Area sports notes: Cleveland State upsets Casper in juco nationals

Assorted Sports Equipment on Black
Assorted Sports Equipment on Black

Midnight still has not arrived for Lee Cigliano's Cinderella Cougars. Cigliano's 24th-seeded Cleveland State men's basketball team upset ninth seed Casper (Wyoming) College 90-83 in the first round Monday of the NJCAA Division I tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, and will face eighth seed Ranger Tuesday, March 19. The Texas team is directed by former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. While Casper came into the national tournament 32-2 and riding a 15-game winning streak, the Cougars were 15-15 after taking the Region VII tournament title with four wins in five days. That got Cigliano the honor of region coach of the year, and his team continued that momentum by taking a 9-2 lead Monday and immediately retaking the lead each of the two times Casper pulled ahead in the second half. The Cougars built a double-digit advantage midway through the half and held on when the Thunderbirds pulled within three. Jonathan King scored 21 points in the win and Domont'a Wright had 18, while Delaino Walker contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, Exavian Young had 12 points and Demonte Person passed for six assists.

Softball

* University of Tennessee at Chattanooga freshman Emily Coltharp was honored Monday as the Southern Conference softball player of the week after going 9-for-18 in games March 11-17, with five walks, four runs batted in and eight runs scored. She had at least one hit in each of the Mocs' six games last week in Clearwater, Florida.

Baseball

* The Chattanooga Lookouts announced Monday that they will be called the Montanas de Chattanooga for three games in the 2019 season - on April 28, June 22 and July 19 - as part of Minor League Baseball's "Copa de la Diversion" celebrating the Hispanic influence in the sport's heritage. The Lookouts are one of 72 teams picked to participate but the only one from the Southern League. "We chose the Montañas name, and our colors, to pay homage to the two mountains that shape Chattanooga," Lookouts president Rich Mozingo said in a club release. "This initiative is a great way to celebrate the cultural diversity of our city." April 28 is a Sunday also being recognized as Hispanic Heritage Day, starting La Paz Chattanooga's weeklong Semana Latina. This is the fourth year of the Lookouts' partnership with La Paz.

* Bryan College sophomore Joseph Cuomo is the Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball pitcher of the week for his seven innings of success in a 4-2 Lions victory opening the weekend series with nationally No. 2-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan. He allowed seven hits and two walks and struck out 10 batters.

Golf

* Bryan senior Krista Reinhardt was named the AAC women's golfer of the week after winning Point University's tournament at Callaway Gardens with a 36-hole total of 145 (72-73). That broke her own Lady Lions record.

Swimming

* The Baylor Swim Club has 18 boys and girls at the National Club Swimming Association Junior National Championships Tuesday through Saturday in Orlando, Florida. The meet will include more than 1,700 swimmers from more than 250 clubs throughout the nation, and this is the largest contingent from the Baylor Swim Club in its 12 consecutive years of participating. The club's representatives are Noah Althoff, Alex Borisov, Heidi Dierig, Jewel Gordon, Sarah Hollowell, Zach Kangeiser, Jack Kirby, Jamee Mitchum, Cecilia Porter, Aidan Sims, Daniel Snyder, Addison Smith, Will Tippett, Daniel Unhuryan, Ellie Waldrep, Callie West, Avery Wilson and Dallas Woods.

Pickleball

* Katie Dyer of Ooltewah helped win two gold medals in the Evansville Pickleball Classic this past weekend. She won with Rick Witske of Indiana in the Mixed Doubles Pro Division and teamed with Kasandra Gehrke of Wisconsin for the tournament title in the Pro Women's Doubles Division.

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