Showing posts with label CIAA Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CIAA Basketball. Show all posts

Friday, December 9, 2011

Ex-WSSU star Davis heading to Lithuania

Paul Davis #24
WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Center Paul Davis, the all-time blocks leader in Winston-Salem State history, has signed to play professionally with a team in Lithuania.

Because of the NBA lockout, Davis — who exhausted his eligibility last March — said that the offers from overseas weren't there before. Since the lockout has been settled, he had more options.

"The good thing about the strike was I stayed here in Winston and took more classes toward my degree," said Davis (6-foot-9, 197 pounds), who was a four-year starter for coach Bobby Collins.

Davis said he only needs one class — which he can take online — and an internship to get his degree from WSSU. But today he'll leave for Lithuania to begin his dream of playing pro basketball.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Lincoln women eclipse last season's win total

Head Women's Basketball Coach Jessica Kern
Lincoln University ( Pa.)
 LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania — Want evidence that first-year head coach Jessica Kern and the Lincoln basketball program are making real, tangible progress? The Lady Lions now have more wins this season than a year ago, and they’ve played in 18 fewer games.

Lincoln played solid defense early, and was efficient down the stretch offensively, while turning aside Washington Adventist, 74-59, in nonleague action Monday at Rivero Hall. In just eight games, the Lions already have four victories, which last year’s team failed to reach in 26 outings.

“People can say that wins and losses don’t take a mental toll on a program, but for my returners, they’ve been having a battle in the back of their mind whether they are good enough to move forward,” Kern said. “Our newbies have no idea – it means nothing to them. But for our returnees, it’s an important milestone.

“Now we are over it. There is no question that we are moving forward.”

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Union, State meet again in NYC

RICHMOND, Virginia - Virginia State and Virginia Union are 26 miles apart on I-95, a quick 30-minute drive from the north side of Richmond to Ettrick.

But today, the CIAA rivals head more than 300 miles north to New York City, where they will play at 3 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in the annual Big Apple Classic.



For the past few years, VUU and VSU have met every December in New York and every January in the Freedom Classic at the Richmond Coliseum. That means they always face each other on a neutral court. Despite their proximity, Union and State haven't played against each other at either team's home site since Feb. 7, 2004.

VUU has won 21 consecutive games in the ...

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Friday, November 11, 2011

Sharpless back; Elizabeth City State Vikings primed

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- For Elizabeth City State’s men’s basketball team, 2010 started out with a lot of promise.

Coming off a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game appearance, the Vikings were picked to win the Northern Division and tabbed as one of the favorites to capture the league title.

But things did not work out quite the way they hoped. Injuries and inconsistent play plagued ECSU as it finished with an 18-10 record, but with much of the same cast returning for 2011, the league’s coaches have once again pointed to the Vikings as a team to be reckoned with, picking them to finish second in the Northern Division.

ECSU opens its season tonight at home against Southern Virginia.

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

GW Men's Hoops Welcomes D-II #8 Bowie State for Exhibition

WHO: GW Men's Basketball and New Head Coach Mike Lonergan
WHAT: Exhibition Game vs. Bowie State
WHERE: Charles E. Smith Center, 600 22nd Street NW
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.
HOW: Buy Tickets
VIDEO: GW All-Access
AUDIO: FederalNewsRadio.com, 1500 AM (Byron Kerr, Yegor Mescheriakov)
STATS: GameTracker
PROMOTION: Colonial Army Distribution Night - First 500 members will receive Colonials Basketball pinnie

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The much anticipated debut of the 2011-12 George Washington men's basketball team and new head coach Mike Lonergan happens this Sunday when the Colonials host NCAA Division II nationally ranked Bowie State to Charles E. Smith Center for a preseason exhibition at 6 p.m.

Preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection Tony Taylor and fellow captains Jabari Edwards and Aaron Ware will lead the Colonials as they tip-off the 2011-12 campaign on the court while new head coach Mike Lonergan ushers in a new era of GW Basketball from the sideline.

Lonergan, a Bowie, Md., native, will walk the Smith Center sidelines for the first time after returning to his roots following six seasons as head coach at Vermont. Entering his 19th season as a head coach, Lonergan owns an overall record of 377-156, with 15 winning seasons and 13 NCAA Tournament victories, including a NCAA Division III National Championship at his alma mater Catholic University in 2001.

While Lonergan and his coaching staff are new, Colonials' backers will recognize a slew of returning talent for GW when the team takes the floor on Sunday evening, as four starters and 10 letterwinners return to a team that won 17 games and tied for fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference last season.

Bowie State, meanwhile, will prove to be a worthy exhibition foe for the Colonials as it makes the short trip to Foggy Bottom ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II preseason national poll. The Bulldogs reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season and won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) North Division crown with an 11-1 mark, while finishing a CIAA best 16-2 in the conference and 23-6 overall.

Head coach Darrell Brooks, a former GW assistant, has four returning seniors on his squad, headlined by 7-foot center Travis Hyman, who caught the eye of NBA scouts with a CIAA-high 104 blocks last season. Hyman also checked in with 15.2 points per outing and claimed CIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010-11.

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

Gamble comes up a winner for Johnson C. Smith University

LaQwesha Gamble
Charlotte, North Carolina -- LaQwesha Gamble plans on going out with a bang. The Johnson C. Smith senior power forward was named all CIAA after the leading the Golden Bulls to a 26-5 record last season. She is a preseason all-conference pick by league coaches. However, she expects to do even better than last season’s 11.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

“Out of all the awards I have received, the all CIAA award means the most to me,” she said. “It’s one of the toughest conferences to play in, therefore it means the most.”

Gamble has been a force to be reckoned with since high school in Winter Haven, Fla. At Winter Haven High, she was named Miss Florida Basketball and led the Blue Devils to the 2005 4A state championship. Gamble had no intentions of playing basketball, however. She used the sport as way to stay in shape between volleyball and track seasons.

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JCSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SHOWS DEPTH IN 63-51 EXHIBITION LOSS TO UNC-WILMINGTON

Wilmington, NC - The Johnson C. Smith University women's basketball team made their public debut for the season with a resilient 63-51 exhibition loss to the Seahawks of UNC-Wilmington on Wednesday evening inside the Trask Coliseum. UNCW is a NCAA Division I institution competing out of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

Senior preseason All-American guard LaQwesha Gamble (Winter Haven, FL) had the most offensive production in the first half. Gamble had a team-high six points, three steals, and three rebounds (all offensive) at the break. Fellow senior guard Terrica Jones (Raleigh, NC) shot two-of-six from the field for five points in the first period. Both Gamble and Jones started along with three other seniors: forward April Smith (Auburn, AL), guard Ashley McGee (Milwaukee, WI), and guard Terran Quattlebaum.

Shooting rust was apparent as J.C. Smith only made seven-of-37 shot attempts (18.9%) in the opening half. UNCW held a 30-19 lead at halftime, shooting 44.8% (13-29) from the floor.

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Rivers' defense holds back Shaw Bears

DURHAM, North Carolina -- One of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's biggest tasks this season is to get talented freshman guard Austin Rivers to play as well on defense as he does on offense. The Blue Devils looked shaky at times Wednesday night in an 80-66 exhibition defeat of Shaw University at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Talented Shaw guards Tony Smith and Malik Alvin drove the lane and created plays almost at will at times in the first half, when the Bears shot 50 percent from the field. But over the first nine minutes of the second half, Shaw was held to nine points. Smith managed three of his 13 points in the half, and the defense of Rivers - the preseason ACC Rookie of the Year according to the media who cover the conference - was a big reason for that.

"I thought Austin really played Smith well in that second half," Krzyzewski said. "I think Smith's good, really good. "And Austin for a freshman, in wanting to play defense - he's known as this great scorer - I thought it was a really big half for Austin."



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Friday, October 28, 2011

Ram Ramblings: Basketball in October, say it ain't so

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- It’s hard to believe that in the middle of football season I went to go see a basketball game tonight at the Gaines Center. But that’s the nature of college athletics these days with plenty of over lapping. The reason I went to the Gaines Center was to see the new-look WSSU men’s team.

The men played in a Red-White scrimmage which will be their only tune-up before the opener on Nov. 13 at home against Talladega College.

I don’t know what I expected to see but my first impression is the Rams are a lot smaller than in years past. Last season they had four players who were 6-8 or taller and that included the 6-9 Paul Davis and the 6-10 Corey Morris.

The experienced Rams of last season went 19-8 and won the Southern Division but lost in their first round of the CIAA Tournament and the first round of the NCAA playoffs is a distant memory.

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Transit authority: Johnson C. Smith basketball adding speed for up tempo attack

Charlotte, North Carolina -- Expect fewer one-man fast breaks from Johnson C. Smith basketball this season. The Golden Bulls were pedestrian last season despite having All-America guard Trevin Parks as one of Division II’s best transition players. The goal this year is to get everyone up to play at a quicker pace.

“This team right now is built around him,” JCSU coach Steve Joyner said. “He had to carry us a number of occasions last year and he has that type of ability, but we’re hoping some of the other young players, especially those freshmen who’ve turned into sophomores, will be able to take more of a leadership role in terms of what we need to do offensively, defensively, rebounding – the whole nine yards.”

“We are a transition team that’s going to get out on the break, but we’re disciplined to the point that if we have to slow the game down and manage the clock we can do that,” said Parks, who averaged 21.3 points and 4.4 assists per game last season en route to earning the CIAA player of the year award. “As a point guard, it starts with me managing the clock and I think I’ll do a good job putting everybody in their correct spot on the court and milking the clock if we have to slow it down.”



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Monday, October 17, 2011

Walker stressing short-term goals for loaded ECSU Vikings

Camden, North Carolina - The surroundings may not have been familiar, but when Elizabeth City State men’s basketball coach Shawn Walker looked around the Camden High gym Sunday, there were plenty of familiar faces.

The Vikings, conducting their second day of preseason practice at Camden because homecoming festivities had the RL Vaughan Center booked, return 12 players from the team that went 18-10 last season, including most of the starters.

Two other known quantities — former CIAA Rookie of the Year Angelo Sharpless and Winston-Salem State transfer Michael Bonner — are also on the roster.

Sharpless sat out the 2010-11 season while mending a broken leg and then dealing with a few undisclosed issues while Bonner was a regular at practice last year, but couldn’t play when he got caught up in an unexpected interpretation of a CIAA transfer rule.

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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Bowie State's 7-0 Basketball Star Hyman Emerges As NBA Prospect

Washington, D.C. - As a 6-foot-7 high school senior, Travis Hyman wasn’t courted by big-name college basketball programs. In fact, the Annapolis native and 2005 Old Mill High School graduate says he received no offers from Division I colleges but smaller college programs expressed an interest instead.

“It wasn’t that many,” Hyman said, who noted that Lebanon Valley College and Allegany College of Maryland were among the interested schools. However, after a brief stint at Anne Arundel Community College, Hyman landed at Division II Bowie State University in Prince George’s County.

“They gave me a full scholarship,” said Hyman, now a 7-foot, 245-pound center. “I took it.”



Hyman, a rising senior, helped lead Bowie State to a 23-6 record last season including a 16-2 conference mark. The Bulldogs finished the 2010-2011 campaign unbeaten at home with a 13-0 record. Hyman averaged 15.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and registered 104 blocked shots.

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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Former Crimson Wave Rassoull among new VSU players

Petersburg, VA - The Virginia State University men's basketball coaching staff, has announced their 2011-12 signees for the upcoming season.

Trojans' new head coach, Darryl Jacobs will bring in four freshmen that included Hopewell resident Manny Wallace who played at Christchurch and six transfers, includling Petersburg native Ibn Rassoull, to attend Virginia State University.  The Trojans look to rebuild after a 13-42 record over the past two seasons.

TRANSFERS

- Ibn Rassoull 6-4 190 G/F SR Petersburg, VA/St. Paul's
Rassoull averaged 14.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists last season at St. Paul's College and was also named to the 2010-11 All-CIAA team. He is also a graduate of Petersburg HS and can play multiple positions on the court for VSU.

- Daniel "Larry" Awosanya 6-8 220 F/C JR London, England/Campbell
Awosanya transfers from Div. I Campbell University where he maintained a 3.2 GPA while being named to the Atlantic Sun All-Academic team as a freshmen. Larry is a talented strong athletic player that attacks the basket extremely well while drawing contact from defenders.

- Richard "RJ" Hall 6-1 175 G JR Bay Shore, NY/Kennesaw State

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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Former Asheville High standout Wakefield Ellison transfers to Winston-Salem State

Asheville, N.C. - As a young boy growing up, Wakefield Ellison used to marvel at the grand stage of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament each year that his parents took him to the event.

This coming spring, he’ll play in it. The former Asheville High standout announced on Friday that he’ll play for Winston-Salem State this year after requesting and receiving his full release from Division I East Carolina in March. Though Winston-Salem State competes at the NCAA Division II level, Ellison knows well that the talent level is quite high.

“The CIAA speaks for itself,” Ellison said. “That conference tournament is one of the biggest events in the country year in and year out. A lot of great players have played in the CIAA. My father (Gene Ellison) played in the CIAA (for Virginia Union). It’s a real good conference.”

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Will Harris: Chalk one up for the good guys

Elizabeth City, N.C. - It was a good day when I heard that Michael Bonner would be able to play basketball for Elizabeth City State next season. I had been championing Bonner’s cause for quite a while, but it seemed like nothing was going to change and he would have to sit out another season because of other people’s mistakes.

Bonner, a former Perquimans standout, transferred to ECSU from Winston-Salem State last summer. Normally, this would not be an issue and he could play right away, but Winston-Salem was making the transition back into the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and league rules say a player moving between CIAA schools must sit out two years. That rule was waived for that year since Winston-Salem, as well as Lincoln which was entering the league at the same time, if players enrolled in summer school. But Booner was not...

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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Comet standout taking talents to Virginia Union

South Boston, VA - Destiny Betts has used her unique talents to help the Comets (Halifax County High School) varsity girls’ basketball team (21-2 record) reach levels of success it hadn’t enjoyed in decades. Betts, a 6-2 center who was instrumental in her team’s unbeaten (20-0) regular season run to a Western Valley District championship and a win in the Northwest Region Tournament, is taking her talents to Virginia Union University this coming season.

The Lady Panthers, coached by Barvenia Wooten Collier, are a member of the Division II CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association), and Betts is happy with where she’ll play basketball.

“I’m happy I got this opportunity because at first I didn’t think I’d get a full scholarship,” said Betts, a First Team selection and Co-MVP for the Western Valley District her senior season, as well as a First Team All-Northwest Region selection.

An Honorable Mention selection to the VHSCA All-Group AAA team, she averaged 15.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game her senior season.

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READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Brown Inks With Virginia Union University
McCargo Coach of Year
McCargo to play at Salem International
Finishing well

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Thursday, June 23, 2011

CIAA rules ECSU's Bonner eligible next season

Elizabeth City, NC - The Michael Bonner saga has a happy ending after all.

Bonner, the former Perquimans standout basketball player who sat out last season in an eligibility controversy at Elizabeth City State after transferring from Winston-Salem State, has been granted a waiver from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and ruled eligible for the upcoming season.

“Man, it’s been a fight,” said Bonner, who will have two years of eligibility remaining. “I lost a year (of eligibility) out of the three years I would have had, but I was just grateful get it over.”

Bonner, the 2007 Daily Advance Player of the Year, was caught up in a mess created when Winston-Salem abandoned its Division I plans and rejoined the CIAA in 2010.

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READ RELATED ARTICLES:
ECSU’s Bonner in limbo
Harris: Does anyone care about Michael Bonner?
Incoming ... Booner comes to ECSU
Harris: Seems like it was a little too late for Bonner

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VISIT: ECSUVIKINGS

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

WSSU losing two assistant coaches

Bobby Collins, the men's basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, gave credit for his team's successes to the assistant coaches as often as possible. Whether it was in recruiting or in preparing for opponents, Collins said that Murray Garvin and Byron Jones were valuable assets for the Rams.

But next season, he'll be without them — both have left WSSU and moved on to other jobs. Garvin, WSSU's associate head coach for the past three seasons, has taken an assistant coach's job at S.C. State. Jones, who played a part in the Rams' 19-8 record and CIAA Southern Division title last season, has taken a job at Fresno State.

"It's good that my coaches are being noticed," Collins said. "I think that proves that my system works pretty well when you get the right players and the right mix." Collins said he hopes to hire new assistants by July 1 and said he already has received nearly 50 résumés.


Videographer: QCQT09

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Darryl Butler joins the Virginia State University athletic staff

Coach Darryl Butler, Virginia State University
(Photo Courtesy VSU Athletics)
Petersburg, VA -- Darryl Butler joins the Virginia State University athletic staff as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach. Butler comes to VSU from Frederick Community College in Frederick Md, where he spent the past three seasons as the associate head coach. During his last two years there, the men’s basketball team finished with an overall record of 41-18 and won their first Region XX Championship in school history in 2010.

Prior to his experience at Frederick Community College, Butler spent four years at Montgomery Community College in Silver Spring, Md. He served as an assistant coach for two years then became the head coach in 2006-07. After the 2005-06 season, Montgomery Community College won their first Region XX and District 7 Championship and finished 6th in the nation in NJCAA Division III.

Butler was an assistant coach at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA where they won the Patriot District North Region in 2003-04. Before T.C. Williams, he was an assistant coach at Howard University for the 2000-02 seasons where he help revitalized a program under Frankie Allen that finished 18-10 and reached the MEAC tournment championship game in their second season. He received his first assistant coaching position at Whittier College in Whittier, CA in 1997. Butler next moved on to an assistant coaching position at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA in 1999-2000 under Jan Van Breda Kolff. There he was part of a West Coast Conference (WCC) Regular Season Championship and a NCAA tournament appearance and win.



The Trojans are excited to welcome Butler to their men’s basketball coaching staff. Butler brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and local recruiting ties to the Tri-city area.

“Butler comes with a great deal of college coaching experience and recruiting ties especially in this region. He’s a VSU grad which means a great deal to our college community,” says VSU’s head men’s basketball coach, Darryl Jacobs.

Coach Butler is a native of Suffolk, VA and also a Trojan alumni, graduating from Virginia State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration in 1989. Butler and his wife, Rosalie, have three children, Nikko (13), Kennedy (11), and Victoria (4).

By Jason Pompey, Sports Information Director
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Friday, April 29, 2011

Two NC High School standouts sign with Johnson C. Smith

Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball program has announced the signing of Reginald LaTrez Shuford and Marcus Walker for the 2011-12 season.

Reginald LaTrez Shuford also known as Trez Shuford is a 6'3, 170 lbs, point guard from nearby Hickory, North Carolina. Shuford played for Shawn Johnson at Hickory High School. In his senior year, Shuford led the Red Tornadoes to a 26-4 overall and 11-1 league record. He received all-conference and all-district honors for performance on the hardwood.


Videographer: tw56059

Shuford has been described as an athletic-slasher with great ball handling ability. He has a solid inside jumper, but like most young player could use more work. Shuford will have a familiar face in the backcourt; he and sophomore guard Trevin Parks (Hickory, NC) were teammates at Hickory High.

“We're excited to have this young man come abroad; because of the versatility and rotation options he may provide,” said head men's basketball coach Stephen Joyner, Sr. “Shuford is a good rebounder at his position, he gets up and down the floor well, and make good decisions with the basketball. He should immediately challenge our current guards for playing time and may allow us to move Trevin to the two-guard position in some situations.”

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Videographer: tueforumclt; JC Smith spearheads corridor renewal. Torrey Feimster and Malcolm Graham from Johnson C. Smith University address the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum April 19, 2011. In this segment, Graham describes five J.C. Smith initiatives in the Beatties Ford Corridor all running concurrently, some with near-term completion dates. 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Salisbury's Isis Miller to WSSU

SALISBURY, N.C. — Salisbury girls basketball coach Chris McNeil had a feisty group on and off the court this season. “The toughest competition of all was to see who could get the highest GPA,” McNeil said. “They were all over 3.0s. They pushed each other hard in the classroom.”

Not only did the Hornets go 27-1 and win their third straight 2A state championship, they will have six seniors moving on to play college basketball.

The latest to sign is 5-foot-10 post player Isis Miller. She’s headed to Division II CIAA school Winston-Salem State. The always upbeat Miller was a big part of that daily quiz bowl on the basketball team.

“There was a lot of emphasis on schoolwork on the team and also from my mom,” Miller said. “She always told me there were no C’s allowed in her house. I’ve made all A’s and B’s in high school except one. I had one ‘C’ in pre-calculus.”

Prep Sports: Salisbury salutes three title teams

SALISBURY, N.C. — A decade ago, Salisbury High’s athletic program was suffering through its own version of the Great Depression. At least as far as the high-profile, flagship sports.

A 3-8 football season in the fall of 2000 was followed by the girls and boys basketball squads combining for a 10-34 record in a dreary winter in which a doubleheader sweep over anybody would have prompted a parade down Lincolnton Road. The Hornets’ indoor struggle was followed by the arrival of spring and a 6-15 baseball season.

 But that’s ancient history now.

Today, even with its enrollment down to 885, and with 72 percent of its students classified as “economically disadvantaged,” Salisbury has been rebuilt into a model environment that is churning out major scholars as well as ACC athletes.

Salisbury girls win again

Salisbury’s girls soccer team stayed unbeaten with a 6-0 romp against CCC opponent East Davidson on Monday. The Hornets (10-0-2, 5-0 CCC) opened up a two-game lead in the conference race at the midway point. Catawba signee Karen Presnell dominated the match, scoring four goals.

“She’s in a zone right now,” Salisbury coach Matt Parrish said. “She’s playing exceptional, high-level soccer.”

Susannah Dixon scored her first goal as a Hornet, burying a shot to the back post five minutes into the match to put fifth-ranked Salisbury on top and set the tone.

Salisbury Boys and Girls Track Teams

Salisbury boys and girls track teams won the Western Carolina High School Invitational meet in Cullowhee on Saturday. Salisbury’s girls scored 129 points to top A.C. Reynolds (88), North Buncombe (87) and 15 other teams, mostly from the mountains.

Salisbury’s Summer Taylor won the long jump (15 feet, 11 inches) and triple jump (33-0), while Alisha Bradshaw took the shot put (42-8) and discus (120-8).

Katherine Shields won the 1600 (5:23.17), and the 4x400 relay team also finished first in 4:16.89. Emily Shields placed third in the 800 (2:27.06), Ayanna Holmes was third in the high jump (4-6), and Cheyenne Gloster was third in the shot (29-6). Salisbury also was third in the 4x200 relay.

Salisbury's Heilig leads East all-stars, wins MVP

The Salisbury girls' basketball team, which has has claimed three straight state championships, is used to winning. Saturday afternoon, coach Chris McNeil and three of his best players led the East All-Star team to a 63-52 win in the Charlotte Pro-Am Classic at Providence Day.

Senior Jessica Heilig (Gardner Webb signee) was the most valuable player, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds. The East also got big contributions from her Salisbury teammates Olivia Rankin (Charlotte signee), who added 16 points and seven rebounds; and Ayanna Holmes (Charlotte signee), who had seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.

"It helps a lot to have familiar players around, especially late in the game because you know what to expect from them," Heilig said.

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