Coker is out as coach at Virginia Union University

Coach Willard Coker

Virginia Union will not renew the contract of men's basketball coach Willard Coker, who confirmed the decision Saturday. The administration notified him Thursday. Coker was hired in 2008 to replace legendary coach Dave Robbins, who won 713 games and three national championships with the Panthers.

Coker served as an assistant for 23 years under Robbins and was described as a perfect fit to take over the program. In three seasons, Coker had a record of 55-25.

In his first season, the Panthers advanced to the NCAA tournament. In the last two, they were eliminated in their first game of the CIAA tournament.

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WSSU wears down Virginia Union

RICHMOND, Va. -- As Andrew Jackson and the rest of the his Winston-Salem State teammates skipped into the locker room after dispatching Virginia Union 59-54 Saturday night, they couldn't help but brag.

"We are deep," Jackson said as he high-fived a bystander. And the rest of the Rams agreed as their solid 10-man rotation wore down the Panthers. The Rams got 17 points from Shelton Carter, who had one of his better games of the season, and 14 more from Jackson as they picked apart a zone defense that usually is one of the CIAA's best.

The Panthers (3-4, 1-1 CIAA) employ an extended 2-3 zone to make teams shoot over them, but the Rams penetrated it at key times and never were really threatened after building an 11-point lead at halftime.

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WSSU knows task at hand vs. Virginia Union

RICHMOND, Va. -- Two of the most storied men's basketball programs in the CIAA will meet tonight when Winston-Salem State takes on Virginia Union.

The Rams and Panthers have combined to win 28 CIAA titles, and both are expected to contend this season. Coach Bobby Collins of WSSU, whose team is coming off a 67-56 win over Virginia State, said he's looking forward to the game, which will be the Rams' third in five days. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

"We will be prepared, and we will know what they do and what they have," Collins said of the Panthers. "We just have to go out and play like we are capable. We can't let them go out and beat us on the boards. We have to take care of the basketball, and if we can do that, we can be in the game."

The Panthers (3-3) are 1-0 in the CIAA with...

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Medley nets 24 as Winston-Salem State topples Virginia State

ETTRICK, VA - The Virginia State women's basketball team was undone by a Medley of 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers and dribble drives against Winston-Salem State on Thursday. The likes of which cut the Trojans so deep, not even a Taylor could stitch things back together.

WSSU junior Courtney Medley and VSU senior Rhon'Neisha Taylor both racked up 24 points, but Medley erupted for 11 points down the stretch to spur the Lady Rams to a 63-53 road victory at Daniel Gymnasium. The matchup was the first CIAA game of the year for the Lady Trojans, who were picked to finish first in the conference in a preseason poll. VSU coach James Hill said the loss was the result of poor defensive rotation.

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Big Apple Classic: Brad Byerson's 26 points power VUU past VSU in New York City

NEW YORK -- Braxton Byerson swiveled toward the Spike Lee seats at Madison Square Garden and yapped with the fans at yesterday's Big Apple Classic. He had just hit an important 3-pointer at the end of the first half to solidify a lead Virginia Union (2-0) did not relinquish in a 66-46 win over rival Virginia State (1-4).

Byerson soaked in the moment. His screams stretched through the iconic arena. His post-shot swagger made him the game's most theatrical performer. But it was his scoring -- 26 points, trumping the 23 he scored on the same court last season -- that made the difference in the victory.

"Coach said when I first got here, 'You're a crowd pleaser,'" Byerson said. "It just always stuck with me. I just get in touch with the crowd when they start talking to me. It just gives me energy. I feed off it. I tend to play better when I feed off it."

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