THE COLLEGE SONG Dear Alma Mater, tried and true,

We’ll win respect and love for you,

We pledge our hearts to you each day.

To do our best at work, at play.

Dear PSC, when from your fold,

We’ll lift the dear old green and gold;

O’er Alma Mater vigil keep,

Her high ideals we’ll strive to meet.

When college days are at an end,

Our hearts will ever toward you bend;

With loyalty we’ll always be

A part of you, dear PSC.

To the friends and fans of Philander Smith,

Athletics plays such an important role in the

life of any university. It creates opportuni-

ties for students and alums to come togeth-

er in one voice to support the Green and

Gold. During the 2014-15 season our pro-

gram continued to make great strides on

the playing fields and in the halls of learn-

ing.

Two of our three teams finished in the top

half of the conference and Philander Smith

was one of just four Gulf Coast Athletic Con-

ference schools to be ranked in the 2014-15

Learfield Cup standings, representative of

excellence in all sports.

Our men’s basketball team advanced to the

NAIA Division I championship tournament

for the third consecutive season, our wom-

en’s basketball team posted its second con-

secutive 18-win season, and our volleyball

team now has back-to-back winning records

against GCAC opponents.

In the classroom, our student-athletes con-

tinued their outstanding performance. A

total of 20 athletes were named to the

GCAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll with two

more named Academic All-Americans.

As you read through this year’s report and

relive the great accomplishments of our

department, know that we continue to work

hard for the success of today’s student-

athletes with an eye on the future. We will

continue to maximize our resources in order

to graduate our student-athletes and field

competitive athletic teams.

We want you to continue to be a part of our

success and to follow your Panthers on our

athletics web site,

www.PhilanderAthletics.com or on Twitter

@PSCAthletics1. Let’s all look forward to an

even better 2015-16 academic and athletic

year.

Thurlon “Sam” Weaver

Director of Athletics

Dr. Crawford J. Mims Gymnasium

Mims Gymnasium is housed inside the 40,000 square -foot Multi-Purpose Complex on the

campus of Philander Smith College that was dedicated in 1995 and renovated in 2012, making

it one of the premier facilities in the GCAC.

It has a seating capacity of 900 persons.

Dr. Crawford J. Mims served as Provost and executive assistant to the president as well as

basketball coach for more than two decades.

Philander Smith supports athletics as a means of al-

lowing students to pursue their academic as well as

athletic dreams. Athletic Director Sam Weaver and

the Athletic Department coaches and staff work to

ensure that student-athletes have the support neces-

sary to reach their potential.

During the 2014-15 academic year, 20 student ath-

letes earned grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.

Of those, six earned a 3.5 or better.

VOLLEYBALL

Zyra Wright 3.57

Brianna White 3.46

Brenisha Banks 3.28

Victoria Hicks 3.19

Mia Allmon 3.53

Kayla Denton 3.18

Jamikhan Wilson 3.28

Eboni Fennoy 3.65

Samantha Comet 3.65

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

De’ja Collins 3.64

Caryan Jones 3.44

Ashley Qualls 3.16

Yasmine Jones 23.06

Tiffany Richardson 3.32

Jerrica Scott 3.09

Jasmine Secrest 3.59

MEN’S BASKETBALL

LaDon Carter 3.07

Nelson Ollie 3.03

Ronald March 3.36

Aquil Baynard 3.13

Philander Smith volleyball player

Samantha Comet led all upperclassmen

with a 3.65 GPA.

All-GCAC forward Aquil Baynard fin-

ished second on the Men’s Basketball

team with a 3.13 GPA.

VOLLEYBALL

Zyra Wright

All-GCAC First Team

Victoria Hicks

All-GCAC Second Team

Brianna White

All-GCAC Second Team

Samantha Comet

1x GCAC Player of the Week

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Aquill Baynard

All-GCAC Second Team, 1x GCAC Player of the Week

LaDon Carter

All-GCAC Second Team

Ronald March

All-GCAC Second Team

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Jerrica Scott

All-GCAC First Team, 1x GCAC Player of the Week

Caryan Jones

All-GCAC Second Team

Brittany Leonard

1x GCAC Player of the Week

VOLLEYBALL

Brianna White

2014 Daktroniks-NAIA Scholar Athlete

Zyra Wright

2014 Daktroniks-NAIA Scholar Athlete

MEN’s BASKETBALL

LaDon Carter

National leader in Field Goal Pct. (.707)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Rubyunnia McHenry

National leader in Blocks per Game (2.80)

CONFERENCE HONORS NATIONAL HONORS

SEASON REVIEW

Philander Smith continued its rise in the

Gulf Coast Athletic Conference in head

coach Alexis Lowe’s second season. Just

three years removed from a 2-21 cam-

paign, including a 0-11 record in the GCAC,

the Lady Panthers went 15-20. PSC also

finished with an 8-6 record against confer-

ence foes. The Lady Panthers’ 15-11 GCAC

record over the past two seasons ranks

them fourth -best in the conference.

It was a struggle at the outset though, as

Philander Smith lost eight of its first 10

matches.

Slowly but surely, the team began to im-

prove. The Lady Panthers went 3-3 over

their next six, all away from home. In late

September PSC ran off a six-game winning

streak, winning five in a row against GCAC

opponents.

Another four-game surge in late October

would get the Lady Panthers to 15-15, and

8-3 in the GCAC. However, that would be

the last time PSC would earn a victory.

They dropped their final four matches of

the regular season and were unable to

reverse momentum at the 2014 GCAC

Volleyball Championship as they were

upset by fifth-seeded Talladega in the

tournament quarterfinals.

A FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

While the improvement of the Lady Pan-

thers was a team

effort, four players

had standout sea-

sons for the Green

and Gold.

Zyra Wright estab-

lished herself as

one of the GCAC’s

most talented play-

ers as she earned

All-Conference First

Team honors. The

junior from Dallas,

Texas finished in

the GCAC top ten in

kills per set (7th,

2.4), total kills (3rd,

296), digs per set

(10th, 2.8), and

total digs (5th, 348).

Junior Samantha Comet was one of the

top newcomers in the GCAC. Comet

earned the only GCAC Player of the Week

award for the team this season and led

the Lady Panthers with 52 aces. She fin-

ished in the GCAC top ten in hitting per-

centage (9th, .190), total kills (8th, 228),

aces (3rd, 52), and digs (7th, 332).

The next wave of PSC talent comes from

freshman Victoria Hicks

and sophomore Brianna

White. Both players were

named to the All-GCAC

volleyball second team.

Hicks was one of the con-

ference’s best defensive

players, showing poise

beyond her years. She

finished second in the con-

ference in digs with 504,

one of just two players in

the GCAC with more than

500 on the season.

Brianna White may have

been just as impressive

defensively. She led the

Lady Panthers in blocks

with 85, tying her for the

conference lead. Her 0.7 blocks per set

tied her for second in the GCAC.

With sophomore Kevinisha Jarrett, who

finished third in the GCAC in assists (598),

also returning in 2015, Philander Smith

has an opportunity to contend for a con-

ference title sooner rather than later.

SEASON REVIEW

The 2014-15 basketball season began with

hopes of a third consecutive 20-win sea-

son and a third straight trip to the NAIA

Men’s Basketball tournament.

The Philander Smith Panthers would ac-

complish both of those goals, finishing

the year with a 20-10 record and traveling

to Kansas City to compete in the Buffalo

Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball

Championship.

PSC executed coach Sam Weaver’s

up tempo offensive strategy effec-

tively all season, averaging nearly 89

points per game, second best in the

nation. The Panthers topped the

100-point mark nine times, and

scored 90 points or more 14 times.

Philander Smith wasn’t just piling up

points, they were active defensively as

well. The Panthers were second in NAIA

Division I in scoring margin at better than

18 points per game, third in blocked shots

per game(4.96), and ranked in the top 25

in steals per game (8.53). PSC also held its

opponents to just 43 percent shooting

from the field.

PSC started the season 8-2, with just a

three-point loss to John Brown (Ark.) and

a six-point defeat against Lincoln blemish-

ing their record.

Surprisingly, the Panthers struggled enter-

ing conference play. At the halfway mark

of the GCAC schedule, PSC was just 4-3

against conference foes. They rebound-

ed to win six out of the last eight games,

including going 5-2 in the GCAC down the

stretch.

Their 9-5 mark in the GCAC left them tied

for third place in the conference stand-

ings. The Panthers would advance to the

GCAC tournament semifinals before falling

to eventual champion Talladega 89-93.

Philander Smith would accept an at-large

invitation to the NAIA tournament where

they would face Cal State San Marcos.

That’s where their season would end, as

they fell to the Cougars, 79-85.

INDIVIDUAL HONORS

Aquill Baynard (16 pts, 7.7 reb) was

named to the All-GCAC men’s basketball

Second Team after leading the Panthers in

both scoring and rebounding. He finished

ninth in the nation in field goal percentage

(.592).

Also earning Second Team recognition

were LaDon Carter and Ronald March.

Carter averaged 14.7

points and 7 rebounds

per game and led the

nation in field goal per-

centage (.707). Carter

also finished in the top

20 in blocks per game

(1.78 bpg).

March was one of the

GCAC’s top newcomers, averaging 16

points and 4 boards. He finished the year

with nine 20-point games in 21 games

played.

Nelson Ollie finished the season ranked

second in the GCAC in assists at 4.56 per

game. Ollie helped the Panthers lead the

nation in assists per game as a team

(18.23 apg).

Philander Smith has been among the nation’s very best offenses

each of the past three seasons. Here’s a look at their

dominance by the numbers.

Year Points per Game Rank Field Goal % Rank

2012-13 84.34 7 .450 34

2013-14 91.63 3 .496 5

2014-15 88.97 2 .530 1

SEASON REVIEW

The Philander Smith Lady Panthers contin-

ued their upward movement in the Gulf

Coast Athletic Conference under head

coach Brandon Greenwood. Since taking

over for the 2011-12 season, PSC has

climbed from a 5-20 record (0-10 GCAC) to

18-14 (8-4) in 2013-14.

With three starters returning (Jerrica

Scott, Rubyunnia McHenry, and Caryan

Jones) along with key reserve Brittany

Leonard taking on a starter’s role, the Lady

Panthers had plenty of talent and experi-

ence returning for the 2014-15 campaign.

Philander Smith got off to a great start,

winning nine of its first ten games, includ-

ing taking four out of five on the road. As

the 2014 calendar year came to a close

the Lady Panthers were 10-2.

With the new year came conference play,

and PSC started strong, picking up home

victories over Edward Waters, Voorhees

and Talladega to go along with a road win

over Dillard. Five games into the GCAC

schedule and Philander Smith was 4-1; a

road loss to perennial power Xavier the

only blemish on their record.

However, a three-game road trip at SUNO,

Tougaloo and Edward Waters turned into

a three-game losing streak; dropping the

Lady Panthers back to .500 in the GCAC.

Break even was how Philander Smith

would finish the regular season. The Lady

Panthers earned home wins against Xavi-

er, Dillard and Tougaloo and loss to Voor-

hees, Talladega, and conference champion

SUNO. They finished the regular season

18-9, 7-7 in the GCAC and seeded fifth at

the 2015 GCAC Basketball Championships.

Their season would end in the quarterfi-

nals on the conference tournament with a

loss to Talladega, giving the Lady Panthers

a final season record of 18-10.

Philander Smith improved its winning per-

centage for the fourth consecutive season:

2011-12 - 5-20 (.200)

2012-13 - 15-16 (.484)

2013-14 - 18-14 (.563)

2014-15 - 18-10 ).643)

The Lady Panthers also posted back to

back winning seasons for the first time

since joining the GCAC.

INDIVIDUAL/TEAM HONORS AND

ACHIEVEMENTS

Several Lady Panthers players had out-

standing individual seasons and were rec-

ognized for their efforts.

Jerrica Scott led the team in scoring at

14.29 points per game, good for sixth in

the GCAC. Scott was named Player of the

Week once, and scored 20 points or more

five times. The First Team All-GCAC selec-

tion also set career highs in field goal per-

centage, 3-point percentage, and a career-

low in turnovers.

Senior guard Caryan Jones earned 2nd

Team All-GCAC honors after leading PSC in

assists and steals. Her 2.46 steals per

game were 2nd in the GCAC and 19th in

the nation.

Brittany Leonard joined the starting lineup

and contributed 11.8 points per game and

earned her first GCAC Player of the Week

Award.

Ruby McHenry was one of the nation’s top

defensive centers. She led the nation with

2.8 blocks per game and finished in the

top 15 in rebounding and ranked 7th on

the defensive glass with 6.88 defensive

boards per game.

Defensively, Philander Smith was one of

the nation’s best units. PSC ranked in the

top ten in steals, blocks, and turnover

margin. The Lady Panthers finished in the

top 20 in scoring margin, and in the top

30 in field goal defense and 3-point field

goal defense.

Philander Smith College

Athletic Department Staff

ADMINISTRATION

DR. DANIEL EGBE Faculty Athletic Representative 501-370-5232

JASMINE GREEN Assistant Athletic Administrator 501-370-5348

TERRY WALLACE Vice President of Fiscal Affairs 504-370-5224

THURLON(SAM) WEAVER Athletic Director 501-370-5317

SPORTS INFORMATION

JASMINE GREEN Sports Information Director 501-370-5348

COMPLIANCE OFFICER

BERTHA OWENS Registrar 501-370-5215

MEN’S BASKETBALL

ANTON MCKINNEY Assistant Coach 501-370-5339

THURLON(SAM) WEAVER Head Coach 501-370-5317

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

JAMES ACKLIN Assistant Coach 501-370-5348

BRANDON GREENWOOD Head Coach 501-370-5348

PANTHER DOLLS

PATRICIA WALKER-SWINTON Head Coach 501-975-8553

MEN’S & WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

THURLON(SAM) WEAVER Head Coach 501-370-5317

MEN’S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

THURLON(SAM) WEAVER Head Coach 501-370-5317

VOLLEYBALL

ALEXIS LOWE Head Coach 501-975-6063

2014-15 Team Results

Team

Overall

Record

Conference

Record/

Finish

National

Finish

Volleyball 15-20 8-6/4th -

Basketball

Men 20-10 9-5/4th RV

Women 18-10 7-7/5th -

900 Daisy Bates Drive ׀ Little Rock, AR 72202 ׀ www.PhilanderAthletics.com ׀ 501-370-5348