NATCHEZ &045; It seemed only natural. Mardi Gras and bowling, why wouldn’t they go together?

OK, maybe 12-pound balls and slick lanes aren’t the first thing that comes to mind during Mardi Gras, but Alcorn bowling coach Herman Williamson is trying to change that.

The Lady Braves hosted the Magnolia Extreme Bowling Classic Friday and Saturday at Rivergate Bowl in Natchez with 10 teams from across the South and Midwest, including three of the top 10 teams in the country as ranked by the National Tenpin Coaches Association.

&uot;This is the first large tournament we’ve hosted,&uot; Williamson said. &uot;We’re tying to make it an annual thing centered around the Mardi Gras theme. It’s been a good success. We had a few bumps and bruises on the way, but we got it done. The people here at Rivergate have really helped.&uot;

Central Missouri State, the No. 4 team in the country, won the event behind strong performances by several players. CMSU averaged 210.45 and had a total pinfall of 9407 to easily win the event.

CMSU’s Bryanna Caldwell also won the Tournament Most Valuable Player honors with the highest average of 228.4 and a total pinfall of 1827. She also had the highest game, a 289 that left her just short of a perfect 300.

&uot;I was thinking, ‘Just throw clean shots,’&uot; Caldwell said. &uot;I kept telling myself that over and over. My goal is 300, but I’ve never had one yet.&uot;

Arkansas State was second with an average of 188.40 and a total pinfall of 8432.

Alcorn finished in seventh place overall with a 163.90 average and a total pinfall of 7384.

&uot;We did well overall. We get a few more spares and we would have finished a lot higher,&uot; Alcorn’s Shanice Graham said.

The rest of the finishers were: third, Alabama A&M, 183.50, 8213; fourth, Texas Southern, 178.10, 8051; fifth, Louisiana Tech, 163.00, 7395; sixth, Florida A&M, 165,93, 7458; eighth, Vanderbilt, 162.40, 7314; ninth, Prairie View A&M, 154.75, 6969; tenth, Jackson State, 147.60, 6633.

At the tournament, things were more than a little crazy. With 10 teams and assorted coaches, family members and other onlookers all in the building, the noise was loud and the competition intense.

&uot;I was focusing on my mark, executing and staying focused,&uot; Graham said. &uot;There’s a lot of distractions here. You have to have a good mental game.&uot;