College players of the week named by TSWA - Feb. 19

February 19, 2025 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lipscomb senior forward Jacob Ognacevic continued his dominant play for the Bisons this season as he put up strong numbers once again to earn this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

The Sheboygan, Wisc., native averaged 27.0 points and 7.0 rebounds, shooting 67.9 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the line. He scored 30 points on 12-for-16 shooting and 5-for-7 at the line against Stetson, then scored 24 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 9-for-11 shooting at the stripe against FGCU.

The 30-point effort was his fifth 30-point game of the season.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes rewrote the record books against as she toppled the Southeastern Conference and NCAA freshman single-game scoring records with 55 points against Auburn in a 98-88 overtime win. She was 15-for-28 from the field and 23-for-24 at the free-throw line.

Her 55-point performance is tied for the ninth-most in a single game in NCAA women’s basketball history, joining Mississippi Valley State’s Patrica Hoskins – who reached 55 points twice in 1988-89. Hoskins and Blakes are the only two NCAA Division I women’s basketball players to score 53 or more points twice in the same season. She is also the first NCAA freshman and fourth Division I player since 1999-00 to have multiple 50-point games in the same season.

She also scored 13 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a double-overtime loss to Mississippi State. For the week, Blakes averaged 34.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.0 steals. Blakes was also named the Associated Press Player of the Week, the USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week and shared the SEC’s Player of the Week honor with Tennessee’s Jewel Spear.

BASEBALL: Carson-Newman sophomore righty Ryan Higgins was named the Pitcher of the Week with a strong performance against Emory & Henry. The Spotsylvania, Va., product was flawless through six inning before the perfect game bid ended in the seventh inning with a free pass as he helped lead the Eagles to a 7-0 victory.

Higgins struck out six in the winning effort, ending his night with no hits and only two runners reaching. He was also named the South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Sewanee senior outfielder Blake Pou was named the Player of the Week with a big offensive outburst against Capital. The Houston, Texas, native batted .462 on the week with two doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI and five runs scored.

In the doubleheader, Pou hit a two-run home run in the first game, then singled, walked and scored a run in the nightcap. During the finale, he was 4-for-5 with a double, three home runs and eight RBI. During the Tigers’ 10-run fifth inning, Pou hit a two-run round-tripper, then cleared the bases again in the frame with a three-run blast. He later hit a two-run shot in the seventh inning.

SOFTBALL: Sewanee claimed both softball honors on the week as Reagen Huskey was named the Pitcher of the Week and Abbie Buckner the Player of the Week.

Huskey went 2-0 with a save as the Tigers won three of their four games. She allowed just one run to claim a complete-game victory over LaGrange. Huskey then threw five innings as Wesleyan, yielding two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. She closed out the week with 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the finale for the save. Huskey ended the week with a 1.43 ERA.

Buckner batted .533 as she collected eight hits across four games with three walks, six runs scored and nine stolen bases. In the opener against LaGrange, she had two hits with a run scored and an RBI. She went 2-for-4 with three runs scored in the first game against Wesleyan, then had two more runs scored and five stolen bases in the finale.

Baseball
2/18 | Player: Blake Pou (Sewanee); Pitcher: Ryan Higgins (Carson-Newman)

Softball
2/11 | Player: Danielle Jason (Tusculum); Pitcher: Maya Johnson (Belmont)
2/18 | Player: Abbie Buckner (Sewanee); Pitcher: Reagen Huskey (Sewanee)

Boys, girls basketball polls presented by CoachT.com - Feb. 18

February 18, 2025 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced rankings for boys and girls basketball for the 2024-25 season on Monday, with the poll presented by CoachT.com. Top 10 teams in each of the four Division I classifications and Top 5 in two Division II classes were selected by TSWA members with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote.

GIRLS
Class 1A
1. Pickett County (23-3) – 49 (4)
2. Wayne County (25-3) – 46 (1)
3. Moore County (23-3) – 40
4. Richland (23-3) – 33
5. Van Buren County (22-5) – 24
6. North Greene (25-3) – 23
7. Coalfield (24-5) – 19
8. McEwen (21-4) –16
9. Greenfield (22-5) – 10
10. Collinwood (16-6) – 4
Others receiving votes: East Robertson 3, Union City 3, Clarkrange 3, Dresden 2

Class 2A
1. Westview (24-1) – 48 (3)
2. McMinn Central (28-1) – 47 (2)
3. York Institute (22-5) – 39
4. Loretto (19-7) – 32
5. East Nashville (20-1) – 28
6. Alcoa (22-6) – 25
7. Gibson County (21-8) – 15
8. Cheatham County (23-4) – 12
t9. Huntingdon (22-6) – 7
t9. Smith County (21-7) – 7
Others receiving votes: Gatlinburg-Pittman 5, Summertown 5, Cannon County 5

Class 3A
1. Heritage (26-2) – 48 (3)
2. White County (26-3) – 45 (2)
3. Dyersburg (21-4) – 39
4. Jackson South Side (22-2) – 32
5. David Crockett (27-3) – 23
t6. Upperman (23-6) – 21
t6. Cocke County (24-6) – 21
8. Northview Academy (26-3) – 19
9. South Gibson (23-6) – 16
10. Crockett County (20-6) – 10
Others receiving votes: Livingston Academy 2, Valor Collegiate 2

Class 4A
1. Bradley Central (26-1) – 50 (5)
2. Coffee County (28-0) – 43
3. Bearden (27-4) – 40
4. Oak Ridge (24-3) – 36
t5. Blackman (20-3) – 24
t5. Sevier County (23-6) – 24
7. Brentwood (21-4) – 19
8. Morristown East (23-6) – 14
9. Clarksville (21-1) – 10
10. Lebanon (20-6) – 4
Others receiving votes: Nolensville 4, Lincoln County 4, Cleveland 2, Farragut 1

Division II-A
1. University School of Jackson (23-3) – 23 (4)
2. Providence Christian (20-5) – 15 (1)
3. Ezell-Harding (24-4) – 15
4. Webb School-Bell Buckle (23-6) – 9
5. Christian Academy of Knoxville (23-7) – 4
Others receiving votes: Nashville Christian 3, Providence Academy 2, The King's Academy 2, Goodpasture Christian 1, Notre Dame 1

Division II-AA
1. Knox Webb (24-3) – 25 (5)
2. Lipscomb Academy (24-3) – 20
3. Hutchison School (22-6) – 14
4. Christ Presbyterian Academy (20-5) – 11
5. Father Ryan (21-5) – 4
Others receiving votes: Knox Catholic 1

BOYS
Class 1A
1. Eagleville (22-2) – 48 (3)
2. Chattanooga Prep (17-7) – 46 (2)
3. Santa Fe (23-2) – 40
4. Humboldt (22-5) – 34
5. Pickett County (19-6) – 27
6. MASE (20-2) – 26
7. North Greene (24-4) – 24
8. University High-Johnson City (20-5) – 12
9. Wayne County (20-8) – 8
10. Clay County (17-6) – 3
Others receiving votes: Harriman 2, Richland 2, Jo Byrns 2, Union City 1

Class 2A
1. Loretto (26-0) – 49 (4)
2. Alcoa (23-5) – 46 (1)
3. Tyner Academy (22-6) – 40
4. Kingston (23-3) – 30
5. Tellico Plains (23-2) – 29
6. Jackson County (22-2) – 26
7. Fairley (22-5) – 24
8. Peabody (21-5) – 13
9. Liberty Creek (22-6) – 8
10. Gatlinburg-Pittman (21-8) – 6
Others receiving votes: White House Heritage 2, Hickman County 1, Westview 1

Class 3A
1. Upperman (23-2) – 50 (5)
2. Hume-Fogg (22-3) – 42
3. Fayette Ware (21-5) – 40
4. Jackson North Side (24-3) – 34
5. Jackson South Side (18-2) – 31
6. Stone Memorial (21-8) –18
7. Tennessee High (22-6) – 15
8. Greeneville (18-9) – 13
9. Tullahoma (24-4) – 12
10. Heritage (21-7) – 7
Others receiving votes: David Crockett 6, Red Bank 4, Station Camp 3

Class 4A
1. Whitehaven (24-3) – 50 (5)
t2. Bartlett (21-7) – 41
t2. Hillsboro (26-4) – 41
4. Bearden (26-4) – 32
5. Oak Ridge (23-3) – 27
6. Knox West (20-4) – 26
7. Germantown Houston (22-7) – 18
8. Walker Valley (24-3) – 14
t9. Franklin (20-5) – 9
t9. Sevier County (22-6) – 9
Others receiving votes: Brentwood 8

Division II-A
1. Goodpasture Christian (27-1) – 24 (4)
2. Providence Christian (22-2) – 17 (1)
3. Boyd Buchanan (24-5) – 9
4. Christian Academy of Knoxville (28-3) – 8
5. Trinity Christian (20-8) – 6
Others receiving votes: Ezell-Harding 5, Providence Academy 4, Battle Ground Academy 1, Webb School-Bell Buckle 1

Division II-AA
1. Knox Webb (23-2) – 25 (5)
2. Pope Prep (26-3) – 20
3. Briarcrest Christian (20-4) – 14
4. Montgomery Bell Academy (21-5) – 11
5. Father Ryan (18-8) – 4
Others receiving votes: Knox Catholic 1

TSWA honors college players of the week - Feb. 11

February 12, 2025 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont junior guard Tyler Lundblade was on fire from long-range as he helped lead the Bruins to a pair of big victories as well as this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.

The Dallas native recorded career highs in back-to-back games as he scored 25 points at Bradley and 27 at home against Missouri State, but the impressive thing was the accuracy with the deep ball as he was 17-for-28 from 3-point range in the two contests.

He knocked down eight treys at Bradley, while he sank nine at home in the Curb Event Center – one short of Andy Wicke and Nick Smith’s single-game record of 10. The Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week ranks among the nation’s leaders in 3-point shooting.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Middle Tennessee junior guard Ta’Mia Scott earned the Women’s Player of the Week honor with two strong scoring performances this past week.

The Clarksville product opened the week with a career-high 30 points, a career-best 14 rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal as the Blue Raiders topped Jacksonville State 63-46. In the game, she was 11-for-16 from the field with two 3-pointers and was 6-for-6 at the line. Scott scored 14 of Middle Tennessee’s 20 points in the third quarter.

She followed that game up with 24 points, eight boards, an assist and a block in the 76-43 win over Kennesaw State.

SOFTBALL: Tusculum’s Danielle Jason and Belmont’s Maya Johnson earned the first Softball Players of the Week honors to add to their weekly accolades.

Jason, named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player of the Week, shined at the plate as she batted .762 over six games, collecting 16 hits, 17 runs scored and 11 stolen bases, while also driving in four with four doubles, a triple, three walks and three sacrifice bunts. She has helped Tusculum improve to 8-0 for its best start in program history.

Johnson threw a perfect outing in her second game of the season as she blanked Eastern Kentucky with no walks and no hits over the complete-game effort. She struck out 13 batters in the contest for just the second perfect game in Belmont history.

She finished the week with a 0.00 ERA over two appearances as she allowed one hit and two walks over six scoreless frames against Georgia Tech, fanning 10 Yellow Jackets in the 1-0 loss.

Softball
2/11 | Player: Danielle Jason (Tusculum); Pitcher: Maya Johnson (Belmont)

Boys, girls basketball polls presented by CoachT.com - Feb. 10

February 10, 2025 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced rankings for boys and girls basketball for the 2024-25 season on Monday, with the poll presented by CoachT.com. Top 10 teams in each of the four Division I classifications and Top 5 in two Division II classes were selected by TSWA members with first-place votes in parentheses and total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote.

GIRLS
Class 1A
1. Pickett County (22-3) – 40 (4)
2. Wayne County (22-3) – 35
3. Moore County (21-3) – 33
4. Richland (22-2) – 28
5. Van Buren County (20-4) – 22
t6. McEwen (19-4) –16
t6. North Greene (23-3) – 16
8. Coalfield (22-5) – 13
9. Union City (18-7) – 11
10. Greenfield (20-5) – 3
Others receiving votes: Dresden 2, East Robertson 1

Class 2A
1. Westview (22-1) – 38 (2)
2. McMinn Central (26-1) – 36 (1)
3. York Institute (19-5) – 33 (1)
4. Loretto (18-7) – 25
5. East Nashville (20-1) – 22
6. Smith County (20-6) – 17
7. Alcoa (21-6) – 16
8. Gibson County (20-8) – 11
9. Cheatham County (21-4) – 6
10. Gatlinburg-Pittman (17-9) – 5
Others receiving votes: Huntingdon 3, Summertown 3, Cannon County 3, Hampton 2

Class 3A
1. White County (24-3) – 37 (2)
2. Heritage (24-2) – 33 (1)
3. Dyersburg (20-4) – 31 (1)
4. Jackson South Side (21-2) – 28
5. Northview Academy (23-2) – 20
6. Upperman (22-5) – 19
7. David Crockett (24-3) – 17
8. Cocke County (22-6) – 15
9. South Gibson (21-5) – 13
10. Crockett County (19-6) – 3
Others receiving votes: Livingston Academy 2, Valor Collegiate 2

Class 4A
1. Bradley Central (24-1) – 40 (4)
2. Coffee County (26-0) – 36
3. Bearden (25-4) – 30
4. Blackman (19-2) – 27
5. Sevier County (21-4) – 24
6. Oak Ridge (21-3) – 22
7. Morristown East (21-5) – 9
8. Brentwood (19-4) – 7
9. Cleveland (18-4) – 4
t10. Cookeville (16-4) – 4
t10. Nolensville (20-6) – 4
Others receiving votes: Lebanon 3, Memphis East 3, Clarksville 3, Bartlett 2, Page 1, Lincoln County 1

Division II-A
1. University School of Jackson (21-3) – 20 (4)
2. Providence Christian (18-4) – 15
3. Ezell-Harding (22-3) – 13
4. Nashville Christian (21-4) – 5
5. Goodpasture Christian (17-6) – 2
Others receiving votes: The King’s Academy 4, Webb School-Bell Buckle 2, Christian Academy of Knoxville 1

Division II-AA
1. Knox Webb (23-3) – 20 (4)
2. Lipscomb Academy (22-3) – 16
3. Hutchison School (14-6) – 10
4. Christ Presbyterian Academy (18-5) – 10
5. Father Ryan (17-4) – 2
Others receiving votes: Chattanooga Christian 2

BOYS
Class 1A
1. Eagleville (21-2) – 38 (2)
2. Chattanooga Prep (16-7) – 37 (2)
3. Pickett County (19-5) – 31
4. Santa Fe (21-2) – 27
5. Humboldt (21-5) – 25
6. MASE (16-2) – 20
7. North Greene (2-4) – 18
8. Wayne County (18-7) – 11
9. Clay County (16-5) – 5
10. University High-Johnson City (17-5) – 3
Others receiving votes: Richland 3, Middle College 2

Class 2A
1. Loretto (24-0) – 49 (4)
2. Alcoa (21-5) – 46 (1)
3. Tyner Academy (20-6) – 40
4. Kingston (21-3) – 29
5. Tellico Plains (22-2) – 29
6. Jackson County (20-2) – 24
7. Fairley (19-5) – 17
8. Gatlinburg-Pittman (20-5) – 14
9. Peabody (20-5) – 12
10. Liberty Creek (19-6) – 9
Others receiving votes: White House Heritage 4, Austin-East 2

Class 3A
1. Upperman (21-2) – 49 (4)
2. Fayette Ware (19-5) – 42 (1)
3. Hume-Fogg (20-3) – 41
4. Jackson South Side (17-2) – 33
5. Jackson North Side (22-3) – 32
6. Tennessee High (22-5) – 23
7. Tullahoma (23-3) – 18
8. Red Bank (21-5) – 14
t9. Greeneville (16-9) – 9
t9. Stone Memorial (18-8) – 9
Others receiving votes: Knox Carter 4, Station Camp 2, Heritage 1

Class 4A
1. Whitehaven (22-3) – 48 (3)
2. Bartlett (19-7) – 44 (2)
3. Hillsboro (23-4) – 40
4. Bearden (24-4) – 37
5. Germantown Houston (21-6) – 29
6. Knox West (19-4) – 20
7. Oak Ridge (20-3) – 19
t8. Brentwood (18-6) – 10
t8. Franklin (18-5) – 10
10. Walker Valley (22-3) – 8
Others receiving votes: Maryville 5, Blackman 2, Sevier County 2, Beech 1

Division II-A
1. Goodpasture Christian (24-1) – 19 (3)
2. Providence Christian (19-2) – 13 (1)
3. Friendship Christian (20-5) – 7
t4. Christian Academy of Knoxville (25-2) – 6
t4. Boyd Buchanan (21-5) – 6
Others receiving votes: Providence Academy 4, Trinity Christian 3, Webb School-Bell Buckle 1, University School of Jackson 1

Division II-AA
1. Knox Webb (22-2) – 24 (4)
2. Pope Prep (24-3) – 21 (1)
3. Montgomery Bell Academy (21-4) – 14
4. Briarcrest Christian (17-4) – 11
5. Father Ryan (17-7) – 4
Others receiving votes: Ensworth School 1

College players of the week recognized by TSWA - Feb. 4

February 4, 2025 Forrest Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lipscomb’s Jacob Ognacevic dominated in his two games this week to earn the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honor on Tuesday, averaging a double-double against Atlantic Sun competition.

The senior forward from Sheboygan, Wisc., won his fourth honor this season as he averaged a double-double with a 26.0-point and 10.5-rebound average as the Bisons went 1-1 on the week.

Ognacevic scored a season-high 32 points against Bellarmine as he was 9-for-12 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He also was an efficient 10-for-14 at the free-throw line. In addition to his scoring, he also pulled down nine rebounds with an assist.

Earlier in the week, Ognacevic scored 20 points against Eastern Kentucky, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, 3-for-6 from long range and 3-for-5 at the line. He completed the double-double with 12 boards.

For the season, the senior is averaging 19.2 points and 8.1 rebounds.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Mikayla Blakes rewrote the record book last week as the Vanderbilt freshman broke the NCAA single-game scoring record for a true freshman and the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball single-game scoring record with a 53-point outburst last week against Florida.

Over the course of the week, the Somerset, N.J., native averaged 34.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 blocks and 2.0 steals. However, it was last Thursday’s performance that put the true freshman on the nation’s radar.

Blakes finished the game shooting 16-for-24 from the field, knocking down five 3-pointers and was 16-for-18 at the charity stripe. She also collected three rebounds, two assists and three steals in the 99-86 victory over the Gators. Blakes had 32 points in the second half and 18 in the fourth quarter alone.

She became the only Division I player – men’s or women’s – to score 50 points this season and surpassed LSU’s Jocelyn Penn – who scored 51 points against Stetson on Jan. 4, 2003 – for the SEC’s scoring record. It is the most points for a first-year player on the Division I level since USC’s JuJu Watkins scored 51 last season.

The performance also breaks the Vanderbilt single-game scoring record of 42 set by teammate Khamil Pierre recently on Dec. 17 against Evansville.

In the Commodores’ game against Ole Miss on Sunday, Blakes scored 16 points despite early foul trouble, scoring 13 of her total in the second half to extend her double-digit scoring streak to nine games.