Rams’ O’Neal earns SIAC honor

ALBANY — Albany State junior Truett O’Neal is the SIAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

“He had a good week,” said Rams coach Chris Cameron, whose team plays at Benedict today. “He’s worked really hard and the other guys have been working, too. Hopefully, this will give the others an incentive to work hard and put themselves in a similar situation.”

O’Neal, who played his first two years of college ball at Albany Tech, averaged 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds for the Rams during their contests last week against Lane, Kentucky State and Fort Valley State.

“He rebounded well, that’s his strength and he has great hustle,” Cameron said. “Everyone picks up their hustle because of him, and that carries over.”

The Lady Rams’ Callie Hamilton was Honorable Mention in women’s play after averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds last week.

CHANGE OF PLANS: While Precious Peak neared the end of her senior year at Randolph-Clay, she experienced burnout; so much so that she wanted to play college volleyball instead.

At the time, in spring 2008, Albany State coach Robert Skinner felt the same way, signing her to the Lady Rams’ volleyball team. Skinner, who also coaches the softball and women’s basketball teams, felt Peak had potential in her chosen sport.

That was, until volleyball practice began and Skinner realized she may not be a fit for his program that has won the past nine SIAC tournament championships.

“I realized early on that volleyball would not be her sport,” Skinner said. “At the time when I recruited her, I thought we could make a volleyball player out of her. Then, I realized it might take more time than I thought. It had to be basketball for her or she would not be playing any sport at Albany State. If you let Precious tell it, though, she still thinks she has the ability to play volleyball.”

Peak, whose older sister Aldrany also played for the Lady Rams’ basketball team, begrudgingly took Skinner’s advice. After averaging eight minutes and two points as a freshman, Peak recently had her best game since playing as a Lady Red Devil, scoring 11 points against 21st-ranked Fort Valley State on Saturday.

“It lets me know I can develop into a good basketball player if I apply myself,” Peak said after Saturday’s game which the Lady Rams lost, 61-56.

Skinner said he felt that was the kind of game Peak needed.

“I hope and pray she builds off of it and understands how important it was that she had a good game against such a quality team such as Fort Valley State,” Skinner said. “I’ve thought Precious has always had it in her to play basketball.”

DARTON SWIMMING: The Cavaliers and Lady Cavaliers were recently swept by the University of the Cumberlands with the men losing, 119.5-94.5, and the women falling, 132-85. Cumberlands won the overall meet, 251.5-179.5.

“Well, it was a little bit rough coming back from the break,” Darton coach David Hughes said. “We had some good performances, but (Cumberlands) was really better than us. They are top five in the NAIA. Our boys sort of surprised them last year, and they showed up focused this time.”

The Cavaliers’ Zach Lopez had the biggest day for Darton, winning three events (200 IM, 100 free, 200 breaststroke).

“He’s just dominant,” Hughes said. “As a coach, it’s challenging to give him things that are challenging enough for him. We’re hoping that Zach can do something no other Darton swimmer has done before — win more than one title at the national meet.”