Monday, Dec. 31, briefs

LSU CLOSES 2012 CAMPAIGN TONIGHT IN CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

The LSU Tigers close out their 2012 football season against the Clemson Tigers in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta tonight at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast by ESPN.

LSU (10-2) is ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 and No. 7 in the USA Today coaches’ poll. Clemson (10-2) is No. 14 in both polls.

LSU’s lone losses have come against No. 2 Alabama, 21-17, on Nov. 3 and No. 4 Florida 14-6 on Oct. 6. Clemson’s losses were against AP No. 12 Florida State 49-37 on Sept. 22 and AP No. 11 South Carolina 27-17 on Nov. 24.

BENTON’S WHITE WINS SUGAR BOWL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Benton’s Hayden White won the 12-13 age division in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Tommy Moore Memorial Junior Golf Championship Saturday in New Orleans.

White shot a 6-over 78 in the second round at Lakewood Golf Club to go with a 76 in the first round. His two-day total of 154 was a stroke better than runner-up Addison Nix or Auburn, Ala.

PERRY’S CLUTCH FREE THROW SHOOTING HELPS TECH WIN

DENVER — Louisiana Tech freshman Lulu Perry, a former Benton star, went 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the final 30 seconds of the second overtime to help the Lady Techsters defeat Denver 82-77 in a WAC opener Saturday night.

Kelia Shelton scored a career-high 26 points and Whitney Frazier added a double double to lead Louisiana Tech. Perry finished with 11 points.

Tech (5-6) trailed by as many as 13 points in the game and found itself down six with just over a minute to play in regulation before Shelton hit a pair of three-pointers, including the game-tying one with only 14 seconds to play — sending the game into overtime.

The Lady Techsters trailed 72-70 in the waning moments of the first extra period when Frazier — who had missed five of her first seven free throws in the game —stepped to the line and calmly sank two with 14 seconds to play, sending the game into the second overtime.

WEST SCORES 10 IN NSU’S LOSS TO ARKANSAS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Northwestern State freshman Jalan West, a former Bossier standout, scored 10 points in the Demons’ 79-61 loss to Arkansas Saturday night.

B.J. Young’s 26 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists provided the lift Arkansas needed to break open a close game down the stretch, turning a six-point lead with 7:56 to go into the 18-point win.

The Razorbacks (8-4) used a 10-1 run over four minutes to take a 71-55 lead with 3:30 to go after not being able to take control previously, despite never trailing. The Demons (5-4), playing for the first time in two weeks and for only the second time in 25 days, could not overcome 27 percent shooting aim, including 1-of-14 on 3-pointers, or a 57-41 rebounding deficit.

“Our effort was really good, but we didn’t get shots to fall in close, from behind the 3-point line, or often enough at the free throw line,” said NSU coach Mike McConathy.

TECH MEN HANG ON TO DEFEAT DENVER

RUSTON — Louisiana Tech had three players score in double digits in a 68-60 WAC victory over Denver Saturday night before 2,295 in the Thomas Assembly Center.

Raheem Appleby scored 12 points for Tech while Kenneth Smith and Kenyon McNeil each added 10.

Brandon Gibson also added nine points, all in the second half, to help the Bulldogs pull away. Michale Kyser scored eight points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

Denver’s Royce O’Neale led all scorers with 18 points. O’Neale also led the Pioneers in rebounds with seven. Chris Udofia also scored in double digits with 10 points.
Louisiana Tech returns to action at home Monday, Dec. 31, as they faceoff against New Mexico State in a 7 p.m. contest at the Thomas Assembly Center.