Murray State Racers set school record for win streak, down Morgan State

You couldn't dream much more of a senior night for a trio of Murray State basketball players. A national television audience, a record-setting victory over a tough non-conference foe and a sneak preview of the intensity of March. But Danero Thomas and the rest of the Racers weren't thinking much about it after Saturday's 75-66 victory over Morgan State at the Regional Special Events Center on ESPNU.

“When we cut down the nets in Nashville, I'll think about it then,” the senior from New Orleans said after the Racers outlasted an equally as hot Bear team in a slugfest between two of the nation's top mid-major teams. The win was a school-record 17th at home and pushed the Racer record to 26-3 overall. And it came against an opponent that owns 20 wins on their resume. Morgan State fell to 20-9 overall and is 12-1 in the MEAC.

GAME BOXSCORE Morgan State coverage GORACERS.COM

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New coach is well-versed in TSU history

John Cooper was well-connected in the Kansas City area. He was a car dealer who had ties to the Kansas City Royals. He knew Frank White. He knew U L Washington. The Royals were his team. But his grandson, also named John Cooper, had a bond with him beyond baseball. They loved hoops, specifically NAIA hoops, and the conference has held its basketball championship in K.C. for all but eight years since 1937.

So they would go to Kemper Arena. Head to the national tournament every March and watch the best basketball few discussed on a national level. Back in the day, Tennessee State was certainly in the NAIA discussion. In 1957, TSU became the first all-black team to win an integrated college basketball national championship. The Tigers followed that up by winning in '58 and '59. Five players from those teams went on to play in the NBA.

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New TSU coach wants to turn up tempo

Style of offense will take full advantage of players' talents

Lots of players are quick to say they prefer fast-break basketball over a half-court attack. Tennessee State's men's team got to experience both styles last season. With Cy Alexander as coach, the Tigers relied on the slower, half-court style. After Alexander was fired Feb. 6 and assistant Mark Pittman took over on an interim basis, the Tigers kicked it into a much higher gear. After the change, a team that started 6-16 went on a tear, winning six of its last eight games.

Not surprisingly, several players said they hoped to stick with the faster pace, and with former Auburn assistant John Cooper taking over, they'll get their wish. "One of the things I noticed is that if you look at this team at the beginning of the year and then toward the end, they averaged almost 10 points more per game,'' the 40-year-old coach said during his first news conference Monday. "I've been able to watch a little bit of videotape and get a general feel for the players in the program and I think there are some that it will certainly help their style if we're able to get out in the open court and execute."

Cooper met the Nashville media for the first time since he was named Alexander's replacement Friday. Pittman was also among those considered for the job.

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Auburn assistant picked to coach TSU men's team

After having a positive impact on one group of Tigers this season, John Cooper hopes to carry that over. The longtime Auburn men's basketball assistant was announced Friday as the new head coach at Tennessee State. Cooper, 40, replaces Cy Alexander — who was fired in February after five-plus seasons at the TSU helm — and Mark Pittman, who guided the Ohio Valley Conference program on an interim basis following Alexander's departure.

"First of all, it is a lifelong dream and a lifelong journey," Cooper said in a statement. As associate head coach under Jeff Lebo, the Kansas City, Mo., native helped Auburn to an NIT quarterfinals berth and a 24-12 record, tying for the second-most single-season victories in the program's history.

"I am really enthusiastic and excited about the opportunity," he said. "My goal is to obviously be successful, but also to put a product on the court that Tennessee State University is proud of, and one that is successful both on and off the court. In the future, we want to be able to say that we competed for championships in the OVC and hopefully say that we have won championships." Prior to his arrival at Auburn in 2004, Cooper served as an assistant at Oregon, South Carolina and Fayetteville (N.C.) State. Cooper inherits a program that has not posted a winning season since the 1996-97 team was 15-13.

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Second-half surge puts Tennessee State in semis

Jasmine Smith, who has been the Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week six times since January, lived up to her reputation Tuesday for Tennessee State. The transfer from Louisville poured in 16 points and helped the Lady Tigers keep their season alive by providing a second-half boost on the way to a 77-66 win over Southeast Missouri. The victory came in the first round of the OVC Tournament at Gentry Center. It moved No. 3 seed TSU (18-12) into Friday's semifinals at Sommet Center against Eastern Illinois, which defeated Tennessee Tech 71-65.

TSU guard Kendra Appling (5) drives past SEMO forward Rachel Blunt (32) during their game at Gentry Center. (GEORGE WALKER IV)

"I told Jasmine at halftime, if we win this game, it's going to depend on her getting involved offensively and defensively,'' TSU Coach Tracee Wells said. Sixth seeded SEMO (15-15) kept Smith contained for the first half. She came into the game averaging 11.1 points and 9.8 rebounds but was held to just two points and three rebounds by halftime. From the start of the second half, however, Smith was nearly unstoppable. She scored seven of TSU's first 11 points and finished with 14 second-half points and five rebounds.

Photo Gallery: Southeast Missouri State vs. TSU

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Cy Alexander is fired as TSU basketball coach

Dismissal comes after 67-106 record

Tennessee State fired men's basketball Coach Cy Alexander yesterday after more than five seasons, during which the Tigers program went 67-106. "I'm very close to Coach Alexander," TSU Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. "I hired him six years ago. He and I both had big visions for the program. … We've had success off the court. Our young men are graduating. … (But) somewhere in here we have to have the on-the-court success and that just has not happened."

Alexander will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant Mark Pittman, who will be on the sideline for today's 7:30 p.m. home game against UT Martin. A message left for the outgoing coach at his home was not returned Friday. Alexander, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., took the job on April 1, 2003, after 16 seasons at South Carolina State. He led the Bulldogs to five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

He went to the Orangeburg, S.C., campus in 1987 after working 11 years as an assistant coach at Howard. In his first year at South Carolina State, Alexander took over a team that had seen nine straight losing seasons and turned them into a winner with a 16-13 mark. The following year, the Bulldogs went a school-record 25-8, won the MEAC title and played in their first-ever NCAA Tournament game.

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Cats drub 'em (Tennessee State) inside, out

Photo Gallery: Hoops: UK vs. Tennessee State action

Meeks rules 1st half; Patterson owns 2nd

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- At one point in the first half of the University of Kentucky's 102-58 rout of Tennessee State last night, Jodie Meeks pulled up from about 30 feet and let fly a shot. "I think it was a little bit of a heat check," he said later. The shot misfired, but that was a rarity last night, as Meeks once again lit up like a Christmas tree. The junior guard scored 32 points in Rupp Arena two days after scorching Appalachian State for 46 in Louisville.

But perhaps in the spirit of this season of giving, Meeks shared his scoring spotlight. Teammate and roommate Patrick Patterson led UK (9-3) with a career-high 33 points, controlling the paint the way Meeks did the perimeter. It marked the first time since 1975 -- when Jack Givens scored 31 and Rick Roby 30 in a win against Miami of Ohio -- that two UK players scored 30 points in the same game.

"We were laughing about it in the locker room, how easy it was to get assists tonight," said guard Kevin Galloway, who had four of UK's 30 assists. Meeks and Patterson made everything look easy, each dominating a half. In the first half, Meeks' sizzling shooting staked the Wildcats to a huge lead. For the third straight game, UK hit double-digit points before its opponent scored, jumping ahead 15-0.

Attendance: 21,958 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY

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Green introduced as new Gamecock hoops coach

Photo: Former Mississippi Valley State University head basketball coach James Green was introduced as the new head coach at Jacksonville State University.

Jacksonville State University formally introduced James Green as the Gamecocks' new men's basketball head coach at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. Green becomes the 10th head coach of the JSU men's basketball team, taking over for eight-year coach Mike LaPlante, whose contract was not renewed at the end of the 2007-08 season.

Building teams around defense and rebounding, Green served the last three seasons as head coach at Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, Miss., where he guided the Delta Devils to the SWAC Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to top-seeded UCLA in the first round.

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TSU gets JUCO hoops commitment

Chris Goodwin, a 3-point shooter from Hendersonville who spent the past season at Wallace State Community College (Ala.), has verbally committed to play at Tennessee State. Goodwin, a 6-3 shooting guard, helped Wallace State to a 32-1 record by making 121 3-pointers and averaging 11.9 points per game.

Goodwin averaged 23 points per game his senior year (2005-06) at Hendersonville Christian High School, which finished 29-4. He spent his freshman season at Tennessee Temple University where he made 96 3-pointers.

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Tennessee State's signee Parker Smith is star quality

Photo: TSU signee #30 Parker Smith averaged 30 ppg in his high school career.

Times 2008 Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Chestatee's Parker Smith

GAINESVILLE, GA — There’s not much that Chestatee High basketball player Parker Smith can’t do.

Smith, who finished his career at Chestatee with 2,038 career points—924 points as a senior — led the War Eagles to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. As a senior, he shot 55-percent on two point shots, and 56-percent behind the 3-point line. He is signed to play next season at Tennessee State University.

The 6-3 shooting guard seems to excel at everything, whether it be in the classroom or on the court. The kid has incredible work ethic in all aspects of his life. It’s impressive enough to think that he’s an outstanding basketball player, but he is a straight-A student, too. According to Smith, the opportunity to play at TSU trumped offers from schools like Air Force, Buffalo and Dartmouth, among others.

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TSU Tigers’ OVC Championship Bid Falls Short with 82-64 Loss to Austin Peay

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Jerrell Houston Scores Career High 25 points

The Tennessee State Tigers (15-17) bid for an Ohio Valley Conference championship came up short with an 82-64 loss to Austin Peay (24-10) at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on ESPN2 television.

Junior forward Jerrell Houston scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds in the game. Reiley Ervin, playing in his last game for the Big Blue contributed 13 points and freshman Darius Cox added 12 points with seven rebounds.

Todd Babington led Austin Peay with 24 points, including 6-8 from 3-point range. Three other Governors added double figure support, Derek Wright (13), Drake Reed (11) and Fernandez Lockett (10).

The Tigers entered their first OVC championship game in ten years as a sixth seed and were currently on a three-game winning streak. They were not able to sustain the same intensity in the championship game that had propelled them through wins at Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and in the semifinal game against Murray State.

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TSU Tigers Advance to OVC Semifinals With 68-61 Win at Morehead State

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Bruce Price Leads Tigers In OVC First Round Win

The Tennessee State Tigers (14-16) returned to Morehead State (15-15) five days after a disappointing eight point loss to the Eagles. This time the Tigers virtually led from wire to wire and claimed a 68-61 win, advancing them to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament semifinals in Nashville.

Bruce Price led all scorers with 22 points while handing out eight assists. Three other Tigers tallied double figures, Jerrell Houston (16), Gerald Robinson (13) and LaDarious Weaver (11).

Morehead State got double figure scoring from Jamyron Steward (18), Kenneth Faried (14), Leon Buchanan (12) and Maze Stallworth (10).

Morehead scored the game’s first basket a 18:52, but Jerrell Houston’s jumper at 18:29 was the last tie in the game as TSU went on a 16-4 run for an 18-6 lead midway through the half (10:12). The Eagles managed to close the Tigers’ lead to 32-26 at the half.

In the second half, the Eagles rallied to cut the Tigers’ lead to one point (56-55) with 5:04 remaining, but TSU weathered the charge to take the win.

The Tigers advance to the Ohio Valley Conference semifinals for the first time in ten years, and will face Murray State at 8:00p on Friday, March 7, 2008 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The game will be telecast live on ESPNU-TV.

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Tennessee State Rolls to 89-70 Win Over EKU

Richmond, Ky. – Visiting Tennessee State scored 51 second half points while shooting 61.5 percent from the floor to earn an 89-70 victory over the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team Saturday night in McBrayer Arena. The Colonels (14-15, 10-10 OVC) concluded the regular season with five straight conference losses.

For Tennessee State, Bruce Price finished with 20 points and a game-high six assists. Three other Tigers recorded double figures – Jerrell Houston (19 points), Gerald Robinson (18) and LaDarious Weaver (12). TSU will be the No. 6 seed in the upcoming OVC tournament.

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TSU's Appling scores 50 in Lady Tigers' win over Jacksonville State

Photo: Kendra Appling scored a career-high 50 points on Jacksonville State. The 5-7 junior guard is from Jackson H.S./Jackson, GA. (Photo Courtesy: Sam Jordan)

By: Tennessee State Sports Information

Nashville, TN -- Junior guard Kendra Appling scored a career-high 50 points to lead Tennessee State to a 91-77 victory over Jacksonville State in the final home game of the regular season.

Tennessee State improves to 12-15 (9-9 OVC) while Jacksonville State falls to 11-16 (8-10 OVC).

Kendra Appling led all scores with a game-high 50 points while Oby Okafor added 21 points for TSU. LaDona Pierce dished out a game-high 12 assists for the Lady Tigers.

Jolie Efezokae paced JSU with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Cierra Duhart added 13. It was a slow offensive start for both teams. TSU didn’t score until five minutes into the game. With the game tied 4-4, TSU outscored JSU 10-4 to claim a 14-8 advantage. The Gamecocks responded with seven unanswered points to go ahead 15-14. With 8:05 left in the half, a made bucket by Oby Okafor sparked an 8-2 run that gave the Lady Tigers a 29-22 lead. JSU came back to tie the game (34-34) on a jumper by Jolie Efezokae at the 2:05 mark. TSU went into the break with a slight 38-37 lead.

A bucket from Cierra Duhart to open the second half gave JSU a 39-38 lead but TSU scored nine unanswered points to capture a 47-39 lead. The Gamecocks cut the deficit down to five (49-44) on a bucket by Efezokae but a 7-0 run by the Lady Tigers re-upped the lead to 12 (56-44). Tennessee State then outscored Jacksonville State 12-2 over the next four and a half minutes to stretch the advantage to 68-46.

TSU led by as many as 27 points (75-48) before going on to win 91-77.

The Lady Tigers will next travel to Morehead State to face the Lady Eagles on Thursday, Feb. 27. Game time is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. in Ellis T. Johnson Arena.

Price, Tennessee State earn huge win over Austin Peay

Tigers guard will forgo final year

Bruce Price made sure he went out as a winner with Tennessee State's men's basketball team Monday night.

Price decided before the game to forgo his final year of eligibility with the Tigers. He joined the team's four seniors who were honored before the tip-off against Austin Peay at Gentry Center.

Then in the final 46 seconds, Price sank two free throws, stripped the ball from Austin Peay's Ernest Fields under the Governors' basket and pinned a shot by Derek Wright on the backboard to help Tigers hang on for a 73-69 victory before a crowd of 4,857.

"This is where it all started for me and this was a very important game for me,'' Price said. "Even though we weren't hitting our free throws at the end I made sure that I made some good defensive plays with the charges and the block and the strip."

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TSU Tigers Rally for 75-70 Win Over Murray State

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

The Tennessee State Tigers (11-15, 8-9) rallied back from a thirteen point second half deficit to defeat the Murray State Racers (15-10, 11-6) in Nashville on Thursday (2/14) at the Gentry Center.

TSU senior Andrae Belton came off the bench to lead all-scorers with 16 points, including a game deciding 3-pointer with 0:18 remaining in the game. Bruce Price added 15 points, Reiley Ervin tallied 14 points and Darius Cox chipped in 11 points. Cox barely missed a double-double as he pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds.

Murray State was led in scoring by Bruce Carter and Ray George who scored 13 points each, with Danero Thomas chipping in 11 points.

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TSU Lady Tigers beat Austin Peay State University

A furious, late charge fell just short as Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team dropped a 74-72 Ohio Valley Conference decision to Tennessee State, Saturday night, at the Dunn Center. Down 12 points with 2:57 remaining, Austin Peay (5-16, 2-10 OVC) put together an 18-8 run over the final three minutes to nearly escape with the victory. They had one last possession following a jump ball with 2.2 seconds remaining, but sophomore Janay Armstrong’s full-court throw went uncaught and time expired.

Tennessee State (10-12, 7-6 OVC) nearly ran away from Austin Peay just before the final three minutes as they used a 21-4 run over an eight-minute stretch to erase a three-point APSU lead to build a 14-point, 61-47, advantage with 5:44 remaining. Kendra Appling led Tennessee State with 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals. Obi Okafor added 18 points and Tiffany Jackson chipped in 16 points.

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Tennessee State shoot past Jacksonville State

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Yet another comeback attempt fell short for the Jacksonville State men’s basketball team on Tuesday night, when Tennessee State held off the Gamecocks for an 88-77 home win at the Gentry Center.

The Gamecocks (4-17, 2-11 Ohio Valley Conference) used a 55-point second half to cut a 24-point deficit with 6:27 to play to a nine-point game with just under three minutes to play, but the rally proved too little too late for JSU in its fifth-straight loss and the fifth straight to the Tigers (10-11, 7-5 OVC) in Nashville.

Tigers guard Reiley Ervin had another big night against the Gamecocks, scoring a season-high 19 points, just 17 days after he set his previous high of 16 points in a loss to JSU in Jacksonville. He set his career high last season with 29 points in a home win over the Gamecocks.

Reigning OVC Freshman of the Week Gerald Robinson added 18 for the Tigers, while Price was 10-for-10 from the charity stripe to account for the majority of his 14 points. Jerrell Houston grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to lead a TSU attack that out rebounded the Gamecocks, 47-29. Murphy led the Gamecocks on the glass with six boards.

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Tennessee State Lady Tigers holds off Tennessee Tech

Photo: Oby Okafor recorded her 20th career double-double in Tennessee State’s win over TTU. The 5-9 junior forward is from Rolla, Missouri (Rolla High School).

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech fought an uphill battle the entire second half, and although the Golden Eagles got one step from the top several times, they never got over the hump as visiting Tennessee State held on for a 69-56 Ohio Valley Conference victory in Eblen Center.

A national TV audience was tuned in on ESPNU as Tech pulled to within one point with less than six minutes to play, and got to within two points twice after that. In the end, however, the Tigers (9-11/6-5 OVC) made nine out of 10 free throws in the final minute to pull away to the final 13-point margin.

Tech (3-18/2-9 OVC) made it 58-56 when Kristina Tyler hit both free throws with 1:53 remaining, but that was the last time the Golden Eagles scored.

Oby Okafor recorded her 20th career double-double in Tennessee State and led all scores with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Tiffany Jackson also posted double-digits with 11 points and 4 blocked shots.

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Tennessee State gets last-second win over Tennessee Tech

Photo: Bruce Price, 6-3/205 guard scored 13 points to help the Tigers in win. Price is a junior from South H.S., Minneapolis, MN.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - LaDarious Weaver'ss 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded lifted Tennessee State to a thrilling 73-72 victory over Tennessee Tech Saturday afternoon in Eblen Center. With the win, TSU (10-12/6-5 OVC) played leapfrog and jumped ahead of Tech (9-13/6-6 OVC) in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.

Tech, which came into the contest in a tie for fourth place, could find themselves anywhere from fifth to ninth place when the dusts settles later Saturday night in what's shaping up as one of the closest races in conference history.

Gerald Robinson was the game-high scorer with 27 points. Bruce Price added 13 points and Reiley Ervin canned 10 points for the Tigers. Darius Cox scored 8 points for the Tigers, while collecting 8 rebounds.

Tennessee Tech’s top scorers were Amadi McKenzie (19), Anthony Fisher (15) and Will Barnes. Northern Daniel was the game’s top rebounder, pulling down 12 rebounds.

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