State sports briefs

UAPB drops Tougaloo

Kyeonia Harris came off the bench to finish with 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds to lead the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to a 68-60 victory over Tougaloo on Monday night at H.O. Clemmons Arena in Pine Bluff.

Harris shot 4 of 11 from the field and made 5 of 7 free throws in 27 minutes for the Golden Lions (2-3). Aiya El Hassan finished with 12 points and 8 assists, and Noe’ll Taylor had 10 points and 4 rebounds for the Golden Lions.

UAPB trailed 14-9 after the first quarter before leading 27-25 at halftime and 47-42 after three quarters.

UAPB won despite shooting 25 of 77 from the floor (32.5 percent), including 4 of 19 on three-pointers and 14 of 28 free throws. UAPB outrebounded Tougaloo 59-41 and had 23 turnovers to Tougaloo’s 29.

Tougaloo (2-3) was held to 36.8 percent shooting from the floor (21 of 57), including 4 of 15 three-pointers.

Lyon center named player of the week Lyon College senior center Samantha French was named the American Midwest Conference player of the week Monday.

French had 14 points and 15 rebounds in a 76-59 victory at Philander Smith College on Thursday.

For the season, French is averaging 8.3 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game.

VOLLEYBALL

SAU hires new coach

Southern Arkansas University has reached an agreement to hire Lindsey Partridge as its new coach, pending approval by the SAU board of trustees.

Partridge comes to Southern Arkansas from Northern State University (S.D.) where she spent three seasons, including two as a full-time assistant coach.

While at Northern State, she was part of a program that spent 42 weeks in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division II Top 25, including 10 weeks in 2018 among the nation’s top five. Northern State finished 26-5 and lost to Washburn in the NCAA Central Regional.

Partridge takes over a program that finished 8-21 overall and 2-14 in the Great American Conference.

Razorbacks 12th in preseason poll

The University of Arkansas is ranked 12th in the Women’s Gymnastics Association’s preseason poll.

The Razorbacks, who finished 10th at the NCAA championships last year, received 1,341 points in the preseason poll.

UCLA is the preseason No. 1 team and received 20 first-place votes and 1,961 points. Oklahoma is No. 2 with 25 first-place votes and 1,959 points. SEC opponents Florida and LSU are ranked third and fourth, and Utah is ranked fifth. — Democrat-Gazette Press Services

BOYS

Deer 68, Rural Special 54

Deer held Rural Special without a field goal for the entire third quarter as the Antlers pulled away and claimed a victory in the Western Grove Tournament

The Antlers (11-5) outscored Rural Special 17-5 during the third quarter and turned a five-point halftime margin into a 5134 cushion.

Caden Young had 18 points to lead a trio of Deer players in double figures as Avery Young added 17 and Dylan Smith 14. — NWA Democrat-Gazette

GYMNASTICS PREP BASKETBALL