Lady Tars in Elite Eight

The Lady Tars are making a name for themselves on the court in the NCAA Division II championships, entering the Elite Eight on a string of big wins.

Out of 303 teams to start the season, the Tars have won their way into the final eight.

Speaking to Rollins Sports, Head Coach Glen Wilkes Jr. said that the Tars struggled in practice heading into the Elite Eight tournament, but that they were setting new goals to move higher than they ever have before.

“Our goal is the next game,” Wilkes said. “We put all our efforts into that and let it fall as it may. But the way the schedule has fallen this year, we feel like we can play with anybody.”

The last seven games have been a whirlwind, with the Tars blowing through teams to end the regular season, then through increasingly tough opponents in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament and the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. Four of those games have been decided by four points or less. The Tars won all of them.

On March 20, in the regional championship game, the Tars watched Valdosta State rip out a 7-point lead that they held for most of the first half.

That’s when the Tars went on a tear, helped by the unlikely hero Kourtnie Berry, who came off the bench to add 11 points during a rally that gave Rollins the lead.

By the second half the Tars were firmly in control, only allowing the point gap to slip near the end. In the game Ashley Jones led with 14 points, though she only hit 23 percent of her field goal attempts. She added eight rebounds and five turnovers. Paris Moore helped out with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Tars faced Lander at press time on Tuesday night with hopes of a shot at the semifinal at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. With two wins, they could be in the national championship game at 8 p.m. Friday. Check RollinsSports.com

Knights fall in NIT

After a string of ups and downs leading into their first-ever National Invitational Tournament appearance, the Knights men’s basketball team fell 81-56 at Drexel, ending their postseason run.

For the Knights, who were plagued by poor shooting compared to the Dragons, a low score again hampered their chances. Keith Clanton led the team with 12 points, which may be the lowest game high for any Knight this season. Meanwhile Drexel shot 50.9 percent overall, hitting nearly half of its 3-pointers.

The loss ended the Knights’ season, and ended the career of charismatic team captain A.J. Rompza, who graduates as a senior. His longtime teammate P.J. Gaynor also graduates after the season.