region II tournament semifinals.

Ole Miss, which is coached by Renee Ladner, competes in the ultra-tough Southeastern Conference. The Lady Rebels finished 13-16 overall and 6-8 in the SEC West Division this past season – Ladner’s first at the school as head coach.

Lewis is the latest recruit to officially commit to Ole Miss. Last week, Ladner signed 5-10 guard Whitney Hameth of Dumas, Ark., and Tori Slusher, a 6-3 post from Wichita Falls, Texas, who played the past two seasons at Midland College.

Lee, a 6-foot forward from Watson Chapel High School, and Key, a 5-9 forward from Delight High School, signed NJCAA letters of intent to play basketball for the Lady Lions on Monday afternoon during ceremonies at their respective high schools.

Lee averaged 14 points and six rebounds per game while leading the Lady Wildcats to the Class 6A state championship. She had 13 points and five rebounds and hit the game-winning shot to lift Watson Chapel (24-5) past West Memphis 48-46 in the state title game, earning MVP honors.

“We think she is one of the Top 10 players in the state, being the MVP of the state tournament,” Whorton said. “She was being recruited by a lot of people, and we were very fortunate to convince her that this was the place to continue her basketball career and her academics.”

The All-State performer shot 57 percent (157 of 275) from the field, including 68.8 percent (11 of 16) from 3-point range. She also shot 76 percent (86 of 113) at the free-throw line.

“We like her versatility,” said Whorton of Lee, who was named to the Pine Bluff Commercial’s All-Area first team. “She’s long and lean and can run. She can play different positions and is developing an outside shot. She can take the ball to the hole.

“She just seems to go after every rebound. She will fit nicely in our up-tempo style of basketball.”

Key averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game while leading the Lady Bulldogs to a 33-8 record and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament. She was named All-Conference and was a member of the All-Region Tournament Team and the All-State Tournament Team.

Key, who was a four-year starter, also was a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

“She’s got long arms, and she’s gifted with a lot of speed,” Whorton said. “She’s very athletic, and for what we’re trying to do here with our pressure defense and our running offense, we think she will be able to contribute right away.”

UA Fort Smith is coming off one of its best seasons in the history of the program. The Lady Lions finished 34-2, won the Bi-State Conference East Division championship and the NJCAA Region II tournament championship.

The Lady Lions reached the Final Four of the NJCAA national tournament and finished third overall, losing only to eventual national champion Gulf Coast Community College in the semifinals.

UA Fort Smith, which finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the nation, had two NJCAA All-Americans on this past season’s team and so far this spring has had two players sign with major NCAA Division I schools.

The 5-foot-10 combo guard was recruited by almost every major NCAA Division I program, but in the end, one was finally able to sway the Kansas City, Mo., native to play for their team – Texas A&M University.

Smith made her decision official on Tuesday afternoon, signing a letter of intent to play basketball for the Aggies during a news conference at the Stubblefield Center. She joined teammates Elisa Shoate of Spiro, Okla., and Candice Nelson of Port-au-Spain, Trinidad, in signing letters of intent.

Shoate, a 5-9 forward, signed with the University of Cincinnati, and Nelson, a 6-4 post, signed with Division II Lock Haven University.

The sophomore class helped lead the Lady Lions to a 34-2 record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship, the NJCAA Region II tournament championship and a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament.

It will be Smith’s second opportunity to play Division I basketball. She played her freshman season at the University of Arkansas before transferring to UA Fort Smith for her sophomore season.

Smith will be reunited with former Arkansas assistant coach Johnnie Harris. Harris, who recruited Smith to Arkansas out of Lincoln Prep Academy in Kansas City, just finished her first season as assistant coach at Texas A&M.

“That was one of the big factors. Coach Harris recruited me at Arkansas, and I know what she is all about,” Smith said. “That was one of the factors I considered when I looked at the schools – relationships with the coaches.”

Smith was recruited by several major Division I programs and narrowed her final choices to Texas A&M, Georgia, Cincinnati and Kentucky.

“It will be a good opportunity for me and my family,” Smith said. “They play in the Big 12. I’m from Missouri, and there are a lot of Big 12 schools around there. This will be a good opportunity for my family to get to see me play.”

Texas A&M, which is coached by former Arkansas coach Gary Blair, finished 29-8 this past season, setting a school record for wins in a season. The Aggies won their first Big 12 tournament championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time.

The Aggies also finished the regular season with a No. 8 national ranking – the highest in the program’s history.

“Texas A&M is getting a great kid and a great player,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “She’s going to have a familiar face in coach Harris and a great coach in Gary Blair. “She’s going to fit in well with that league (Big 12). I know College Station is a long way from home for her, but they play Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State, so her family will have a lot of opportunities to see her play.”

Smith played in all 36 of the Lady Lions’ games this past season. She was second on the team in scoring with 18.2 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 5.2 rebounds. She led the team with 104 steals and was third with 106 assists. She made a team-high 71 3-pointers and shot 40.8 percent (71 of 174) from 3-point range.

She was 16th in the nation in scoring, was ranked 24th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage and was ranked in the Top 25 in steals.

Smith was named first team All-Conference, was the Region II regular-season MVP and was the Region II tournament MVP. She also was named to the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament team.

“She played every position, sometimes during the same game,” Whorton said. “She played the point, she played the wing and she even played center. She never complained and did the best she could. As the year went on, she got more confident as she got used to our system.

“At the beginning of the year, she believed she was one of the best players in the country, and by the end of the year, she knew she was one of the best players in the country.”

Shoate, a two-year starter, played in 35 games this past season. She was third on the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game and was second on the team in rebounding with 7.1 rebounds per game.

She was third on the team in steals with 69 and fourth on the team in assists with 67. She shot 43.3 percent (145 of 335) from the field and 78.5 percent (139 of 177) from the free-throw line. She was second on the team in 3-pointers made with 56 and ranked 25th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage, making 39.7 percent.

“She’s a great student and a great basketball player,” Whorton said. “I think Elisa Shoate gets more out of her talent than 99 percent of the players playing basketball in America today. She does it because she plays so hard. That’s every day, every possession. In the two years she’s been with us, I can never remember her having a bad practice, and I can never remember her having a bad game. … There’s never been a practice or a game where she didn’t come and give all out effort.”

Shoate, who was named first team All-Conference and All-Region, also considered Mercer University, North Carolina State and Tennessee Tech.

Cincinnati, which is coached by J. Kelley Hall, competes in the Big East Conference. The Bearcats finished 12-16 overall and 2-13 in conference play this past season – Hall’s first at the school.

Shoate will reunite with former UA Fort Smith assistant coach Tari Cummings, who just finished her first season as assistant coach at Cincinnati.

“It was somewhere where I felt like I would fit,” Shoate said. “Plus, they have a med school, which I really liked. They are ranked somewhere just in the Top 40 of the med schools in the nation.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, but at the same time, when I walked on campus I just knew that’s where I wanted to go. It was pretty easy making my decision after the visit.”

Nelson played in 33 games and averaged four points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She shot 43.2 percent (54 of 125) from the field and 60.5 percent (23 of 38) from the free-throw line. She had 25 steals and six assists.

“Candice has been a pleasure to coach,” Whorton said. “She came to UA Fort Smith with a larger background in net ball than she did basketball. In spite of her injuries – she’s had bad knees ever since she’s been here – she’s given us some excellent minutes.

“She’s a kid of great character. She’s worked hard in practice and made other people around her better. When given the opportunity in games, she’s had some outstanding games.”

Lock Haven, which is coached by Jennifer Smith, competes in the West Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Lady Eagles finished 7-19 overall and 2-10 in the West Division of the PSAC this past season – Smith’s first at the school.

“We’re really pleased with where she’s going. One of the things she’s struggles with is her knees – they’re not real strong – and one of Lock Haven’s largest curriculums is athletic training,” Whorton pointed out. “They have an abundance of student trainers, so they will have one with her every day during her workouts. They go into nutrition, personal training and things like that. It’s really going to be an ideal situation for her to improve over the next two years.”

Smith, a 5-foot-10 guard, was named a first team All-American, while Lewis, a 6-2 forward, was named a second team All-American.

The duo helped lead the Lady Lions to a 34-2 win-loss record, the Bi-State Conference East Division championship, the Region II tournament championship and a third-place finish in the NJCAA national tournament.

“A lot of schools have never had an All-American. To have two on one team is special,” UA Fort Smith coach Louis Whorton said. “They are two special athletes. Both on and off the floor, they were All-Americans for us this year. … It’s kind of a payback for them, and it’s a compliment to the players they had around them because it’s always been our philosophy that you’re only as good as your team is. If your team is successful, then the individual rewards will come.”

Smith played in all 36 of the Lady Lions’ games and averaged 18.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She led the team with 104 steals, was third on the team with 106 assists and made a team-high 71 3-pointers.

She was ranked 16th in the nation in scoring, was ranked 24th in 3-point field-goal percentage (40.1) and was ranked in the Top 25 in steals per game.

The Kansas City, Mo., native was named first team All-Conference and first team All-Region. She was the Region II regular-season MVP and the Region II tournament MVP and was named to the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament Team.

The highly-recruited Smith has narrowed her college choices to Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Georgia and Kentucky.

“There at the end, she got to where she wanted the ball in her hands at clutch times, and that’s just a matter of confidence,” Whorton said. “Earlier in the year, she didn’t have that kind of confidence in herself. At the end of the year, she wanted the ball in her hands to create something with it.”

Lewis, a two-year starter, played in 35 of the Lady Lions’ 36 games this past season and averaged a team-high 20.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. She also shot a team-best 54.7 percent from the field.

The Clinton, Miss., native was ninth in the nation in scoring and was named first team All-Conference and first team All-Region and was named to the NJCAA Region II tournament All-Tournament Team and the NJCAA national tournament All-Tournament Team.

She has narrowed her college choices to Miami, Middle Tennessee State, Ole Miss and North Carolina State.

“Katorra is the best kid at posting up that we’ve had here, probably. She battles so hard to get open and wants the ball so bad because she’s such a competitor,” Whorton said. “She worked extremely hard in the offseason, and she went from being a good post player to being a great post player.”

Smith and Lewis were two of five Bi-State Conference players to earn All-American honors. Northern Oklahoma College-Enid’s Rose Anderson and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Denise Rosario and Megan Fraley were named honorable mention All-Americans.