March 13, 2016

Sports

1960

Today in history FL’s Chicago Cardinals move to St Louis.

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The Daily Sentinel • DailySentinel.com • Sunday, March 13, 2016

College basketball: Aggies topple LSU, Page 3C

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Swimming: NHS swimmers signs with college, Page 4C

southland conference final: stephen f. austin 82, texas a&m-corpus christi 60

March Madness again for SFA ’Jacks ride big performance to SLC title win

By KEVIN GORE kgore@dailysentinel.com KATY — Yes, Stephen F. Austin, there is an NCAA berth for you, a third straight in fact.

Riding a wealth of momentum from an undefeated league season and a strong stretch run lately, the Lumberjacks locked up their third Southland Conference Tournament title in as many seasons with a dominant performance at the Merrell Center Saturday.

League Player of the Year Thomas Walkup scored 19 points and Clide Geffrard added 18 in the Lumberjacks’ 82-60 decision over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Walkup was 7-of-11 from the field and collected 6 rebounds and 4 steals in earning his third straight tournament MVP award.

Sophomore Ty Charles put in 12 points for the Lumberjacks.

SFA (27-5) will learn its opponent and destination in opening games of the NCAA Tournament tonight.

It will be the school’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and third straight under thirdyear head coach Brad Underwood, who has lost to just one conference opponent in three conference seasons and three tournaments.

That one loss came to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last year in Corpus Christi.

With SFA winning by 6 points and 12 points in two games with the Islanders this season, many thought the championship game would be a challenge for the Lumberjacks.

But after withstanding an early 6-0 run by the Islanders to open the game, SFA went on a 30-6 run to lead 30-12 after a three-pointer by Jared Johnson midway in the second half.

While the Lumberjacks kept scoring, their defense showed its strength by locking down on the Islanders’ guards and forcing outside shots.

The Islanders relied on 10-of-12 free throw shooting in the first half but still trailed by 19 (4829) at the break.

The Lumberjacks opened the second half on

SFA » 2C

Photos by Jeff Abt

Above: Thomas Walkup and Trey Pinkney celebrate their victory in the Southland Tournament final. Top: Stephen F. Austin’s Thomas Walkup shoots over a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi defender during the Southland Conference final game against the Islanders on Saturday in Katy. The Lumberjacks knocked off the Islanders, 82-60, to claim the SLC automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Right: Stephen F. Austin sophomore Ty Charles drives in a layup against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

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SPORTS

2C • The Daily Sentinel • Sunday, March 13, 2016

scoreboard College basketball TOURNAMENT America East Conference Championship Stony Brook 80, Vermont 74 American Athletic Conference Semifinals Memphis 74, Tulane 54 UConn 77, Temple 62 Atlantic 10 Conference Semifinals Saint Joseph’s 82, Dayton 79 VCU 76, Davidson 54 Big 12 Conference Championship Kansas 81, West Virginia 71 Big East Conference Championship Seton Hall 69, Villanova 67 Big Ten Conference Semifinals Michigan St. 64, Maryland 61 Purdue 76, Michigan 59 Conference USA Championship Middle Tennessee 55, Old Dominion 53 Mid-American Conference Championship Buffalo 64, Akron 61 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship Hampton 81, SC State 69 Mountain West Conference Championship Fresno St. 68, San Diego St. 63 Southeastern Conference Semifinals Kentucky 93, Georgia 80 Texas A&M 71, LSU 38 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Southern U. 54, Jackson St. 53 Sun Belt Conference Semifinals Louisiana-Monroe 82, Texas-Arlington 71 UALR 72, Louisiana-Lafayette 65 Southland Conference Tournament Men’s Bracket Merrell Center, Katy Wednesday Game 1: No. 8 New Orleans 74, No. 5 Southeastern La. 84 Game 2: No. 7 Nicholls State 94, No. 6 McNeese State 90, 2OT Thursday Game 3: No. 5 Southeastern La. 68, No. 4 Houston Baptist 73 Game 4: No. 3 Sam Houston 60, No. 7 Nicholls State 59 Friday Game 5: No. 4 Houston Baptist 68, No. 1 SFA 104 Game 6: No. 2 Texas A&M-CC 79, No. 3 Sam Houston 76 Saturday Championship Game No. 1 SFA vs. No. 2 Texas A&M-CC, late

Women’s college basketball TOURNAMENT Big Sky Conference Championship Idaho 67, Idaho St. 55 Big South Conference Semifinals Liberty 51, Radford 41 UNC Asheville 65, Presbyterian 55 Big West Conference Championship Hawaii 78, UC Davis 59 Colonial Athletic Association Championship James Madison 60, Drexel 46 Conference USA Championship Middle Tennessee 70, Old Dominion 54 Horizon League Semifinals Green Bay 80, N. Kentucky 78, 2OT Milwaukee 68, Wright St. 60 Mid-American Conference Championship Buffalo 73, Cent. Michigan 71, OT Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship NC A&T 65, Coppin St. 46 Missouri Valley Conference Semifinals Missouri St. 65, Drake 61 N. Iowa 67, S. Illinois 43 Patriot League Championship

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pro golf Army 69, Loyola (Md.) 51 Southland Conference Semifinals Cent. Arkansas 72, McNeese St. 64 Sam Houston St. 78, Northwestern St. 71 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Alabama St. 55, Southern U. 51 Sun Belt Conference Championship Troy 61, UALR 60 Western Athletic Conference Championship New Mexico St. 80, Texas Rio Grande Valley 53

Haas ekes out narrow lead One-stroke lead difference after three rounds at Valspar

H.S. basketball Saturday results Class 1A final: Avinger 50, Lenorah Grady 36 Class 3A final: Brownfield 80, East Chambers 54 Class 2A final: Canadian 56, Muenster 46 Class 5A final: Lancaster 67, Fort Bend Elkins 64

Pro basketball Friday’s Games Philadelphia 95, Brooklyn 89 Charlotte 118, Detroit 103 Houston 102, Boston 98 Miami 118, Chicago 96 Memphis 121, New Orleans 114, OT Minnesota 99, Oklahoma City 96 Utah 114, Washington 93 Orlando 107, Sacramento 100 Golden State 128, Portland 112 L.A. Clippers 101, New York 94 Saturday’s Games Indiana 112, Dallas 105 Toronto 112, Miami 104, OT Detroit 125, Philadelphia 111 Charlotte 125, Houston 109 Milwaukee 103, New Orleans 92 Atlanta 95, Memphis 83 Oklahoma City at San Antonio, late Washington at Denver, late Phoenix at Golden State, late Orlando at Portland, late Sunday’s Games Cleveland at L.A. Clippers, 2:30 p.m.

Utah at Sacramento, 5 p.m.

Indiana at Atlanta, 5 p.m.

Milwaukee at Brooklyn, 7 p.m.

New York at L.A. Lakers, 8:30 p.m.

Monday’s Games Dallas at Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Chicago at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.

Denver at Miami, 6:30 p.m.

Memphis at Houston, 7 p.m.

Portland at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Washington, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

New Orleans at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Utah, 9:30 p.m.

Transactions Saturday’s Sports Transactions BASEBALL American League TEXAS RANGERS: Assigned RHP Miles Jaye, RHP Scott Williams, and C Kellin Deglan to their minor league camp.

National League ATLANTA BRAVES: Released RHP Kyle Kendrick and RHP Chris Volstad. Optioned RHPs Danny Burawa, Tyrell Jenkins and Casey Kelly and INF Daniel Castro to Gwinnett (IL), and RHP Mauricio Cabrera to Mississippi (SL). Reassigned RHPs Chris Ellis and Madison Younginer, LHPs David Holmberg and Sean Newcomb, and INFs Chase d’Arnaud, Nate Frieman and Rio Ruiz to their minor league camp.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: Signed G Ray McCallum and C Alex Stepheson to 10-day contracts.

FOOTBALL National Football League CHICAGO BEARS: Agreed to terms with LB Jerrell Freeman on a three-year contract and DL Mitch Unrein on a two-year contract.

DETROIT LIONS: Signed S Rafael Bush.

WASHINGOTN REDSKINS: Signed P Tress Way to a five-year contract.

HOCKEY National Hockey League CALGARY FLAMES: Assigned D Tyler Wotherspoon to Stockton (AHL).

COLLEGE BIG TEN CONFERENCE: Announced that Wisconsin hockey player Jedd Soleway has been suspended for one game, under the conference’s supplemental discipline process.

TEXAS A&M: Agreed to terms with men’s basketball coach Billy Kennedy on a five-year contract.

TODAY IN SPORTS ON TV » ■■ Auto racing: IndyCar, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, at St.

Petersburg, Fla., ABC, 11:30 a.m.; NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series, Good Sam 500, at Avondale, Ariz., FOX, 2:30 p.m.

■■ College basketball: Atlantic 10 Tournament, championship, at Brooklyn, N.Y., CBS, 11:30 a.m.; SEC Tournament, championship, at Nashville, Tenn., ESPN, noon; Sun Belt Tournament, championship, at New Orleans, ESPN2, noon; Big Ten Tournament, championship, at Indianapolis, CBS, 2 p.m.; Big Ten Tournament, championship, at Indianapolis, CBS, 2 p.m.; AAC Tournament, championship, at Orlando, Fla, ESPN, 2:15 p.m.; NCAA Championship Selection Show, CBS, 4:30 p.m.

■■ Pro cycling: Paris-Nice: Stage 7 (final), at Nice, France, NBCSN, 7:30 a.m.

■■ Pro golf: European PGA Tour, True Thailand Classic, final round, at Hua Hin, Thailand (same-day tape), GOLF, 5 a.m.; PGA Tour, Valspar Championship, final round, at Palm Harbor, Fla., GOLF, noon; PGA Tour, Valspar Championship, final round, at Palm Harbor, Fla., NBC, 2 p.m.

■■ Pro baseball: Spring training, Toronto vs. Philadelphia, at Clearwater, Fla. (tape-delayed), MLB, 5 a.m.; Spring training, Colorado vs. Milwaukee, at Phoenix (tape-delayed), MLB, 8 a.m.; Spring training, St. Louis vs. Washington, at Viera, Fla., MLB, noon; Spring training, Texas vs.

L.A. Angels, at Tempe, Ariz., MLB, 3 p.m.; Spring training, N.Y. Mets vs.

Miami, at Jupiter, Fla. (same-day tape), MLB, 7 p.m.; Spring training, Cincinnati vs. Seattle, at Peoria, Ariz. (same-day tape), MLB, 11 p.m.; Spring training, L.A. Dodgers vs. Colorado, at Scottsdale, Ariz. (same-day tape), MLB, 2 p.m.

■■ Pro basketball: Cleveland at L.A. Clippers, ABC, 2:30 p.m.; Indiana at Atlanta, NBA, 5 p.m.

■■ Pro hockey: Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, NBC, 11:30 a.m.; Toronto at Detroit, NBCSN, 6:30 p.m.

■■ Soccer: FA Cup, quarterfinal, Watford vs. Arsenal, FS1, 8 a.m.; Bundesliga, Hamburg at Bayer Leverkusen, FS1, 9:20 a.m.; FA Cup, West Ham at Manchester United, FS1, 11 a.m.; Premier League, Tottenham at Aston Villa, NBCSN, 11 a.m.; Bundesliga, FSV Mainz 05 at Borussia Dortmund, FS2, 11:30 a.m.; Women, CONCACAF U-17 Championship, third place, at St. George’s, Grenada, FS2, 2 p.m.; MLS, Toronto at New York City, ESPN2, 4 p.m.; Women, CONCACAF U-17 Championship, championship, at St. George’s, Grenada, FS2, 5 p.m.; MLS, Portland at San Jose, FS1, 6 p.m.

■■ Women’s college basketball: SWAC Tournament, championship, Southern vs. Alabama St.-Grambling St. winner, at Houston (tapedelayed), ESPNU, 8 a.m.; MEAC Tournament, championship, Coppin St. vs. NC A&T, at Norfolk, Va. (tape-delayed), ESPNU, 10 a.m.; Southland Tournament, championship, Central Arkansas-McNeese St. winner vs.

Northwestern St.-Sam Houston St. winner, at Katy, CBSSN, 11:30 a.m.; Horizon League Tournament, championship, at Green Bay, Wis., ESPNU, noon; Northeast Tournament, championship, Robert Morris at Sacred Heart, ESPNU, 2 p.m.

AP photo

Bill Haas putts on the 18th hole during the third round of the Valspar Championship Saturday in Palm Harbor, Fla.

SFA » From 1C

a 7-0 run to lead by 26, putting the Islanders on their heels and taking away any hope of a second-half comeback.

That 26-point lead was SFA’s largest advantage. The Lumberjacks ran clock much of the second half on their possessions, yet still were 13-of-28 in the final 20 minutes.

One game after attempting 70 shots in its semifinal win over Houston Baptist, SFA took 60 shots against the Islanders.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which rallied to defeat Sam Houston late Friday in the other semifinal, managed 22 field goals but was just 3-of-18 on three-pointers and missed six free throws.

The Islanders were led by Joe Kilgore’s 14 points. Dashawn Thomas added 11 points and guard Ehab Amin scored 10.

While Thomas was 5-of-5 from the field and had 9 rebounds, SFA limited his touches throughout the game and forced the forward into 8 of the Islanders’ 20 turnovers.

The Islanders started the game

with a 6-0 run, much to the satisfaction of their fans.

But SFA tied the game at 6-6 on a score by Charles to close a fast break.

Once they got even, SFA continued its run, eventually taking a 3012 lead with a 30-6 run since it fell behind to open the game.

That lead grew to 41-18 on two free throws by CJ Williams.

Overwhelmed, Texas A&MCorpus drew to within 48-29 by halftime.Thomas was held to 4 points in the opening half and picked up two fouls, one a technical.

The Islanders, who drove to the lane throughout its semi-final win against Sam Houston Friday, found SFA’s defense much more difficult to penetrate. Lumberjack defenders were rarely out of position and forced the Islanders to attempt outside shots.

Hameed Ali, who hit the gamewinning three-pointer against Sam Houston while playing with an ankle injury, was just 2-of-9 from the floor with 5 points in 25 minutes. Walkup was joined on the all-tournament team by Geffrard and Floyd.

A&M-cc-SFA box A&M-CC (25-7) Douvier 0-4 0-0 0, Thomas 5-5 1-4 11, Pye 2-10 0-0 5, Ali 2-9 1-2 5, Currie 3-8 0-0 7, Kilgore 5-9 4-4 14, Amin 4-6 1-2 10, Toney 1-1 4-5 6, Juricek 0-0 0-0 0, Francis 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 22-52 13-19 60.

SFA (27-5) Walkup 7-11 5-7 19, Charles 4-8 4-6 12, Holyfield 3-6 0-0 6, Floyd 3-12 2-2 9, Pinkney 0-1 2-2 2, Williams 2-2 3-6 7, J. Johnson 3-7 0-0 7, L. Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Geffrard 5-10 6-7 18, Cameron 1-3 0-0 2, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals

28-60 22-30 82.

Halftime—SFA 48-29. 3-Point Goals—A&M-CC 3-18 (Currie 1-3, Amin 1-3, Pye 1-7, Kilgore 0-1, Douvier 0-2, Ali 0-2), SFA 4-17 (Geffrard 2-5, Floyd 1-4, J. Johnson 1-4, Holyfield 0-1, Charles 0-1, Cameron 0-1, Walkup 0-1). Fouled Out— Douvier. Rebounds—A&M-CC 36 (Thomas 9), SFA 34 (Geffrard 8).

Assists—A&M-CC 9 (Ali, Amin, Kilgore, Toney 2), SFA 15 (Charles 4). Total Fouls—A&M-CC 26, SFA 22. Technicals—Ali, Thomas, Holyfield. A—4,399.

college baseball

SFA gives up big early lead in falling to Central Arkansas CONWAY, Ark. — The Stephen F. Austin baseball team jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Saturday afternoon at Bear Stadium but couldn’t hold off a late Central Arkansas rally, falling to the Bears 9-7 in the Southland Conference opener.

Five players recorded multi-hit games to pace the Lumberjacks at the plate. Tyler Kendrick, Nick Ramos, Garrett McMullen and Zach Michener each notched two hits while Kyle Thornell hit safely three times on the day.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Bill Haas took a swing tip from his father on Tuesday and converted into a 54-hole lead at the Valspar Championship.

Haas atoned for a three-putt bogey on the 13th by chipping in for birdie from behind the 15th green on his way to a 4-under 67 on Saturday at Innisbrook, giving him a one-shot lead over Graham DeLaet of Canada going into the final round.

Jay Haas, a nine-time PGA Tour winner and the Presidents Cup captain the last two times, had a week off from the PGA Tour Champions and spent three days with his son. It was on the par-5 fifth hole during a practice round that the father suggested Haas use a more abbreviated follow on his swing to get his hands moving fasters.

It seems to have worked.

On a Copperhead course that has yet to yield a round lower than 66, Haas put together his second straight 67 to reach 8-under 205.

DeLaet, now sporting a beard that would make Old Tom Morris proud, pounded a shot out of the rough and over the water to 3 feet on the par-5 14th for an eagle that shot him up the leaderboard, and he finished with a 68 to get into the last group.

It’s still up in the grabs on Sunday because of the nature of Innisbrook, which takes shots away more often than it gives up birdies. Six players were within four shots of the lead, and even Jordan Spieth believes he is still in the mix.

Spieth, who opened his title defense with a 76, made the cut with one shot to spare on Friday and moved into a tie for ninth on Saturday with a bogey-free 67 in which he holed a long eagle putt and made a pair of key par saves coming in.

“To think after the first round that I go Saturday night be able to sleep with a chance to win the golf tournament, I’m very pleased with that,” Spieth said.

Charley Hoffman (67) and Ryan Moore (69) were three shots behind.

Charles Howell III holed a bunker shot for birdie on No. 12 only to three-putt from 70 feet on the closing hole for a 70. He was four shots behind, though still has a reasonable chance to win and earn a return to the Masters, which motivates the Augusta, Georgia, native this time of the year.

He was amazed to still be this close to the lead.

“This course continues to surprise me in that it just doesn’t give up good scores,” Howell said. “What am I? Tied for fifth? I would have thought the lead would be 10 or 12 under, and more than one guy there. But maybe that’s just me getting my head beat in.”

high school basketball

Bulldogs fall to Bridge City in tournament in Jasper The Garrison baseball team concluded play in the Jasper tournament on Saturday with a 5-2 loss to Bridge City.

Austin Piazza took the loss for the Bulldogs.

Rodney Bass, Ty Hayter, Sean Slowikowski, Carson Rodriguez, Chris Edwards, Hunter Walker and Luke Spivey all hit singles in the loss.

Friday results West Orange Stark 4, Garrison 3: The Bulldogs dropped a close game to West Orange Stark on Friday.

Chris Edwards took the loss for Garrison, pitching five innings and giving up two hits and three walks while striking out five.

At the plate, Hayter led the

team with two doubles and a single.

Edwards and Spivey each had a single.

Garrison 7, Evadale 3: Garrison rebounded from the loss on Friday with a win over Evadale on the same day.

Bass pitched the winning effort, going 42⁄3 innings while allowing three hits and five walks and striking out three.

The Bulldogs were led at bat

by Carson Rodriguez, who hit a home run.

Other contributors for Garrison included Schulker, two singles; Edwards, a double; Ty Hayter, a single; Slowikowski, a single; Spivey, a single; and Tanner Cook, a single.

college basketball

Sam Houston, C. Arkansas women pick up SLC wins From Southland Website KATY — More than two months had passed since Sam Houston State endured a 20-point loss at the hands of Northwestern State.

On Saturday, the Bearkats showed the two-time defending Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament championships how far along they had come since January 4.

Angela Beadle recorded her ninth straight double-double as seventh-seed Sam Houston State shocked Northwestern State 7871 at Merrell Center to propel the Bearkats to Sunday’s Tournament final against top-seed Central Arkansas and a chance to win an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.

Beadle scored 26 points and added 10 rebounds after shaking off early foul trouble while becoming the focal point of a Sam Houston State (14-17) offense that shot 65.2 percent from the field in the second half.

Northwestern State (19-11)

shot just 31 percent in the first half.

Other game Central Arkansas 72, McNeese 64: Central Arkansas finally exorcised its Merrell Center misery, as the top-seed Sugar Bears received a huge contribution off the bench from Sandy Jackson and advanced to the finals of the Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament with a hard-fought 72-64 victory over fourth-seed McNeese State Saturday afternoon, putting the program a game away from an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

One week after scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds against the Cowgirls, Jackson racked up a season-high 18 points and pulled down seven boards en route to helping Central Arkansas (27-3) to complete a season sweep of McNeese State (20-12). Jackson was at her most clutch at the free throw line, where the junior knocked down all four of her attempts in the final nine seconds to help the Sugar Bears fend off a late rally from the Cowgirls.

SPORTS

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Sunday, March 13, 2016 • The Daily Sentinel • 3C

college basketball

Aggies trounce LSU to reach SEC finals NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tonny TrochaMorales scored 13 points as No. 17 Texas A&M trounced LSU and freshman star Ben Simmons 71-38 on Saturday to reach the Aggies’ first conference tournament championship game since 1994.

The Aggies (26-7) will play for the Southeastern Conference Tournament title on Sunday after sharing the regular-season crown with No. 16 Kentucky. They will face the Wildcats.

Texas A&M hadn’t reached a conference tourney championship since losing to Texas 22 years ago in the Southwest Conference. Now, after its eighth straight victory, it is one win away from adding its first tournament title since 1987.

The Aggies announced a new fiveyear deal with coach Billy Kennedy before tipoff, and then they proved he deserved it by routing the last team to beat them back on Feb. 13.

Jalen Jones added 12 points and Admon Gilder had 10. The Aggies not only held LSU to a season-low in both points and made field goals (13) but also the fewest points scored by a team in any major conference this season, according to STATS LLC. Simmons finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for fourth-seeded LSU (19-14).

The Tigers beat the Aggies 76-71 in Baton Rouge but looked nothing like that team in this game.

The Aggies missed five of their first six shots before Trocha-Morelos hit a 3-pointer that woke them up with 13:29 left, starting them on what wound up a crushing 32-5 run. Gilder punctuated the performance by beating the buzzer with a 3-pointer for a 35-13 lead at intermission.

LSU led 8-3 in the opening minutes and had a 13-5 edge in rebounding when Tocha-Morelos hit his second 3 to tie it up at 9 with 11:40 left in the half. That’s when the Tigers’ mistakes caught up with them and LSU fell apart with a simply ghastly performance. The Tigers wound up with more turnovers (11) than made shots (five) by halftime as they missed their final 14 shots.

Tim Quarterman hit two 3s within

the first 2 minutes of the second half to pull the score to 39-19. The Tigers never got any closer. Texas A&M spent much of the second half throwing down big dunks that had the Aggies jumping up and down on the bench. A free throw by Kyle Dobbins off a technical on Simmons gave the Aggies their biggest lead at 68-28 with 3:05 left.

Other games No. 13 Purdue 76, Michigan 59: A.J. Hammons had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 13 Purdue beat Michigan 76-59 on Saturday to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship.

Hammons made 11 of 17 shots, mostly from inside. Vince Edwards added 13 points, and Isaac Haas finished with 11.

Next up for Purdue (26-7) is Michigan State. The Boilermakers are seeking their first Big Ten Tournament title since 2009.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led Michigan with 15 points. Derrick Walton Jr. scored 14 points and Zak Irvin had 11.

Eighth-seeded Michigan (22-12) was playing its third game in three days.

St. Joseph’s 82, Dayton 79: Isaiah Miles had 26 points and nine rebounds and St. Joseph’s knocked off top-seeded Dayton 82-79 in the Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinals on Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Hawks (26-7) advanced to the A-10 finals for the second time in three years and will face VCU today.

Aaron Brown added 16 points and Papa Ndao had 14 for the Hawks on a day when A-10 regular-season player of the year DeAndre Bembry was held to nine.

DyShawn Pierre scored 22 points for Flyers (25-7) and Schoochie Smith added 14.

After taking a seven-point lead at halftime, St. Joseph’s extended it to an 11-point lead midway through the second half.

Dayton was within 55-52 on a basket by Kyle Davis with about 81/2 minutes remaining.

The Hawks surged ahead on two 3s

by Ndao for a 64-55 lead with 5:25 lead.

AP photo

Texas A&M’s Tyler Davis (34) shoots past LSU’s Craig Victor II (32) during the first half of a game in the Southeastern Conference tournament Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

college basketball

college basketball

Kentucky rallies past Georgia in SEC semifinal

UConn takes down top-seeded Temple, 77-62

AP photo

Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine (45) drives on Maryland guard Rasheed Sulaimon (0) in the first half of a game during the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament Saturday in Indianapolis.

Valentine helps carry Michigan St. over Maryland, to Big 10 title game INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Denzel Valentine had 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds to lead No. 2 Michigan State past No. 18 Maryland 64-61 in Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal.

The league’s player of the year sealed it with two free throws with 0.8 seconds to go, and Melo Trimble’s desperation heave from 55 feet away didn’t get past midcourt and was ruled to come after the buzzer anyway.

Michigan State (28-5) has won 12 of 13 and will face No. 13 Purdue in Sunday’s title game.

Robert Carter Jr. had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead Maryland. Trimble finished with 11 points.

Despite making only two baskets over the final 10½ minutes, the Terrapins still could have taken the lead after Valentine missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Trimble drove in for a layup, but the shot appeared to be deflected and Valentine grabbed the rebound and was immediately fouled.

It was a rugged game right from the start.

On the first basket, Maryland’s Jake Layman got hit in the face and no foul was called. A couple of possessions later, Layman and Eron Harris drew double technicals as Rasheed Sulaimon and Valentine barked at one another near midcourt. A few minutes later, Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon was given a bench warning.

Less than 12 minutes into the game, Trimble got hit in the face with the ball on a Michigan State pass, forcing him to briefly leave the game.

Then, with 4:15 left in the first half, Turgeon was called for a technical.

None of it bothered the surging Spartans.

Michigan State scored six straight to erase an early 10-9 deficit and spent the rest of the game fending off Maryland’s fierce charges.

The Terrapins couldn’t get within one possession until midway through the second half, couldn’t tie the score until Trimble made a 3 with 10:25 left in the game and didn’t take the lead until Carter made two free throws with 6:55 left.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 26 points, Tyler Ulis added 25 and both keyed a late 11-3 run that helped No. 16 Kentucky put away Georgia 93-80 in Saturday’s semifinal of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Isaiah Briscoe’s putback with 8:16 left put the Wildcats up 68-67 and Murray followed with two free throws. After Houston Kessler’s jumper got Georgia within one, Ulis scored five points while Murray made a layup during the critical run that pushed secondseeded Kentucky ahead to stay and into today’s championship against top-seeded Texas A&M. Briscoe (12 points) was also important down the stretch with a jumper and feed to Marcus Lee for a dunk as Kentucky (25-8) had to work hard to make its third straight SEC final.

Yante Maten had 20 points, J.J. Frazier 19 and Kenny Gaines 16 for sixth-seeded Georgia (19-13), which led most of the game before faltering down the stretch.

Other games UConn 77, Temple 62: Daniel Hamilton and Shonn Miller scored 19 points apiece and Connecticut shrugged off a slow start Saturday to beat top-seeded Temple 77-62 in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament.

Showing no signs of fatigue after needing four overtimes to win the longest game in league history in the quarterfinals, the Huskies built a 16-point first-half lead and weathered a couple of Temple surges before pulling away for good down the stretch.

Jalen Adams, whose shot from beyond mid-court forced a fourth OT against Cincinnati on Friday, had 11 points as fifth-seeded UConn (23-10) advanced to Sunday’s tournament final.

Jaylen Bond led Temple (21-11) with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The conference regular-season champions were just under 36

percent from field, missed 10 free throws and finished 4 of 20 on 3-point attempts.

VCU 76, Davidson 54: Mo Alie-Cox scored 13 points, including a rim-shaking slam off a lob from JeQuan Lewis, and VCU ran out to an emphatic 76-54 victory against Davidison on Saturday to reach the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship game for the fourth straight season.

The defending champion and second-seeded Rams (24-9) will face fourth-seeded St. Joseph’s, which knocked off top-seed Dayton, in Sunday’s final at Barclays Center.

Brian Sullivan scored 15 points for sixth-seeded Davidson (20-12), which beat St. Bonaventure in overtime late Friday night.

Under first-year coach Will Wade, the Rams don’t play “Havoc,” full-court pressure defense, but they still keep the pace brisk.

The Wildcats could not keep up.

Lewis and Alie-Cox led a decisive run early in the second half.

The 250-pound Alie-Cox went high to jam a Lewis lob that made it 51-30 with 16:05 left.

Korey Billbury led VCU with 17 points and Lewis added 11.

Stony Brook 80, Vermont 74: Jameel Warney scored 43 points and Stony Brook reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time by coming from behind to win the America East Tournament championship 80-74 against Vermont on Saturday.

Top-seeded Stony Brook (26-6) had reached this point four times in the last five seasons, including the last two years, and lost each time — each defeat seemingly more excruciating than the last.

Last year, a 3-pointer with just seconds left by Albany kept the Seawolves out of the NCAAs. The Seawolves were down 15 in the second half to the Catamounts, but Warney’s unstoppable inside game was too much for Vermont (21-13).

Carson Puriefoy contributed 23 points and some big free throws down the stretch for Stony Brook.

Trae Bell-Haynes led Vermont with 17 points.

Arkansas-Little Rock 72, Louisiana Lafayette 65: Jalen Jackson led a balanced attack with 16 points and top-seeded Little Rock held off fourth-seeded Louisiana Lafayette 72-65 on Saturday to advance to the championship game of the Sun Belt Tournament.

Josh Hagins added 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Trojans (28-4), who face the Louisiana MonroeTexas Arlington winner in Sunday’s championship. Lis Shoshi and Marcus Johnson Jr. added 13 points apiece.

Jackson hit 6 of 7 shots and scored 13 points as Little Rock opened a 33-23 lead at the break.

The Ragin’ Cajuns (17-14) quickly battled back, tying the game at 38 on a layup by Shawn Long, who followed up his 34-point game in the quarterfinals with 25 points. Kasey Shepherd had all 18 of his points, with five 3s, in the second half.

Little Rock, which has 15 more wins than last season, surged ahead again and the Ragin’ Cajuns couldn’t come up with the key play after closing within three with 2:25 left.

Middle Tennessee 55, Old Dominion 53: Reggie Upshaw made two free throws with 2.9 seconds left to lift Middle Tennessee to a 55-53 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday in the Conference USA tournament.

The Blue Raiders (24-9) earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013 in a defensive struggle that was markedly different from their 99-90 semifinal shootout with Marshall.

Aaron Bacote dribbled once and launched a 3-pointer from before midcourt for Old Dominion (22-13), and Brandan Stith’s tip-in attempt didn’t fall.

SPORTS

4C • The Daily Sentinel • Sunday, March 13, 2016

DailySentinel.com

swimming

high school basketball

Avinger takes Class 1A title

Victor Texcucano/The Daily Sentinel

Nacogdoches swim team senior Davis Pierce, middle, signs a letter of intent to attend Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama on Wednesday. From left are mother Dari, sister Dayli, coach Carrie Scroggins and father Drew.

Nacogdoches senior Davis Pierce signs with Birmingham-Southern

By Matt deGrood mdegrood@dailysentinel.com

Though Nacogdoches senior Davis Pierce might have found swimming later than some of his teammates, once he stepped foot on the swim team, there was little looking back for the Dragon swimmer.

In signing to join the swim team at Birmingham-Southern College next season, Pierce takes his love of swimming to the next level.

“It’s a very successful program with great academics,” Pierce said. “I visited and felt like I fit right in. The coach is also a really good guy.”

The NHS senior began his swimming career as a freshman in high school, after a brief stint on the football team.

“As a freshman, I was in football and wanted to try out a new sport,” he said.

“So I started and immediately fell in love with swimming. I liked the hard work and dedication it took to get good at swimming.”

Despite being somewhat of a latecomer, Pierce was quick to make an impact on the Dragon swim team.

He finished his career at NHS as a three-time state qualifier, a two-year captain and an academic all-state swimmer.

“He’s kind of been the heart of the team and has been for many years,” NHS head coach Carrie Scroggins said.

“I’m really excited that he will get to continue his swimming career.”

While Pierce’s passion for swimming was apparent quickly after joining, the

decision to continue his swim career into college came later.

“I didn’t think I’d move on after high school,” Pierce said. “But I wanted to continue getting better. Coach Scroggins was just an amazing coach for developing a passion for swimming.”

Even after deciding to swim in college, it took Pierce some time before he settled on attending BirminghamSouthern.

“I had this image of myself staying in-state,” he said. “But after visiting, it really opened my eyes.”

After the visit, Pierce was settled.

“About a month ago, I emailed the coach and gave my verbal commitment,” he said. “He was ecstatic and emailed me right back and said he was excited to work with me. He thanked me

for making his day.”

Scroggins, for one, spoke highly of the type of swimmer BirminghamSouthern was getting in Pierce.

“He’ll bring his passion for the sport as well as his passion for the team,” she said. “Also hard work. He’ll give everything he has.”

Pierce will join another former NHS swimmer at Birmingham-Southern in Christopher Nett, who graduated last year.

“It will be nice to have a former teammate on the team,” Pierce said.

All things considered, Pierce is exited for the future.

“Definitely my goal is to get faster,” Pierce said. “My big goal is just adjusting to a different type of environment.

College is harder than high school. I just want to work hard and try to develop.”

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Desmond Chism scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to lead Avinger to a 50-36 win over Lenorah Grady for the Class 1A state title Saturday in San Antonio.

Chism added 10 rebounds and was named the game’s most valuable player after he helped Avinger (34-2) overcome a 20-19 halftime deficit. The Indians outscored Lenorah Grady 31-16 in the second half.

Grayson Early had 14 points and seven boards while Demionte Mitchell added nine points and 10 boards for the winners.

Avinger captured its third state title, having won championships in 1977 and 1996.

Cole Avery scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Lenorah Grady (30-5) while Jaylen Short added 12 points and Kyle Garza scored seven.

Other games Brownfield 80, East Chambers 54: Jezreel Griffin scored 37 points and collected 15 rebounds as Brownfield staged a 21-4 thirdquarter run to race past Winnie East Chambers 80-54 for the Class 3A state title.

Griffin, named the game’s MVP, scored 31 points in the first three quarters as the Cubs (32-3) built a 20-point lead late in the third quarter. East Chambers (34-5) cut the margin to 10 points but Brownfield answered with a 19-2 scoring run to end the game.

Jaelyn Nolan scored 16 points and had eight rebounds for Brownfield while Alex McCrary added 11 points and six rebounds.

Ethan Kahla and Dylan Silcox had 10 points each for East Chambers while Darius Guillory and Kordell David each netted nine points.

Canadian 56, Muenster 46: Junior Cameron Copley scored 21 points to lead defending state champion Canadian past Muenster 56-46 for the Class 2A title Saturday in San Antonio.

Copley, a point guard who started for the 2014 Water Valley 1A state title team, was named the game’s most valuable player.

Tanner Schafer added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Canadian (18-6), which had 12 players on its roster who also won back-to-back titles in football.

Matthew Lynch added nine points for Canadian.

pro football

AP sources: Cowboys bringing back Claiborne IRVING (AP) — Cornerback Morris Claiborne is returning to Dallas on a team-friendly deal after the Cowboys declined the more expensive option on the former top 10 pick’s rookie contract.

Two people with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press that Claiborne agreed Friday to a contract worth up to $3.75 million, about $8 million less than the fifthyear option of his rookie deal.

Injuries and poor performances made him a bust through four seasons after the Cowboys moved up eight spots to get him with the No. 6 pick in 2012.

Dallas also agreed on a threeyear, $8.25 million contract with tight end James Hanna, according to the people who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t

announced the deals. Hanna spent his first four seasons with the Cowboys.

Earlier Friday, Dallas re-signed linebacker Kyle Wilber and backup offensive tackle Charles Brown while adding four compensatory picks in this year’s NFL draft.

Claiborne joined with the Cowboys with fanfare four years ago when they were trying to upgrade their secondary and also signed free agent Brandon Carr to a five-year, $50 million contract.

But the pair has combined for just nine interceptions in four seasons together — and none last year when the Dallas defense struggled to make game-changing plays in a 4-12 season played mostly without quarterback Tony Romo.

Claiborne, who turned 26 last month, had one interception in each

nascar

Kyle Busch takes Phoenix for 3rd win AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyle Busch made it 3 for 3 in the Xfinity Series this season, cruising to another victory at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday.

A week after leading all but one lap at Las Vegas, Busch led 175 of 200 laps on the mile oval to win for the 79th time in the second-tier series.

Busch also posted a dominating win at Atlanta. He didn’t race in the opener at Daytona.

Busch and teammate Erik Jones raced sideby-side for several laps before their green-flag pitstops with 24 laps left. Busch beat Jones to the line and built as much as a 3-second edge.

When Brad Keselowski finally pitted with 13 laps left, Busch took the lead for good Jones finished second, 2.3 seconds back.

Daniel Suarez was third, giving Joe Gibbs Racing a top-three sweep for the second straight week.

In this Oct. 25, 2015, file photo, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne runs against the New York Giants during a game in East Rutherford, N.J.

of his first three seasons. He has played in just 25 of 50 games over the past three years, including the playoffs, while battling a variety of injuries.

The most serious injury was a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that limited Claiborne to four games in 2014, when Dallas won the NFC East at 12-4 and reached the divisional round of the playoffs before losing to Green Bay. The former LSU player was widely considered the top-rated cornerback in the 2012 draft, and the Cowboys were retooling in the secondary after moving on from Terence Newman, their No. 5 overall pick nearly a decade earlier. While he started 15 games as a rookie, Claiborne struggled to have the expected impact before injuries caused him to miss 18 games the next two seasons.

AP photo

pro basketball

Ellis boosts Pacers over Mavs, 112-105

DALLAS (AP) — Monta Ellis scored 17 points in his return to Dallas, Paul George had 18 of his 20 in the second half and the Indiana Pacers extended the Mavericks’ longest losing streak of the season to five games with a 112105 victory Saturday.

Ellis got a warm greeting in his first visit since the end of last season, when he was the first leading scorer not named Dirk Nowitzki for Dallas since 2000. He signed with Indiana as a free agent.

George Hill hit three 3-pointers and scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to help keep the Pacers in front in their third straight victory.

Nowitzki scored 30 points to lead the Mavericks, who are three games into a nine-game stretch of opponents currently with winning records.

The Pacers stayed ahead in the fourth quarter thanks to Hill, a couple of key assists and a three-point play from Ellis and another strong game at the free-throw line.

Indiana made its first 26 free throws before Hill missed in the final seconds. The Pacers were 27 of 29 and have made 74 of 79 during their past three games.

George, who missed all four of his 3-pointers in the first half, made one to give Indiana its biggest lead at 83-72 late in the third quarter. He had 10 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season and added six assists.

Nowitzki got Dallas close in the fourth by scoring his team’s first eight points and getting 15 overall in the quarter for his fifth 30-point game of the season. He was 10 of 16 from

the field, including 3 of 5 from long range.

But the Mavericks never could retake the lead despite getting within a point twice. They have a two-game trip to Charlotte and Cleveland coming, and then a home game against Golden State. Dallas (33-33), which dropped to .500 for the first time since Nov. 13, doesn’t see a team currently with a losing record again until Sacramento on March 27.

Each time the Mavericks Dallas got within a point in the fourth quarter, Hill had an answer. He hit two free throws, then had the first of consecutive 3-pointers. Ellis had two of his seven assists on the next two baskets before his three-point play on a drive pushed the lead to 106-99 with 2:28 remaining.

Conley out 3-4 weeks: Grizzlies guard Mike Conley has Achilles tendinitis in his left foot that will keep him out for at least 3 to 4 weeks, after which he will be re-evaluated.

The Grizzlies updated Conley’s injury Saturday, along with that of center Chris Andersen, who remains out after dislocating his left shoulder March 6 in a loss to Phoenix. The Grizzlies say Andersen will continue to be re-evaluated.

Conley has missed the last three games with soreness in his foot. He started all 56 games he has played this season, averaging 15.3 points and a team-high 6.1 assists.

This is just the latest injury hit for the Grizzlies (39-26), who remain fifth in the Western Conference despite a changing lineup.

Outdoors

5C

The Daily Sentinel • DailySentinel.com • Sunday, March 13, 2016

Water levels on the rise Heavy flooding impacts East Texas area lakes

by Matt Williams Outdoors Writer

The historic rain event that dumped as much as 16-20 inches rain on parts of eastern Texas and Louisiana late last week left a soggy path of destruction in its wake, flooding roadways and wrecking countless homes and businesses.

Flooding also has been blamed in the deaths of several people, some of whom drowned when their vehicles were swept away while attempting to navigate through high water.

The big rains smashed March rainfall records in some areas, prompting heavy runoff in creeks and rivers that caused many reservoirs to swell well beyond full capacity. A quick check of the Texas Water Development Board website on March 11 illustrates the weather system impacted reservoirs all across the East Texas region, but lakes near the state’s eastern boundary took the hardest hits.

No doubt the worst of all was Toledo Bend, where the rainswollen Sabine River caused the 186,000-acre impoundment to reach an all-time record high of 174.36 on March 10, eclipsing the former record of 173.93 set in 1989, according to Jamie Williams with the Sabine River Authority.

By Friday, the SRA had managed to drop the lake below the 174.00 mark by releasing epic amounts of water through the dam’s nine flood gates, which were opened as wide as 22 feet to allow unprecedented amounts of water to escape. In doing so, flooding downstream along the Sabine River remained a major threat, Williams said.

Another big concern are the vast amounts of debris that have washed into the lake and are now bobbing around the water’s surface or just below it. Fishing guide Stephen Johnston was on the water Thursday, smack in the middle of the deluge, and says it is a virtual obstacle course out there right now.

“It’s a dangerous situation,” Johnston said. “You need to be really careful if you get out on the water. There are everything from logs to trees to landscape timbers and pieces of boat docks floating around out there.”

The same could be said for Lake Conroe, one of the state’s most popular recreational lakes.

Located north of Houston, Conroe rose to more than two feet beyond full capacity on Friday, just as many families were launching their spring break getaways. It’s the highest lake level recorded there since 2002.

The sudden rise flushed all sorts of debris into the 20,000acre lake, creating such dangerous conditions for boating that the San Jacinto River Authority opted to temporarily close the lake to all motorized traffic. On Friday, the SJRA released a statement explaining the severity of the situation.

“We fully recognize that this is the beginning of spring break, and we will make every effort to fully reopen the reservoir as soon as conditions allow,” the statement says. “The lake level has risen to 203.08’ above mean sea level, which is two feet over the lake’s normal pool level. At this level, many docks, bulkheads, small islands, and other structures are fully submerged and create a very dangerous situation for boaters. In addition, high winds and rapidly flowing water from local streams have resulted in a large amount of floating debris on the reservoir.

Also, with bulkheads becoming submerged, lake area residents should be cautious of electrical outlets and equipment coming into contact with water.”

Other temporary closures were issued for Lake Athens and Lake Murvaul, where floating debris have created unsafe boating conditions.

Caddo Lake near Marshall is another East Texas lake that swelled well-beyond full capacity.

The state’s only natural lake was already 2.92 feet above full pool when the rains hit and climbed to more than eight feet above full pool in a matter of two days.

Nearby Lake of the Pines also saw a big rise in the same time frame, jumping more than five feet to 10.44 feet.

The list goes on and on. Lake Nacogoches rose nearly four feet; Fork, 1 foot; Palestine, 41/2 feet; Richland Chambers, 11/2 feet; Sam Rayburn, 21/2 feet; Tawakoni, 2 feet; and Cooper, 21/2 feet.

Fishing in rising water

While the sudden rise in water level will bode well for some anglers, it could increase the level of difficulty for others.

As a rule, catfish always go on a tear when water levels are

Top: When water levels rise, blue and channel catfish are prone to go on strong feeding binges in skinny water. (Photo by Matt Williams). Above: The cleaning table at Bill’s Landing on Toledo Bend is surrounded by flood water as the result of big rains that pounded eastern Texas and Louisiana last week. (Contributed photo). Right: Bass anglers can expect to see dirty water on many East Texas lakes in coming weeks as the result of heavy rains that pounded the region in early March (Contributed photo). on a rise. Rising water flushes crawfish, earthworms, grubs and other forage into the water and catfish go on a big time feed in the shallows as a result, often in relation to current created by incoming creeks and rivers.

Fishing guide Jason Barber of Gun Barrel City knows a thing or two about going after catfish when water levels rise. Barber is a multi-species guide on Cedar Creek Reservoir.

According to Barber, the new water rouses the fish out of deeper water and puts them in mood to feed. “Anytime you get a sudden rise, the catfish go on the move,” he said.

When fishing for catfish in high, rising water, Barber says it is a good idea think shallow — six feet deep or less. Windy points and shorelines are always good, as are flats and fields adjacent to creek channels with some current.

High water also can be of benefit to bass and crappie fishermen, but it also can lend to tough conditions if the timing of the rise isn’t right. With the bass and crappie spawn on verge of busting wide open everywhere, the big rise in the water level could make fishing harder on some lakes. That’s because of the jungle of shoreline cover that is now flooded by several feet of water.

“The fish will scatter in the high water, said Johnston. “In some cases they will move so far back into the cover that you can’t get to them in a boat — it’s just too thick. The high water can make fishing tougher, but it can be great for the fisheries.

With all the cover to hide in the fish will have a great spawn. Plus, the offspring should see excellent survival.”

Another by-product of high water is dirty water. A sudden influx of water typically has a negative impact on water clarity. As a result, lakes that were gin clear

or offered several feet of visibility a week ago may now be the color an iron ore back road or a glass of chocolate milk.

Clearer water will eventually return, but it could take several weeks before things begin to settle out. Bass and crappie fishing can still be good in dirty water, but you might have to change presentations or switch to lure colors that stand out against the mud in order to get bit.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by email, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.

Life on job is never dull for game wardens From TPWD Reports

Texas game wardens cross paths with some crooked characters and log some strange experiences while patrolling the woods and water. Here’s recap of the recent reports filed by state wardens:

Doe drowning

ing sporadically in the distance, in the middle of the lake. The warden launched his patrol boat and, upon arriving at the source of the light, found a man and child sitting on top of a capsized vessel. High winds had caused the boat to take on water and capsize on top of a tree stump, which kept the boat partially above water. The father and son, who were both wearing life jackets, were okay, though they were very cold, hungry and shaken. The warden took them back to the boat ramp and their waiting family members, gave them some food and let them warm up. Fortunately, neither individual needed medical attention.

As a Red River County game warden watched for night road hunting from his vehicle, a truck drove down the road he was watching, slowed down and turned around. Unaware of the warden’s presence, the truck stopped at a nearby creek. The warden soon heard a loud splash. After the warden made contact with the driver, the man admitted to killing Catch and release a doe that night, out of season, and When a Shelby County game then dumping the carcass in the creek to get rid of it. Multiple cases warden returned to an area where against the individual are pending. he had previously seen hoop nets hanging from a tree, he also found Thank goodness multiple nets in the nearby river. they wore life jackets The warden monitored the area over A Limestone County game war- the next few days without seeing any den got a call about a father and fishermen, but one day noticed the son who hadn’t returned home nets had been baited and some were from their fishing trip. After calling moved to a different location. The both her husband and son multiple warden monitored the area for antimes, the wife and her other son other 10 hours before he finally saw went to Lake Limestone to look a fisherman bait a couple nets and for their missing family members. place them in the water. The warden They found the dad’s truck and made contact with the subject and trailer, but his boat was nowhere found 22 illegal hoop nets with about to be seen. When the warden ar- 15 catfish, all of which the warden rived on scene, he saw a light flash- released back into the river.

Ramming warden boat not very effective

As Starr and Zapata county game wardens patrolled the Rio Grande River, they spotted a commercial fisherman on the U.S. side of the river. When the wardens tried to make contact with him, the fisherman started ramming the warden’s boat with his own boat.

During the commotion, the wardens managed to board the fisherman’s boat and disable it. They took the fisherman into custody for possession of a prohibited device in state waters. The wardens seized the boat, motor and 9,000 feet of gill net.

Mr. X has a date with the judge

Travis County game wardens were checking bank fishermen on Lake Austin when they found one individual fishing without a license. When shown a photo taken from over half a mile away of him fishing, the individual adamantly stated the subject in the photo was not him. When signing the citation promising to appear before a judge, the man scratched a large bold “X.” The wardens asked why the X didn’t match the signature on his driver’s license, but the man simply said he just changed his signature and will now be known as Mr. X.

BASS photo

Oklahoma’s Edwin Evers (center) wrangled this 29-3 limit in the final round to claim the 2016 Bassmaster Classic title.

Evers launches comeback to claim Classic title

by Matt Williams Outdoors Writer In what was turned out to be one of the most stunning victories of all-time in professional bass fishing, Oklahoma’s Edwin Evers crushed field in the 2016 Bassmaster Classic held March 4-7 on Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Grove, Okla.

Though it didn’t come as much of a surprise to see the 13-time Classic qualifier claim the title and the $300,000 pay day that came with it, the manner in which he pulled it off came as a true shocker to bass junkies across the globe.

Evers, 42, won his first Classic by virtue of an epic comeback that saw him charge from third place to the top of leaderboard on the heels of a monster sack weighing 29 pound, three ounces in the final round. Anchored by a couple of seven pounders, the huge limit boosted Evers’

three-day total to 60-7 — the third heaviest fivefish limit in Classic history.

Perhaps no one was more blown away by Evers’ Day 3 rally than fellow Oklahoman Jason Christie nearby Park Hill. Christie, a heavy pre-tournament favorite due to his vast experience on Grand, lead the tournament going into the final round with a cushion of more than six pounds.

The Ranger pro didn’t just stumble on Day 3. He crashed and burned when his one ounce spinnerbait with a hub cap blade fooled only four bass weighing 12-9, giving him a three-day total of 50-2.

Jasper’s Todd Faircloth finished sixth, the highest of the five Texas pros to qualify. Alton Jones of Lorena finished eighth, followed by Keith Combs of Huntington, ninth; Thomas Martens of Austin, 26th; and Albert Collins of Nacogdoches, 51st.