In brief: Whits next face Marietta in Ohio

Basketball: Top-ranked Whitworth is headed to Wooster, Ohio, next weekend to play Marietta in the section semifinals of the NCAA Division III men’s basketball tournament.

The Pirates (27-1) advanced to the sectional rounds with a 77-63 win over 12th-ranked Chapman on Saturday at the Whitworth Fieldhouse. The 11th-ranked Pioneers (27-3) defeated Wittenberg 63-62 at home in their second-round contest Saturday.

Whitworth and Marietta will play at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time Friday. Whitworth is making its third NCAA sweet 16 appearance in the last four years.

Two Vandals honored by WAC

Basketball: Idaho’s Jeff Ledbetter and Kyle Barone earned Western Athletic Conference postseason honors, the conference announced Sunday.

Ledbetter, a senior guard, was named second-team all-WAC, while Barone, a sophomore center, was chosen all-WAC honorable mention.

Ledbetter made 55 3-pointers in conference play, the most in the WAC in five seasons, and he was seventh in scoring in league play at 15.1 points per game. He led the conference in free-throw percentage (87.5) and was second in 3-point percentage (46.2). Ledbetter is the third Vandal to earn all-WAC honors.

Barone led the WAC in field-goal percentage (61.4) overall and shot a conference-best 64.5 percent in WAC games, which is fifth in conference history.

MTSU women return to court

Basketball: The Middle Tennessee women huddled under the basket before their first game in the Sun Belt conference tournament, arms around one another.

Returning to the court just days after the stabbing death of teammate Tina Stewart, the Blue Raiders muddled through a difficult 77-62 loss to Arkansas State on Sunday.

“Everybody knows what we’ve gone through,” senior Anne Marie Lanning said. “Emotionally, it’s been tough, but we knew we wanted to go out there and play for ‘T.’ And so we just went out there and gave it our all.

“I just know she would be proud of us.”

Stewart, 21, of Memphis, was stabbed to death Wednesday night and her roommate, Shanterrica Madden, 18, has been charged with first-degree murder.

“I just felt so much for them, what they’re going through,” MTSU coach Rick Insell said.

Associated Press