Tag: Murray State

Five Cinderella candidates to bet on in men’s 2022 March Madness

Which teams are the best bets to be this year’s Cinderella team in the men’s NCAA tournament?

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament gets underway on Tuesday, March 15 with the first of the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. As we look towards the bracket and making picks, it’s time to pinpoint some Cinderella candidates for this year’s dance.

Cinderella runs have long been one of the best things about the NCAA tournament, with teams like 1983’s NC State, 2006’s George Mason, 2011’s VCU, and 2018’s Loyola-Chicago sticking out in our minds. So which team in 2022 has the potential to do what Oral Roberts did in 2021?

Let’s take a look at some of the Cinderella candidates that could also potentially make you some money. All odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.

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Notre Dame part of tough nonconference schedules for Power Five teams

The Irish will be part of tough schedules for some teams this year.

Any team that has Notre Dame on its nonconference schedule automatically receives a bump in the strength of that schedule. Even during seasons in which the Irish struggle, there at least is a bump interest for that game. Either way, any matchup with the Irish is serious business.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has released a piece comparing nonconference schedules for the entire Football Bowl Subdivision. For the Power Five conferences and the AAC, he lists the nonconference schedules for the teams he believes have the toughest and weakest in those conferences. Notre Dame pops up in the toughest nonconference schedule for Georgia Tech in the ACC, USC in the Pac-12, and Cincinnati in the AAC. In fact, Palm ranks the Yellow Jackets as having the fifth toughest nonconference schedule in all of the FBS.

Here are the other nonconference opponents for all the teams that have the Irish on their schedules:

  • Georgia Tech: Georgia, Northern Illinois, Kennesaw State
  • USC: BYU, San Jose State
  • Cincinnati: Indiana, Miami (Ohio), Murray State

No. 6 Oklahoma softball has undefeated weekend in Norman

No. 6 Oklahoma Softball capped off its second straight weekend at home with four wins in a row, moving to 20-4 on the season.

No. 6 Oklahoma Softball capped off its second straight weekend at home with four wins in a row, moving to 20-4 on the season.

After losing at least one game in each of the last three weekends, the Sooners beat all five of their opponents this week, starting with Wichita State on Wednesday. After getting down 4-0 early in the first due to freshman pitching struggles, senior Shannon Saile entered the game and allowed just one run in seven innings. OU strung together several hits in the second and third innings, including three home runs, and cruised to an 8-5 victory over the Shockers.

On Friday, Oklahoma earned a pair of wins over Mercer and Utah, scoring 10 runs in both contests. Nicole Mendes had a home run in both games, and finished with four RBI’s on the day as a designated hitter. 

In their first game Saturday, freshman pitcher Brooke Vestal put together arguably her best game of the season, going all seven innings and allowing just one run against Murray State. Freshman Kenzie Hansen and Alycia Flores led the Sooners at the plate with a pair of home runs. 

The last bout of the weekend for Oklahoma yielded one of its most exciting yet, as senior captain Lynnsie Elam walked off Missouri State on an RBI single in the eighth inning that scored Hansen. Shannon Saile moved to 8-3 on the year with the win, and freshman Olivia Rains put together one of her best performances in the circle.

Oklahoma now looks to host the OU Tournament, the last leg of their three-week home-stand. They’ll start with New Mexico State at 3 p.m. on Friday.

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When, where, how to watch Oklahoma softball at home this weekend

Oklahoma softball will host a four-game home-stand this weekend Here is everything you need to know about the Sooners weekend at home.

Oklahoma softball isn’t off to the start they had hoped for, but they’re quickly improving.

The Sooners have battled injury and youth early this season, losing four of their 20 games played and dropping from preseason No. 3 to No. 6.

Among Oklahoma’s biggest concerns are pitching consistency and freshman play, both of which looked vastly improved in Oklahoma’s last game on Wednesday.

After freshman Olivia Rains got off to a shaky start against the Shockers, senior Shannon Saile entered the game and threw the remaining seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out five batters. At the plate, the Sooners hit three home runs, but the story of the night was freshman Mackenzie Donihoo. Donhioo has struggled at the plate all season, but had a big hit that scored two and got the ball rolling for the come-from-behind 8-5 win over WSU.

The Sooners have been at home since Feb. 28, and now have four games at home before they begin the OU Tournament next weekend.

Here is everything you need to know about Oklahoma’s weekend at home.

WHERE: Norman, Oklahoma

WHEN:

Friday—2:30 p.m. CT against Mercer and 5 p.m. CT against Utah

Saturday—2:30 p.m. CT against Murray State and 5 p.m. CT against Missouri State

HOW TO STREAM: FloSoftball, SoonerSports.tv

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Vols rally for win against Racers

Vols rally for win against Racers.

KNOXVILLE — The Murray State Racers came into Knoxville to play, and it took a second half rally for the Tennessee Volunteers to emerge with a 82-63 victory.

The win extends the nation’s longest current home winning streak to 28 games in a row at Thompson–Boling Arena.

Murray State kept the Vols in check for a good portion of the game, taking their first lead at the 16:05 mark of the first frame and holding it until midway through the second half. After a bit of back-and-forth, the lead was finally relinquished and Tennessee rode the rest of the way to victory. They held the Racers scoreless for the final seven-and-a-half minutes to seal the deal.

The Volunteers were led by Jordan Bowden’s 26 points, along with a couple of rebounds and an assist. Yves Pons was the only other player in double figures for the Vols, adding 19 points along with four rebounds and just as many blocked shots. Lamonte Turner dished out 14 assists in the winning effort.

Tennessee shot 50 percent from the floor, including an eye-popping 55 percent from behind the arc. They only coughed up the ball eight times, compared to 12 for Murray State. Their 68 percent mark from the charity stripe still leaves something to be desired, but a win is a win.

The Volunteers next face the No. 20-ranked Washington Huskies on Saturday, November 16, in Toronto, Ont. for the James Naismith Classic. Gametime is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.

 

 

UT News: November 12, 2019

UT News: November 12, 2019

November is one of the greatest months for college sports, especially with football on the weekends and basketball during the week to keep the fans occupied. Last night, the Lady Vols basketball team brought joy to the folks on Rocky Top with an authoritative win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tonight, the men’s team has a chance to match the women with a victory of their own.

Men’s basketball play tonight

Tennessee men’s basketball faces the Murray State Racers tonight in the second game of their season-opening homestand at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Volunteers will look to extend the nation’s longest active home win streak against their foes from Kentucky.

This is the fourth time the two teams have met, with their last tangle coming in 2006. The Vols are currently a perfect 3-0 against the Racers in a series that was first played back in 1945 in Knoxville but did not resume until 2005 in Nashville.

Tipoff is at 9 p.m. ET and can be watched on SEC Network and online through WatchESPN, and can be heard on local Vol Network affiliates.

NEXT: Rick Barnes meets with the media

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