Hampton Uses Defensive Formula to Shut Down Howard and Win Tourney Title

Winston-Salem, NC—(March 12, 2011)-- Hampton University employed the same formula that it has used throughout the tournament: Keeping the game close through the first half and then parlaying the scoring of its three veterans, Melanie Warner, Quanneisha Perry and Jericka Jenkins along with some stifling second half defense to pull away from its opponents.

The Lady Pirates continued that same formula to defeat Howard University, 61-42 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament championship at the Joel Coliseum.

"It is interesting that these two teams are 1-2 in the conference in scoring defense," said Hampton head Coach David Six, in his second year at the helm. "In the first half, we were feeling each other out. But in the second half, we got things going. We knew that if we did not turn the ball over and rebound well, we would win the game. We have been consistent in those areas all season."

Hampton (25-6) receives an automatic bid and will await the pairings that will be announced on Monday.

The first half was a grind it out affair with neither team being able to generate much offense. Both teams shot under 30 percent, but the seasoned Lady Pirates, who won their second straight tournament title, did just enough to maintain a 21-16 advantage at the half.

Perry, the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-MEAC selection, struggled early but came on down the stretch to give her team a push. She scored six points and grabbed six rebounds while Warner added four and reserve Keiara Avant tallied five.

Hampton came out and imposed its will on the young Howard team, which is dominated by sophomores and who were playing in their first tournament championship.

"I think Hampton's experience was definitely a factor, especially when you have players like Warner, Jenkins and Perry," said Howard Coach Niki Geckeler, in her first tournament championship as a head coach. "But that was not the overriding factor. We just lost our legs. We played four games to get here. We are very young and I am excited about the future."

The Lady Pirates forced the Lady Bison into bad shots and turnovers and made them pay at the other end with trips with timely baskets and trips to the foul line, where they converted on 16 of 20. Warner, Jenkins and Perry took turns as they finished with 13 each.

"We knew that we had to play defense in order to win the championship," said Perry, named the tournament MVP. "We knew that if we continued to play hard and play great defense we would be successful."

Howard (16-18) began to press on offense and in the process, missed a number of point blank shots. The team-leading scorer and MEAC Player of the Year, Saadia Doyle, had problems getting touches and it proved to be a problem for the Lady Bison. And their point guard, Cheyenne Curley Payne, who was had an outstanding tournament before this game, was held scoreless.

"Their defense was really sagging and helping out a lot," said Doyle, who finished with a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds. "It made it hard to penetrate and we did not knock down the shots that we hot earlier in the tournament."

Tamoria Holmes finished with 12 for Howard in a losing while Curley Payne pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds.

In addition to the contribution of the Big Three for Hampton, Avant aided the cause with 9 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

This is the second straight trip to the NCAAs for Coach Six and his Lady Pirates. He says that he is looking forward to the experience.

"Our performance in the NCAAs last year left a bad taste in our mouths," said Six. "We wanted an opportunity to get back there and atone ourselves. We do not just want to be there; we want to win. I think we are good enough to win."

Six was named the Tournament Outstanding Coach while Perry, Jenkins, Shawntae Payne (Coppin State), Doyle and Curley Payne were named to the all-tournament team. Perry was named tournament MVP.

Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
Howard University
Visit: howard-bison.com

NCCU Eagles Fall To Savannah State In MEAC Bonus Game

Savannah State University Head Coach Horace Broadnax

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.- (NCCUEaglePride.com) - The North Carolina Central University men’s basketball team committed 20 turnovers, shot just 3-for-12 from the three-point range, and played without its leading scorer, C.J. Wilkerson, who sat out Saturday’s MEAC Bonus Game at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum due to a fractured foot suffered two days ago as the Savannah State University Tigers outlasted the Eagles 64-50.

The resilient Eagles never once used Wilkerson’s injury as an excuse and in the first despite falling behind 15-7 with 14:57 to go, the resilient Eagles went on a 14-2 run to take a 21-17 lead forcing SSU head coach Horace Broadnax to call a timeout with 6:45 to go in the first frame.

During that span, five different Eagles scored baskets that began with freshman Jeremy Ingram’s layup. Following the timeout the Tigers quickly scored the next four points to tie it up and the game went back-and-forth the final five minutes until SSU’s Cedric Smith’s three-pointer with 31 seconds left gave the Tigers the 30-27 halftime lead.

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SSU to play season finale at MEAC tourney

The men’s basketball program at Savannah State gets a glimpse of the future today.

The Tigers will play North Carolina Central at 11 a.m. at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. Currently as an Independent, SSU (11-18) isn’t exactly part of March Madness’ conference tournament hoopla. The Tigers will begin play in the MEAC next season.

“The guys are getting the chance to see what we’ll be part of next season,” SSU coach Horace Broadnax said. “Obviously, we’re not advancing but I think the guys will have a chance to see how (tournament) games become more intense in a one-and-done setting.”

Broadnax and the Tigers left campus Thursday and viewed part of the tournament quarterfinals Thursday night and the semifinals Friday.

EAGLES, TIGERS TO MEET IN MEAC TOURNAMENT BONUS GAME

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

The NCCU Sports Network will broadcast the MEAC Tournament Bonus Game only on the internet on Saturday due to a scheduling conflict, but fans are encouraged to tune in beginning at a 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 12 for a special edition of Eagle Gameday presented by the Hilton RTP. Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks and color analyst Joe SImmons will bring all the live action from the Lawrence Joel Colisuem.

CLICK HERE FOR NCCU vs. SSU at Saturday, 10: 30 a.m.

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MEAC: Hampton proves too much for Norfolk State

Hampton Coach Edward Joyner Jr.
(Photo courtesy of HU Pirates Athletics)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Norfolk State's up-and-down season suffered its final downer Friday night as the Spartans fell 85-61 to a Hampton Pirates team that has looked like the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's premier team for much of the season.

The Pirates (23-8) can prove it once and for all today when they meet Morgan State (17-13) at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the MEAC's championship game (2 p.m., ESPN2 ). The winner earns the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

Hampton came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, victim of a three-game losing streak late in February that let Bethune-Cookman slip into the driver's seat in the regular-season race. But with Bethune-Cookman falling 61-48 earlier Friday to Morgan State, the Pirates became the highest remaining seed.

PIRATES RUN PAST SPARTANS INTO MEAC FINAL

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team advanced to the championship game of the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament on Friday with an 85-61 win over Norfolk State in the semifinals at the Joel Coliseum.

The No. 2 seeded Pirates (23-8) have won four in a row overall and four straight over the Spartans. It was Hampton’s largest win over Norfolk State since the Pirates beat the Spartans 85-57 on Dec. 8, 2001.

Hampton will take on No. 4 Morgan State, which defeated top seed Bethune-Cookman 61-48 on Friday, in the championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

The Pirates will be looking for their first MEAC Tournament title, and automatic NCAA Tournament berth, since 2006 – when Hampton defeated Delaware State 60-56.

Junior guard Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) led the Pirates with 30 points on 9-for-20 shooting, making four of his nine 3-pointers and all eight of his free throws. Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) added 15 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Junior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with nine points. Senior guard Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.), on top of his team-high five assists, scored eight points.

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VISIT: hamptonpirates.com

Howard Women's Basketball Advances to Title Game

Sophomore Guard Cheyenne Curley-Payne #5
(Photo courtesy of Howard Bison Athletics)

Winston-Salem, NC (March 11, 2011) - Cheyenne Curley Payne scored a game-high 18 points and Saadia Doyle and Tamoria Holmes added 11 and 10, respectively to help Howard University hold off Morgan State University in the semifinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament at the Joel Coliseum. The Lady Bison (16-17), the Number 6 seed, will take on Hampton University, the Number 1 seed and regular season champion, on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Howard took control early as Doyle, the MEAC Player of the Year, tallied 9 of her points en route to a 28-21 halftime advantage. Curley Payne chipped in with seven points while the Lady Bears (17-14), the Number 3 seed, got 8 points from Erin Hawkins.

Howard continued to control the game though most of the second half despite getting little production from Doyle, who came into the game averaging over 18 points per game.

"They were sending multiple people from all different kind of angles at me," said Doyle. "Before the ball went out, I was already being boxed out. I didn't handle it very well today. I got a bit panicky and it showed."

With the Lady Bears putting much of their emphasis on containing Doyle, Curley Payne was able to make them pay. The 5-2 sophomore guard from Chula Vista, CA, hit four five shots in the second stanza and grabbed seven rebounds in the final stanza.

"She's 5-2, but she is second on the team in rebounding behind Saadia," said Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler. "She may be small but her heart is huge. She leads us in that way as you saw tonight."

Curley Payne's two free throws at the 2:32 mark gave Howard its biggest lead of the game at 49-39. But the Lady Bears staged a furious rally with a 12-3 run over a 2:10 stretch that cut the deficit to 52-51 with 22 seconds left on the clock.

The young Lady Bison regrouped, hit some free throws and kept the Lady Bears scoreless the rest of the way, sending them into the championship game for the first since 2001.

"What a way to end a game" said Coach Geckeler. "To have so many sophomores and to get to this point is very gratifying."

In addition to her 18 points, Curley Payne added seven rebounds and four assists. Holmes, who also had some key plays in the second half, tallied seven of her 10 after intermission and Doyle finished with a double double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Morgan State was led by Erin Hawkins and Brittany Dodson, who each scored 14 and Monesha Davis, who contributed 10 in a losing cause.

"Howard has improved all year," said Morgan State Coach Donald Beasley. "They played well. They are a good team and they deserve the win.

Hampton swept Howard this season and has won three of the last four between the two rivals. The experienced Lady Pirates are the regular season and defending tournament champions.

"That's always a good game," said Coach Geckeler. "They're tough and they play well, but at this time of year, everyone is 0-0."

By Jamilah Corbitt
Assistant Director of Sports Information
Howard University
Visit: howard-bison.com

Doyle, Holmes Lead Howard University Lady Bison Comeback Win Over North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies

Winston-Salem, NC - Saadia Doyle scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the second half and Tamoria Holmes added 15 of her career-high 26 after intermission to help Howard come from a 22-point first half deficit and get by North Carolina A&T, 82-72 in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament at the Joel Coliseum.

The Lady Bison (15-17), the Number 6 seed, advance to the semifinal round where they will take on Morgan State, the Number 2 seed at 2:30 pm on Friday.

The Lady Aggies (15-14), the Number 3 seed, came out on fire, shooting a blistering 70 percent from the field overall, and 75 percent from three-point range (6 of 8). North Carolina A&T was in high gear, getting up and down the floor and seemingly hitting every shot that they threw up.

It resulted in what appeared to be an insurmountable 36-14 lead at the 5:49 mark. All the Lady Aggie players got into the scoring act, led by Jaquayla Berry (9 points), Mikala Scott (9 points), Tracy King (8) and Reisha Bullock (7 ).



But the young Bison, which start four sophomores settled down and began to mount their comeback. Led by Doyle and Holmes, who combined for 22 first half points, Howard reeled off a 19-7 run over the last five minutes of the first half to reduce the deficit to 43-33 at the break.

"I told the team not to quit," said a composed Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler. "To keep fighting. And I think that is what they did, just believing that they could still win."

The Lady Bison continued their comeback at the start of the second half on the scoring of Doyle, who singlehandedly got her team back into the game, at one point scoring 9 straight points. The comeback became complete when a 16-6 run knotted the game at 49-all at the 14:13 mark.

"They did a good job driving to the basket and getting to the line,' said NC A&T Coach Patricia Cage Bibbs. "They went man to man and you have to be able to execute. They did a great job."

Added NC A&T' s Berry, a first team All-MEAC selection, "They were all in our face in the man to man and the adjustments they made seemed to work."

From there, it became a seesaw battle that featured several ties and lead changes. The Lady Aggies relied on the scoring of Mikala Scott, Reisha Bullock and Nikia Gorham to keep it close.

Howard countered on the play of Holmes, who took over where Doyle left off, once scoring 13 of her team's 16 points during a key stretch. The Lady Bison were also able to get key contributions from sophomore point guard Cheyenne Curley Payne, who scored 10 of her 16 in the second half, including a big three pointer and some clutch free throws.

"Of course, the performance of Saadia Doyle and Tamoria Holmes was huge for the day," said Geckeler. "The run by Tamoria was huge. It gave us a lot of energy and confidence."

Other significant contributions came from reserves Jerelle Gorham (5 points) and Portia Deterville ( 7 points).

After Bullock knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to 76-72 with 1:26 remaining, the Lady Bison held the Lady Aggies scoreless as Curley Payne converted free throws to seal the victory and send Howard to the semifinals for the second straight year.

Doyle, the MEAC Player of the Year and a first team All-conference selection, just missed a double double with 28 points and 9 rebounds while playing the entire 40 minutes. Holmes shot 10 of 14 from the field and added three assists and three steals to her stats.

"Adrenalin and staying calm was a key," said Doyle. "We did not want to get overzealous. We just kept fighting and never gave up."

Scott led North Carolina A&T with 17 while Bullock and Berry each tallied 13 in a losing effort.

By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
Howard University
Visit: howard-bison.com



Videographer: billy7163; (#1)Pharoah Sanders "Naima" with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble. (#2)"The Creator Has a Master Plan" - Pharoah Sanders and Howard University Jazz Ensemble

NSU tops Coppin State to face Hampton in MEAC semis

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Norfolk State coach Anthony Evans admitted drawing up a play for a game-winning shot "hardly ever works."

"It didn't work this time either," Evans said. The plan was for freshman sharpshooter Pendarvis Williams to inbound the ball from the baseline, then race to the corner, where he would launch a 3-pointer. If it missed, Plan B was that the league's leading rebounder, Kyle O'Quinn, would have a chance at scoring off an offensive rebound.

But Coppin State overplayed Williams, denying him the ball, and it was up to senior guard Rob Hampton to make something happen. That was Plan C. And it worked.



Seeing a flash of daylight in the lane from just beyond the top of the key, the 6-foot-4 Hampton sliced his body through three defenders and banked home a layup with two seconds remaining as sixth-seeded Norfolk State upset third-seeded Coppin State 55-53 in a Thursday night quarterfinal game in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.

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Morgan State tops N.C. A&T

Two-time defending champion Morgan State isn't ready to give up its title just yet.

The Bears, behind junior center Kevin Thompson, were never threatened by cold-shooting N.C. A&T as they rolled 77-59 in a quarterfinal game of the MEAC tournament Thursday night at Joel Coliseum.
Thompson, a big part of the Bears' first two tournament titles in Winston-Salem, scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots in 26 minutes.

Not that they needed more motivation, but the Bears, the fourth seed, have been under the radar after losing their final three regular-season games, including one to the Aggies (15-17) in Greensboro. Thompson, the projected player of the year in the conference, was selected to the all-conference second team.

Thompson Dominant In Win Over North Carolina A&T, 77-59

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Kevin Thompson put in a dominating performance, coming off the bench to pour in a gamer-high 24 points, grab 12 rebounds and block three shots to help Morgan State defeat North Carolina A&T, 77-59 in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament at the Joel Coliseum.

The Bears (16-13), the Number 4 seed, advance to the semifinal round where they will play Bethune Cookman, the Number 1 seed at 6 pm.

Thompson set the tone early in the first half when he entered the game and proceeded to score 18 points, connecting on all six of his shots from the floor. Morgan State led, 43-33 at intermission.

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McMillian shoots Hampton women into MEAC semifinals

Choicetta McMillian had a game-high 24 points, including a tournament-record seven 3-pointers, and Jericka Jenkins had a double-double with 10 points and a tournament-record 13 assists as top-seeded Hampton beat South Carolina State 78-55 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's quarterfinal on Wednesday at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.


The Lady Pirates (23-6), the defending tournament champions and the 2010-11 regular-season champs, also got 15 points from Melanie Warner, 12 from sophomore Keira Avant and 11 points and nine rebounds from senior forward Quanneisha Perry, the two-time MEAC defensive player of the year.

Hampton shot 49 percent for the game and was 12-of-21 from 3-point range while holding S.C. State to 39 percent shooting and converting 20 turnovers into 27 points. The Lady Pirates opened the game with a 16-4 run, keyed by three 3-pointers from McMillian, who had six 3's in the first half.

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SC State Downs Delaware State 64-59 in MEAC Tourney Action

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – South Carolina State senior Darnell Porter scored 15 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down with 3:10 remaining to lead the ninth-seeded Bulldogs to a 64-59 win over eighth-seeded Delaware State in opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum Tuesday.

Porter's basket put Coach Tim Carter's team ahead 56-51 and the Bulldogs held on to advance to Wednesday's quarterfinals against top-seeded Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m.

Junior Joe Ikhinmwin came off the bench for 10 points and seniors Rio Pitt and Wesley Telfare added nine each in the win. Pitt also had a game-high nine rebounds, including a pivotal one off a Tyvon Williams miss of a one-and-one opportunity with 39.6 seconds remaining and SC State ahead 58-53.

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Morgan State Women Outlast UMES in MEAC Quarters

Brittany Dodson and Theresa Davis the last 11 points for Morgan State to help the Lady Bears outlast Maryland-Eastern Shore, 43-39, in the quarterfinals of the MEAC tournament at Joel Coliseum Wednesday. The Lady Bears (17-13) will face either Howard or North Carolina A&T in Friday's semifinals at 2:30 p.m. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

With MSU trailing 33-32 after blowing a 12-point lead, Dodson scored seven of her team-high 10 points and Davis made four consecutive free throws to get their team back in front over the last 6:42 of the game. Davis' free throws with 1:32 left put the Lady Bears up for good.

UMES Falls to Morgan State

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Morgan State's Brittany Dodson sank a pair of free throws for the lead with 1:32 to play as the second-seeded Lady Bears held off a hard-charging No. 7 University of Maryland Eastern Shore women's basketball team, 43-39, in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament at Joel Coliseum Wednesday.

UMES, which battled back from a 12-point halftime deficit to take a 37-34 edge with 5:01 left, saw its season come to a close at 12-19. With the win, MSU (17-13) advances to the semifinals to play the winner of North Carolina A&T and Howard.

"We played well enough to win," said UMES head coach Fred Batchelor. "We came out flat but playing our second game in 24 hours is no excuse. I'm proud of the way we fought back.

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O'Quinn Sparks NSU into MEAC Quarterfinals

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Kyle O’Quinn tallied 25 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead No. 6 Norfolk State to a 68-53 win over No. 11 Howard in a MEAC Tournament first round game on Wednesday afternoon at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

With the win, the Spartans (11-19) advance to a 6 p.m. quarterfinal game Thursday night against No. 3 Coppin State. Howard ends its season with a 6-24 record.

Both teams struggled on offense in the first half, which ended in a 25-all tie. But Howard would come out hot in the second half, hitting four 3-pointers in the first 3:09 of play. Dadrian Collins hit three of those, the last of which gave the Bison a 37-32 edge. Mike Phillips then scored on a layup to give Howard a 39-32 lead with 16:17 left.

Photo Gallery

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Doyle Leads Howard To Win Over Norfolk State

Winston-Salem, NC -- Saadia Doyle scored a game-high 23 points to lead four players in double figures and help Howard University defeat Norfolk State, 68-56 in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament at the Lawrence V. Joel Coliseum.

The 2011 MEAC Player of the Year, Doyle got the Lady Bison (14-17) off to a fast start, scoring 13 of her points in the first half as Howard jumped out to an early lead and hold a 40-24 advantage at the half. A 5-11 sophomore forward from Atlanta, GA, Doyle connected on 5 of 7 from the field.

"When you have the MEAC Player of the Year, a lot of teams gear their defense towards her her," said Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler. "She's had to come out and play against double and triple teams all season. So her fast start was huge. It set the tone for us and opened up things for the other players."

The Lady Bison, the Number 6 seed, got a nice boost from sophomore guard Adele Walton, who provided some perimeter shooting with 10 points on 3 of 4 shooting from the field and sophomore forward Kara Smith.

"Adele is a shooter and in the first half, she loosened up things for us offensively with her outside shooting," said Coach Geckeler. "Kara gave us something also with her scoring and her rebounding. We are hopeful that they can continue to play like this the rest of the tournament."

The Lady Spartans (9-19), the Number 11 seed, were not able to stay with Howard, mostly due to their mistakes which the Lady Bison converted into scored 16 points.

Riding the scoring of sophomore guard Tamoria Holmes, the Lady Bison increased their lead to 20 in the first minute of the second half and appeared to have the game in hand.

But the Lady Spartans rallied on the scoring freshman of Rachel Gordon, junior Whitney Long and freshman Rae Corbo to reduce the lead to eight at the four-minute mark. Norfolk State's comeback attempt was fueled by the absence of Lady Bison sophomore point guard Cheyenne Curley Payne, who was forced to the bench when she picked up her fourth foul.

"We had to go man-to-man because we got a little too deep," explained Norfolk State Coach Debra Clark. "When we started making the run, we picked them up fullcourt and that generated offense for us."

But Doyle converted four free throws, Curley Payne got inside the lane for a tough basket and Holmes made an acrobatic shot with the shot clock winding down to help Howard advance to Thursday's quarterfinal round against North Carolina A&T on Thursday at 12 noon.

Doyle just missed a double double with 23 points and nine rebounds while Holmes and Curley Payne each tallied 13 and Walton contributed 10, all coming in the first half. Curley Payne also tied her career-high of eight assists.

Norfolk State was led by Corbo, who finished with a team-high 14, Gordon with 12 and Whitney Long with 10 off the bench, all coming in the second half.

Howard and North Carolina A&T split during the regular season, each winning at home.

"I think that any game this time of the season is competitive," said Geckeler. "We talk about March and it's one and done. We are coming into this game to play Howard basketball and see what happens."

By Howard University Media Relations

Visit: howard-bison.com

FAMU knocked out of tourney with 2OT defeat

The Florida A&M men's basketball team came up short in double-overtime, losing 87-85 to Maryland-Eastern Shore in the first round of the MEAC Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Tuesday.

Eugene Harris' ballclub finishes the season 12-20. UMES (9-21) will play Hampton in the MEAC quarterfinals tonight at 9:30 p.m.

The Rattlers trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, but closed the gap and went into halftime down by just three points at 30-27.

Maryland-Eastern wins in double overtime

Maryland-Eastern Shore worked through a little fatigue and found the energy to outlast Florida A&M 87-85 in double overtime Tuesday night in a first-round game of the MEAC men's tournament. Playing in front of about 800 at Joel Coliseum, the 10th-seeded Hawks made the right plays and made more free throws when they mattered most.

Point guard Kevin White finished with 22 points and seven assists, and UMES (9-21) advanced to play second-seeded Hampton in a quarterfinal scheduled for 9:30 tonight. White also made three key free throws in the second overtime, and Hillary Haley added 17 points and 10 rebounds. At the end of the game, with most of his post players fouled out, coach Frankie Allen of the Hawks had to improvise.

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Videographer: Mysterious910; FAMU's Cheerleaders --First Place MEAC Co-Ed Division Champions

What to watch: Conference top seeds headed to NIT

USA TODAY takes a look at what to watch for during a pivotal week in college basketball as March Madness looms:

Three to watch

Bethune-Cookman and C.J. Reed: The team won its first Mid-Eastern Athletic regular-season title since joining Division I in 1980. Reed, a junior guard playing for his father, Clifford, is averaging 19.5 points and 4.6 assists overall and 40.2 minutes a game in MEAC play. Four of the Wildcats' MEAC games have gone to overtime; nine others have been decided by seven points or fewer.

So Reed has played 643 of 665 MEAC minutes - a big reason the team is 12-1 in those 13 close games.

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2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament

Perfect at Burr, HU Defeats B-CU Wildcats 54-39

Howard University Lady Bison Coach Niki Reid Geckeler

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Howard Bison women’s basketball team successfully took down the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 54-39, leaving the Bison at running on a perfect eight-game MEAC winning streak at Burr Gymnasium, and on a three-game winning streak overall.

“We play well at home,” sophomore Tamoria Holmes said. “We are all just comfortable and we want to play good for our friends and family.”

Howard (13-15, 9-5 MEAC) dominated the game’s momentum during the opening half and went on to lead 27-20. Keeping the Bison at the forefront were sophomores Saadia Doyle, Cheyenne Curley-Payne and Holmes.

“Saadia is a premiere player in this conference,” head coach Niki Geckeler said. “Anytime Saadia is in the game it opens it up for our other players such as Tamoria, Cheyenne and Adele. We are able to get confidence from our guards.”

Doyle, who was recognized by the MEAC as one of the conference’s top performers this week and for the third time of the season, finished the game with a double-double after leading the Bison in points (22) and rebounds (10). Doyle was also perfect behind the free throw line (6-6).

Doyle is now seven points away from reaching the landmark 1,000-points milestone, leaving her on pace to become one of Howard’s all-time leading scorers.

Alongside Doyle was Holmes, who went 2-for-4 behind the arc en-route to 12 points on the night. Curley-Payne went 3-of-9 from the field and chimed in with two three-pointers while also leading the team in assists (7) and steals (3). Curley-Payne tied for second on the team alongside Portia Deterville with rebounds (5).

Turnovers would cost the Wildcats (12-13, 5-8 MEAC) the game as they surrendered 21 compared to Howard’s 13. The Bison would take advantage of Bethune-Cookman’s turnovers, converting them into 24 points over the course of the game.

“We focused on taking away the high posts and guard penetrations,” Geckeler said. “We wanted to box out more and not let BCU have any offensive rebounds.”

Both Howard and Bethune-Cookman were nearly even in rebounding, (HU-33, BC-32), however the Bison were fought harder near the rim to produce 16 points on second chances. Compared to Howard, the Wildcats only notched eight points on second chances.

Overall Howard shot 41.2 percent from the field (21-of-51) while BC was held to 31.1 percent (14-of-45).

“Right now is crunch time,” Geckeler said. “FAMU and BCU were both big for us Now, we are calling our games coming up ‘championship week’.”

The Bison will look to maintain perfection at home as they host Hampton on Thursday, Mar. 3 for their final game of the regular season. Before meeting their MEAC rival, Howard will travel to take on Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. where Doyle is expected to burst through the 1,000 point mark.

By Tiffany White
Sports Information Assistant
Howard University

MEAC Tourney To Stay in Winston-Salem Through 2012

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced a one-year extension for the City of Winston-Salem (NC) to host the annual men's and women's basketball tournament through 2012.

Mayor Allen Joines of the City of Winston-Salem and MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas made the official announcement during a press conference held in the main lobby of the Coliseum.

"The MEAC is extremely elated to extend our partnership with the City of Winston-Salem," said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "Special thanks to Mayor Joines and the City Council, Bucky Dames, Jocelyn Johnson, the Steering Committee and others for their efforts in extending this great partnership and providing the support needed to make the MEAC Basketball Tournament a tremendous success."


The City of Winston-Salem has hosted the men's and women's Division I basketball tournament in 2009 and 2010. The 2011 Tournament is scheduled for March 7-12 and will be played at the Joel Coliseum.

Ticket books for the 2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament can be purchased at all 13 MEAC university ticket offices, Joel Coliseum Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, the MEAC Office and online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available by calling the MEAC at (757) 951-2055 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

For more information about the 2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament including brackets, ancillary events, tickets and travel information, log on to www.MEAChoops.com.

About the MEAC Basketball Tournament

The MEAC Basketball Tournament is a single elimination championship playoff that involves Division I historically black colleges and universities located across the Atlantic coastline: Bethune-Cookman, Coppin State, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central, Savannah State, and South Carolina State. A bonus game featuring the men's teams from North Carolina Central and Savannah State will also highlight championship day.

The tournament is played at the Joel Coliseum. Both the men's and women's champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Written By: MEAC Media Relations Release: 02/09/2011