Lady Raiders Fall To Seton Hall 74-73 In WNIT Semifinals

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Kseniya Malashka. Photo: Courtesy of MT Athletics

The Lady Raiders’ strong second half wasn’t enough to overtake Seton Hall whose last second bucket secured the 74-73 win over MTSU on Thursday night (March 31).

“We never quit,” head coach Rick Insell said in a postgame press conference. “They made some plays at the end. They executed two or three times in a row and we had a couple of breakdowns. I’m very proud of our young ladies. I hate it for our fans, our school, and our team. They did everything they could do to win this game.”

The Pirates took a strong early lead over MTSU at the Murphy Center 38-26 going into halftime. Hall was led by Sidney Cooks who scored 28 points and rebounded seven. But the Lady Raiders came out of halftime with a vengeance.

MTSU scored 24 points in the third quarter and 23 points in the fourth quarter, outscoring Seton Hall 47-36. The Lady Raiders were led by Kseniya Malashka who dropped 25 points and rebounded nine on 28 minutes played. Dor Saar scored 19 points in an attempt to pull off the comeback victory.

In the final quarter, MTSU went on an 11-0 run to take the lead. After some back-and-fourth play, the Lady Raiders found themselves up four with 23 seconds to play. But a hard fought drive, layup and-1 from the Pirates, and a tie-up on the next possession gave Seton Hall the ball with 16 seconds to go. Cooks then scored on a heavily contested shot, giving Hall the lead with 2.4 seconds left.

Malashka was the one to take the final shot to win the game, but fell short, with the Pirates punching their ticket to the WNIT Finals.

“I thought she got a body down low, and they didn’t make a call,” Insell added. “She went in and was able to get the ball up, but I still think there was too stuff much going on underneath. I’m still proud of [Malashka], she did exactly what we wanted to do.”

The Lady Raiders finish their season 27-8 with a home record of 16-1. Their historic WNIT may have come to an end but not before picking up wins against Wofford, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt and Toledo.

Belmont’s Nick Muszynski To Play In NABC Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game

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Nick Muszynski. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont senior Nick Muszsynki will have one more opportunity to represent the Bruins as he plays in the NABC Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game in New Orleans ahead of the Final Four.

Muszynski has had one of the most successful career in the history of Belmont’s men’s basketball program. Posting a career record of 104-25, Muszynski led Belmont to three conference regular season championships, two NCAA Tournament bids and the 2022 postseason NIT. He was named the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2019, OVC Tournament MVP in 2020 and has been named to the All-OVC First Team each of his four years.

The 6’11” center ranks 11th among all active frontcourt players with 1,886 points. His 105 career double figure scoring games ranks second among all active frontcourt players, trailing only Richmond’s Grant Golden. He is one of only nine players over the last 30 years with at least 1,800 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists and 200 blocked shots, and joins the likes of Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), David West (Xavier), Nick Collison (Kansas) and John Wallace (Syracuse) to reach that standard.

Muszynksi is the first Belmont Bruins to take part in the NABC Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game since All-American Evan Bradds in 2017.

He will play with the West All-Star Team led by Missouri head coach Dennis Gates. His teammates include Davion Mintz (Kentucky), Stanley Umude (Arkansas) and Gabe Brown (Michigan State).

College Corner: Jerry Stackhouse, Lady Blue Raiders WNIT, Belmont Soccer

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Vanderbilt’s Jerry Stackhouse Named Finalist For Ben Jobe Award

Jerry Stackhouse. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt basketball head coach Jerry Stackhouse was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe award after a successful NIT run.

The Ben Jobe award is presented annually to the top Division I minority coach by College Insider. Stackhouse is one of 25 finalists for this year’s award.

This past season, Stackhouse guided the Commodores to 19 wins, the most since the 2016-17 season. Now in his third season, Vandy is the only SEC program to improve its NCAA net ranking in reach of the last three seasons.

Vanderbilt won two games at the SEC Tournament before earning an at-large bid to the NIT. The Dores capped the season in the NIT Quarterfinals after wins over Belmont and top-seeded Dayton in the first two rounds.

The winner of the award will be announced April 1 in New Orleans at the NCAA Final Four.

 

 

MTSU Women’s Basketball To Host Seton Hall In WNIT Semifinals

MTSU Lady Raiders. Photo: Emily Cole/MT Athletics

The Lady Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) have punched their ticket to the WNIT semifinals for the first time in program history after a thrilling 73-71 overtime win against Toledo.

MTSU, now with a record of 27-7, will host Big East powerhouse Seton Hall in the semifinals on Thursday (March 31).

The intense and exciting Toledo matchup included 17 lead changes and 15 ties, with the largest lead for either team coming in at eight points in the first quarter. However, the Lady Raiders held strong, never trailing in overtime.

“Great, great game between two quality teams,” Lady Raider Head Coach Rick Insell said in a postgame press conference. “This was a great atmosphere and that’s what you expect when you reach this point of a postseason tournament. We knew it would take a great effort to come in here and win against a very good and well-coached Toledo team. I’m excited for our team and our fans, but I’m proud of how this team responded tonight.”

Middle Tennessee takes on the Pirates at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. All tickets are general admission and can be purchased for $20 each.

 

 

Belmont Soccer Hires Cam Olsen As Assistant Coach

Belmont men’s soccer head coach David Costa has named Cam Olson as the program’s new assistant coach.

Olson comes to Belmont following a season at the Patriot League’s Bucknell University and brings four seasons of collegiate coaching experience to the Bruins.

“We want to welcome Cam and his wife, Katelynn, to Belmont,” says Costa. “We are thrilled to add someone of his character, quality and experience. Cam is a man of high character and will have a strong impact on our student-athletes and their experience at Belmont.”

On a collegiate coaching staff the past seven years, Olson spent the last six seasons with NCAA Division I men’s soccer programs, including Xavier and Vermont, in addition to Bucknell.

While on staff at Xavier, the program compiled 33 match wins and earned results against numerous ranked opponents. Xavier reached the Big East Conference Championship title match in 2017, was ranked in the national top 25, advanced to three consecutive Big East Championships and earned a United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for four-straight years. The Musketeers’ 2019 recruiting class was ranked seventh nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.com and Xavier rose to No. 11 in the nation.

Lady Vols Tournament Run Ends With 76-64 Loss To Louisville

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Rae Burrell. Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

The Lady Volunteers’ successful 2022 season came to an end this weekend, losing to No. 1 seeded Louisville 76-64 in the Sweet Sixteen in Wichita, Kansas on Saturday (March 26).

Tennessee and Louisville started off relatively even. The Cardinals took an early 19-13 lead after the first quarter, but a massive second quarter from Louisville gave them a 39-28 lead. After halftime, the Lady Vols scored 22 points, cutting Louisville’s lead to 55-50. But this wasn’t enough to pull off an upset as the Cardinals scored 21 points in the final quarter, solidifying their trip to the Elite Eight.

“You never know when that last game is coming. It’s always so abrupt,” said Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper in a postgame press conference. “I’m disappointed that we don’t get to keep playing basketball because this group has been so much fun to coach and work with every day. But Louisville is really good and they’re tough on both ends of the court. We needed to play with a few less mistakes on both ends of the court. You’ve got to make your free throws, you’ve got to be low turnover, and you’ve got to finish around the basket. We didn’t do that enough.

“I’m really proud of our team. They don’t have any quit in them. They’re going to fight. They cut it to 2 and gave ourselves a chance there in the fourth quarter. I love them for that, for their competitiveness and how they have represented the Lady Vols.”

Senior Rae Burrell played her final collegiate game and went out with a bang, scoring 22 points and rebounding six. Guard Jordan Walker scored 10 points for Tennessee and was the only other player to score in double digits.

“[Playing for this team has] meant so much. I get to be a Lady Vol for life, and that means a lot to me,” Burrell shared. “I’ve been here for four years, and it’s been a great ride. I’m just very grateful for my team and the people that have helped me along the way.”

The Cardinals played excellent and were led by the offensive prowess from Hailey Van Lith and Emily Engstler who scored 23 points and 20 points, respectively. Engstler picked up a double-double as well, rebounding 10. Louisville also combined for 11 steals and eight blocks, scoring 21 points off of 18 Tennessee turnovers.

The Lady Vols finished their season with a record of 25-9 and an astounding home record of 16-2. Outside of Burrell, Walker and two other graduate students, Tennessee will be welcoming back a huge chunk of its roster, including leading scorer Jordan Horston who averaged 16.2 ppg and 9.4 rpg.

College Corner: Rick Barnes, Will Richard, MTSU & Vandy WNIT

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Tennessee Gives Head Coach Rick Barnes Contract Extension

Rick Barnes. Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

After leading the University of Tennessee to its first SEC Tournament championship in 1979, head coach Rick Barnes has been given a contract extension that will keep him in Knoxville until 2027.

“Rick has built an incredible culture within our men’s basketball program that has spread throughout Vol Nation,” says Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White. “I’ve had a blast watching the best fanbase in the country embrace this team and create the most electric environment in college basketball. Coach Barnes’ leadership is steady, and his players exude high character. They take pride in representing our university and the state of Tennessee with class and an unrivaled competitive drive.”

In program history, Tennessee has six seasons of 26 or more wins with Barnes serving as the Vols’ head coach for three of those six campaigns (2017-18, 2018-19, 2021-22). For the second time in Barnes’ tenure, the Vols spent the entire season ranked in the AP Top 25.

“After meeting with our players this week, I’m energized and eager to get back in the gym preparing for next season,” says Barnes. “Our family is blessed to be a part of the University of Tennessee family, and we appreciate the alignment of our administration. There are so many wonderful things happening on campus and throughout the community that we’re excited to support and participate in. It’s a great time to be a Tennessee Volunteer.”

 

 

Belmont’s Will Richard Enters Transfer Portal

Will Richard. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont freshman Will Richard has entered the transfer portal after averaging 15.8 points per game and being the Bruins third best scorer.

Richard announced his decision via social media, thanking Belmont, its coaches and the community. The Georgia native was named to the OVC’s All-Freshman team and scored 22 points against Vanderbilt in the Bruins first round NIT matchup.

According to Jamie Shaw from On3sports.com, Richard has heard from Stanford, Minnesota, Clemson, BYU, Ole Miss, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Creighton, and Loyola-Chicago among others.

 

 

MTSU Beats Vanderbilt 55-53 In WNIT Round Three

Courtney Whitson. Photo: Courtesy of MT Athletics

In a heated cross-town matchup, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) knocked out Vanderbilt 55-53 in the third round of the WNIT on Thursday night (March 24) at the Murphy Center.

“I’m obviously disappointed for our group, but incredibly proud of how far we’ve come this year. I’m excited about the foundation that we’ve built for our program here at Vanderbilt,” said Vanderbilt’s first-year head coach Shea Ralph in a postgame press conference. “We understand how special this is and the opportunity to make it even more special is my dream job.”

Vanderbilt’s Jordyn Cambridge scored 14 points and had four steals. Iyana Moore also scored 14 points, and Sacha Washington scored 12 points and picked eight rebounds.

The Commodores started off hot scoring 21 points in the first quarter alone and taking a strong 29-21 lead at halftime. A huge third quarter, where the Lady Blue Raiders scored 22 points, led the team to a 43-41 lead.

“What a heck of a game,” MTSU head coach Rick Insell said in a postgame press conference. “Both teams played hard, both teams executed at times and both teams got sloppy at times. You’ve got to give credit to both teams. They battled and battled and battled and [it was a] heck of a game. I’m proud of our basketball team.”

Dor Saar led in scoring for MTSU with 13 points. Courtney Whitson and Kseniya Malashka both had great games, scoring nine points and 12 points respectively.

The Lady Blue Raiders will now face Toledo in the WNIT quarterfinals on Monday, March 28 at 6 p.m. CT.

Vanderbilt’s Season Comes To An End With Loss To Xavier In NIT

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Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt’s NIT run ended on Tuesday night after losing to Xavier 75-73 in the tournament’s quarterfinals.

The Commodores were red hot coming into the game, wining four of their last five games which included Belmont and Dayton. Vandy finishes their most successful season in five years with a record of 19-17.

“For the most part I thought our guys just stayed together and kept battling,” said head coach Jerry Stackhouse in a postgame press conference. “We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. We stayed together, we stayed the course, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Vandy had a lead for most of the game and held it tight late into the second half. The Commodores saw a nine-point lead disappear late and eventually went down 71-70 on an Adam Kunkel jumper with 2:01 to go. Kunkel, a former Belmont Bruin, then gave the Musketeers a 74-72 lead with a runner with 57 seconds on the clock.

The Musketeers ended the game on a 16-7 run and Vanderbilt went the final 3:10 without making a shot from the floor.

Junior superstar Scotty Pippen Jr. led Vanderbilt in scoring with 28 points and a career-high nine rebounds and seven assists. The All-SEC First Team player scored over 60 points in the past two games and finishes the season averaging 20.4 ppg, 162 assists, and shooting 42% from the field.

“This is our first postseason in a couple of years. The guys feel good about the season,” Pippen shared. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end. We didn’t get to go to New York, but at the end of the day [we had] a 19 win season. Every year that I’ve been here, we’ve improved and improved. The players that’ve been here have grown up together. Although it’s a disappointing end to the season, there’s a lot of good to look back at.”

Pippen’s future at Vanderbilt is up in the air as he’s proven himself as a legitimate NBA prospect. He currently isn’t listed on any major NBA Mock Drafts and may spend his first year in the pros on a G-League team. If Pippen were to return for his senior year, he would definitely be one of the top players in the SEC for the 2022-23 season.

“If you look back at my first year here, we were the worst team in the SEC–an 0-18 team. I think we’ve improved and I think we’ve had a bigger jump than any team in the SEC,” Pippen added. “I’ve had a great career and I don’t know if it’s my last game but this isn’t the way I wanted to go out. But when I look back, there were a lot of good things. I just want to thank all the fans that supported me, coaching staff and everyone that’s been part of my journey here.

“It’s been a great ride but we’ll see,” he summed.

Vanderbilt Introduces New School Seal, Athletics Logo

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Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt University is giving itself an identity refresh as it releases a new school seal and logo that will be shared by the university and its athletics.

“From my perspective, the timing is perfect in that it illustrates the ‘new era’ that we have spoken of often,” says Candice Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director. “It’s a new day, with new energy, alignment and momentum to match. It’s another example of Vandy United in action.”

Updates to the Vanderbilt identity come after extensive input from across the community, with more than 500 completed surveys, over 70 one-on-one interviews, and dozens of workshops and group engagement sessions conducted during the past two years. Vandy also received feedback from the Commodore Fan Council and the Black and Gold board of advisers in developing the new marks.

A survey on the initiative was sent to university deans, select faculty, students and coaches. Feedback sessions for the proposed new marks included coaches and administrators.

Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

“Our ‘One Vanderbilt’ spirit defines who we are, and we wanted our identity to reflect that,” says Steve Ertel, vice chancellor for communications and marketing, led the effort. “We heard from individuals across the university that they wanted our marks to signify who we are today, and that they also wanted to demonstrate stronger unity between the university and athletics. The symbols we use to express who we are as a community help us convey a shared sense of purpose that can guide and inspire us while also attracting others to join and support that shared purpose.”

The refresh also includes a completely redesigned university seal. The seal features a new Latin motto, the university’s first: “Crescere aude,” which translates to “dare to grow.”

“All great institutions have a clear sense of themselves. As we prepare to celebrate our 150th anniversary next year, it’s time for Vanderbilt to sharpen our expression of who we are and what makes us unique. As we look ahead, we believe that a strong sense of self will direct and accelerate our growth and evolution,” says Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. “This new visual identity is designed to help build and share the pride in our collaborative community and to bring greater visibility to our university across the country and around the world.”

Courtesy of Vanderbilt Communications

The university worked with design studio Upstatement on the refresh, building upon a previous collaboration in relaunching the university’s new website in 2021. 

Upstatement is considered an industry leader in brand and digital product design, having extensive experience working with top-ranked schools including MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The company has also worked with major sports media companies, from ESPN to the PGA Tour, to inspire audiences and gain competitive advantage in their respective fields.

The new logos will be added to all uniforms and university apparel starting in 2023.

Athletics facilities and playing fields will be updated with the new marks over the next several years as is logistically feasible to do so.

Lady Vols Head To Sweet Sixteen After Beating Bruins In Narrow Finish

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Pictured: Lady Vol Sara Puckett being guarded by Bruins’ Destinee Wells and Madison Bartley. Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

In one of the most intense games of the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols of Tennessee held out to beat Belmont 70-67 on Monday night (March 21) at Thompson-Boling Arena.

With the win, Tennessee advances to the Sweet Sixteen, for the first time since 2016.

“I am super excited to be playing more basketball with this team,” said Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper in a postgame press conference. “Hats off to Belmont. That is one heck of a team. We knew they were going to fight for 40 minutes… I’m just so happy for this group. I’m really proud of them.”

Harper will be taking her second team to that NCAA stage, having led Missouri State to the 2019 Sweet 16 before being hired by UT in 2020.

The Lady Vols took a strong and early command over Belmont, solidifying a 35-23 lead going into halftime. The team was led by graduate Alexus Dye, who posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Tamari Key and freshman Sara Puckett were also in double figures with 18 and 12, respectively. Key and the rest of the UT team overwhelmed the Bruins with its size and athleticism.

“I was ready just because I knew my teammates had all that confidence in me,” said Puckett in a postgame press conference. “That just made me feel so free out there to be able to do the gift that God gave me to do: to shoot the basketball.

It wasn’t until the third quarter when Belmont sophomores Destinee Wells and Tuti Jones came alive and were able to tie it up at 46-46 with less than a minute to go in the quarter. Wells worked tirelessly to find shots wherever she could, and ended leading the Bruins in scoring with 22 points, while Madison Bartley contributed 16. Jones, who only scored one point in the first half, went on to score 17 points, finishing with six rebounds and two steals. Her second half performance was key for the Bruins comeback.

Belmont’s Tuti Jones. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

The game came down to the wire with a lot of back-and-forth, but defensive plays from Key and a 3-pointer from Puckett with just 18 seconds left in the game sealed Tennessee’s fate.

“I can’t be more proud of a group than I am of our group,” said Belmont head coach Bart Brooks in a postgame press conference. “I’ve got the best job in the world, working for the greatest people in the world at the greatest university in the world. I still pinch myself when I walk across campus and say I get to work here every day. The best part of it is the people I get to work with, and these young ladies.” He continues, “This has been a hard and exhausting year. But, man, it has been fun to coach this group, and it beats working for a living, that’s for sure.”

The Bruins finished their season 23-8 with an OVC title, a March Madness win, and a fantastic performance against Tennessee. Though the team will be losing a handful of seniors, including Conley Chinn and Jamilyn Kinney, other power player such as Jones, Bartley and Wells have two more years at Belmont.

Joining the Missouri Valley Conference next season, the Bruins have set a foundation with this specific team.

“I would definitely say we’re going to leave here with our heads high,” Jones shared. “Like Bart said, it’s been a long season. We’ve grown so much together and we’ve grown a lot as a team. It was tough losing, of course, but we’re definitely going to leave with our heads high. We’re so proud of each other.”

Next up, the Lady Vols head to Wichita to take on No. 1 Louisville on Saturday, March 26 at 3 p.m. CT. Louisville is one of the best teams in the country, only losing four games all year and being ranked No. 4 nationally. Fans can catch the game on ESPN 2.