ICYMI

Area basketball titles determined

Local area basketball tournaments were completed last weekend, with the top two teams in each area advancing to the next phase of the AHSAA state boys and girls basketball tournaments. The results of the championship games for teams located in the Lagniappe coverage area are listed below (results of the first round of regional and sub-regional games played Monday and Tuesday were not available at press time):

BOYS

Class 2A, Area 1: Orange Beach 59, J.U, Blacksher 50

Class 3A, Area 1: Cottage Hill Christian 54, Chickasaw 35

Class 4A, Area 1: Escambia County 39, Vigor 37

Class 5A, Area 1: LeFlore 61, B.C. Rain 43

Class 5A, Area 2: Faith Academy 55, St. Paul’s 33

Class 6A, Area 1: Saraland 74, McGill-Toolen 70

Class 6A, Area 2: Spanish Fort 69, Robertsdale 48

Class 7A, Area 1: Maty G. Montgomery 50, Davidson 39

Class 7A, Area 2: Fairhope 71, Murphy 31

GIRLS

Class 2A, Area 1: St. Luke’s 56, Orange Beach 22

Class 3A, Area 1: Bayside Academy 46, Cottage Hill Christian 32

Class 4A, Area 1: Vigor 65, Williamson 42

Class 5A, Area 1: LeFlore 62, Elberta 25

Class 5A, Area 2: St. Paul’s 54, UMS-Wright 46

Class 6A, Area 1: McGill-Toolen 64, Blount 36

Class 6A, Area 2: Gulf Shores 42, Spanish Fort 40

Class 7A, Area 1: Baker 57, Theodore 42

Class 7A, Area 2: Foley 51, Fairhope 48

Bananas add second game in Mobile

The Savannah Bananas have added a second game to their One City World Tour visit to Mobile at Hank Aaron Stadium in late March. The original game, slated Friday, March 26, sold out quickly, so the team added another game for Saturday, March 27. Tickets are priced at $15 each for general admission and can be purchased online at www.savannahbananas.com.

Malzahn named head coach at UCF

Former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, who was fired after the 2020 regular season, has been hired as the new head coach at Central Florida [UCF]. Malzahn replaces Josh Heupel who left UCF to take over as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers where his former AD at UCF, Danny White, has been hired. Malzahn led Auburn to a 6-4 record this past season and had a record of 77-38 in eight seasons as Auburn’s head coach. He was hired at UCF by its new AD, Terry Mohajir, the former Arkansas State AD who also hired Malzahn as the Red Wolves head coach for one year prior to Malzahn moving on to Auburn.

Sucher makes cut at AT&T

Zack Sucher, a Mobile native who played collegiately at UAB, made the cut in last weekend’s AT&T Pebble Beach Classic in Monterey, Calif. Sucher finished the tournament with a score of 1-over-par 289. He opened the tournament with a round of even par 72 and followed with a round of 1-under 71 to make the cut. After a 4-over 76 on Saturday he came back with his best round of the tournament in Sunday’s final round, shooting a 2-under 70.

Jags picked second in Sun Belt East

South Alabama is picked to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference East Division in baseball standings this season in a vote of the league’s coaches. The Jags are just behind Coastal Carolina, which is picked to win the East. Troy is picked to finish fourth in the East. Texas State gets the nod as the team to beat in the West Division. South Alabama’s Ethan Wilson is the preseason Player of the Year selection. He is also a preseason first-team All-America pick and is the Jags’ lone representative on the preseason All-Sun Belt team as an outfielder. Troy placed five players on the preseason All-Sun Belt team — P Lance Johnson, C Caleb Bartolero, 1B William Sullivan, SS Drew Frederic and OF Rigsby Mosley.