[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9085]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO THE LADY HORNETS BASKETBALL TEAM OF HARRIS-STOWE STATE 
                               UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WM. LACY CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 17, 2007

  Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Lady Hornets 
Basketball Team of Harris-Stowe State University for their crowning 
achievement on March 3, 2007 when they became the first-ever Lady 
Hornets team to clench the American Midwest Conference--AMC--title.
  To win this historic title the team, led by Head Coach Christopher 
Lewis, soundly defeated the Columbia College Cougars by a score of 78-
58 on the Cougars' home court in Columbia, Mo. To put the score in 
perspective and to appreciate the tenacity of the squad, a brief recap 
of the victory might be appreciated.
  Trailing by six points early in the first half, the Lady Hornets 
worked a 40 percent shooting effort into a halftime advantage of 36-29. 
They opened the second half with one of their patented runs, extending 
their lead to 13. They continued to increase their field-goal 
percentage to 51 percent and their three-point success to 43 percent. 
Senior guard Laniya Stevens led the Hornets with 23 points and junior 
guard Chanel Ross added a double-double with 21 points and 10 steals. 
Both Stevens and Ross received First Team All-Conference honors, while 
Kanisha Pettis received an All-Conference honorable mention. Stevens 
received another honor when her number, 20, was retired by the school.
  With their victory--their sixth consecutive win--the Lady Hornets 
moved on to play in the National Association of Intercollegiate 
Athletics Tournament or the NAIA, also a first for the team.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Lady Hornets Basketball 
Team of Harris-Stowe State University--Jamira Easley, Dionn Jackson, 
Chareka Terry, Dominique Allen, K'Vonn Brittingham, Tawanda Barns, 
Briranda Griffin, Kanisha Pettis, Erica Anderson, Chanel Ross, Carmon 
Weaver, Laniya Stevens, Kimberly Lang, Valarie Mason, Amy Williams, 
Stephanie Roberts, Tamara Black, Shelia Walker and Marvis Jackson--for 
becoming the first team to earn the American Midwest Conference title. 
From a 73-game losing streak a few years ago to champions today, the 
Lady Hornets have become a shining example of what commitment, 
perseverance and hard work can accomplish. They are a force to be 
reckoned with and the pride of the school and the entire St. Louis 
community. In their honor I ask my congressional colleagues to join me 
in honoring the team, their coach, Christopher Lewis, Athletic Director 
Richard Fanning, University President Dr. Henry Givens, Jr., and the 
entire university. With such continued dedication and hard work, a 
national title could be in the Hornets' nest in the near future.

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