Lamar's Kalis Loyd named first-team All-Conference - 12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas

Lamar's Kalis Loyd named first-team All-Conference 

BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University senior guard Kalis Loyd was named a first-team All-Southland Conference player for the third consecutive season, the conference announced Monday.

Loyd, Lamar's all-time leading scorer with 1,930 points, leads Lamar in scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 per game). She has nine double-doubles this season and 27 for her career, helping the Lady Cardinals to a 20-9 overall record and 12-6 Southland Conference mark. Lamar is the No. 3 seed for this week's Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas.

Loyd is the only player on Lamar's top-10 career lists for points, rebounds, assists and steals.

"It's a great honor for Kalis to be first-team all-conference for three years in a row," Lamar coach Larry Tidwell said. "She has meant so much to this program."

Loyd was also named to the conference's all-defensive team along with senior teammate Carenn Baylor. The Lady Cardinals were the only team to have two players named to the all-defensive unit.

Nine conference teams placed at least one member on the all-conference teams with Sam Houston State, Oral Roberts, Nicholls State, McNeese State, Central Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana each with two selections. Lamar, Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State had one all-league honoree.

Lamar junior guard Gia Ayers earned honorable mention all-conference honors.

"I'm disappointed that as the No. 3 seed we didn't have more than one player on the all-conference team," Tidwell said. "I think we had some deserving players."

Megan Herbert of Central Arkansas was named the conference's Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Brenda Welch-Nichols of Sam Houston State was named Coach of the Year.

As the No. 3 seed, Lamar earned a first-round bye in the tournament. The Lady Cardinals meet the winner of Wednesday's game between sixth-seeded Central Arkansas and seventh-seeded Stephen F. Austin at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

A Lamar win on Thursday would put them into the semifinals against No. 2 seed Sam Houston State at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The championship game is set for 1 p.m., Saturday.

All of the tournament games will be played at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy.

All of Lamar's postseason games will air live on KLVI (AM 560). Thursday's game will be shown on www.Southland.org. The semifinals and finals will be available on ESPN3.

Tickets for all eight tournament sessions (men and women) are available for $60 at the Montagne Center ticket office, or by calling (409) 880-1715. Individual session tickets are available through Ticketmaster or the Merrell Center box office starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday. 

2013 All-Southland Conference Women's Basketball Teams

Honorable Mention: Gia Ayers, Lamar; Taylor Cooper, Oral Roberts; Cecilia Okoye, McNeese State; Chanice Smith, Sam Houston State; Sarah Shelton, Oral Roberts.

2013 Southland Conference Women's All-Defensive Team

Individual Award Winners

Player of the Year: Megan Herbert, Central Arkansas

Newcomer of the Year: Cecilia Okoye, McNeese State

Freshman of the Year: Janelle Perez, Northwestern State

Defensive Player of the Year: Sequeena Thomas, Sam Houston State

Coach of the Year: Brenda Welch-Nichols, Sam Houston State

² Two-Time All-Conference Selection

³ Three-Time All-Conference Selection