HOUSTON – The Celts of the University of St. Thomas aim to continue their winning ways Saturday as the basketball teams host Centenary (La.) in a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader.

UST is expecting a large crowd Saturday as the campus celebrates "Red, Gold, and Bold: Homecoming 2020" this weekend. The basketball doubleheader is one of the premier events of Homecoming; the men's game tips off at 4 p.m., with the women set to tip off at 6 p.m.

With a 14-1 overall record, the Celts men's basketball team is off to its best 15-game start in the modern era, dating back to the 2009-10 season. Prior to this season, the Celts had started 11-4 twice – in 2012-13 and 2018-19. The Celts won the Red River Athletic Conference tournament title and went to the NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament in each of those two seasons.

The Celts are now in their first years of dual membership in both the NCAA's Division III and the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). As a transitional member in Division III, UST is ineligible for the NCAA postseason, but as they hold down the No. 2 ranking in the USCAA's Division 1, the Celts have that postseason tournament in their sights.

The high-flying Celts average 90.1 points per game, and are beating teams by an average margin of 20.7 points per contest. They opened the season with 13 consecutive victories before falling 77-74 at home to Texas Lutheran on Friday, Jan. 10.

UST owns a 7-1 record in SCAC play, one-half game ahead of TLU. Centenary, the Celts' opponent on Homecoming Saturday, sports an 8-7 record and are 5-3 in league play.

Sophomore guard Freddie Ricks III (Cypress, Texas / Cypress Falls) leads the Celts in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game and shooting 52 percent (66 of 127) from the floor. In SCAC play, his average jumps to 16.1 points per contest, and he has topped 20 points in each of UST's last three games.

Senior guard Kennard Robinson (Houston, Texas / Sam Houston MSTC) (pictured left) and sophomore forward Cameron Gims (Cypress, Texas / Cy-Fair) average 10.2 points per game apiece for the Celts. Robinson leads the team with 4.7 assists per game, while Gims leads the team in rebounding by grabbing 5.7 caroms per contest.

Meanwhile, the UST women are also off to their best 15-game start to a season, as the Celts are 11-4, with a 6-2 SCAC record.

Senior forward Sheridan Hopkins (Galveston, Texas / Ball) leads the way for the Celt women, averaging 22.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. In Sunday's 104-66 win over Southwestern (Texas), Hopkins became the school's career scoring leader in women's basketball; she has scored 1,709 points in her career, with 10 more regular-season games to play.

Senior guard Bresha Orange (Longview, Texas / Pine Tree / Panola College) (pictured right) averages 15.5 points per game for the Celts.

The Celt women are also eyeing the 2020 USCAA Division 1 Tournament, and are also ranked No. 2 in the USCAA polls. Their Homecoming opponent Centenary comes to town with a 1-14 record, with a 1-7 record in SCAC play.