BOWLING: ASU goes 1-1 at NCAA Tournament

The third-seeded Arkansas State University women's team swept No. 6 seed North Carolina A&T, then lost to defending national champion McKendree during the first day of the NCAA Tournament at Tropicana Lanes in St. Louis.

The Red Wolves beat North Carolina A&T 1,112-929 in their traditional match, then took a 1,133-886 victory in a five-game Baker match to advance in the winners bracket. Against McKendree, ASU lost by four pins (1,009-1,005), but bounced back with a 1,148-1,012 victory to tie the match at 1-1, which forced a best-of-seven Baker match won by the Bearcats 4-2.

"Average wise, we knocked down more pins in both rounds than all of the other teams here," Coach Justin Kostick said. "We just have to stay focused because we've been through this before in the Southland Bowling League Championship. The same aspect applies here. We're going to be here for a long time and we'll have to bowl extra matches to make the big show."

Arkansas State faces Sam Houston State at 9 a.m. in an elimination match. The Red Wolves would then face Vanderbilt in their next match. The championship final will be at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and will air on ESPNU.

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