The final few months of the year is always an exciting time for college sports fans with the football season winding down as the basketball season tips-off. There are dozens of area standouts making contributions on various levels within the college ranks. Port City Daily continues to follow these athletes after high school.
- New Hanover High School product Burke Estes made his first collegiate start for NCAA Division III Randolph Macon on Saturday as the Yellow Jackets outscored Hampden-Sydney 24-0 in the second half to post a 48-23 victory to win the Old Dominion Athletic Conference title and earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.Estes shined in his first opportunity, completing 18 of 28 passes for 329 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Randolph-Macon will play at Johns Hopkins on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 12 noon in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament.
Making his fifth start for Averett University, Estes’ classmate in high school, Ronnie Beatty, also recorded his second interception of the season on Saturday.
- First-place in the Sun Belt Conference was on the line in Alabama over the weekend as Troy scored a late touchdown to hand Appalachian State a 28-24 setback. Troy improved to 8-1 and 5-0 in league play. App State fell to 7-3 overall and 5-1 in Sun Belt play. The Mountaineers had a nine-game road winning streak in the Sun Belt snapped.
New Hanover alum Caleb Fuller had two tackles and one quarterback hurry in the loss after getting the start at defensive end.
- North Carolina Central grabbed a 30-21 victory over Howard University to remain unbeaten in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with its 14th straight conference victory. Wins by the Eagles and North Carolina A&T (9-1, 7-0 MEAC) on Saturday, sets up a showdown between the rivals on Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium with the winner claiming the league’s first outright conference championship title since 2012.
North Carolina Central sophomore running back Ramone Simpson (New Hanover) rushed for 81 yards and one score.
- Sophomore Julius Reynolds (Hoggard) made five tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in North Carolina A&T’s 45-14 win against Delaware State.
Saturday’s (Nov. 19) matchup between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central will feature a handful of Wilmington area players. Kick-off is set for 2p.m. and may be national televised on ESPN U.
In injury news, Laney High School product Larry Williams remains out with a lower leg injury at Oklahoma State. Williams isn’t expected back until the Cowboys regular season finale against Oklahoma (Dec. 3), at the earliest.
Listed below are college basketball players from the Wilmington area
- Kadeem Allen, senior, Arizona: Allen made a splash on national television on Friday when the senior for No. 12 Arizona hit a last second lay-in to lift the Wildcats past No. 12 Michigan State. Allen had 10 points in the win.
- Elijah Wilson, senior, Coastal Carolina: Wilson scored 12 points for the Chanticleers in their season opener on Friday, falling 70-53, to Alabama. Coastal Carolina plays in its home opener against College of Charleston on Monday, Nov. 14., in Conway, S.C.
- Trae Bryant, sophomore, Cape Fear Community College: Bryant transferred back home to Wilmington to play under Coach Ryan Mantlo moving into his sophomore year after seeing time as a first-year player at Division I UNC-Asheville last season. The Sea Devils went 1-1 over the weekend. Bryant scored 12 points in both games this season.
- Tyre Gathright, sophomore, Frederick Community College: Gathright transferred to Frederick Community College after spending his freshman year at NCAA Division II, North Georgia. He put in a season-high 22 points in a 78-64 win over Valley Forge Military College on Nov. 5.
- Ridell Camidge, junior, Tarleton State: Camidge was named to the All-Tournament team over the weekend at the Whataburger Tip-Off Classic in Stephenville, Texas. He scored a game-high 17 points for Tarleton State in a 73-64 victory over Colorado-Colorado Springs on Saturday.
Felecity Havens. (Photo courtesy- University of Mount Olive.) - Brianna Baham, junior, UNC-Pembroke: Baham made her debut for UNC-Pembroke last week in an exhibition game against N.C. State. The Laney product transferred after two seasons at Brunswick Community College. UNC-P opens the regular season on Monday against Coker College.
- Felecity Havens, junior, University of Mount Olive: Havens had 15 points and 11 rebounds to record a double-double during Mount Olive’s 68-60 win over Queens University on Saturday. Havens went 5-of-17 from the floor and 3-for-6 from long range.
- Jada Bacchus, sophomore, University of Mount Olive
- Tiana Edwards, junior, Winston-Salem State: Edwards scored three points in 20 minutes of action for Winston-Salem State in a 59-47 loss to the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats (2-0) on the second day of the CIAA/MEC Challenge hosted by Shepherd University in West Virginia. Edwards dropped 22 points in the Rams season debut the day prior.
- Achhaeus Fields, freshman, Averett University
- Julia Buehler, sophomore, Appalachian State
