Shaw Shows No Fatigue As They Down Virginia State

CHARLOTTE, NC - After playing less than 24 hours earlier, Shaw showed no signs of fatigue in a 72-53 CIAA Tournament women's quarterfinal victory over Virginia State Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Demaria Liles, a 6-1 forward, produced a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Lady Bears (19-11), who scored 34 points off 31 VSU turnovers for the win. Jackie Sanders, a 6-3 forward, came off the bench to score 12 points while Kyria Buford and Brittney Spencer added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Bears, the No. 2 Southern Division seed.

The Lady Bears advance to Friday's semifinal where they will play the Saint Augustine's College-Elizabeth City State winner at 1 p.m.

VSU LADY TROJANS ELIMINATED FROM CIAA TOURNAMENT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After playing less than 24 hours earlier, Shaw showed no signs of fatigue in a 72-53 CIAA Tournament women's quarterfinal victory over Virginia State Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Demaria Liles, a 6-1 forward, produced a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Lady Bears (19-11), who scored 34 points off 31 VSU turnovers for the win. Jackie Sanders, a 6-3 forward, came off the bench to score 12 points while Kyria Buford and Brittney Spencer added 11 and 10 points, respectively for the Lady Bears, the No. 2 Southern Division seed. The Lady Bears advance to Friday's semifinal where they will play the Saint Augustine's College-Elizabeth City State winner at 1 p.m.

The Lady Bears were coming off a first-round victory Monday against Lincoln (Pa.) which started at 7 p.m. Despite beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday, the Lady Bears had enough energy to dispatch the Lady Trojans. In the only meeting against VSU this season, the Lady Bears came up short 74-68 in overtime on Jan. 8. This time, the Lady Bears led mostly the entire way mainly because of Liles, a 6-1 forward, and Sanders, a 6-3 forward.

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NEXT GAME: 1 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. SAINT AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE
VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE

CIAA commissioner fell into job he loves

Leon Kerry never set out to be the commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. It just kind of happened.

But as he and the rest of the CIAA settle in this week in Charlotte for the annual women's and men's basketball tournaments, Kerry will be in his element. He loves tournament week because it's the culmination of the conference's long-standing commitment to putting on a good show.

And as the tournaments have grown, Kerry, as much as anybody, knows it's about more than just basketball.

"We've changed the way people envision sports at Division II," Kerry said of the CIAA Tournaments, which will start today with women's games. "Everybody is trying to do what we do with having an event, having functions around the event and getting the fans and alumni involved.

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CIAA crowds, dollars are flowing in

But experts question whether week's events bring in as much money as authority estimates.

Taxpayers will spend more than $500,000 to support the CIAA tournament that starts today - more than any other sporting event in Charlotte this year.

Backers say the incentives make sense because the CIAA brings in thousands of visitors who fill area restaurants, hotels and bars. This year, more than 100,000 are expected to descend on uptown for a week of parties, a beauty pageant, social gatherings and basketball.

In all, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority predicts the event will pump $40 million into the local economy. But experts question whether that number is inflated.

Local roots show at CIAA

CIAA equals entertainment with countless parties and performances taking place throughout the week. Some of that entertainment just happens to be homegrown, with three of next Friday's concerts featuring stars with Charlotte roots.

We spoke to performers Anthony Hamilton and Sunshine Anderson, who play the Fillmore, and Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown, who plays Amos' Southend - about CIAA, Charlotte, music and sports.

CIAA Women's Tournament Digest

ELEVATOR

St. Augustine's has won five games in a row against top-tier rivals that include Virginia State and J.C. Smith. UP

J.C. Smith had lost two of its past four before a victory Saturday at Livingstone. Not a good way to close the regular season. DOWN

Virginia State's Trojans have won four of five, including victories against Bowie State and Elizabeth City State. UP

Thousands Descend Upon The Queen City For The CIAA Tournament

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Thousands of people are descending on Charlotte for the start of the 2011 CIAA basketball tournament.

The first game in the tournament begins Monday at 1 p.m., but many who will attend have already arrived in Charlotte. Signs for the tournament have popped up all around the Queen City advertising the tournament. Organizers said ticket sales are up from last year.

Tom Grabowski, a CIAA organizer, said this year the tournament could bring in about $38 million to the local economy and 175,000 visitors to Charlotte.

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NCCU Eagles notch win No. 10 at expense of FAMU

DURHAM -- N.C. Central has figured out how to win close games, but the Eagles have had to build huge leads in two of their three most recent victories to do it. On Saturday, NCCU built a 15-point halftime lead before holding on for a 61-59 win over Florida A&M at McDougald-McLendon Gym that wasn't secured until the Rattlers missed a shot at the buzzer.

The victory gives the Eagles their first 10-win season since moving up to the Division I level. C.J. Wilkerson finished with 18 points, including a pair of free throws that gave the Eagles a five-point lead with under a minute to play.


Videographer: NCCUEagles; Hear Postgame comments from junior forward Nick Chasten (Raleigh, N.C.) and Head Coach LeVelle Moton following NCCU's 61-59 victory over conference foe Florida A&M. NCCU has won three-in-a-row and will take on league leading Bethune-Cookman on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. from McDougald-McLendon Gym.

LAST-SECOND SHOT LIFTS FLORIDA A&M PAST NCCU LADY EAGLES, 63-62

DURHAM, N.C. - After fighting back from a nine-point second-half deficit, the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University led by one point at the 49 second mark until Florida A&M scoring leader Antonia Bennett hit a last-second layup to seal a Lady Rattlers 63-62 victory on Saturday, Jan. 29 in McDougald-McLendon Gym.

NCCU began the second half with a score of 26-32, Bennett, who finished with 31 points, quickly paced FAMU to a nine-point deficit. Senior Jori Nwachukwu, who netted 16 points in the last 20 minutes of play, quickly led NCCU on an 8-1 run for the first tie of the half.

From the 14:30 mark until to the 8:17 point, FAMU would regain the lead, pulling away by as many as six points. With sophomore J’Mia Pollock on the line sinking one of her two free throws, the contest became a point-for-point battle.


Videographer: NCCUEagles; Hear Comments from NCCU Head Coach Joli Robinson as the Lady Eagles fell 63-62 to Florida A&M in heartbreaking fashion.

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JSU football: Jamison can help Glover fit in

Something is missing in the middle of the Jackson State defense. The presence of No. 56 patrolling and barking out orders is gone for the first time in what feels like forever. Marellus Speaks was the unquestioned leader of the entire team and was named SWAC defensive player of the year in 2008. For two years he and Marcus Jamison filled the two middle linebacker positions and were as inseparable as conjoined twins. Now, Jamison stands alone.

"I could just look at Speaks and feel Speaks sometimes," Jamison said. "I could just look at Speaks' eyes and just know it was time to play hard, regardless, to the end."

Jamison is now trying to form that same relationship and bond with will-be senior LeBrandon Glover. The transfer from South Florida has made his mark primarily on special teams during his two-year tenure at JSU. Glover is holding down the starting position this spring - arguably the most important slot on a defense that ranked among the best in the nation last year.

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UF Gators Volleyball rolls FAMU Rattlers in NCAA first round

Friday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center had the feeling of a battle of the bands, when all of a sudden a good volleyball match broke out. UF defended its home court in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, knocking out Florida A&M 25-20, 25-21, 25-15. The Gators hit a gaudy .451, led by freshman Cassandra Anderson’s 10 kills on 11 swings. The team percentage was the best ever by a Gator squad in an NCAA match. “As a team, I feel like we passed well,” Anderson said. “Connecting with the setters helped a lot to get kills around the block. As a team, we brought it all together.”

FAMU kept things competitive on the court and off, with members of its Marching 100 band drawing cheers from the 1,550 fans in attendance during timeouts. The roars at times rivaled the sound during the game. Both bands stuck around 30 minutes after the match, volleying turns to work the crowd up. The Gators (26-3) got a scare early in the match, trailing 3-0 to start the first set and battling all the way through an 18-all tie. Despite 11 ties and three lead changes, Florida closed the set out by scoring seven of the final nine points.

The Rattlers (14-13) got six kills in the set from Samara Ferraz, who finished with a match-high 15 (.290 hitting).

Photo Gallery
Boxscore
Pre-Game Notes
Post-Game Notes

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Alcorn State fires assistant football coaches

Alcorn State University head football coach Earnest T. Jones, 2-10 record, first season has retained two lawyers.

LORMAN, MS — Alcorn State University has fired seven of its nine assistant football coaches, and the head coach said the move was made without his knowledge. Alcorn State head coach Ernest T. Jones said he was watching television at his home on Thanksgiving Day when he saw a report on the news that his coaches had been fired. Jones said he was never notified the firings would occur. “I got a message from (Athletic Director Darren) Hamilton that said, ‘Happy Thanksgiving, I’m on vacation and we’ll chat Friday.’ We never chatted Friday,” Jones said.

Jones said he did not plan to fire anyone and has received no explanation from Hamilton or the university. Alcorn State Sports Information Director LaToya Shields confirmed Monday night that assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Earnest Collins Jr., offensive coordinator Dino Dawson, running backs coach Terrance Robinson, special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Zach Shay, secondary coach Jack Phillips, defensive line coach Keith Majors and strength and conditioning coach Lorenzo Guess would not have their contracts renewed. Only offensive line coach Adam Shorter and wide receivers coach Michael Armour were retained by the university, Sheilds said.

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Turkey Day Classic Battle of the Bands: Tuskegee vs. Alabama State

Alabama State University Marching Hornets Band

Tuskegee University Marching Crimson Piper Band - "Bust the Windows Out Your Car"

TU Marching Crimson Piper Band - "Lift Every Voice and Sing/America the Beautiful

TU Marching Crimson Piper Band - "Razzamatazz"

TU Marching Crimson Piper Band - "Magic"

ASU Marching Hornet Band

Update of Week Seven - MEAC/SWAC Football

Sorry for being missing in action this past week, but had to travel to South Carolina/North Carolina for consulting tasks for key Agency client. Unfortunately, it was a secure environment on a Federal facility (no outside Internet access) and my hotel had whacked Internet service and no ESPNU. I nearly went nuts, unable to access MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street nor receive FAMCast of the Rattlers game with the WSSU Rams.

The best I received was 45 second packets of streaming audio of FAMU's game standing outside the hotel front doors and having to re-boot every 60 seconds. Folks thought I was crazy for holding the laptop upside down, at ground level, trying to receive the hotel's Internet signal.

More importantly, I got the opportunity to watch my son's soccer team (Cary, N.C.) play two great teams in Fayetteville and Wilmington, N.C. over the weekend. The kid has skills scoring 2 goals in a 2-1 victory (Sunday) and being a defensive force in the 0-0 tie on Saturday. I could retire in the Carolinas (Apex or Carolina Beach, N.C.), but must have excellent Internet service and Dish Network. Otherwise, you are in HBCU sports purgatory. Happy to be back!

If you live in the Savannah River basin, here's what happen last week in the MEAC/SWAC, as you wouldn't know this from the local press. Talk about being blacked-out, the South Carolina locals are oblivious on the happenings in HBCU sports...

• FAMU (4-2, 1-2) kicked Winston Salem (1-5, 0-2) as expected 23-0, with 15,448 (60.5%) attending on a Thursday night affair for ESPNU--that 95% of America will never see this game on television. The highlight of the night was the cute little Winston Salem State Marching Band that came to Bragg Memorial to challenge the FAMU Marching 100.


• Morgan State (3-3, 1-1) went to Greensboro and steamrolled North Carolina A&T 41-3 before 21,500 Aggie Fans. Are the Bears really that good or has A&T (2-5, 0-3) slipped back a notch?


• South Carolina State (5-2, 3-0) has just about wrapped up the MEAC conference title, crushing the hopes of Norfolk State Spartans 24-23 at Dawson Bulldog Stadium. S.C. State packed in 16,003 for the big payback to the Spartans (2-4, 1-2) for last season's upset.


• Delaware State pulled an upset of the Bethune Cookman Wildcats 26-20 at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach. A crowd of 9,136 saw the BCU Wyatt-bone get contained by the Hornets (2-3, 2-1). BCU fell to 4-2, 2-2 on the season.


• Tennessee State was Idle.


• Prairie View A&M (5-1, 2-1) crushed the Alabama State 27-6 before 9,257 home fans at Blackshear Stadium. The Hornets are 1-5, 1-1 and still has shot to win the SWAC.


• Grambling State (5-2, 2-0) gave AAMU a lesson in football on its home field, 27-7. The Bulldogs fans (15, 170) were not happy with the outcome or the season record of 2-5, 1-1.


• Jackson State (2-4, 1-1) gave UAPB (0-6, 0-2) another beatdown to keep the Golden Lions winless under former Redskins great Monte Coleman. Is it Coleman or UAPB is really that bad? Oh, the final score was 21-10 with 10,600 attending at Pumphrey Stadium, Pine Bluff, AR.


• Alcorn State beat Mississippi Valley 35-21 on the road with 7,852 attending. The Braves are 2-5, 1-1 and the Delta Devils fall to 1-4, 0-2 in hopefully--Willie Totten's last season as head coach. Valley fans should be tired of losing.


• Southern University (4-2, 3-0) rained on Texas Southern (3-4, 0-2) 45-14 in their homecoming party at Mumford Stadium. 25,512 watched as the Jaguars prepares to face the FAMU Rattlers this weekend in an important rivalry game.


• Charleston Southern had a rough time beating Savannah State 29-20 on the Tigers home field. Coach Robbie Wells has surprised most with a record of 3-4, starting a freshman QB and players he recruited in his first season as a head coach. A total of 3, 457 fans came out to support the Tigers.


• Presbyterian (3-4) beat North Carolina Central 28-24 before 2,987 home fans. The Eagles (1-5) are finding the competition difficult in their second season at the D-IAA level.

We are now all up to date and are ready for Week Eight in the MEAC/SWAC.

FAMU falls in OT to defending MEAC champs DSU

It's a bird, it's a plane; heck gnaw--it's the DSU Swarming Hornets!

With last year's success and national TV audience, DSU can't take a step back

PHOTO GALLERY: DSU vs. FAMU

DOVER, DE -- There are only so many chances to seize an opportunity. Delaware State has waited an eternity for this one, with a football team that is coming off a season like no other in the school's history. That's why the Hornets have to continue the success from last season, when they reached the playoffs for the first time and finished 10-2.

There is so much riding on it -- fan support, alumni support, administration support, national TV exposure, continued construction on campus. It is all tied to DSU's success in football. That's what made the Hornets' opener Thursday against Florida A&M so important. And their 35-28 overtime win so exhilarating. DSU senior quarterback Vashon Winton knew this. He ran for four touchdowns and threw for another. But the victory wasn't secured until defensive back Jerome Strums intercepted a pass when Florida A&M had the ball.

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Attendance: 6,216 Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE (Capacity: 7,000).

MEAC volleyball kicks off

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The 2008 MEAC volleyball season will kick off Labor Day weekend with a flurry of nonconference games. The defending champions Florida A&M, will begin its season at the Florida State Invitational against Bowling Green and Stetson.

UMES will start at the Virginia Tech Hokie Invite at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. They will face Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina and Winston-Salem State. Conference play will begin Oct. 3 when the northern and southern teams will face each other.

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Receivers may soar for Tennessee State Tigers

Tennessee State's offense is up and running again. Or it might be better to say it's up and passing again. The passing attack had to be grounded late last season after quarterback Antonio Heffner suffered a broken leg in the seventh game at Eastern Kentucky. He was replaced by freshman Calvin McNairl, a skilled runner who lacked the experience to keep the passing game in flight.

"We lost Heffner, Calvin was a true freshman, and we had to shut the offense down," offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss said. "Hopefully that won't happen this year."

With Heffner healthy again, the hope is that the Tigers' talented and experienced receiving corps will live up to expectations and the passing game will finally emerge from the shadows of the running attack, which has long been the strength of TSU's offense.

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Newcomers make impression in Jackson State scrimmage

Jackson State held its first scrimmage of training camp inside Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday with a handful of newcomers making the most of the opportunity. Freshman quarterbacks Domonick Britt and Dedric McDonald had the best days of their short JSU careers.

Britt hooked up with walk-on Rashad Smith for a 38-yard touchdown pass. He also broke loose for a 39-yard run that was called back because of offsetting penalties. McDonald turned heads with a 33-yard touchdown run up the middle. "They're coming, they're coming," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "They're enjoying themselves now. They're not thinking about anything else right now."

Running back Bloi-Dei Dorzan broke his second long touchdown run in as many days. He ran though a few arm tackles and bounced it to the outside for a 26-yard score. Dorzan, RB Demario Pippen and RB Teravious Mitchell all fumbled the ball during the scrimmage.

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ShootAround: Coppin State proves it's not the start, but the finish that counts

Tywain McKee will return to CSU for a second senior season (Prop. 48) to lead the Eagles (Mark's Digital Photography).

Going into the 2008 MEAC tournament, Coppin State was the longest of long shots. With a 12-20 overall record and a No. 7 seed, the Eagles were figured by few to have any chance of lasting more than a game or two. One Web site's formula put Coppin's chances of making the NCAA tournament at just 3 percent.

But speculative statistical algorithms are no match for March math. The Eagles won four games in five days, all in the final seconds, against the best teams in the league. All top-three seeds went down to defeat to the MEAC's mighty underdogs, as Coppin went from lost cause to the Big Dance, earning a spot in the NCAA play-in game.

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Assistant coach vows: N.C. A&T's offense won't be boring

GREENSBORO -- To some observers, the football principles of new N.C. A&T coordinator John McKenzie replicate the West Coast offense. Others might call it a spread. Still others invoke the name of Dan Henning. Confused? Well, good. That's sort of the point. "We'll take one play and run it six or eight ways," said McKenzie, who became head coach Lee Fobbs' first offensive coordinator at A&T this spring.

People in motion, myriad forms of deception and play-calling balance are the goals, all of which signal opportunity for as many players as possible. McKenzie, who directed the offense at Alcorn State for the past seven seasons, vows it won't be boring. "Sounds good to me as a receiver," said senior Chaz Dawson. "We like the system. We feel we can move up and down the field."

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The long bus ride to FAMU will be a challenge for WSSU

Last year's kicker, freshman Matt Mitchell, quit school in the spring leaving a big question mark for the Rams special teams.

■ One of Winston-Salem State's biggest challenges this season will come Oct. 9, when it plays at Florida A&M. The game will be at 7:30 on a Thursday night and will be televised on ESPNU. Coach Kermit Blount said that a midweek game and a bus trip to Tallahassee, Fla., will take their toll.

"I think the one thing that we've learned is how you travel," Blount said. "Unfortunately, we aren't at the point now where we can fly to Tallahassee. So the trip to Tallahassee will be tough because it takes us out of our routine."

The Rams are 7-8 against MEAC teams (4-7 and 6-5 overall) in their first two seasons playing Division I schedules, and they're learning how tough the MEAC is, compared to the Division II CIAA.

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Coaches like direction SWAC headed

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff new head football coach Monte Coleman will look to move the Golden Lions forward from a 4-7 record of last season.

BIRMINGHAM - Southwestern Athletic Conference coaches said the league is getting better and more competitive. Each of the last two seasons, five teams have finished with winning records. That's the most since seven teams compiled winning records in 2000. "I think it's an outstanding league," said Grambling coach Rod Broadway, who led the Tigers to the SWAC Western Division title last season in his first year.

"There isn't much difference between the top team in the league and the middle team. The top four or five teams you can flip a coin." Prairie View coach Henry Frazier agreed.

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SCSU's newest coach no stranger to Bulldogs

John L. Williams does not need much schooling about South Carolina State University. A former player and assistant coach at North Carolina A&T during the 1990s, the Greenville, N.C. native got first hand view of the Bulldogs’ football tradition. As a senior, he lined up against the Bulldogs’ team which went 10-2 and won both the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and Heritage Bowl.

Starting today, Williams will try to help add to SCSU’s history as the new strength and conditioning coach. He replaces Thomas Stallworth, who resigned to take a similar job at Grambling State.

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Jackson State's Shasta Averyhardt gets taste of big time

Former JSU star Shasta Averyhardt played in her first USGA championship last week at the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. She made the cut of 64 and won her first match before losing the second 3 and 2. "It was different... it was fun," said Averyhardt, who was meet medalist for the 2008 SWAC champion Lady Tigers. "They treated me like a queen. I can definitely get used to it."

The atmosphere was a little different playing on the pristine Erin Hills Golf course in Erin, Wisc. - the scheduled host of the 2011 U.S. Amateur. From the strict pace of play to the locker rooms to the length of the course, the event was a taste of big-time professional golf.




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The 6-1, 22 year old Averyhardt is from Flint, Michigan and is scheduled to complete her degree requirements in accounting at JSU in December 2008. She has exhausted all four years of her eligibility in collegiate golf.

ODU Football schedules SSU and NCCU in 2009

Norfolk, VA - Old Dominion University has opted out of its ontract to play William and Mary in its second football game of the 2009 season. The Monarchs found a substitute opponent rather than paying the $75,000 to buy out of that game. They will pay Central Connecticut State a $50,000 guarantee to visit William and Mary on September 12, 2009.

Old Dominion also added to its schedule three games for 2009. The Monarchs will host North Carolina Central in a homecoming game October 3, will visit Savannah State on October 24 and will visit VMI on November 21.

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