WSSU picks up key CIAA win at J.C. Smith

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  There were a few leaks in the roof at Brayboy Gym, but even those didn’t slow 16th-ranked Winston-Salem State.

WSSU did everything right Wednesday night in a hard-fought 92-82 CIAA victory against Johnson C. Smith. Showing poise and a defensive game plan that worked to near perfection, the Rams grabbed the lead for good midway through the first half.

“Last year, we lost here, and it was kind of hard on us, so we just thought about that, and we didn’t want to lose, so that was motivation enough,” said guard Justin Glover, who scored 29 points and had two rim-rattling dunks that even J.C. Smith fan appreciated.

With a strong rain storm going on outside, the roof at Brayboy had three noticeable leaks. Play was stopped in the first half as ball boys constantly cleaned the three spots, each just off the court.

When Glover wasn’t scoring, other Rams were. Wakefield Ellison had a career-high 21 points, Joe Thompson added 10, and WyKevin Bazemore had nine points and eight rebounds.

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TSU Track Teams to Hold Invitational on Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State University men's and women's track & field programs resume the 2012-13 Indoor season by hosting the TSU Invite on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Gentry Center. Field events are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. with running events beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles compete in their fourth meet this season and the squad's second, and last at home. The teams' most recent event was the Gadstein Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. on Jan. 18.

At the Gladstein Invitational, the Tigerbelles were led by sophomore Ashontae Jackson who won the long jump at 19 feet, 7.5 inches. In the triple jump, a distance of 39 feet, 1/4 inches gave Ja'Lyn Burr third place, while Quanisha Sales' also claimed third with a time of 25.22 seconds in the 200 meters.

Jackson is 29th in the country in the Long Jump with a best distance of 20 feet, 0.5 inches.

The highlights for the men came in the high jump and long jump. Daryl Rice cleared 6 feet, 8.75 inches to finish first in the high jump, two inches higher than second place. In the high jump, junior Royce Dates came in third with a distance of 23 feet, 4 1/2 inches.

Dates is 22nd the country in the Long Jump with a best distance of 24 feet, 10.5 inches.

A total of ten NCAA Division I universities will compete in the TSU Invite, including in-state programs Austin Peay (women only), Belmont (women only), Fisk, Lipscomb, Tennessee Wesleyan, Trevecca, and Victory University. The only out of state opponents participating in Saturday's event are Alabama A&M and Chattahoochee Tech.

The field events start with the high jump at 8 a.m. and conclude with the weight throw. The mile run is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. The 55-meter Hurdle preliminaries will start the remaining running events approximately at 10:30 a.m. and the meet will conclude with the thrilling 4x400-meter relay.

Admission to Saturday's meet is free and open to the public. Results from Saturday's meet will be posted online at TSUTigers.com.

 

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Colonels, XU Rush postponed; Loyola rescheduled for Feb. 6

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's men's tennis dual match at Nicholls State this weekend has been postponed and will be rescheduled, XU coach Alan Green announced Wednesday.

Green said that Nicholls coach Meenakshi Sundaram requested the postponement. However, the XU-Nicholls women's dual will be played as scheduled — 4 p.m. Saturday at Renaissance Family and Fitness Club, 106 Southdown West Blvd. in Houma, La.

Green said the XU men's postponed dual against city rival Loyola was rescheduled for 2 p.m. next Wednesday (Feb. 6) at the new XU Tennis Center. That dual had been scheduled for Jan. 25.

The Gold Rush are 0-1 and ranked eighth in the NAIA.


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

NCCU Releases 2013 Football Schedule

2013 NCCU EAGLES FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DATE  OPPONENT                LOCATION         TIME
08/31 @DUKE (Bull City Gridiron Classic) Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC
09/07     **SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY, Durham, NC 2 pm
09/14 @CHARLOTTE, Charlotte, NC TBA 
09/21     TOWSON,  Durham, NC  2 pm  
10/05 @*HOWARD U., Washington, D.C.  TBA
10/12     *SOUTH CAROLINA STATE, Durham, NC 2 pm
10/19     *MORGAN STATE (Homecoming), Durham, NC  2 pm
10/26 @*SAVANNAH STATE, Savannah, GA  TBA
11/02     *BETHUNE-COOKMAN, Durham, NC, 2pm
11/09 @*HAMPTON U., Hampton, VA  TBA
11/16     *NORFOLK STATE, (Senior Day), Durham, NC 2 pm
11/23  @*NORTH CAROLINA A&T, Greensboro, NC  TBA 

**Game added to schedule 2/7/2013
* MEAC Game
Bold: Home Games

Complete 2013 NCCU Football Schedule        Printable PDF Schedule



DURHAM, North Carolina -- Coming off its first winning season since 2007, the North Carolina Central University football program will face “a very challenging and competitive schedule” in 2013, according to NCCU head coach Henry Frazier III.

NCCU will reunite with crosstown foe Duke to open the season with the “Bull City Gridiron Classic,” then play two non-conference opponents for the first time (Charlotte and Towson), and will meet two fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams for the first time since 1995 (Howard and Norfolk State) as part of the Eagles’ eight-game conference slate.

“We open up with an FBS opponent (Duke), a future FBS program (Charlotte) and the co-champions of the Colonial Athletic Association (Towson),” said Frazier, entering his third season on the Eagles’ sideline. “Those games will be an awesome gauge to see how far we’ve come as a program.”

Last season, NCCU posted a 6-5 overall record, including a 5-3 mark in the MEAC. Two of the three league setbacks included a one-point road loss at Florida A&M and an overtime defeat against North Carolina A&T in the final two games of the 2012 campaign.

“We have to condition extremely hard because we have to play eight straight conference games,” said Frazier. “Fortunately, the longest trip this season is Savannah State. Last year we had to travel by bus to Florida twice in three weeks. That took a lot out of us down the stretch.”



Long distance road trips should not be a factor in 2013. NCCU’s total driving distance for six road games this season is 2,026 miles, which is less than just the two Florida trips alone last year (2,432 miles).

NCCU opens the 2013 campaign with its shortest road trip, a 5.1-mile jaunt to Duke on Aug. 31. The third all-time meeting between the two Durham gridiron programs is billed as the “Bull City Gridiron Classic.” The Blue Devils won the prior two meetings, including a 54-17 victory last season inside Wallace Wade Stadium. Duke is coming off a 6-win season and its first bowl game appearance since 1995.

On Sept. 14, the Eagles travel to the Queen City to face the Charlotte 49ers as part of their first season of football. Charlotte will be competing as an NCAA Division I-FCS independent during the 2013 and 2014 seasons before joining Conference USA in the FBS ranks in 2015.

On Sept. 21, NCCU welcomes Towson to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium for the first of five home games, all starting at 2:00 p.m. The Tigers were co-champions of the highly-competitive Colonial Athletic Association a year ago with a 6-2 conference record and a 7-4 mark. In 2011, Towson won the CAA title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs, finishing with a 9-3 overall record. This will be the first gridiron meeting between the Eagles and the Tigers.

NCCU kicks off its stretch of eight consecutive MEAC contests on Oct. 5 at Howard in Washington, D.C. The last time these two teams played was on Sept. 16, 1995, when the Eagles beat the Bison 37-32 in the nation’s capital. NCCU leads the series with Howard, 10-6-1. Last season, the Bison finished with records of 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the league.

The Eagles return to their nest on Oct. 12 versus South Carolina State. NCCU beat the Bulldogs 40-10 in the 2012 “Circle City Classic” in Indianapolis to snap a seven-game losing skid against SCSU, which still holds a slim 11-9 edge in the series.

On Oct. 19, NCCU hosts Morgan State as part of the university’s homecoming festivities. The Eagles spoiled MSU’s homecoming last season with a game-winning, fourth-down touchdown in the closing seconds. The Bears lead the series 22-13-2.

NCCU’s longest journey of the season (714 miles round trip) is a return to Savannah, Ga., to face the Tigers of Savannah State on Oct. 26. The Eagles won last year’s contest in Savannah by a score of 45-33 to take a 5-2-1 series lead.

A highly-anticipated match-up between the Eagles and Bethune-Cookman, the reigning MEAC champions, will take place on Nov. 2 in Durham, N.C. The Wildcats were unbeaten in conference play in 2012, ending the season in the NCAA playoffs with a 9-3 overall record. B-CU’s 42-17 win over the Eagles last year in Daytona Beach gave the Wildcats a 3-1 advantage in the series.

The Eagles hit the road again to square off against the Hampton Pirates on Nov. 9. NCCU defeated Hampton 37-20 last season in front of a Thursday night ESPNU national television audience. Hampton leads the series 17-6.

NCCU’s final home game on the slate features Norfolk State on Nov. 16, as the Spartans make their first visit to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium since 1993. Norfolk State, the 2011 MEAC champions, won the last meeting with the Eagles 27-6 in 1995 to even the series at 5-5.

The Eagles close out the regular season on the road with the 85th meeting against rival North Carolina A&T on Nov. 23. Last year’s match-up in front of a sellout crowd at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium, ended in overtime for the fourth time in the past 16 contests between the in-state rivals, with the Aggies improving their series lead to 48-31-5.

NCCU will hold its spring football game on Friday, April 12 at 6 p.m. inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

Details about NCCU football season tickets will be announced next week.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UAPB Golden Lions honored at state Capitol

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS -PINE BLUFF FOOTBALL TEAM
(Courtesy UAPB Athletics)

 LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team and coaches were honored here at the State Capitol on Wednesday, January 30, by the Honorable Governor Mike Beebe, by the House of Representatives and by the Senate for capturing the 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

The Golden Lions captured their first outright football championship in school history last fall, going 10-2 on the season after defeating Jackson State University in the SWAC championship game in Birmingham, Ala.  It also marked the first time in school history that a football team at the school garnered 10 victories in one season.

“Today was a very monumental day for us, receiving citations from the Senate and the House of Representatives,” said UAPB head coach Monte Coleman.  “It was a great day for the coaching staff and players and a very marketable day for the university. This was very big day for us.”

During their visit to the State Capitol, the Golden Lions were first saluted by the House of Representatives when Henry “Hank” Wilkins IV and other representatives from Jefferson County paid homage to the team.  Then, after a standing ovation at the House, the football team was escorted to the front steps of the Capitol for a photo shoot with Governor Beebe, in front of the famed bronzed doors.

After the photo shoot with Governor Beebe, head coach Monte Coleman, Interim Chancellor Dr. Calvin Johnson and Director of Athletics Lonza Hardy Jr., along with team representatives, were escorted on the Senate floor to be recognized by Senator and Pine Bluff native Stephanie Flowers and other members of the Senate.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF MEDIA RELATIONS

Where are they now? Former Grambling and 49ers wide receiver Nate Singleton

LULING, Louisiana  --  The San Francisco 49ers are a perfect five-for-five playing for the Super Bowl title. A native New Orleanian, Nate Singleton, was a part of the last Super Bowl win by the Niners in Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami on January 29, 1995.

There was quite a bit of talent on the west bank of New Orleans in 1987. Quarterback Leonard Valentine as well as Mike Riley were at John Ehret. West Jeff was blessed with Glenn Montgomery, Simmie Carter and Elfred Payton.




But wide receiver Nate Singleton, quarterback Shawn Buras and cornerback Leo Addison more than held their own while plying their trade at L.W. Higgins. Nate was recognized for his abilities with the Hurricanes earning All-District, All-State, All-Metro and even prep All-American in some circles .

Singleton performed so expertly that his jersey number (#82) was retired by Higgins following his high school graduation. Offers rolled in from an assortment of colleges .

"LSU, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Illinois offered," Nate said. "At LSU, the timing was perfect. Wendell Davis was leaving and (freshmen) Todd Kinchen was arriving," Nate Singleton remembered, but his decision surprised some. "It was past signing day. I had an uncle that had gone to Grambling. I loved my experience at Grambling, but if I had to do it again, I would have gone to LSU."

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Hoke County (N.C.) will induct six into Hall of Fame during ceremony Friday

GEORGE SMALL
Assistant Head Football Coach
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
(Photo Courtesy: FAMU Athletics)
 

RAEFORD, North Carolina  -  Hoke County High School will induct six people into its athletic Hall of Fame for the class of 2013.

The ceremony will be held Friday at 5:30 p.m. in Gibson Cafeteria. Tickets are $25. For ticket information, call (910) 286-2346 or (910) 964-0990.

The inductees are:

George Small - Played football, wrestling, baseball and track. Earned football scholarship to N.C. A&T. Made All-MEAC. Played five years in the NFL. Coached at N.C. A&T and now serves as associate head coach at Florida A&M.

Micheaux Hollingsworth - All-State running back who rolled up 1,678 yards in a season. Named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Earned scholarship with N.C. A&T.

John Roper - Helped lead the Hoke baseball team to the 1990 state 4-A title. Played briefly in the majors with Cincinnati and San Francisco. Was 11-1 in 1993 with the Reds.

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Gold XU Rush preseason rank is 12th straight in NAIA top 10

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was in a familiar spot in the 2013 NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll announced Tuesday.
    
The Gold Rush, 18-8 this past season, are No. 8 in the first of nine team polls this year. It's the 12th consecutive top-10 appearance for the XU men dating to May 2011 and their 42nd consecutive top-25 ranking dating to April 2007.
    
It's also Xavier's highest preseason ranking in this sport. Xavier was ninth in the 2012 preseason and finished the year No. 7 after becoming the first from Xavier in any sport to reach the national quarterfinals since men's basketball in 1973.
    
Xavier opened its spring season this past weekend with a 6-1 loss to Tulane. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will travel to Houma, La., to play Nicholls State at 4 p.m. Saturday. The next Gold Rush home match will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8 against NAIA No. 6 William Carey at the new XU Tennis Center.
    
The next two top 25s will be announced Feb. 19 and March 5.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records are from 2012 season) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (8) 20-4 279 3 2 Auburn Montgomery (2) 17-8 271 5 3 Vanguard (1) 15-11 265 6 4 Lindsey Wilson 19-6 245 10 5 Concordia (Calif.) 9-13 243 12 6 William Carey 17-5 235 9 7 Westmont 12-10 230 8 8 Xavier 18-8 223 7 9 Aquinas 26-3 212 13 10 Bethany (Kan.) 22-4 205 14 11 Cumberland 18-3 179 16 12 Belhaven 16-4 174 15 13 Olivet Nazarene 15-5 168 20 14 Campbellsville 19-7 166 17 15 Warner 13-5 160 18 16 Graceland 9-7 143 RV 17 McPherson 15-4 137 RV 18 Pikeville 12-6 126 RV 19 Northwestern Ohio 18-7 119 21 20 Webber International 15-7 116 23 21 Spring Arbor 10-2 100 24 22 Georgetown (Ky.) 12-11 90 RV 23 Coastal Georgia 6-7 89 NR 24 Biola 5-14 73 RV 25 Lee (Tenn.) 9-8 67 RV Others receiving votes: Indiana Wesleyan 55; Davenport 49, Missouri Valley 41, SCAD Savannah 23, St. Francis (Ill.) 14, Martin Methodist 13, Tennessee Wesleyan 6, Asbury 4, Hastings 3.

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

WSSU looking for first win at J.C. Smith since 2006

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  Winston-Salem State has won in men’s basketball nearly everywhere it has played since rejoining the CIAA before the 2010-11 season.

Johnson C. Smith’s Brayboy Gym — one of the CIAA’s smallest (capacity about 2,500) and toughest places to play — has been the exception.

“We haven’t won there in my career,” said guard Marcus Wells, a senior who is 0-2 at Brayboy.

No. 16-ranked WSSU (15-3, 2-1 CIAA Southern Division) will try to reverse that tonight at Johnson C. Smith (13-6, 2-1) in a game between teams tied for second place in the division. Tipoff is set for 7:30.

A combination of things makes Brayboy a tough place to play, including how close the fans are to the court and Johnson C. Smith’s long tradition of success. For WSSU, which last won at Brayboy in 2006 but didn’t play there from 2007 to 2010, there’s also the rivalry.

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XU Nuggets are 13th, matching their best preseason ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 13th — matching the program's highest preseason ranking — in the 2013 NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll announced Tuesday.

The Gold Nuggets, 7-22 this past season but a qualifier for the NAIA National Championship by virtue of winning an unaffiliated group tournament, matched the preseason rank of Xavier's 2007 team. This is the Nuggets' highest ranking at any point in a season since they were 13th in the final poll of 2008. Only three times have the XU women ranked higher than 13th; all three occurred in 2007.
    
Xavier began its spring season Friday with a 9-0 victory against city rival Loyola in the first intercollegiate dual at the new XU Tennis Center, which opened in October. The Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush will travel to Houma, La., to play Nicholls State at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Gold Nuggets' next home match will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 against McNeese State at the XU Tennis Center.
    
The next two top 25s will be announced Feb. 19 and March 5.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records are from 2012 season) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Auburn Montgomery (12) 26-2 312 1 2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 23-4 302 2 3 Brenau 14-6 292 6 4 Lindsey Wilson 17-4 276 8 5 Concordia (Calif.) 15-8 275 7 6 William Carey 15-10 264 9 7 Lewis-Clark State 8-15 243 14 8 Westmont 7-11 239 18 9 SCAD Savannah 9-4 233 13 10 Vanguard 7-11 226 15 11 Indiana Wesleyan 25-5 213 16 12 Campbellsville 14-8 205 17 13 Xavier 7-22 196 19 14 Olivet Nazarene 12-8-1 179 RV 15 Lee (Tenn.) 9-7 170 20 16 Robert Morris (Chicago) 19-3 168 21 17 St. Thomas (Fla.) 5-4 151 23 18 Oklahoma Baptist 10-8 142 24 19 Marian (Ind.) 21-6 129 25 20 Bethel (Kan.) 15-6 115 RV 21 Martin Methodist 11-4 106 22 22 Cumberland 6-10 90 NR 23 Belhaven 14-7 78 RV 24 Nebraska Wesleyan 12-9 70 RV 25 Davenport 21-6 65 RV Others receiving votes: Webber International 61, Georgetown (Ky.) 59, Milligan 56, Northwestern Ohio 36, Graceland 30, SCAD Atlanta 17, Indiana Southeast 15, Hope International 11, Cumberlands 6, Missouri Valley 4.

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