Centenary Athletics: Winter Sports Recap
The Winter sports season has come and gone, so let's take a look back at the highlights …
MEN'S BASKETBALL
The Gents uncharacteristically struggled as they finished 6-19 overall and 4-12 in SCAC play and finished on an 11-game losing streak. Centenary was tested by a difficult pre-conference schedule which included Berry College, Belhaven University, LeTourneau University, and Louisiana Christian University.
Four Gents were named All-SCAC - junior G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas) landed on the Third Team and freshman G Nicholas Addison (Cedar Hill, Texas), senior G Craig Collier (North Little Rock, Ark.), and senior F Jakobi Greenleaf (Houston, Texas) all earned Honorable-Mention honors.
Centenary was a strong free-throw shooting team, finishing at 74.1 percent for the season – third-best in the conference and 59th nationally. The Gents finished 31st nationally in turnover margin (4.0) as they forced 406 TO's and also finished in a tie for 76th nationally in steals per game (8.7).
Centenary had double-digit steals in a game six times highlighted by a season-high 18 in a 92-65 blowout win over the University of Dallas on Jan. 12 at home. The Gents tallied 10+ assists in game 15 times with a season-high 20 in a 90-73 win over Southwestern at home. Centenary also finished fifth in 3-point field goals made (7.7/game) as the Maroon and White sank 191 for the season and nailed 10 or more six times with a season-high 17 in the win over Southwestern.
Beverly missed the first six games of the season but flourished in the 18 games he played in as he averaged 18.6 PPG and reached double figures a whopping 16 times while scoring 20+ points eight times and 30 or more twice. He finished the season by scoring in double figures nine times in a row with four 20+ point games and one 30+ point performance. He scored a career-high 32 points twice – on Jan. 7 against LeTourneau and again on Feb. 9 against McMurry. He shot 77.8 % from the FT line and 32.6 % from beyond the arc for the season.
Collier averaged 14.0 PPG as he finished in the top 15 in the conference in scoring and posted 15 double-figure scoring performances while scoring 20+ eight times. He shot 84.4 % from the FT line and 34.9 % from 3-point range as he was in the top 100 nationally at the FT line and ranked in the top 15 in the conference in FT %, steals per game, 3-point FG made, and minutes played.
Greenleaf finished his career with another impressive season, despite missing the last four games with an injury. He was second on the team in scoring (12.1 PPG) and 24th in the conference, fifth in the conference in blocked shots, seventh in rebounding (7.0), ninth in FG % (52.3), and is 10th in steals (1.4/game). He had 13 double-digit scoring performances and scored 20+ four times along with four double-doubles.
Addison had a fantastic rookie season as he played in 25 games and made 10 starts. He averaged 7.5 PPG, 5.7 rebounds/game, shot 44.5 % from the floor, and 70.0 % from the FT line. He finished sixth in the SCAC in both blocked shots per game (0.9) and steals per game (1.6), and 13th in the conference in rebounding. He reached double figures nine times and scored a season-high 18 in the season finale at Dallas.
Senior G Jalen Ned (New Orleans, La.) averaged 10.0 PPG, 4.2 rebounds per game, shot 41.0 % from the floor, 31.2 % from beyond the arc, 79.8 % from the FT line, and reached double figures 13 times. Ned ranked 13th in the conference in FT % and had a pair of 20-point games.
Junior G Kyron Williams (Bastrop, La.) was named to the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Freshman F Shyanne Phillips (Leesville, La.) was the story of the season for the Ladies as she was named the SCAC First-Year Player-of-the-Year, becoming just the second Centenary player in program history to earn SCAC Women's Basketball First-Year Player-of-the-Year honors, joining Addy Tremie, who earned a share of the honor following the 2020-21 season.
Phillips led all first-year players in both scoring (14.1 points per game) and rebounding (12.0 rebounds per game) during the regular season, finishing ninth and second, respectively, in the SCAC in each category. Her 12.0 rebounds per game established a new single-season program record and she recorded 13 double-doubles this season, which was good for third in the SCAC and the third-most for a first-year player during the regular season in all of Division III. Eleven of her 14 double-digit scoring performances came in conference play and 10 of her 14 double-digit rebounding games were in league contests.
Phillips had games of 18, 19, and 20 rebounds this season, which are all in the top 10 all-time in program history. She shot 43.6 percent from the field (14th in the SCAC) and 73.3 percent from the FT line (13th in the SCAC) and her 17 blocks were good for seventh in the conference. She was also named to the All-SCAC Freshman Team and earned Third-Team All-SCAC honors.
The Ladies finished 2-22 overall and 1-15 in conference play as they defeated LeTourneau on the road and downed Dallas at home in conference play. Centenary held eight opponents to 70 points or less – five in conference play.
Freshman G Nevaeh Rivera (Rosepine, La.) and junior F Layla Powell (Fort Worth, Texas) joined Phillips on the all-conference team as each earned Honorable-Mention honors. Rivera finished third in the conference in steals per game (2.7) which was tied for 61st nationally. She was second on the team in scoring (10.1 PPG) and 24th in the conference, averaged 4.0 rebounds/game, 2.2 assists/game, and scored in double figures 10 times and scored 20+ points three times.
Powell averaged 8.3 PPG, reached double figures 11 times and shot a strong 72.5 % from the free-throw line (12th in the conference) and was 11th in the SCAC in steals/game (1.7). She reached double figures six times in the last 10 games of the season as she earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career.
Freshman G Julissa Cabrera (Denham Springs, La.) was named to the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
MEN'S SWIMMING
The Gents finished fourth at the SCAC Championships and earned 292 points as they recorded their best finish in the event since also finishing fourth in 2021.
The Gents were impressive in the championship final of the 200-yard butterfly as senior Antonio Barbee (Plaquemine, La.) finished fifth with a time of 1:58.68 and freshman Adam Stelly (Opelousas, La.) was eighth with a time of 2:07.19.
Freshman Hunter Hedges (Murphy, Texas) finished eighth in the finals of the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:00.04 which was preceded by a time of 59.67 in the prelims- the eighth-fastest time in school history. Hedges also swam the 10th-fastest time in the 100-yard butterfly (51.68) on the final day of competition to complete an impressive week for the rookie.
Barbee, Stelly, freshman Kai North (Tyler, Texas) and freshman Sake Stroderd (Sulphur, La.) swam a time of 7:22.48 in the 800 free to place sixth. Hedges, Stelly, Stroderd, and freshman Noah Bannan (Mandeville, La.) finished seventh in the 400 medley relay as they swam a time of 3:41.28.
Freshman Parker Randolph (Shreveport, La.) finished eighth with a time of 18:16.77 in the 1650 free, Bannan finished 10th (18:44.18), freshman Cade Campbell (Ruston, La.) was 11th (19:05.73), and freshman Trey White (Ball, La.) placed 13th in a time of 20:00.06. Bannan, Stelly, Stroderd, White, Randolph, and Barbee all posted individual wins during the season.
Junior Jameson Feeney (Shreveport, La.) was named to the 2024-25 Academic All-District® Men's Swimming & Diving Team by the College Sports Communicators, as he earned the honor for the second year in a row.
WOMEN'S SWIMMING
The Ladies placed sixth and tallied 265 points at the SCAC Championships as sophomore Hannah Waddell (Shreveport, La.) highlighted Centenary's efforts by placing second in the 100-yard breaststroke championship final as she swam a time of 1:07.25. She also broke her own school record in the 200-yard breaststroke as she swam a time of 2:24.28 in the prelims and finished third in the championship final (2:24.59).
Waddell also recorded an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard IM (2:15.00) and teamed with freshman Bailey Allemeier (Altus, Okla.), sophomore Reece Esser (Huntsville, Texas), and freshman Ella Walton (Lafayette, La.) to finish fourth in the 400-yard medley relay (4:13.41).
Waddell earned all-conference finishes in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke as she becomes the first Centenary swimmer to double up with all-SCAC honors at a single meet since Brianna Serret at the 2022 championships.
Esser earned a sixth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (59.60) and she and Waddell were part of the Ladies' 200-yard free relay team that swam a time of 1:44.60 along with Walton and freshman Isabela Vasquez (Lafayette, La.).
Sophomore Cicely Jackson (Lafayette, La.), Allemeier, Esser, and Waddell swam a time of 8:25.60 to finish fourth in the 800 free relay
The Ladies finished sixth in the 200-medley relay as Esser and Waddell teamed with sophomore Kennadi St. Clair (Duncanville, Texas) and Walton to post a time of 1:58.44. Allemeier (19:45.68) and Jackson (19:51.92) finished ninth and 10th respectively in the 1650 free.
Junior Adriana de la Fuente (Baton Rouge, La.), Esser, and sophomore Sydney Welch (Moss Bluff, La.) were all named to the 2024-25 Academic All-District® Women's Swimming & Diving Team by the College Sports Communicators as Adriana de la Fuente earned the prestigious honor for the second time in her career while it is Esser and Welch's first time.
Freshman Isabela Vasquez (Lafayette, La.) and Barbee were named to the SCAC Winter All-Sportsmanship Team.
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