DAYTON, Ohio — Bryson Etienne scored 21 points and Texas Southern beat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 76-67 on Tuesday night in the First Four of the NCAA tournament.
The Cowboys earned their third NCAA tournament win in five seasons and will play top-seeded Kansas in the Midwest first round. The First Four returned to the University of Dayton Arena for the first time in three seasons.
PJ Henry hit a go-ahead free throw to highlight a 7-0 run in which Texas Southern (19-12) took the lead and never surrendered. He finished with 14 points and shot 10 of 13 at the free-throw line.
John Walker III added 16 points. Brison Gresham grabbed 13 rebounds and scored six points.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-12) led by as many as eight points in the opening quarter and four in the second half. The Islanders’ season ended after they won the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament Saturday.
ALL-AMERICA TEAM: Keegan Murray has given Iowa a first-team Assocaited Press All-American for the third straight year, and Kofi Cockburn has made it two in a row for Illinois – not bad for a couple programs that haven’t had a whole lot of them.
The Fighting Illini never had a first-team pick until Ayo Dosunmu made it last season when Cockburn was voted to the second team. And the Hawkeyes had not had a first-team selection since the 1952 season until Luka Garza, last year’s AP player of the year, made his second consecutive appearance in the five-man team.
Throw in Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis and the Big Ten was well represented on the AP’s first team, which also included Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe – this year’s player of the year favorite – and Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji.
FLORIDA GULF COAST: Pat Chambers quickly convinced Florida Gulf Coast that he was the right person to take over its men’s basketball program.
It’s a second chance he vowed to not squander.
FGCU introduced Chambers as its new coach, a move that came about 18 months after he resigned as coach at Penn State following an internal investigation into his conduct – including but not limited to an incident where he referenced a noose when talking to a Black player.
“The last 18 months I’ve been continuing to grow and educate and self-reflect,” Chambers said at a news conference in Fort Myers, Florida. “I’m confident that you, my next team, my players, my future players, you’ll be getting the best leader, best teacher and best coach because I’ve learned a lot from my past. I promise you that. I’m confident in that.”
Chambers is receiving a five-year contract worth about $350,000 annually; final details were still being worked out, the school said.
Chambers went 148-150 in nine seasons at Penn State. He also coached Boston University for two seasons, including an NCAA tournament appearance in 2011. His career record is 190-178.
MEN’S LACROSSE
BOWDOIN 18, SKIDMORE 10: Matt Ward had four goals, Patrick Fitzgerald had three goals and the Polar Bears (4-0) built an 11-4 lead in the first half in a win over the Thoroughbreds (4-2) in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Will Bryne, Donal Mullane and Zach Chandler each finished with a pair of goals for Bowdoin.
U. OF NEW ENGLAND 8, NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE 2: Jordan White had three goals and the Nor’easters (4-4) shut out the Pilgrims (1-4) in the second half in Biddeford.
Kyle Kennedy had two goals, and Gavin Tanis, Ryan Hazard and Colin Watt also scored for UNE.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
BATES 14, SKIDMORE 13: Dana Swartz’s fourth goal of the game with two minutes remaining lifted the Bobcats (2-3) over the Thoroughbreds (0-3) in Lewiston.
Jordyn Tveter also scored four goals for Bates, which overcame a six-goal performance by Skidmore first-year player and former Kennenbunk High standout Lily Schwartzman.
COLBY 18, U. OF NEW ENGLAND 3: Annie Eddy scored three goals to lead five multiple-goal scorers for the Mules (3-1) against the Nor’easters (0-6) in Biddeford.
Gianna Bruno, Elizabeth Hennessey, Tori Congdon and Kins Helmer each finished with two goals for Colby, which 12-0 at halftime.
Abby McHallam, Ann Chapman and Barrie Guertin scored for UNE.
ST. JOSEPH’S 20, RIVIER 5: Mackenzie Siebert scored four goals and the Monks (5-0, 1-0 GNAC) routed the Raiders (1-2, 0-1) in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Brianna Paul, Shauna Clark, Megan Mourmouras and Bridget Collins each finished with three goals for the Monks, who have scored at least 20 goals in four of their wins this season. The Monks are averaging 20.2 goals per game and holding their opponents to 2.8.
St. Joseph’s led 10-1 after one quarter and 15-1 at halftime.
SOFTBALL
MILLIKIN 10, U. OF NEW ENGLAND 0: The Nor’easters (0-5) fell behind 7-0 in the first inning and lost to the Big Blue (12-2) in five innings in Leesburg, Florida.
U. OF NEW ENGLAND 6, ANDERSON 5: Sami Grooves hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Nor’easters (1-5) to a win over the Ravens (1-3) in Leeburg, Florida.
Abby Walsh was 3 for 4, and Grace Tutt and Tina LeBlanc each had two hits for UNE.
Ashley Wheeler was 3 for 5 for Anderson.
SOUTHERN MAINE 5, PLATTSBURGH STATE 2: Hannah Shields and Samantha Hauck each had two hits and the Huskies (1-3) scored all of their runs in the fifth inning against the Cardinals (1-4) in Clermont, Florida.
Hauck doubled home Shields, Belle Snyder stole home, Kaitlyn Nelson hit an RBI single and the Huskies scored a run on an error and another on a groundout in the rally.
SOUTHERN MAINE 7, ST. NORBERT 0: Morgan Moulton and Belle Snyder combined on a two-hitter as the Huskies (2-3) handled the Green Knights (0-7) in six innings in Clermont, Florida.
Moulton allowed two hits and walked two in four innings before Snyder retired the six batters.
The Huskies opened with four in the first on a steal of home by Kaitlyn Nelson, an RBI triple by Hannah Shields and a two-run double by Rona Scott.
BASEBALL
BOWDOIN, AMHERST SPLIT: Gavin Cann hit a three-run double, Richie McNamara had a two-run double and Bobby Pearl had a two-run single as the Polar Bears (3-3) scored nine times in the fifth inning to earn a doubleheader split with the Mammoths (2-2), winning the second game 10-5 in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The win was Coach Mike Connolly’s 400th win.
Aidan Schraeder pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits for the win.
Amherst scored five runs in the first inning and cruised to a win in the first game, 10-1.
WASHINGTON 5, SOUTHERN MAINE 1: The Bears (2-7) scored three runs, including two unearned, in the fourth inning and beat the Huskies (2-5) in Auburndale, Florida.
Tim Van Kirk was 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored for Washington College in Missouri.
Clay Robbins allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits, striking out four and walking one in seven innings for Southern Maine.
STETSON 12, MAINE 1: The Hatters (12-5) scored six times in the second inning and cruised to a win over the Black Bears (3-11) in DeLand, Florida.
Yohann Dessureault had a double, a home run and drove in four runs for Stetson. Cameron Hill added three hits, and Kyle Ball had a two-run homer.
Jordan Schulefand had a double for Maine.
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