The curtain came down on what was arguably Mississippi University for Women’s best men’s soccer season Saturday with a 6-1 loss to Paul Quinn College at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Fittingly, it was Columbus High School graduate Kyle Rodriguez, a member of the first men’s soccer team at The W in 2017, who scored the only goal for the Owls, converting a penalty kick during the 70th minute to make it a 4-1 game.
It was the only goal of the season for the senior. David McCutchen made 16 saves for the Owls (8-11).
Paul Quinn improved to 9-6-3 but did not reach the championship game. Bryant & Stratton-Syracuse won the pool and met Maine-Fort Kent for the national title Sunday evening.
Rodriguez and freshman Vini Lopes of Sao Paulo, Brazil, were named first-team All-Americans by the USCAA.
Junior Jacob Vickers of Biloxi was named to the second team, while junior Terrell Johnson of Jackson made the honorable mention list.
Also, Vickers was selected as the USCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year. That honor is presented to an individual who achieves a high level of success on the field, in the classroom, in the community and on campus.
Lopes led the Owls with 15 goals and 35 points, while the other three All-Americans played on a defense that recorded three shutouts and allowed 2.12 goals per game.
It was fitting that Vickers, an active duty member of the National Guard, was honored on Veterans Day. Vickers played every minute of every game without receiving a card and was named to the USCAA All-Academic Team.
Men’s basketball
Owls open season with 2 losses at LaGrange
Sophomore Milos Zeradjanin of Serbia scored 13 points, hitting 3 of 5 3-point shots and making 4 of 4 free throws, but the Owls fell 62-54 to Huntingdon College on Saturday in the Wingate by Wyndham Classic in LaGrange, Georgia.
On Friday, the Owls opened their season with a 75-56 loss to host LaGrange. Shon Wright and Trey Jackson scored 12 points apiece in the game.
“We moved the needle forward some (Saturday) afternoon and played better for longer stretches today against a physical, gritty and well-coached team in Huntingdon,” Owls coach Dean Burrows said. “We knew coming in that they did a good job of getting on the offensive glass and that was an emphasis of ours, but they managed to get the better of us in that area today.”
That contributed to the Lions taking 16 more shots than the Owls.
Jackson and Ddallen Bailey scored 10 points apiece against Huntingdon, with Bailey grabbing 6 rebounds and Jackson contributing 3 rebounds and 2 steals for the Owls, who trailed 30-28 at halftime.
“Our defensive effort was better, and only allowing 62 points in a college game, especially the way the game is officiated today, is something we can hang our hat on and build upon,” Burrows said.
Senior JaQuan Hines of Columbus blocked 5 shots Saturday to go with the 4 blocks he had Friday.
Against LaGrange, the Owls managed just eight trips to the free throw line, making seven, while the Panthers took 30 free throws and made 19. The W committed 27 turnovers, and LaGrange converted the Owls’ mistakes into 26 points and never trailed in the game. There were three ties.
The Owls will open their home slate Tuesday against Belhaven University. Game time is 7 p.m. at Pohl Gym, with The W’s women’s team facing the Blazers at 5 p.m.
Women’s basketball
Owls find season opener rocky at Rhodes
The Owls scored the first 4 points of the game, but the Lynx tallied 19 of the next 21 and rolled to an 81-54 win on Friday in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Lynx led 21-11 after one quarter, 43-24 at the half and 83-33 after three.
“The reality of the situation is we are all new, and we have not had enough time together as a team to develop chemistry,” Owls coach Drew Johnson said. “We are also very young and very inexperienced. We need to understand that little things like pace, timing and communication are real determinants on whether or not you can be competitive at this level.”
Senior Rokila Wallace of Columbus led all scorers with 20 points. Wallace made a living from the free throw stripe, going 12 of 15. She also had a team-best 5 rebounds and 2 steals.
MG Chamberlain, in her first game in three years after a severe knee injury, scored 11 points and hit one of The W’s 3-point baskets.
Cross-country
Owls cap season at USCAA nationals
Kalee Sanders placed 44th and Kaitlyn McRee 45th at the USCAA Cross-County Championships at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Carson Holly finished 45th in the 8-kilometer men’s race in 33 minutes, 54 seconds, while Joshua Gonsalves finished in 38:56 to place 71st. Matt Frame of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry won the title in a time of 26:57.
Sanders ran the 6-kilometer race in 36:35, while McRae crossed the line in 39:07. Champion Bryce Hopper of SUNY-ESF finished in 24:51.
“We didn’t perform to our best today,” The W coach Dedrick Burnett said. “Weather, course conditions, and injuries might have gotten the best of us today. Overall, everyone finished the race and got a good experience of what a national championship meet feels like. We look forward to building off the momentum we created in cross country and to carry it over into the indoor track season.”
Holly and Gonsalves also were named Academic All-Americans by the USCAA, while Lillian Ergle, Aziyah McGee and Amyah Kahey were selected from the women’s team.
Women’s soccer
Owls rake in postseason honors
Seniors Sarah Havens and Hannah Helms were named first-team all-Americans as The W dominated the postseason awards handed out by the USCAA during the organization’s virtual awards show.
Leah Anderson and Shelby Harrington earned spots on the second-team all-American list.
Holmes shared the team lead with 8 goals and led the Owls with 5 assists for a team-leading 21 points. She was an accurate shooter, putting 12 of 13 shots on goal. Helms scored 5 goals and added an assist for the Owls while taking 29 shots and putting 17 on goal.
Layla Wilson was voted as the USCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Student-Athlete of the Year, an award that recognizes the combination of athletics, academic success and community involvement.
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