State sports briefs

BASKETBALL

Arkansas NLR games on sale Wednesday

Arkansas men’s and women’s basketball tickets for their annual Verizon Arena games in North Little Rock will be on sale Wednesday.

The Arkansas men will play Southeast Missouri on Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Verizon Arena. Tickets are $25 plus applicable service charges.

The Arkansas women take on Oklahoma as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Dec. 21. Texas will play Texas A&M in the other game. Game times have not been determined for the Challenge, which will be $18 for adults, $12 for children ages 2-12 plus applicable service charges. Groups of 10 or more receive $3 off the adult ticket. Childrens’ prices as part of the group remains $12.

If fans purchase tickets to the Arkansas men’s game at the same time as the Challenge games, they will receive $5 off of the Challenge ticket.

Tickets are available at the Verizon Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at 1 (800) 745-3000 or at ticketmaster.com.

FOOTBALL

Henderson State stays at No. 7, Harding moves up

Henderson State remains ranked No. 7 in the latest NCAA Division II American Football Coaches Association top 25 poll released Monday.

The Reddies (4-0, 3-0) beat East Central (Okla.) 44-27 on Saturday for their 27th consecutive regular-season victory. Henderson State hosts Northwestern Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Harding moved up one spot to No. 15 in this week’s poll. The Bisons (3-0, 3-0) beat Southern Nazarene 58-0 last week and host Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Ouachita Baptist (3-0, 3-0) received five votes in this week’s poll.

Blackshire, Early, Ray honored by GAC

Southern Arkansas quarterback Si Blackshire was named Great American Conference Player of the Week, Arkansas-Monticello cornerback Mike Early was named Defensive Player of the Week and Henderson State kicker Houston Ray was named Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.

Blackshire threw an SAU record six touchdowns in the Muleriders’ 62-21 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday. He threw for a career-high 377 yards .

Early intercepted two passes in the Boll Weevils’ 33-14 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State. He returned the first interception 32 yards for a touchdown and the second one 55 yards. Ray made three field goals and five extra points in the Reddies’ victory over East Central (Okla.).

VOLLEYBALL

Begic honored by Sun Belt

UALR senior outside hitter Edina Begic was named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row on Monday.

Begic had 13 kills in a seep of Georgia State on Friday, than had 17 kills and 11 digs in a Sunday victory over Appalachian State. Begic has 189 kills this season, second in the Sun Belt, and her 1,814 career kills lead all active NCAA Division I players.

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