Page 15

Palmer leads lion men

The A&M-Commerce men’s basketball season closed with a 10-19 record, but one where a bounce or two would have changed the entire year. In a season that saw the Lions playing in all four time-zones of the continential U.S., the Lions exciting brand of basketball included six games that were decided by three points or less.
One of the most exciting was the Lions 71-70 victory over Eastern New Mexico when junior Ross Hodge dropped in a layup with 2.4 seconds to play to decide the game.
The Lions were led by All-Lone Star Conference South first-team selection Tyrone Palmer of Dallas/Madison. The 6-9 senior center averaged 18.4 points a game, third in the LSC and 6.2 rebounds, 14th in the league. In just conference games, Palmer led the loop averaging 22.4 points a contest.
Point guard Ross Hodge of Dallas/Seagoville was an honorable mention All-LSC South selection after leading the league and ranking third nationally in assists with 7.34 per game. His total of 213 assists set a new school record for assists in a season.

Lion women complete season

The Lion women completed the season with a 7-18 record, but the Lions had some outstanding victories over the season.
The Lions defeated eventual Lone Star Conference champion Angelo State 68-59 on Valentine’s Day at the Field House and beat West Texas A&M for the third time in four games on Groundhog’s Day. Lion senior Summer Sparnon of Roswell, N.M./Goddard became just the third A&M-Commerce women’s basketball player named first team All-Lone Star Conference with her selection to the 2002 South squad.
The 5-9 senior forward averaged 15.5 points a game to lead the team and rank eighth in the LSC in scoring. She also ranked seventh in free throw percentage at 76.2 and sixth in three-point field goals per game at 1.80.
Sparnon is the first Lady Lions selected to the All-LSC first team since Andrea Hines was a two-time first-teamer in 1993 and 1994. Meshell Graham, a recent addition to the A&M-C Athletic Hall of Fame, is the only other Lady Lion basketball player to have earned first team honors when she claimed back-to-back honors in 1987 and 1988. Also named to the All-LSC South team as honorable mentions were junior guard Summer Wafford of Wilburton, Okla., and sophomore center Amy Putman of Hughes Springs. It’s Putman’s second selection as an honorable mention to the squad.

Sparnon named to Verizon Academic All-District team

In addition to her All-LSC South accolades, Summer Sparnon was named to the Verizon Academic All-District VI College Division Women’s Basketball Team. The team is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Sparnon carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average in finance. The honor placed her on the national ballot for the Verizon Academic All-America Team. She’s also been selected to the Academic All-Lone Star Conference South first team.
Teammates senior Kim Maryman of Fairfield, Calif., and junior Melissa Grayson of Paris/North Lamar were named to the LSC Commissioners Honor Roll. Maryman has a 3.63 g.p.a. in kinesiology, while Grayson sports a 3.54 g.p.a. in interdisciplinary studies.

Lions host Lone Star Conference track meet

Texas A&M-Commerce is the site for the 2002 Lone Star Conference Track and Field Championships. The meet is set for April 19th and 20th at Memorial Stadium.
Some of the best track and field athletes in NCAA Division II compete in the LSC, and several complex records are in jeopardy when the meet comes to town. The majority of the events will have finals on Saturday, April 20th. The Lions last hosted the meet in 1996.