Wells has another big game for Morehead

Aaliyah Wells, a 2013 Collins High School graduate and a freshman wing for the Morehead State women’s basketball team, matched her season-high in the Eagles’ 69-66 overtime loss at Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucky last Saturday.

Wells, making her fifth start of the season, scored 14 points (the same number she scored in her previous game against Belmont) and grabbed six rebounds in the loss to the Colonels. Her jump shot with 36 seconds left in regulation sent the game into an extra session. Then her 3-pointer with 1:17 to play put Morehead up, 66-64, in OT. Eastern, however, outscored the Eagles, 5-0, the rest of the way.

Wells finished the game 6-for-11 from the field, including 2-for-6 from 3-point range. She also had two assists and one steal in 41 minutes.

Wells, who is averaging 3.9 points per game, and Morehead (10-14, 4-7) play at Tennessee Tech on Saturday evening and at Jacksonville State on Monday night.  

Slaughter scores 9 vs. No. 1

Shelbyville’s Antonita Slaughter scored nine points in the University of Louisville women’s basketball team’s 81-64 loss at No. 1 Connecticut on Sunday in an American Athletic Conference game and a rematch of last year’s national championship game at Storrs, Conn.

She finished 3-for-9 from the field, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range. Slaughter also grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists in a team-high-tying 32 minutes.  

Slaughter then tallied 12 points in UofL’s 60-50 triumph over Temple on Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center. She was 4-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range, and 1-of-2 from the free throw line. She also had three rebounds in 34 minutes.

Slaughter, who averages 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds, and the Cards (24-2, 12-1), who are No. 3 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25, play at Memphis on Sunday afternoon before hosting Houston on Wednesday.  

Davis, Kirby, UK rifle team downs Nebraska

The second-ranked University of Kentucky rifle team, which features Shelby County graduates Connor Davis and Heather Kirby, fell to top-ranked West Virginia 4702-4688 Saturday in Morgantown, W.V. as the Mountaineers claimed the Great America Rifle Conference regular-season title.

Davis, a sophomore, shot a 579 in the smallbore and was second on the squad in air rifle (592). Meanwhile Kirby, a freshman, finished with 571 in smallbore and 586 in air rifle.  

Davis, Kirby and the Wildcats next host an NCAA qualifier Feb. 22-23 in Lexington.  

Stone tallies 10 points

The Malone University men’s basketball, which features Collins graduate Brian Stone, ended a 3-game losing streak with back-to-back victories.  

Stone, a 6-foot-8 starting sophomore center, scored four points, blocked four shots and grabbed two rebounds in the Pioneers’ 71-57 victory over Lake Erie in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game last Thursday. He was 2-for-3 from the field in 17 minutes.

Then, Stone scored four points in Malone’s 84-75 triumph over visiting Ashland in a GLIAC game Saturday in Canton, Ohio.

Stone, who averages 4.8 points and 2.2 rebounds, and the Pioneers (11-10, 9-8), who played at Tiffin last night, play at Ohio Dominican on Saturday afternoon before hosting Hillsdale (Mich.) next Thursday.  

Smith, Spalding have won 5 in a row

Spalding University freshman forward Terez Smith, a 2013 Collins graduate, continues to contribute for the Golden Eagles, who have won five consecutive games, and 15 of their last 16.

Smith, who starts, tallied two points and had two rebounds and one blocked shot in Spalding’s 71-52 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over Iowa Wesleyan last Thursday night at MacMurray in Jacksonville, Ill.

Then, he scored eight points and grabbed two rebounds in the Golden Eagles’ 66-51 victory at Eureka last Saturday.

Smith scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in Spalding’s 68-45 win over Blackburn on Monday night at Derek Smith Gymnasium.

Smith, who averages 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds, and the Golden Eagles (15-6, 13-1 in the SLIAC) host Webster University on Saturday afternoon before playing at MacMurray on Monday night and at Greenville (Ill.) College next Thursday.

Johnson notches 2nd double-double

Shelby County graduate Donovan Johnson, a senior forward for the Kentucky Wesleyan men’s basketball team, recorded his second double-double of the season in the Panthers’ 87-66 Great Midwest Athletic Conference victory at Trevecca Nazarene last Saturday in Nashville.

In his second start of the season Johnson scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. He was 4-for-4 from the field and 3-of-6 from the free throw line.  

Johnson, who is averaging 10.2 points and 6.9 rebounds, and the Panthers (16-7, 9-1) hosted Cedarville on Thursday night. They’ll host Central State on Saturday afternoon before playing at Davis & Elkins in Elkins, W.V. next Thursday.  

Rice helps Tigers to 2 OT wins

Shelbyville’s Miles Rice helped the Campbellsville University men’s basketball team to a pair of overtime victories last week.

Rice, a 6-foot guard who graduated from Trinity, scored 13 points in the Tigers’ 75-72 Mid-South Conference triumph over host Cumberlands last Thursday night. He was 5-for-14 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed four rebounds in 38 minutes of action.

Then he scored 13 points in visiting Campbellsville’s 74-68 upset of then 13th-ranked Georgetown College last Saturday. He was 4-for-13 from the field and 4-for-7 from the free throw line. He also had five rebounds in 41 minutes.

Rice and the Tigers (12-10, 7-6) hosted 15th-ranked Rio Grande on Thursday night. They host Shawnee State on Saturday afternoon before playing at St. Catharine College next Thursday.

Rankin starts for Southern

Bailey Rankin, a 2013 Collins graduate, went 0-for-2 with one run scored in her debut with the Southern University softball team.

Rankin, who started in left field, went 0-for-1 in the Jaguars’ 10-1, 5-inning loss to Buffalo in Southern’s season-opener last Friday. Then she went 0-for-1 but scored a run in the Jaguars’ 19-5, 6-inning loss to the Bulls in the second game of a doubleheader.

Rankin and the Jaguars will play in the North Texas Lovelace Invitational today through Saturday in Denton, Texas. Southern will play Northern Iowa this morning and North Texas this evening before taking on Nicholls State tomorrow morning. The Jaguars then play at Nicholls State on Wednesday.