State sports briefs

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Arkansas Tech edges Harding

Arkansas Tech University’s Jayana Sanders made a driving, left-handed layup with 21 seconds left to give the Golden Suns a 56-54 victory over Harding University on Monday at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville.

Kellie Lampo led Harding (14-14, 10-10) with 16 points and 9 rebounds, and Amanda Kearney added 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Kylie Ladd led Arkansas Tech (21-3, 17-3) with 20 points.

Longtime Coach Ramsey to retire

University of the Ozarks women’s basketball Coach Carl Ramsey has announced his retirement after coaching nearly 40 years in the area.

Ramsey has spent his entire career in the coaching profession, including the past nine seasons at Ozarks.

Ramsey was voted the American Southwest Conference East Division Coach of the Year in 2011 and led Ozarks to four postseason appearances during his tenure.

He won a combined 730 games at Ozarks and Lamar High School.

GOLF UCA men in seventh place

The University of Central Arkansas men’s team is in seventh place with a 615 after two rounds of the Nicholls State Atchafalaya Intercollegiate at The Atchafalaya at Idlewild in Patterson, La. UCA shot rounds of 297 and 318 on Monday for a 615 total. Freshman Miles Smith is tied for fourth place overall at 147.

University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley leads the tournament with a 585, followed by Jacksonville State (593), Nicholls (600).

Arkansas Tech tied for seventh

The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns are tied for seventh place at the St. Edward’s Invitational in Austin, Texas.

Pia Nunbhakdi shot a team-low 77 to tie for 15th. Peerada Piddon followed with a 78 to tie for 20th.

Tarleton State University leads the field at 299, followed by St. Mary’s University (302) and West Texas A&M (305).

TRACK AND FIELD Two UALR athletes advance

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock athletes advanced to today’s finals at the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

For the men, Charles Okeze qualified for the final in the 200 meters with a time of 21.38. For the women, Shanieke Watson qualified for the final in the 800. Her qualifying time of 2:12.67 was 0.11 seconds faster than her previous best.

BASEBALL UAM sweeps East Central

Brian Ray went 3 for 5, including a triple, in the opening game to lead the University of Arkansas-Monticello to a doubleheader sweep of East Central University, 11-0 and 9-6, on Monday in Monticello.

SOFTBALL Haff earns honor while pacing UA

Freshman Mary Haff earned her third win while fellow freshman Kayla Green and junior Ashley Diaz each homered Monday in the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville’s 4-2 victory over Fordham to close out the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.

Haff was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. Haff tallied three of the Razorbacks’ five wins at the Mary Nutter Classic and added a save in another team triumph, helping Arkansas start the season 5-0. Over 18 1/3 innings of work, she struck out 31, posted a 0.76 ERA and held the opposition to a .095 batting average. She allowed six hits, two earned runs and two walks in four appearances.

Haff is Arkansas’ first SEC Freshman of the Week since 2012.