SSU men win first MEAC game in Savannah

SAVANNAH, Georgia  -  Savannah State missed wide-open shots and bricked free throws Saturday afternoon. But seeing the Tigers lack effort on defense drew the ire of coach Horace Broadnax.

“All the other stuff is going to happen but on the defensive end, that’s just energy,” he said. “I’m not accepting anything less.”

Broadnax relayed this message — perhaps, slightly more emphatically — to his players at halftime and then watched them turn up the heat on Coppin State at Tiger Arena. Trailing by nine at halftime, SSU did an aboutface and took over the second half en route to a 72-60 victory over the Eagles from Baltimore before 2,310 fans.

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Arnold Louis Leads Savannah State over Coppin State 72-60

Savannah State opened up a lead in the first half and cruised to a MEAC win over Coppin State 72-60 Saturday evening at Tiger Arena in Savannah.

Arnold Louis provided the punch underneath scoring 24 points, including two monster dunks. Deric Rudolph was hot on the day from the outside scoring 18 points off the bench.

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Poor shooting dooms SSU women

The Savannah State women’s basketball team missed its first six shots and didn’t get much better throughout a long Saturday afternoon. The Tigers couldn’t overcome 28 percent shooting and lost to Coppin State, 71-45, at Tiger Arena.

It was SSU’s fourth straight loss and ninth in the last 11 games. Most of the disappointment has followed a similar script. The Tigers are 328th among 336 Division I schools in scoring (48.4 ppg.) and 330th in 3-pointers (2.3 per game).

“The numbers in black and white are not favorable,” SSU coach Cedric Baker said. “We’re a young team and we’re trying to be patient, but there’s no excuse for the field-goal percentage.”

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SSU Tigers show effort but fall short in season finale to S.C. State

Savannah, Georgia -- It was the final game of the season for Savannah State at the newly renovated T.A. Wright Stadium, and although the Tigers lost to South Carolina State, 20-10, the hard-fought game gave coach Steve Davenport something to build upon.

“Ultimately the sting of the loss is still there, but we can definitely take something positive out of this game,” said Davenport, who finished his first year at the helm of the program with a 1-10 record. “I liked how we fought our butts off today and had a zest for the game.”

The Tigers were coming off losses to Norfolk State (45-3) and Bethune-Cookman (59-3) and hadn’t scored a touchdown since a 47-7 loss to Florida A&M on Oct. 15.

MEAC rival South Carolina State (7-4) scored on its second possession on a 31-yard field goal by Blake Erickson. The 77-yard, 10-play drive was highlighted by a 39-yard pass from quarterback Richard Cue to Dylan Cook.



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New FCS head coaches ready for debuts

Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils' Coach Karl Morgan makes debut in Montgomery at Alabama State University Hornets on Saturday.

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Seventeen of the 19 new head coaches at FCS schools will make their debuts during the first week of games, including two facing off against each other on the first night of action Thursday.

Dale Carlson will make his debut for Valparaiso on Thursday at Western Illinois, where Mark Hendrickson has taken over. Hendrickson was the Leathernecks' offensive coordinator the last 11 seasons and went 5-10 as acting coach over parts of the past two seasons.

Both programs were 1-10 last season and have never met before.

On Saturday, another pair of first-year head coaches will square off. Julius Dixon, the interim coach at Savannah State, will take his squad to Georgia Southern, where former assistant coach Jeff Monken has returned to try to get the six-time national champion Eagles back to prominence.

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Peach State Pig Skin Preview

It’s that time again, between spring training ending and just before fall practice begins, when you get those old pre-season jitters with anticipations of your team winning it all this year. Thanks to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon, and to all the college head football coaches and their players who attended the Pig Skin Preview media event last week, here’s a few hints, stats and innuendoes which might help you determine how your team will actually perform this fall.

Savannah State University seems to change head coach’s more often than most teams change quarterbacks. Interim Head Coach Julius Dixon will direct the team this fall after a 2-8 season last year. Even though the Tigers are returning eight offensive and seven defensive starters things won’t get much better this year. They begin the season by traveling to Statesboro on September 4 to face GA Southern, and things won’t get any better after that. The team could be hard pressed to match last year’s record.

Fort Valley State University, last year under second year Head Coach Donald Pittman, the Wildcats finished number one in total offense and third in total defense within the SIAC, and with most of last year’s team in tact, will probably win their conference and advance to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. It all starts on August 28 when they travel to Miles College.

Clark Atlanta University Panthers are scheduled for the Gateway Classic in St. Louis, Missouri facing the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions on September 25, 2010.

Clark Atlanta University Head Coach Daryl McNeill said, “Starting strong and finishing strong is not just a goal for each game, it’s the goal for the season and will commence with our first game.” They’ll attempt to resurrect their program on August 28 when they travel to Jackson TN to take on Lane College.

Albany State University continues to be guided by Head Coach Mike White in his 10th season with the Golden Rams. Coach White has led his team to appearances in the NCAA Division II Championships in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. With 14 starters returning on offense and defense, he may be poised to win the SIAC again this fall. The team begins play on August 27 versus Chowan University in Murfreesboro, NC.

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