Senior A&M-Commerce forward Darrell Williams took home Lone Star Conference Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-LSC honors with Christian Macauley repeating as Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the All-LSC Defensive Team and earning an All-LSC Second Team nod, while LaDon Carnegie capped off the evening with All-LSC Second Team recognition as voted on by the league’s coaches and announced by the conference office at the championship banquet prior to the start of the championship tournament Wednesday night.
Williams, the LSC Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and a first team selection, has been a monster on the floor in his first year with the Lions in 2014-15. He has recorded the third most double-doubles at the NCAA DII level this season with 19 and is the only player in the LSC averaging a double-double with 18.2 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game. He leads the league in scoring and in rebounding. He is third in the LSC in field goal percentage at 57 percent and 14th in the conference free throw shooting percentage at 71 percent. In 14 LSC games this season, he averages 19.4 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game improving on his only scoring margin.
Williams made his mark on the Lions early in the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener against Lubbock Christian. His best game of the season came against Arlington Baptist when he scored 24 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. He followed that up with a then season best 26 points at Texas A&M-Kingsville. He is currently in the midst of an eight game double-digit scoring streak, but enjoyed a season long streak of 11 games in double figures earlier in the year. All told, he has scored in double figures 24 times and 20 plus points 14 times. He is also one of only two players in the NCAA DII to have two or more 20-rebound games.
Macauley repeats as the LSC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-LSC Defensive Team selection. Macauley is the Lions anchor defensively as the rim protector in the lane. He recorded 48 blocks this season en route to becoming the Lions all-time blocks leader with 122 blocks. He leads the LSC with 1.9 blocks per game.
Macauley was also honored as a second team selection after averaging 9.9 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor. He recorded 11 double-digit games with two games of 20 or more points. His best game of the season came at home against Tarleton State when he scored 21 points. He followed up with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his only double-double of the season at Cameron.
Carnegie, who for the second straight season took home All-LSC honors with his second team selection, is second on the team and eighth in the league in scoring averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting 39 percent from the floor. In LSC games, Carnegie averages 13.7 points per game.
He poured in a career-high 37 points against Dallas Baptist while setting the school’s record for free throws made (18) and free throws attempted (23) in the contest. He has scored in double figures 14 times with seven games of 20 or more points. His lone double-double of the season came against Henderson State when he notched 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The trio led the Lions to their first 20-win season in ten seasons and a fourth place finish in the LSC after ending the year at 21-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play. A&M-Commerce will play West Texas A&M in the first round of the of LSC Championship Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in the Allen Event Center.