Bryan College guard Kaitlynn Hennessee from Athens went into the 2020 Appalachian Athletic Conference basketball tournament in Kingsport as the women's freshman of the year and one of three Lions on the 10-player all-conference team, and Bryan's Jason Smith repeated as coach of the year. But their nationally 13th-ranked team - already advancing to a fourth straight NAIA Division II tournament - lost Thursday for the first time in 57 games against AAC opponents, 75-67 to eighth seed Milligan (14-18). Smith has a 200-82 record in nine seasons at the Dayton school, with three consecutive regular-season championships after three straight AAC tournament titles. The All-AAC first team also includes Bryan junior guards Karli Combs and Deandra Luna, Reinhardt senior Bethany Headrick from Ringgold and player of the year Brooke Hammonds from Union College. Bryan sophomore Destiny Kassner and Tennessee Wesleyan sophomore Jordan Wright from Niota made the second team, and TWU's Carlie Runyan from Etowah joined Hennessee on the all-freshmen team. Hennessee - averaging 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game with 79 assists, 51 steals and 43 blocks - also is on the all-defensive team. Bryan's Faith Simmons and TWU's Hannah Troutt were Champions of Character choices. Kassner scored 17 points, Hennessee had 16 with seven rebounds and Luna provided 14 points and five assists in the loss for the Lions (28-2). Headrick had 17 points and 11 rebounds as No. 2 seed Reinhardt (26-2) ended Wesleyan's season at 10-19 with a 68-56 victory. Chloe Yearwood had 10 points and Kenzie Conn eight rebounds in defeat.
* Tennessee Wesleyan University's Bryant Bernard and Bryan's Brandon Thomas are among the 10 players on the All-AAC men's first team, and TWU's Dominique Oggs was voted to the all-freshmen team. The Bulldogs' Joshua Chairs and Bryan's Keaton Dotson are their teams' Champions of Character. They ended their seasons Thursday with quarterfinal losses at Kingsport, TWU (15-13) by 84-81 to 2 seed Montreat (23-7) and the Lions (13-16) by 74-59 to top seed Union (22-9). Oggs scored 23 points and Ty Patterson had 19 and four assists for Wesleyan; Lorenzo Gatling added 14 points. For Bryan, KJ Hawkins had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Isaiah McClain scored 12 points and Thomas grabbed nine rebounds.
* Lee University pounded the Shorter women 111-45 and beat Shorter's men 74-55 in Gulf South Conference play Thursday night in Rome, Georgia. Lee's teams will end the regular season Saturday at Alabama-Huntsville and host GSC tournament quarterfinal games Tuesday. Haley Schubert, Taylor Boggess and Macy Woodworth scored 17, 15 and 14 points for the Lady Flames (25-2, 17-2), who led 41-13 after a quarter and 69-20 at halftime. Schubert, who also had six steals and five assists, and Woodworth each shot 7-for-8 from the field, and Nicky Widenski was 5-for-5 and had 12 points and seven assists. Abby Bertram added six of Lee's 31 assists. Quay Kennedy had 16 points and Josh Lowe eight rebounds for the Lee men (21-5, 16-3), who were up 41-17 at halftime.
* In a Southern States matchup of NAIA Division I men's teams, No. 4 Dalton State lost 100-97 at No. 8 Faulkner. Randy Bell and Kevon Tucker scored 19 and 18 points and Dauson Womack had 17 points and 13 rebounds for DSC (26-3, 14-3), and Rodley Adjei and C.J. Perry added 15 and 13 points. Igor Stokic had 10 rebounds. Nate Bradley and C.J. Williamson each scored 21 points for Faulkner (25-3, 16-1). Both programs are past NAIA champions.
Golf
* Lee freshman Beck Burnette from Blairsville, Georgia, is on the Arnold Palmer Cup watch list for the annual international competition to be held July 3-5 this year in Ireland. Twelve collegians will represent the United States in the Ryder Cup-style format, and at least one must come from a non-Division I school. Through his first five college tournaments, Burnette has a 70.69 stroke average in 13 rounds.
Fishing
* The Bryan College duo of Conner DiMauro and Cole Sands moved up from sixth to second Thursday with a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 10 ounces in the FLW college national tournament on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida. That gave them 37-11 for two days, 5 pounds out of first and 8 ounces clear of third. That tournament includes four Bryan boats. The Lions' Bailey Fain and Preston Kendrick were 31st at 11-8 after a Bassmaster college event first round Thursday on Smith Lake in Alabama.
Compiled by Ron Bush. Contact him at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.