When Lamar State College Port Arthur travels to Florida for the Pensacola State College Tournament, it will be anything but a sunny, carefree vacation. In fact, this will likely be the Seahawks' greatest challenge of the young 2022-23 men's basketball season.

The Hawks, who are 4-2 this season, will face traditional basketball powers Gulf Coast State College, Northwest Florida State College and host team Pensacola State starting Monday, November 21.

"This is a trip we take each season because it really tells us a lot about where we are and where we need to improve," said LSCPA Head Coach Lance Madison. "This is the litmus test that lets us know if we're ready for conference."

In fact, after this three-game challenge, the Hawks return a week later to start NJCAA Region 14 play with a home game against Panola College. It's the first of a long conference run that hopefully ends with a conference tournament berth in March 2023.

"This is where it all starts," Coach Madison said. "We're protected the home court this year (undefeated in four games) and that means a lot to our guys. Our goal is to keep our home record clean and to have a great start to conference play."

But first, the Hawks will face Gulf Coast State College at 5 p.m. on Monday, November 21. A member of Region 8 in the NJCAA, Gulf Coast State is 3-2 this season, winning its last three straight after an 0-2 start. Josh Reid, a sophomore forward, is the man to stop, averaging 16.2 points and 9.0 rebounds a game. The Commodores are far from single-faceted, though. Sophomore guard Chase Forte is averaging 19.6 points a game with 4.2 assists a game. Two others, Alex Matthews (15.0 ppg) and Tay Hall (13.6 ppg) add to the threat. They each average 7.4 rebounds a game.

On Tuesday, November 22, at 3 p.m., the Hawks take on Northwest Florida State, also a member of Region 8. At 6-2 this season, the Raiders come in on a two-game losing streak. They are led sophomore forward Kasean Pryor's 16.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. Takai Simpkins, a freshman guard, adds 14.4 points a game.

Home team Pensacola State College faces off against the Seahawks on Wednesday, November 23, at 3 p.m. The Pirates are 6-1, perfect at 4-0 at home. Sophomore forward Zondrick Garrett leads the offense with 12.3 points per game, adding 5.4 rebounds a game.

The Hawks come into the tournament as with the highest scoring average at 101.3 games, shooting 53 percent from the field, including a 42 percent clip from the 3-point line. Six players are averaging in double-figures heading into the tournament.

Adam Scherbakov, a sophomore guard, leads the team with 16.0 ppg, hitting 27 3-pointers over six games. He has already tied the second-best single-game mark in school history with 8 3-pointers earlier this year.

Sophomore guard Deuce Guidry is hitting 15.7 points per game while Rashawn Ford Jr., a sophomore guard, is scoring 13.5 ppg. Simeon Richardson-Collins averages 12 points a game, Jordan Hnederson 11 ppg, and Avontez Ledet 10.5 ppg. Richardson-Collins is averaging a double-double for the season with a team-best 11.5 rebounds per game, good enough to rank him seventh in the nation.

All games will be broadcast live at https://lamarstateseahawks.com/sports/Seahawks_Live_Stream