The Honor Is All Theirs
Uirannah Lovely and Ramona Locke “got game”. Both ladies were honored for their abilities as student-athletes at Lamar University-Beaumont with induction into the institution’s Cardinal Hall of Honor. The October 28, 2023 ceremony included six other inductees and was held at the Setzer Center Ballroom.
Grateful for the recognition, Uirannah Lovely, Beaumont United High School Title I Aide, said, “I will cherish this moment forever. Thanks to Lamar University for an education, an opportunity, and an incredible experience.” Lovely was a two-time first-team All-Sun Belt Basketball Conference selection who finished her 1988-92 career as the all-time leading scorer with 1730 points – a mark which still ranks second all-time (15.2 points per game). Named the 1989 American South Newcomer of the Year, Jackson became one of just 16 Cardinals to score 1000 points, and one of just five to score 1000 points and pull down 800 rebounds in a career. A key figure in the Cardinals run to the 1991 Elite Eight, Jackson graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer and was second in rebounds (863), second in steals, and she remains the school's all-time leader in field goals made.
Locke, West Brook High School Lady Bruins Head Basketball Coach, said she was excited, thankful, and humbled by her induction into the Hall of Honor. “I was reminded of the many people who were responsible for me receiving the honor and to them, I am grateful,” she shared. “I cannot think of a better school to have been a student-athlete than Lamar University.” A starter for the Lady Cardinals Basketball Team from 1989-93, Locke graduated as the school's all-time leader in assists (653/5.9 assists per game) and steals (333/3.0 steals per game), marks which still rank second all-time in program history. Locke left LU with the top-two single season marks in both categories, numbers which still rank among the school's top 10 three decades later. Locke captured her own piece of Lamar history on January 14, 1991, when she became the first Cardinal – male or female – to record a quadruple-double, scoring 10 points, pulling down 10 rebounds, dishing out 10 assists, and recording 12 steals against Central Florida. Despite her pass first, shoot second mentality, Jones still managed to score 986 points and graduated among the NCAA's all-time top 10 in steals. The accolades in the sports world continue for Locke. In 2023, she was named the Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold Girls Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bruins to the most wins in school history with 32. Since becoming head coach in 2019, the Lady Bruins have won at least 20 games in every season, except 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
In addition to Lovely and Locke, the 2023 Cardinal Hall of Honor induction class included men's golfer Philip Jonas (1983-86), the 1984 men's 4x400-meter relay team (Troy Amboree, Jackie Harris, Kymond Guiton, and Jerry Nichols), and Dr. Curtis Thorpe (Big Red Award, 1997-2022).
