BASKETBALL
Freshman McBride leaving Jayhawks
Issac McBride, the All-Arkansas Preps Boys Basketball Player of the Year for 2019, has decided to withdraw from school and leave the Kansas University basketball team, Coach Bill Self and McBride announced Friday.
McBride, a 6-1 guard from Baptist Prep, signed with Kansas in November. McBride averaged 28.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists a game during his senior season.
McBride announced his decision to leave the program on Twitter.
"I decided the program was not a good fit for me," McBride wrote. "I will continue to pursue a future basketball career. I would like to thank the basketball staff at KU. Most importantly, I would like to thank my family, especially my dad, who has supported me through this decision."
"We are all disappointed that Issac made this decision, basically on Tuesday," Self said. "After discussing with his family, everybody came to the conclusion that this was not a good fit. We wish Issac the best."
McBride led Baptist Prep to three consecutive Class 4A state titles from 2016-2018 and to the Class 3A state semifinals in March. He was named the 2019 Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year and was a four-time member of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Team.
VOLLEYBALL
Freshman leads Arkansas to victory
Freshman Jullian Gillen recorded 21 kills and 20 digs in helping Arkansas defeat North Carolina State in five sets in the SEC/ACC Challenge in Athens, Ga., on Friday.
Arkansas (6-6) won the match 25-22, 29-27, 19-25, 23-25, 15-10.
Maggie Cartwright added 20 kills and 12 digs while Ellease Crumpton made seven blocks and seven kills.
Red Wolves 2-0 at Hokie Invitational
Arkansas State won two matches at the Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va., on Friday.
The Red Wolves (8-3) knocked off UNC-Charlotte 25-20, 25-18, 25-20 and then defeated Virginia Tech 27-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-22.
Peyton Uhlenhake and Macey Putt each recorded 12 kills vs. UNC-Charlotte while Julianna Cramer led the Red Wolves with 23 assists.
Against Tech, Timber Terrell made a team-high 13 kills while Putt added 12. Cramer led the team in assists with 31.
UCA rallies to down Southern Illinois
Lexi Miller made 16 kills and the University of Central Arkansas rallied for a 22-25, 25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 15-12 victory over host Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Friday night.
Madi Bowles came up with 11 kills, Bailey Waddington led the Sugar Bears (6-6) in assists with 25 and Emily Doss produced 31 digs.
Earlier in the day, the Sugar Bears suffered a 25-16, 25-20, 17-25, 25-21 loss to Presbyterian (4-7). Abbie Harry led UCA with 12 kills while Waddington led the team in assists with 21.
SAU drops match to Montevallo
Southern Arkansas started strong Friday afternoon in the opening day of play in the West Alabama Tournament in Livingston, Ala., winning its first set against Montevallo 25-15. But the Muleriders dropped the last three sets to the Falcons 25-10, 25-19 and 25-15 for the loss.
Morgan Gross led the Muleriders' offense with 11 kills. Morgan Schuster paced SAU (2-7) in assists with 33 and Alana Perez came up with 20 digs.
OBU wins one, loses one
Katie Camp topped Ouachita Baptist with 15 kills while making 18 digs in a 22-25, 26-28, 25-15, 26-24, 16-14 victory over Christian Brothers in the Harding Invitational at Searcy.
OBU (6-5) picked up a game-high 30 assists from Temi Fayiga and 25 digs from Lexie Castillow. Adrianna Nolly led the Tigers in blocks with six.
In an earlier match, Rockhurst defeated Ouachita Baptist 25-13, 25-13, 25-14. Audrey Gallaher led the Tigers with five kills.
Lyon tops St. Louis College of Pharmacy
Michayla Shanks recorded 17 kills and 14 digs as the Lyon Scots defeated St. Louis College of Pharmacy 25-14, 25-22, 25-22 in an American Midwest Conference game in Batesville on Friday.
Kendra Kelley added 11 kills and Gracen Ratliff nine for Lyon. Kaitlyn Jackson dished out 27 assists for Lyon (9-5, 1-0).
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Razorbacks place 10th in Boston
Preston Cates led the way for the Arkansas Razorbacks' 10th-place finish at the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown at Franklin Park in Boston.
Cates, a senior, finished the 8K course in 24:52, which was good enough for 22nd place overall.
Syracuse won the event with 64 points, while Army placed second with 91. Arkansas finished with 311 points.
MEN'S SOCCER
Tigers win GAC opener
Nery Flores scored in the 56th minute to give Ouachita Baptist a 1-0 victory over Southern Nazarene on Thursday in the Great American Conference opener for both teams.
Ouachita Baptist (1-3-1) outshot Southern Nazarene 9-6.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Arkansas State earns Sun Belt victory
Sophia Restrepo scored the game's final two goals in leading Arkansas State to a 3-1 victory over host Louisiana-Monroe in Sun Belt Conference action Friday.
Arkansas State (5-3, 1-0) took a 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute thanks to a goal from Sarah Sodoma. After Louisiana-Monroe tied the contest, Restrepo put the Red Wolves on top for good with an unassisted goal at the 55 minute mark.
Restrepo scored her second goal at the 69th minute. Sodoma and Lindsey Brouchu each had assists for Arkansas State.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 09/21/2019