Samford University student Hogan Whitmire from Signal Mountain sank a half-court shot during halftime of the basketball Bulldogs' loss to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Thursday and earned $1,000 tuition on behalf of Talladega Superspeedway. He plans to apply it to dental school this fall. Whitmire was the football quarterback for Signal Mountain's Eagles, among other athletic contributions, and is one of the practice players who regularly work against the Samford women's basketball team. "We work mostly on defense with the ladies' team, so that probably didn't help with the shot, but I'll take it," he said in a Talladega release. "I always take crazy shots when I am in the gym and probably shoot better around that range than from the 3-point line, but I never actually tried those shots. I am really thankful to the speedway for offering this promotion." Whitmire is a NASCAR fan and regularly goes to races at Talladega with his Sigma Nu fraternity brothers. "We will have 50 or more guys come out each race and make it a big social event," he said. "We have done it for years and can't wait to go back (the first weekend in May)."
Basketball
The struggling Covenant College basketball teams both won USA South games Friday against visiting North Carolina Wesleyan. After the Lady Scots romped to their first victory of the year, 67-43, led by 14 points apiece from Haley Soles and Aleigha Williams, the Scots (3-11, 2-3) won 71-64 with Will Portlock and T.J. Cox scoring 13 and 10 with four assists apiece. Abbey Bailey had 10 points and eight rebounds, Rachel Price grabbed nine rebounds and Morgan Woodward had eight assists for the Lady Scots (1-13, 1-5), who led 41-15 at halftime and by 29 points with 17:15 to go. Wiliams had seven rebounds, and Soles was 3-for-4 on 3-point shots.
Terrance Scales' 28 points, eight rebounds and three steals led Tennessee Temple to a 100-92 men's basketball victory over Barber-Scotia on Friday in the Johnson & Wales Classic in Charlotte, N.C. Bryan Jones scored 19 points for the Crusaders (5-12), and Patrick Lyons, Emmanuel Rounds and Weedlens Beauvil added 15, 13 and 10. Beauvil made 10 of 11 free throws. Ryan Atkins scored 26 points and Shaquille Wilson had 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in defeat.
Track & Field
UTC junior Keeley Stewart finished eighth in the women's 5000-meter run Friday in the opening day of the ETSU Invitational track and field meet in Johnson City, Tenn., and freshman Anna Kate Chance was 18 seconds behind her. Freshmen Mercedes Bright and Jacob Noorbergen had good showings in the 200 dashes. She was third in the 12th women's heat, and he was 40th overall among the men.
Tennis
The UTC tennis teams are about to get the 2015 portions of their schedules under way. Coach Carlos Garcia's men's team faces Middle Tennessee State today in Nashville at 11 a.m. EST and visits sixth-ranked North Carolina on Monday, when Jeff Clark's female Mocs open by hosting Austin Peay at 1 p.m. at Manker Patten's indoor courts. Clark returns eight of nine letter winners from a team that went 18-5 overall and was 7-2 and third in the Southern Conference. Garcia has four of his top six back, and sophomore Lucas Plesky from Argentina will make his Mocs debut.
Baseball
The Tennessee Association of Vintage Base Ball is building off exhibition games played at Engel Stadium last June by establishing a local league this year, and information, signups and practice will be available today at the old polo grounds in Fort Oglethorpe -- from noon to 4 p.m. "Vintage Base Ball is played on an open field, and the 6th Cavalry Museum has partnered with the league to host the games on the former Army post," museum executive director Chris McKeever said in a release this week. "Vintage players and organizers will be here to answer questions, take the field to demonstrate play and sign up players and umpires for the 2015 season."