STATESBORO – Georgia Southern gave the kids what they wanted on Friday for its annual Kids Field Trip Day game, setting several records en route to a 136-74 victory over Coastal Georgia at the Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center.

The Eagles (7-3) set school records for the most points in a game and the most three-pointers hit (15) in the victory over the Mariners, an NAIA school from nearby Brunswick, Ga.

Both teams set the tone early in an explosive first quarter that saw 64 points scored between the two teams. Georgia Southern led, 39-25, at the end of one, then held the Mariners to just 11 points in the second quarter as they built a 65-36 lead at halftime.

The second half opened up with exactly what the announced crowd of 4,167 elementary, middle and high schoolers anticipated as Kayla Cleaveland’s shot in the paint gave the Eagles 67 points. It was two of Cleaveland’s game-high 35 points, setting a new freshman scoring record at Georgia Southern.

The Eagles got the record-breaking total points and the record-breaking three-pointer with 31 seconds left as Kyla Bryant hit a three to make the score 136, surpassing the 133 points scored by Georgia Southern against Carver on December 13, 2021. The 15 threes broke the previous record of 14 threes set three times previously, the last time on January 8, 2021 vs. Appalachian State.

As a team, the Eagles shot 68.5% from the field (50-of-73), the third-best single-game shooting performance in school history. Georgia Southern also dished out 33 assists, which is third-most in a single game, and the 50 field goals rank fifth in school history. Finally, the 62-point margin of victory is tied for the seventh-best.

Cleaveland’s 35 points led a sextet of Eagles in double figures. Mckenna Eddings registered a career-high 27 points, while Kishyah Anderson added 17 points. Shanti Simmons had 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals, while Destiny Garrett had 12 points and nine assists. Finally, Laney Scoggins registered a career-high 12 points as well.

Amanda Roach led four Mariners in double figures with 20 points.

Eagle of the Game

Cleaveland hit 12-of-15 shots from the floor, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, and added 6-of-8 from the free throw line for her 35 points, breaking the previous freshman scoring record of 34 set by Tracy Wilson at Charleston Southern on February 8, 1989. She is one of only six players in Georgia Southern women’s basketball to score 35 points in a game, joining Wilson, Phylette Blake, Terren Ward, Regina Days and Gwen Thomas.

Stat of the Game

The Eagles’ 44 points in the third quarter mark the first time that Georgia Southern has surpassed 40+ points in a quarter since the NCAA moved to the four quarter system in 2015-16.

Quotables

Head coach Hana Haden on the Kids Field Trip Day game against Coastal Georgia

“It was a great performance by our team today. It’s always fun to play on Kids Day, it was an awesome environment. They were a lively audience and I thought our girls gave a really good show. We played very well and shared the ball with 33 assists. Two huge performances by Ken [McKenna Eddings] and Kayla [Cleaveland], when they’re hitting shots, the basket can get very big for them. Proud of our effort and energy and the way we competed today.”

Freshman Kayla Cleaveland on the big shot to open up the second half

“It’s a fun opportunity to be able to be the 67th point. But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. All they did was try and find me and give me the ball, they knew I had a hot hand and they were supporting me every step of the way.”

Next Up

Georgia Southern will open up Sun Belt Conference play on Thursday, December 18, hosting Georgia State in a 5 p.m. contest at The Hill.

A youth basketball coach and former Harlem Globetrotter posted videos this week showing his dusty vehicle covered in racial slurs and hate symbols outside his Petaluma home.

William “Bull” Bullard, 41, posted a video on Instagram showing his sport utility vehicle covered in swastikas, racial slurs and other hate symbols drawn into dust that had accumulated on Bullard’s vehicle. 

“Why do people think that vandalizing vehicles with racial slurs is OK?” Bullard said in a separate video posted to his Instagram. “A lot of y’all don’t understand that racism is not a game. … I’ve been a victim of it my whole life.”

Bullard goes on to say the incident has been disheartening for him since his move to the Bay Area to coach basketball and be a mentor to young people. 

Bullard said in his first post that this is the “third or fourth time” he has experienced racism since moving to the Bay Area from Detroit. He added in the video that he is seeking to press charges against whoever is responsible.

Petaluma police Lt. Zilverio Rivera told the Chronicle that an investigation into the incident was suspended after officers were unable to gather any evidence from the scene. The report first came in through the department’s online reporting system, but officers could not determine exactly where the crime happened after speaking with the person who made the report.

“Luckily, the insignia was a swastika drawn with a finger on a dusty vehicle,” Rivera said. “No damage was done besides obviously the concerns over the swastika.”

Bullard could not immediately be reached for comment. 

The NHL Power Players youth advisory board is back for its seventh season.

This season’s board is made up of 23 teens, aged 13-17 from the United States and Canada that were chosen from nearly 1,000 applicants.

Launched in 2019, the Power Players offer feedback and suggestions to the NHL on how to help grow the game amongst young people like themselves.

New board member Sophie Knakal, a 16-year-old from Manhasset, NY, is excited to have the opportunity to show kids her age what hockey has to offer.

“With the program, I wish to accomplish gaining more fans, getting more teenagers to become fans of the NHL,” Kankal said. “When I meet people, I love sports [so] the first thing I ask them is, ‘oh what’s your favorite sport?’ And I hardly ever hear hockey and I want to change that. It’s such an exciting and action-packed game.”

Knakal got into hockey thanks to her dad, a huge New York Rangers fan. She played two seasons of travel hockey as a kid. The family has had Rangers season tickets since she was 7 years old.

When she saw the NHL Power Players advertised while watching NHL Network every morning, she knew she had to join.

“I went online and looked at the Power Players website and thought it was really cool that they have this initiative where they have kids give them advice on how to market to them,” Knakal said. “I think it’s really smart because they want to market to kids. So, hearing from kids would be a great way to get that first-hand experience.”

The advisory board meets twice per month where they discuss their opinions on happenings around the League such as the players’ new relaxed dress code and how to increase reach to casual fans, especially females.

The program is also an opportunity for the members to develop leadership skills to benefit their future careers with many interested in a career in sports or advocacy. Perfect for Knakal, who plans on majoring in sports management in college and her dream is work for the NHL one day.

Peyton Tigchelaar, a 17-year-old from Vancouver, BC, joined the board to help increase outreach to diverse communities.

“My passion is increasing visibility to women’s sports and underrepresented ethnicities. I’m a girl and I’m also Chinese, so there aren’t very many people like me who are hockey fans or even play the sport itself. I would really like to diversify the fan base.”

Tigchelaar was inspired by her experience this past summer with the organization Black Girl Hockey where she had a blast working with professional athletes to teach girls of all ethnicities hockey.

Born into a hockey family, Tigchelaar started playing the sport in 2016 after joining the San Jose Sharks learn to play program when she lived in California. Both her parents played hockey and her grandfather played professionally.

Sophie, Peyton and may of their fellow board members will travel to two of the NHL’s marquee events this season, the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic in Miami and the 2026 Stadium Series Navy Federal Credit Union in Tampa Bay, where the members will be face to face together for the first time.

“I’m super excited for the Winter Classic,” Tigchelaar said. “I have been preparing for Miami for months now. I am so excited to meet the board because we don’t really get the chance to see each other in person. I’ve only met one of the Power Players so far in person and I just want to meet everyone else, so I think that’s going to be a great way to connect with everyone.”

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The City of Corpus Christi has finalized an agreement that allows the Oso Pony League to continue operating at the Southside Sports Complex, located at 1901 Paul Jones Avenue, while also expanding access to more community groups. This move supports youth sports and ensures that taxpayer-funded facilities are available to the public whenever possible.

Under the License Use Agreement model, nonprofit organizations can rent fields at affordable rates, starting at $4.25 per hour or $5.25 per hour with lights. These low costs will enable the Oso Pony League and youth sports groups to concentrate on delivering high-quality programming rather than spending time on fundraising. The City will assume facility maintenance for its athletic fields with the Athletic Fields Maintenance Team within the Parks & Recreation Department.

Fields are available for practices, tournaments, and company events.

“Our goal is to remove barriers and maximize the public benefit of our city-owned assets,” said Robert Dodd, Parks and Recreation Director. “This new model ensures equitable access for all groups and prioritizes the youth sports programs that are so vital to our community’s future, all while keeping rental rates affordable.”

This approach mirrors the successful structure already in place at the Greenwood Sports Complex and follows best practices recommended by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).

For more information about City of Corpus Christi Sports Fields, visit Sports Fields | City of Corpus Christi.

Go to Catalog – City of Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department for rental information. 

To learn more about Oso Pony League Baseball, visit https://osoponybaseball.org/. 

For more information, media representatives may contact Santos Villarreal, Senior Public Information Officer, at 361-826-3490 or by email at santosv@corpuschristitx.gov.