Roles have changed at SU ... but not expectations

Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- It’s been seven months since we’ve seen Sandy Pugh in the place she seems most comfortable: sitting on her trademark stool, clutching a whiteboard, surrounded by players during a timeout in crunch time of a women’s basketball game.

Only weeks after Southern’s season ended with a loss to Tulane in the WNIT, Pugh found herself in a new, very unfamiliar position, assuming the role of interim athletic director after SU fired Greg LaFleur.



The search for a permanent replacement continues, and Pugh has agreed to stay on as long as Southern needs her. But her extra duties meant one thing for the women’s basketball team: more heavy lifting for assistants Carlos Funchess and David Frank. Naturally, they answered the call.

Hey, vacations are overrated, right?

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KEYS: What will new Southern University A.D. need?

Baton Rouge, LA -- The football team posted its worst record in school history.

So did the men’s basketball program.

Both teams face NCAA postseason bans next year, thanks to substandard performance in the classroom.

Revenue streams have dried up. The fan base is fractured and shrinking.

This is what Southern University faces as it searches for a new athletic director. This is, obviously, a tough sell.

And the perfect man (or woman) has not yet emerged.

Interim athletic director Sandy Pugh has said that come July 1, she wants to return to “calling timeouts.” In other words, she wants to return to her full-time job as women’s basketball coach.

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Southern University: Living her dream

Sandy Pugh, Head Women's Basketball Coach
Interim Athletics Director, Southern University

As it turns out, Jessica Thomas ended up where she wanted to be all along.

The senior Northwest girls basketball standout inked a letter of intent to play basketball at Southern University next season Tuesday in the Northwest High library with her family and Lady Raiders coach Latosha Malone on hand.

"It's amazing to be where I am because of all the hard work I've put in and coach Malone helping me out a lot on everything I had to do to get to this point," Thomas said. "I had to do a lot of things, keep my grades maintained and stay focused in school and not worry about anything else."

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Southern University fires Greg LaFleur; Coach Sandy Pugh recommended as interim athletics director

SU's Interim Athletics Director Sandy Pugh

BATON ROUGE, LA – Southern University Chancellor Kofi Lomotey today (4/6/2011) dismissed Athletic Director Greg LaFleur. He will recommend to the university's Board of Supervisors that Lady Jaguar Basketball Coach Sandy Pugh become the interim athletic director.

LaFleur’s dismissal comes after his arrest for allegedly soliciting a prostitute in Houston, Texas.

“This decision was reached after consultation with campus and system administrators. We think the decision is in the best interest of Southern University,” Lomotey said.

The chancellor praised LaFleur for his guidance of Southern University athletics during tough economic times and coaching changes. “I appreciate his effort and the hard work he put in during some difficult situations,” Lomotey said. “I speak for the rest of my staff in wishing him well.”

Lomotey said his decision to fire LaFleur is one that had to be made and made quickly for the stability of Southern's athletic program. “Given the circumstances, I think it would be difficult for the university to move forward with Mr. LaFleur as the head of the athletic program,” he said.

“I think that bringing Sandy Pugh into the job provides us with someone who has done a great job of recruiting student athletes, who is a rising star in her profession and who commands respect immediately,” the chancellor said.

“Her presence and background will be invaluable in guiding our athletic department over the next several weeks and especially next week during crucial meetings with representatives from the NCAA,” Lomotey said.

Coach Pugh has brought the Lady Jaguar basketball program to an unprecedented level of prominence in her 11-year tenure. She presently serves on the Top 25 Coaches poll. Her teams have been to four NCAA Tournaments, two WNIT appearances and have won four regular season Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships, as well as having produced the only player ever drafted from the SWAC into the WNBA.

“But more importantly,” Lomotey said, “her teams have consistently averaged an APR score well above the standard.”

Lomotey said the University will launch a nationwide search for a new athletic director. “The person hired will come into the job with the full support of the campus, administration and the Jaguar Nation,” he said. “That person will be expected to help our coaches attract and graduate the best student-athletes available.”



by Southern University Media Relations

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Prairie View dances back in: Panthers beat Southern to earn third NCAA bid

First-Year PVAMU Head Coach Toyelle Wilson
wins first SWAC Championship and NCAA
Division I Tournament bid.

GARLAND, TX – Once the final buzzer of the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship sounded, Prairie View A&M senior guard Dominique Smith rushed to embrace freshman guard Siarra Soliz and offer some words of encouragement.

“I’m leaving it,” Smith said. “It’s in your hands now.”

If Saturday’s championship against Southern is any indication, Smith and the rest of the seniors can rest assured that the program’s future is in good hands. Soliz scored a game-high 21 points, senior forward Robin Jones hit a go-ahead jumper with 33 seconds remaining, and the second-seeded Panthers closed the game on a 12-0 run to beat top-seeded Southern 48-44 on Saturday at the Special Events Center and capture the program’s third NCAA Tournament bid.

The Panthers (21-11) will appear in the Big Dance for the first time since...

Prairie View wins SWAC tourney, snags NCAA bid

GARLAND, Texas -- The first half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship was more than halfway done when Prairie View A&M's cheerleaders came running into the arena. They hustled down a long flight of stairs to reach the floor, then scrambled into position on the baseline.
Just like their team, they showed up late, but made a lot of noise when it mattered most.

Robin Jones made a go-ahead jumper from the foul line with 33.3 seconds left, the pivotal play in a 12-0 closing run that lifted Prairie View to a 48-44 victory and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Panthers (21-11) started slowly in both halves, trailing 10-2 shortly before the cheerleaders arrived, then letting a five-point halftime lead get away by giving up the first seven points of the second half. They trailed nearly the rest of the game, and were down 44-36 with 5:13 left, matching their biggest deficit.



Prairie View women rally, drop Southern in SWAC championship game

A memorable season for the Southern women’s basketball team has ended. Saturday night in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game, the top-seeded Jaguars lost a late eight-point lead and failed to score over the final 5:13, allowing Prairie View to pull ahead for a 48-44 victory here in Garland, Texas.

The Lady Panthers (21-11) earned the SWAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Southern (20-11) is coming home. Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said SU will turn down a bid to the WNIT because of concerns over travel costs.

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Southern University women advance to SWAC final, 78-53

GARLAND, Texas — With four minutes left in a 78-53 blowout victory of Mississippi Valley State, facing heavy pressure in the backcourt, Southern University guard Ashley Augerson noticed a longtime teammate breaking free. Augerson heaved an end-to-end pass toward Aerica Hicks, a fifth-year senior who’s known for her defense — not for filling up the box score.

Nonetheless, Hicks hauled in Augerson’s pass, then scored on a layup — just as she was fouled from behind. She completed the three-point play, and the Jaguars bench erupted. By then, they had all but wrapped up a big win in the semifinal round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s tournament.

By then, they knew they’d play Saturday for another championship.




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SU Jaguars hold off A&M rally

When the final horn sounded and the Southern women’s basketball team walked off the floor with its 12th consecutive victory Monday night, players smiled, high-fived each other and hugged a few die-hard fans.

Their sense of joy was noticeable. But it was matched by a sense of relief. “This one got to me,” said coach Sandy Pugh, who watched her team hold off Alabama A&M for a 65-57 win. “I’m happy with the win, but not happy with our defensive performance in the second half.”

One look at the final statistics showed why.

Alabama A&M-SU women: By the numbers

Southern’s losing streak continues

Yet again, in a desperate attempt to keep up with an opponent, the Southern men’s basketball team tried almost everything Monday night against Alabama A&M.

The Jaguars took timeouts. They substituted liberally. They changed defensive schemes and tried an array of offensive sets. In the end, it was the same song, eighth verse.

The visiting Bulldogs spent the entire second half building on their lead, and pulling away for an easy 64-45 victory in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

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SU women beat ASU for fourth straight victory

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Defense, rebounding and strong guard play helped the Southern women’s basketball team in a 50-41 victory at Alabama State on Saturday night, extending the Jaguars’ winning streak to four games. Now, it’s on to Alabama A&M and a showdown for control of the Southwestern Athletic Conference race.

Saturday night in the Dunn-Lover Acadome, for the seventh time in seven conference games, Southern shot below 40 percent from the floor — but the Jaguars, as usual, made sure their 50 points were enough.

Southern (9-8, 6-1) forced 20 turnovers and owned a 33-25 advantage in rebounds against Alabama State (4-13, 1-5). The Lady Hornets got 14 points from Tanika Jackson and 10 points from Erica Henderson, but six of their 11 players went scoreless.

ASU falls short, Moorer or less

Former Central-Hayneville standout Tramayne Moorer returned to the Alabama State lineup for just the second time this season Saturday.

He responded with only the third double-double by a Hornet this season, scoring a team-high 11 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. But it wasn't enough, as the Hornets lost to Southern 64-52 at Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

For Moorer, it's a double dose of frustration. Sidelined for all but one game of his second and third years at ASU with a broken kneecap and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, he was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA to play this season.

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SU Jaguars fall just short against Valley

One stop. One rebound. Those were the two things Southern really needed Monday night against Mississippi Valley State. The Jaguars got one out of two, and that wasn’t enough in a 65-62 loss. With the final minute of Monday’s game ticking away inside the F.G. Clark Activity Center, the Jaguars needed one defensive stop and one defensive rebound for a chance to tie the game at the other end.

Playing solid half-court defense, they forced an off-balance shot by Valley’s Orlando Smith — and had they grabbed the ball, they could’ve tied the score. But in a scene that seemed to repeat itself time after time in the second half, the Delta Devils came up with a loose ball and gave themselves another chance to score.

Foster nails buzzer-beater for SU women

Tiffany Foster was in foul trouble, turnover-prone and stuck on the bench to begin the second half. Worse yet, she’d missed most of her open jumpers for the better part of a month. Monday night against Mississippi Valley State, she hit a big one when the Jaguars absolutely needed it.

Foster dribbled the length of the court, pulled up near the baseline and drained a jumper from 12 feet away with 0.2 seconds left, giving Southern a thrilling 47-45 win at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“That takes a lot of guts, and my hat’s off to her,” SU coach Sandy Pugh said. “It was her first (career) game-winner, and it was a big one.”

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Maxey, JSU Tigers put clamps on Southern Jaguars

Two days after scoring its most points in a conference game in eight years, Jackson State delivered another impressive performance - this time, on the defensive end.

Grant Maxey had his first double-double in nearly two years - re-emerging for the Tigers at the right time - and Jackson State whipped Southern 73-49 Monday night, pushing its Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season win streak to 17 games and showing the home crowd it can also play some defense.

"I think our defense is getting better," JSU coach Tevester Anderson said. "We played awesome defense the first 20 minutes."

Southern women edge Jackson State

JACKSON, Miss. — Hannah Kador and the Southern women’s basketball team had both been in an ugly shooting slump. Monday night at Jackson State, they both warmed up when they absolutely needed to.

The Jaguars set a season high by shooting 50 percent from the floor, and Kador was 3-for-6 in the second-half — including the game-winning shot, a short jumper that gave Southern a 63-61 victory Monday night over Jackson State.

It was a happy ending to an otherwise rough game for the Jaguars (6-8, 3-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Tiffany Foster and Ashley Augerson, both seniors, weren’t available for the final horn. Foster fouled out, and Augerson suffered a broken nose during the first half.

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Southern Jaguars rally falls short at Grambling State

Southern University Coach Sandy Pugh

It happened again. In keeping with a decade-long pattern, the Southern men’s basketball team played hard at Grambling on Saturday night. In fact, the Jaguars needed only one or two strong possessions to overtake their archrival on the road. They simply didn’t get what they needed.

Southern’s wild second-half rally fell just short when after Blake Sanford missed two 3-pointers with less than 1:30 remaining, helping the Tigers hold on for a 61-57 victory Saturday night before a crowd of 1,387 at the Grambling Assembly Center.

“First of all, we got behind big, and we spotted them too many points,” SU sixth-year coach Rob Spivery said.

Poor execution costs SU against Grambling

GRAMBLING — Another year. Another trip to Grambling. Another disappointment. Missing shots and failing to execute its halfcourt offense with much success Saturday night, the Southern women’s basketball team suffered a surprising 48-43 loss against Grambling on Saturday night, one that snapped the Jaguars’ two-game win streak to begin Southwestern Athletic Conference play.

It was certainly not what 11th-year coach Sandy Pugh expected.  “Look. I mean, we just didn’t ... I mean, this was one of those games where you say, ‘you’ve got to be kidding,’” said Pugh, who described herself as “frustrated” after the game.

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Foster's 3-pointers power Southern over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Tiffany Foster hit 5-of-5 from 3-point range to lead the Southern University women’s basketball team to a 73-51 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday night.

Foster finished with a game-high 18 points as the Jaguars evened their record at 1-1. The Islanders fell to 0-2 in the game played at American Bank Center. Southern led 40-30 at halftime as the Jaguars hit 6-of-11 3-pointers. Foster hit four from long range in the half.

Robinson scolds Islanders after second loss

CORPUS CHRISTI — It’s never too early in the season for a good old-fashioned, closed-door meeting. After two games, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women’s basketball team has reached that point.

The Islanders, minus two inside players, were beaten by Southern in most facets of Saturday night’s game — including the scoreboard — in falling to the Jaguars 73-51 in the consolation game of the Islander Tip-Off Tournament at the American Bank Center.

The second bad loss in a row for A&M-Corpus Christi (0-2) prompted a 20-minute postgame heart-to-heart between coach Robert Robinson and his team.

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SU women's basketball adds assistant coach, player‎

Southern University Lady Jaguars head coach Sandy Pugh (image by ryanpknight.com).

The Southern University women’s basketball program has two newcomers but one of them really isnt new at all. In fact, her face is about is familiar as they come.

Rolanda Monroe, a two-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and two-time SWAC tournament MVP, has replaced T.J. Pugh as an assistant, head coach Sandy Pugh said Friday.

Monroe helped the Jaguars win two SWAC championships from 2002-06 and finished her college career as the programs all-time leading scorer. She was working in the private sector in Atlanta and had hoped to get into coaching. T.J. Pugh, a part-time assistant, created a vacancy on the SU staff. He took over as boys basketball coach at McKinley High School this summer.

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Crunch time for Southern athletics

His hands folded, his posture tall and towering, Greg LaFleur surveyed the carnage inside his office last Wednesday afternoon. Old books, stacked high on a chair, formed a dusty skyscraper. His computer took up residence on the couch. Files covered bookshelf after bookshelf. LaFleur, who enters his sixth year as Southern’s athletic director, had tough decisions to make. What does he need to keep? What can he afford to scrap?

Stuff was everywhere — and when you move from one place to the other, that’s the best word for it: stuff. This summer, members of the athletic department are bailing out of old Jesse Owens Hall, a building grimy and battered beyond salvation. Some personnel will head back to the F.G. Clark Activity Center. LaFleur is moving to a seldom-used room in the new A.W. Mumford Field House. “Definitely a move for the better,” he said. “For everyone involved.” This offseason marks another crossroads for the SU athletic department. All at once, it’s an exciting and stressful time.

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Bitter End to Tough Year on the Bluff for Southern Jaguars

Southern University athletic director Greg LaFleur is a former LSU tight end and retired St. Louis Cardinals football player. As always, next season will be a more fruitful year for the SU Jaguars and the former 3rd round NFL draft pick.

Some 2 1/2 months ago, near midcourt at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, members of the Southern women’s basketball team gathered, overflowing with joy. They donned T-shirts and hats, commemorating their newly won Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship. Smiles and hugs were aplenty. For the SU athletic department, it was the brightest moment in an otherwise brutal year.

Football season started with loads of promise. It quickly turned into a disaster. The Jaguars were lifeless at the Bayou Classic, and a nutty, wild chain of events led to a gruesome last-minute loss at Texas Southern in the season finale. As a result, SU dumped iconic coach Pete Richardson after 17 years, five SWAC championships and four black college national titles. Even to Richardson’s critics, his dismissal was painful to watch, in part because officials hammered it out so swiftly — on a gray Monday afternoon, 48 hours after the TSU loss. It was also painful because Southern bought out the final year of Richardson’s contract — even at a time of severe budget cuts, layoffs and furloughs at the university.

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Friend helps Pugh discover recruiting gem

Southern University Coach Sandy Pugh expects to sign one more player by the end of the late signing period.

Fresh off her trip to the NCAA tournament, Southern women’s basketball coach Sandy Pugh was scanning the country for a good recruit. She had someone specific in mind — a versatile guard who could dribble, shoot, score and play multiple positions. Someone who reminded Pugh of some of her veterans, like standouts Hannah Kador and Ashley Augerson. Just then, Pugh said an old friend called her with a tip: Check out Adrian Sanders, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward from Ridgeway High School in Memphis, Tenn.

“One of my colleagues saw her work out and said, ‘Hey, you have to get this girl.’ I looked at her on tape and we did our homework, and my friend was right,” Pugh said. “Adrian came down (last) weekend, she loved the team and the campus. ... We were lucky to get in on her this late in the game.” Sure enough, Sanders was one of two players to sign national letters of intent to play at Southern next season. She joined Adjua David, a 5-foot-10 forward from New York.

Sanders, a left-hander, averaged 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game during her senior. She was named to her all-district and all-region teams her senior year. David averaged 23.7 points, 17.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season at Boys & Girls High School in Brooklyn. She led New York’s three-tier Public School Athletic League in scoring and rebounds.

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