Former Slippery Rock High School star Jence Rhoads will doing some dancing over the next couple of weeks and it has nothing to do with a college class.
Rhoads, a freshman starting point guard at Vanderbilt University, led the 20th-ranked Commodores (23-8) to a fourth seed in the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament.
Vanderbilt will open the tourney Saturday with a first round matchup with Montana at the Pit in Albuquerque, N.M.
The winner of that game will face either No. 5 West Virginia or No. 12 New Mexico in Monday’s second round. The winner of Monday’s game will advance out of the Albuquerque pod to the Sweet 16 in Spokane, Wash., March 29-31.
The Commodores, who finished third in the Southeastern Conference and set a school record for conference wins with 11, are making their 21st appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and their ninth consecutive trip to the Big Dance.
Vanderbilt is 2-0 all-time against Montana. The two teams met in 2005 for an NCAA first round in Seattle, with the Commodores winning, 67-44. Maryland, Stanford and Baylor make up the top three seeds in Spokane Region.
As a freshman, Rhoads has started 24 of 31 games and is averaging 25 minutes per game despite battling injuries earlier in the year. She leads the team with 104 assists and has posted nightly norms of 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds.
She has 26 steals and has knocked down 46-of-124 field goals.
Sports
Jence Rhoads is going dancing
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HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS ROUNDUP: County track set today at Hickory
The annual Mercer County Track & Field Invitational will be held at Hickory High’s Hornet Stadium today, beginning at 9 a.m.
Competing are all Mercer County teams, Class AAA and AA, as well as Slippery Rock. The meet serves as a warm-up to the District 10 championships set next week at Harbor Creek High. -
RANDOM THOUGHTS: Competitive cheerleading tough for even manly men
WHEN I THINK OF MYSELF, I think I’m one of the more manly men you’ll find.
I definitely don’t mind eating all kinds of meat and potatoes. I love watching sports — and participating in them when I can.
I do many other things that ‘real’ men do that aren’t fit for print and proper readers.
What I don’t do is wear skinny jeans or other tight-fitting clothes. I don’t wear jewelry nor do I wear colors that lean more to the femine side than the masculine side. -
HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS ROUNDUP: Mercer 9 drops thriller to KC
It was a game both teams were trying to win — it just seemed as though neither wanted to — as Kennedy Catholic High baseball team met Mercer Friday afternoon in an inter-region District 10 affair.
The teams traded late leads before, ultimately, Scott Moore’s fielder’s choice RBI-grounder scored pinch-runner Ethan Feldmiller with the game-winner, as KC captured an 11-10 conquest. -
NCAA Football: Rock 6-1 after 17-3 win over Cal U
Slippery Rock University rode a length-of-the-field scoring drive by its offense and a goal-line stand by its No. 1-ranked defense late in the first half of action Saturday to a 17-3 win over 14th-ranked visiting California (Pa.).
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NFL: Steelers top Jags as Mendenhall makes return
Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to say the Pittsburgh Steelers are back. Not after watching his team sleepwalk through the second half against Jacksonville on Sunday.
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IndyCar Racing: Crash takes Wheldon’s life
Every race car driver heads onto the track understanding this race could be the last and hoping it won’t be. On Sunday, IndyCar drivers got a harsh reminder when the worst happened to one of their own.
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NHL: Sabres beat Penguins 3-2
The Buffalo Sabres have had trouble with the Pittsburgh Penguins whether Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play or not.
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NHL Quick glance: Montreal at Pittsburgh
A breakdown of the National Hockey League game Thursday night between the Pittsburgh Penguins and visiting Montreal Canadiens.
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High School Highlights: Oct. 19, 2011
A look at the last few days in local high school fall sports action.
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Leading Off: Oct. 19, 2011
News and notes from the local, regional and national sports scene.
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