First, a congratulations to the ET Men’s Basketball team for winning their first invitational in the DIvision I era under Coach Jaret Von Rosenberg!

Jerry Matthews had been coaching in Commerce for 7 seasons and was heading into his final season, needed something to help him and the entire athletic department at ET. The transition to the NCAA Division II had been better than expected in all sports, and the program was rebuilding from top to bottom. In 1990, Eddie Vowell has replaced Ernest Hawkins in football, Kathy Goodlett had replaced Donna Tavener, and Matthews was working to rebuild the Lion basketball program.

The Lions had won the 1984 regular season in Matthews first year, but 1990 was the start of the Lion Basketball program’s resurrection to conference and eventual national power.

ET started out the season with a 7-5 record, but then reeled off an 11-3 record, giving them a 19-8 overall record that clinched the Lion’s first Lone Star Conference Title since 1984. Top seeded in the LSC tournament, the Lions had a chance to clinch their first tournament apperance in the NCAA Division II tournament with an LSC tournament Championship.

In Lone Star Conferenece fashion and history, the Lions got to host the LSC tournament, and for the first time in the NCAA era, controlled their own destiny regarding postseason play. In the quarterfinals, The Lions defeated Abilene Christian 91-88, a game that reflected an earlier matchup in the regular season, where the Lions held off the Wildcats 69-63. In the semfinals, ET shot the ball well enough to put up a somewhat comfortable win against Eastern New Mexico, 89-80, a team the Lions had split the series season with. It set them up with a rival and a team that would challenge them for Lone Star Conference supremacy in the coming years.

On March 30, 1990, nearly 4,000 fans packed the Fieldhouse for the LSC tournament Championship game. West Texas State Buffs vs East Texas State Lions. Winner take all. The conference tournament, and the at large bid to the NCAA Division II Men’s tournament. The Lions had defeated WT both times durin the regular season, and the students and the community of Commerce was ready to punch their ticket to the South Central Regional Tournament in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

The game was a total disaster. WT jumped out early and punished ET up and down the floor and by the time the final buzzer had sounded, it was the fans and players in the Maroon and White that had celbrated the win and won the LSC tournament trophy and had punched their ticket to the DII dance, not the home team in the blue and gold. ET had chance, though a small one to maybe sneak in as an at large bid, but that did not happen as the field was still only at 32 teams. The Lions had given it their all, but their season ended in Commerce on that early March day.

It was also the end of the era for Jerry Matthews, however he left a mark on the campus in the color of blue and gold blood that only a true Lion can bleed. Aside from being a 1957 graduate of then East Texas State College and a three-year member of the Lions football team, where he was a three-year starting running back and quarterback. He amassed over 600 yards and more than 50 points in his football career. Matthews was also a starting member of the 1955 Men’s Basketball National championship team. However, it was his two LSC Championships during his tenure, and 99 wins in his eight seasons at the helm. Matthews passed away the Summer of 2016, and was inducted into the ET Athletic Hall of Fame a year previously.

The 1980’s were a tough time for Lion Basketball, especially with the transition from NAIA to the NCAA, but Matthews was there to guide and shepherd the ET program, and hang some banners along the way as well.

East Texas State Lions Basketball

1990 Lone Star Conference Champions.