Centenary Athletics: Winter Sports Recap
The Winter sports season has come and gone, so let's take a look back at the highlights …
The Winter sports season has come and gone, so let's take a look back at the highlights …
MEN'S BASKETBALL
The Gents, led by first-year head coach J.A. Anglin, finished 11-16 overall and 8-8 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play and made their 12th all-time appearance in the SCAC Tournament.
The Gents were predicted to finish ninth in the conference this season yet finished second in the league's Blue Division and tied for the fifth-best record in the SCAC.
Centenary, which earned the No. 2 seed in the SCAC's Blue Division, started the season just 1-9 as it made its way through a difficult non-conference schedule. But the Gents went 10-7 the rest of the way which included a six-game winning streak from Jan. 30-Feb. 13. The Gents lost their first six games of the season which included a pair of one-point losses, a three-point loss, and a six-point loss until finally getting in the win column with a 64-62 victory at East Texas Baptist University on Dec. 9.
"I was very proud of this group as most teams would have quit after a 1-9 start, but they were resilient. They trusted our coaching staff and believed in the process of getting better," said Anglin.
"They fought and clawed to get in the conference tournament and finish the season in the semifinals. We will use this experience to grow and develop. This young group put our program back where it belongs and I couldn't be prouder of them."
The Gents defeated Colorado College by a score of 65-53 in the opening game of the 2026 SCAC Tournament on Feb. 27 in Conway, Ark. before falling 64-34 to the nationally-ranked University of St. Thomas Celts in the semifinals.
Senior G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas) finished his sensational career by being named All-Conference for the fourth time in his career. Beverly, who was named to the All-SCAC Second Team, scored in double figures a team-high 25 times and did so in 14-straight games to end the season.
Beverly finishes his stellar career with 1,278 points to rank 20th all-time in the 102 years of Centenary men's basketball. He played in 99 career games with 95 starts and averaged 12.9 PPG and 18.0 PPG this season.
On Jan. 11 in a road contest at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas he became just the 37th Gent to score 1,000 or more career points with 27 against the Mountaineers.
Freshman G Jaden Braden (Natchitoches, La.) and freshman G/F Kane Broussard (Iowa, La.) joined Beverly on the All-SCAC Team as each garnered Honorable-Mention recognition. The two rookies Braden and Broussard also earned two of the five coveted spots on the prestigious All-Freshman Team.
Braden reached double figures 20 times this season, and in 13 of his last 15 games and was one of the conference's best first-year players. He scored in double figures in 11-straight games from Jan. 16-Feb. 14 and had three 20+-point performances this season.
He averaged 13.2 PPG in the regular season, which was top 20 in the conference and shot 46.2 % from the floor and averaged 2.4 rebounds/game. He was in the top five in the SCAC in assists/game and 117th nationally and top 10 in assist/turnover ratio and minutes played. He had 99 total assists in the regular season, good for 108th nationally. Braden finished the season averaging 13.0 PPG, 3.8 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and shot 70.3 % from the FT line and 44.9 % from the floor. He tallied 103 assists and 24 steals.
Broussard made a Centenary men's basketball program record 10 treys in a 94-64 blowout victory over the Howard Payne University Yellow Jackets on Jan. 20 at home. Broussard finished with a season-high 34 points and was 10-15 from beyond the arc. The previous program record for made 3's in a game was nine and was accomplished by AJ Hall on Jan. 12, 2022 against Southwestern University in the Gold Dome. Broussard's 10 treys were the most by a SCAC player in a game this season.
Broussard averaged 11.3 PPG, 6.0 rebounds/game and shot 41.5 % from the floor, 77.8 % from the FT line, and 38.6 % from beyond the arc. Broussard reached double figures 14 times and recorded a pair of double-doubles.
Centenary, one of the league's top defensive teams this season, allowed the second-fewest points in conference play and in all games (conference and non-conference) during the regular season.
The Gents ranked in the top five in the conference in scoring defense, FG % defense and 3-point FG % defense in the regular season.
The Gents held 12 opponents to 70 points or less and eight under 65 points this season. Centenary held seven-straight conference opponents to 68 points or less from Jan. 30-Feb. 14.
The Gents were predicted to finish ninth in the conference this season yet finished second in the league's Blue Division and tied for the fifth-best record in the SCAC.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
The Ladies finished 3-22 overall and 2-14 in conference play under first-year head coach Rennie Bailey.
Two Ladies - senior G Amiyah Barrow (Baton Rouge, La.) and senior F Kyra Stokes (Shreveport, La.) were named to the 2026 All-SCAC Team as earned Honorable-Mention honors. Barrow was named All-SCAC for the third time in her career and Stokes for the second time.
Barrow averaged 9.5 PPG and scored in double figures 12 times this season and in six of her last 11 games. She ranked in the top 10 in the league in minutes played, top 15 in 3-point FG made, and ranked among the top 30 scorers in the conference. Barrow finished just three treys shy of moving into the program's all-time top 10 for 3-point baskets made and finished her career with 771 points, 342 rebounds, 71 treys, 170 assists, and 84 steals.
Stokes ranked in the top 10 in the league in blocked shots and rebounding and averaged 6.8 PPG and 7.0 rebounds/game and recorded a pair of double-doubles. She scored in double figures six times this season with a pair of double-digit rebounding efforts. Stokes finishes her career ranked in the all-time top 10 in both blocked shots and rebounds. Stokes finishes with 564 points, 517 rebounds, 72 blocked shots, and 52 steals.
Freshman F Emily Cortez (Thibodaux, La.) made an impact for the Ladies as she played in 25 games and made two starts. She ranked in the top 10 in the conference in blocked shots and averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.1 rebounds/game while shooting 51.5 % from the floor and 73.3 % from the FT line. Sophomore G Julissa Cabrera (Denham Springs, La.) played in 25 games and made 15 starts as she averaged 5.8 PPG, 2.4 rebounds/game and 1.7 assists/game. She shot 70.6 % from the FT line and had three double-figure scoring performances. She ranked in the top 15 in the conference in steals.
Senior F Layla Powell (Fort Worth, Texas) played in 23 games and made 22 starts as she averaged 6.2 PPG, 1.8 rebounds/game and 1.1 assists/game. She scored in double figures six times this season and finished her career with 522 career points, 174 rebounds, 90 steals, 87 assists and 63 treys.
MEN'S SWIMMING
The Gents capped their season with a seventh-place finish in the SCAC Championships on Feb. 14 in Garland, Texas. Centenary, led by first-year head coach Pat Garrett, tallied 258 points.
Sophomore Hunter Hedges (Murphy, Texas) had an impressive season as he recorded eight individual wins and was named the SCAC Men's Swimmer once during the season. Hedges was one of a handful of talented young swimmers for the Gents this season along with sophomore Adam Stelly (Opelousas, La.), freshman Jack Williams (Lafayette, La.), sophomore Parker Randolph (Shreveport, La.), sophomore Cade Campbell (Ruston, La.), sophomore Jordan Jerrigan (Temple, Texas), freshman George Arrona (Harlingen, Texas), and freshman Kelvin Ridgley Jr. (Zachary, La.).
Stelly finished eighth in the 200 Fly Championship Final (2:06.23) at the SCAC Championships and Randolph had the Gents' top finish in the Championship Final of the 1650 free as he swam a time of 18:32.83 to place 10th. On day two of competition in Garland, Stelly recorded a personal-best in the 500 free (4:57) and senior Daniel Lewis (Alexandria, La.) had a personal record in the 200 IM (2:07).
WOMEN'S SWIMMING
The Ladies finished sixth at the SCAC Championships and earned 265 points. Sophomore Bailey Allemeier (Altus, Okla.) earned a runner-up finish and All-SCAC honors in the Championship Final of the 1650 free as she swam a time of 19:04.70 and junior Cicely Jackson (Lafayette, La.) finished eighth (19:51.15).
Allemeier also earned an eighth-place finish in the Championship Final of the 200 Yard Backstroke (2:26.02) and Jackson's eighth-place finish in the 200-Yard Butterfly (2:34.22) led the way in that event for the Ladies.
The Ladies finished fifth in the Championship Final of the 200 Medley Relay as Allemeier and Jackson teamed with junior Reece Esser (Huntsville, Texas) and sophomore Isabela Vasquez (Lafayette, La.) as they swam a time of 1:59.27. Allemeier, Esser, and Jackson teamed with freshman Anna Hicks (Lafayette, La.) to finish fifth in the championship final of the 800 free relay (8:34.02).
Allemeier finished sixth in the Championship Final of the 500-yard freestyle as she swam a time of 5:32.72 and Esser placed eighth in the Championship Final of the 50 free (24.95). The Ladies' team of Allemeier, Esser, Jackson and Vasquez swam a time of 4:19.65 to place fifth in the finals of the 400-Yard Medley Relay.
Esser earned a fifth-place finish in the Championship Final of the 100-Yard Butterfly and a sixth-place finish in the 100-Yard Backstroke as she swam a time of 59.84 in the 100 fly and 1:02.42 in the 100 Back while Vasquez finished eighth in the Championship Final of the 100-Yard Breaststroke (1:15.63).
Esser's sensational season included 16 individual wins and she was named SCAC Women's Swimmer once during the season and Allemeier followed up a stellar rookie campaign with multiple wins and runner-up finishes this season. Jackson, in addition to her success in the water, was selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete of the Week in January. The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
Quentin Beverly, Amiyah Barrow, Daniel Lewis, and Reece Esser represented Centenary on the 2025-26 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team. Each head coach was asked to elect one member from his or her team who displayed good sportsmanship throughout the season.
See the complete 2025-26 home composite schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/composite
GO LADIES AND GENTS!
#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
