FAMU's Joyner Jr. will coach WSSU women

Winston Salem State University Lady Rams head coach Steven Joyner, Jr.

Steven Joyner Jr., an assistant women's coach at Florida A&M, has been named the new women's coach at Winston-Salem State University. Joyner, 30, is a former point guard at Johnson C. Smith and a son of Steve Joyner Sr., a hall-of-fame coach at Johnson C. Smith. A search committee helped Bill Hayes, the athletics director at WSSU, through an extensive search to replace Dee Stokes. According to several sources, Joyner and Keith Bell, a Winston-Salem native and the director of basketball operations for the Elon women's team, were both interviewed last week. Joyner, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, has extensive ties to WSSU and Winston-Salem. Joyner's father is a Winston-Salem native and Joyner's mother, Narell, is a graduate of WSSU.

Joyner is a 2001 graduate of Johnson C. Smith and was a four-year point guard for his father. He wound up with a 399 career assists (4.5 a game) and during his senior season helped the Bulls win the CIAA Tournament title. For the last two seasons he has been an assistant for the Florida A&M women's team, where he worked for Hayes for one season. Hayes is a former athletics director at Florida A&M and came to WSSU in January. Before coming to Florida A&M, Joyner was an assistant at UNC Asheville for a brief time, and he spent four seasons as an assistant at N.C. Central.

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Florida A&M 61, Alabama 52

FAMU scores big comeback win, 61-52

Alabama was on a run that produced a five-point lead over FAMU with eight minutes left in the game, when Qiana Donald summoned the rest of the Rattlers into a huddle. "Once they started taking the lead, I had to call everybody together and let them know this is our game," Donald said. "We couldn't let them walk out with the win." The Crimson Tide didn't, as the Rattlers regained the lead with 6:01 left and completed a stunning comeback for a 61-52 victory Tuesday night at the Lawson Center. It was FAMU's second third victory over a major women's basketball program and its second over a SEC team. This one seemingly was headed the way of a blowout loss to Kentucky just four days ago as the Rattlers (6-3) spotted Alabama (6-5) a 13-point lead early in the first half. During the Alabama run, not even routine plays worked for the Rattlers.

Photo Gallery: FAMU vs Alabama Basketball

Women's Basketball Drops 61-52 Decision at Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The women's basketball team fell 61-52 to Florida A&M on Monday at the Al Lawson Center. With the loss, the Crimson Tide drops to 6-5 overall, while the Lady Rattlers up their season standing to 6-3. "You can't go on the road and shoot the way we did tonight," said head coach Wendell Hudson. "We have to step up and make those shots. We did all the things we were supposed to do from a defensive standpoint and all that added up, you would have thought we won the game. Like I've said before though it's hard to win basketball games on the road, and even harder if we can't make shots."

Final Stats

NEXT GAME: Dec. 30, FAMU at Alabama State, 8 p.m.

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Seminole Classic: Auburn 69, Florida A&M 45

AU Tigers own second half in win over FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Auburn outscored Florida A&M in the second half, extending a 4-point halftime lead to a 69-45 rout in the second game of the 2009 Seminole Classic, hosted by Florida State. Auburn senior KeKe Carrier tallied the team’s first double-double of the season, scoring 17 points while pulling down 12 rebounds, to lead the Tigers against the Rattlers. The game was Auburn’s second in as many days after its 82-67 loss to host Florida State on Friday. Auburn scored the first 10 points of the game and extended it to a 14-point lead at 22-8 with 10:53 left to play in the opening period.

Florida A&M rallied back to cut it to 2 in the final minute, but a Pascale West jumper with 25 seconds left game Auburn the 31-27 lead at halftime. Auburn shot just 36.1 percent from the field in the game. The Tigers also hit 54.3 percent of their free throws. Deidra Jones led Florida A&M with 16 points while Antonia Bennett and Christian Rateree added seven points each. Qiana Donald posted a team-high 12 rebounds. The Tigers held the Rattlers to 26.9 shooting in the game and only six field goals in the second half. Auburn also out-rebounded Florida A&M, 56-42.

Next Game: Tuesday - Auburn at North Carolina A&T, Corbett Sports Complex, 6 p.m., Greensboro, N.C.

Auburn takes care of FAMU women

If LeDawn Gibson needed an explanation for the offensive shortcomings of her FAMU women's basketball team, she had plenty after Saturday's 69-45 loss to Auburn. For one, she could have pointed to the Rattlers' tenacious effort in the Seminole Classic a day earlier against Missouri to explain why they were flat-footed all night at the Civic Center. Then, there was Auburn's 6-foot-7 senior Keke Carrier for FAMU to contend with in the post. Considering Carrier scored the Tigers' first double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds) of the season, it certainly wouldn't have been a reach to say she was too much for FAMU.

Instead, Gibson chose to look at the first-half comeback by FAMU (3-2) as a good sign. The second half? Well, that segment of the game film will be reviewed plenty of times. "We are not going to use being tired as an excuse," said Gibson, whose team's next assignment is against the Florida Gators on Tuesday. "We just have to dig deep within ourselves and figure out what it's going to take to push through."

Next Game: Tuesday - FAMU at Florida, 4:30 p.m., Gainesville, FL

Missouri women's basketball sneaks in a road win

The Thanksgiving dinner the Missouri women’s basketball team enjoyed Wednesday evening at coach Cindy Stein's house before traveling to to Tallahassee, Fla., to play in the Seminole Classic at Florida State might have slowed down the Tigers in their game Friday. Stein said her team looked sluggish against Florida A&M, but the Tigers still sneaked past the Rattlers 69-65 to improve to 3-1. “Not a very impressive victory,” Stein said on a radio broadcast after the game.

The Tigers committed 19 turnovers, while forcing 16. Stein pointed out that her team has been working rigorously on its defense and free-throw shooting, but that it didn’t show in the game. Missouri shot just 53.8 percent from the line. “We’ve got to get better in a lot of areas,” Stein said. Missouri led by as many as 11 in the first half, but the Rattlers were able to make a game of it, tying at 53 with just over 10 minutes left. The Rattlers never were able to take the lead.

The Rattlers' Deidra Jones frustrated the Tigers all game long, scoring a game-high 33 points, while shooting 15-for-17 from the line. The Tigers' Amanda Hanneman continued her three-point shooting prowess, connecting on four from behind the arc and finishing with 13 points. “We want her to have the green light. We don’t expect her to miss much,” Stein said of Hanneman.

FAMU turnovers give Missouri 69-65 win

Just before FAMU took the floor at the Civic Center, coach LeDawn Gibson reminded senior guard Deidra Jones of the kind of practice she had the day before. She was pounding the ball up the middle, hounding it whenever it wasn't in her hand and knocking down her shots from the free-throw line. Jones did all that and scored a career-high 33 points Friday night. In the end, though, four turnovers during the closing minutes and the Tigers' accuracy at the free-throw line were too much as the Rattlers fell 69-65.

They tried hard to avert their first loss of the season, hanging around all night with Missouri, which had its biggest lead of 11 points late in the first half. Jones scored 21 points in the second half, including a jumper with 9:24 left to force the last of five ties, 55-55. "She just put the team on her back," said Gibson. "I knew what she is capable of doing but I never saw her do it. She just stepped out."

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FAMU softball MEAC champs

ORMOND BEACH — FAMU shortstop Melissa Oliphant was still approaching the ground ball hit by Celsey Tafoya when the three Rattlers outfielders began racing in. The second the throw to first base was caught for the final out, every FAMU player was on the mound celebrating with pitcher Amanda Reyes. Bethune-Cookman's players headed to their dugout with drooped shoulders after falling 9-1 in five innings Saturday afternoon in the MEAC championship game.

FAMU senior softball players from left are Rhianna Green, Alesha Wells and Nicole Terryn--2009 MEAC Champions

A lot of tears were shed — by the Rattlers and the Wildcats. FAMU's players wept for joy. For the first time since the 2006 season, the Rattlers captured a MEAC championship. "The young ladies have been poised and under control," said FAMU coach Veronica Wiggins, fighting back her emotions after the Rattlers secured her fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in 18 seasons. "They did a good job and worked hard. They were prepared."

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No. 23 Georgia Tech Routs Florida A&M

ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia Tech coach MaChelle Joseph was a little concerned about how her team would respond after a 10-day holiday layoff. She shouldn't have been. Jacqua Williams led four double-figure scorers with 16 points as No. 23 Georgia Tech routed Florida A&M 77-42 for its seventh consecutive victory on Tuesday night. FAMU (4-6) missed 21 of its first 24 shots while falling behind 24-7 and trailed 40-17 at halftime. The Rattlers were down by as many as 42 points in the second half.

"I was pretty pleased defensively the way we came out," said Joseph, who said she "didn't expect the fast start against the Lady Rattlers." Instead the Yellow Jackets (11-2) dominated defensively and shot 51.7 percent from the field, going 30-for-58. Williams, a senior guard, led the way, making 7 of 9 shots, including two 3-pointers, to go with five assists and four steals.

"She filled up the stat sheet," Joseph said, "and she does so many intangible things out there as well. … I was impressed with her leadership." The Yellow Jackets also got 13 points from Brigitte Ardossi, 12 from Alex Montgomery and 10 from Deja Foster. Stephanie Foster scored 18 points for FAMU. The Rattlers shot just 20.6 percent from the floor (7 of 34) in the first half and 24.6 percent (16 of 65) for the game.

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Ashley Hampton completes stellar prep career with mom along for the ride

Florida A&M University's incoming recruit Ashley Hampton named Ocala Star-Banner 2008 Girls Basketball Player of the Year, same award her Mom won in 1987.

OCALA, FL — It was one of those seasons you dream about as a little kid. Leading your tiny school to the big time with your mother and coach along for the ride. St. John Lutheran forward Ashley Hampton made it all a reality in 2008, willing her Saints to the private school's first-ever final four and filling her scrapbook along the way.

She did it with sheer talent - Hampton's 25.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 steals and 3.7 assists per game compare favorably to any player in the state. She did it with leadership - setting a standard for her teammates while never developing the ego that can easily haunt a star.

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More importantly, Ashley carries a 4.4 grade point average and plans to major in Pharmacy at FAMU. She will soon join a family legacy that have had seven other family members attend and graduate from Florida A&M.

FAMU issues farewell to women's basketball coach Debra Clark and staff

Photo: Debra Clark ends her FAMU career with an overall career record of 211-194. She was 100-109 in leading the Lady Rattlers program for seven years.

Florida A&M University officials announced Tuesday that the contract of head women’s basketball coach Debra Clark would not be renewed, and that a committee would be appointed shortly to conduct a search for a successor.

“We truly wish to express our appreciation to Coach Debra Clark and her staff for their service to the university for the past seven seasons. However, after a thorough evaluation of the program, the decision was made to pursue a different course,” said FAMU Athletic Director Bill Hayes on Tuesday.

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The assistant coaches released with Coach Clark were: her husband, John Clark (Hampton University/native - Chesapeake, VA); Niki Washington (Southern Illinois University/native - Sanford, Florida); and Melaney Denson (S.C. State/native - Fort Pierce, FL). Coach Clark was in the final year of her contract which was not renewed.

-beepbeep

FAMU's Curry doubles up in finale with Bethune Cookman Lady Wildcats

Photo: Farewell to Coach Debra Clark; we love you too, but you can't coach the Lady Rattlers to championships.

Florida A&M women's basketball coach Debra Clark had a hard time leaving the Gaither Gymnasium court Thursday night without hugging one more player and posing for one more picture. The thrill of posting a much-needed 49-38 victory over rival Bethune-Cookman was special. But the chance to wipe off a few tears and say good-bye to four seniors in their final home game meant so much more.

"I did cry a little bit," Clark said. "They're like my little babies.

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Coach Debra Clark has reasons to cry--just look at her record after starting the season with a 9-1 streak. Would I feel better if she started with a 1-9 record?

Heck no!

This has been one under-achieving team on the basketball court it's entire career. Exceptional students and great people, but still under-achieving players that lacked consistency and weren't coached to get better. I don't hire or fire coaches, but I sure would be looking towards Texas or a place called A&T--in North Carolina for a championship driven coach that can recruit Division I talent and coach the players to their maximum potential and 20 win seasons.

Debra Clark has shown me nothing during her career but records like 13-16, 3-13 in the MEAC and a ton of excuses. Like Rubin Carter, her teams are giving me gas and it's not from a bowl of spicy chili gumbo. Eight game losing streaks and/or four game losing streaks will tear your insides up, if you care about Rattler basketball.

Give me a break--3-13 in the M-E-A-C! We're talking 'bout the ME-AC.

I'm crying worst than Clark and I for one, don't look forward to next year if it's going to be another repeat of the Clark and Clark horror show.

A seven year record of 100-106 (.485) at FAMU says it all. Time for a change in coaching staff.

WANTED! Proven Division I winning coach for the Lady Rattlers program. Able to WIN MEAC championship each year, make NCAA Tournament annually, and fill a brand new 9,000 seat on campus arena.

Let me end this on a positive note--Clark did beat those sorry BCU Wildcats for two of her three MEAC victories this season.

The Lady Rattlers are scheduled to play next the lowly Howard University Bison on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the MEAC Tournament at Raleigh, N.C. The Bison are favored to stampede the Rattlers with their 4-25, 3-13 MEAC record, as the Lady Rattlers have shown the inability to hold a lead in the second half.

2007-08 MEAC Standings

Team Conference Overall Record
North Carolina A&T 15-1, 23-6
Coppin State 13-3, 19-11
Delaware State 12-4, 17-13
Morgan State 10-6, 18-11
Hampton 10-6, 17-12
Maryland-Eastern Shore 10-6, 17-12
South Carolina State 9-7, 12-16
Florida A&M 3-13, 13-16
Howard 3-13, 4-25
Bethune-Cookman 2-14, 6-23
Norfolk State 1-15, 5-22

Congratulations to departing senior Lady Rattlers --Q'Vaunda Curry, Thyeis Halley, Joslyne Jackson and Evette Young. We are very happy you are Rattlers. Thanks a million for your contributions.

DSU Lady Hornets beat Florida A&M 55-41

DOVER , DE — With its No. 1 goal of winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season title out of reach, the Delaware State women’s basketball team set a new standard. The Hornets want to avoid becoming one of six play-in teams in the MEAC Tournament.

DSU got a step closer to reaching that goal with a 55-41 victory over Florida A&M tonight at Memorial Hall. North Carolina A&T has clinched the regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the tournament, March 11-15 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. The top five finishers avoid the play-in round.

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