STEPHENVILLE – In this installment of This Week in Tarleton Athletics History, we look back at a busy week of sports as Tarleton Football won its first LSC Championship in 2001, Tarleton Volleyball upset West Texas A&M in a five-set thriller in the LSC Tournament semifinals in 2014, No. 2-ranked Men's Basketball opened its season with a win over UCCS and Kiara Wright posted a huge game for TexAnn Basketball in 2013.
On Nov. 10, 2001, Tarleton defeated Texas A&M-Commerce on the road, 34-24, to secure the program's first Lone Star Conference championship. It was also Tarleton's first game as a nationally-ranked program, coming in at No. 24 in the AFCA poll. Future Hall of Fame Quarterback Steve Kelly accounted for 275 yards and combined for 2 touchdowns (1 rush) in the win. Chavis McCollister ran for 55 yards and a score while also throwing a touchdown. The Texans came back from a 10-6 halftime deficit to score 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to pull away. Tarleton finished the regular season 9-2, 8-1 and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs where they defeated Chadron State for the school's first postseason victory.
On Nov. 14, 2014, Tarleton Volleyball squared off with top-seeded West Texas A&M in the LSC Tournament semifinals in Canyon. The TexAnns rallied from an 11-5 deficit in the fifth set to stun the Lady Buffs (25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 15-13) and advance to the tournament championship for the first time in program history. Hailey Roberts posted a game-high 26 kills and 20 digs while Kenya Alexander added 12 kills and
Kaitlyn White recorded 10. The TexAnns would go on to top Angelo State in the championship match and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, where they topped Metro State for the school's first NCAA tournament win.
Tarleton Men's Basketball opened the 2015 season ranked No. 2 in the nation and the Texans picked up where they left off after a Final Four appearance a year ago. On Nov. 13, the Texans topped UC-Colorado Springs 75-66 in Wisdom Gym led by 21 points each from EJ Reed and Malcom Hamilton. Michael Hardge posted 13 points and eight assists. The Texans would go on to repeat as NCAA South Central Regional Champs and advance to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second straight season.
For Tarleton Women's Basketball, Kiara Wright opened the 2013-14 season with a 20-20 performance, which was the beginning of a historic season as she won the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year award. Against Howard Payne, on Nov. 9, 2013, Wright scored 23 points, grabbed 25 rebounds and dished out six assists in just 27 minutes as the TexAnns won the game 90-62. Wright would average 19.6 points and 12.3 rebounds on the year while also claiming first team All-America honors.
ABOUT THIS WEEK IN TARLETON ATHLETICS HISTORY
'This Week in Tarleton Athletics History' presented by Mustang Ranch will be posted on the official home of Tarleton Athletics at TarletonSports.com in addition to its usual location on our social media channels. Each week will provide a historical look back on big games, moments and records that happened in the rich history of Tarleton Athletics.
