APSU Lady Govs close non-conference play with loss to Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee -- Austin Peay State University women's basketball team had few answers for a hot-shooting Alabama A&M squad in an 80-68 non-conference loss, Wednesday night at the Dunn Center.

Austin Peay (3-10) got off to a hot start from the floor, making three three-pointers, and led 9-6 at the 16:51 mark. Senior Whitney Hanley had the first and last three pointers in the group.

Alabama A&M (5-4) called timeout after the third three-pointer and switched to a man-to-man defense. That change had the desired effect as the Lady Govs did not score for the next four minutes. The Bulldogs used that brief lapse to score seven straight points and lead 15-9 with 13:26 left.

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The Bulldogs further extended their lead as the Lady Govs went the final 5:38 without making a shot. Alabama A&M closed the period with an 11-6 run and led by eight points, 37-29, at the break.

Austin Peay attempted to charge back in the second half for the third consecutive game. But as was the case in Tuesday's loss to Florida A&M, the Lady Govs were unable to complete the comeback and could not maintain their intensity on the defensive end of the court.

The Lady Govs closed within two points after junior Kaitlyn Hill made a pair of free throws at the 10:56 mark. But Austin Peay would get no closer as a 10-4 Alabama A&M run later in the half pushed the lead to double digits, 69-59, for the first time with 5:52 remaining and the Lady Govs would not recover.

Senior Jasmine Rayner led the Lady Govs with 21 points, converting 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Hanley added 18 points and her 4-of-4 effort at the free-throw line extended her consecutive free throws made streak to a school-record 25.

Whiquitta Tobar led all scorers with 26 points, making 11-of-12 at the free-throw line. Jasmine Sanders added 19 and NaDra Robertson chipped in 18. Alabama A&M finished the game making 49.1 percent (27-of-55) of its field goals.

Austin Peay, which wrapped up its non-conference slate with Wednesday's loss, returns to action in eight days when it travels to Tennessee State for a 5:30 p.m., Dec. 29 Ohio Valley Conference-opening contest.

Courtesy: Cody Bush, APSU Sports Information

2011 SWAC Championship Battle of the Bands: Grambling State 'World Famed' Marching Band vs. Alabama A&M 'Maroon & White' Marching Band

Videographers: Video 1&2 - TheOProductions1907; Video 3-5 - JGASU08

Close loss tough to take for Alabama A&M in SWAC championship game

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Anthony Jones, a man who unfailingly speaks in measured tones, had a difficult time finding his voice this afternoon while standing near midfield in the fading light of Legion Field.

"Words can't describe," the Alabama A&M football coach, "how disappointing this one is."

All around him, Bulldogs were strewn about in various poses of despair. Some were squatting. Others lay flat on their backs. What seemed possible early and logical as the day went along had morphed into the improbable. And now, tears were falling faster than the setting sun.

Why?

Grambling 16, Alabama A&M 15.

In the SWAC championship game.

Again.

That's why.

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Videographer: AAMUATHLETICS

Alabama A&M going up against tradition in SWAC Championship Game

2011 SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

TEAMS: GRAMBLING STATE TIGERS (7-4) vs. ALABAMA A&M BULLDOGS (8-3)
DATE: SATURDAY, DEC. 10, 2011

TIME: 1:00 PM ET

WHERE: LEGION FIELD, BIRMINGHAM, AL
TV: ESPNU
INTERNET: ESPN3

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- What's in a name?

Forget that.

How about, what's in a letter?

If it's a 'G' and is on the side of a football helmet, there's an abundance of excellence and tradition involved, that's for sure. Not just in the NFL, where the Green Bay Packers are the latest threat to the '72 Dolphins' version of perfection, but in the college ranks as well.

Grambling, with a roll call of legends and Hall of Famers such as Eddie Robinson, Willie Brown, Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis and Charlie Joiner, is the Green Bay of the Southwest Athletic Conference. That's pretty much the way it's been in the past - with 17 league titles under Robinson back in the day - and in the present - with five more since the conference went to a championship game format in 1999.

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GSU, ’Dogs collide for title

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Figure on another close game between Grambling State University and Alabama A&M this weekend, only this time under much more important circumstances.

In a late September regular season duel at Robinson Stadium, the Bulldogs pulled out a 20-14 victory.

Now, the longtime rivals from the West (GSU) and East (A&M) divisions collide in a winner-takes-the-title setting on Saturday (1:00 p.m., ESPNU) at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

“It’s probably going to be close again, I would think,” said Grambling wide receiver Mario Louis. “I’ll kinda be surprised if it isn’t. We’re both pretty evenly matched and have similar records.”

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Prairie View's SWAC title hopes dashed by Alabama A&M

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M's path to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game was well in sight during the closing seconds against Alabama A&M. The Panthers had possession at their own 7-yard line and trailed by two with 1:23 remaining. A field goal would likely put them ahead for good and provide a dream ending.

But that dream died two plays later.

Freshman quarterback Jerry Lovelocke was sacked and had the ball stripped by Bulldogs defensive end Corey Hart, who recovered it at the Prairie View 7 to send the Panthers to a 17-15 season-ending loss before a homecoming crowd of 10,500 Saturday afternoon at Blackshear Stadium.

Prairie View (5-6, 5-4) fell one win short ...

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Alabama A&M defeats Prairie View to clinch SWAC East title

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - With its Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game hopes on the line, and with its starting quarterback on the bench with a sprained left knee, Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones turned to little-used David Isabelle on Saturday and asked him to lead the Bulldogs to Birmingham.

Isabelle, whose only appearance at quarterback this season was in a mop-up role against Mississippi Valley State on Oct. 8, delivered.

The former Johnson High School star threw two touchdown passes to G'Alonzo Milton, Kaderius Lacey rushed for 163 yards and the Bulldogs' defense forced a turnover with just more than a minute remaining as A&M turned back Prairie View 17-15 before an announced crowd of 10,500 at Blackshear Stadium.

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Alabama A&M's Moore wants to put poor season behind him

Cornerback who lost starting job is on the rebound

Frank Moore was one of the big surprises in the Southwestern Athletic Conference two years ago - a walk-on defensive back who finished with a league-high six interceptions as the Bulldogs captured their first SWAC championship. But in 2007, the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder couldn't duplicate his success. In fact, Moore played so poorly that he ended up losing his job to Maurice Thomas early in the season and finished the year with just 10 tackles. He had no interceptions.

"I got the big head," Moore said Tuesday after practice. "I feel like I could have still made some plays. I didn't have any problems on the field. My problems were off the field." Said Defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns: "I don't know what happened between his sophomore and junior year. Frank was terrific for us in 2006 when we won the championship. Last year, he wasn't the same kid. He didn't play well at all last year.

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Time Out: SWAC teams get most out of schedule

Once again, in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, seven means seven, for sure, but not necessarily just seven. The 10-team Southwestern Athletic Conference is returning to its seven-game format this season — going away from making teams play all nine conference teams.

Seven games — with four against teams in one’s own division and three against the five teams from the opposite division — will be used to determine a team’s run at the division title. However, teams are allowed to schedule conference opponents as non-conference games.

Grambling, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State will play a full nine games against SWAC opponents, with just seven of those counting toward conference standings. Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jackson State and Prairie View will play eight. Alabama A&M, Alabama State and Texas Southern play just the seven required.

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AAMU Jennings alternately praised, criticized during tenure

Change welcome in beginning, but soon led to friction.

Dr. Robert Jennings was never trustees' first pick to become the 10th permanent president of Alabama A&M University.

They voted 5-4 to offer him the job on Dec. 16, 2005, after their unanimous first choice, Dr. Julian Earls, then director of NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, had turned them down in October.

Jennings, now 57, was the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Future Focus 2020, an academic think tank and research training center in the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.

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AAMU Jennings fired for financial improperiety

The future of Alabama A&M University

Only a strong leader can save the university from itself

Whether you supported Dr. Robert Jennings in his almost two-year tenure at Alabama A&M University or whether you thought he had proved himself unequal to the task of leading the historically black school effectively, the decision by the board of trustees on Monday to fire Jennings must lead to this conclusion: This is a regrettable time for the university.

But we'll go further: A&M's leadership is, in fact, in chaos and there's little hope it can reach a state of equilibrium unless things change dramatically and soon.

Exactly why Jennings was fired remains unclear. Reports of Jennings' alleged questionable payments to staff members haven't been effectively addressed publicly.

The board has continued to meet behind closed doors to discuss his job performance, saying it was dealing with "good name and character" and getting legal advice.

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Jennings plans court action against firing by A&M

Photo: Fired Alabama A&M University president Dr. Robert R. Jennings.

Alabama A&M University President Dr. Robert Jennings was fired by the board of trustees in a 7-1 vote March 31, 2008, but will not leave without a fight.

"He feels like this was an absolute travesty of justice," said his attorney, John Saxon of Birmingham. "It was a kangaroo court. "I'm not even sure, first of all, that this was a lawful meeting."

Saxon said Jennings was not given a hearing or chance to respond publicly to the charges against him, and the termination was based on the report of an ad hoc committee never approved by the board.

"He has not been afforded due process, and we plan to fully challenge the decision and all of these points in Madison County Circuit Court," Saxon said. "I think he didn't play ball the way some people wanted him to play ball and to go along the way things had been in the past. And that bothered some people, some people in high places."

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Dr. Jennings is a Morehouse College grad earning a B.A. in sociology in 1972; earned a M.A. in educational psychology in 1974 and a Ed.S. degrees in interrelated learning, 1979 from Clark Atlanta University. He also earned a Doctor of Education degree in educational administration and policy studies from Clark Atlanta University in 1982.

A&M Gaines making a push for more playing time

Inside linebacker David Gaines has played primarily on special teams during his first two seasons at Alabama A&M.

He played in four games in 2006 and was credited with four tackles.

He played in all 11 games last season and was credited with 15 tackles. A rising junior, Gaines believes he's ready to be a contributor on defense, and if his play in Sunday's scrimmage is any indication, the 6-foot, 214-pounder could be right. Unofficially, Gaines was credited with six tackles, a sack and three pass breakups in the nearly 90-play scrimmage.

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