MATA NAMED HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE

Ralph Mata, a junior on the Lincoln University men’s basketball team was tabbed all-Heartland Conference honorable mention.  He led the Blue Tigers in scoring in seven games, including the final four.  Mata recorded his career-high 27 points in a Feb. 17 87-72 home win over Oklahoma Panhandle and tied the career-high in a season-ending road win Feb. 24 at Texas A&M International, 64-61.

   The Blue Tigers, who finished the season 7-19 have not had a student-athlete named second team or higher since the 2004-05 season when Kelly Scarver was a second team member.

   Mata, who was the Blue Tigers scoring leader at 14.2 points-per-game (6th Heartland), played an average of 35:12, a league high.  He led the Heartland in two categories, assists and steals.  Mata is 17th nationally in steals-per-game (2.38) and 48th nationally in assists-per-game (4.77).  The guard from Miramar, Fla. was third in the conference in free-throw percentage (.792), fourth in 3-point field goals made-per-game (1.88) and sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.05:1). 

   First team honors were bestowed to Jason Gant of Incarnate Word, St. Edward’s Sean Weinstein and Taylor Mullenax, LaChawn Anderson from Oklahoma Panhandle and St. Mary’s Jarvis Lee.

   Dwight Coleman and Nick Michels from Dallas Baptist, Mikyl Bradshaw and Antario Williams and St. Mary’s Marcus Hill made up the second team.

   Completing the honorable mention team with Mata were Aaron Carter from Newman University, Paul Connolly of Incarnate Word, Angel Encinas and Leon Jacob from Texas A&M International, St. Edward’s Chavon Farmer and Cornelius Gilleylen, Rashad Pride and Nedrie Simmons of Texas-Permian Basin, Will Stephenson from Oklahoma Panhandle and Jonathan Wiley of Montana State University-Billings.

   The specialty awards Player of the Year and Coach of the Year were given to the St. Edward’s University pair of Shawn Weinstein and Ryan Marks, respectively.  Other individual winners; Newcomer of the Year – LaChawn Anderson (Oklahoma Panhandle), Defensive Player of the Year – Cornelius Gilleylen (St. Edward’s) and a tie for Freshman of the Year between – Pierce Caldwell (Incarnate Word) and Jeff Miner (Montana State University-Billings).

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