ORLANDO, Fla. – As host Bethune-Cookman went winless, Arkansas State, Sam Houston State, defending national champion Stephen F. Austin and defending national runner-up Nebraska advanced to the championship round of the Wildcat Invitational Saturday at Boardwalk Bowl.
Arkansas State posted team scores of 1,000 or more in all five of Saturday’s traditional matches to lead the 13-team field with a tournament pinfall total of 10,213, ahead of Sam Houston State (9,861), Stephen F. Austin (9,746), and Nebraska (9,674).
Jordan Richard of Arkansas State posted the day’s high individual game of 269 as well as well as the individual high average of 229.8, edging out Stephanie Schwartz of Stephen F. Austin – the 2016 National Player Of The Year and UMES’ Thashaina Seraus, who recorded averages of 228.8 and 224.6, respectively. Seraus rolled a 268, Schwartz a 267.
Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin finished the second day with 7-2 records, followed by four teams – Arkansas State, Monmouth, Farleigh Dickinson, and Prairie View A&M at 6-3.
The day included a rematch of the last two national championship games, with Stephen F. Austin downing Nebraska 1,080-960.
Bethune-Cookman went 0-5 in head-to-head play – including an opening match-loss to rival Florida A&M, but was able to finish ahead of the Rattlers for 12th in the pinfall category. The Lady Wildcats also fell to Sam Houston, Farleigh Dickinson, Monmouth and Alabama State
The Lady Wildcats’ best outing was an 832 team score against Farleigh Dickinson.
Krysta Coleman led the Lady Wildcats with a 173 average and a high game of 188. Other B-CU averages included Amyre Tensley (169.4), Ivory Miles (161.6) and Nia McConico (144.5). Tensley registered B-CU’s high game of the day with a 191.
“We worked hard, but couldn’t pull out a win,” said B-CU coach Charles Thomas. “We missed a lot of spares and we need to work on our first ball execution.”
Action resumes Sunday at 9:30 a.m.