Women's Basketball | 10/24/2014 7:00:00 PM

HOUSTON – The 1983-84 men's basketball team, baseball's Michael Crabtree, women's basketball's Cari Scaff, and men's golfer Jeff Wagner have been announced as the newest inductees to the HBU Hall of Honor.

The honorees were honored at the Spirit of HBU Dinner Friday night and will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's Homecoming football game against Nicholls.

"We are extremely excited to welcome this class into the HBU Hall of Honor," said HBU Director of Athletics, Steve Moniaci. "The 1984 basketball team is one that will always be special to us for the success they achieved on the court. Cari (Scaff) Infante in basketball, Michael Crabtree in baseball, and Jeff Wagner in golf each were great individual representatives of their sport, our department, and HBU during their careers here and we are blessed to be able to honor all of them with this award."
 
1983-84 Men's Basketball Team
The first HBU team to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the squad went 24-7 and won the Trans America Athletic Conference Championship. The Huskies earned a bid to "The Dance" after capturing the tournament championship, becoming the first TAAC team to win both titles. Head coach Gene Iba's team led the nation in field-goal percentage and was seventh in scoring defense. The team consisted of seniors Scott Bigott, Darryl Jones, Larry Hollins, and Terry Hairston; juniors Boone Almanza, Anicet Lavodrama, Matt England, Reggie Martin, and Hamilton Lewis; sophomore Ellington Wilkins; and freshmen Fred Goporo, Arthur Walton, and Bruno Kongawoin.

"I want to congratulate the 1983-84 HBU Basketball Team on its induction into the HBU Hall of Honor," said HBU men's basketball coach Ron Cottrell. "The coaches and team members who represented in its first NCAA Basketball Tournament will forever have a well-deserved place in the Hall. They give our future teams a goal to aspire to as we re-establish ourselves as a NCAA Division I basketball program."

Michael Crabtree (Baseball, 2006-07)
Crabtree was a two-year letterwinner for the Huskies and was part of the NAIA World Series team in 2007. A career .389 hitter, Crabtree began his HBU career hitting .437 in 2006, which is the third-highest in a single season. The first baseman earned All-Red River Athletic Conference, All-America, All-Region, and Academic All-Conference honors in 2006 and followed that season by earning an NAIA Gold Glove and being named an NAIA Champion of Character. Crabtree also was the recipient of an RRAC Gold Glove and was named the Team MVP in 2007.

"Michael was not only one of the best pure hitters to have ever played at HBU, he was, and still is, a man of sportsmanship and professionalism," said HBU head baseball coach Jared Moon. "These characteristics earned him the NAIA Champion of Character which represents the one player that exemplifies Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship and Servant Leadership. As a player, Michael was an All-American in 2006 and made the 2007 World Series All-Tournament Team, batting .450 with one HR and nine RBI in five games. He is a true example of what coaches look for in student-athletes to build a program around."

Cari Scaff (Women's Basketball, 2001-05)
Scaff was a four-year letterwinner and was part of a team that made the NAIA Tournament all four years, culminated by a #1 national ranking her senior year in 2004-05. She is seventh on the all-time scoring list, with 1,315 points and is still the all-time leader with 275 three-point field-goals made. Her eight 3-pointers made against Langston on Jan. 10, 2003 was the program single-game record before it was matched by Raquel Jones in 2009. Scaff was a three-time Academic All-Conference and earned All-Red River Athletic Conference honors in 2004-05.

"I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard Cari was being inducted into the Hall of Honor," said Shane Brown, who coached the HBU women's basketball team from 2000-05. "She epitomized HBU women's basketball: team-first mentality, an extremely hard worker, and she played with such heart and passion. She was a sniper, who could flat-out stroke her shots. She played with such passion. This award is well-deserved, for sure. I think the world of her."

Jeff Wagner (Men's Golf, 1987-88)
Wagner was a two-year letterwinner for the Huskies. He earned All-America and Academic All-America honors in 1988. He was part of the 1987 team that rewrote the history books. Golfing with such players as Colin Montgomerie, Glenn Joyner, and Alex Espinosa, the team finished with an individual record of 98-21 and placed fifth at the NCAA championships. Wagner finished in the Top-20 eight times in 1987. He placed fifth overall at the 1987 Southwestern Intercollegiate Golf Championship.

"Jeff achieved both First Team All-America and Academic All-America honors in 1988, and to do that in the same year is quite a big mark to make as a student-athlete," said HBU head golf coach David Shuster. "He joined some big company being named First Team All-America, such as David Toms, Steve Stricker, Bob Estes, and Billy Mayfair."