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Sports
Smyrna, MTCS one win from state
Sectional victory FYI Tonights local games sends teams to Winners advance to state tournament Girls Murphy Center Class A
By ROGER GARFIELD rgarfield@dnj.com and DAVID BOCLAIR boclair@dnj.com
MTCS at Wayne County, 7 p.m. Class AAA Hillsboro at Smyrna, 7 p.m. I Complete schedule, plus a look at other sectional game across the Midstate, C5

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Titans/Predators | C4 Scoreboard | C5
Saturday, March 1, 2008

MTSU baseball set to finally have home opener

After a long wait, the MTSU baseball team will finally get to kick off the home portion of its schedule this afternoon, when the Blue Raiders take on Toledo in a double header at Reese Smith Field. First pitch is scheduled for noon. Fridays contest, scheduled to be the first in the three game series, was initially pushed back an hour before being rescheduled for today. All fans attending will receive complimentary admission to both games with a ticket from either the MTSU womens or mens basketball games. The Daily News Journal

So close they can taste it. The Smyrna and MTCS girls basketball teams are

each one win away from reaching the TSSAA state

tournament. The No. 9 Lady Bullwho dogs, play host to fourth-ranked Hillsboro tonight at 7, have won two WILLEY state championships in 1961 and 1982. MTCS is hoping to make its first state tournament appearance. The Lady Cougars will

have to do it on the road, at No. 7 Wayne County at 7 p.m.

NO. 4 HILLSBORO (30-2) AT NO. 9 SMYRNA (27-4)

ADAM SPARKS
Staff Columnist

Steve Willey is considering loading his team on the bus and taking a little drive this afternoon, prior to the matchup with Hillsboro. Maybe well have to go to Murfreesboro, turn around
See STATE, page C5

MTSU still set up for tourney run

Think the Sun Belt Basketball Tournament is a crap shoot? Think again. History shows that many teams title hopes are over before the bracket begins. Indeed, most Sun Belt Tournament champions are playing well leading up to the postseason, rather than simply flipping a switch in March. Such a hot streak could be on the line today for MTSU, which has won only two of its last five games after winning seven of its previous nine. MTSU is trying to even its record at 14-14 with a win over Troy today in the regular-season finale. It just so happens that no team with a regular-season losing record has ever won the Sun Belt Tournament. But win or lose today, MTSU is among a few teams to assume the tournament darkhorse role behind league front-runners Western Kentucky and South Alabama next week. A few factors actually work in MTSUs favor: I MTSU has the leagues third-best record. A team below the top two league records has won the Sun Belt Tournament only once in the last 20 years. However, that one instance is very recent. In fact, it was last year when North Texas had the fifth-best regular-season record, but won the tournament. I MTSU has not lost a first-round tournament game in coach Kermit Davis first five seasons. The teams only opening loss was in the 2006 quarterfinal to Denver after earning a first-round bye. I MTSU usually gets its shot at the best team. MTSU has lost to the eventual tournament champion in four of Davis five Sun Belt Tournament appearances. I If MTSU won its first two tournament games, it would likely meet No. 1 seed USA. Sound like the worst possible draw? Maybe not. MTSU is the only team in the conference with a winning record (3-2) against USA in the last two years. MTSU upset No. 1 seed USA in last years quarterfinal.

DNJ photo by John A. Gillis

Siegel sophmores, from left, T.J. Mitchell, LeVon Tate, Kerry Hammonds and Marc Gooch have helped the basketball program get to the Class AAA sectional round one game from this years state tournament.

Siegel foursome leading the way for Stars

By ROGER GARFIELD rgarfield@dnj.com

Sophomore Sensations
Kerry Hammonds Marc Gooch LeVon Tate T.J. Mitchell Games Starts PPG RPG 28 26 13.4 6.6 36 36 9.2 4.4 36 34 7.9 5.5 36 27 7.9 4.2

He didnt look. He didnt even have to catch the ball. In the second half of Thursday nights Region 4-AAA title game against White County, Siegels Kerry Hammonds received a pass in transition from point guard Tyler Cutter. On the left block, Hammonds turned his head back to the middle of the floor and tapped the ball across the lane to teammate T.J. Mitchell, who laid it in

to give the Stars a nine-point lead late in the third quarter. While the play turned the tide in Siegels direction, it also encapsulated a connection that has brought the Stars to within one win of their third state tournament appearance in four seasons. Hammonds and Mitchell are two of Siegels four sophomore sensations, joining Marc Gooch and LeVon Tate as players that all started alongside Cutter at one point this season and have now settled comfortably into unique and

invaluable roles in the Stars lineup. These guys are coachable, Siegel coach Chris Harris. They listen, they dont think they can lose, they play without any fear, and they play very mature for their age. Theyre a very special group of kids.

FYI
Mondays local games Winners advance to state tournament Boys Class A Culleoka at Eagleville, 7 p.m. Class AAA Cleveland at Siegel, 7 p.m. I Complete schedule, C5

The four can score

Hammonds, who recently returned from a fractured left wrist that had
See SOPHOMORES, page C5

MTSU MENS BASKETBALL

MTSU WOMENS BASKETBALL

Tourney seed on the line Win against Troy assures for Blue Raiders tonight Lady Raiders of a bye
By ADAM SPARKS sparks@dnj.com

MTSU mens basketball plays Troy tonight with a No. 4 seed in next weeks Sun Belt Tournament on the line. But that feat could carry little reward for the Blue Raiders. MTSUs likely first-round opponent would be Troy or Louisiana-Monroe in a tournament home game Wednesday. MTSU lost 82-69 to Louisiana-Monroe on Jan. 24, the Blue Raiders second-worst Sun Belt loss this season. If it played Troy in the first round, MTSU would likely have to beat the same team three times in one season to advance. You like that youre going to play at
See SEED, page C3

MTSU Blue Raiders vs. Troy Trojans

When: Today, 7 p.m. Where: Murphy Center Radio: 1450-AM, 106.7-FM Series: MTSU leads 4-3 Last Meeting: MTSU 65, Troy 64 (1/16/08) Probable Starters Ht. Cl. Pts.Reb. MTSU (13-14, 10-7) G Kevin Kanaskie 6-2 Jr. 10.8 3.9 G Nigel Johnson 6-2 Jr. 7.3 3.7 G Demetrius Green 6-4 Jr. 12.2 4.4 F Desmond Yates 6-7 So. 15.9 4.6 C Theryn Hudson 6-10 Jr. 8.6 5.5 Troy (11-17, 4-13) G Jerome Odem 6-1 Sr. 7.72.3* G ODarien Bassett 6-2 Sr. 18.3 4.1 6-6 Sr. 14.0 3.5 G Justin Jonus 6-5 Jr. 3.4 3.0 F Kenny Ware 6-6 Sr. 6.2 4.1 F Jarvis Acker * Assists

By MONTE HALE JR. hale@dnj.com

There is a fine line between winning and losing, just as there is a narrow gap in the Sun Belt Conference standings. With that in mind, todays MTSU-Troy womens matchup (3 p.m. tipoff) at Murphy Center is most pivotal for the Lady Raiders. A victory over Troy will assure the Lady Raiders (18-10, 13-4) a No. 3 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, but more important, a first-round bye. A loss will give Arkansas State or Arkansas-Little Rock the No. 3 seed and force MTSU to play a firstround tournament game at home on Wednesday. Weve talked about it the last three
See BYE, page C3

MTSU Lady Raiders vs. Troy Trojans

When: Today, 3 p.m. Where: Murphy Center Radio: 1450-AM, 89.5-FM Series: MTSU leads 6-0 Last Meeting: MTSU 87, Troy 53 (1/17/08) Probable Starters Ht. Cl. Pts.Reb. MTSU (18-10, 13-4) G Chelsia Lymon 5-4 Jr. 9.1 2.7 G Starr Orr 5-8 Sr. 5.4 3.6 F A.M. Lanning 5-11 Fr. 8.8 2.6 F Emily Queen 6-1 Fr. 5.3 5.8 F Amber Holt 6-0 Sr. 27.0 8.3 Troy (12-16, 5-12) G Larelle Roper 5-8 Jr. 3.8 3.0 G Kylie Morrissy 5-10 Jr. 13.1 5.2 G Amy Lewis 5-9 Sr. 16.0 4.2 F Audrey Muse 6-0 Sr. 9.2 5.2 F Danielle Realph 6-1 Jr. 6.0 3.1

Today matters
I Since MTSU joined the Sun Belt in 2000, only one team lost its regular-season finale and then won the Sun Belt tournament title. That adds another angle to todays game. I Postseason momentum usually begins in the regular season. Only one of the last eight Sun Belt Tournament champions failed to win seven of its last 10 regular-season games. MTSU must win today to ride such a stint into the tournament. I Ten Sun Belt teams (those without a bye) must win four games in a row to claim the tournament title. Among those, only MTSU and North Texas have already won four straight league games this season.
Adam Sparks is the MTSU beat writer for The Daily News Journal. E-mail him at sparks@dnj.com.

Inside
Baseball I C2
Rogers Clemens a no-show at Astros camp Friday

Coming Tomorrow:
Coverage of Smyrna and MTCS attempt to advance to the TSSAA basketball tourney The MTSU basketball teams play host to Troy

College Hoops I C3
Previewing todays SEC tilt between Vandy and Arkansas

NASCAR I C6
The Sprint Cup circuit is in Las Vegas this weekend

The Nashville Sports Council announced Friday the award nominees for the 10th Annual OCharleys Dinner of Champions. Among the local finalists are former MTSU womens hoops standout Chrissy Givens. GIVENS

SCOREBOARD
LPGA Scores
Lorena Ochoa Annika Sorenstam In-Kyung Kim Paula Creamer -13 -6 -6 -6 For the big picture, check out the Scoreboard

page C5
Page editor: Corby A. Yarbrough

See page C2