Free free-throw contest being held Saturday and other sports news

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

The Elks Hoop Shoot free-throw contest for boys and girls ages 8-13 is being held Saturday at Chattanooga's Southside youth and family center. It is an open competition in 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13 age groups, based on age as of April 1, 2014; each participant shoots 25 free throws. Winners will advance to state competition Nov. 30 at Knoxville. Winners there move on to regional competition, where they will have the chance of qualifying for the national Hoop Shoot in Springfield, Mass., in early 2014. "Last year we had about 75 to 100," local Hoop Shoot official Dank Hawkins said. "It's open for anybody. Just show up and be ready to shoot." Hawkins added that anyone advancing to the region level receives "a nice per diem from the Elks Club." The rec center is located at 1151 W. 40th St. Registration begins at 2 p.m. Free refreshments will be provided. For more information call the Southside center at 425-3550.

• Tennessee Temple University defeated visiting Bryan College 79-68 in men's basketball Thursday night, after Bryan won the women's game 57-54. Jenna Ray had 14 points and eight rebounds and Kristin Lane and Victoria Griffin scored 12 and 11 points in the win for the Lady Lions (4-3), countering Amanda Rector's 16 points and Angel Foster's and TaQuasha O'Neal's 14 and 13 for Temple (0-4). Brandon Cole had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Jeff Long had 12 points and six assists for the Lions (2-5), but Temple (5-1) won with balance as Weedens Beauvil and Travaris Clarke scored 18 and 16 points and Jarrett Smith had 13 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Jalen Smith scored 12 points and Jordan Brown had 10 rebounds.

VOLLEYBALL/SOCCER

• Lee University is the top seed and host for the National Christian College Athletic Association Mid-East Region volleyball tournament this weekend. The Lady Flames (16-8) have won their last 12 home matches. They play Union University (9-22) at noon and Mid-Continent (18-10) at 7 p.m. today and Victory (15-8) at 2 p.m. and No. 2 seed Campbellsville (25-8) at 6 Saturday in the round robin. The team with the best record will advance to the NCCAA national tournament starting Dec. 5 in Kissimmee, Fla. Campbellsville and Victory will tip off the regional at 10 this morning.

• Lee also is hosting the NCCAA Mid-East women's soccer semifinals and championship match this weekend, with the nationally No. 1-ranked Lady Flames taking on Union University at 1 p.m. and Mississippi College facing Campbellsville at 4 p.m. today. The final is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, sending the winner to the Dec. 2-7 nationals in Kissimmee.

• Bryan College is hosting an opening-round match in the NAIA national volleyball tournament and traveling to Martin Methodist for a first-round match in the NAIA men's socccer tournament Saturday, when the eighth-ranked Bryan men's cross country team will compete at 11:30 a.m. in the NAIA national meet at Lawrence, Kan. The 33-3 volleyball team takes on Indiana Wesleyan at 2 p.m., and the 15-3 soccer Lions play at 3:30 EST in Pulaski.

• Junior outside hitter Rachel Harper from Boyd-Buchanan represented Carson-Newman on the 2013 All-South Atlantic Conference volleyball second team, and junior setter Kristen Pickett from Cleveland High School received honorable mention. They were the only honorees for the Lady Eagles. Harper was third in the SAC in points with 441 and fourth in kills (381), kills per set and aces, and she had 18 double-doubles. Pickett was third in the league with 1,033 assists and 9.48 assists per set and tied Harper with 36 aces. She had eight double-doubles.

Football

• Reinhardt University's All-Mid-South Conference West Division all-stars included two second-teamers from Dade County, offensive lineman Nick Lawson and defensive back Travis Nunley. Lawson allowed only two sacks all season; Nunley scored two touchdowns, one on a kick return and the other on an interception.

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