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Washington, D.C. -- The Howard Women's basketball team defeated Bethune Cookman 58-50 on Feb. 13, in Burr Gymnasium. With a record of 19-7 overall and 11-2 in MEAC play, HU advances its streak to six and improves home record to 9-1.
Tamoria Holmes and Saadia Doyle each tallied a game-high 18 points. Doyle added 13 rebounds to her stat line, achieving her 12th double-double of the season. Cheyenne Curley-Payne finished the contest with a solid performance of six points, four rebounds, and a game-best eight assists.
Before regulation began, Howard was called for an administrative technical foul. BCU converted on 1-of-2 free throw attempts.
With the one point advantage, HU opened regulation with a jumper from inside the paint by Holmes at 18:19. BCU's Jalisa Isaac answered with a three-ball from downtown, 4-2.
From there, both teams struggled to score over a three-minute span. Demetria Frank ended the drout with a basket, spreading the Wildcats lead to 6-2.
By the second media timeout, the score was knotted 9-9 from a shot behind the arc by HU's Zykia Brown. Doyle's bucket halfway through the period gave the Bison an 11-9 lead.
With 8:06 left in the first 20, the score was tied 13-13. BCU found some energy and proceeded to go on a 9-0 run for a 21-13 spread. Howard ended the run with a trey by Holmes at 3:55.
BCU scored the next two baskets which pushed the margin to 26-16.
Howard decreased the lead to 27-21 before breaking into halftime.
To jump into a more competitive second half, Kara Smith scored the first basket at 19:46 for a 27-23 score.
Both teams went back and forth until the 8:32 mark, which initiated an 8-0 run for HU. Howard achieved its largest lead of the game, 50-39 with just over five minutes left in regulation.
The Bison held on as they defeated the Wildcats 54-46 for their sixth straight victory.
Frank led BCU with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Cleniece Roberts chipped in with eight points and six rebounds.
HU will look to extend its streak to seven as it faces Coppin State on the road Sat Feb. 18 in Baltimore, Md. The match is set for 2 pm.
Follow Coach G's fan page on facebook to get a behind the scenes look at the team as they make their push toward the Big Dance: www.facebook.com/NikiGeckeler.
Written byJulee O'Neal, W. Basketball, Broadcast Journalism '13
The pairings for the 2011 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament were announced today, and Howard women's basketball is set to face Baylor in the opening round.
Top 10 teams Baylor, Notre Dame, and UCLA headline the field that features nine teams that played in the postseason last year. The Preseason WNIT field includes Akron, Chattanooga,Detroit, Drexel, ETSU, Hartford, Howard, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, and UAB. Here is the first-round schedule. Please see below for team notes.
First-round Preseason WNIT games
All 2010-2011 team records in parentheses
Friday, Nov. 11, 2011
McNeese State (26-7) at UCLA (28-5), 5 p.m. ET
UAB (20-15) at Chattanooga (17-14), 7 p.m. ET
Tennessee Tech (23-8) at ETSU (19-12), 7 p.m. ET
Akron (14-16) at Notre Dame (31-8), 7 p.m. ET
Long Island (19-11) at Drexel (19-13), 7 p.m. ET
Howard (16-18) at Baylor (34-3), 7:30 p.m. ET
Detroit (13-18) at Indiana State (16-16), 8 p.m. ET
Manhattan (24-10) at Hartford (17-16), 8 p.m. ET
The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Nov. 11 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 13-14 and sites will be announced following the first round results; semifinals will be Nov. 16-17; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 20. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 18-19. All games are hosted by participating schools.
In last year's Preseason WNIT, Purdue defeated DePaul 67-58.
- Akron loses just one senior from its 14-16 team, and with the return of four starters, the Zips expect to get back to their form of 09-10 when they posted their best season in school history at 18-14.
- Baylor is a favorite to win next season's national title after advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Bears have U.S. Basketball Writers Association coach of the year Kim Mulkey to lead freshman of the year Odyssey Sims, All-American Brittney Griner, and the vast majority of the Bears that went 34-3 last season and captured the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
- Chattanooga won 11 straight Southern Conference titles until last season's youth-laden team lost in overtime in the semifinals of the tournament. This year's team is a year older and will build on a 17-14 mark with everyone on the roster back for another season under coach Wes Moore.
- Detroit is a program on the rise, as the Titans return all five starters from their 13-18 team that defeated Michigan on the road for the first time since 1983.
- Drexel earned its third straight trip to the postseason and finished 19-13 despite suffering some key injuries. The Dragons welcome all but one player back for next fall.
- ETSU has won three of the past four Atlantic Sun Tournament titles. The Lady Buccaneers return three starters from their 19-12 team, including Destiny Mitchell, who earned all-conference freshman team honors after suffering a season-ending knee injury in February.
- Hartford finished last season on a high note by winning the America East tournament and earning its sixth trip to the NCAAs after a slow start with an inexperienced team. The Hawks, who were 27-5 a year ago, will again be a favorite this fall in the America East.
- Howard finished runner-up at the MEAC championships and returns conference Player of the Year Saadia Doyle for her junior season. The 16-18 Bison return all five of their starters for their first appearance in the Preseason WNIT.
- IndianaState head coach Teri Moren set a school record for most wins in a rookie season as the Sycamores were 16-16. They get all but one player back from a team that advanced to the Missouri Valley tournament's semifinal round.
- Long Island returns its top players from a 19-11 team in the Northeast Conference, including senior Ashley Palmer, a two-time NEC first-team all-conference honoree.
- Manhattan is coming off its winningest season in school history, as it finished 24-10 and played in the postseason. The Jaspers welcome back four starters.
- McNeeseState posted a record-setting season and tied the best turnaround in NCAA history with a 26-7 record after winning seven games the year before. The Cowgirls captured both the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament in school history. Their top players return to the team this fall.
- Notre Dame made it all the way to the NCAA championship game before falling to TexasA&M, and the Fighting Irish (31-8) will be back in force this fall for another strong run. They are led by point guard Skylar Diggins, who is among a record three Irish players who recently made the 14-player cut for the U.S. World University Games.
- TennesseeTech won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and played in the Postseason WNIT. The Golden Eagles posted a nine-game turnaround from the season before, finishing with a 23-8 overall record. They get all five starters back this fall.
- UAB rolled to its first 20-win season in a decade, going 20-15 and winning the WBI postseason event. The Blazers return four of their five starters and all but one player on their roster.
- UCLA earned more regular-season wins (26) than ever before, and matched its highest seed in history in the NCAA Tournament at No. 3. The Bruins (28-5) will have a new coaching staff led by Cori Close after Nikki Caldwell took the LSU job, but should again be picked to finish around the No. 2 spot in the Pac-12 Conference this fall.
For more information about the WNIT visit the website at www.womensnit.com.
Provided by Howard University Sports Information Jamilah Corbett, Assistant Director of Sports Information VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY VISIT: HOWARDBISON
Washington, D.C.(May 26,2011) – The 16-team field for the 2011 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament was announced today.
Top 10 teams Baylor, Notre Dame, and UCLA headline the field that also includes Akron, Chattanooga, Detroit, Drexel, ETSU, Hartford, Howard, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, and UAB.
The Preseason WNIT bracket will be announced in June. Here’s a quick snapshot of the field:
- Akron loses just one senior from its 14-16 team, and with the return of four starters, the Zips expect to get back to their form of 09-10 when they posted their best season in school history at 18-14.
- Baylor is a favorite to win next season’s national title after advancing to the Final Four in Indianapolis. The Lady Bears have U.S. Basketball Writers Association coach of the year Kim Mulkey to lead freshman of the year Odyssey Sims, All-American Brittney Griner, and the vast majority of the Bears that went 34-3 last season and captured the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
- Chattanooga won 11 straight Southern Conference titles until last season’s youth-laden team lost in overtime in the semifinals of the tournament. This year’s team is a year older and will build on a 17-14 mark with everyone on the roster back for another season under coach Wes Moore.
- Detroit is a program on the rise, as the Titans return all five starters from their 13-18 team that defeated Michigan on the road for the first time since 1983.
- Drexel earned its third straight trip to the postseason and finished 19-12 despite suffering some key injuries. The Dragons welcome all but one player back for next fall.
- ETSU has won three of the past four Atlantic Sun Tournament titles. The Lady Buccaneers return three starters from their 19-12 team, including Destiny Mitchell, who earned all-conference freshman team honors after suffering a season-ending knee injury in February.
- Hartford finished last season on a high note by winning the America East tournament and earning its sixth trip to the NCAAs despite a slow start with an inexperienced team. The Hawks, who were 27-5 a year ago, will again be a favorite this fall in the America East.
- Howard finished runner-up at the MEAC championships and returns conference Player of the Year Saadia Doyle for her junior season. The 16-18 Bison return all five of their starters for their first appearance in the Preseason WNIT.
- Indiana State head coach Teri Moren set a school record for most wins in a rookie season as the Sycamores were 16-16. They get all but one player back from a team that advanced to the Missouri Valley tournament’s semifinal round.
- Long Island returns its top players from a 19-11 team in the Northeast Conference, including senior Ashley Palmer, a two-time NEC first-team all-conference honoree.
- Manhattan is coming off its winningest season in school history, as it finished 24-10 and played in the postseason. The Jaspers welcome back four starters.
- McNeese State posted a record-setting season and tied the best turnaround in NCAA history with a 26-7 record after winning seven games the year before. The Cowgirls captured both the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament in school history. Their top players return to the team this fall.
- Notre Dame made it all the way to the NCAA championship game before falling to Texas A&M, and the Fighting Irish (31-8) will be back in force this fall for another strong run. They are led by point guard Skylar Diggins, who is among a record three Irish players who recently made the 14-player cut for the U.S. World University Games.
- Tennessee Tech won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and played in the Postseason WNIT. The Golden Eagles posted a nine-game turnaround from the season before, finishing with a 23-8 overall record. They get all five starters back this fall.
- UAB rolled to its first 20-win season in a decade, going 20-15 and winning the WBI postseason event. The Blazers return four of their five starters and all but one player on their roster.
- UCLA earned more regular-season wins (26) than ever before, and matched its highest seed in history in the NCAA Tournament at No. 3. The Bruins (28-5) will have a new coaching staff led by Cori Close after Nikki Caldwell took the LSU job, but should again be picked to finish around the No. 2 spot in the Pac-12 Conference this fall.
Videographer: howarduniversity;Performer Frenchy Davis tells how Howard University shaped her career
The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Nov. 11 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 13-14; semifinals will be Nov. 16-17; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 20. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 18-19. All games are hosted by participating schools.
In last year’s Preseason WNIT, Purdue defeated DePaul 67-58.
ORMOND BEACH, FL. – Bethune Cookman ended Howard’s run for the MEAC title in the semi-final game of the conference tournament. The Bison moved passed Florida A&M 7-0, and Coppin State 1-0 in 10 innings just a few hours prior to facing the defending champions. In all, HU played a total of 22 innings of softball on Friday.
Howard 7, Florida A&M 0 BoxScore
Howard defeated Florida A&, 7-0, in the in the double-elimination bracket of the tournament.
The Lady Bison posted nine hits each, including Marisa Coats' three run home run in the top of the fifth inning. Coats hit a fastball from Florida A&M's Lindsey out the park to left center, to put the game away. Rebecca Kirshner and Lorae Robinson also collected two hits apiece for the Lady Bison.
The Lady Rattlers never could organize a rally as they only mustered three hits off of Howard's Samantha Gatson (8-7).
Christina Robbs, Jennifer Lindsey and Erika Garcia registered hits for the Lady Rattlers in the loss. Whitney Robinson (15-11) took the loss for the Lady Rattlers, giving up three runs and three hits in three and one-third innings. Jennifer Lindsey came on in relief for two and two-thirds innings.
Gatson, went the distance for Howard. She gave up only three hits, while striking out six and walking one.
Videographer: HowardBands; Howard University Concert Band performed "Dakota Fanfare at the Historic Shiloh Baptist Church (May 2, 2011).
Howard 1, Coppin St. 0 – 10 inningsBoxScore
Rebecca Kirshner singled in the winning run in the top of the 10th inning and Carly Martin outdueled Paige Arnold as Howard defeated Coppin State 1-0 in three extra frames.
The loss eliminated the Eagles from the tournament.
Arnold held the Bison without a run for nine innings before finally allowing a run in the 10th inning. The run scored by Howard snapped a 23-inning scoreless streak by Arnold.
Martin matched Arnold pitch for pitch as she held the Eagles to just four hits while striking out six batters. With one out, Lorae Robinson drew a walk to begin the Howard rally. She advanced to third base when Marisa Coats singled to right field. Kirshner then lofted a single to left that scored Robinson with the game's only run. The Eagles tried to rally in the bottom of the 10th inning, but came up short.
Tiffani Whaley singled with one out and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Erica Washington, but Martin induced a groundout to end the game.
The defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman Wildcats eliminated Howard Friday evening in the double-elimination bracket of the MEAC Softball Championship tournament.
Videographer: SirCookeMusic; Howard University Gospel Choir-- "Total Praise" (May 6, 2011)
A 2-1 loss to Delaware State earlier in the day sent the Wildcats to the loser's bracket, but B-CU came back and blasted the Bison 17-0 after a three-hour lightning delay to earn a rematch with Delaware State Saturday at 1 p.m. B-CU needs to win that game and a second game at 3:30 p.m. to defend their conference championship title.
Against Howard, B-CU (31-24) scored 13 runs in the second inning as Aurelia Gamch drove in four runs and Kelsey Rodney added three. The Wildcats sent 17 batters to the plate in the inning.
Ashton Hinds drove in three runs while Allison Garcia threw a six-hit shutout for B-CU in the Howard win.
Courtesy MEAC Media Relations Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
WASHINGTON, DC – Marissa Coats knocked in six runs as the Howard University softball team dominated Maryland Eastern Shore (7-40, 2-13 MEAC) 15-5 in five innings on Sun. May 8 at Banneker Field. The Bison conclude the regular season 16-26 and 8-7 in conference play.
Samantha Gatson collected the win on the mound – fanning two batters and giving up six hits. Coats led the Bison at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs scored and six RBI.
HU started the game strong – erupting for seven runs in the bottom of the opening inning. Coats’ homerun quickly gave the Bison a 3-0 advantage with no outs. Christine Sborz hit a two-run double which drove in Andascha Moore and Rebecca Kirshner. Subsequently, a run by Sborz and Brittany Barker gave Howard a comfortable 7-0 cushion heading into the top of the second.
The Hawks tried to chip into the advantage, but only managed two hits and a run to cut it to 7-1. The Bison exploded with eight more runs in the bottom of the frame – highlighted by Cierra Gordon’s three-run homer to push the spread to 11-1. Gordon, who was held hitless the previous game, went 2-for-3 at bat with a run scored and five RBI. Coats also notched her second homerun of the game in the inning.
In the fourth inning, Charlise Castro homered to give the Hawks their second run. After posting 11 hits in the first three innings, the Bison were not allowed any hits in the bottom of the fourth. UMES added three more runs in the fifth, but fell short as the game ended via mercy rule at the conclusion of the top of the frame.
Howard softball now shits its focus to the upcoming MEAC Tournament held in Ormond Beach, Fla. from May 12-14. BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After sacking two wins in Saturday’s doubleheader over Morgan State, the Lady Bison looked to sweep their MEAC opponent in order to increase their chances of gaining a birth to the MEAC Championship Tournament, but fell short as the Bears took game three 15-9 at Banneker Field on Sunday afternoon.
In the first inning the Lady Bison surrendered seven runs to the Bears before responding with three runs when their turn at the plate arrived. Emily Johnson led off the game with a double and Lorae Robinson singled, pushing Johnson to third. Marisa Coats scored Johnson on a RBI groundout to second base and Rebecca Kirshner homered to bring home the remaining two runs.
After shutting out the Lady Bears in the second, Robinson tied the game at 7-7 with a grand slam. Prior to Robinson’s blast out of the park, Trina Kindred singled to left, Andascha Moore doubled and Johnson walked to fill the bases.
Ciera Gordon scored to give the Bison their first lead of the game on a sacrifice fly by Kindred.
Two errors and back-to-back doubles helped the Lady Bears regained the lead after scoring five runs. Responding first for the Lady Bison was Robinson who reached base on a bunt. Marisa Coats scored Robinson on a double to right field.
In the fifth Carly Martin entered the game to relieve Emily Johnson who gave up five unearned runs on six hits. Before leaving the circle she struck out two batters and relieved starting pitcher Samantha Gatson who gave up four hits and the first four runs of the game.
The Bears scored three times increasing their lead, 15-9.
Howard attempted to take the game in the bottom of the seventh, but fell short as Johnson grounded out to the short stop for the third out of the frame – leaving Moore on second base and Martin at third.
Johnson took the loss on the mound – giving up eight runs in four innings of work. Robinson lead the Lady Bison at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBI.
The Lady Bison will take on Maryland Eastern Shore for their regular-season finale and senior day on May 7.
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Howard lacrosse team fell in the quarterfinals of the National Lacrosse Conference Tournament on Friday at Richardson Stadium at the hands of the Jacksonville Dolphins. Senior Desiree Cox and freshman Courtland Lackey led the Bison with three goals a piece in the 22-7 loss.
Lackey got Howard (4-12) on the board quickly with 28:55 on the clock, responding to JU’s Morgan Derner who scored in the opening seconds of the match. Jacksonville (13-4) went on to take a 13-0 run in the first half before Cox and Chastity Dailey recorded late goals. Lackey was the only member of the Bison to record an assist, giving her four points in the game to lead Howard.
Howard’s leading scorers – Lackey and Cox – each dispersed two goals in the second half helping the Lady Bison to hold their NLC opponents 7-4 after halftime. Goalkeeper Amber Meeks recorded 15 saves in the match while Dolphin’s Elizabeth Gatch recorded four.
Overall HU was outshot 46-15 and Jacksonville maintained the draw control advantage 21-10. Cox was credited with four draw controls on behalf of HU. The Lady Bison were narrowly edged in groundballs 28-19. Leading the Bison in groundballs was Sydney Satchell with five. Five members of the Lady Bison recorded a caused turnover.
The loss marked the second time the Lady Bison dropped to the Dolphins this season. The Lady Bison will face Liberty University at 9:00 a.m. Saturday in the double elimination tournament.
For more updates on the Howard lacrosse team during the offseason, visit www.howard-bison.com.
TOWSON, MD. – The Howard softball team fell to the Towson Tigers in the opening game of the recently scheduled doubleheader, 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon. The Bison were unable to bounce back from the loss as the second game went unfinished as a result of weather and darkness.
Emily Johnson got points on the board first for the Lady Bison with a leadoff home run to left center. Several HU errors, however, gave the Tigers a chance to answer back with two runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the bottom of the fourth.
Samantha Gatson got Howard back on board and delivered a solo-homer to kick off the fifth inning, making it a 4-2 game. Towson went on to shutout the Lady Bison for the remainder of the game and tallied their final run in the sixth on a two-out RBI double by Rachel Miller.
Both Gatson and Johnson split the mound, but the loss went to Gatson who pitched four innings and gave up four unearned runs, four hits and two walks. She struck out one batter while Johnson took down three in her two innings in the circle. Johnson gave up one earned run on two hits. Katie Lingmai pitched the entire game for the Tigers and recorded nine strikeouts while eight Bison players garnered a hit.
The Bison topped the Tigers in hits, 8-6.
Up next, the Lady Bison softball team will look to sack a win over MEAC opponent Morgan State at home on Saturday, April 30 in the final stretch of the regular season. For more updates on the Howard softball team, visit www.howard-bison.com.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard Bison Lacrosse team will take on Fresno State in their season finale on April 20 at 7 p.m. inside Greene Stadium. Playing their final game are seniors Desiree Cox and Ashley Lawrence who each have done their parts to leave an imprint on the team on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
Desiree Cox
Cox goes down as one of Howard’s greatest players to compete inside Greene Stadium. During her junior season Cox compiled an astounding 68 goals, ranking her seventh in the country, averaging four goal per game. She tallied 77 points, 26 draw controls and averaged 4.53 points per game in the 2009-10 season.
During her senior campaign she has garnered 53 goals, including a career-high of six goals against Wilmington (Del.). Cox has taken 97 shots on thus far into the year and boasts a 43.3 shot percentage. Her 53 scores makes up 46.6 percent of all of Howard’s goals this season. Last week against Detroit Mercy she racked in five goals, tying teammate Courtland Lackey with most Bison goals, and recorded six draw controls and three groundballs, leaving her fourth on the team with 23 groundballs this season.
Ashley Lawrence Lawrence has served as a vital asset for the Lady Bison during her tenure with the team. Since 2007, Lawrence has generated 51 goals, 15 assists and 85 groundballs. In her junior season she grossed a season-best 22 goals, eight assists and a stellar 38 groundballs.
The senior made appearances in 10 of Howard’s 14 games, and started in each of them. Lawrence is fourth on the team in caused turnovers with 11 and ranks sixth on the team in groundballs with 12. She has taken 14 shots, giving her a 42.9 shot percentage, landing her third on the team for players who have recorded at least 10 shots.
HAMPTON, VA. – After trading wins with the Lady Pirates in their Saturday doubleheader, the Howard softball team dropped the weekend series to their MEAC rival after falling 4-2 on Sunday. Overall, the Lady Bison (13-23, 4-5 MEAC) went 1-2 over the weekend.
Howard crossed home plate first giving the Bison the quick 1-0 lead in the first. Rebecca Kirshner sent a shot to right field to bring home Lorae Robison who scored from second. The Lady Bison responded with a RBI double to tie the game at one all.
Following a scoreless second inning, Howard gave up three runs in the bottom of the third, pushing the Lady Pirates (12-26, 5-4 MEAC) ahead 4-1. The Lady Bison were unable to produce a run until the seventh inning when Andascha Moore scored on Emily Johnson's groundout to shortstop. The run would not be enough to cut Hampton's 4-2 lead, giving the Lady Pirates the series, 2-1.
Robinson, Johnson and Ciera Gordon led the Lady Bison with two hits, each went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Starting off the game on the mound was Samantha Gatson. In the opening three innings Gatson allowed five hits and three earned runs and fell to a 5-6 record on the season. Johnson also made an appearance in the circle and went on to strike out five and allowed one hit. Johnson pitched the final three innings and kept Hampton scoreless for the remainder of the game.
The Lady Bison softball team will host MEAC opponent Morgan State on April 30 and Maryland Eastern Shore on May 7 for the final regular season games of the year. On May 12 the team will make their way to Daytona, Fla. for the MEAC Championship Tournament.
BALTIMORE, MD. – The Lady Bison softball team secured the game-winning runs at the top of the eighth inning and blocked Coppin State from scoring the tying run at the plate, landing them the thrilling 6-5 win on Monday at the Coppin State field.
Rebecca Kirshner was placed on second utilizing international tie-breaker rules and advanced to third courtesy of Carly Martin’s sac fly to right field. Trina Kindred and Samantha Gatson went on to bring in the final two runs of the game, giving Howard (12-21, 3-3 MEAC) the 6-4 lead.
Melanie Buck gave Coppin State (8-11, 2-4 MEAC) one run with an RBI single to shallow centerfield. Howard prevented Tiffani Whaley from scoring from first base and caught her at the plate for the final out on the relay throw from Kindred.
The win gave Howard the series as the Lady Bison took the 2-3 advantage over the Lady Eagles. Both teams went even at the plate with 11 hits each.
Martin pitched the complete game and walked one in addition to striking out seven batters, marking a season-high.
Lorae Robinson led the Bison with three hits and scored two runs while Marisa Coats, Emily Johnson, and Kirshner added two hits each. Coats chimed in with two RBI.
The Lady Bison softball team will take on Morgan State on April 30 followed by Maryland Eastern Shore on May 7 before heading to Daytona, Fla. for the MEAC Tournament on May 12.
NORFOLK, Va. -- Howard freshman outfielder Ashley Turner earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Week honors in softball, the conference announced Monday.
Meanwhile Delaware State senior Janelle Lukens and teammate Casey Beighly garnered Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week accolades, respectively. Howard represented the MEAC with most players honored during the week of March 14-20 with three, as shortstop Rebecca Kirshner and pitcher Carly Martin were also recognized by the conference.
Turner (OF, Fr.) aided the Lady Bison to a 3-2 mark last week. The rookie hit .333 from the field in a win over Monmouth and added an RBI, and two runs in 13 appearances.
Lukens (1B/C, 5-9, Sr., Williamsport, Pa.) tallied nine hits, while averaging a .643 from the plate in 14 at-bat appearances to aid the Lady Hornets to a 5-0 mark last week. The senior scored four RBI, one home run and two doubles for the Lady Hornets. Lukens also added two assists and 31 putouts defensively.
Beighly (P, 5-7,Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.) was undefeated with a 0.00 ERA including non-conference wins over North Carolina Central, Maryland Eastern Shore and Mount St. Mary's last week. She pitched a combined 16.0 innings and struck out 6 of the 53 batters faced. Beighly allowed just five hits in the three games and improved her record to 5-4 on the season.
Other Top Performers:
Kirshner tallied her first home run of the season in a 5-3 win over Monmouth. Kirshner accounted for nine of Howard's 49 hits, four of which came against Albany (N.Y.) where she posted two doubles in back-to-back innings.
Martin recorded a 0.00 ERA and struck out a three batters in a 6-0 win against George Mason. The shutout marked the first one of the season for the Lady Bison.
Ryanne Hill (NCAT) recorded three RBI and one home run while hitting .500 from the plate for the Lady Aggies.
By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant Howard University Visit: howard-bison athletics
