RICHARDSON, Texas –– The Howard Payne University and East Texas Baptist University men’s basketball teams, and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Sul Ross State University and the University of the Ozarks women’s basketball teams are the winners of American Southwest Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Team Sportsmanship Awards for 2009-10 winter sports, the conference office announced on Wednesday (March 17).

Howard Payne, Mary Hardin-Baylor and Sul Ross State represented the West Division, while East Texas Baptist and Ozarks took honors in the East Division.

The award, in its third academic year, honors the member institution in each ASC championship sport that best displays positive qualities of sportsmanship and fair play from its student-athletes, coaches and fans throughout the season. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAACs) from the conference’s 15 member institutions vote on the recipients.

The HPU men and the UMHB women became two-time winners of the sportsmanship award in basketball.