BASKETBALL
Allen named Gatorade Player of the Year
KeVaughn Allen of North Little Rock has been selected as the 2014-2015 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Allen, a 6-3 senior guard, led the Charging Wildcats to a 25-5 record and the Class 7A state championship this past season. He averaged 25.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.1 steals a game. He was a part of the Charging Wildcats’ three consecutive state championship teams and was named as the state tournament’s MVP in 2013 and 2015.
Hutchcraft set to coach McDonald’s game
John Hutchcraft, who has won more than 1,900 games as the senior boys and girls coach at Guy-Perkins High School, will be the head coach for the East team at tonight’s McDonald’s All-American girls game at the United Center in Chicago.
The game is set to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU.
Hutchcraft will be assisted by Guy-Perkins graduates Vic Rimmer and Ashley Nance. Rimmer is the girls head coach at Fayetteville High School. Nance is Hutchcraft’s daughter and the head coach at Conway High School.
Dykes finalist for rookie award
Arkansas Coach Jimmy Dykes and Gonzaga Coach Lisa Fortier are finalists for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Maggie Dixon Rookie Coach of the Year Award, the organization announced Tuesday.
Dykes led Arkansas to an 18-14 record and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012 with a roster of nine players.
The award winner will be announced during the WBCA Awards Show April 6 in Tampa, Fla., in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four.
The award is named in honor of Maggie Dixon, who died from a heart condition in 2006 after leading Army’s women’s team to a 20-11 record and NCAA Tournament appearance in her only season as head coach.
GOLF
UCA outlasts UALR
The UALR women’s golf team made up a seven-stroke deficit in Tuesday’s round to force a playoff with Central Arkansas, but UCA won the playoff to win the UALR/ASU Women’s Golf Classic at Maumelle Country Club.
UCA earned its second title of the spring.
UCA freshman Fernanda Lira took medalist honors with a 3-over-par 219, four strokes better than runner-up Hannah Ward of UALR. UCA’s Morgan Best shot a 9-over 225 to finish third and teammate Brenda Gonzalez tied for fourth at 11-over 227.
UALR’s Sabrina Bonanno finished tied for fifth, while teammate Stina Resen finished 13-over 229.
Megan Garland was Arkansas State’s highest finisher at 14-over 230.
UCA and UALR tied as a team at 43-over 907 before heading to the playoff. Oral Roberts finished third with a 913, Missouri State was fourth (920) and Arkansas State, Stephen F. Austin, Missouri-Kansas City and Texas-El Paso were tied for fifth (921).
Mabrey wins title, UALR finishes fourth
Tulsa’s Matt Mabrey shot a final-round 4-under-par 68 Tuesday at the Chenal Country Club Bear Den course to finish at 6-under 210 and win medalist honors at the UALR/First Tee Collegiate.
Mabrey, a Little Rock Catholic graduate, shot a 72 and 70 in the first two rounds, respectively.
UALR began the round two strokes back but slipped to fourth after its worst round of the tournament.
Tulsa shot a 291 and finished at 866 to win the team title, one stroke ahead of Memphis, which shot 286 on Tuesday.
Louisiana-Monroe was third at 292, followed by UALR (877) and McNeese State (885). Central Arkansas finished in 13th at 900.
Pep Angles was UCA’s best finisher, shooting a 211 and tying for second.