KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Markeshia Grant scored 27 points and South Carolina beat No. 8 Tennessee 64-60 on Thursday night for its first win over the Lady Volunteers since 1980. The Gamecocks (18-5, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) were down 60-55, when Ashley Bruner hit a layup with 3:18 to play. The basket launched a 9-0 run for South Carolina to close out the game, and Ieasia Walker hit the go-ahead layup with 2:15 to play. Lady Vols (16-6, 7-2) missed five shots during the run and wouldn’t score again.
WASHINGTON — It’s advice that sounds like heresy on the gridiron: Go for it on fourth down. Try more onside kicks. Running backs don’t matter much. But to stats geeks, this is the gospel from the spreadsheets. The number-savvy economists, statisticians and refugees from Wall Street who revolutionized much of baseball in a way celebrated in the book and movie “Moneyball” are aiming their calculators at football.
INDIANAPOLIS — We already know why they play the game. The real question is why they still talk about it all week, since the last time a player or coach said anything memorable during the run-up to the Super Bowl was 1999. That’s when Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan and Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe had this exchange: “Shannon looks like a horse,” Buchanan fired first, quickly warming to the task. “I’ll tell you, that’s an ugly dude. You can’t tell me he doesn’t look like Mr. Ed.”
LEBANON, Tenn. — The easternmost TranSouth Athletic Conference trip was not kind to the Scots. The Cumberland Lady Bulldogs held off the Lyon Scot women for a 61-53 victory, and the Bulldogs pulled away late for a 73-58 win over the Scot men. Before heading back home from the school that’s about a half hour east of Nashville, the team had to wait on a doctor’s report on Devonte Young, a freshman who was hospitalized after developing breathing difficulty in the second half.
BAY — The Cedar Ridge Timberwolves remained undefeated, improving to 29-0 Thursday night with a 58-47 decision over the Bay Yellowjackets in a non-district contest. The T-wolves led 16-8, 30-21, and 44-36 at the quarter breaks. Cole Crabtree led Cedar Ridge with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Spencer Reaves added 12 points. Clayton Butler provided 11 points and 11 rebounds.
PARAGOULD — Greene County Tech swept Batesville in 5A-East District junior high games here Thursday. After trailing 14-2 and 16-11 after the first two quarter breaks, the Junior Golden Eagles rallied for a 45-35 victory. The score was tied at 28 after three quarters of play. “We got the opening tip and Nate Easley hit a 3, and then we kind of baffled them with our defense for through the firsrt quarter,” Batesville Coach Kelly Rush said. “Offensively, we did a great job working the basketball inside and getting it to Justin.”
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Austin Rivers scored 18 points, Ryan Kelly added 15, and No. 7 Duke used a late first-half run to open a double-digit lead it never relinquished in a 75-60 victory against Virginia Tech on Thursday night. Kelly had seven points in the 13-2 spurt that helped the Blue Devils (19-3, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) pull away. Rivers hit a 3-pointer, and Kelly scored the last five in a 10-0 burst in the second half when Duke extended its lead to 62-40 with 11:19 remaining. Seth Curry added 11 points, and Mason Plumlee provided 10 for Duke.
Lyon College baseball Coach Tony Roepcke wouldn’t give the particulars of what is written on the back of the Scots’ practice jerseys, but it does reflect a revived commitment, he said. “I asked the guys to not reveal the words, but, yes, it’s like a team motto, we hope it’s motivational and it is about our players taking ownership and being responsible for this team,” Roepcke said of the letters O.W.N.E.R.
February 3 — at Oklahoma Wesleyan 4 — at Oklahoma Wesleyan, doubleheadeer 7 — Evangel, doubleheader 11 — Hillsdale Baptist, doubleheader 12 — Hillsdale Baptist 14 — at Henderson State 18 — Saint Francis, doubleheader 19 — Saint Francis, doubleheader 21 — Williams Baptist, doubleheader 24 — Hannibal-LaGrange 25 — Hannibal-LaGrange, doubleheader March 2 — Bethel 3 — Bethel, doubleheader 5 — vs. Spring Hill in Mobile 6 — vs. Spring Hill in Mobile
JONESBORO (AP) — Arkansas State University announced the signings of 27 high school and junior college players. The class is the first under new Red Wolves Coach Gus Malzahn. ASU went 10-3 and won the Sun Belt Conference last season. Malzahn, an Arkansas native, relied heavily on his roots, particularly with a pair of transfers — running back Michael Dyer and offensive lineman Travis Bodenstein. Dyer transferred from Auburn, where Malzahn was the offensive coordinator, while Bodenstein left Kansas for the Red Wolves.
