Tuskegee wins third consecutive conference championship

HAMPTON, Georgia --  After missing out on the opportunity to drench their coaching staff during the 2015 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) championship, the Tuskegee University Lady Golden Tigers wasted little time in getting to head coach Edward Colvin on Saturday afternoon.

Following the final out of a 10-8 victory in the championship game, the 2016 version of the Lady Golden Tigers made the most of the opportunity on Saturday afternoon after winning their third consecutive conference championship – defeating Miles at Lovejoy Regional Park.

Colvin turned to senior Karisa Foye (6-5) in the circle on Saturday and she did not disappoint. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player struck out five out of the first six batters she faced and recorded the win after the Lady Golden Tigers took the lead in the fourth inning. The senior allowed five runs – just one earned – all in the fourth inning.

After Miles took a 5-2 lead and looked poised to push the tournament to an “if” game, Tuskegee turned to their bats that came into the tournament hitting over .300. The Lady Golden Tigers answered the five-spot from Miles with a six-spot of their own to take an 8-5 lead heading down the stretch.

Sharde Thomas drove home Cari Driver in the bottom of the fourth inning to trim the deficit to a pair, and later scored on a throwing error from Miles to trim the deficit to 5-4. From there, the rally was on for the Lady Golden Tigers.

Tuskegee tied the game on a single by Kenyah Smith to right scoring Chante Warner, and took the lead when Foye reached on an infield single that scored Kaylin Finch. Tuskegee scored their last two runs of the inning when Roneshia Rudolph doubled to the left field corner to put the Lady Golden Tigers ahead 8-5.

Colvin turned to Toni Beth Garner in the fifth inning, picking up a three-inning save; the first of her career. The junior, who defeated Miles Friday, allowed three runs off of four hits, while striking out three and keeping the bats of Miles at bay.

After Miles scored a run in the fifth to make it a two-run game, Tuskegee scored a pair of runs in the sixth for insurance – building a 10-6 lead.

The celebration began in the dugout in the bottom of the sixth inning, but had t
o wait as Miles scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning. However, with a runner at second and two strikes on the batter, a high fly ball was squeezed by senior first baseman Haley Plato in foul territory sending off the jubilation from the Lady Golden Tigers and their fans.

Dating back to 2004, Tuskegee is the first team to win three consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) championships. The Lady Golden Tigers had four players on the All-Tournament team, which included Foye, Thomas, Garner and Finch.

Tuskegee will find out their opponent and site for the upcoming NCAA Division II Regional next week on Monday morning. The NCAA Selection Show is at 10 am (est) on NCAA.com.

For more information on Tuskegee athletics, follow us on Twitter/Snapchat/Instagram (@MyTUAthletics) and like us on Facebook.

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Buddy Ball Puts Two S.C. State Bulldogs In the NFL Draf

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- A major weekend for South Carolina State at the NFL Draft continued on Saturday.

All-America tight end Temarrick Hemingway was selected by the Los Angeles Rams, formerly of St. Louis, in the sixth round of the 2016 National Football League Draft.

The Rams selected Hemingway with the 177th pick overall. The 6-foot-5, 244-pound Loris, S.C. native was the second player from South Carolina State University and third player drafted from an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in this year's draft.

On Friday, two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Javon Hargrave was chosen with the 89th selection of the NFL Draft.

Head coach Buddy Pough says this weekend will be a major boost for his program going forward as he sells Buddy Ball to high school prospects.

"Well, anytime you can go out and tell kids you've had guys drafted that high, it's a star in your crown of sorts," Pough said.

The coach added with Hargrave being a third-round selection, that is something his program can use not only in recruiting but marketing as well.

CONTINUE READING 

JSU's Fosselman signs undrafted free agent deal

SEATTLE, Washington -- Jackson State receiver Devin Fosselman agreed to an undrafted free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.

osselman ranked second in the SWAC with 872 receiving yards. He led JSU with 58 receptions. The senior did most of his damage in the middle of the field, working out of the slot.

Seattle has had success undrafted receivers in the past few years. Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse were the Seahawks' top two receivers in terms of yardage in 2014 and 2015 and both were undrafted.

Fosselman started his career at Mississippi State. He was a three-star prospect and ranked as the No.11 prospect in the state of Mississippi coming out of high school.

CONTINUE READING

Montgomery talent eluding Jenkins, ASU

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Tarvaris Jackson has a problem with this.

Alabama State University head football coach Brian Jenkins hasn’t signed a high school player from Montgomery in his first two recruiting classes on national signing day.

That’s a no-no to Jackson, a Montgomery native who starred at quarterback at ASU, became a second-round pick in 2006, won a Super Bowl and has played 10 NFL seasons.

“You’ve got to get the Montgomery kids,” Jackson said.

ASU has inked 32 players on NSD under Jenkins — and none have been from here. When asked how many scholarships he offered local kids, Jenkins said “20 or more” — but he’s come up empty-handed.

“Some of the things that have come into play has been grades,” Jenkins said. “We lost some guys late. We had several kids that we really liked that we lost to some bigger schools.”



CONTINUE READING

Southern's Roman Banks honored as LABC's Coach of the Year

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana --  Southern University head coach Roman Banks became the eleventh head coach to win the Tommy Joe Eagles Memorial Award for Louisiana's top collegiate head coach at the major level in the awards 42-year history.

Banks received the award during Saturday’s 42nd Annual Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Awards Banquet held at the Embassy Suites Hotel.

Banks joins a distinguished group of coaches which included former Southern head coach Ben Jobe, who won the award in 1988 and 1993. Dale Brown and John Brady of LSU, Andy Russo of Louisiana Tech, Mike Vining of UL-Monroe, Rickey Broussard of Nicholls State, George "Tic" Price of New Orleans, Mike McConathy of Northwestern State, Billy Kennedy of Southeastern Louisiana and Dave Simmons of McNeese State serve as the only state coaches who have earned the award on multiple occasions.

Banks, who also served as an assistant on Kennedy's staff at Southeastern during the 2004 and 2005 season, led the Jaguars to the program's second Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship under Banks and to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in three years with a 22-13 record.

After leaving Southeastern in 2011 to become the head coach at Southern, Banks quickly transformed the Jaguars to an immediate winner and by the 2012-13 season, he had guided the Jaguars to a 23-10 record and produced Southern's first SWAC tournament title and NCAA Tournament bid since 2006.

Inducted into the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame was Nicholls State’s Rickey Broussard.

The other major honoree was former LSU radio announcer Jim Hawthorne, who received the LABC’s Mr. Louisiana Basketball award. This award is given annually to someone who has made a significant, long-term contribution to the game of basketball at any level in the State of Louisiana.

Also honored at the banquet were Louisiana’s major college, small college, junior college and high school basketball players and coaches of the year, along with the top pro player from the state.

Broussard coached at Nicholls State from 1990 to 2002, where he won 150 games and finished his career as the second winningest coach in school history. He was a three-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year, two-time Louisiana Coach of the Year and once an NABC District Coach of the Year.

Broussard led the Colonels to two SLC regular season and tournament championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances, including seasons of 24-6, 19-9 and 19-10.

Hawthorne retired this year as the radio announcer for LSU basketball after a distinguished 36-year career as one of the top play-by-play men in all of collegiate athletics. He called some of the greatest moments in the history of Tigers basketball, including LSU’s Final Four appearances in 1981, 1986 and 2006 along with six SEC championships.

Hawthorne also introduced basketball fans to some of the best players to ever wear the LSU uniform in Shaquille O'Neal, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (then Chris Jackson), Rudy Macklin, Stromile Swift, Glen Davis and Brandon Bass. This summer he will receive the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism.

The LABC also presented the Pete Maravich Memorial Award, honoring Louisiana’s Major College Player of the Year, to freshman forward Ben Simmons of LSU. This season Simmons was a first team NABC and USBWA All-American and the consensus National Freshman of the Year. He averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds (1st in SEC and 7th in nation) and 4.79 assists and had 23 double-double games (1st in SEC and 5th in nation). He scored in double figures in 32 of 33 games, including eighteen 20-point games, and had single game highs of 43 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and 7 steals.

The Bob Pettit Award, which is given to Louisiana's Professional Player of the Year, was presented to forward Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks. In his tenth year in the NBA, the former Louisiana Tech star averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Millsap had 32 double-double games and single game highs of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 blocks. He was also selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game for the third straight season.

Senior point guard DeAngelo Coleman of LSU-Alexandria received the Louisiana Small College Player of the Year award after being named a first team NAIA All-American and the Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Year, while averaging 14.0 points and 3.90 assists and shooting 44.9% behind the three-point line.

Second year coach Larry Cordaro of LSU-Alexandria, who was named the Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year, guided the Generals to a No. 2 ranking in the final regular season national poll, to the Red River Athletic Conference regular season championship and to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament with a 29-4 record in the school’s second season of competition. Cordaro was the HoopDirt NAIA National Coach of the Year and the RRAC Coach of the Year.

D’Angelo McClinton and Coach David Francis of Southern-Shreveport were honored as the Louisiana Junior College Player and Coach of the Year, respectively. McClinton, a sophomore guard, averaged 18 points, 6 assists and 4 steals and was an NJCAA Region 23 All-Tournament selection. Francis led the Port City Jags to the Miss-Lou Conference championship and to the semifinals of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament with a 19-9 record. This was Francis’ 12th conference championship in 16 seasons.


2016 LABC Honorees:

Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee: Rickey Broussard, Nicholls St.

Mr. Louisiana Basketball: Jim Hawthorne, LSU

Bob Pettit Award for the Louisiana Professional Player of the Year: Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks

Pete Maravich Memorial Award for the Louisiana Major College Player of the Year: Ben Simmons, LSU

Tommy Joe Eagles Memorial Award for the Louisiana Major College Coach of the Year: Roman Banks, Southern

Louisiana Small College Player of the Year: DeAngelo Coleman, LSU-Alexandria

Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year: Larry Cordaro, LSU-Alexandria

Louisiana Junior College Player of the Year: D’Angelo McClinton, Southern-Shreveport

Louisiana Junior College Coach of the Year: David Francis, Southern-Shreveport

Louisiana High School Players of the Year:
Class AAAAA: Ja’Vonte Smart, Scotlandville
Class AAAA: De’Jon Jarreau, McDonogh 35
Class AAA: Jalen Johnson, University
Class AA: Robert Williams, North Caddo
Class A: Kalob LeDoux, Lafayette Christian
Class B: Will Reese, Anacoco
Class C: Paul Corbin, Summerfield

Louisiana High School Coaches of the Year:
Class AAAAA: Barry Whittington, East Ascension
Class AAAA: Albert Hartwell, Washington-Marion
Class AAA: Casey Jones, Wossman
Class AA: Damon West, Rayville
Class A: Marcus Jackson, Arcadia
Class B: Martin Ramirez, Grace Christian
Class C: Randy Carlisle, Summerfield

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Xavier's Salwan ties teammates' GCAC awards record

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Karan Salwan tied a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's tennis season record when he was named GCAC Player of the Week for April 18-24.
     
It's the fourth GCAC award for Salwan, a junior from New Delhi, India, and a graduate of Modern School. He shares the conference award record with teammates Kyle Montrel, who did it in 2013, and Thomas Setodji, who also has four awards this year.
     
Salwan improved to 21-3 in singles and 20-4 in doubles (including fall tournaments) after winning both his matches at the University of New Orleans. He defeated Giacomo Adoncecchi 6-2, 6-0 in singles and teamed with Kevin Chaouat to beat Luis Albuquerque and Jeffrey Hsu 6-4 in doubles. Salwan this semester has five singles victories and seven doubles victories against NCAA Division I opponents.
     
The Gold Rush, 13-6 and ranked third in the NAIA, will compete next Friday (May 6) in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Lawrenceville, Ga.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

FAMU's Blount signs as free agent, gives Miami 2 Washington County players

MIAMI, Florida -- Canon-McMillan High School graduate Mike Hull is going to have some added competition with the Miami Dolphins. And it will come from another Washington County native.

Florida A&M linebacker Akil Blount, who attended The Linsly School but lives in Taylorstown, signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the draft. He also had offers from San Francisco, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Denver.

“Time to go to work. #DolphinsNation #2GodBeTheGlory,” Blount Tweeted Saturday night.

“As soon as the draft was over, they called me to see if I was interested,” said Blount. “They talked to my agent and worked things out and then called me back to welcome me to the team.”

Blount (6-3, 240) led Florida A&M in tackles in each of the past two seasons and added three interceptions and 14 1/2 tackles for loss.

He is the son of former Steelers Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount.

CONTINUE READING