Gamble to play softball at Motlow State and other sports news

East Hamilton's Rachel Gamble has accepted a softball-scholarship offer to play at Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma and will sign papers this morning at the school gymnasium at 11 a.m. Gamble was contacted by Motlow State coach Tori Raby-Gentry in October and visited soon afterward. "I went up there and loved it," Gamble said. "We toured the campus and looked at the main buildings. I really liked that it had a small-college atmosphere." Gamble, who plays outfield and second base and pitches, has a .335 career batting average in high school with 46 RBIs and 54 runs scored. The right-hander's pitching record is 15-12 and she has 83 strikeouts. In her upcoming senior season she will be playing for a new coach, former Ooltewah coach Norma Nelson, and the Lady Hurricanes are moving up to District 5-AAA. "I've not had the chance to coach her, but I like her work ethic," Nelson said. "She wants to be good. I've talked to her and I know she goes to lessons. She really works hard. She doesn't talk a whole lot, but I think she's a great leader because she works hard."

BASKETBALL

Bryan's Robert Troino capped his 20-point performance by making two free throws with .6 seconds left Wednesday and the Lions pulled out a 76-75 men's basketball victory over Truett-McConnell in an Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Cleveland, Ga. Bryan's women won 59-47. After the teams swapped 3s in the final 30 seconds in the men's game, a Truett-McConnell player drove the length of the floor and made a floater from 10 feet that provided a one-point lead. However, upon landing he was called for a foul that sent Troino to the line. Brandon Cole paced the win with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Derrick Walker added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Bryan's women were led in scoring by Kristin Lane's 13 points. Taylor Neurharth's points came on four 3-point goals. Keila Formont led the Lady Lions with 13 rebounds -- all on the defensive end -- and Kelsey Brooks made four steals.

• Tennessee Wesleyan won both of its AAC games over Point University, 59-46 for the women and 83-72 for the men. Armeka Booker topped the Lady Bulldogs with 18 points and Shita Buley contributed 10 and six assists. Cody Houck was high with nine rebounds.

• Cleveland State split its TJCCAA home doubleheader with Roane State with the women losing 74-68 and the men winning 72-63. The Lady Cougars got 22 points from Aysia Grimsley and 14 from Katrice Harris. Jamesha Mosley had 11 points and seven rebounds and Jara Gasper led with five assists. Keevin Tyus sparked the men with 26 points on 10-of-18 field-goal shooting and 15 rebounds. Robert Brandon had 13 points and six steals and Stetson Moore scored 12. Travis Wildgoose led in assists with four.

• Walters State swepts its TJCCAA doubleheader at Chattanooga State, the women winning 80-43 and the men winning 74-57. Chattanooga State's women were led by Araya Flemings and Simone Smith with 12 points apiece. The top scorer for the Tigers was Nick Scott with 14 and Dajion Williams chipped in with 10.

• Ish Sanders from Cleveland High School scored 29 points and added five steals and five assists in Carson-Newman's 101-73 South Atlantic Conference basketball win Wednesday against Brevard. Sanders was 9-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-9 on 3-point shots, and made six of seven free throws for the Eagles (9-4, 6-3).

• Alyssa Nichelson had 23 points, 11 rebounds and five steals for the Georgia Northwestern Tech women's basketball team Tuesday night at Toccoa Falls, but her two-year Lady Bobcats lost 66-55 to the four-year school. Kiarra Parks had 12 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and five steals for GNTC (3-14). Esther Shady had 20 rebounds and six blocked shots with 11 points for Toccoa (5-8).

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