Category: Sports

Women’s basketball loses to TAMUSA 83-64

The women’s basketball team fell to Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) 83-64 on Dec. 12. The Saints are now 6-5 overall and 4-4 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Jaguars improve to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the RRAC.

Head Coach Tanya Ray commented, “This was probably our worst defensive effort of the year so far. You’re not going to beat a lot of teams when you allow them to shoot over 50 percent from the field.”

History
This was the first meeting between the two programs. This is the Jaguars inaugural season.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Evangeline Hernandez led the Saints with 16 points. Alexandra Westerdijk Martin had eight rebounds. Isabella Jaramillo assisted on three plays.

OLLU combined for 21-of-48 shooting for 43.8 percent, 5-of-18 from three-point range for 27.8 percent and 17-of-21 from the free-throw line for 81 percent. The Saints totaled 22 rebounds and 11 assists.

Men’s track and field team breaks two school records

The men’s track and field team opened its season at the Crimson & Gold Invitational hosted by Pittsburg State University.

Head Coach Brett Charlton commented, “The men’s team had a good showing and gained a lot of experience for a young team. Malik White set the school record in the 0m hurdles and De’Jon Lewis jumped very well, barely missing the National standard. Richard Davis also set the school record in the 600 yards. I’m excited to see them progress as the season continues.”

See full results on the Saints Athletics website.

Women’s indoor track and field sets two records

The women’s track and field team opened its season at the Crimson & Gold Invitational hosted by Pittsburg State University.

Head Coach Brett Charlton commented, “The women’s team competed really hard today, which is a lot to build off of heading into Christmas break. Larrisa McHenry ran extremely well, and she set the school record in the 60m. Aziza Clark also competed very well, and she set the school record in the 600 yards, just outside the National standard.”

See full results on the Saints Athletics website.

Women’s basketball defeats HTU 73-71

The women’s basketball squad beat Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) 73-71. The Saints are now 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Rams move to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the RRAC.

Head Coach Tanya Ray said, “I thought we did a really good job executing our offense today. I thought we gave them too many extra opportunities on their offensive end and that’s what made the game close. We were able to get crucial stops down the stretch when we needed to and were able to secure the win.”

History
The Saints were 30-3 against HTU prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Carlea Owens led the Saints with 20 points. She also led the team with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Alexandra Westerdijk Martin and Samantha Fields had five assists apiece.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 28-of-54 shooting for 51.9 percent, 9-of-24 from three-point range for 37.5 percent and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line for 72.7 percent. The Saints totaled 34 rebounds and 16 assists.

What’s next
The Saints return home to face Texas A&M University-San Antonio on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Men’s basketball falls to HTU 75-66

The men’s basketball team suffered the first loss of the season against Huston-Tillotson University (HTU) 75-66. The Saints move to 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Rams are now 2-7 overall and 2-5 in conference.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson commented, “This was a tough loss today. I have to do a better job as a coach. Huston-Tillotson did a great job of coming out and attacking us. We could not keep them out of the paint defensively and offensively we played as individuals. It’s a healthy reminder that you have to respect the game and every opponent, and I believe we failed to do that. I’m looking forward to seeing how we respond as a team.”

History
The Saints were 22-6 against HTU prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Lonzo Rand led the Saints with 22 points. Rob Gil assisted on four plays and Trey Law led the team with seven rebounds.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 22-of-61 shooting for 36.1 percent, 3-of-16 from three-point range for 18.8 percent, and 19-of-26 from the free-throw line for 73.1 percent. The Saints grabbed 33 rebounds and assisted on nine plays.

What’s next
The Saints host Texas A&M University-San Antonio on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Second NAIA poll features men’s basketball as No. 20

The second NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of the season has seen significant movement. Notably, OLLU, which received 20 votes in the first poll on Nov. 13, has made a remarkable leap to be ranked No. 20.

This marks a poignant milestone for the Saints, as it’s the first time since 2018 that they have been ranked in the poll. In that memorable season, the men’s team achieved rankings of 23rd, 18th, 16th, 19th and 21st.

The only other Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) team included in this second poll of the 2024-2025 season is LSU-Alexandria, which is ranked third – an improvement from sixth. LSU-Shreveport dropped out of the top 25.

OLLU continues to impress this season, marking victories in nine consecutive games, which is the best in team history. The Saints are outscoring their opponents 802-727 with victories over Wayland Baptist University, Southern University at New Orleans, Ave Maria University, Southeastern University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Louisiana Christian University, Texas A&M University – Texarkana, Jarvis Christian University and Texas College.

The Saints and the University of the Southwest are the only two teams undefeated in the Red River Athletic Conference. The Mustangs are 6-0 overall and 3-0 in conference.

Poll Methodology:

  • The NAIA Men’s Basketball Poll is for publicity purposes only and has no weight or bearing in the selection process for national championship field consideration.
  • The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and Continental Athletic Conference (Independents).
  • The Top 25 is determined by a points system based on how each voter ranks the best teams. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second place, and so on through the list.
  • The highest and lowest vote for each team (a non-vote is considered a low vote) is removed.
  • Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes.”
  • Frequency of polls occur bi-weekly.
  • Records listed are as of the end of the day on Monday of the poll week.

Men’s basketball defeats Texas College 82-73

The men’s basketball squad surged to a 82-73 win over Texas College (TC) on Nov. 26. The Saints jumped to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Steers are now 1-6 overall and 0-3 in conference.

Head Coach Marcus Thompson commented, “I’m proud of how the team played today. Texas College protects their court well and always plays tough. This was a tough conference road game for sure. The team did well battling adversity for a lot of things we can’t control. We had key players foul out early and the team did a good job of coming together and finding a way to win. This was a great team effort and I’m happy to get the win!”

History
The Saints were 18-10 against Texas College prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Lonzo Rand led the Saints with 24 points, followed by Trey Law with 13. Law and Rob Gil had five rebounds apiece.

Texas College’s Ty’Quan Neal led the team with 19 points. Neal also led the squad with eight rebounds.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 25-of-43 from the field for a percentage of 58.1. They shot 6-of-15 from three-point range for 40 percent and hit 26-of-33 free throws for 78.8 percent. Texas College shot 25-of-60 for a percentage of 41.7, 3-of-18 three-pointers for 16.7 percent and 20-of-29 free throws for 69 percent. OLLU added 19 rebounds to Texas College’s 25.

Women’s basketball outlasts Texas College 69-62

The women’s basketball team improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) after downing Texas College (TC) 69-62 on Nov. 26. The Steers drop to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the RRAC.

Head Coach Tanya Ray said, “This is always a hard place to play and we did what was necessary to get the win today. We were able to withstand their runs and were able to answer each time.”

History
The Saints were 25-2 against the Steers prior to the game.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Plata led the Saints with 25 points, followed by Carlea Owens and Samantha Fields with 14 apiece. Owens also led in rebounds with 13 for a double-double. Isabella Jaramillo assisted on seven plays.

Tyler Pyburn had 19 points for the Steers. She grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds to earn a double-double. Cree McClemore led the Steers with four assists.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 24-of-54 shooting for 44.4 percent, 11-of-28 from three-point range for 39.3 percent and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line for 76.9 percent. Texas College shot 26-of-87 for 29.9 percent, 3-of-20 three-pointers for 15 percent, and 7-of-11 from the free-throw line for 63.6 percent.

Men’s basketball surges to 8-0 record with win over Jarvis

The men’s basketball team continued its undefeated season by racing past Jarvis Christian University (JCU) 96-86 on Nov. 23. The Saints improve to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Bulldogs fall to 2-5 overall and 2-2 in conference.

History
The Saints were 21-7 against the Bulldogs. Last season the Saints split the series losing the first game 70-73 and winning the second one 78-70.

Basics
The Saints shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and had two players with double digits. Trey Law totaled 11 points and Trevon Dennis had 13. Rob Gil created two turnovers, and the Saints hit 19-of-22 free throws. They scored 51 points in the half while the Bulldogs marked 42. The teams combined for 24 fouls and the Saints finished the frame with nine assists.

Jarvis shot better in the second half, but the Saints were able to keep up. Lonzo Rand and Kenyon Elliott had eight points apiece and both teams committed seven turnovers. The Bulldogs shot 40 percent from three-point range but were only able to get to the charity stripe three times. The Saints won by 10 points to remain undefeated. The Saints had 26 points off turnovers, which doubled the amount JCU was able to gather.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Elliott led the Saints with 16 points, followed by Law with 15. Four different players had four rebounds each. Wahkil Lopez led the squad with five assists.

Jarvis was led by Caleb Thompson with 17 points. Jorden Clark led the squad with five rebounds. Three different players had two assists apiece for the Bulldogs.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 34-of-64 from the field for a percentage of 53.1. They shot 6-of-23 from three-point range for 26.1 percent and hit 22-of-27 free throws for 81.5 percent. Jarvis shot 33-of-61 for a percentage of 54.1, 8-of-25 three-pointers for 32 percent and 12-of-16 free throws for 75 percent. OLLU added 29 rebounds to JCU’s 25, while the Bulldogs committed 15 turnovers, and OLLU had 14.

Up next
The Saints play at Texas College Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Women’s basketball dismantles Jarvis 100-70

The women’s basketball team scored triple-digit points in a convincing 100-70 victory over Jarvis Christian University (JCU) on Saturday. The Saints jump to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Bulldogs are now 0-5 overall and 0-4 in conference.

History
This was the first time the Saints have scored 100 points or more since 2020. The Saints ae 28-4 against the Bulldogs. Last season, the teams split with OLLU losing the first game 68-63 and winning the second one 62-52.

Basics
The Saints started strong by shooting 45 percent from the field in the first quarter. Both teams struggled from three-point range but the Saints forced six turnovers. They added 26 points in the second quarter and Carlea Owens had 15 points at the break. The Bulldogs shot 22.2 percent in the second quarter and the Saints didn’t allow a three-pointer. OLLU led by 22 points at halftime.

OLLU carried the momentum into the third quarter. Julia Plata hit three buckets from beyond the arc for nine points. Isabella Jaramillo assisted on three plays. The Saints scored 25 points in the quarter. The Bulldogs improved in the fourth quarter by scoring 30 points, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Saints finished with 100 points, which is the most in a game since 2021. OLLU had 44 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers.

Offensive/defensive standouts
Plata led the Saints with 22 points and four other players finished with double digits. Jaramillo and Alexandra Westerdijk Martin assisted on seven plays apiece. Owens grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

Jacy Reese led Jarvis with 16 points. Taylor Gordon totaled eight rebounds and Raniya White had four assists.

Inside the box
OLLU combined for 38-of-67 shooting for 56.7 percent, 13-of-32 from three-point range for 40.6 percent and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line for 84.6 percent. Jarvis shot 23-of-75 for 30.7 percent, 2-of-13 three-pointers for 15.4 percent, and 22-of-33 from the free-throw line for 66.7 percent.

The Saints grabbed 35 rebounds, while JCU collected 39.

Up next
The Saints head to Tyler, Texas, to face Texas College Tuesday at 2 p.m.