Men's Basketball Wraps Successful Season

The Lamar Community College men's basketball team saw its remarkable postseason journey come to a close in the Region 9 Championship, falling 101–91 to Trinidad State Junior College. Despite the final result, the Lopes' playoff run will be remembered as one of the most significant in program history.

Lamar opened the tournament with authority, defeating Casper College 84–70 in the quarterfinal round. The Lopes followed that with their most impressive performance of the season, knocking off top-seeded Laramie County Community College 87–79 in an overtime thriller. The upset win over the No. 1 seed punched LCC's ticket to the championship game and cemented their status as one of the hottest teams in the bracket.

In the title game, however, the Lopes ran into a high-powered Trinidad State squad. In a fast-paced, high-scoring contest, LCC battled but ultimately fell short, 101–91, ending their postseason run just shy of a championship.

The appearance marked only the second time in program history that Lamar advanced to the Region 9 Championship game, with the previous trip coming in 2009. This year's team leaves a lasting legacy, finishing the season with a 19–14 overall record, going 3–1 in the playoffs, and an impressive 7–0 mark in conference home games.

A major key to the Lopes' success was their explosive offense. The team averaged 84.2 points per game and 14.4 assists while knocking down just under 10 three-pointers per contest. Their balanced attack and depth made them one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the region.

Individually, several players earned postseason recognition. Christian Payawal, Gavin Dabney, and Ahmed Cisse were all named to the All-Conference Team, making LCC the only program in Region 9 with three such honorees. Payawal and Dabney were joined by Jaylon Brown on the Region 9 All-Tournament Team following their standout postseason performances.

What makes the run even more impressive is how quickly the program turned things around. The Lopes returned just one player—Payawal—from a 10–17 squad in 2025. One year later, they were playing for a region title and had also secured the program's first home playoff victory in 15 years.

Head coach Jaxon Autry reflected on the season with pride and emotion.

"It is always hard when the season comes to an end," Autry said. "This is a special group of young men that took our program to a different level this year. They have had a huge impact on and off the court and will always be remembered at LCC."

Though the championship trophy slipped away, the 2026 Lopes have firmly reestablished Lamar Community College as a rising force in Region 9 basketball—and set a new standard for the program moving forward.