BASKETBALL
Flanigan makes first hire
Wes Flanigan has his first assistant coach.
Kwanza Johnson was named UALR's associate head coach Tuesday after spending the past three seasons at TCU, the school announced in a release. Flanigan, who was named UALR head coach March 31, said in a release that he hopes Johnson serves a similar role to what Flanigan did for Chris Beard last season.
"I wanted someone with a wealth of experience, a smart coach who was articulate and who has a chance to be a head coach," Flanigan said in a statement. "Kwanza fits that description. He's been a lot of different places and seen a lot of different ways that you can do things in basketball."
Johnson was part of a TCU team that went 12-21 this year and was 39-58 in the three seasons Johnson was on the staff. He has also coached at Georgia, Nevada and Tulsa. He spent the 2000-2001 season as an assistant at UALR under Coach Porter Moser when the Trojans finished 18-11.
"I share coach Flanigan's vision in continuing to build off the success of last year's team and solidify the culture that was established last season," Johnson said in the release. "I am prepared to come in and contribute in any way possible to help keep this program performing at a high level."
Johnson joins Jon Trilli, who Flanigan hired to serve as director of basketball operations. Flanigan can hire two more assistant coaches.
-- Troy Schulte
ASU adds junior college guard
Arkansas State men's basketball Coach Grant McCasland has his second new player in less than a week.
Rashad Lindsey, a point guard who played the past two seasons at Moberly (Mo.) Area Community College, signed with ASU on Tuesday, the school announced. The 6-foot native of St. Louis averaged 12.6 points, 3.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 45.5 percent for the Greyhounds. He was named first-team all-Region 16.
Lindsey also had offers from Sam Houston State, Cleveland State, Georgia State and Alcorn State, according to jucorecruiting.com.
Lindsey is McCasland's second addition to the Red Wolves after Deven Simms, from Connors State College, signed Friday. ASU is committed to 11 scholarships for next season. The limit for NCAA Division I men's teams is 13.
GOLF
UALR third, ASU fifth at SBC championships
UALR's Shania Berger lost on the second playoff hole to Texas State's Maty Monzingo on Tuesday in the final round of the Sun Belt women's golf championship at Raven Golf Club in Miramar Beach, Fla.
Berger's second-place finish came after she shot 4-over 75 on Tuesday and finished 8-over 221 for the tournament. Both missed birdie putts and made par on the first playoff hole, while Monzingo clinched with a birdie on the second playoff.
UALR finished third as a team with a three-round total of 920, six shots back of second-place Troy (914) and 25 strokes behind Texas State's 895. ASU finished fifth with a three-round total of 930, three shots behind fourth-place Georgia Southern.
ASU's Aracelly Jiminez Rios shot a 75 on Tuesday and finished in a tie for sixth at 13-over 226. Beth Ann Compton shot even-par 71 on Tuesday and finished one stroke back in ninth. UALR's Sabrina Bonanno was tied for 10th at 16-over 229.
Sports on 04/20/2016