Perry Wins Newcoming-of-Year Award

February 27, 2007

RICHARDSON, Texas – Southwestern Oklahoma State University basketball star Nate Perry was chosen as the Lone Star Conference Newcomer-of-the-Year for the North Division. Perry, a 6-6 junior center from Racine, Wis., also earned second-team LSC North honors, according to votes cast by division’s seven head coaches.

Perry has been one of the key players in the resurgent Bulldogs 17-9 season. He leads the team in five offensive categories including points (13.9 ppg.), rebounds (6.7 rpg.), field goal percentage (.605), steals (51) and blocks (14). He has had five games in which he has recorded double figures in both scoring and rebounding. He previously played at Arizona’s Mesa Community College.

SWOSU had two other players earn honorable mention all-conference. They were Reggie Gunn and Clarke Hale.

Gunn, a 6-2 senior guard from Okolona, Miss., is the team’s fifth leading-scorer averaging more than 10.3 points per game. He has been a two year starter since transferring from Itawamba Junior College. Gunn has scored more than 600 points and made more than 80 three-point baskets in his SWOSU career.

Hale, a 6-2 sophomore guard from Azle, Texas, averaged more than 13 points per game while being one of the top three-point shooting threats in the conference. He has made 62-of-150 treys for 41.3 percent. Hale played one season at Collin County Community College in Texas before transferring to SWOSU this year.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Eric Babers was again voted the North Division Player-of-the-Year. Babers averaged nearly 20 points per game and led the Savages to a 23-3 record and a No. 4 ranking in the latest NCAA Division II poll.  He was joined on the first team by teammate Jason Stampley, along with Anthony Brown and Sam Belt of Central Oklahoma, and Texas A&M-Commerce’s Lamar Searight.