Lincoln women eclipse last season's win total

Head Women's Basketball Coach Jessica Kern
Lincoln University ( Pa.)

 LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania — Want evidence that first-year head coach Jessica Kern and the Lincoln basketball program are making real, tangible progress? The Lady Lions now have more wins this season than a year ago, and they’ve played in 18 fewer games.

Lincoln played solid defense early, and was efficient down the stretch offensively, while turning aside Washington Adventist, 74-59, in nonleague action Monday at Rivero Hall. In just eight games, the Lions already have four victories, which last year’s team failed to reach in 26 outings.

“People can say that wins and losses don’t take a mental toll on a program, but for my returners, they’ve been having a battle in the back of their mind whether they are good enough to move forward,” Kern said. “Our newbies have no idea – it means nothing to them. But for our returnees, it’s an important milestone.

“Now we are over it. There is no question that we are moving forward.”

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Lincoln roars, beats Cheyney in “Battle of the Firsts”

Philadelphia, PA - The Cheyney University men’s basketball team showed a little rust in their season opening contest against arch rival Lincoln University inside Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia Friday night.

With virtually an entirely new team, the Wolves fell to the Lions, 65-56, in the 21st annual “Battle of the Firsts” rivalry between the nation’s two oldest historically black universities. All-PSAC East selection Sharif Bray, along with David Burton, Bruce Kennedy and Rob Townsend, graduated, leaving few experienced players on the Wolves roster.

It was his two veteran players who transferred into the program – senior Brandon Baylor (Delaware State) and junior Jason Sabb (Angelina (Tx.) College) – who provided the bulk of the offense for the Wolves. Baylor led all scorers with 21 points, while Sabb added 20 points and eight rebounds.

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ECSU Closes Out Regular Season with 39-14 win over Lincoln

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - The Elizabeth City State University football team closed out the regular season slate with a 39-14 win over Lincoln University of Pennsylvania on Senior Day at Roebuck Stadium. With the win the Vikings extend their win streak to eight games, improving to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in CIAA play.

The Lions finish the regular season with a 2-5 mark in the CIAA and 2-8 overall.

Besides it being Senior Day, the occasion was made even more special when on his third carry of the afternoon Daronte McNeill picked up seven yards and subsequently became the Vikings' all-time leading rusher, passing the mark of 3,158 yard held previously by Aaron Murchinson. McNeill, who finished the day with 186 yards on 38 carries and two touchdowns, now stands at 3,332 yards in his career.

The Lion defense put up a valiant effort on Saturday, totaling 105 tackles as a team. Unfortunately for Lincoln their offense could not sustain drives to keep them off the field. ECSU dominated the time of possession with almost 40 minutes (38:45) to 20:19 for Lincoln. The Lions' average field position was their own 28 yard line.

The ECSU defense was pitching a convincing shutout 32-0 shutout until a touchdown pass from Doug Cook to Matthew Colston with 6:12 remaining in the game put the Lions on the scoreboard for the first time. When the Vikings' ensuing possession went 3-0 a bad snap on the punt attempt gave them Lincoln their best field position of the day at the ECSU 15 and two plays later Cook passed for a 2 yard score to Colston to make the score 32-14. Cook was sacked six times and picked off twice on the afternoon but ended up with a solid performance passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns.



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ECSU football still has business to settle

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State’s immediate future has been set for a few weeks now. But there is one more piece of business the Vikings have to take care of before next week’s Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football championship game.

ECSU closes out the regular season with a Senior Day home game against Lincoln today. The Vikings, who clinched their spot in the CIAA title game opposite Winston-Salem State two weeks ago, are approaching today’s game the same way they have the first nine games of the season.

“Our concentration is on Lincoln as we always try to take it one game at a time,” ECSU coach Waverly Tillar said.

While the game might be meaningless in the CIAA standings, ECSU has a bigger picture to look at. The Vikings are clinging to the fifth spot in the NCAA Division II Super Region One poll, which would put them into the playoff field if the season ended today. But the season does not end today.

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ECSU PREPARES TO SALUTE 20 FOOTBALL SENIORS SATURDAY

ELIZABETH CITY, NC - The Elizabeth City State University football team will host Senior Day on Saturday, November 5th prior to the start of the Vikings' season finale with Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.

ECSU pause pregame to salute 20 student-athletes who will be playing at their final regular season home game at Roebuck Stadium. They are; Creven Powell, Anthony Faulcon, Baron Coffin, Torri Stewart, Earnest Murphy, Larry Jones, Domonic Strand, DeAundre Barfield, Sanerivi Reupena, Kahawaiolaa Soon, Jermaine Lindsay, John Davis, Brandon White, Brandon Smith, Sean Gueringer, DeWitt Dixon, Billy Wiggins, Bryan Garnett, Tolbert Matthews and Devven Sutton.

These seniors have been an integral part of the Vikings' third appearance since 2006 in the CIAA title game. This year the Vikings will square off against Winston-Salem State University on Saturday, November 12 at Durham County Stadium in Durham, NC.

However before the trip westbound to the Bull City, the Vikings will look to run their win streak to eight games over the visiting Lions of Lincoln University.

Saturday Viking fans may also witness a bit of history as junior tailback Daronte McNeill needs only 12 yards to become ECSU's all-time leading rusher.

Courtesy ECSU Sports Information

Lincoln's Cook continues to impress

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania -- Less than a year ago, Doug Cook was wowing college recruiters and bedeviling opposing defenses as a high school senior in Dania Beach, Florida.

Today, the 6-foot, 170-pounder is not only a starter at Lincoln University, but he has already established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the CIAA. And the sky is the limit for Cook’s future.

“He is going to be a very special player,” said teammate Brandon McElwee. “That boy is different from any other true freshman. Wait until you see him in a couple years.”

Cook’s ascent into one of the premier rookie signal callers in all of Division II is hardly a shocker. He was the third-rated quarterback in talent-rich Florida in 2010 and ranked No. 44 nationally by MaxPreps. And through seven games, Cook is second in the 12-team CIAA in total offense, averaging 242 yards per contest.

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Lincoln fades late, falls to Bowie State

LONDON GROVE, Pennsylvania – With a prime opportunity to notch its first back-to-back victories in 57 years and solidify a spot near the top of the CIAA Northern Division standings, Lincoln faded down the stretch and fell to visiting Bowie State, 22-10, in college football action on Friday evening at Avon Grove High School.

Lincoln (2-3, 2-5) hardly had the football in the first half as the Bulldogs (3-2, 4-3) controlled the clock and ran 45 plays to just 17 for the Lions. And even though LU moved the football much more effectively the rest of the way, second half turnovers sabotaged several critical scoring chances.

“This loss is very disappointing. This hurts,” said linebacker Brandon McElwee, who is a member of the program’s first four-year senior class since football was reinstated after a hiatus from 1961-2007. “We’ve already experienced the lowest we can possibly go, so we can only go up. And I feel like we are moving up. I even feel like we gained something from this loss.”

Despite it all, Lincoln pulled to within three, 13-10, early in the second half, but was outscored 9-0 the rest of the way, including a safety and a late touchdown following the ensuing free kick.



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Defense stands tall for Lincoln in CIAA opener

WEST GROVE, PA — Coming into the season, Lincoln knew it should be able to count on its defense. Afterall, the Lions brought back just about everybody from a defense that was nationally ranked last season. In turning back visiting Virginia Union 19-10 on Saturday night, Lincoln's defense turned in a stellar performance that keyed the Lions' first CIAA win since topping Livingstone on the road two years ago.

"I'm proud of the job our offense did today,too," said Lions' coach OJ Abanishe. "We came in with what might have looked like a risky game plan, but it was just really a bunch of screens and shorter high percentage passes. But the guys executed very well, and put points on the board."

Up 3-0 in the second, Matthew Coston shook a defender and found himself all alone on the right sideline, and quarterback LaQuan Williams hit him in stride for a 22-yard gain and Lincoln's lone touchdown on the day.

Williams completed 20 of 40 passes on the day for ...



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Kentucky State Stays Perfect, Beats Lincoln 43-27

Frankfort, KY – In a highly anticipated home opener, the Kentucky State University Thorobreds galloped past the Lincoln University Lions with a score of 43-27.

Lincoln won the coin toss and deferred to the second half and the Thorobreds elected to receive the opening kick. During the opening drive, quarterback, Jerrel Noland threw his first interception of the season resulting in a 39 yard touchdown for Lincoln.

In retaliation, KSU senior defensive back, Keith Massey, returned a kick for 79 yards and freshman kicker, Cade Berryman assisted in tying the game 7-7, making the PAT.

Kentucky State closed the first half with Noland making two 1 yard rushing touchdowns, combined with a rushing touchdown by Andrew Ramsey, giving the Breds a 28-14 lead at halftime.

Kentucky State added nine points in the third quarter that extended the Thorobreds’ lead to 37-20. In the fourth quarter, Berryman nailed a 43-yard field goal with 7:30 to play, giving the Breds a 20-point lead (40-20), but Lincoln marched down the field and scored on a 24-yard pass from Cook to Garlin Gardner, bringing the score to 40-27, in favor of the Breds. With 2:02 to play in the game, Berryman made a 39-yard field goal to bring the score to its final 43-27.

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Cheyney triumphs over Lincoln Lions

CHEYNEY --- For Cheyney University, Saturday's "Battle of the Firsts" with local rival Lincoln was filled with firsts.

The Wolves' 21-19 win in an exciting game that lived up to its hype marked the first time Cheyney had topped Lincoln in the history of the rivalry. It was the first opening day win for Cheyney since 1997. It was also the first victory for Wolves' head coach Kenny Lockard.

"It feels great," said Lockard. "But I'm just so happy for these kids. It goes to show that all that hard work they've put in paid off."

While quarterback Chris Anderson tossed a pair of touchdown passes, and the Wolves ground game piled up 191 yards, it was the work on the other side of the ball that ensured that Cheyney would come away with a victory.

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Lincoln University (Pa.) Kern named ninth head women's basketball coach

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. (April 14, 2011) — Lincoln University is pleased to announce Jessica Kern as the new head coach of the women's basketball program. She becomes the ninth head coach in the history of the program and the first full-time female coach.

Kern comes to Lincoln University as a highly decorated professional women's basketball player and collegiate standout. This past season, she served as the assistant women's coach and media specialist at NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

LU Head Basketball Coach Jessica Kern

“It is a pleasure to welcome Jessica to our team and introduce her as our new head women's basketball coach,” said Director of Athletics Dianthia Ford-Kee. “Jessica's athletic background and experiences will bring a wealth of knowledge to our women's basketball program. Her career path exemplifies a commitment to excellence and she is a role model for our young women.”

At the University of UW-M, which is a member of the Horizon League, she assisted in scouting, aided in recruiting and broke down film. The Lady Panthers finished 12-18 and advanced to the league's quarterfinals in the postseason tournament.

“I am extremely grateful to President Nelson, Mrs. Ford-Kee and the selection committee for considering and choosing me as the new head women's basketball coach,” Kern said. “Education, hard work and discipline have played a substantial influence in my success thus far in my career. I look forward to instilling these qualities into such a special group of young women and am excited to begin this new chapter in my career.”

Prior to her time in Milwaukee, Kern assisted for two seasons at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluffs, a Division I school and member of the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC). Her personalized individual-approach served the Lady Lions well. Posting a 12-19 record, she helped propel them to their most victories and highest conference tournament finish in 12 years. As the conditioning coordinator and individual skill developer, she assisted Lady Lion standouts Ciara Shields and Arica Green to All-SWAC recognitions as well as Shay Holmes to Newcomer of the Year status.

Kern's career path toward collegiate basketball coaching was unconventional to say the least. After earning a roster spot on the Penn State women's basketball program, she participated in track and field where she was a two-time All-Academic and All-Big Ten performer. A two-time captain and a 2002 graduate with degrees in communications and sociology, Kern returned to basketball and played professionally in Germany, Switzerland, Romania, and Poland from 2003-2010. While in Switzerland, she led her team with a 25.1 scoring average. A crowd favorite in Poland, Kern ran basketball clinics and gave motivational speeches at the local “University” school.

In the off-seasons from 2002-2007 she taught at various Milwaukee High Schools and aided the girls' basketball and track & field teams. Her 2007 Vincent High School junior varsity squad posted a 20-0 record, and her conditioning program and individualized skill development was a catalyst in Vincent achieving a State Championship. Spare time saw her establishing various basketball camps for girls in underserviced neighborhoods. Continuing her history with running camps, Kern successfully orchestrated the “Lady Lions” First Team Basketball Camp in the summer of 2009.

During the summer of 2007, her coaching career took a huge leap forward as she was appointed the head coach of the Arkansas Lady Ballers in the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League, a 20-team national semi-pro women's league. Kern's up tempo style, infectious enthusiasm and motivation propelled the Ballers to a victory over the Canadian national team, a regional championship and the national championship in held in Memphis, Tenn.

A native of Milwaukee, Wisc., Kern was one of the most decorated scholar/athletes in Milwaukee City Conference history. She received 11 Varsity Letters (3-Basketball, 4-Volleyball, 4-Track & Field) and Captained in each sport for multiple years. Her basketball teams played in the State Finals four times, winning the State Title in both her freshmen and sophomore years. In addition, she was an 11-time Individual Conference Champion in Track & Field, a 3-Time All Conference performer in Volleyball and a finalist for the State's Scholar/Athlete Award.

Kisha Middleton remains on staff as the program's top assistant.

By Chris Weeden, Lincoln University Director of Sports Information and Marketing
VISIT: LINCOLN UNIVERSITY (Pa.)
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Source: Athletic director hit list at Lincoln University (Pa.)?

LU Lions Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee

LOWER OXFORD, Pa. — The mid-December departure of women's basketball coach Andy Haman is not the end of alleged house cleaning within the Lincoln University Athletic Department, several people with direct knowledge of the situation told the Daily Local News.

Two unnamed sources independently confirmed that Lincoln Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee openly acknowledged having an unwritten "hit list" of athletic department personnel she was targeting for dismissal. Former assistant track coach Bobby Young -- reportedly on the alleged list along with Haman and several others -- said that the hit list was common knowledge among Lincoln coaches and administrators.

"I know I was on the list," said Young, who resigned on Dec. 20. "I thought it was inappropriate for (Ford-Kee) to tell everybody about the hit list and who she wanted to get rid of.

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