Thursday's News 'n Notes: Scoreboard; Mayhem, Mercer, Mary Persons' Holden, Northside's Stuckey, Russell Henley; more UGA-Bama; Hawks, Falcons, UGA, Tech; college, pros, NASCAR, MLB
Thursday's Central Georgia - and of interest to Central Georgia - news and notes, compiled from staff reports, email reports, the web, and social media.
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High School
Basketball
Girls
Piedmont 60, John Milledge 50
Boys
Brentwood 78, Trinity Christian 76
John Milledge 84, Piedmont 57
College
Basketball
W-Georgia Tech 68, Florida State 64
M-Kennesaw State 77, FGCU 53
W-Mercer 66, UNC Greensboro 60
M-Mercer 97, VMI 91
M-South Alabama 74, Georgia State 65
M-South Georgia State 88, CGTC 62
The Titans fell to 10-3 and 1-1.
W-Texas-Arlington 82, Georgia State 68
W-Texas State 78, Georgia Southern 74
Pro
SPHL
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Georgia 33, Alabama 18
Bennett’s father on the tough decision to come amid title, criticism
Former Dawgs heave out congrats
Smart, Dooley, Indianapolis, and history
Head referee explains The Fumble call
Is Georgia built like Alabama, or LSU?
Column: Dawgs on top, get used to it
Did Bennett battle through an injury?
Alumni Update
Holden (Mary Persons) on national watch list
Northside grad Stuckey headed to Notre Dame football staff
Around/About Central Georgia
Henley tied for second Sony Open in Honolulu
Maconite Russell Henley was solid from 1 to 18 Thursday in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
He’s in a tie for second with Jim Furyk as part of a field that includes seven players ranked among the top 20 in FedEx rankings. Henley enters at 42nd.
It’s Henley first tournament since finishing tied for 22nd in the RSM Classic just before Thanksgiving.
Furyk finished early with a 62 for the lead for awhile, but Kevin Na eked ahead late with a 61 for first after a round.
Henley got off to a hot start, with birdies on three of the first five holes, then pars before two birdies to close the front nine. The birdied three of the final five holes on the back nine, getting through the first round bogey free.
Mayhem explode to bounce Birmingham
WBKB: Titus leads Mercer to road win
MBKB: Johnson goes off to lead Mercer over VMI
Around/About Georgia
Atlanta deals Reddish to Knicks
Salary cap challenges remain big
Patterson’s cleats make his hopes known
Column: Falcons need to realize their weren’t as good as the record
In uniform and on the sidelines
The fifth Bulldog entering the portal is …
Column: Host Indy was cold and expensive, but had dogs
UGA gymnastics postpones next two meets
WBKB: Georgia Tech closes strong against Florida State
College Football/South
Bama’s Williams, Evans enter draft
Napier gets RB from his last job
College Football
SEC’s chokehold will tighten if Rose Bowl sunsets, etc. become trivialized
Would Ohio State’s Day think about the NFL?
Receiver in portal for third time
Baseball
MLB talks resume, not much progress
Atlantic League ends trials with longer mound distance, robo umps
Baltimore moving left-field fence back
Ohtani talks superstardom, criticisms, in GQ story
Twins to retire Kaat’s jersey
College Basketball
M-Texas Tech topping top-10s with senior transfers
M-Maryland assistant suspended after prostitution arrest
W-South Carolina cruises past A&M
NFL
Fired: Houston cuts Culley loose
Super Bowl to stay in Inglewood
Brown: strip show may not have been necessary
Chargers’ Staley stands by timeout that didn’t work out
Rested Bengals prep for Raiders
Colts’ Irsay promises fans improvement
Column: With Kupp, like others, race feeds into perceptions
NBA/WNBA
Lillard out for six weeks or more
College Sports
Under Sankey, SEC gets bigger, badder, better
NIL impact: LSU player gives back scholarship
Auto Racing
Junior tried new car, prefers the booth
Golf/Tennis
Around the nation/world