Unlike last season, when they were hitting their stride, the Seahawks have been on a roller coaster.
"We knew we were going to get tested this year and went through a lot of things we didn't go through last year, which has caused a lot of the ups and downs we have had this season," sophomore shooting guard Erik Durham said.
"Heading into the tournament, we have to stick together and make sure everyone is on the same page mentally and physically with our common goal of winning the conference tournament on our mind."
LSC-PA (19-10, 10-8) enters this weekend's Region XIV conference tournament in Tyler having lost four of its past five games, its worst stretch this season.
As a result, the Seahawks missed out on the first-round tournament bye that once seemed automatic. Now they have to win four games in four days."It is definitely going to be tough because it increases the chances of someone getting hurt, but I think we can find a way to accomplish a very difficult task," said LSC-PA assistant coach Barry Wellington.
"We have a very young squad with only four sophomores on the roster, and it's time for our freshmen to step up. At this point in the season they aren't freshmen anymore," Wellington said.
LSC-PA began the season by winning nine of its first 10 games, including eight in a row.
"We all came together for those games and were able to put the whole Region XIV conference on notice that we are a good team this year," Durham said
A big part of the early-season success was Illinois transfer Darius Paul, the team's leading scorer and rebounder.
Paul, selected by Sporting News Magazine as one of the top five junior college players in the nation, has already signed a letter of intent to return to Illinois next season.
The 6-foot-8 star forward is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, and LSC-PA has won 80 percent of the games he has played. A shoulder problem and two suspensions have kept him out of six conference games, in which the Seahawks have gone 2-4.
Now healthy, the player many consider the best all-around performer in the Region XIV conference is focused on leading LSC-PA to a tournament title."The tournament is going to be big for everyone, not just me, because it gives us a chance to show we are the team we were at the beginning of conference play, not the team which ended the regular season on a sour note," Paul said. "The beauty of the tournament is that if we play our best basketball of the season we are going to have a deep run, and if we don't we will be one and done. So the onus is on everyone on our team to bring our A games."
With Paul shuffling in and out of the lineup, one Seahawk who has emerged as a consistent option is freshman guard Mambi Diawara.
Earlier this season, Diawara became only the second Seahawk to earn national NJCAA Division I basketball Player of the Week honors.He had 29 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Coastal Bend College. In the two victories, Diawara had a combined 8 of 11 from the 3-point line and 18 of 27 from the field.
Paul missed both games.
"With Darius out, I was able to get more opportunities and find my shot, which allowed me to help my team win two big games," Diawara said. "I'm definitely looking forward to playing with Darius in the tournament because it makes the game easier for us and we feed off his confidence."
Despite their setbacks, the Seahawks are a confident bunch.With everyone back and fully healthy, LSC-PA coaches and players say a lot of the matchups that favored them at the beginning of the season will be in place.
"With our complete squad back, we are going to be a tough out because part of our success this season has been our versatility," Wellington said. "If we play Seahawks basketball and hit quality shots, we are going to shock everyone come next weekend by winning the tournament despite the odds being stacked against us."
"We knew we were going to get tested this year and went through a lot of things we didn't go through last year, which has caused a lot of the ups and downs we have had this season," sophomore shooting guard Erik Durham said.
"Heading into the tournament, we have to stick together and make sure everyone is on the same page mentally and physically with our common goal of winning the conference tournament on our mind."
LSC-PA (19-10, 10-8) enters this weekend's Region XIV conference tournament in Tyler having lost four of its past five games, its worst stretch this season.
As a result, the Seahawks missed out on the first-round tournament bye that once seemed automatic. Now they have to win four games in four days."It is definitely going to be tough because it increases the chances of someone getting hurt, but I think we can find a way to accomplish a very difficult task," said LSC-PA assistant coach Barry Wellington.
"We have a very young squad with only four sophomores on the roster, and it's time for our freshmen to step up. At this point in the season they aren't freshmen anymore," Wellington said.
LSC-PA began the season by winning nine of its first 10 games, including eight in a row.
"We all came together for those games and were able to put the whole Region XIV conference on notice that we are a good team this year," Durham said
A big part of the early-season success was Illinois transfer Darius Paul, the team's leading scorer and rebounder.
Paul, selected by Sporting News Magazine as one of the top five junior college players in the nation, has already signed a letter of intent to return to Illinois next season.
The 6-foot-8 star forward is averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, and LSC-PA has won 80 percent of the games he has played. A shoulder problem and two suspensions have kept him out of six conference games, in which the Seahawks have gone 2-4.
Now healthy, the player many consider the best all-around performer in the Region XIV conference is focused on leading LSC-PA to a tournament title."The tournament is going to be big for everyone, not just me, because it gives us a chance to show we are the team we were at the beginning of conference play, not the team which ended the regular season on a sour note," Paul said. "The beauty of the tournament is that if we play our best basketball of the season we are going to have a deep run, and if we don't we will be one and done. So the onus is on everyone on our team to bring our A games."
With Paul shuffling in and out of the lineup, one Seahawk who has emerged as a consistent option is freshman guard Mambi Diawara.
Earlier this season, Diawara became only the second Seahawk to earn national NJCAA Division I basketball Player of the Week honors.He had 29 points and 10 rebounds in a win against Coastal Bend College. In the two victories, Diawara had a combined 8 of 11 from the 3-point line and 18 of 27 from the field.
Paul missed both games.
"With Darius out, I was able to get more opportunities and find my shot, which allowed me to help my team win two big games," Diawara said. "I'm definitely looking forward to playing with Darius in the tournament because it makes the game easier for us and we feed off his confidence."
Despite their setbacks, the Seahawks are a confident bunch.With everyone back and fully healthy, LSC-PA coaches and players say a lot of the matchups that favored them at the beginning of the season will be in place.
"With our complete squad back, we are going to be a tough out because part of our success this season has been our versatility," Wellington said. "If we play Seahawks basketball and hit quality shots, we are going to shock everyone come next weekend by winning the tournament despite the odds being stacked against us."
