It’s Not the Battle of the Bands; It’s the War of the States

MEAC CITY, USA - On Saturday Florida slipped into North Carolina and stole two wins. Savannah State, the lone Georgia school in the MEAC handled Coppin State and sent a clear message to the other Baltimore schools that they will not just be the new kids on the block. D.C.’s Howard University invaded Virginia and held the edge before succumbing to Hampton. Maryland Eastern Shore didn’t fare any better against Norfolk in Virginia. It was Morgan State, who saved the day for the state of Baltimore with a win at South Carolina State. Delaware State did not play on Saturday.

FAMU’s win against North Carolina Central must be considered an upset. In fifteen games FAMU had not beaten a Division 1 school, let alone a team that has been playing as well as North Carolina Central. The NCCU Eagles have been competitive against the likes of Wake Forest and Eastern Kentucky; and they even came close before losing by five points at the home of a good ACC team, North Carolina State. With a glaring weakness beyond the starting five, FAMU for the first time this season was able to maintain momentum with starters on the bench and finish the game with a win. Next up for FAMU is North Carolina A&T. Expect the Aggies to go after FAMU’s Stevens and Crowder early in the game to get them in foul trouble. Someone off the bench will have to become more than a role player in order for FAMU to win. My pick: FAMU will win the battle of the boards, but if A&T practices its foul shooting they will win the game. A&T by 10.

Playing without two of their key big men the NCAT Aggies dominated most of the game against Bethune before the Cookman Wildcats showed poised down the stretch to take the lead and the game in the last seconds. Ahead by six points with a minute remaining the Aggies allowed two BCU three pointers and missed two crucial free throws that would have tied the game. Next up for BCU are the North Carolina Central Eagles. BCU has the confidence and NCCU has the skills. My pick: NCCU will suffer a tongue lashing on Sunday and be better prepared on Monday. NCCU by 12.


Rae Corbo hits a 30-foot 3-point buzzer beater to give Norfolk State Women's Team the 61-58 victory over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, with Joe Cook with the call for the NSU Sports Network.

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Women's Basketball: This Week In the MEAC

2011-12 MEAC STANDINGS (as of 1/1/2012)

School   MEAC    Overall

Hampton (2-0) 9-3

Howard (2-0) 8-5

Florida A&M (1-0 ) 7-5

North Carolina A&T (1-0) 6-7

UMES (1-0 ) 3-8

Norfolk State (1-1) 5-7

South Carolina State (1-1) 5-7

Morgan State (0-0) 2-9

Bethune-Cookman (0-1) 3-9
Coppin State (0-1) 4-9
N.C. Central (0-1) 2-12
Savannah State (0-2) 5-8
Delaware State (0-2) 3-11

SCHEDULED GAMES AROUND THE MEAC

Monday, Jan. 2

UMES @ Elizabeth City State, 6 p.m.  Final: ECSU 62, UMES 55

Coppin State @ Longwood, 1 p.m.  Final: Coppin State 73, Longwood 51

UNC Wilmington @ N.C. A&T, 4 p.m.   Final: UNC-W 90, NCA&T 63

Bethune-Cookman @ Georgia State, 5 p.m.  Final: Georgia State 66, B-CU 50
George Mason @ Norfolk State, 6 p.m.  Final: NSU 60, George Mason 57

UAB @ Florida A&M, 7 p.m.  Final: FAMU 69, UAB 59

East Carolina @ Hampton, 7 p.m.  Final: Hampton 76, East Carolina 48

Tuesday, Jan. 3

Morgan State @ Florida International, 6 p.m.   Final: FIU 77, Morgan State 60
Howard @ Mt. St. Mary’s, 7 p.m.  Final: Howard 67, Mt. St. Mary's 55

Southern Wesleyan @ S.C. State, 7 p.m.   Final: S.C. State 78, South Wesleyan 56

Wednesday, Jan. 4

Fordham @ Delaware State, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 5

NJIT @ Howard, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

UMES @ Norfolk State, 4 p.m.

Florida A&M @ N.C. Central, 2 p.m.

Coppin State @ Savannah State, 2 p.m.

Morgan State @ South Carolina State, 2 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman @ N.C. A&T, 2 p.m.

Howard @ Hampton, 4 p.m.

MEET CURRENT MEAC LEADING SCORER AND REBOUNDER

ANTONIA MONIQUE BENNETT
6'-1" GUARD/FORWARD, SENIOR
SEASON PER GAME AVERAGE: 20.1 points., 9.7 rebounds,
2.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.7 blocked shots
LAKE GIBSON HIGH SCHOOL
Hometown: LAKELAND, FLORIDA
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY LADY RATTLERS
Major:  Occupational/Physical Therapy
(Photo Courtesy: FAMU Sports Information) 

SCORING OFFENSE G W-L Pts Avg/G

1. Florida A&M 12 7-5 888 74.0

2. North Carolina A&T 13 6-7 918 70.6

3. Norfolk State 12 5-7 787 65.6

4. Hampton 12 9-3 765 63.8

5. Morgan State 10 2-8 604 60.4

6. Coppin State 13 4-9 770 59.2

7. Bethune-Cookman 11 3-8 643 58.5

8. South Carolina State 12 5-7 696 58.0

9. Howard 12 7-5 694 57.8

10. Delaware State 14 3-11 780 55.7

11. N.C. Central 14 2-12 705 50.4

12. Maryland E. Shore 11 3-8 553 50.3

13. Savannah State 13 5-8 629 48.4

SCORING DEFENSE G Pts Avg/G

1. Hampton 12 607 50.6

2. Savannah State 13 721 55.5

3. Maryland E. Shore 11 644 58.5

4. Howard 12 713 59.4

5. Coppin State 13 797 61.3

6. Norfolk State 12 779 64.9

7. Delaware State 14 933 66.6

8. Bethune-Cookman 11 735 66.8

9. South Carolina State 12 829 69.1

10. Florida A&M 12 831 69.2

11. N.C. Central 14 983 70.2

12. North Carolina A&T 13 961 73.9

13. Morgan State 10 745 74.5

TOP 25 - SCORING INDIVIDUAL

SCORING Cl GP FG 3FG FT Points Avg/G

1. BENNETT, Antonia-FAMU SR 12 95 22 29 241 20.1

2. HOLMES,Tamoria-HOW JR 12 91 18 27 227 18.9

3. KALU, Ezinne-SSU SO 13 76 20 62 234 18.0

4. DOYLE,Saadia-HOW JR 12 72 0 59 203 16.9

5. WILLIAMS,Chasidy-NCCU JR 13 76 9 44 205 15.8

6. McMILLIAN,Choicetta-HAM SR 12 59 40 28 186 15.5

7. BERRY, JaQuayla-NCAT JR 13 68 5 56 197 15.2

8. LONG,Whitney-NSU SR 12 71 24 11 177 14.8

9. JENKINS, Jericka-HAM SR 12 52 23 46 173 14.4

10. ELUM, Jasmine-BCU JR 10 56 14 17 143 14.3

11. McKELTON,Tameka-FAMU SR 11 53 23 19 148 13.5

12. HAWKINS,Tierra-DSU FR 14 76 0 35 187 13.4

13. Mathis, Dekeisha-MSU 8 36 25 9 106 13.3

14. KING,Tracy-NCAT SO 13 53 4 61 171 13.2

15. BRISTOW,Tasia-DSU SO 14 61 18 42 182 13.0

15. KNOTTS,Tiara-SCSU JR 12 54 18 30 156 13.0
17. SANDERS,Chelsea-UMES JR 11 50 3 39 142 12.9
18. CORBO, Rae-NSU SO 12 51 6 46 154 12.8
19. SPARKMAN, Kimberly-FAMU SO 11 46 31 15 138 12.5

20. DONALD, Qiana-FAMU SR 12 53 0 40 146 12.2

21. MANLEY, Jeanine-CSU SR 13 48 0 57 153 11.8

22. Parker, Omara-MSU 10 46 11 13 116 11.6

23. CALVIN, Amber-NCAT JR 12 38 23 38 137 11.4

24. ISAAC, Jalisa-BCU SR 11 42 16 15 115 10.5

25. SCOTT, Mikala-NCAT SO 12 44 12 18 118 9.8

TOP 20 REBOUNDING INDIVIDUAL

REBOUNDING Cl GP Off Def Total Avg/G

1. BENNETT, Antonia-FAMU SR 12 34 82 116 9.7

2. DONALD, Qiana-FAMU SR 12 59 53 112 9.3

3. GORDON, Rachel-NSU SO 12 49 61 110 9.2

4. DOYLE, Saadia-HOW JR 12 50 56 106 8.8

5. HEMPHILL,Tiana-SCSU JR 12 38 62 100 8.3

6. WILLIAMS,Chasidy-NCCU JR 13 38 68 106 8.2

7. NELSON, Alisha-SSU SR 13 34 66 100 7.7

8. STEWART, Shanyce-UMES SO 11 31 47 78 7.1

9. PHELPS, Arel-HAM JR 12 45 38 83 6.9

10. AVANT, Keiara-HAM JR 12 31 46 77 6.4

10. ALSTON, Paris-SCSU JR 12 34 43 77 6.4

12. HAWKINS,Tierra-DSU FR 14 35 52 87 6.2

13. BERRY, JaQuayla-NCAT JR 13 19 61 80 6.2

13. GORHAM, Nikia-NCAT JR 13 49 31 80 6.2

15. KING,Tracy-NCAT SO 13 37 41 78 6.0

15. WHITTINGTON,Crystal-CSU SR 13 30 48 78 6.0

15. MANLEY, Jeanine-CSU SR 13 37 41 78 6.0

18. WARNER, Melaine-HAM SR 10 22 34 56 5.6

19. SANDERS,Chelsea-UMES JR 11 20 40 60 5.5

20. Carrington,Tracey-MSU 9 21 28 49 5.4

Winning Streak No.

Howard 6

Florida A&M 4

Bethune-Cookman 2

Coppin State 2

GAME BROADCAST:  Check individual school athletic sites for links AND ESPN3/ESPNU.

VISIT: MEACSPORTS.COM 

Hot shooting helps Norfolk State blow past Saint Francis Terriers

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, New York -- The Norfolk State Spartans used a 19-0 run in the opening half and went on to defeat the host St. Francis (NY) Terriers, 84-74, Friday afternoon at the Pope Physical Education Center. The Spartans, who shot a blazing 55.1 percent (27-of-49) for the contest, improved to 9-5 and the Terriers dropped to 3-8.

Senior forward Stefan Perunicic (four steals) paced the Terriers with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting and junior forward Travis Nichols added 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior point guard Justin Newton added seven assists and six rebounds.

A layup by Perunicic gave St. Francis an early, 8-5 advantage, with 16:56 remaining in the opening half, but Norfolk State scored the next 19 points to establish a 24-8 lead at the 12:33 mark. The Spartans connected on four three-point field goals during the run, three of which came by sophomore guard Pendarvis Williams (game-high 24 points). Williams also added a tip-in to cap the run.

The Terriers managed to close within seven points, 36-29, with 1:50 left before halftime after a trifecta and a layup by sophomore guard Brent Jones.  The Spartans settled for a 41-31 halftime advantage.

WATCH GAME REPLAY ON DEMAND (FREE) CLICK HERE

Box Score

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Trio sizzles for Spartans in Big Apple

Pendarvis Williams scored 24 points, leading a trio of Norfolk State players with 20 or more points, as the Spartans beat St. Francis (N.Y.) 84-74 on Friday. Kyle O'Quinn added 21 points and Chris McEachin had 20 for Norfolk State (9-5), which has won two straight.

The Terriers led 8-5 about three minutes in when Williams made the first of four consecutive 3-pointers in a two-minute span for NSU. Williams hit three of those, sparking a 19-0 Spartans run.

"Got off to a hot start," said Williams, who finished with 8-for-11 shooting from the field and was 3 for 5 from the 3-point line. He made 5 of 7 free throws, all in the second half.

With 14 seconds before halftime, Williams jabbed the ball from St. Francis guard Brent Jones. McEachin sprinted to the other end, where Williams hit him for a layup. Jones' foul gave McEachin a three-point play and the Spartans a 41-31 halftime lead.

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Florida A&M Rattlers Romp Over Southeastern U. Fire 82-64

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Yannick Crowder scored a career-high 28 points as the Florida A&M Men's Basketball team picked up their second win of the season with a 82-64 win over Southeastern University (Fla.), here Thursday night at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

Crowder finished with a double-double as he scored 14 of his 28 points in the second half, while pulling down 13 rebounds. Both Reggie Lewis and Brandon Hosely finished with 11 points each to round out the cast of Rattlers scoring in double figures.

Southeastern was led by Chris Carlyle as he scored 12 points from the bench, while Arthur Jackson led the Fire on the boards with seven.

FAMU (2-7) took a 21-10 lead on a Crowder put back with 11:22 to go in the first.

PHOTO GALLERY: FAMU vs. Southeastern (Fla.)

The Rattlers would then extend their lead to 31-16 on a Jeffrey Kennings jumper with 5:33 to go in the first half as they would take a 31-20 lead into the break.

FAMU would finish the first half shooting 37.1 percent (13-of-35) from the floor, while Southeastern shot 25.0 percent (7-of-28) from the floor.

Southeastern (9-5) would outscore FAMU 6-5 in the first two minutes of the second half, as they cut the Rattlers' lead to 36-27 on a Tim Jickell field goal with 17:54 to go in the game.

The Rattlers would return the favor with a 16-9 run as they took a 54-38 lead on a Lewis layup with 10:41 to go in the game.

FAMU took a 69-46 lead on a Markee Teal field goal with 7:33 go in the game capping a 15-8 run.

Southeastern would outscore FAMU 18-13 down the stretch, as the Rattlers would hold on for the 82-64 win.

The Rattlers will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 11 as they will travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on the University of South Florida in a 2 p.m. tip.

by Florida A&M Sports Information

B-CU's win is a Breeze; Wildcat women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman's Anthony Breeze said he felt he might have hurt his team Tuesday when he played for the first time in two weeks after injuring his shoulder. That certainly wasn't the case Saturday.

The 6-foot-5 post player scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore forward Adrien Coleman came off the bench to score 18 points and pull down a game-high nine rebounds as the Wildcats defeated Florida A&M 74-59 at a packed Moore Gymnasium.

It was B-CU's first win over an NCAA team this season. The Wildcats (3-5) improved to 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while FAMU fell to 0-7, 0-1.

"Anthony Breeze just wore us out," FAMU coach Clemon Johnson said. "This is the first time I saw (Rattlers 6-8 center Yannick Crowder) get outplayed against a school our size. But he got outplayed (Saturday)."



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B-CU women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman saw the return of three key starters in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against rival Florida A&M, but the good news for the Wildcats ended there.

FAMU beat B-CU 81-57 on Saturday at Moore Gymnasium, and Demetria Frank's first game back since having knee surgery last year ended with her hopping off the court early in the second half.

Nothing obvious occurred to cause the injury, but the senior guard collapsed in agony behind the bench as team doctors attended to her surgically repaired knee.

Wildcats coach Vanessa Blair said she had no information on Frank's status and didn't want to speculate on her availability for their next game Dec. 11 vs. Stetson. The game against the Rattlers (3-4, 1-0 MEAC) was supposed to be a coming-out party of sorts for the Wildcats (1-5, 0-1).

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Norfolk State Spartans are Number One

Norfolk, Virginia -- Guess who is at the top of the list with the toughest schedule to-date in the NCAA Division 1 Mens Basketball?

That’s right, a team that a year ago would barely be considered a mid-major, the Norfolk State Spartans of Virginia has played one of the toughest schedules in November and still has a winning record. In fact, their two losses have come from the fairly dominant Marquette, who has not lost a game early in the season. That second loss to Marquette was a close one with Norfolk losing 59-57 in the championship game of the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.

Prior to the Marquette loss Norfolk defeated Drexel 61-59 and Texas Christian 66-53 to get to the championship. Norfolk also has a win over Eastern Kentucky.

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Norfolk State's big man too much for TCU; Spartans win 66-53

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- Standing at 6-foot-10, there's no way an opposing team can avoid Norfolk State University's Kyle O'Quinn. Texas Christian couldn't convert from outside so the Horned Frogs drove right at him, which is exactly what the senior center likes.

O'Quinn tallied a team-high 17 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots to lift the Spartans to a 66-53 victory over TCU in the 2011 Paradise Jam semifinals at the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center on Sunday.

Norfolk State (3-1), out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, will play in the tournament championship tonight at 9:30 p.m.

"Everywhere we go, we're always the underdog," said O'Quinn, who was named the MEAC's Defensive Player of the Year last season. "Even in our conference, they picked us fourth and we felt that was a sign of disrespect. We have a team this year. We're using this tournament to prove everyone wrong."

The Spartans held a slim 28-26 advantage at halftime before O'Quinn had two 3-point plays within one minute to fuel a 14-2 scoring run. The latter 3-point play gave Norfolk State a 48-33 lead with 9:54 left.

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NEXT GAME: 8:30 PM ET, Nov. 21, Norfolk State vs. #17 Marquette at Virgin Islands Sport & Fitness Center, St. Thomas, V.I.

Last Game: Norfolk State 61-56 victory over Drexel on Friday at Paradise Jam Tournament, St. Thomas

S.C. State announces signing of five hoops players

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- S.C. State officially announced the signing of five men's and women's basketball players for the 2012-13 season.

The newest Bulldogs include Orangeburg-Wilkinson point guard Patrick Myers, Timberland forward Darryl Palmer, Baptist Hill point guard Shaquille Mitchell and junior college guard Louis Adams.

S.C. State women's basketball coach Doug Robertson Jr. announced the signing of Spring Valley point guard Shaquita Walker. The 5-5 point guard averaged 7.1 points 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 4.1 assists for the defending Class 4-A champions last year.

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2011-12 NSU men's basketball schedule has homey feel

Norfolk, Virginia -- For the past six seasons, the Norfolk State Spartans were set up to struggle. Each year, they would pack their bags and hit the road in November and December. There were athletic department bills to pay and schools across the country were offering the Spartans guaranteed money to play at their place. Over that six-year period, they played just eight total home games in November and December, never more than two in a season.

Last year, they had two home games in their first 12 and didn't play their third home game until Jan. 8. This season, the Spartans have six home games before the New Year arrives.

"Obviously, there were financial obligations that we had, and we needed to meet them," Spartans coach Anthony Evans said. "But we also knew it wasn't helping us to be on the road that much. So we worked at seeing what we could do to be at home more this season."

The Spartans ended up with balance. They will play 14 home games, 14 road games, and three neutral-site games when they take part in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.

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TONIGHT: NCCU Eagles at North Carolina - Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina -- The Eagles of North Carolina Central University tipoff the 2011-12 campaign against in-state foe Charlotte. This will be the first official contest for NCCU as full NCAA Division I members after finishing the reclassifying process and receiving word from the NCAA and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that the Eagles are eligible for postseason play.

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network, Chris Hooks, and color analyst Joe Simmons will call the action live from Halton Arena beginning at 7:15 p.m. online at NCCUEaglePride.com. Just simply go to the GameCentral Icon on the home page and enjoy the action. You can also follow the game live on twitter by following @ NCCUAthletics and putting in #NCCUChar as a hashtag.

THE SERIES
NCCU and Charlotte have never met on the hardwood. The Eagles are 2-1 against current A-10 opponents despite losing its last contest against league member Duquesne 97-79 on Dec. 22, 2008. The Eagles have previously beaten Xavier (85-68) on March 1, 1954 and Rhode Island (77-70) on Jan. 27, 1969.



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Virginia Cavaliers battle South Carolina State at John Paul Jones Arena Sunday

 Charlottesville, Virginia -- The Virginia men's basketball team's season-opening game with South Carolina State at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday (Nov. 13) will be carried on ESPN3, ESPN's live multi-screen sports network. Joe Beninati will handle the play-by-play and Dan Bonner is the analyst for the game.

 The Virginia men’s basketball team looks to begin its season on a high note, its first game since a disastrous ACC Tournament departure last year, in which the squad surrendered a 10-point lead in the final minute against Miami.

South Carolina State finished 10-22 overall and eighth in the MEAC last season, its worst record under coach Tim Carter during his four-year tenure. The Bulldogs lost two starters to graduation but return senior guard Brandon Riley, senior forward Omar Sanders and junior guard Khalif Toombs. Riley finished second on the team with 9.4 points per game, behind then-senior guard Darnell Porter.

The Bulldogs added depth by bringing in three freshman and two transfers, all of whom will be fighting for playing time at the onset of the season.

The Cavaliers plan to counter questions about court time by ...

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#1 Baylor Hosts Howard Lady Bison in Preseason WNIT

 Watch |  Listen |  Gametracker |  Notes |  Tickets |  Gameday Central

Date	Fri., Nov. 11 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Location	Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center (10,284)
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Online
TV	None
Online Video	Baylor All-Access
Radio	ESPN Central Texas | Listen Online
Live Stats	Gametracker
Gameday Info	Gameday Central
Game Notes	Baylor Notes
Blog	N/A
Twitter	@BaylorWBB

HOWARD LADY BISON
Record	0-0
Ranking	N/A (AP), N/A (Coaches)
Last Game	N/A
Head Coach	Niki Reid-Geckeler
	Career: 41-54 (4th season)
	BU Record: same (4th season)

#1/1 BAYLOR  LADY BEARS
Record	0-0
Ranking	1 (AP), 1 (Coaches)
Last Game	N/A
Head Coach	Kim Mulkey
	Career: 298-79 (12th season)
	BU Record: same (12th season)

The 2011 Preseason WNIT marks the third time Baylor has hosted the event. The Lady Bears were also the tournament hosts in 1998 and 2006. As in previous seasons, as long as Baylor wins, it will continue to host tournament games.

All told, 16 teams are competing in the 2011 Preseason WNIT. Chattanooga, ETSU, Howard, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, UAB and UCLA are on Baylor's side of the bracket while Akron, Detroit, Drexel, Hartford, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan and Notre Dame are on the opposite side of the bracket.

The Lady Bears are 4-2 in Preseason WNIT contests, losing in the second round in 1998 to 20th-ranked Florida (70-58) and to 12th-ranked Purdue (69-55) in the 2006 championship game. Since that loss to Purdue, Baylor has won 47 straight non-league home games (including two NCAA Tournament games in 2011).

SCOUTING THE LADY BISON
Located in Washington, D.C., the Howard Lady Bison open their season in Waco. The Lady Bison finished last season at 16-18 and were runner-up in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament. All five starters return off last season's team.

Junior Saadia Doyle, the 2010-11 MEAC Player of the Year and All-MEAC first team selection, led the MEAC in scoring with 18.4 points and was second in the conference with 8.9 rebounds per game. She was recently named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.

The Lady Bison are coached by fourth-year head coach Niki Reid Geckeler (Georgetown, 1993). Reid Geckeler is 41-54 (.432) in her four seasons along the Howard sideline.

SERIES RECORD
Baylor leads the series 1-0. The Lady Bears downed Howard in Waco, 83-31, on Nov. 9, 2007, as part of the Baylor-hosted Basketball Travelers Tip-Off Tournament.



COURTESY BAYLOR BEARS ATHLETICS

Bethune-Cookman 2011-12 men's basketball preview

Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats, Daytona Beach, Florida

COACH: Gravelle Craig, first season

LAST SEASON: 21-13, 13-3 MEAC; won MEAC regular-season title; lost in second round of MEAC tourney to Morgan State; lost in first round of NIT to Virginia Tech

3 REASONS TO BELIEVE

1. Holloman is back: The return of 6-6 senior forward Garrius Holloman takes some of the sting away from the losses of MEAC Player of the Year C.J. Reed and second-teamer Alex Starling. Holloman, a junior-college transfer, was second on the Wildcats last year in both scoring (11.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg).

2. Front line: Holloman, Anthony Breeze and Adrien Coleman are the likely starters. All three 6-5 to 6-6 and good scorers. Breeze and Holloman are strong inside players for their size. Junior-college transfers Alex Smith (6-7) and David Baroum (6-8), who are both nursing knee injuries, and returning sophomore Raymoan McAfee (6-7) will provide depth.

3. Scoring balance: That's something the Wildcats didn't have with Reed bringing up the ball and taking most of the shots.

3 REASONS TO DOUBT

1. Lack of height: Not just inside, but on the perimeter as well. If Kevin Dukes (5-8) and Ricky Johnson (5-9) end up playing in the backcourt together, they'll be giving up a lot of size on defense.

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No. 14 Xavier Hosts Morgan State At Cintas Center On Friday

Xavier University Musketeers (0-0) vs. Morgan State University Bears (0-0)
Regular Season Opener on Fri., Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
Cintas Center (10,250) in Cincinnati, Ohio
Television: FOX Sports Ohio with play-by-play from Brad Johansen and analysis from former Musketeer captain Steve Wolf (Xavier `83). Jim Day hosts the "Musketeers Live" half-hour pre-game show at 6:30 p.m.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman (`79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin (`88).

• Xavier will honor Veterans Day by saluting active military members and Veterans by displaying a 40-by-60 foot United States flag during the National Anthem prior to the game. Handling the flag will be members of the Xavier University Army ROTC along with Veterans and active members of the United States Armed Forces.

• Morgan State returns all five starters and 10 letterwinners overall from a team that finished 17-14 overall and 10-6 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season. The Bears of head coach Todd Bozeman are the preseason favorites in the MEAC.

• Xavier, 24-8 overall in the 2010-11 season and Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Champion at 15-1, has three starters back from last year's team: seniors Tu Holloway and Kenny Frease and junior Mark Lyons.

• Xavier has won 21 straight regular season openers (20 at home and one on the road) with its last loss in an opener coming in the 1989-90 "Sweet 16" season to Southern Utah State at Cincinnati Gardens (97-90 on December 2, 1989).

• Xavier has won all 11 of its season openers at Cintas Center, including a 68-65 win over Western Michigan last season (11-12-10).

• Xavier opens the regular season with a four-game homestand and home games in seven of its first nine games. After the Morgan State game, XU hosts IPFW on Nov. 15, Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 18 and Georgia on Nov. 25.

• Xavier, ranked 14th in the preseason Associated Press Poll and 15th in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, played its one and only public exhibition this past Saturday against defending NCAA Division II National Champion Bellarmine and won 76-73. XU used the closed scrimmage option in October instead of a second exhibition.

• Xavier has high expectations entering the 2011-12 season, including the preseason favorite role in the Atlantic 10. The Xavier program is coming off a sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a fifth straight A-10 Regular Season Championship. Xavier finished 24-8 overall and 15-1 in the A-10 last season.

• Xavier returns three starters from last year's team, including senior All-American guard Tu Holloway, although Holloway will sit out the regular season opener.

• Xavier returns two other starters who earned All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors last season, including 7-0 senior center Kenny Frease, a 2010-11 Honorable Mention All-A-10 selection who averaged 11.7 ppg. and 7.1 rpg. as a junior. Another returning starter is 6-1 junior guard Mark Lyons, a 2010-11 Third Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection who was second only to Holloway in scoring (13.6 ppg.) and assists (3.1 apg.) on last year's squad. Both Frease and Lyons were named to the 2011-12 preseason A-10 Second Team.

• Xavier made its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011, one of only 12 schools that can say that: Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Villanova, Wisconsin and Xavier. Xavier made its 10th NCAA appearance in the last 11 NCAA Tournaments.

• Xavier, 24-8 overall, secured its sixth straight 20-win season and its 14th 20-win season in 15 years.

• Xavier third-year head coach Chris Mack, the 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, is 50-17 (.746) overall and 29-3 (.906) in Atlantic 10 regular season play.

Next Up
♦ The Morgan State Bears will host the Murray State Racers at Hill Field House, Baltimore, Maryland on Monday, November 14th.

Hampton University land two all-staters from North Carolina

Hampton, Virginia -- Hampton University has received verbal commitments from a pair of players at North Carolina powerhouse Northside Christian in Charlotte.

Dionte Adams, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound combo forward, and L.C. Cooks, a 6-1, 175-pound shooting guard, visited Hampton together last weekend and were sold on the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament champions, led by third-year coach Ed "Buck" Joyner.

"Even before (Adams') visit to Hampton, just researching the place, he had felt like that was the place," said Northside Christian coach Byron Dinkins, who said Adams also had scholarship offers from Winthrop, Presbyterian and Pembroke. "We told him he needed to see it, and once they took their visit, they both came back ready to get it done."

Adams, a first-team all-state selection as a junior, averaged 14 points and 13 rebounds last season as the Knights went 29-3 and finished runner-up in the state, posting a career high of 28 points and 18 rebounds in one game.

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Hampton University basketball continues to re-load for another NCAA run...

Men's Basketball Team preview: Florida A&M Rattlers

Tallahassee, Florida -- Clemon Johnson was around during the days when Florida A&M was a perennial powerhouse in the SIAC. As a senior, he helped the Rattlers reach the Division II tournament for the final time in 1978.

Hired as the program's new coach this May, Johnson sees no reason his alma mater cannot recapture the glory days of old.

"We expect to win the conference. There's nothing else," Johnson said. "We're definitely going to reach for the sky. I just want them to have the faith in me coaching them."

Johnson carries quite a basketball resume into his first Division I coaching job. As a player with the Rattlers, he set team records for rebounds in a game (25), a season (412) and a career (1,494). All three marks remain intact. Johnson also ranks among the top 20 in career scoring at A&M, with 1,381 total points.



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Q&A with Coppin State coach Fang Mitchell

Baltimore, MD - It's been an unusual recruiting cycle for Coppin State men's basketball coach Fang Mitchell.

Mitchell guided the Eagles to a 16-14 record last season, but his team lost four scholarships -- three this year and one next season -- because of Coppin's Academic Progress Rate. With 10 scholarship players coming back for another season, Mitchell had no scholarships to give for the 2011 class.

Mitchell also had to deal with questions about his future at Coppin thanks to his expiring contract. In May, after months of uncertainty, the university gave the 63-year-old coach a three-year extension.

While there were no new recruits to talk about this year, Mitchell spoke to Recruiting Report last week about his 2011-12 Eagles squad:

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Morgan's Bozeman: Show-cause 'had a great effect on my life'

Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman had to wait 10 years before landing another head coaching opportunity after receiving an eight-year show-cause sanction from the NCAA for paying a recruit's family as head coach of the University of California.  Former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl received a three-year show-cause from the NCAA last week.

Baltimore, MD - In the spring of 2006, Todd Bozeman escaped the purgatory of the NCAA’s show-cause sanction. For 10 years, the prodigy-turned-castaway languished like a ghost ship. He was little more than a bar stool trivia question.

“Who was the coach of California when Jason Kidd led the team to a win over Duke in the ‘93 NCAA tournament?”

Bozeman was reborn five years ago when a little-known historically black college in northeast Baltimore tabbed him as its head coach. Morgan State University, a MEAC school with no discernible basketball history, took a flier on a washed-up cheater who sunk his own career before turning 35. That, at least, was the perception back then.

All these years later, Bozeman is still a trivia question, of sorts.

“Who is the only head coach in Division I basketball history to receive a show-cause penalty and ultimately land another head coaching gig?”

Hint: it’s not Clem Haskins or Kelvin Sampson or Dave Bliss. The answer is, indeed, Todd Bozeman.

Now, the entire state of Tennessee - and the college basketball world as a whole – wonder if ...

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Q&A with UMES coach Frankie Allen

Princess Anne, MD - One year ago UMES coach Frankie Allen was looking forward to welcoming six new players onto the Hawks' roster.

Today, just one member of that six-man class -- sophomore guard Louis Bell -- remains in Princess Anne. UMES has just four returners coming back off last season's 9-22 team.

Allen was a busy man this offseason in putting together his 2011-12 roster. He added former Colorado and Northern Illinois coach Ricardo Patton and Marlon Terry as assistants, and recruited a seven-man class.

The new additions to the Hawks are: Olatunji "T.J." Kosile, a 6-foot-11 center from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss.; Pina Guillaume, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Blinn College in Texas who played his freshman year at Binghamton; Ron Spencer, a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred from Tennessee-Martin; Akeem Anderson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Northwest Mississippi Community College; Gregory Womack, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla.; Percy Woods, a 6-foot combo guard from Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa.; and Ishaq Pitt, a 6-foot-3 point guard from St. John Vianney in New Jersey.

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Hampton University, ODU among eight teams in hoops series

RICHMOND, VA - Standing on the Richmond Coliseum court, Governor Bob McDonnell along with coaches, athletic directors and other officials from eight Virginia universities announced today the “Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic”, a basketball doubleheader to benefit Virginia’s Food Banks. The “Classic” will take place in December 2012 and 2013 and feature in-state teams representing the ACC, CAA, MEAC and Atlantic 10.

ODU, HU among 8 teams in hoops series: wavy.com

The “Governor’s Holiday Hoops Classic” Matchups:

December 2012

George Mason vs. University of Richmond (early game)

The University of Virginia vs. Old Dominion University (late game)

December 2013

Hampton University vs. James Madison University (early game)

Virginia Tech vs. Virginia Commonwealth University (late game)

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