Mids let UMES slip from grasp for overtime victory

At this stage in its development, the Navy basketball team is still learning how to win. Navy had the ball with a chance to close out a come-from-behind victory by scoring on the final possession of regulation. Much to the dismay of head coach Billy Lange and 1,825 fans at Alumni Hall, the Midshipmen did not even get off a shot.

Senior point guard O.J. Avworo lost control of his dribble while trying to create and the ball squirted toward midcourt. Freshman guard Isaiah Roberts chased down the loose ball, but did not realize the final seconds were ticking away and waited until after the final buzzer had sounded to launch a potential game-winning 3-pointer.

That final sequence was deflating for Navy and uplifting for the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, which proceeded to dominate overtime.

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HOWARD VS. HOLY CROSS - FOOTBALL GAME NOTES

Complete Game Notes

THE GAME
This is a non-conference, FCS matchup between the Bison of Howard University from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Crusaders of Holy Cross from the Patriot League. This is the season opener for both teams.

THE COACHES
Howard University is coached by Carey Bailey (University of Tennessee, ‘92), who is in his fourth season. Holy Cross is coached by Tom Gilmore (Pennsylvania, ’86), who is in his seventh season at the helm.

THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between the two institutions.

MEDIA
The game will be video streamed live over Crusader Vision for a fee of $8.95. Details on how to purchase the game can be obtained by visiting www. GoHolyCross.com. The game can also be heard over the Internet free of charge by also going to the website.

New leaders at Holy Cross

Practice is over on this hot August evening, and Holy Cross’s trio of quarterbacks walks across the field. They’ve been told that someone wants to ask them some questions, and they already know the subject matter. Dominic Randolph, the most prolific passer in Holy Cross history, is gone. These three are left. And as they move as a group to another session of inquiries about pressure, expectations, and big shoes, they do what they’ve done all offseason.

They laugh. “Within the team and the organization, it’s just jokes,’’ senior Ryan Taggart said. “Anything outside of that, the student body, the fans, I think that’s different. I think they’re lost; you know: ‘What’s happening?’ “I think on the team, everyone thinks it’s kind of ridiculous. It’s football. It’s the way it is. People leave.’’

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Holy Cross Names Milan Brown (HU Alum) Head Men's Basketball Coach

What can BROWN do for you?

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross has named Milan Brown as its new head men's basketball coach, athletic director Richard M. Regan, Jr., announced. Brown becomes the 16th head coach in the history of the program, joining the Crusaders after spending the last seven seasons as head coach at Mount St. Mary's. Holy Cross has signed Brown to a five-year contract, with an option for a sixth season. He will be formally introduced at a press conference next week.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to come to Holy Cross and to try to lead the program back to the top of the Patriot League," said Brown. "My family and I are really pleased about the move, and I cannot wait to get started. I would also like to thank Mr. Regan, Fr. McFarland and the search committee, for entrusting me with leading these young men both on and off the court."

During the last three years at Mount St. Mary's, Brown led the Mountaineers to three straight winning seasons and a pair of postseason appearances. His teams posted a 54-44 record (.551) during those three years, including a 35-19 mark (.648) in Northeast Conference play. Defense was a staple of Brown's squads, as the Mountaineers allowed just 64.7 points per game and 41.7 percent field goal shooting over the last three seasons, while holding their opposition to under 70 points in 72 out of 98 games. During the 2007-2008 campaign, Brown led Mount St. Mary's to the first NCAA Division I Tournament victory in school history, with a 69-60 win over Coppin State in the opening round.

"We spent a lot of time on this search," said Regan. "We were very focused on hiring someone with head coaching experience, and we were very impressed with Milan both as a coach and a person. We were particularly pleased with the outstanding recommendations we received from a most important source - several coaches who coached against him over the past few years. One thing that was clear, both from his records and what those coaches told us, is that his players defend very well and they play very hard for him. We think that is particularly appropriate for the players in this program right now."

During the 2009-2010 season, Brown's Mount St. Mary's team posted an overall record of 16-15, and finished third in the Northeast Conference with a 12-6 mark in league games. The Mountaineers led the Northeast Conference and ranked 48th in the nation by allowing only 63.2 points per game. Mount St. Mary's also posted an 11-game winning streak from Jan. 28-March 4, the second-longest streak in the school's Division I history, and advanced to the semifinals of the Northeast Conference Tournament. In addition, the Mountaineers non-conference strength of schedule ranked as the 25th hardest in the nation.

In 2008-2009, Brown's squad went 19-14 overall and 12-6 in the Northeast Conference, placing second in the league. The Mountaineers advanced to the Northeast Conference championship game, before suffering a tough 48-46 loss on the road to Robert Morris. Mount St. Mary's was then selected to play in the College Insider Tournament, where it fell at James Madison 69-58 in the first round.

During the 2007-2008 campaign, Brown led the Mountaineers to their first winning record in 11 seasons, posting an overall mark of 19-15. Mount St. Mary's finished the regular season in fourth place in the Northeast Conference with an 11-7 mark in league games, before running off three straight victories to claim the NEC Tournament title. Included during that tournament run were an 83-65 victory at Robert Morris in the semifinals, and a 68-55 win at Sacred Heart in the championship game. The Mountaineers then took down Coppin State (69-60) in the NCAA opening round, before falling to North Carolina (113-74) in their next game.

Brown took over as the head coach at Mount St. Mary's in 2003-2004, and led his team to its first Northeast Conference Tournament appearance since 1998-1999 during his first season. By his third year in 2005-2006, the Mountaineers finished fourth in the Northeast Conference with an 11-7 record, good for their highest finish in the league since 1996-1997. Following the 2005-2006 campaign, Brown was selected as the Northeast Conference's Coach of the Year by College Insider. He then directed Mount St. Mary's to another fourth place finish in the NEC in 2006-2007, with a 9-9 mark in conference games.

Before serving as the head coach at Mount St. Mary's, Brown had two stints as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers under Jim Phelan. He was the associate head coach at Mount St. Mary's during the 2002-2003 campaign, after serving as an assistant coach from 1997-2000. During the 1998-1999 campaign, Brown helped lead the Mountaineers to the Northeast Conference Tournament crown and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

From 2000-2002, Brown was an assistant coach at William & Mary under Rick Boyages. He previously served as an assistant under Jeff Capel at Old Dominion from 1995-1997, helping lead the Monarchs to a combined record of 40-24 over two seasons. In 1996-1997, the Monarchs won both the Colonial Athletic Association regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Brown began his coaching career in 1994-1995 as an assistant at Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Va., where he helped lead the team to a 23-7 record and the state championship.

A 1993 graduate of Howard University with a bachelor's degree in marketing, Brown earned All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors his senior year after averaging 13.1 points and 4.4 assists per game. He currently ranks second on the Bison's all-time career list for assists with 445, and scored 1,102 career points. Brown led Howard to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles during the 1991-1992 season, earning All-MEAC Tournament honors. He was then named the CBS Player of the Game for the Bison's contest with Kansas in the 1992 NCAA Tournament. Brown had his number at Howard retired in December of 2005.

The son of Charles and Pamela Brown, he is the oldest of three children. His brother, Morocco, played football at North Carolina State, and is the director of pro personnel for the Washington Redskins. His other brother, Marseille, played basketball at both Richmond and Hampton, advancing to the NCAA Tournament at each school.

Brown, who turned 39 in January, and his wife Tina have two daughters (Nyla and Sanaa).

Howard Bison 72, Navy Midshipmen 65

Howard Uses Late Run to Push Past Navy, 72-65

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Howard men's basketball team outscored Navy, 9-0, in the final minute of play to hand the Midshipmen a 72-65 setback on Monday night. The loss snapped Navy's modest two-game winning streak and drops Navy's record to 6-9 overall. Howard improved to 2-13 with the victory. Navy has lost six straight games away from Annapolis and has a 1-7 record away from Alumni Hall, entering Saturday night's Patriot League opener at Bucknell.

"We didn't do enough tonight for 40 minutes to be successful. When we don't play together, we aren't going to beat anyone," said Navy head coach Billy Lange. "We were careless defensively and didn't show enough patience on offense. It just seemed we got antsy in the second half and weren't patient enough. When we were, we got any shot we wanted." Howard was aided by seven three-point plays. Three of the seven came on fouled three-point shot attempts, while the Bison also connected on four and-one opportunities. "It's just a lack of focus, and we didn't close out on shooters properly," said Lange. "Our heads were somewhere else."

Final Stats

White, Collins Lead Balanced Attack In Win Over Navy

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Curtis White scored 12 of his game-high 21 points in the second half and Dadrian Collins added 10 of his 15 after intermission to lead Howard to a 72-65 win over Navy in a non-conference men's basketball game at Burr Gymnasium. The Bison (2-13), who snapped a five game losing streak, rallied from a 36-30 halftime deficit on the scoring of White and Collins who combined for 12 of the team's points during a key 15-9 run that tied the score at 45-all.

Buoyed by the run, Howard embarked on an 11-4 run to open up a 56-49 lead at the 10:48 mark of the second half. This time it was Mike Phillips and Calvin Thompson who keyed the run as they combined for 8 of the points. But the scrappy Mids (6-9) put together a rally of their own, a 16-6 spurt that helped them regain the lead at 65-63 with 3:08 remaining.

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Howard Bison 14, Georgetown Hoyas 11

Howard Ends Its Skid vs. Hoyas

As the seconds ticked off the clock on Howard's 14-11 victory over Georgetown at Multi-Sport Field on Saturday afternoon, Bison players Keith Pough and Darrin Christy grabbed a cooler of Gatorade, sneaked up behind Coach Carey Bailey and, when the buzzer sounded, doused their coach. A Gatorade shower may seem a bit over the top for winning the D.C. Cup, but not for Howard, which finally won a game, snapping its nine-game losing streak that dated from last season.

"Oh, man, we needed this win," Howard defensive end Will Croner said. "Just for the team morale, we needed it. After last year's loss [to Georgetown], we had a chip on our shoulder." Between Brandon Sherman catching a 35-yard touchdown pass from Floyd Haigler and Kenneth Austin-Bruce scoring on a five-yard run, Howard (1-2) did just enough to win. "Georgetown did a [heck] of a job, but I thought we had opportunities to score at least three more times that we didn't take advantage of," Bailey said.

Howard University Showtime Marching Band

Georgetown Hoyas Football: HoyaSaxa.com

Howard 14, Georgetown 11
When the story of the 2009 season is written, a lasting memory will come down Saturday's 14-11 loss to Howard. Not to falling victim to onside kicks, not to three interceptions, and not even to three intentional grounding calls. No, just two yards. Two yards may have separated Georgetown from its first win in 2009, and could be the closest they come to a win for a long time to come.

A restless Homecoming crowd and a steady rain proved to be less than ideal conditions before a full house on the Georgetown side of the spartan Multi-Sport Field and a surprising lack of turnout from the visitors across town. But to its credit, Georgetown started off strong, as freshman QB Isaiah Kempf completed four straight passes in a 12 play, 59 yard drive that ended with a Jose-Pablo Buerba field goal and an 3-0 lead. The weather conditions foretold a close game, but each team had their chances early.

Howard moved into Georgetown territory in its second possession, driving to the GU 27 and missing on a 44 yard field goal. The Hoyas offense reverted to its old habits, gaining five yards in its next two series and setting up the winless Bison at its 44. Aided by 27 yards rushing from Howard RB Charles Brice and 30 yards in Georgetown defensive penalties, the Bison moved 50 yards in five plays for its first touchdown, 7-3. With the Hoyas rattled, Howard picked up an onside kick moments later and drove 60 yards in seven plays, with a 35 yards pass to open the score to 14-3. Whether as a show of dissatisfaction, a retreat to drier climates, or both, a noticeable number of Georgetown students summarily packed up and left the Multi-Sport Field thereafter, leaving a crowd of 800 or so by the second quarter.

One student was asked if he was staying around. "What for?" he responded.

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Attendance: 2,630 at Harbin Field-Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

Howard Bison at Georgetown (D.C.) Hoyas

Bison, Hoyas Bring Dormant Offenses Into D.C. Cup Game

Nearly 176 minutes have elapsed off the game clock since Georgetown's offense last crossed the goal line. The Hoyas' only offensive touchdown of the season came on their first drive of their first game against Holy Cross on Sept. 5. Howard's offense hasn't fared much better. The Bison's lone offensive touchdown was in the second quarter of their season opener at Rutgers on Sept. 12, almost 100 minutes ago on the game clock. It's not surprising that both teams are winless given their struggles to put points on the scoreboard. Georgetown (0-3) has a total of 20 points in three games, while Howard (0-2) has 17 points in two games. When they meet in the second annual D.C. Cup game at Georgetown's Multi-Sport Field on Saturday afternoon, both the Hoyas and Bison will be looking to invigorate their lackluster offenses.

Jourdan Brooks, Rutgers runs past HU Bison CB Dante Martin. What a Bison to do?

Georgetown vs. Howard

Records: Hoyas 0-3; Bison 0-2.

ALL ABOUT THE W: Both teams desperately need a victory after slow starts to the season. Georgetown, which is celebrating homecoming this weekend, beat Howard, 12-7, in last year's inaugural D.C. Cup.

OFFENSIVE WOES: In a 31-10 loss to Yale last Saturday, freshman Isaiah Kempf became the first Georgetown quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards since 2007. Still, the Hoyas scored only 10 points and are averaging less than a touchdown per game (6.7 points). The Bison haven't had a 100-yard rusher since November 2006. Freshman running back Andra Williams has potential and has rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries, but he has fumbled three times in two games.

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Howard U., Georgetown Agree to Four-Game Series in Football

The Georgetown and Howard football teams have agreed to a four-game series that will begin on Sept. 6 at Howard. The division I-AA schools have not met in football previously. "I have seen both schools play over the years and as a Washingtonian, I always wondered why we were not playing each other," Howard Athletic Director Dwight Datcher said.

The schools will take turns hosting the game through 2011. Georgetown, a member of the Patriot League, went 1-10 last season. Howard, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, went 4-7.

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