The University of Tennessee Chattanooga women’s basketball team lost 68-65 in overtime Thursday night at Northern Colorado. Before losing for the fifth time in a row, the visiting Mocs (4-7) trailed 22-14 after one quarter but only 29-28 at halftime and were tied at 40 and 59 after the next two periods. And they got a try for another tie on Shelbie Davenport’s 3-point attempt as time expired in overtime. Lakelyn Bouldin led UTC with 22 points while Brooke Burns scored 13 and Davenport added 10 and passed for four assists. Alexis Hinton and Savannah Smith scored 23 and 20 points for Northern Colorado (5-3), and Bridget Hintz had 11 plus nine rebounds. Ali Meyer had 13 rebounds for the Bears, while Rochelle Lee paced the Mocs with seven.
» Isaac Edmondson and Noah Chatman scored 18 points apiece and Cayden Edmonson had 17 plus nine rebounds as Bethel University beat visiting Dalton State 88-67 in Southern States Athletic Conference basketball Thursday night. The winning Wildcats (8-3, 2-1) made 29 of 35 free throws compared to 13 of 21 for Dalton State (4-5, 1-2), which got 15 points from Sean Chislom, 13 plus five steals from Randy Bell and 12 points from Aaron Burress. Sean Cranney had six assists.
Softball
» The eight-player 2019 Tennessee softball recruiting class secured by co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly is ranked No. 1 in the nation by Extra Inning Softball and FloSoftball. Five of the Lady Vols’ recruits are in the FloSoftball top 50 and two others join them in the Hot 100, and six are in the Extra Inning Extra Elite 100. The eight are pitchers Callie Turner of Land O’Lakes, Florida; Kiki Milloy (also an outfielder) of Woodinville, Washington, and Amanda Curran of Woodlands, Texas; and in-state recruits Anna Fox of Columbia, Anna Hazlewood of Martin, Caitlyn McCrary of Murfreesboro, Madison Webber of Sevierville and Josie Willingham of Jackson. In a UT release Thursday, Ralph Weekly noted that this class covered all the targeted needs “and more” and added, “Seven of the eight play multiple positions and play them well. They are also very good students.”
General
* The All-Southern Conference Faculty and Staff Team announced this week included Dr. Jamie Harvey and Melanie Ribaric of UTC. Harvey’s first connection with the school was in 1975 as a health and physical education student. She began her UTC teaching career in 1982 as an adjunct and now is an associate professor and the Faculty Senate president-elect. She served the last three years on the Chancellor’s Athletic Board, and her research interests have included football officials as well as childhood obesity, Head Start Body Start and Safe Routes to School. Ribaric was chosen largely for her work as a college access advisor for the Educational Opportunity Center at Chattanooga, which helps adults in five counties, primarily in a wide range of disadvantaged groups, enroll in postsecondary institutions. The common thread for the SoCon selections is “demonstrated service to the institution and contributions to campus life and the local community,” according to the league release. Each of the 10 member schools has two representatives.
Swimming
» Baylor Swim Club representatives had impressive performances last weekend at the 2018 USA Swimming Speedo Winter Junior Championships-EAST in Greensboro, North Carolina, including 16-year-old Ellie Waldrep with a club record of 1:56.78 in the 200-yard backstroke and Baylor School records in the 100 backstroke (52.49) and 100 butterfly (54.11). She was fourth overall in the 100 back, 11th in the 100 fly. Addison Smith also broke the school’s old 100 fly record and had top-12 finishes in that event and the 500 and 200 freestyles, and she set a Baylor Swim Club standard with a 16:50.19 in the 1650 free. Baylor’s Jack Kirby was fifth in the boys’ 100 back and had a personal best in the 100 fly, and Waldrep, Smith, Jewel Gordon and Jamee Mitchum were 16th and 18th in two relays.
Running
» Cleveland State cross country standout Madison Guider from Lenoir City has signed to run next year for Tennessee Wesleyan. She is the first Cougars or Lady Cougars runner to get a scholarship to a four-year program. “Madison was the top runner for the women’s team for both of her years here,” coach David Kyle said in a Cleveland State release. “She will continue to work hard and excel at the next level undoubtedy. … I know she will succeed both academically and athletically. She has been fun to coach, and she has set the standard here.”