NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jordan Sears helped lead UT Martin to a regular-season title with a big week, cementing his selection as this week’s Tennessee Sports Writers Association Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.
Sears averaged 31.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.0 steals with two home victories over Tennessee Tech and Tennessee State. Against the Golden Eagles, Sears had 28 points – 20 in the second half – with seven assists and five boards. Against the Tigers, he helped UTM overcome a double-digit deficit in the second half with 29 of his 34 points in the final 20 minutes.
The Daytona Beach, Fla., native’s assist-turnover ratio was phenomenal with 13 assists to three turnovers in the two contests.
On the women’s basketball side, Carson-Newman’s Braelyn Wykle repeated for the away after a phenomenal performance in her lone game of the week as she dropped 45 points on 15-of-26 shooting, including 13-for-26 from long-range.
The 3-point effort broke Carson-Newman’s single-game record and tied the South Atlantic Conference record. The graduate student from Greeneville, Tenn., also became the Eagles’ single-season record holder for 3-pointers made in a season with 93.
BASEBALL: Vanderbilt’s Camden Kozeal had an incredible week, earning the Southeastern Conference’s Freshman of the Week honor as he helped lead the Commodores to a 5-0 week with victories over Indiana State, Evansville, Louisiana, Houston and No. 15 Texas. For the week, he batted .583 as the Omaha, Nebraska, product went 14-for-24 at the plate, driving in 11 with three doubles and two home runs. He had two 4-for-5 games against the Sycamores and the Longhorns.
On the hill, Belmont right-hander Will Pryor had a strong outing against Little Rock in the Bruins’ 2-1, 10-inning loss to Little Rock as the Whitwell native threw a career-high seven innings and struck out a career-high 11. Pryor struck out five in the first three innings, then had three consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth. He yielded just three hits and two walks in the game as he threw 84 total pitches.
SOFTBALL: Carson-Newman junior infielder Hayden Dye batted .500 for the week as she blasted three home runs and drove in seven to help the Eagles to a 3-1 performance. She drove in three with two home runs in an 8-0 victory over Kentucky State, then three more in an 11-2 win over KSU on another round-tripper. She had 13 total bases on the weekend.
Chattanooga righty Taylor Long went 2-0 on the week, allowing just two hits on the week as she picked up a complete-game one-hit shutout victory in a 5-0 win over Central Arkansas, walking five and striking out eight. The Calhoun, Ga., product earned her second win over the Bears in relief as she pitched the final 4 1/3 frames, allowing one hit and two walks as she struck out seven.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Jack Browder (Carson-Newman)
11/21 | Mikhail Pocknett (King)
11/28 | Jordan Sears (UT Martin)
12/5 | Reed Kemp (Maryville)
12/12 | Jalen Page (Trevecca)
12/19 | John Zhao (Carson-Newman)
1/3 | Nick Brenegan (Carson-Newman)
1/9 | Nick Brenegan (Carson-Newman)
1/16 | Jacob Crews (UT Martin)
1/23 | Mikhail Pocknett (King)
1/30 | John Zhao (Carson-Newman)
2/6 | Jordan Sears (UT Martin)
2/13 | John Zhao (Carson-Newman)
2/20 | Jestin Porter (Middle Tennessee)
2/27 | Jacob Crews (UT Martin)
3/5 | Jordan Sears (UT Martin)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
11/14 | Kendal Cheesman (Belmont)
11/21 | Maya Buckhanon (Fisk)
11/28 | Jordyn Cambridge (Vanderbilt)
12/5 | Sacha Washington (Vanderbilt)
12/12 | Maya Buckhanon (Fisk)
12/19 | Jada Guinn (Chattanooga)
1/3 | Faith Wilken (Trevecca)
1/9 | Rickea Jackson (Tennessee)
1/16 | Anastasiia Boldyreva (Middle Tennessee)
1/23 | Reghan Grimes (Tennessee Tech)
1/30 | Anaya Brown (UT Martin)
2/6 | Olivia Falvey (Sewanee)
2/13 | Claira McGowan (Lipscomb)
2/20 | Maya Buckhanon (Fisk)
2/27 | Braelyn Wykle (Carson-Newman)
3/5 | Braelyn Wykle (Carson-Newman)
BASEBALL
2/20 | Player: John Bay (Austin Peay); Pitcher: Peyton Calitri (Tennessee Tech)
2/27 | Player: Hayden Gilliland (Tennessee Tech); Pitcher: Andrew Devine (Austin Peay)
3/5 | Player: Camden Kozeal (Vanderbilt); Pitcher: Will Pryor (Belmont)
SOFTBALL
2/20 | Player: Olivia Lipari (Chattanooga); Pitcher: Ashlan Sensing (Trevecca)
2/27 | Player: Zoey Neal (Union); Pitcher: Lainey Baker (Union)
3/5 | Player: Hayden Dye (Carson-Newman); Pitcher: Taylor Long (Chattanooga)