Sports

UAPB SOCCER ENDS SEASON IN NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND

By The Commercial Staff
Sunday, November 15, 2009 3:45 PM CST

Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s most successful season in program history ended with a 7-0 loss to LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at the LSU Soccer Complex in Baton Rouge, La.

The Lady Lions (12-7-4), playing in their first NCAA Tournament, entered having won 11 of 12 games, including a 3-0 run through the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament to capture their first league crown.

But the No. 4 seeded Tigers (15-4-4) proved too tough, as they scored five goals in the second half of the 7-0 win.

The Lady Lions, who had allowed only four goals in their last 12 games, fell behind when Malorie Rutledge scored the first of her three goals in the third minute. She scored again in the seventh, and again in the 50th to give LSU a 3-0 lead. Kellie Murphy then put LSU up 5-0 with a pair of goals just more than four minutes apart.

LSU outshot UAPB 32-0, and Chelsea Klein, a second-team All-SWAC member, had 12 saves and five goals against. Bre-Ann Laypoole allowed LSU’s final two goals.

UAPB will return all but one player next season for coach Roberto Mazza’s fourth season.

Disappointing debut

Coach Cary Shelton’s first game as UAPB women’s basketball coach didn’t go at all as planned on Friday night. The Lady Lions shot just 25 percent and committed 27 turnovers in a 106-48 loss to Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.

The Bulldogs (1-0) jumped out to leads of 10-0 and 17-3 to start the game, led 50-24 at halftime and started the second half on a 13-3 run. Their largest lead was 60 points in the game’s final minute.

LaQuisha Slaton came off the bench to lead UAPB with 10 points. Jasmine Abrams added 9, while Amanda Hammond had 8 and Rekevia Brown had 7.

Led by Tysheka Grimes’ 23 points and 12 rebounds, Mississippi State had five players score in double-figures.

The Lady Lions will play at No. 4 Notre Dame at 7 p.m. tonight in the Fighting Irish’s season-opener.

Cross-country finishes 11th

The UAPB men’s cross-country team finished 11th out of 19 teams at the NCAA South Central Region Championships on Saturday at Cottownwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, Texas.

Sophomore Jimmy Oribo was the highest finisher for the men’s team, which won the SWAC team title last month. He finished 27th with a time of 32 minutes, 14.6 seconds in the 10k race.

Moses Alukunyang finished 46th (33:10.9), John Bwete 65th (33:35.4), Geoffrey Kosgel 71st (33:46.1) and Charles Johnson 74th (33:53).

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