BASKETBALL
Red Wolves take win in CBI opener
The Arkansas State men fended off a late comeback attempt and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the College Basketball Invitational by edging Bethune-Cookman 86-85 in the first round of the tournament Saturday at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Freddy Hicks III scored a game-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and collected nine rebounds to lead Arkansas State (19-16). In his program record 150th career game, senior guard Caleb Fields had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in the win. Izaiyah Nelson and Derrian Ford each scored 12 points, while Taryn Todd added 10 for the Red Wolves.
Bethune-Cookman (17-17) was led by Jakobi Heady who scored a team-high 19 points to go along with five rebounds.
The Red Wolves will play Montana or Presbyterian in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Central on Monday.
-- Mike Harley
Trojans open CBI play today
Days after being named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for District 18, Arkansas-Little Rock Coach Darrell Walker will lead the Trojans into a first round matchup against Fairfield in the College Basketball Invitational today at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. Central.
UALR (21-12) has won 10 out of its past 11 games. In their last outing, the Trojans lost to Morehead State 69-55 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament final March 9.
Khalen Robinson leads the Trojans in scoring at 15.7 points per game and Jamir Champlin averages 14.6.
Fairfield (22-12) plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, where it just missed qualifying for the NCAA Tournament after losing in the conference tournament title game 68-63 to St. Peter's on March 16.
CBC men fall in NAIA semifinals
The Central Baptist College men lost to Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 85-74 on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Deshawn Corprew led the Mustangs (28-7) 12 points, while Sage Borbon and Tonje Durham each added 11.
BOWLING
ASU women fall to top seed
The Arkanss State University women's team fell 2-1 to top-seeded Jacksonville State in a mega-match Saturday at the Conference USA Championship in Harahan, La.
Arkansas State grabbed the early advantage by winning the tradtiional match 1,095-999. Saralyne Nassberg had a match-high 255 pins to pace the Red Wolves, while Brooklyn Buchanan added 236. Jacksonville State won the 5-game Baker total pinfall 1,069-974, then clinched the match by winning the first four game in the Baker best-of-seven series.
ASU will face third-seeded Youngstown State in an elimination match at 9 a.m. today. The winner will face Jacksonville State for the conference championship.
SOFTBALL
UAPB rolls to win over Alcorn State
Samaria Jackson drove in two runs as the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff knocked off Alcorn State 6-2 at the Torii Hunter Complex in Pine Bluff.
Five players also recorded a hit for UAPB (9-11, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference), which pushed across two runs in the second and fourth innings against Alcorn State (5-20, 0-6).
Kayla Adams allowed 3 hits and struck out 14 in 7 complete innings for UAPB. She also didn't issue a walk.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services