February, 2011 - University of the Incarnate Word

LOGOSSPORTS:VOL. 111, NO. 6 www.uiwlogos.org February 2011Cardinal football inksdepth, talent to rosterBy Marc TrevinoLOGOS STAFFWRITERNational Signing Day on Feb. 2 leftthe University of the Incarnate Wordfootball teamwith 29 newly recruited high schoolseniors from near and far – includingAustralia.Signing day is the first official daywhere players can sign their letters-ofintentwith their respective universities.With the addition of these scholarshipplayers now signed, Head Coach MikeSantiago said he anticipates some nonscholarshipwalk-ons.At a news conference in Gayleand Tom Benson Fieldhouse markingthe signing of the scholarship players,Cont. on pg. 10-FootballLAUREN TAYLOR/LOGOS STAFFFootball Head Coach Mike Santiago answers questions at a news conference about his newly signed recruits. Theconference took place in Gayle and Tom Benson Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 2. His assistants also showed up.Men’s basketball: Near-record startBy JasmineSmithLOGOSSTAFFWRITERand 7.5 rebounds a game. Robinsonhas also been honored bythe Lone Star Conference asPlayer of the Week three timeswithin a four-week span.“I feel the things that I’mdoing now for the team arethings that are expected out ofa fifth-year senior,” Robinsonsaid. “Being recognized andhonored for it is just a bonus.”Leadership also has comefrom two other strong seniorguards, Eric Stewart, averaging11.2 points a game, and DeleonHines, whose 85 percentfrom the candy stripe leads theteam.Despite the Cardinals winningthe Heartland Conferencethe last two years in a row andadvancing to the NCAA tournament,Hines said, “this seasonhas been the most exciting andthat with the experience andKicking off the 2010-2011 season,Cardinal men’s basketball hasnot only surprised a few naysayersbut spread wildfire throughout theIncarnate Word community.The team began the seasonwith a perfect 11-0 start (fourthbeststart in school history), andclimbed the NABC/Division IICoaches Poll, reaching their highestpoint so far this season in theNo. 9 slot.The Cardinals, now 15-3, arecurrently tied for first place andranked third in the region.The team has had some helpfrom every player, with a few shiningstars.Leading the way, so far thisseason, is 6-foot-6 senior forwardCont. on pg. 10Tracy Robinson in both scoring-Men's basketballand rebounding with 17.3 pointsWomen’s basketball:ERIC PATRICK/LOGOS STAFFA Cardinals player maneuvers around anopponent.. The Cardinals remain among the top25 teams in the country and were in the top 10.A tale of two halvesBy MarcielWhitehurstLOGOS STAFFWRITERAfter starting the season withseven consecutive losses, the LadyCardinals found a way to reversetheir bitter start, by reeling off fourconsecutive wins.Guard-forward Ifauany Moraled the charge with her reboundingabilities by recording 38 reboundscombined over the four-gamestretch. She also recorded her secondconsecutive double-double ofher collegiate career against UT-Permian Basin, leading her teamwith 20 points and 12 rebounds.Along with the struggles onthe court, off-the-court issues alsoplagued the Cardinals. Headinginto inaugural Lone Star Conferenceplay, stellar point guard KatherineFrost decided to withdrawfrom school for personal reasons.A trio has stepped in to replacethis hole in the backcourt: juniorsTaylor Murray, Brittany Jacksonand Kristin Horde. Horde, comingoff a medical redshirt year dueto a knee injury, had struggled toreceive playing time until Frost'sdeparture. With an increase inplaying time, Jackson has increasedher level of play. Murray, a transferfrom Collin County CommunityCollege,has been receivingsolid minutesoff the bench dueto her reboundingand defensive efforts.Jackson led theteam in scoring onseveral occasions,somethingshe failedto do at any time last season.Against St. Mary's Universityand TAMU-Kingsville, Jacksonposted double digits with 14 and13 points, respectively. Jackson isfifth on the team in scoring, averagingaround six points a game.Sophomore guard Katy Cookeand junior forward-center ChloeWallace have shown their experienceand big-time playing abilitieswith solid play throughout theyear. Cooke, a transfer from Division1 Tennessee Tech, and Wallacefrom Temple Junior College,have been nothing but excellentstatically.Averaging 31 minutes a game,Cooke is shooting 40 percentfrom the field and behind the arc.She also getting the job done fromthe charity strip, knocking down83 percent of her free throws.Along with her scoring abilities,Coach Angela LawsonCooke has added help on the glass,solid decisionmaking with a +20assist-to-turnover ratio, and 25steals on the year.Wallace came onto campuswith an M.O. for “banging theboards.” She is doing just that. In17 starts, Wallace has corralled139 total rebounds. Forty-threeinclude cleaning up missed shotsunderneath her basket. The mostimpressive stat by far is shootingnearly 50 percent from the floor.She is having an award-like yearand should be considered for firstteam conference selections.Another key contributor hasbeen freshman guard Kaylin Dugie,doing a great job distributingthe ball down low and being stingyon defense. Dugie has swiped 18balls in 15 starts. With four solidstarters in Wallace, Cooke, Moraand Dugie, Head Coach AngelaLawson is finding a nice core todevelop her team around.If Lawson can get solid playconsistently from the bench toclose out conference play, the LadyCardinals might see themselvesin Bartlettsville in the Lone StarConference Tourney.Murray provided an 18-pointeffort along with Mora's 11 re-Cont. on pg. 10-Women's basketball