Three area players, coach on academic list

Three area players, coach on academic list

Garrett Anderson (South Range), Rachel Tinkey (Canfield) and Melinda Trimmer (West Branch) were named to the Academic All-Ohio list as selected by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association.

Massillon Jackson girls coach Anthony Butch, who was a graduate of Lakeview High School, had his team earn the team award with a cumulitive GPA of 3.925.

Anderson averaged 15.3 points with a 4.0 GPA, Tinkey averaged 13.8 with a 4.0 and Trimmer averaged 20.7 with a 4.0.

YSU volleyball coaches to host summer camp

The Youngstown State volleyball coaches will host two varsity team camps, an individual skills camp and an advanced skills camp in July on YSU’s campus.

The staff will hold team camps on back-to-back weekends, July 10-12 and July 17-19. The individual skills camp will be have a half-day format from July 13-16, and the advanced skills camp will be all day from July 14-16.

The team camps will emphasize competition and will cost $210 per camper. The individual skills camp is open to all ages and genders and the cost is $80. The advanced skills camp is open to rising freshmen through seniors and is designed for players with varsity or club experience who would like to play volleyball at the collegiate level. The cost for resident campers is $260, and the cost for commuters is $210.

For more information, contact YSU volleyball assistant coach Sarah Smith at slsmith11@ysu.edu or 304-268-8655.

Merling wins tourney; YSU takes 2nd at IPFW

Fort Wayne, Ind.

Senior golfer Aislynn Merling won the IPFW Spring Classic by one stroke to lead the Youngstown State women’s golf team to a second-place finish at the two-day tournament.

Merling carded a two-round total of 148 with rounds of 72 and 76 as the wire-to-wire winner. She had a two stroke lead following her round on Sunday before holding on to win by shot on Monday.

Indianapolis won the team titled with an impressive score of 600. The Penguins bested Oakland by one shot, finishing with a 616 while the Golden Grizzlies had a 617.

The Penguins are next in action at the Dolores Black Falcon Invitational hosted by Bowling Green on Saturday and Sunday.

Lopez’s 32, Nets top short-handed Blazers

NEW YORK

Brook Lopez dominated twin brother Robin and the short-handed Portland frontcourt with 32 points and nine rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Trail Blazers 106-96 on Monday night in the only game on the NBA schedule.

The Trail Blazers left LaMarcus Aldridge and others home for the makeup of a game postponed by weather on Jan. 26 and couldn’t stop Brook Lopez, who shot 15 for 25 from the field.

Deron Williams added 24 points and 10 assists for the Nets, who strengthened their hold on seventh place in the Eastern Conference by winning for the ninth time in 11 games. Thaddeus Young scored 20 points.

Damian Lillard scored 36 points for the Trail Blazers, who had won two in a row. Meyers Leonard had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

Alabama hires Avery Johnson as hoops coach

MONTGOMERY, Ala.

Alabama has hired former NBA player and coach Avery Johnson to lead the basketball program.

Crimson Tide athletic director Bill Battle announced the hire Monday night in a statement. The terms of his contract won’t be released until it’s approved by the board of trustees’ compensation committee. Battle cited Johnson’s record as a professional player and coach and says “he has shown fortitude and skill in every opportunity.”

Johnson had stints as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, but this is his first college coaching job. Johnson led the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance and was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2006. He was fired by the Nets in December 2012 and had been working as an ESPN analyst.

Staff/Wire report