Foreigners a net gain for Shaw Bears

RALEIGH, N.C. -- As a tennis player at Shaw, Sunday Enitan overheard students say mockingly, "We have a tennis team?"

That was years ago, before Enitan became coach of the Bears and ushered the tennis program into a new era. This season, the men's team claimed its seventh consecutive Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. The Bears went undefeated in conference play and have a 25-1 overall record.

Last week, the Bears outlasted Bluefield State and earned the school's first berth into the NCAA Division II championships. They leave today for Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla., where they'll face Abilene Christian at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the first round of the 16-team tournament.

The Bears defeated the Big Blues 5-3 in the Atlantic Region No. 1 finals, defending their home court at Biltmore Hills Tennis Courts before a host of Shaw supporters.

Shaw Men's Tennis Begins NCAA Play Wednesday

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Shaw University men's tennis team opens NCAA Division II Championship Tournament play on Wednesday, May 11, when they take on Abilene Christian at 10:30 a.m. The NCAA Division II Championships will be contested May 11-14 at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

The Bears earned their place in the tournament by winning the NCAA Atlantic Region 1 with a 5-3 win over Bluefield State last week. The Bears finished their regular season 25-1 and ranked first in the region by the NCAA and 48 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). This is Shaw's first trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament, which includes the 16 regional pod winners.

Abilene Christian finished their season 19-9 and earned their place in the tournament by winning the NCAA South Central 2 championship. They are ranked third in that division by the NCAA and ranked sixth nationally by the ITA.

Abilene Christian is led by Hans Hach, ranked 15th in the nation by ITA. Hach and doubles partner Jake Hendrie are ranked 15th in the nation by ITA.

Shaw's number one doubles pairing of Gabriel Nicotra and Ataide Suca are ranked 39th nationally by ITA.

For more information on Shaw athletics, visit www.shawbears.com, and to follow the action live from Altamonte Springs, visit www.rollinssports.com and click on the Division II Tennis Championship banner.

By  Sherri Fillingham, Sports Information Director

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Shaw Bears: Out Of The Wreckage In Raleigh, A Hero Emerges

LaMichael Howell,
Mobile, Alabama

Raleigh, N.C. - Faced with an emergency, a lot of us run away. But some of us run towards. That's what LaMichael Howell did this week when a tornado tore up his college campus.

Howell, a three-year captain of the Shaw University football team in Raleigh, N.C., was planning dinner with friends in his off-campus apartment Monday afternoon when the power went out. Moments later, the lights came back on and the news came in: a tornado had blown through the area and done catastrophic damage.

Howell decided to drive to campus to see for himself. And he'll never forget what he encountered.

"The student union was a wreck," says the 23-year-old senior. "Power lines were down. I couldn't see. Every turn you made, you had to turn back around. Trees everywhere. Dumpsters turned upside down."

Images from the Storm's Aftermath
Local Bank Establishes Shaw Relief Fund

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To help, make your tax deductible check payable to Shaw University Disaster Relief Fund, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, 13 E. Hargett Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Shaw Assistant Coaches Suspended for Drug-Related Offenses

Tory Renard Ross

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A pair of Shaw University assistant football coaches have been suspended without pay following their arrests this month for drug-related offenses, the school announced Wednesday.

Court records indicate that the school's wide receivers coach Torey Renard Ross, 28, was jailed under a $100,000 bail after he was charged on April 7 with being a fugitive from justice. Records filed at the Wake County Clerk of Courts Office show that Ross is wanted in Hinds County in Mississippi, on charges on failing to appear in court in August after he was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Jermonty Curtis Kimbrough

On the same day that Ross was arrested, police charged the school's quarterbacks coach, Jermonty Curtis Kimbrough, 28, with one felony count each for possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and ...

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For Immediate Release
April 18, 2011
Contact: Sherri Fillingham
Phone: 919-546-8250/919-623-9494: Mobile
sfillingham@shawu.edu

Local Bank Establishes Shaw Relief Fund

April 18, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) - Mechanics and Farmers Bank has set up a disaster relief fund for Shaw University in wake of the devastating storm damage the school sustained in Saturday’s tornado.

Tax deductible contributions may be sent to:

Shaw University
Disaster Relief Fund
Mechanics and Farmers Bank
13 E. Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

Shaw University was founded in 1865 and is the oldest historically black university in the south. Shaw University is a private, co-educational liberal arts University, that awards degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The primary mission of Shaw University is teaching with the commitment to maintain excellence in research and academic programs that foster intellectual enhancement and technological skills.

Shaw University Shuts Down For Semester After Tornado

RALEIGH, N.C. - Due to extensive damage from the tornado and storms that hit Raleigh on Saturday, Shaw University in downtown Raleigh will be closed for the rest of the semester, although graduation will proceed as planned.

The school made the announcement through its website today.

“While I knew that the situation was adverse during the evening, daylight has revealed that it will be impossible for us to safely conduct classes and return to business as usual,” said Dr. Irma McLaurin, President of Shaw University. “Thus, I have made the difficult decision of suspending classes for the remainder of the semester.”

The school said it would would officially close at noon today (April 17, 2011).





Damage at Shaw sends students home

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Hours after scrambling off campus to escape a devastating storm, students at Shaw University returned Sunday, only to gather their belongings and head home. They won't return for months.

Classes at Shaw are canceled, and the university is closed for the remainder of spring semester as a result of Saturday's storm, which dismantled buildings on the school's downtown campus and displaced almost 150 students.

"The campus is difficult to navigate, trees are down and glass is everywhere," Shaw President Dr. Irma McClaurin said Sunday. "... Many students are in shock."

Shaw officials said a tornado touched down directly over the quad between 4 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Two students were taken to the hospital with injuries. Others were forced to take refuge for the night in the gymnasium at Southeast Raleigh High School.

NCSU Campus considered lucky, 'dodges bullet'

A severe storm cell swept across North Carolina Saturday, killing 22 and injuring 130 others as several tornadoes touched down across the region. Areas of Raleigh hit hardest were South Saunders Street, Stony Brook mobile home park, where three people died, and the area around Shaw University.

Irma McClaurin, President of Shaw University, released a letter to all students and parents stating that the university would be closed for the remainder of the semester. According to McClaurin, Shaw "students will be graded on the work they have accomplished to date. The Math and English Competency Exam requirements are suspended for this semester only."

The storms that hit North Carolina were part of a three-day ordeal that hit the southern United States, killing more than forty people in total. North Carolina was hit the hardest and has the highest number of casualties, with 20 counties facing significant damage and over 200,000 people without power.

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Shaw Bears Raheem Smith Has Career Night In NCAA Loss to West Liberty U.

West Liberty, WV - On what would become the final night of his collegiate career, Raheem Smith exploded for a career-high 36 points - including 27 in the first half alone - but it wasn't enough as Shaw fell to the nation's highest ranked team, West Liberty, 98-93. The NCAA Atlantic Regional Semi-final was played on WLU's home court.

Shaw (23-9) had their highest offensive outburst of the season and held West Liberty (31-0) below 100 - only the second time all season the Hilltoppers have been held under triple digits on their home court.

"This was a great game from a fan standpoint. We were up and down the court, throwing in three pointers and playing good defense," said Shaw Head Coach Cleo Hill, Jr. "Both teams played hard, but in the end, the home team won."

In the end, the game was decided at the free throw line. The Bears went to the charity stripe 12 times -- hitting eight -- while the Hilltoppers found themselves shooting 31 free throws, sinking 26.

Boxscore

Hilltoppers Outlast Shaw 98-93

Atlantic Region Player of the Year Corey Pelle led four double-figure scorers with 23 points and senior pivot John Wolosinczuk hit a back-breaking 3-point bomb with less than 90 seconds remaining as unbeaten and No. 1-ranked West Liberty held off a determined Shaw squad in a regional semifinal thriller.

The Hilltoppers will host defending regional champion and No. 2 seed Indiana (Pa.) Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Atlantic Region championship game with the winner advancing to next week’s NCAA Division II Elite Eight at Springfield, Mass.

West Liberty led throughout the second half but weren’t able to put the hot-shooting Bears away until Wolosinczuk’s clutch 3-pointer pushed the Hilltoppers out to a 92-86 lead with 1:25 to play. Barry Shetzer then came up with a steal and hit a streaking Alex Falk for a runout layup that finally put the game out of reach, 94-86, heading into the final minute.

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New season begins as 8 teams seek Atlantic Regional title

EDINBORO, PA -- A month ago, the Shaw Bears were 13-10 and just about out of the running to make an NCAA Division II women's basketball Atlantic Regional appearance for the first time since 2008.

But today at 6 p.m., the eighth-seeded Bears (21-11), who earned their way to the regional by winning their sixth CIAA title in nine seasons, are the focus of the young, top-seeded host, No. 17 Edinboro (26-3), in the quarterfinals at McComb Fieldhouse.

"They are very talented with some great athletes, and I recruited one of their players," Edinboro coach Stan Swank said. "I knew about another of their players, a girl from Lakeland (Fla.), so it's not like you don't know about them."

What everyone with an interest seems to know about Shaw is that 6-foot 1-inch senior forward Demaria Liles, who played two seasons at...



Bears on hot streaks

Excerpt:
While Hill was chasing his first CIAA title as a head coach, Shaw women's coach Jacques Curtis was seeking to expand his already stocked repertoire. His season was filled with more ups and downs than a roller-coaster ride, but Saturday night proved doubly sweet for Shaw, as Curtis' team claimed the women's CIAA title with a 62-56 win over Johnson C. Smith.

The eighth-seeded Shaw women (21-11) open play today in the NCAA Division II championship tournament with a 6 p.m. road game at Edinboro (Pa.) University, a No. 1 seed. The Shaw men, a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Division II men's bracket, is set to face - for the third time this season - fifth-seeded Winston-Salem State at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night in West Liberty, W.Va.

Teams' successes boost Shaw pride

RALEIGH, NC -- Shaw University, a small private school in downtown Raleigh, sent both its men's and women's basketball teams off to national tournaments this week.

Today, Shaw's Lady Bears will play in the opening round of the NCAA Division II tournament in Edinboro, Pa., where they'll face the Edinboro Fighting Scots.

On Saturday, the men will begin their quest for national glory in West Liberty, W.Va., against in-state rival Winston-Salem State University.

Both teams cut down the nets at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte last weekend after winning the CIAA Tournament championships. The teams' winning ways have had a transformative effect on campus morale and spirit.

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CIAA Tournament: Lincoln women fall in first CIAA tourney game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sharay Dubose scored 27 points -- her second highest total of the year — but it wasn't enough as Shaw spoiled Lincolns' debut in the CIAA conference tourney, turning back the Lady Lions by a score of 95-63.

The Bears (18-11) came into the tourney as the number two seed in the South Division, while the Lions (3-24) were the seventh seed.

Lincoln came out of the gate strong, paced by the hot hand of DeJuana Mosley, who scored eight of Lincoln's first 13 points, and the Lady Lions either led or were tied for the lead for the first ten minutes of the game.

Shaw Offensive Firepower Rolls Over Lincoln 95-63
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The inside trio of Demaria Liles, Kyra Buford and Aslea Williams combined to score over half of Shaw's points in a 95-63 first-round women's basketball win over Lincoln (Pa.) Monday in the first day of the CIAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena.

"It felt good to get our feet wet and get that first win," Shaw Head Coach Jacques Curtis said.

Liles, a 6-1 senior forward, led the Lady Bears (18-11 overall) with 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting and snatched 12 rebounds for her fifth straight double-double for the Lady Bears. Buford, a 6-1 senior forward, added 20 points and Williams, a 6-1 junior center, added 15 points for the Lady Bears, the No. 2 seed in the Southern Division. The Lady Bears square off against No. 3 Northern Division seed Virginia State Tuesday in a CIAA quarterfinal game at 3 p.m.

2011 CIAA Women's Basketball Tournament Scoreboard

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Shaw Bears beating the odds

Videographer: ShawUBears

The rules for NCAA Division II football competition allow teams to have 36 full scholarships. Shaw coach Darrell Asberry is getting by with 26. The Bears don't have a home stadium, and their new practice field is roughly 50 yards long. Without access to an indoor facility, Tuesday's rains forced the staff to cancel practice.

And yet, Asberry is one happy coach these days.

With a 14-7 win over Virginia State last Saturday in the CIAA title game at Durham, the 9-2 Bears are off to the Division II championship playoffs for the third time in four seasons. "It says a lot about these guys, and the assistant coaches we have been able to get here, it really does," Asberry said.

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Shaw Bears will play for CIAA title

RALEIGH, N.C. -- For the third time in four years, the Shaw Bears are returning to the 'ship. The CIAA championship game, that is. In a game that didn't live up to its billing until the fourth quarter, Shaw defeated neighboring rival St. Augustine's 10-6 on Saturday at Broughton High School.

The win gives the Bears (8-2, 7-0 CIAA) the CIAA Southern Division title and a chance to meet Virginia State, winner of the Northern Division, at 1 p.m. next Saturday at Durham County Stadium.

St. Augustine's Fumbles Away CIAA Title Berth to Shaw

Rico Brown recovered a fumble and Raymond Williams took advantage with a 35-yard touchdown run as Shaw upset nationally-ranked St. Augustine's, 10-6, at Broughton High School in Raleigh Saturday. The victory gave the Bears (8-2, 7-0) the CIAA southern division title and, more importantly, a berth in the CIAA championship next Saturday in Durham against Virginia State. Shaw will make its third appearance in the conference title game in four years.

The no. 19 Falcons (8-2, 6-1), meanwhile, had their seven-game winning streak snapped and will wait to see if they can get an at-large berth in the Division II playoffs.

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Shaw Overpowers Virginia Union 57-27

Raleigh, NC - Shaw quarterbacks combined for six touchdown passes as Shaw handily defeated visiting Virginia Union 57-27.

Starting quarterback Kevin Atkins (right) threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns on the evening, while Quinshon Odom came in with the second team in the fourth quarter and added 103 yards and two touchdowns of his own – one a 60-yard bomb that was pulled in by Tyrone Craig in the endzone.

While the Shaw defense gave up some big plays at key moments, including a 25-yard touchdown pass from Panther quarterback Aris McGlone-English to Andre Winston as the clock hit zero at the end of the first half, they also managed to hold Virginia Union scoreless in the first and third quarters.



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Shaw Bears need a quarterback

RALEIGH, NC -- After losing to Fayetteville State 29-28 in the last minutes of the fourth quarter on Oct. 10 and giving up a chance at the division title, the Shaw football team is looking to make up for the missed opportunity. The team plays its season-opener at home and then goes on the road for five consecutive games. Shaw then comes home for three games before finishing off conference play against St. Augustine's on Nov. 6. Coach Darrell Asberry's team gets another shot at Fayetteville State at home.

The Bears have a veteran offensive line that has back all but three starters from a group that led the CIAA in scoring offense and total offense. But there are questions elsewhere on the team. Shaw hopes to have answers before its opener against Virginia Union on Sept. 4.

1. Who will be the team's new quarterback?

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Shaw Announces 2010 Football Schedule; Season Tickets On Sale

Raleigh, NC – Shaw University will host four home football games this season and take on one NCAA Division I FCS opponent. The Bears’ ten-game schedule includes home dates with Virginia Union, Fayetteville State, Chowan and Winston-Salem State.

The Bears open the season with the Shaw Pride game against Virginia Union on September 4, then hit the road for five straight weeks. On September 11, Shaw takes on Elon University. The Phoenix finished 9-3 in the Southern Conference last season with a strong Division I FCS schedule. The following week, the Bears will take on Catawba College.

The CIAA season begins on September 25 when the Bears travel to Elizabeth City State, followed by road games to Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith.

On October 16, the Bears return home to face division rival Fayetteville State, with the homecoming game against Chowan one week later. Shaw closes out the home season on October 30 as they host Winston-Salem State in a game that will be nationally televised. That game is also Senior Day and Shaw Open House.

Shaw finishes the season on the road at cross-town rival Saint Augustine’s.

Shaw defensive backs coach Robert Massey.

Shaw will play its first three home games (VUU, FSU and Chowan) at Southeast Raleigh High School at 2600 Rock Quarry Road. Game times are 6:00 p.m. for Virginia Union and Fayetteville State and 4:00 p.m. for Chowan. The final home game, against WSSU, will be played at Durham County Memorial Stadium at 1:00 p.m.

Season ticket packages, which include reserved seating, parking, and three t-shirts and a polo shirt cost $150 and can be purchased by calling (919) 546-8281.

Individual tickets went on sale July 1. Prices to all but the homecoming game (Chowan) are $15 for adults, and $10 for children and students with IDs. Homecoming tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children and students with IDs. Shaw students attend all home games for free with their student ID. Individual tickets may be purchased through the Shaw athletics website – www.shawbears.com.

Shaw will hold its annual scrimmage on August 28 at Chavis Park. Time is to be announced at a later date.

Last season, the Bears finished with an 8-2 record, 5-2 in the CIAA and one game out of first in the Western Division.

Football Coaching Staff
Darrell Asberry Head Coach (5th Season: 27-16)
David Geralds Associate Head Coach

Kienus Boulware Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Coordinator)
Robert Massey Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Backs)
Vyron Brown Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Coordinator
Richard McGeorge Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Line)
Jermonty KimbroughAssistant Football Coach (Running Backs)









2010 BEARS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 4 VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY 6:00 p.m.
SHAW PRIDE DAY
Saturday, September 11 Elon University 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 18 Catawba College 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 Elizabeth City State University* 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 2 Livingstone College* 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 9 Johnson C. Smith University* 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 16 FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY* 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 23 CHOWAN UNIVERSITY* 4:00 p.m. HOMECOMING
Saturday, October 30 WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY* 1:00 p.m.
SENIOR DAY / SHAW OPEN HOUSE (DURHAM COUNTY STADIUM)
Saturday, November 6 Saint Augustine’s College* 1:30 p.m.

Home Games Listed in BOLDFACE CAPS
Home Games, Except for WSSU, Played at Southeast Raleigh High School
(2600 Rock Quarry Road)
WSSU Game Played at Durham County Memorial Stadium
* CIAA Conference Game

In CIAA, the South's stout

No offense to the CIAA North Division, but the best preseason buzz is in the South. There’s Fayetteville State, the 2009 champion looking to break the league’s sorry postseason record of playoff futility. Shaw, the resident bully, is always in the title hunt. Winston-Salem State is back after a failed engagement with Division I, with its sights set on establishing dominance with a first-year head coach.

Fayetteville went 8-4 in 2009, including 8-1 against league competition, but struggled outside the CIAA. The Broncos lost close decisions to South Atlantic power Catawba and independent UNC Pembroke early in the season, and took a 42-13 beatdown by California (Pa.) in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Can FSU improve on last year’s magic, especially after losing offensive coordinator Connell Maynor to Winston-Salem?

Shaw (8-2) had championship aspirations before a 29-28 at Fayetteville left the Bears in second place – a spot they weren’t accustomed to in recent seasons. The Bears have the offense (42.1 points per game last season) to move up a step, however, with preseason honorable mention all-CIAA running back Raymond Williams and a line anchored by Lindy’s all-America Markus McElveen.

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Shaw's Asberry makes his mark‎

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Darrell Asberry can't erase this loss from his mind. The fourth-year Shaw football coach holds on to defeats and uses them as a source of energy. This particular loss, to Elizabeth City State, came during his first season with the Bears, in 2006. And it wasn't so much that his team lost, but that they were crushed 36-0 near the end of an ego-bruising 3-7 campaign. Vikings coach Waverly Tillar called for a two-point conversion after a fourth-quarter touchdown with five minutes to play. The run attempt failed, though it came as a stark reminder of how weak opponents considered the Bears.

"He called time out and went for two," Asberry said last month through coarse laughter. It's only funny now because that was the last game the Bears lost to Elizabeth City State. Two years later, Asberry's team won its second consecutive CIAA championship, defeating the Vikings 36-7 in the title game. Last season, the Bears were a botched snap away from returning to the conference championship game - led by their offensive-minded coach, who despite limited resources has spearheaded a successful program. "He made it known, you got me down now, but I'm not going to stay down," Tillar said.

A former quarterback at Jackson State, Asberry helped head coach Rod Broadway - now at Grambling State - orchestrate two CIAA championships at N.C. Central in 2005 and 2006, serving as an assistant head coach before accepting his first head coaching job at Shaw.

In a short time, Asberry, 38, has won 28 games, captured two conference titles, led the Bears to the NCAA Division II playoffs and distinguished himself as one of the nation's top Division II coaches. "To do what he's done at Shaw definitely puts him in the arena with successful [historically black college and university] coaches in the country," said LeCounte Conaway, an analyst with Heritage Sports Radio Network. "He's winning. ... He's proven that his teams are going to be very competitive, well-prepared and also they're going to have talent."



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