ON TAP: The Arkansas State University Lady Indians open play in the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Basketball Tournament, hosting the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, Wednesday, Feb. 28 in a 7:05 p.m. game at the ASU Convocation Center.

THE PRINCIPALS: Arkansas State opens play as the tournament's sixth seed, while ULM is seeded at No. 11. The Lady Indians dropped their final two regular season games to finish at 11-7 and fourth in the Sun Belt West, while the Warhawks have lost nine straight, and finished fifth in the Sun Belt West at 6-12.
THE SERIES: Arkansas State leads the series 10-9, and has won eight straight, including two meetings during the 2006-07 regular season. In this season's first matchup, an 80-64 ASU victory earned Jan. 3 in Monroe, sophomore guard Caroline Starr Starr's 4-of-4 effort from behind the three-point arc was the best single-game three-point shooting performance in the history of the ASU program, percentage-wise. In the second clash of the season, ASU senior Adrianne Davie scored a career-high 38 points, leading the Lady Indians to a 72-54 win over the Warhawks. That game was played Feb. 17 at the ASU Convocation Center.

THE COACHES: Two-time Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Brian Boyer is in his eighth season as the Lady Indians' head coach, holding a record of 129-107. Boyer has guided the ASU program to three WNIT Tournament appearances, and in 2003-04 directed the Lady Indians to their first-ever regular season conference title, as ASU earned a share of the Sun Belt East Division championship. Heading into the season, Boyer ranked sixth in the Sun Belt Conference in all-time conference wins with 55. Mona Martin is currently in her 12th season as head coach of the Warhawks and holds a record of 175-164, all at ULM. After opening with two 5-21 seasons, she guided her 1997-98 team to a 19-9 record and a second-place finish in the Southland, earning Martin Coach of the Year awards from both the Southland Conference and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Her 2000-01 team was 20-9 and again second in the Southland. Last season, the Martin-led Warhawks advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament semifinals, and in 2004-05, Martin led ULM to a Southland Conference regular season co-championship, was one game away from a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and had a 20-win season (22-8) for only the seventh time in school history.

SCOUTING THE WARHAWKS: The Warhawks have lost nine straight games heading into Wednesday night's contest. Led by junior guard LaJeanna Howard's team-best 12.6 points per game, the Warhawks average 60.3 points per game. Howard is followed in scoring by senior forward Nedra Winston, who averages 9.3 points per game. Junior center Shannon Lloyd leads the Warhawks on the board with a 5.6 rebound per game average, followed closely by Winston and Howard, who average 5.4 and 5.2 boards per game, respectively. The Warhawks shoot 37.5 percent from the field, 31.0 percent from three-point range, and 63.9 percent from the charity stripe. Louisiana-Monroe averages 38.5 rebounds per game as a team, 19.6 turnovers, 11.1 assists, 8.6 steals and 3.5 blocked shots.

DAVIE, SIMS NAMED ALL-SUN BELT: Arkansas State seniors Adrianne Davie and Rudy Sims have been named to the Sun Belt Conference post-season All-Sun Belt team, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. Davie was named first-team All-Sun Belt, while Sims was named to the All-Sun Belt second team.
Davie, a 6-3 center led the Lady Indians in the regular season in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 21.4 points and 8.8 boards per game. She also blocked a team-high 51 shots. Sims, a 5-7 point guard, was second on the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game, second in rebounding at 5.4 per game, and led the Lady Indians in assists and steals, averaging 4.69 assists and 2.1 steals each time she took the court.
“I think for Adrianne to be voted first team and for Rudy to be named second team is a huge accomplishment for both when you look at the level where the Sun Belt is in women's basketball,” said ASU head coach Brian Boyer. “The league has had a great year, and there are a lot of really good players. In past years, as a voter, I have struggled to find enough players to put on the all-conference team, and this year, that is not the case. There are 15 legitimate all-conference players this year, and for Adrianne to be considered first team and Rudy second team is a huge honor.”
Joining Davie on the first team was Middle Tennessee's Chrissy Givens, who was also named the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Also named first team were Amber Holt of Middle Tennessee, Yolanda Jones of Louisiana-Lafayette, and Crystal Kelly of Western Kentucky.
Named to the second team along with Sims were Denver's Tyesha Lowery, Florida International's Lasma Jekabsone, Whitney Woodard of South Alabama, and Kim Sitzmann of UALR.
Florida International's LaQuetta Ferguson, Middle Tennessee's Krystle Horton, Le'Della English of New Orleans, Kylie Morrissy of Troy, and Western Kentucky's Dominique Duck were all named third-team All-Sun Belt.
Middle Tennessee head coach Rick Insell was named the league's Coach of the Year, while Holt was named Newcomer of the Year, and Sitzmann was named Freshman of the Year.
Davie became ASU's all-time leading rebounder and shot-blocker during her senior season, piling up 1,113 rebounds and 128 blocks during her four-year career. She is also the school's third-leading all-time scorer with 1,891 points. Her 21.4 points-per-game average ranked her third in the Sun Belt this season, and she also finished the regular season ranked fourth in rebounding (8.8), third in field goal percentage (.528), third in blocked shots (1.76), and sixth in free throw percentage (.775). Her numbers rank her seventh all-time in the Sun Belt in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and 19th in blocked shots, based on numbers heading into the 2006-07 season.
“I think the ultimate respect for Adrianne is the way that all of our opponents are trying to defend her,” said Boyer. “It is respect for the type of year and career she has had. When she is able to consistently draw double-teams, that shows the quality of player she is.”
Sims became ASU's all-time leader in assists during her senior season and currently stands at 525 for her four-year career. She is fifth on the ASU career scoring list with 1,595 points, fourth on the career steals list with 222 thefts, and fifth in three pointers made with 150. She finished the season ranked seventh in the league in scoring (15.7), third in assists (4.69), seventh in steals (2.17), second in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.37), and 10th in three pointers made per game (1.55). Based on figures heading into the 2006-07 season, Sims is fifth all-time in the Sun Belt in assists, 16th in steals, and 20th in three pointers made.
“It is a shame there are only five first-team members, because there is not a point guard on that list,” said Boyer. “If they went by position, Rudy would be first-team, because she is the highest-voted point guard in the league.

SIMS MAKES THE CUT: Arkansas State senior guard Rudy Sims has been named as one of 11 final nominees for the Nancy Lieberman award, given to the nation's top collegiate point guard. The award is given by the Rotary Club of Detroit and is based on floor leadership, playmaking and ball handling skills, and the final 11 nominees were decided on by sportswriters from across the country. Three finalists and a winner will be selected from the final 11 and announced during the Final Four Weekend of April 1-3.

NEW HIGH FOR DAVIE: ASU senior center Adrianne Davie scored a career high 38 points during the Lady Indians' 72-54 win over Louisiana-Monroe Feb. 17. Davie's performance overshadowed her previous high of 34 points scored just six days before in a 78-73 win at South Alabama. Davie hit 14 of 18 shots from the field in the game, including a perfect 9 of 9 in the second half. She also hit 9 of 12 free throws and was 1 of 1 from behind the three-point arc. For the week, Davie hit 21 of 31 shots from the field (68%), and 13 of 16 shots from the free throw line (81%) and moved into third place on the ASU all-time scoring list with 1,891 points. Davie leads the Lady Indians in both scoring and rebounding this season, averaging 21.4 points and 8.8 rebounds, and is the Arkansas State career leader in rebounding (1,113), and blocked shots (128). She has recorded 11 double-doubles during the current season, and her 21.4 scoring average ranks her tenth nationally.


THREE STRAIGHT FOR SIMS: With 13 points and 10 assists Feb. 17 against Louisiana-Monroe, ASU senior guard Rudy Sims recorded her third straight double-double. Sims scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Feb. 13 against Denver, and had 12 points and 10 assists Feb. 11 in a 78-73 ASU victory against South Alabama.

CARTER CLOSING IN: ASU senior Ali Carter needs just four points to become the third member of ASU senior class to join the 1,000 point club at Arkansas State. Carter currently stands at 996 points, and with four more, will join seniors Adrianne Davie and Rudy Sims as players who have topped the 1,000 point mark in their careers.

DAVIE NAMED SUN BELT PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Arkansas State senior center Adrianne Davie was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 11. It was the second time this season that Davie, a preseason first-team all-conference selection, has earned player of the week honors. Davie scored a total of 56 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had three blocked shots in ASU's two games during the week, leading the Lady Indians to victories over Louisiana-Lafayette and South Alabama. Against Louisiana-Lafayette, Davie scored 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds, helping ASU overcome a 21-point first-half deficit and win going away, 77-61. Against South Alabama, Davie poured in a career-high 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead ASU to a 78-73 win. For the week, Davie hit 19 of 37 shots from the field (51%), 18 of 25 shots from the free throw line (72%), and moved over the 1,800 point mark for her career. Her 34-point effort topped her previous career high, also against South Alabama, when she scored 32 points in ASU's 69-57 victory Dec. 29. In ASU's two games against South Alabama this season, Davie has scored a total of 66 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked four shots. In the two games, Davie has hit 24 of 35 shots from the field (68.5%) and 21 of 27 free throws (77.7%).

SUPER SIMS: Feb. 11, ASU senior guard Rudy Sims became the only player in the history of the Arkansas State women's program to notch 1,000 points and 500 assists in a career. Sims' 10-assist effort against South Alabama put her over the 500-assist mark for her career, and she now stands at 522, along with 1,576 career points. She is the all-time assist leader at ASU, and is ranked fifth all-time in scoring.

SHINING STARR: ASU sophomore guard Caroline Starr scored a career-high 23 points during the Lady Indians' 77-61 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Feb. 7, helping the ASU overcome a 21-point first half deficit in the game. Starr also grabbed a season-high seven rebounds and hit 6-of-8 shots from three-point range. Additionally, Starr's 4-of-4 effort from behind the three-point arc Jan. 3 in ASU's 80-64 victory at Louisiana-Monroe was the best single-game three-point shooting performance in the history of the ASU program, percentage-wise. Prior to Starr's effort, six players shot 3-of-3 in a single game, including senior Rudy Sims, who made all three of her three-point attempts at ULM.

SUCCESSFUL SENIORS: Seniors Ali Carter, Tabitha Christian, Adrianne Davie and Rudy Sims have been a part of one of the most successful four-year runs in Lady Indian history. The four have been a part of 73 wins over the last four seasons, winning 61.5 percent of their games. At the ASU Convocation Center, the quartet has been even more successful, boasting a winning percentage of 84.6 percent as they compiled a record of 45 wins against just eight losses. The four were a part of back-to-back post-season appearances in 2003-04 and 2004-05, and are on track to see post-season play again this year. As freshmen, the four were part of an ASU team that won the 2003-04 Sun Belt regular season championship, and following the 2004-05 season, the four helped ASU reach the third round of the WNIT, defeating Southeastern Conference members Mississippi State and Arkansas along the way. The Lady Indians also posted a 68-64 win over 22nd-ranked TCU during the 2004-05 season. This season, the seniors were part of home wins over Southeastern Conference member Alabama, and Big 12 member Oklahoma State. The four were also a part of an ASU team this year that handed Missouri State, Louisiana-Lafayette and North Dakota State rare home losses. Missouri State has lost just 33 games at home since the 1989-90 season, ULL has lost at home just seven times under head coach J. Kelley Hall, and North Dakota State has suffered just 48 losses at Bison Sports Arena all-time, while winning 352.

SIMS TOPS 500: With her seven assists against Western Kentucky Jan. 24, ASU senior guard Rudy Sims became the all-time assists leader at Arkansas State University. Sims passed the mark set by Beth Penn, who recorded 479 assists from 1984-87, and currently stands at 525 career assists. Sims also moved into the top five all time at ASU in career steals, coming in at No. 5 with 222, and is fifth in all-time 3-pointers made with 150.

CARTER CATCHES A STARR: ASU senior Ali Carter's 4-for-4 performance from behind the 3-point arc Feb. 11 against South Alabama equaled the best single-game three-point shooting performance in the history of the ASU program, percentage-wise. The effort equaled sophomore Caroline Starr's 4-for-4 effort logged earlier this season in Arkansas State's 80-64 victory at Louisiana-Monroe Jan. 3.

DAVIE RAISES THE BAR: Arkansas State senior center Adrianne Davie broke the ASU career rebounding record Jan. 31 during the Lady Indians' 80-61 victory over Florida Atlantic when she finished the game with 10 rebounds to raise her career number to 1,058, passing Sue Jayroe, who grabbed 1,055 boards from 1977-80. Davie's current rebounding total stands at 1,113. Davie also set the career blocked shots record during the Lady Indians' 69-57 victory over South Alabama Dec. 29. Davie blocked two shots in the game, finishing the day with 96 blocks to break the career record of Chiquita Tucker, who blocked 95 shots from 2001-2002. Davie now has 128 blocked shots in her career at ASU. Davie also finished the South Alabama game with a career high in points scored, torching the Lady Jags for 32 points on the night. She also set a season high for blocked shots in a game when she swatted five shots away during the Lady Indians' 57-51 victory over North Texas Jan. 6, then matched the effort Jan. 31 with five blocks against FAU - all in the first half. She also passed the 1,000 rebound mark for her career when she pulled down 11 boards Jan. 9 against UALR. Davie is also in third place on the ASU all-time scoring list with 1,891 career points.

HOT START: With their 6-0 start in Sun Belt Conference play, the Lady Indians equaled the best conference start in the history of the program. The 1996-97 Lady Indian team began Sun Belt Conference play at 6-0, as did the 1992-93 Lady Indian squad.

QUICKEST TO 10 WINS: When ASU earned its 10th victory of the season with an 80-64 win Jan. 3 at Louisiana-Monroe, it marked the earliest calendar date that any Lady Indian team had reached the 10-win mark. The previous record was held by the 1990-91 Lady Indian team, which defeated Louisiana Tech Jan. 5, 1991 to reach the 10-win mark.

BIG WEEK FOR SIMS: Arkansas State senior guard Rudy Sims was named the Sun Belt Conference women's basketball Player of the Week Dec. 19 for her triple-double effort in the Lady Indians' 65-58 overtime victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Dec. 16. Sims recorded ASU's first triple-double in over a decade when she scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and handed out 10 assists in 41 minutes played. Sims also notched three steals in the game, and her steal, layup, and free throw early in the overtime period ignited a 9-0 run to help the Lady Indians put the game out of reach. The assist, rebound, and minutes played totals were all career highs for the three-time All-Sun Belt Conference performer.

DAVIE, SIMS EARN ALL-TOURNEY HONORS: ASU Seniors Adrianne Davie and Rudy Sims were named to the Cal Contra Costa Classic All-Tournament team after leading the Lady Indians to the finals of the Dec. 2 and 3 event in Berkeley, Calif. Sims averaged 22 points during the two-day tournament, adding five rebounds and four steals against San Jose State, while Davie averaged 21 points and six rebounds during the tournament. Sims scored a season high 25 points and added a season-high four steals against San Jose State in the Lady Indians' 90-71 win Dec. 2.

DAVIE EARNS SUN BELT HONOR: ASU senior Adrianne Davie was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week Nov. 28 by the league office for her play in ASU's three games the previous week. Davie, a 6-3 center who was named to the Sun Belt's Preseason All-Conference first team, posted a double-double in the Lady Indians' games against Missouri State and Purdue. In ASU's 67-54 win at Missouri State Nov. 20, Davie scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. In a 67-61 loss to No. 10 Purdue Nov. 24, Davie pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with 13 points, and in the Lady Indians' 87-55 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Sunday afternoon, she scored 21 points, notched 11 rebounds, and matched her career-high in blocked shots with four. Davie leads the Lady Indians in both scoring and rebounding on the season, and has posted a total of 11 double-doubles this season, and 46 in her career.

CARTER CLIMBING: Senior guard Ali Carter is now in sixth place in career 3-point field goals made at ASU with 141 made shots from behind the arc. Additionally, with 996 points, Carter needs just four more points to join the 1,000 point club at ASU.
BIG ROAD WINS: With its 67-54 win at Missouri State Nov. 20, ASU became just the 33rd visiting team to win on the Lady Bears' home court since the 1989-90 season. Missouri State holds a 237-33 record on its home court during the past 18 seasons...ASU's 65-58 overtime victory at Louisiana-Lafayette Dec. 16 was only the seventh loss for the Ragin' Cajuns at Earl K. Long Gym under head coach J. Kelley Hall. The Lady Indians defeated the Ragin' Cajuns at Lafayette last season as well. Additionally, under Hall, the Ragin' Cajuns are 55-8 when leading at the half, and three of those losses have come at the hands of Arkansas State...ASU's 64-61 win at North Dakota State Jan. 20 was just the 18th loss for the Bison at home over the past 10 seasons, and 48th loss all time at home, where the Bison stand at 350-48.

LOOKING AHEAD: The winner of Wednesday night's game advances to the Cajundome in Lafayette, La., to take on third-seeded Western Kentucky Saturday at 9:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

LAST TIME OUT: LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (2/24/07) — The Arkansas State women's basketball team (18-11, 11-7) dropped a 64-48 decision against Arkansas-Little Rock (20-9, 12-6) Saturday night at The Stephens Center in its regular-season finale.
The Lady Indians will be the No. 6 seed at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and host the No. 11 seed in a first-round game at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The Trojans claimed the No. 5 seed with the victory and will also host a first-round game on Feb. 28.
UALR came out and built a 19-6 lead, its largest of the first half, over the game's first 11 minutes. ASU then went on a 18-7 run to pull within 26-24 of the Trojans with 2:04 left in the first half, but UALR scored the final four points to take a 30-24 lead into the break. The Trojans opened the second half with a 5-0 run to reclaim a double-figure advantage and didn't let ASU get any closer than five points the rest of the way.
ASU was limited to a .360 field goal percentage and attempted just eight free throws that all came in the second half. The Trojans connected on just 37 percent of their field goal attempts, but committed nine turnovers in comparison to ASU's 20 while hitting 14-of-17 shots at the charity stripe.
Arkansas State was led by senior Rudy Sims with a game-high 19 points as the only Lady Indian player scoring in double figures. Senior standout Adrianne Davie was held to 13 points under her season average as she finished with eight points.
The Trojans had four players score in double digits, led by Renee Renz with 15 points. Nikya Hughes posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kim Sitzmann scored 13 points and Anshel Cooper added 10.

BEST IN THE WEST: The Lady Indians were chosen by the Sun Belt coaches as No. 1 team in the Sun Belt's West Division for the upcoming season. ASU received a league-high 10 first place votes to top the poll.

MORE ON BOYER: Brian Boyer is entering his eighth season as head coach of the Arkansas State women's basketball team. During his time at the helm of the Lady Indians, he has posted a 129-107 overall record, which is the second most wins in ASU women's basketball history. He has led the Tribe to three WNIT appearances in his first seven seasons including appearances in two out of the last three seasons. Last season, the Lady Indians posted a 15-15 overall record as the Tribe advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. The Tribe posted the .500 record against a schedule that featured nine NCAA Tournament teams and three teams in the WNIT. Center Adrianne Davie earned First Team All-Conference honors last season marking the third straight year in which she has received All-SBC accolades. Also, the Tribe had three different players join the 1,000 career point club last season in Davie, junior Rudy Sims and senior Amber Abraham. In the 2004-05 season Boyer guided the Lady Indians to a 21-11 overall record and an 11-3 Sun Belt record as the Tribe finished in second place in the Sun Belt East Division. Boyer picked up his second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year award following the 2004-05 season, and joined former ASU head coach Jerry Ann Winters as the only two women's basketball coaches at ASU to win back-to-back coach of the year honors. Before assuming the head coaching role at ASU, Boyer was no stranger to the Arkansas State women's basketball program, coming to Arkansas State with former head coach Jeff Mittie when he was hired as head coach in 1995. Together, the two helped the program to a 75-48 record, including an 18-14 record in the 1998-99 season with an appearance in the Women's NIT, ASU's first postseason appearance in five years. Boyer graduated from Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Mo., with a bachelor's degree in education. He was an assistant coach for the men's program for six seasons, including the last three, which he spent as an assistant with the women's program as well. As an assistant to the men's team, Missouri Western was an NCAA Division II Tournament participant five years (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995) and won two conference championships. As a women's assistant, Boyer and Missouri Western made two NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four in 1995 and the Elite Eight the previous season. Boyer prepped at Scotland County High School in Memphis, Mo., and graduated from there in 1988. He is married to the former Rhonda Lane of Marked Tree, Arkansas. She is a graduate of ASU.

THE ASU ASSISTANTS: Tanya Ray enters her fifth season at Arkansas State as a women's basketball assistant coach. Ray, a native of Brenham, TX, serves as the Lady Indians' recruiting coordinator in which she organizes all aspects of the recruiting process and specializes in upper class recruiting. She also works with the Lady Indian posts and helps to oversee the team defense. Ray is also in charge of monitoring the academic progress of the team's student-athletes. She is the team liaison for campus life and assists in opponent scouting. She received her bachelor's degree in exercise-sport science from St. Mary's. Ray prepped at Brenham High School where she was a standout varsity player for four year. She graduated from BHS in 1994. Rebecca Chilton Peoples enters her fifth season with the Arkansas State women's basketball program. Peoples, a native of Buckeye, Ariz., is a recruiting assistant for the Tribe with an emphasis on underclass recruiting. She is in charge of on-campus visits and works with the development of the Lady Indian guards. She assists in the scouting of ASU opponents. Peoples coordinates the ASU home practice schedule and is the liaison to the strength and conditioning program. She is also responsible for the Lady Indian Basketball elementary camp and the NEA Tournament Programs. Peoples received her degree in physical education from Prescott College, and is married to Arkansas State assistant football coach Kevin Peoples. Carrie Redman is in her first season as an assistant coach with Arkansas State's women's basketball program. Redman played her collegiate career at the University of Arkansas from 1995-1999. During her first year the Lady Razorbacks were WNIT runner-ups and in her junior year (1997-98) she played in the NCAA Final Four as the lowest seeded team ever to advance (eighth seed) to the semifinals. In her senior year, she helped Arkansas to the WNIT championships and was named to the All-SEC Hard Work Team. She received her Bachelor's of Science Degree from Arkansas and her Master's of Education Degree from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is married to Eric Redman, who serves as an associate certified athletic trainer for ASU's sports medicine program.