Sunday, September 1, 2013

Montana Tech defeats Xavier for UST tournament title

Xavier University of Louisiana's 2013 women's volleyball team
ROSTER
Coaching Staff 
HOUSTON -- Sydney Norris had three kills during a closing run Saturday which clinched Montana Tech's 21-25, 25-21, 25-20, 23-25, 15-7 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the championship match of the UST Labor Day Tournament.

The Lady Diggers (8-2) won their eighth in a row, including four matches in this event. The Gold Nuggets (5-3) were 3-1 in the tournament.

The teams were tied at 6 in the fifth set before Montana Tech scored eight consecutive points. Norris' third kill of the run, off a free ball, gave the Lady Diggers a 12-6 lead. Montana Tech had a 9-4 advantage in kills during the fifth.

Taylor Reuther had 19 kills and a career-high 25 digs for Xavier and recorded her seventh consecutive double-double. Chinedu Echebelem had 13 kills and 13 digs, and Moira Kirk had 11 kills and four blocks. Jodi Chatters had 19 digs and CeCe Williams 12.

Kirk's block gave Xavier its only lead of the third set, 18-17, before Jordan Danz produced three kills to give the Lady Diggers a 2-sets-to-1 advantage. But Echebelem had four kills, and Kirk and Reuther had three apiece to force a fifth set.

Earlier Saturday, the Gold Nuggets defeated Columbia (S.C.) 25-27, 25-20, 25-20, 25-15. It was the second time this season that Xavier won after dropping the opening set.

Reuther had 15 kills, 14 digs and a season-high four aces against Columbia. Kirk had 11 kills, and reserve Claudia Haywood had seven kills and three blocks in two sets. Chatters had 20 digs,
Franziska Pirkl had 32 assists and 12 digs in her fourth double-double of the season, and Echebelem had nine digs and a career-high-tying three aces.

"This was progress," XU coach Hannah Lawing said. "It was a very productive weekend for us. We learned how it feels to be successful, not only individually, but as a team. We are taking steps in the right direction and growing as a team."

Xavier must play five more times on the road -- 6 p.m. Tuesday at Spring Hill, then four times next week in the Rumpke Invitational at Georgetown, Ky. -- before playing its home and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at 1 p.m. on Sept. 14 against Voorhees at the Convocation Center.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Alabama A&M defense dominates as Bulldogs win opener at Grambling

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The hump on the question marks didn't quite straighten themselves out all the way to become exclamation points for Alabama A&M, but there were some answers provided in an opening-game cauldron for the Bulldogs.

In mid-90s temperature at the sunken pit that is Grambling State's Robinson Stadium, Alabama A&M opened the season - and quarterback Brandon Wells began his career - in impressive fashion in a 23-9 throttling of the Tigers.

Alabama A&M's defense was ferociously effective, holding Grambling to a mere 165 yards on 55 plays, limiting the Tiger quarterbacks to eight-for-25 passing.
Meanwhile, Wells, the redshirt freshman from Calera, was 15-for-28 for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"Our young people played really well," said Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones, whose lineup featured 15 new starters, plus a new punter and kicker.

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Alabama A&M notebook: Running back 'committee' of Eldemire, Scott works well

GRAMBLING, Louisiana - Alabama A&M's "running game by committee" didn't take long to unfold.

After Kaderius Lacey had 182 of the 263 carries by a running back last season, Bulldogs coach Anthony Jones promised the load would be shared by Brandon Eldemire, who started the game, and transfer Barrington Scott, who entered the game on the third series.

Scott, who played at Ball State before coming to A&M, rushed 16 times for 77 yards. Eldemire had 10 carries for 21 yards.

RECEIVING DIVERSITY: Quarterback Brandon Wells had plenty of targets in his debut. Seven different receivers caught passes. Tight end Toriono Upshaw had six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. G'Alonzo Milton had three catches for 46, Montaurius Smith two for 32 yards and a touchdown
 
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2-Minute Drill: Alabama A&M 23, Grambling 9

WHY ALABAMA A&M WON: Alabama A&M's defense set the tone with its second-quarter safety, when Robert Nelson tackled Grambling quarterback D.J. Williams in the end zone. While Williams had a few significant completions, the A&M defense consistently pressured him. The defense and the punting game - the latter a surprise - gave the A&M offense convenient field position. Rookie QB Brandon Wells had his moments where accuracy was lacking, but he was able to pick apart the Grambling secondary on occasion.

KEY MOMENT: Senior cornerback Tremaine Shepherd made a diving interception with just over a minute to play in the second quarter, putting Alabama A&M on the Grambling 38. It might have been more prudent for a struggling Grambling to have run out the clock to regroup. Instead, it gave A&M good field position and ample time to score another TD seconds before halftime. As a bonus, the Bulldogs would also have the ball to open the second half.

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Second Half Offensive Push Propels Eastern Michigan Eagles to Victory Over Howard Bison

YPSILANTI, Michigan (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University kicked off its 122nd season on the gridiron Saturday, Aug. 31 at Rynearson Stadium against the Howard University Bison.  The effort proved to be a successful one as the Eagles took down the Bison 34-24 after an aggressive home opener.

The first quarter played out quickly with just two possession changes in the first 15 minutes. EMU's early offensive efforts were quickly slowed by running into the stone line of the Bison defense before redshirt-junior quarterback Tyler Benz (Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine Township South) was able to help the Eagles break through into Howard territory at the 12:30 mark.  Eastern's offense suffered a setback at 11:17, when a long pass from Benz was intercepted by Howard's Amedola Olantuji at the Howard 12-yard line.

EMU's defense answered back with forceful aggression to defend their territory as a sack by junior defensive lineman Cy Maughmer (Glendale, Ariz. / Glendale C.C.) on a Howard third down forced a punt by the Bison to return the ball to the Eagles.

The Eagles were able to complete 12 plays and gain 55 yards within the remaining 6:04 of the first quarter, but as the time expired the matchup remained scoreless.



Box score.Photo Gallery.

The Green and White came out in full force with the start of the second quarter, as a three-yard rush was followed up by an 18-yard throw into the end zone to junior tight end Tyreese Russell (Chicago, Ill. / Walther Lutheran) at 14:17 plus an extra point thanks to sophomore kicker Dylan Mulder (Saline, Mich. / Saline) gave the Eagles the 7-0 lead over the Bison.

Where the Howard offense could not seem to make a play happen, their defense proved to be reliable, as their defenders were able to shed the EMU blockers and force another possession change at 10:43.

After what should have been a challenging start on the Howard five-yard line, the Bison offense jumped into gear with a 16-yard pass straight down the middle and a touchdown at 8:34 thanks to a 65-yard sprint by Howard's William Parker.  The Bison were able to gain 95 yards within six plays and knot the score at 7-7.

A short punt from John Fleck gave the Bison an advantage as they started their possession within Eagle territory.  Sophomore defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (Chicago, Ill. / St. Rita) was able to lead the defense with two consecutive tackles to take the Bison to a third down.  An incomplete attempted touchdown pass by Greg McGhee brought Fleck out onto the field, which produced a 43-yard field goal to push Howard to a 10-7 lead with 3:17 left in the half.

With 2:55 remaining and the opposition in the lead, the Eagles started off their final possession of the half with a solid 25-yard return from Allen.  Benz completed a series of 10-yard plays, moving the ball from sideline to sideline.  With 31 seconds left in the half Benz connected with Demarius Reed (Chicago, Ill. / Simeon Academy) on a 33-yard touchdown play to give the Eagles a 13-10 lead heading into the locker room.

Howard came out strong in the second half, showing that they were not content with relinquishing their lead as McGhee moved the ball up the field smoothly with five-yard gains before throwing to Jonathan Booker. A 32-yard sideline run from Booker would give the Bison their second lead of the contest over EMU.

The Eagles were unable to create any opportunities with their next possession, gaining only 17 yards in five plays before having to give the ball back over to Howard.



McGhee proved to be the sparkplug of the Howard offensive front as he sprinted toward the Eagle end zone at 6:22 before being stopped by junior defensive back Darius Scott (Chicago, Ill. / Simeon Academy) on the EMU two-yard line.  A series of attempts to run the ball in for a touchdown was seemingly the end of Bison's scoring opportunity, but a penalty on an incomplete fourth-down touchdown attempt gave Howard another chance to run the ball in.  McGhee was able to take advantage of the call to complete a 1-yard rush at 4:20 and extend the Bison lead.

Despite the 14-0 scoring run by the Bison, the Eagles' offense returned to the field with intensity and determination as the Eagles traveled 60 yards along the gridiron within four plays.  At 1:29, Eastern was able to quench their scoring drought thanks to junior running back Bronson Hill (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Catholic Central), who rushed the ball in two yards for the Eagles' third touchdown of the evening.  EMU began to close the scoring gap after a Mulder extra point, bringing Eastern within four of the Bison.

The fourth quarter began with the ball in the hands of the Howard offense, but less than 45 seconds into the final frame senior middle linebacker Sean Kurtz (Anaheim, Calif. / Canyon Santa Ana C.C.) nabbed his first career interception from Howard's McGhee and ran a 25-yard return.  Four plays after Kurz's electric play, Hill found himself in the end zone once more with 12:31 left to play, giving the Eagles a 27-24 lead over the Bison.

The EMU offense was unable to produce the success on their next possession despite a valiant effort, and the ball was once again returned to Howard's side.  Senior defensive end  Kalonji Kashama (Brampton, Ont. / Canada Brampton) produced a huge defensive play by taking down Anthony Philyaw at the Howard 21-yard line, and after only gaining one yard in three plays, the Eagles found themselves with a fantastic opportunity to add more to their growing scoring run.

With 3:54 left in the game, sophomore running back Darius Jackson (Sparta, Ill. / Sparta) showcased his wheels with a 28-yard rush to take the line of scrimmage to the Howard 20-yard line.  Just 40 seconds later, Jackson found himself with the ball gripped tightly under his arm again, despite having Howard's Tabrian Resby latched on to his jersey, as he barreled through the field with to end his 19-yard rush with another Eagles touchdown.

With the addition of the fourth completed extra point attempt of the evening, the Eagles found themselves with a 34-24 lead, a 21-0 scoring run in over fifteen minutes of play.

Despite an aggressive effort by the Bison, the Eagles were too powerful of a force to be overcome.  As the clock ran down, the Bison gave one last effort to score but were intercepted in the end zone by Willie Creear (Seattle, Wash. / Lingbergh (Butte J.C.)).  The Eagles closed out the beginning of the 2013 campaign with a 34-24 victory over Howard as the EMU rushing effort was led by Hill, who ran 101 yards in 28 carries.  Hill also added two touchdowns, while Jackson added 64 yards and one touchdown.  Benz connected on 19 passes in 26 attempts for 210 yards and two touchdown passes. 

On the defensive side, Kurtz added 13 total tackles and one interception, while Maughmer and O'Conner each added a sack to the effort.

The Howard offense was led by McGhee, who totaled 75 yards and one touchdown.  Half back William Parker had 82 yards on seven carries and one touchback.  McGhee was 19-for- 32 with 182 yards and one touchdown pass. 

On the defensive front, Cameron Alston and Tabrian Resby led the Bison with 14 and 12 tackles, respectively.

The Eagles improve to 1-0 on the 2013 season while Howard falls to 0-1.  Eastern Michigan football will be back in action Saturday, Sept. 7, at noon when they travel to Penn State.

COURTESY EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES.COM 

Trio from Pensacola part of new chapter for Florida A&M band

PENSACOLA, Florida  --  Most dreams of collegiate sports heroics begin at the end of regulation: A buzzer-beating three-pointer, a walk-off home run in extra innings, a game winning touchdown in overtime.

However, for three recent high school graduates from Pensacola — Cleveland Brown, Austin Conner Jr. and Tatiana Hughes — the biggest on-field moments of their college careers will happen at halftime today at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

The 18-year-old Washington High grads were all awarded music scholarships to join the nationally acclaimed Florida A&M University band, the Marching 100.



“This is surreal,” Hughes said. “I never thought I’d be here. I’ve been such a fangirl for the band ever since I first saw them.”

The Marching 100 has been performing since the 1890s and is famous for its elaborate, rollicking, stadium-rocking halftime shows. The 400-member band has performed at multiple Super Bowls, college bowl games and even at President Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration.

But the fame turned to infamy in ...

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Pough, SCSU Bulldogs suffer disappointing 27-20 loss to ranked Coastal

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough believed his team showed vast improvement in effort and overall play when compared to last season in Saturday’s season opener at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

To his disappointment, it was still not enough to defeat a nationally ranked opponent. In stunning fashion, the Bulldogs went from being poised to take a double-digit lead against the #21/25 Chanticleers to falling short 27-20 before 10,048 fans at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.



“I can honestly say that we gave this football game away tonight,” a disappointed Pough said. “We didn’t execute at the times we needed to execute. We didn’t do a good job and that’s on me. We didn’t do a good job of putting us in the right places to be able to accomplish what we needed to accomplish to win the football game.”

Trailing 20-12 with seven minutes left in the third quarter, Coastal Carolina scored 15 unanswered points. It started when LaDarius Hawthorne blocked Nick Belcher’s field goal attempt and Big South Defensive Player of the Year Quinn Backus returned it 56 yards for a touchdown.

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Bingo: UMaine football opens with victory over Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Now we know why the University of Maine calls the play “Bingo.”

Norfolk State’s Spartans found out, too, just in time to see the back of Zedric Joseph’s jersey as the senior dashed 85 yards for the decisive touchdown in the Black Bears’ 23-6 victory Saturday night in the season opener for both schools at Dick Price Stadium.

As expected, the defense led the way for the Black Bears, who had their way with two first-time NSU quarterbacks and bottled up the Spartans attack most of the night. But with a sputtering Maine offense squandering several scoring opportunities, the Black Bears’ lead was just 13-6 midway through the third quarter when the offense lined up at its own 15-yard line for a second-down call.



That’s when Joseph faked receiving a handoff and circled out of the backfield.

The Spartans sold out on the run action, and when Joseph collected Marcus Wasilewski’s pass, there wasn’t an NSU defender within 10 yards of him. It stayed that way as Joseph streaked into the end zone for his first career touchdown.



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Saturday, August 31, 2013

FAMU's New band director retires 'drum major' title