Corpus Christi Caller-Times ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018 ❚ 1B

NCAA women’s bracket ❚ UConn is No. 1: A look at the com- Sports plete tournament bracket. 6B

DISTRICT 30-5A SOFTBALL: CALALLEN 5, CARROLL 2 Calallen slugs way past Carroll to open 30-5A Len Hayward run with another single. The big hit was Corpus Christi Caller Times a two-run single by freshman catcher USA TODAY NETWORK - TEXAS Lauren Mata in the third inning that gave Calallen a 3-0 lead and the runs What this game means: Calallen (15-5, needed to win. 1-0 in District 30-5A) picks up a key win against a playoff-contending team to Tuesday’s stars: Calallen’s Jessica start the district season. Carroll, mean- Johnson was 4 for 4 with two runs while, falls to 10-11 and 0-1 as it tries to scored and Mata was 2 for 3 with two defend its district title. RBI. Carroll’s Rhae Ann Avalos was 1-3 with a double and RBI, and Qirsten Tuesday’s highlights: The Wildcats had Orgas also was 1-for 3 with an RBI. some clutch hitting in Tuesday’s game as all five runs scored on hits. Kat Flo- Next: Calallen will have this weekend res drove in a run in the first inning with off and resume district play against an RBI single, Jamie Rojas hit a solo Miller on March 20, and Carroll will face Calallen’s Lizette Del Angel delivers a pitch against Carroll on Tuesday. Calallen home run and Hannah Chapa drove in a the Buccaneers on Thursday. won the District 30-5A opener 5-2. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES

Sampson returns to NCAA tourney It’s been a long road for Houston coach

Kristie Rieken ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON – A NCAA Tournament mainstay for more than a decade starting in the mid-1990s, coach Kel- vin Sampson never doubted he would return to the tournament, even after NCAA violations left him effectively barred from college coaching for five years. “I thought I’d be back in the NCAA Tournament if I came back to college,” he said. Sampson delivered on his confi- dence this year, guiding Houston to its first NCAA appearance since 2010. The 21st-ranked Cougars meet San Diego State on Thursday night. Sampson coached Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana to the tournament in 13 of 14 seasons from 1994-2008, an impressive string of success highlighted by the Sooners’ Final Four in 2002 and their run to the round of eight in 2003. But Sampson committed numer- ous violations regarding impermissi- ble calls to recruits at both Oklahoma and Indiana, resulting in a five-year show cause order from the NCAA in 2008 that kept him out of the college ranks until he was hired by Houston in 2014. He worked as an assistant with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and during his exile from college Incarnate Word Academy’s Gabby Ward (right) scored 37 goals as a senior. RACHEL DENNY CLOW/CALLER-TIMES basketball, and with the perspective of years he believes the detour from college coaching was a good thing. “That was a blessing for me … there’s unintended consequences in everything that we do,” he said. “Get- WARD TO PLAY ting to the NBA really helped me per- sonally on a lot of levels. I liked it so much that I wanted to stay there.” He interviewed for a couple of NBA head coaching jobs before the oppor- tunity at Houston came up. BACK IN ILLINOIS “A lot of stars got aligned the right way and I ended up here being a Cou-

High-scoring IWA standout chooses DII McKendree See SAMPSON, Page 2B

Quinton Martinez soccer history. “She is a feisty, Corpus Christi Caller Times She finished with 162 career goals in USA TODAY NETWORK - TEXAS high school play, including 24 goals as a feisty forward freshman in Illinois. that will do Sometimes you can go home again. “I’ve been involved in soccer in Cor- Just ask Incarnate Word Academy’s pus for 20-plus years in general,” said anything to put Gabby Ward. Sebastien Giraldo of Giraldo Elite Futbol the ball in the Ward and her family moved to Cor- and also the assistant coach of Corpus pus Christi from Illinois before her FC. “I have never seen a high school boys back of the net, sophomore year and this fall she is re- or girls player score that many goals in a turning, where she will play soccer for career. Ever. basically.” Division II McKendree University in “Not even close. I have never seen Sebastien Giraldo Lebanon, Illinois. anyone through four years consistently Giraldo Elite Futbol coach In three years playing club soccer and average that many goals.” at IWA, she will have left her mark in Giraldo coached Ward at the club lev- Corpus Christi, as one of the most prolif- ic goal-scorers in the city’s high school See WARD, Page 2B Houston coach Kelvin Sampson once was a regular in the NCAA men’s tournament. PHELAN M. EBENHACK/AP 2B ❚ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018 ❚ CALLER-TIMES

Guy Lewis and the Phi Slama Jama crew won 32 games recruited kind of got educated on the history of Hous- Sampson and reached the national championship game in 1984. ton. That was … an unbelievable infomercial for our “It feels amazing to get this great program back to program now. Just let people see what this program Continued from Page 1B where it used to be,” guard Corey Davis said. was. It’s a sleeping giant. It was just dormant.” Houston’s performance earned Sampson confer- Now that Sampson has made Houston basketball gar,” he said. ence coach of the year honors for the fifth time in his relevant again, he is focused on making the trip to the But he didn’t inherit a great situation at Houston. career and the first time since 1995 at Oklahoma. NCAA tournament a yearly occurrence. He pointed to When Sampson arrived, the once-proud Cougars were He wasn’t too keen on reflecting on what his return banners that line the team’s practice gym which are far removed from the Phi Slama Jama teams starring to the tournament means. But he acknowledged that adorned with the words “NCAA Tournament” and the , Elvin Hayes and in he takes great pride in helping the Cougars return to year of the trip. the 1980s that made five Final Four trips, including prominence. “Every day I look at that spot right beside 2010 three in a row from 1982-84. “These are shared experiences,” he said. “I share knowing that there’s going to be a banner that says Houston had struggled to contend in conference this credit with so many people. It’s a big deal to get to 2018,” he said. “And then I’m going to look at that spot play, and when Sampson was hired most of the talent the NCAA Tournament. That’s why when I took this right by 2018 and I’m going to think 2019, 2020, 2021. on the roster transferred rather than go through a re- job and (even with) what we didn’t have I saw this day That’s your goal.” building effort. … I envisioned this.” While thrilled to put the school back in the tourney, The Cougars went 13-19 and just 4-14 in American And though Olajuwon, Hayes and Drexler were Sampson and the Cougars want to make it clear they Athletic Conference play in his first season. But the fol- playing for the team years before his current players aren’t satisfied with simply getting a spot in March lowing year, they won 22 games for the school’s most were born, Sampson credited those stars for giving Madness. victories since 2008. They are 26-7 this season after him a boost in recruiting through the 2016 ESPN docu- “We want it to (be) more than just getting into the losing to Cincinnati 56-55 in the final of the conference mentary about those teams. tournament,” forward Devin Davis said. “We want to tourney. “Houston has a name,” Sampson said. “The 30- actually make some noise and win some games when The Cougars’ 26 wins are their most since coach for-30 piece they did on Phi Slama Jama, every kid we we get there.”

goal of cracking her school’s chart of top scorers, known them since I was in fourth grade. It is cool that Ward which meant she needed 100 goals. we grew up playing together and we get to go to college She raced past the mark last year and scored 37 and play together again.” Continued from Page 1B more as a senior to finish with 162. Ward said she plans to study pre-med at McKen- “The hard thing is getting people that don’t watch or dree, which has a good acceptance rate into medical el since she arrived in Corpus Christi. follow soccer to understand how prolific that is,” Gi- school, with a goal of becoming a pediatrician. “She is extremely talented,” Giraldo said. “She has raldo said. “That would be like averaging 30 or 40 Ward, who has a grade point average more than 4.0, an instinct for (the) goal that is something that is ex- points a game in high school basketball. Every single said becoming a doctor was her dream long before tremely natural, and obviously developed through night. In baseball, it is like hitting two or three home playing soccer in college was even a thought. training over the years. runs every single game. “I never really wanted to play in college,” Ward said. “She is a feisty, feisty forward that will do anything “Gabby had a ridiculous junior year, but she has “My goal was to be a doctor. I was always focused on to put the ball in the back of the net, basically.” done it for four years.” school. I played soccer and I liked it, but when I moved Ward’s high-water mark came as a junior when the In moving to Corpus Christi, soccer was something here, my junior year everyone was talking about play- Angels, armed with seven seniors, advanced to the that helped her fit in and find friends. ing in college. TAPPS state championship game. It was the first time Ward said she went to club practice on her second “I thought I could do that so I started going to ID IWA advanced to the state championship game. day in town and her teammates became her first camps and over the summer I went to the McKendree The prolific forward found the back of the next 64 friends in the city. ID camp when I was in Illinois visiting family. They times as a junior. Now, in returning to Illinois, Ward will have the ben- called me in August or September and asked if I want- “It still seems like an unbelievable number,” Ward efit of nearby family members, including her sister as ed to verbally commit.” said. well as familiar roommates. McKendree’s enrollment of 1,450 and small class “Overall our team was really solid. We had a lot of She said three other members of McKendree’s sign- size was a big selling point for Ward, who said knowing midfielders that could get the ball up. My specialty is ing class are former club teammates. her classmates and professors is very important to her. finishing. Once I had the ball up there, all I had to do “We are really good friends and we still hang out,” “I am not nervous at all,” Ward said. “My grandma was shoot it. And that is what I’m good at.” Ward said. “They still come down and visit me. It is lives an hour away, my aunt is 20 minutes away and Ward remembered playing as a freshman with a cool and now we are going to room together. I’ve my sister goes to school in Illinois. I’m excited.”

SPORTS ON AIR

ON TELEVISION 8 p.m. — College: NIT, UC Davis at Utah, ESPN3 12:05 p.m. — MLB Spring Training: Cardinals at Astros, WEDNESDAY'S LISTINGS 8 p.m. — College: NCAA First Four, Arizona State vs. KSIX-AM 1230; KSIX-FM 95.1, 96.1 BASEBALL Syracuse, TruTV BASKETBALL Noon — MLB Spring Training: Yankees at Orioles, MLB 9 p.m. — College: NIT, BYU at Stanford, ESPNU 5:30 p.m. — College: NCAA First Four, North Carolina 3 p.m. — MLB Spring Training: Diamondbacks at Reds, 9 p.m. — College: NIT, Boise State at Washington, Central vs. Texas Southern, KSIX-AM 1230; KSIX-FM MLB ESPN3 95.1, 96.1 BASKETBALL 9:30 p.m. — NBA: Lakers at Warriors, ESPN 8 p.m. — College: NCAA First Four, Arizona State vs. 5:30 p.m. — College: NCAA First Four, North Carolina HOCKEY Syracuse, KSIX-AM 1230; KSIX-FM 95.1, 96.1 Central vs. Texas Southern, TruTV 7 p.m. — NHL: Penguins at Rangers, NBCSN GENERAL 6 p.m. — College: NIT, Louisiana at LSU, ESPN3 PARALYMPICS 6 a.m. — Halftime Report with Pudge, KSIX-AM 1230; 6 p.m. — College: NIT, Harvard at Marquette, ESPN2 1 p.m. — PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Games, KSIX-FM 95.1, 96.1 7 p.m. — College: NIT, Temple at Penn State, ESPNU NBCSN 3 p.m. — Sports Misconduct, KSIX-AM 1230; KSIX-FM 7 p.m. — NBA: Wizards at Celtics, ESPN ON RADIO 95.1, 96.1 8 p.m. — College: NIT, Nebraska at Mississippi State, WEDNESDAY'S LISTINGS ESPN2 BASEBALL

COLLEGE RESULTS, SCHEDULES

MONDAY SOFTBALL WOMEN'S TENNIS WOMEN'S TENNIS Ottawa University (Kansas) at Texas A&M- New Orleans at Texas A&M-Kingsville, 9 a.m. SOFTBALL Texas Southern 8, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Texas A&M-Kingsville at CSU-Pueblo, 4 p.m. Sam Houston State at Texas A&M-Corpus Kingsville (7-5), 2 p.m. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Texas A&M- Southern Arkansas 3, Texas A&M-Kingsville 1 6 FRIDAY-SATURDAY Christi (6-5, 1-0), 1 p.m. Tarleton State at Texas A&M-Kingsville 5 p.m. Kingsville, 3 p.m. Southern Arkansas 1, Texas A&M-Kingsville 0 Game 2: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Texas TRACK & FIELD SATURDAY SOFTBALL WOMEN'S TENNIS MONDAY-TUESDAY Southern, late Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at UTSA Invita- BASEBALL Southeastern Louisiana at Texas A&M-Cor- Lamar at Texas A&M-COrpus Christi, noon WOMEN'S GOLF Texas A&M-Kingsville 3, Arkansas-Monticel- tional Sam Houston State at Texas A&M-Corpus pus Christi, noon Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Bradley Spring lo 0 Texas A&M-Kingsville hosts Cactus Cup Christi, 4 p.m. SUNDAY, MARCH 18 Break Invitational, Dallas Texas A&M-Kingsville 8, Arkansas-Monticel- FRIDAY Texas A&M-Kingsville at Cameron (DH), 1 BASEBALL Team standings: T-10. TAMUCC, lo 0 BASEBALL p.m. Sam Houston State, Texas A&M-Corpus 315-315-320—949 WOMEN'S TENNIS Sam Houston State at Texas A&M-Corpus BEACH VOLLEYBALL Christi, 1 p.m. Top individual: T-8. Brooklyn Sutton, Texas A&M-Kingsville at Metro State, late Christi, 6 p.m. Emerald Beach Invitational, Kingsville Texas A&M-Kingsville at Cameron, 1 p.m. 74-79-76—229 WEDNESDAY Texas A&M-Kingsville at Cameron, 3 p.m. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1-3) vs. Texas BEACH VOLLEYBALL TUESDAY BASEBALL SOFTBALL Southern, 9 a.m. Emerald Beach Invitational, Kingsville BASEBALL Texas A&M-Kingsville (15-3) at Houston Vic- Southeastern Louisiana at Texas A&M-Cor- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. New Orleans, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. Ottawa Univer- Columbia at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, late toria, 6 p.m. pus Christi (DH), 1 p.m. 11:30 a.m. sity (Kansas), 11 a.m.

HIGH SCHOOL RESULTS, SCHEDULES

BASEBALL Highlights — SR, Elu Perez 1-3, R, RBI. SD, Ser- Field Highlights — King, Alyson Silva 3-4, 2 R; ville 0-12, 0-4 Candela 5 IP, 1 H, 7 K, 2 RBI; Madi Gonzalez TUESDAY gio Guerra 1-2, 2 RBI; Christian Alvarez 1-3, R, SOFTBALL Crystal Davila 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI; Abby Silva 1-3, 2 NON-DISTRICT 1-3, 2 RBI. DISTRICT 30-5A, INTERZONE RBI; Ariel Salaiz 1-4, RBI. TUESDAY'S RESULTS R, 2 RBI; Victoria Gomez 1-3, 2 R; Kathy Krus- SANTA GERTRUDIS ACADEMY 10, ALICE Records — Falfurrias 12-6 RAY 3, KING 2 Records — San Diego 6-7-1 DISTRICT 30-5A sow 3-3, R, R, RBI; Ariana Garcia 2-3, R, 2 RBI. 0, 5 INN. TAFT 12, KINGSVILLE 9 (9 INN.) W — Jacob Davila (1-1). L — Jacob Garza. TUESDAY CALALLEN 5, CARROLL 2 Miller, Amber Harris 1-3, R; Lauren Llamas W — S. Castillo. L — L. Rodriguez. WEDNESDAY Highlights — King, Marco Castillanos 2B, Jon WEDNESDAY W — Lizette Del Angel. L — V. Quiroga 1-3, RBI; Jill Silva 1-3, R. Highlights — SGA, B. Carr 3-4, 2 R; A. Gon- DISTRICT 31-2A Barrera 3B; Ray, Ron Vasquez 2-2; John Perez NON-DISTRICT Highlights — Carroll; . Calallen, Jessica John- Records — King 8-11, 1-0 in 30-5A; Miller zalez 1-4, R, RBI; Y. Lopez 3-4, 3 R, RBI; C. De Pettus at Refugio, 6 p.m. 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Joseph Anaya 1-3, R; Russell Miller at King, Noon son 4-4, 2B, 2 R; Lauren Mata 2-2, 2 RBI; Ja- 6-14, 0-1 Los Santos 3-4, R, 3 RBI; S. Castillo 5 IP, 0 H, 10 NON-DISTRICT Sigler 1-2, R IWA at Flour Bluff, 1:30 p.m. mie Rojas 1-1, HR, RBI. DISTRICT 31-4A K. San Diego at Lyford, 1 p.m. Records — Ray 7-7-1 Ingleside at Goliad, 2 p.m. Records — Calallen 15-5, 1-0 INGLESIDE 26, ARANSAS PASS 4 (3 INN.) Records — SG Academy 22-1 Port Lavaca at Beeville, 12:30 p.m. FLOUR BLUFF 17, MILLER 7 (5 INN.) Rockport-Fulton at Alice, 2 p.m. GREGORY-PORTLAND 15, RAY 0 (3 INN.) W — J. Agnew. L — K. Gomez. MONDAY'S RESULTS Robstown at Calallen, 6:30 p.m. W — CJ Evaristo. L — Gilbert Perez Cotulla at Falfurrias, 2 p.m. W — Oulette. L — Rodriguez. Highlights — Ingleside, A. Rodriguez 3-3, 3 R, NON-DISTRICT THURSDAY Highlights — FB, Olen Defoure 3-3, 3B, HR, 3 Poth at Odem, 3 p.m. Highlights — Ray, Miro H; G-P, Atkinson 2-2, 3 RBI, SB; M. Taylor 2-2, 3 R, 2 RBI; T. Yardley MOODY 9, SAN MARCOS 8, 9 INN. DISTRICT 30-5A R, 4 RBI; Autin Weaver, 2-3, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI; Cuero at Banquete, 6 p.m. 2 RBI, R; Oulette 2-2, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K 3B; AP, K. Gomez 2B. W — Castillo. L — Garcia. Miller at Carroll, 10 a.m. Armando Alonso 3-3, 4 RBI; Perez 2-3, R Moody at Gregory-Portland, 7 p.m. Records — Gregory Portland 12-6, 1-0; Ray JV — Ingleside def. AP 18-0 (4 inn.) Highlights — San Marcos, Giana Moreno 2-3, Veterans Memorial at Ray, Noon NON-DISTRICT THURSDAY, MARCH 15 0-1 in District 30-5A Records — ingleside 10-8, 1-3 in 31-4A; Aran- 2 RBI; Julissa Venegas 2-4, 2 R. Moody, Jor- DISTRICT 31-4A HOU. LUTHERAN SOUTH 8, JOHN PAUL II 1 NON-DISTRICT VETERANS MEMORIAL 10, MOODY 9 sas Pass 3-5, 1-3 dan Mez 3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI; Illiana Elizondo Kingsville at Ingleside, Noon L — Mark Castaneda. John Paul II at Veterans Memorial, Noon W — Kendall Owens. L — Karyme Carreno. WEST OSO 13, KINGSVILLE 8 game-winning 2B in bottom of the ninth. Aransas Pass at Orange Grove, 3 p.m. Highlights — JP II, Jonathny Molinar 2-3, R; Odem at Santa Gertrudis Academy, 1 p.m. Highlights — Moody, Jordan Meza 2-3, 3 R, 2 W — Jasmine Caldwell. L — Lauren Chacon. MILLER 6, ORANGE GROVE 5 NON-DISTRICT Sam Works 2-3, RBI. Carroll at Calallen, 2 p.m. RBI; Olivia Rivas 3-5, 3 RBI; Emily Garza 2-5, 2 Highlights — Kingsville, Amanda Ramirez W — Lauren Llamas. L — Bea Lara. Santa Gertrudis Academy at La Joya, 1 p.m. Records — JP II 3-11-1 Moody at Ray, 2:30 p.m. R, HR; April Garza 3-5, 2 R, SB. VM, Bailey 3-4, 2 R; Erin De La Paz 1-4, R, 2 RBI; Destyni Highlights — OG, Bea Lara 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 3B. TRACK & FIELD MONDAY'S RESULTS Flour Bluff at Beeville, 4 p.m. Krolczyk 4-6, R, RBI; Celeste Salazar 1-4, R; Gomez 2-3, R, 4 RBI. WO, D. Garcia 1-4, R, 2 Miller, Cindy Garcia 2-4, 2 R, 2B; Gabby Garza WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY DISTRICT 32-2A Skidmore-Tynan at Banquete, 7 p.m. Alexa Garza 2-5, 2 R; Daizy Silva 2-4, 2 R. RBI; J. Caldwell 1-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B; Champion 2-4, 2 RBI. Carroll (boys & girls), Veterans Memorial RIVIERA 9, FREER 1 King at Pleasanton, 12 p.m. Records — Veterans Memorial 10-8, 1-0 in 3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI; H. Calamaco 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B; ODEM 10, FALFURRIAS 0 (5 INN.) (girls), King (girls), Moody (boys & girls) at NON-DISTRICT DISTRICT 31-2A 30-5A; Moody 4-10, 0-1 Rincon 1-3, 2 R; Munoz 1-1, 2 R, RBI. W — Alyssa Candela. L — Natalie Villarreal UTRGV Meet, Edinburg SAN DIEGO 4, SANTA ROSA 3, 9 INN. Woodsboro at Pettus, 7 p.m. KING 12, MILLER 2 JV — Kingsville 15, West Oso 8 Highlights — Odem, Galvan 3-4, RBI, 2 R; Pe- SATURDAY W — Sergio Guerra. L — Ryan Garza. Port Aransas at Refugio, 7 p.m., Whataburger W — Ariana Garcia. L — Jill Silva. Records — West Oso 3-4, 2-2 in 31-4A; Kings- na 1-4, 2 RBI, R; Marina Mancias 2-3, RBI, 2B; Ray (boys & girls) at Alice meet

LOTTERY

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