SPORTS BRIEFS: Georgia Firebirds fall to Florida

Georgia Firebirds fall to Florida

The Florida Tarpons snapped the Georgia Firebirds’ two-game winning streak Sunday with a 52-31 victory in Estero, Fla. The loss evened the Firebirds’ record at 2-2.

The Firebirds trailed just 16-13 at the end of the first quarter, but 22 unanswered points in the second quarter helped Florida grab a 38-13 halftime advantage and they never looked back.

The Firebirds (2-2) will return to Albany Saturday where they will play host to the Myrtle Beach Freedom Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at the Albany Civic Center. It will be the first of three home games for the Firebirds, who will meet the Columbus Lions on April 30, followed by a home against against the South Carolina Ravens on May 7.

Darton baseball tops Gordon

Darton swept the season series from Gordon College, taking the fourth and final game Sunday afternoon 15-4 in Barnesville.

Mike Huggins went 3 for 4 with a double, homer and four RBIs to pace the offense. Kendall Herron went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs, while Tyler Morris finished 3 for 5 with an RBI.

Matt Harman went 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBIs.

Taylor Ferringer earned the victory, allowing four runs in five innings.

The Cavaliers (27-15 overall, 12-4 conference) will return home on Tuesday to play host to West Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. Darton leads the Region 17 standings by one game.

Nets name Hawks’ assistant Atkinson as new coach

The Brooklyn Nets named Atlanta Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson as the team’s new head coach on Sunday.

Atkinson, 48, will become the 21st head coach in the franchise’s NBA history.

“We are thrilled to announce Kenny Atkinson as our new head coach and to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Kenny’s years of NBA coaching experience working under successful head coaches such as Mike Budenholzer and Mike D’Antoni have provided him with the foundation and experience we were looking for in a head coach. We believe that Kenny’s core principles, leadership, communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn.”

Atkinson currently serves as an assistant coach for the Hawks and will continue in this capacity until the conclusion of Atlanta’s postseason.

With respect to the Hawks and their playoff schedule, a press conference to formally introduce Atkinson will be held at a later date, the Nets announced.

Atkinson joins the Nets after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Hawks under head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Hawks made playoff appearances in each of Atkinson’s four seasons, including the team’s first-ever trip to the Eastern Conference finals last season. The 2014-15 Hawks registered a franchise-record 60 wins, including a franchise-best 19-game win streak, and captured their first division title in more than 20 years.