SPORTS

Women in Sports Still an Oddity
Jennifer Tavlian | Sports Editor

Kids can come up with some creative and unbelievable job aspirations.
As a little girl, I thought about being a nurse, author and a teacher before setting my sights on sports journalist. I figured out quickly that I would have
to overcome my shy nature because this field doesn’t accommodate the meek.
I didn’t know then that sports doesn’t often welcome women, either.
In a field of good ol’ boys, I’m a rarity. Women in sports journalism have come a long way since the 1970s when females first started joining the sideline troops, sitting on press row or (gasp) entering a locker room. Actions such as these were unheard of in those days, but unfortunately, discrimination was not.
Lewd comments and actions from players, coaches and male co-workers weren’t uncommon. They wanted women to realize that their place was not on a man’s turf.
I’m not one of those “girl power” shouters, but this male-dominated profession is in for a real treat; me.
A person has to work hard to be a journalist, but women have to work twice as hard. I’m up to the challenge.
I’ve been told by other women that what I do is “cool.” Some are impressed because they can’t sit through one quarter of football, much less dedicate the majority of their time to sports.
I am who I am. Even at the college level, I’m subjected to people who don’t think I can do it. They think I don’t know what a zone defense or motion offense is. They think I only do this job because I like to look at the guys.
I stopped caring what people thought a long time ago.
I dove into this field head first without thinking about the discrimination I might face later. Luckily, I’ve almost always been surrounded by coaches and players who treated me with respect. I know I won’t always be this lucky, but
discrimination is something people have to deal with wherever they go.
Writing sports is much more than just covering games. It’s been my experience that getting to know a player on a personal level is easy, and this might be an example of my genes working for me instead of against me. I’m able to tap into a player and get them to tell me great stuff and they trust me to know that I’ll be selective with the information given to me.
Nevertheless, sports writing is worth dealing with a few hecklers and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Females are still trying to break into this field. If I can give any advice to those wanting to become sports journalists, you have to start with yourself. You
can have a great grasp on terminology and know everything there possibly is to know about sports. But if you don’t know who you are or how strong of a person you are, you’ll be eaten alive at this job.
And to recap, yes, I am a female.  Yes, I am a sportswriter.  And yes, I am a female sportswriter who actually knows what she’s talking about.
Deal.


MSU Earns Third Straight Win, 100 for Burks
Iggy Cruz | Staff Reporter

In six seasons as head coach of the Lady Indians, Shannon Burks has guided the team to more wins than losses. Saturday night in D.L. Ligon Coliseum was no different as Burks reached a personal milestone by notching his 100th career win in a 77- 54 thumping of Texas Women’s.
Burks, a native of Lincoln, Arkansas, came to MSU from Arkansas Tech having spent seven seasons under coaching legend Joe Foley. In that span, the Golden Suns compiled a 185-33 record and an NAIA national championship in 1993.
“It’s fun. It’s the players that make that special,” Burks said of win No. 100.  “Special thanks to coach Griffin; she’s been my right hand.”  
Most importantly, MSU extended their winning streak to three-games as four Lady Indians scored in double-digits. The win improves their conference record to 4-4 and 9-12 on the season.
Angie Faurot lit the Pioneers up for 13 first-half points as she set the tone early for MSU. She finished with 16 points and five rebounds.
The Pioneers kept themselves in early on the half, exchanging leads with the Lady Indians four times but went ice cold from there shooting 33 percent from the field and 0-8 from downtown.
MSU shot 52 percent from the field and sunk 13 of 14 free throws to build a 39-22 lead at intermission.
The Lady Indians kept the offensive pace going in the second-half by pouring in 38 points to The Pioneers’ 32. 
Kelly Cleavinger added 14 points and went 5-5 from the free throw line.
Katherine Maples nearly finished with a double-double, falling one rebound short in a 10 point and nine board effort. Adrian Fincher totaled 10 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
The bench was spectacular again as Mahagony Brown and Katie Robertson came off the pine to chip in 8 and 7 points respectively. Nicole Brantley added two huge 3-point baskets late in the game to finish with 6 points.
MSU shot 49 percent for the game and 90 from the line. Both teams combined for 66 turnovers and 37 fouls. 
“Shooting percentage helped offset the turnovers,” Burks said.
Ashley Browning and Adriana Martin led TWU with 17 and 13 points respectively.
In his tenure at MSU, Burks has had three 20-win seasons; the 2001 Lone Star Conference Championship; Divisional coach of the year twice; coached two All-Americans; an LSC Defensive Player of the Year and LSC Freshman of the Year; 100-63 record.
He earned his first victory against Cameron on Dec. 4, 1999 in an 80-77 decision. 
The Lady Indians came into Saturday’s game fresh off another win against Texas A&M-Kingsville Thursday.
Adrian Fincher had a game-high 20 points, 15 coming in the second half, as MSU pulled away with a 73-59 victory over the Lady Javelinas.
The first half play of the Lady Indians was not as intense as Burks would have hoped for, trailing the Lady Javs 27-25 at the half.
 “If we’d have played that game a day or two after Abilene (Christian), I could have understood a letdown,” Burks said. “I’m totally baffled why we came out so flat.”
Mahagony Brown’s defensive play in the second half lifted the Lady Indians into a run.
“She did a good job defensively and really gave us the spark we needed,” Burks said of Brown.
A late run by triggered by Cleavinger and Fincher gave MSU a 50-39 lead and they never looked back.
Maples ended up with 13 points and six boards, Cleavinger finished with 11. LaTia Banks and Faurot had 8 and 7 points a piece.
Angela Trotter and Kaipresha Price had 17 and 16 points respectively to lead TAMUK.
The Lady Javs will get another shot at MSU Thursday when the Lady Indians travel to Kingsville for a rematch. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.


Softball Starts Season 3-2
Trey Reed | Staff Reporter

The softball team got a good glimpse of what it will take to improve from a stellar inaugural season last weekend at the St. Mary’s tournament in San Antonio.
The Lady Indians came away with three wins against top-flight competition, but fell against ranked competition to come away with a 3-2 record.
“To go 3-2 the first weekend of the season, we’re please,” Lady Indians’ coach Brady Tigert said. “But we know we could have done better if we play together.”
Kortney Kemper and Kristen Stonecipher combined for five RBIs to help the Lady Indians past Incarnate Word 6-5 Thursday in the opener.
The Lady Indians split a pair of games Friday.
Racheal Jackson blasted a two-run, seventh-inning homer against No. 6 Alabama-Huntsville as the Lady Indians came up a run short in a 4-3 loss.
MSU bounced back to hold off Delta State, 6-5, in the nightcap.
Jenna Deweber shutdown Barry Saturday, holding the Bucs to three hits and no earned runs in a 10-1 trouncing.
“Barry was well-talked about,” Tigert said. “To get a 10-1 win in five (innings) against them is awesome.”
Kemper paced the Lady Indian attack with her second home run of the tournament, a third-inning grand slam. Stonecipher was also 3-for-4.
Brittany Willson struck out 14 in the finale, but the Lady Indians fell to No. 15 St. Mary’s, 6-1.
“Brittany pitched a great game, but great teams find a way to score runs,” Tigert said.
Willson compiled a 2-2 record over the weekend, striking out 25 in just under 26 innings of work.
“We faced everyone’s ace,” Tigert said. “It’s just the way it worked this weekend, so I turned to Brittany more.”
The Lady Indians attacked fared well scoring 26 runs on 40 hits in five games.
They return home to face Eastern New Mexico and No. 19-ranked Emporia State this weekend.
Tigert said he has stepped up the schedule to help the Lady Indians find confidence for a late-season push towards the playoffs.
“No matter how good you are, your girls have to learn to win at a different level,” he said. “We don’t know that yet, but we’re close.”