FOOTBALL
Estate donates $650,000 to ASU
The estate of a Tuckerman couple has donated $650,000 to the ongoing expansion of Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas State announced Tuesday.
The donation from Henry E. and Verbeth Coe will go toward the new club and suite-level seating at Centennial Bank Stadium, where construction began last October. The Coes held season tickets to the enclosed seating area in the old press box until “they were no longer physically able to attend,” according to a university release.
Henry, a 1938 ASU graduate, died in 2003 and Verbeth died in 2013.
A university release said the estate is donating $3 million to higher education, nearly one-third of which will go toward athletics because both were “enthusiastic boosters of the intercollegiate athletics program,” ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir said in a statement.
The Coes are also the namesake of the H.E. Coe Endowment Trust, which generates athletic scholarships.
ASU received a $5 million gift from alum Johnny Allison in August, and broke ground on the $15-$16 million expansion of the press box and suite areas on the west side of Centennial Bank Stadium in October. It is expected to be complete by ASU’s first home football game Sept. 12 against Missouri.
— Troy Schulte
BASKETBALL
UAPB games moved
Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s regular-season finales against Mississippi Valley State have been moved to Thursday night in Greenwood, Miss., the school announced Tuesday.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday in Itta Bena, Miss. The games will be played at the LeFlore County Civic Center in Greenwood. The women’s game will start at 5:30, and the men’s game at 7:30.
Jonesboro’s Ross honored by Patriot League
Lehigh freshman guard Kahron Ross of Jonesboro was named the Patriot League’s freshman of the year Tuesday.
Ross, who starred at Jonesboro High, is averaging 10.4 points per game and leads the Patriot League with 5.8 assists per game.
Lehigh (16-13) is the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will play sixth-seeded American in a quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. Central on Thursday.
Arkansas Baptist College wins opener
Deanta Thomas and Fred Albright each scored 23 points as Arkansas Baptist College outlasted Eastern Oklahoma State 112-108 in four overtimes in the first round of the NJCAA Region II Tournament in Wilburton, Okla.
D.J. Reed had 21 points for the Buffaloes while Dexter Porchia added 12. Arkansas Baptist will play Northern Oklahoma in the quarterfinals today.