RUSSELLVILLE – After a couple month delay from what a normal first game of the season would be, the Arkansas Tech University men’s basketball team opened up their 2020-21 campaign with a 64-59 overtime win on Friday afternoon against nearby University of the Ozarks.

In the win, the Wonder Boys (1-0) had three players score in double figures with Ke’Lyn Adams and Cameron Kennedy leading the way with 13 points each. Both scoring efforts from the senior duo came off the bench. Adams and Kennedy were also active on the boards as each hauled in six rebounds. Fellow senior Tony Hall led the team in rebounding with eight.

The third scorer in double figures was freshman newcomer Cejay Mann as he scored 11 points in his collegiate debut. In addition to his scoring, Mann, who started the game, added a team-high five assists and came away with a team-high three steals as well.

The overtime win was also the first for Mark Downey in his return back to Tech. Downey previously spent four years as the head coach of the Wonder Boys from 2006-07 – 2009-10 and won 77 games the first time around.

The Wonder Boys will now prepare for their final non-conference game of the season as they are set to host Southwestern Christian University this coming Sunday afternoon. That game was scheduled to be played at 4 p.m. following the Golden Suns’ season-opener vs. Ozarks, but due to a COVID-related cancelation by Ozarks, the Wonder Boys will now tip-off at 2 p.m. against Southwestern Christian.

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CLARKSVILLE – The Hendrix College baseball team blasted three home runs en route to an 11-1 road win over the University of the Ozarks on Tuesday afternoon.

The Warriors (9-16) took a lead in the first when sophomore shortstop Jorge Leon led off with a double and scored on a single up the middle from junior center fielder Drew Judson.

They added five runs in the second on three hits, a walk and an error. Senior left fielder Wyatt Hogan blasted a three-run homer over the right field fence.

The Eagles’ (9-13) only run came in the sixth when third baseman Patrick Clifford led off with a solo home run to left center.

Hendrix went up 9-1 in the top of the seventh on a three-run homer to left field from junior right fielder Matthew Lillard. Leon started the eighth with another double and later scored on a Lillard base hit. Hogan hit a solo home run over the left field fence in the top of the ninth to make the game 11-1.

Freshman Evan Ingram (1-1) started and allowed just three walks, two hits and a strikeout over four scoreless innings to earn the win. Josh Gonzales, Hayden Seay, Skylar Furey, Connor Nelson and Will Brabsoncombined for five frames of relief, allowing five hits, one run and striking out one. Furey threw a perfect seventh inning. Ozarks’ Dylan McLemore (1-1) took the loss, giving up five hits, six runs and three walks in 1.2 innings.

Hogan went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, four RBI, a stolen base and two homers. Leon was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. Lillard was also 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored with the home run and a double.

Ozarks’ designated hitter Edwin Rodriguez was 3-for-4 and stole a base.

Hendrix will travel to Jackson, Miss. for a Southern Athletic Association series at Millsaps College beginning Saturday.

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BATESVILLE – The ninth-ranked Lyon College women’s basketball team’s season opener was nothing short of exciting inside James C. Becknell Gymnasium Tuesday night. In a back-and-forth battle with College of the Ozarks, the game went into two overtime periods. The Scots hung tough battling all night with the Bobcats, but came up just short, falling 92-88.

Jamie Jackson and Sarah Elkins each had career-nights with Jackson posting 35 points on 11-of-24 shooting, and Elkins chipping in 14 points on 6-of-10 from the floor.

Lyon falls to 0-1 overall on the season, while College of the Ozarks is now 3-0. Only six teams have played so far in the American Midwest Conference this year, with Harris-Stowe State University and William Woods University in first place at 1-0. Williams Baptist College, Hannibal-LaGrange University, Park University and Stephens College are all 0-1 with the Scots.

BY THE NUMBERS

23 – Ali Tucker, Madison Riley and Elliot Taylor combined for 23 points for the Scots. Tucker and Riley each had eight, while Taylor added seven.

41 – The Scots had 41 rebounds in the game led by seven apiece from Riley and Taylor. Jackson added five, while Elkins had four. The Bobcats had 40 rebounds, led by 12 from Kelsie Cleeton.

39.1 – Lyon shot 39.1 percent from the field in the game, while College of the Ozarks shot 42.6 percent.

31 – Lyon took advantage of College of the Ozark’s turnovers by scoring 31 points.

GAME FLOW

Lyon had the advantage early outscoring College of the Ozarks 18-12 in the first quarter, and 21-17 in the second quarter. Lyon would take a 10 point lead into the locker room at 39-29.

At the start of the third quarter, College of the Ozarks made a run cutting into the Scots lead at 43-38. The Scots would extend their lead by going on a 7-1 run to take a 50-39 lead, but the Bobcats climbed back in it trailing 55-50 heading into the fourth.

Lyon and College of the Ozarks were in a dogfight the rest of the way. As Lyon held onto a lead with just under five minutes left, the Bobcats took the lead away going up 63-59 at the 3:53 mark. The Scots would later grab the lead back holding onto a 68-65 advantage, but with six seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats hit a three-pointer to tie the game up and take it into overtime.

The first overtime period was neck-and-neck. With 2:25 left in the period, Jackson sank a three-pointer to give Lyon a 78-75 lead. After two free throws from Riley the Scots led 80-77, but College of the Ozarks once again tied it as Cassidy Johnson heaved an over the shoulder shot as time expired, making the score 80 all.

The second overtime period would be the final act as both teams were tied at 88 with 1:11 remaining. The Bobcats made a basket to take a 90-88 lead with 31 seconds left before holding off Lyon for the win.

WHAT’S AHEAD FOR THE SCOTS
Lyon will next play on Nov. 11 when they travel to Shreveport, La., to face Lousiana State University-Shreveport. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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CLARKSVILLE – Collegiate Hall of Fame wrestler LeRoy Gardner III has been named the new head men’s wrestling coach at the University of the Ozarks, it was announced by Athletics Director Jimmy Clark.

Gardner, a native of Golden Valley, Minn., has been the head coach at University of Houston-Downtown since 2014, where he was named the 2016 National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Southwest Conference Coach of the Year. There, he coached the university’s first All-American and Academic All-American. Prior to UH-Downtown, Gardner coached at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and Wartburg College. He wrestled at Wartburg where he was a three-time All-American and led his team to a pair of national championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

“We are thrilled to announce the hiring of LeRoy Gardner as our new head coach,” said Clark. “We will keep the program moving forward with this hire. Coach Zastrow did a great job, and now Coach Gardner has the opportunity to build upon that. Our goals in the athletic department are to recruit, retain and graduate student-athletes, and I know Coach Gardner will accomplish this. He appreciates the NCAA Division III experience, and understands the value of education and being involved within the community. He is a great addition to the athletic department.”

Clark believes Gardner’s well-rounded experience will have a tremendous impact on the program.

“He has a varied coaching and professional background,” said Clark.  “He is an impressive guy. Recruits and their families will recognize how well-rounded he is. And, he is respected in the wrestling community.  He will represent the University of the Ozarks well and accomplish great things. We want to have our wrestlers qualify for the national tournament and achieve All-American status.”

Gardner developed the first comprehensive wrestling development program for the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School and served as its head coach from 2006-2009. There he coached four NCWA national champions and 11 All-Americans. He also was an assistant coach at Wartburg from 2003-2005, helping the program to back-to-back NCAA Division III national championships. The program produced 16 All-Americans during his tenure.

“It is an honor to be the head coach at the University of the Ozarks,” said Gardner. “The credit goes to President Richard Dunsworth, Athletic Director Jimmy Clark, Coach Jason Zastrow and wrestling supporter Greg Hatcher for laying the groundwork and developing the program’s vision of the future. It is clear to me the university’s support for its student-athletes is tremendous, and that’s priceless. I really see the value in education and athletics, and being able to share that with potential student-athletes is exciting to me.”

Gardner believes Ozarks provides a special opportunity for young men pursing a degree while wrestling collegiately.

“Ozarks has a small-town community feeling with a beautiful outdoor setting,” he said. “This is a great place to focus academically and wrestle collegiately. I want to convey all the positive attributes I learned as an NCAA Division III student-athlete and teach that here. The student-athletes here will appreciate the university’s support and see what is possible when the campus community is behind them. I want our student-athletes visible in the community.”

As a wrestler, he earned honors on the international stage, placing eighth in the 2002 Fila Junior World Greco-Roman Championships and fifth in the 2002 U.S. Senior World Team Trials. He was inducted into the Wartburg Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

“As their coach, I want my student-athletes to know I am in their corner, and that I care about them beyond the mat,” he said. “I want them to trust me, and I want them to reach their goals, both on and off the mat. I want my student-athletes to realize by putting in the time and work, they have a chance to be successful, and that carries into other things off the mat.”

Gardner received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wartburg in 2003. He earned his MBA in finance from University of Rhode Island. Gardner serves as an officer in the United States Navy. He and his wife, Suzanna, are the parents of one son.

Gardner takes over for Zastrow, who is pursuing a family opportunity in Ohio.

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