GYMNASTICS
UA's Hambrick honored
University of Arkansas junior Kennedy Hambrick was named co-SEC gymnast of the week by the league office on Tuesday after she tied her school record with a 39.7 on the all-around to help the Razorbacks to a program-record 197.425 in Friday's win at Auburn.
Hambrick, of Pearland, Texas, claimed her fourth all-around title and her fourth vault championship of the season to help the Razorbacks post their first 197-plus on the road since 2012. Hambrick scored 9.9 or better on all four events for the first time in her career. She shared the weekly SEC honor with Alabama's Louisa Blanco, who also posted a 39.7 in the all-around last week against Florida.
The Razorbacks (3-5) dropped a spot to No. 9 in the weekly rankings, which are based on national qualifying scores heading into the postseason. Arkansas, which has an open date this week, qualified for the four-team night session at the SEC Championships for the first time since the format changed in 2013. The Razorbacks will compete against No. 1 Florida, No. 3 LSU and No. 8 Alabama in the evening session at the Van Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala. The afternoon session will consist of No. 12 Kentucky, No. 15 Auburn, No. 16 Georgia and No. 21 Missouri.
Arkansas, aiming for its first SEC championship, has drawn the rotation of balance beam, floor exercise, vault and uneven bars for the event.
-- Tom Murphy
BASKETBALL
UCA's Ibeh named to first team
University of Central Arkansas forward Lucy Ibeh received three Southland Conference honors Tuesday, named to both the league's all-conference first team and all-defensive team. The 6-0 forward in her first season with the Sugar Bears was also named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year.
Ibeh led UCA with 13.4 points and 6.9 assists after arriving from Collin College (Texas), finishing the regular season sixth in scoring and seventh in rebounding in the Southland. She scored 31 points in wins over Nicholls State (Jan.16) and New Orleans (Feb. 10), ultimately accounting for two of the league's three 30-point performances in the regular season.
Ibeh and the Sugar Bears won eight of their last 11 games to secure a spot in Southland Conference Tournament. No. 5 seed UCA is slated to face the winner of No. 8 Houston Baptist and No. 9 McNeese State at 11 a.m. Central on Thursday in Katy, Texas.
UAPB's Brown earns award
University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff redshirt senior Khadijah Brown was announced as the Southwestern Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year on Tuesday. The 6-3 center, who led the Golden Lions with 15.2 points per game, was also named to the all-conference second team.
Brown, a transfer from Jacksonville University, blossomed in her debut season to finish eighth in the SWAC scoring and fourth in rebounding with 8.8 rebounds per game. Her 1.3 blocks per game ranked seventh in the league.
Brown reached double figures in all but one of her 19 games, eclipsing the 20-point mark five times and recording nine double-doubles for UAPB (3-18). She scored a career-high 26 points against Southern on Feb. 13, and pulled down a career-best 16 rebounds against Alcorn State on Jan. 16.
Brown is expected to return to the Golden Lions in 2021-22.
Golden Lions' Doss named to first team
University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff redshirt junior Shaun Doss Jr. was named to the Southwestern Athletic Conference first team on Tuesday.
The 6-5 guard from Marion finished the regular season as the league's fourth-leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game, and was the SWAC Player of the Week twice. His 6.5 rebounds per game tied for fifth in the conference, joining Alabama A&M sophomore Jalen Johnson as the only two players in the conference to rank in the top five in scoring and rebounding on the season.
Doss scored a career-best 31 points in a Jan. 9 win against Alabama State. He tallied 24 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in last Friday's victory over Mississippi Valley State, which clinched the Golden Lions a place in this week's SWAC Tournament.
No. 7 seed UAPB faces No. 2 seed Jackson State at 2 p.m. Central today at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala.
-- Eli Lederman
Covid-19 protocols end Tech's season
The Arkansas Tech University women's basketball team will not be able to compete in the NCAA Division II Tournament this weekend because of covid-19 protocols and contact tracing within the program, the school announced in a news release Tuesday.
Arkansas Tech (14-2), the No. 4 seed in the NCAA South Central Regional, was to have played No. 5 seed Cameron in a first-round game Friday. With the Golden Suns' forfeit, Cameron will move on to face Lubbock Christian on Saturday.
The Golden Suns won the Great American Conference Eastern Division but lost in the tournament semifinals to Southeastern Oklahoma.
WRESTLING
UALR's Bianchi receives NCAA bid
University of Arkansas at Little Rock redshirt senior wrestler Paul Bianchi received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Tuesday, marking the first time a Trojan has earned a place in the postseason event.
Bianchi, who competes in the in the 133-pound division, was ranked No. 26 in the NCAA coaches poll for two consecutive weeks in February, and bolstered his postseason case by securing a fourth-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships on March 1.
The NCAA Wrestling Championships begin March 18 in St. Louis.
BASEBALL
ASU defeats Missouri State
Arkansas State University won its first game of the season Tuesday after an 0-7 start, defeating Missouri State 10-2 at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro.
The Red Wolves led 2-1 after three innings, then broke the game open with an eight-run fourth inning for a 10-1 advantage.
Blake McCutchen had two run-scoring hits in the inning, including a single and a double. Jared Toler hit a RBI double and Klutts had a run-scoring triple. Klutts later came home on a wild pitch. With ASU leading 6-1, Sky-Lar Culver hit a three-run home run to make it 9-1.
McCutchen, Toler and Jaylon Deshazier all had two hits apiece for ASU. Will Nash earned the victory, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings.
UALR's Barnum picks up award
University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior first baseman Kobe Barnum was named the Sun Belt Conference player of the week Tuesday.
Barnum batted .455 to help the Trojans go 3-1 last week. He went 5 for 10 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI in three games against North Alabama. In Sunday's victory, Barnum was 4 for 5 with a career-best 6 RBI, driving in 6 of the Trojans' 10 runs.
GOLF
Trojans' Albers wins tournament
Anton Albers won his second consecutive tournament, winning the Trinity Forest Invitational on Tuesday in Dallas.
Albers shot a 7-under-par 64 in the final round, including a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole to win the tournament. He finished at 7-under 206 to earn medalist honors.
Albers' 64 tied the program record for the lowest individual round, matching a career best from the second round of the Little Rock Invitational in October.
Also for UALR, Nico Horder tied for 15th with a 217. Logan Pate shot a 223, finishing in a tie for 35th. Magnus Lomholt tied for 46th at 225, while Ryan McNeils finished at 229, good for 64th place.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services