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OXFORD, Mississippi - Wide receiver Collins Moore announced on Instagram that he intends to transfer from Ole Miss to Alcorn State to complete his football career.
The fifth-year senior receiver a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA following an injury-plagued career with the Rebels. He played just four games in 2012 because of injuries to both shoulders and missed all of the 2014 season because of a knee injury.
Moore announced his intention to transfer earlier this month in an Instagram post, saying it had been a blessing to finish his career with a Sugar Bowl win and thanking Ole Miss fans.
He joins quarterback DeVante Kincade and cornerback Tee Shepard as players from the Rebels’ 2015 roster who have said they intend to transfer.
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- It's not too difficult to spot the difference with Grambling's basketball team. At least not for Jackson State coach Wayne Brent.
"When I look at them on film, they look like basketball players. Last year coming into the game, they didn't look like basketball players," he said. "We knew going into the game if we played well, we would win the basketball game. This time you look at them, even if you play well, you have a chance on losing the basketball game."
Last season, Grambling went 2-27 and 0-18 in the SWAC. Grambling (6-12, 3-3 SWAC) hasn't posted an impressive record this season, but it's made significant strides from last season and should present a tough challenge for Jackson State (9-10, 4-2) at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Lee E. Williams AAC.
The Tigers are currently locked in a three-way tie for ...
HOUSTON, Texas -- TSU forward Derrick Griffin, center, snags a rebound. The Tigers are the lone undefeated team in the SWAC.
There are still 13 games left before the SWAC tournament but everything Texas Southern hoped this season would become is coming to fruition.
The Tigers (6-11, 5-0) remain the lone undefeated team in the conference after a 71-65 win at Jackson and a 69-54 win at Grambling State.
They passed the first conference road tests of the year. The Jackson State game is the only conference game that TSU has won by single digits, however.
"It was a close game at the end," TSU head coach Mike Davis said. "We went up 20 and just kind of relaxed, turned the ball over, gave up too many turnovers at the end for points. That's one area we try not to give up a lot of points off turnovers. We were able to hang on for the win but it shouldn't have even been a close game if we would've just stayed focused and play."
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- There’s something that holds true in almost every aspect of sports: It doesn’t matter how good the person at the helm is, if the supporting cast is inadequate, the team fails.
It was true in the 2015 NBA Finals, and it’s true when it comes to the athletics program of a four-year university.
Florida A&M athletic director Milton Overton Jr. has been building his team since he first set foot on campus in August. Wednesday, in front of the FAMU-faithful 220 Quarterback Club, Overton showed off the latest addition to his squad.
Elliott Charles was hired last week as Overton’s second in command. Previously, he was South Florida’s associate athletic director of compliance. Before that, he was the associate commissioner for compliance for the Mid-American Conference.
The 32-year-old University of South Florida graduate has already hit the ground running and has his eyes set on one of FAMU’s biggest problems. Flanked by his wife and two of his children, he tackled a few questions from the 220 QB Club.
DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University's quest for a historic three-peat as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions will travel down a similar path during the upcoming football campaign.
After repeating as conference co-champions and posting the most wins as a Division I-FCS program with an 8-3 record last season, NCCU's 11-game 2016 football schedule is nearly identical to last year's line-up. The Eagles have non-conference rematches with Triangle foes Duke and Saint Augustine's, and face the same MEAC opponents as they did when achieving a 7-1 league mark in 2015 under the leadership of Jerry Mack, who became the first head coach in school history to win 15 games in his first two seasons.
With consecutive league titles in hand, this year's Eagles squad will attempt to do something that no NCCU team has been able to do – win a third straight conference championship.
NCCU kicks off the 2016 season on Sept. 3 against Durham neighbor Duke University in the Bull City Gridiron Classic. The Blue Devils are coming off an 8-5 season that included a win over Indiana in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Duke has won all four contests in the series with the Eagles that started in 2009.
The lone newcomer to NCCU's schedule is Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference (FBS) on Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for the first gridiron meeting between the two universities. The Broncos closed out last season with a win over nationally-ranked Toledo to claim a share of the MAC West title, followed by a victory against Middle Tennessee in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl for the program's first bowl triumph to finish with an 8-5 record.
The Eagles' first home game is on Sept. 17 versus Saint Augustine's, a former Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association foe, at 6 p.m. inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. This will be the 32nd meeting between the Falcons and Eagles, with NCCU holding a 28-2-1 advantage in the series.
NCCU begins MEAC play on the road at Norfolk State on Sept. 24. The Eagles celebrated homecoming last season with their third straight win over the Spartans to improve their series advantage to 8-5 over NSU.
On Oct. 1, NCCU will face fellow back-to-back conference co-champions Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Eagles defeated the Wildcats in the first meeting back in 1994, but B-CU has beaten NCCU in each of the last six contests since 2010, including last year's heart-breaking two-point setback that was the Eagles' lone league loss.
After playing on the road in four of the first five weeks, NCCU returns home to O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium for four of its last six regular-season games.
The Eagles host the Rattlers of Florida A&M on Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. Last year in Tallahassee, Florida, NCCU used a late field goal to edge the Rattlers for the first of seven consecutive victories. FAMU leads the series 6-2-1.
NCCU stays in Durham to celebrate homecoming on Oct. 15 versus Savannah State at 2 p.m. The Eagles have won the last four meetings with SSU to push the series advantage to 8-2-1. The Eagles also boast a record of 61-19-2 (.756 winning percentage) on homecoming since 1931.
The Eagles hit the road to play Morgan State on Oct. 22 in Baltimore, Maryland. The last two matchups at Hughes Stadium have been decided by a touchdown in the final minute of the game. NCCU triumphed in 2015, but the Bears have won seven of the last 10 meetings with the Eagles to extend their series cushion to 24-14-2.
After an open week on Oct. 29, NCCU travels to "The First State" for the first time since 2011 to face Delaware State on Nov. 5. The Eagles have won seven of the last eight meetings against the Hornets, including three in-a-row, to improve their series lead over DSU to 16-6.
On Nov. 12, NCCU comes back to Durham to host Howard at 2 p.m. The Eagles have downed the Bison in four straight contests to take a 10-9-1 edge in the series. Howard's last victory at NCCU was on Oct. 15, 1994.
The Eagles close out the 2016 regular season with the 88th meeting against rival North Carolina A&T on Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. In each of the last two seasons, NCCU wrapped up the campaign with wins over the nationally-ranked Aggies to earn a share of the conference title.
While aiming to make NCCU history with a third straight league championship, the Eagles will also be vying to represent the MEAC in the second annual Celebration Bowl against the champion from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
NCCU will hold its spring football game on Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m. inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
Details about NCCU football season tickets will be announced in February.
NORFOLK, Virginia – Norfolk State University Director of Athletics Marty L. Miller announced Wednesday afternoon that Spartan head women's basketball coach Debra Clark has been reassigned within the department, effective immediately.
Larry Vickers, associate head coach of the NSU men's program, will assume the role of interim head women's coach for the remainder of the season.
"I want to thank coach Clark for her commitment and service to the women's basketball program," Miller said. "But I felt that now was the time to make a change to move the program in a different direction.
"Coach Vickers has served as a coach with our basketball program for eight seasons. He is very familiar not only with the men's basketball players, but the women's team, as well. This will give us some continuity with the student-athletes in order to complete the season."
The Spartan women's basketball team is 0-16 on the year, 0-6 in the MEAC heading into this Saturday's home game against South Carolina State. NSU has lost 17 games in a row dating to last season's MEAC tournament semifinals.
Clark was in her seventh season leading the Spartans. Her record at NSU was 58-129.
Vickers will also continue to assist with the Spartan men's program. Assistant women's basketball coach Lou Hamilton and graduate assistant Kquanise Byrd will continue in their roles with the women's program. Assistant women's basketball coach Lashondra Dixon-Gordon will also be reassigned, along with Clark. Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
NORFOLK,Virginia -- Five home games, the return of the Labor Day Classic and eight games played within the Commonwealth of Virginia highlight the 2016 Norfolk State University football schedule, which was announced Wednesday by head coach Latrell Scott.
After having just four home games last season, the Spartans play five of their 11 games in the confines of William "Dick" Price Stadium in 2016. The schedule kicks off at home with the return of the Labor Day Classic on Saturday, Sept. 3 against Elizabeth City State at 6 p.m.
The Labor Day Classic, traditionally played against NSU's former Division II rival Virginia State, was last played in 2012. This year, another old Spartan rival, ECSU, returns to the schedule for the first time since 1996, NSU's last year competing at the Division II level. The Spartans have played ECSU 55 times, more than any other opponent in Spartan history. VSU is NSU's Labor Day opponent in 2017 and 2018.
"I'm excited about the return of the Labor Day Classic," Scott said. "This game has a great tradition of rivalries and big crowds and we're looking forward to bringing an old rival back onto our schedule. It should be a great way to start the season at Dick Price Stadium."
Following the Labor Day Classic, the Spartans play consecutive road games against two of last year's three co-CAA championship teams. NSU visits the University of Richmond on Sept. 10 for the first-ever meeting between the teams. Richmond advanced to the FCS semifinals last year, finishing 10-4. Scott was formerly the head coach at UR in 2010.
The following week, NSU again heads west on Interstate 64 to face William & Mary on Sept. 17 in Williamsburg. The Tribe also tied for first in the CAA last year and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs, finishing 9-4. NSU and William & Mary last met in 2014, a game the Tribe won 29-14. This will be the schools' fourth meeting since 2008.
"Playing two quality top-25 programs in Richmond and William & Mary back-to-back will be a huge challenge, but a huge opportunity for our program," Scott said. "I like that we have two successful in-state programs on our schedule because our fans can travel easily to the games, and the competition will prepare us for our conference schedule."
The William & Mary game caps NSU's non-conference slate in 2016. The MEAC schedule begins with back-to-back home games with North Carolina Central (Sept. 24, 4 p.m.) and Howard (Oct. 1, 2 p.m.). After five games in Virginia, NSU finally leaves the state for the first time on Oct. 8 for a road game at MEAC co-champion North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.
Following a bye week on Oct. 15, NSU has consecutive home games with Bethune-Cookman (Oct. 22, 2 p.m.) and Morgan State (Oct. 29 for Homecoming, 2 p.m.) before finishing the season with three straight road games: at Savannah State (Nov. 5), at South Carolina State (Nov. 12) and at Hampton in the Battle of the Bay in the regular-season finale (Nov. 19).
This year marks just the second time, and first since 1996, that NSU and Hampton will meet in the regular-season finale. The Battle of the Bay has been played in October in recent years.
Said Scott: "This is a strong schedule for our team and a travel-friendly one for our fans. Our players are looking forward to the challenges that await us in 2016."
NEW ORLEANS — Veteran Orleans and Jefferson Parish prosecutor, David Abdullah, and Xavier University of Louisiana have entered into a formal partnership, whose mission is to prevent driving under the influence (DUI) among college students in the Greater New Orleans region.
Abdullah, now in private practice as a partner at New Orleans-based law firm Peiffer, Rosca, Wolf, Abdullah, Carr & Kane, APLC, possesses 15 years of experience prosecuting and defending DWI offenders. Xavier University, listed as one of the nation's top colleges in the 2016 Princeton Review, has a longstanding commitment to making students aware of the risks posed by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
According to Abdullah, "I have seen countless lives and futures destroyed by drunk driving, and the common denominator is always the same — a bad decision. Checkpoints and other law enforcement measures deal with the problem downstream. Xavier University and I want to go upstream, to positively impact the decision-making process of college students. Drinking and driving is a choice — the wrong choice. We want college students to make the right choice."
Abdullah is speaking to Xavier students in early February during a campus-wide program about Mardi Gras safety. In addition to programming from Xavier's campus police, the university also requires all students to learn about personal safety and the hazards of DUI during freshman orientation.
"It's important to remember that college students are adults, not children," said Deon Ridgell, Assistant Dean of Student Life at Xavier University. "Lecturing students doesn't work, and threat-based language sets the wrong tone. We don't want to tell students what to do. Rather, we want to help guide them to make the right decisions on their own."
Ridgell also said, "It's easier and easier to make the right choices, particularly with services like Uber operating here in Orleans Parish. A recent study conducted in a partnership between Uber and Mothers Against Drunk Driving showed a meaningful decrease in alcohol-related crashes among drivers under 30 following the launch of UberX ridesharing in particular markets. The message here is unmistakable: When young people are made aware of what the right choices are, more often than not, they'll make the right choices."
Data continue to show how prevalent alcohol consumption and driving is among college-aged youth. More than 1,300 college students are killed each year around the country in alcohol-related traffic accidents. And, according to a recent study, 25 percent of U.S. college students reported drinking and driving in the last month. (Links to data sources are available.)
Abdullah said, "People often forget that New Orleans is a college town, and New Orleans can be a lot for a young person to handle. But developing strong decision-making skills and good habits starts when you're young. This is why we're going upstream to prevent DWI incidents, before they become downstream felony incidents or fatalities."
• • •
About Peiffer Rosca Law Firm
Peiffer, Rosca, Wolf, Abdullah, Carr & Kane, APLC law firm, with offices in New Orleans, Cleveland, San Francisco and New York state, is a nationwide litigation law firm that represents individuals and entities who have been the victims of negligence, fraud or the misconduct of powerful interests. Founded in 2013, the firm's vision is to provide first-class legal representation to clients who seek to recover for injuries suffered at the hands of others. The firm also defends clients who have been charged with such crimes as DWIs, drug offenses, property crimes, and select violent offenses. Learn more at prwlegal.com.
About Xavier University
Xavier University of Louisiana, founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society. This preparation takes place in a diverse learning and teaching environment that incorporates all relevant educational means, including research and community service. Find out more at www.xula.edu.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Brent the chance for Jackson State to sit at 4-2 in the SWAC and 9-10 overall at this point of the year, there wouldn't have been much hesitation on his part.
"I really would (have). Because I've been on the other end and I've been 2-4. A lot of people don't understand how tough it is to dig a program out of the hole," Brent said. "To see where this program has come in two or three years, we didn't come into a situation where we already had guys that were here winning."
The Tigers are currently tied for second place in the conference with Southern and Alcorn State through six games, and they'll look to keep pace with those teams when they host Grambling at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Lee E. Williams AAC.
Under Brent, JSU was 2-4 each of the past two seasons through the first six SWAC games. So it's a much better circumstance for the Tigers this season, now that the wins and losses have been flipped.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Seniors Olivia Antilla and Khaderja Young combined for 37 points and 14 rebounds to lead the FAMU Women’s Basketball team past Coppin (Md.) State, 79-73 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at The Al Lawson Center Monday night.
Antilla finished the night with a game-high 21 points, hitting four (of 10) three-pointers, to go with seven rebounds and four assists, while Young added 16 points, seven boards and three steals. Alicia McCray added 11 points and Dawn King scored 10 for FAMU.
Jordan Swails led Coppin State (5-11, 2-2 MEAC) with a double double – 20 points, 12 rebounds – followed by Keena Samuels with 16 points, Janelle Lane with 14 points and Amber Griffin with 12 points.
The visiting Eagles held the early lead at 21-14 after the first quarter, before FAMU went on a 21-4 second quarter scoring tear to seize a 10-point lead at 35-25 by halftime.
Things got much tighter in the second half, as both clubs scored 24 points in the third, with FAMU owning a 59-49 lead, before the visiting Eagles outscored their hosts, 24-20 in the final frame.
FAMU led by as much as 12 points, 70-58 with on a pair of Alicia McCray foul shots with 4:14 left, befor the Eagles made on last desperate run, cutting the FAMU lead to four points, 75-71 on a Amber Griffin layup with 11 seconds left.
However Antilla closed out Coppin with four free throws inside those final 10 seconds for the win.
WHAT’S NEXT: The FAMU Women (10-9, 4-2 MEAC) will play their next three games on the road to close out January, taking on Howard University (Saturday) and Maryland-Eastern Shore (Monday), along with archrival Bethune-Cookman (Saturday, Jan. 30).
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
LAFAYETTE, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana opened the spring portion of its men's tennis schedule with 7-0 and 4-0 losses Monday to Louisiana-Lafayette.
The Gold Rush won 1-of-14 matches played — Karan Salwan and Kevin Chaouat won 6-2 at No. 1 doubles in the afternoon session against Will Huyton and Arthur Libaud. Salwan was tied at 6 in the first set at No. 1 singles against Edgar Lopez when the Ragin' Cajuns (2-1) clinched the second dual.
In the morning dual, Salwan and Chaouat lost singles matches in third-set super-tiebreakers. Libaud defeated Salwan 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-3), and Vlad Kramarov beat Chaouat 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-3).
"Our guys fought a tough opponent on the road," 13th-year XU coach Alan Green said. "UL was just hungrier than we were. We will go back to work tomorrow and make some adjustments. But it's great to get the spring season going despite today's result."
The duals were the first two of nine this spring for the Gold Rush against NCAA Division I opponents. Xavier, an NAIA national quarterfinalist each of the past four seasons, will aim for its 39th consecutive top-10 appearance next week in the first coaches poll of the year.
The XU men will play their home opener at 10 a.m. Jan. 30 against city rival Loyola at XU Tennis Center. Xavier's women will open their spring schedule at that time against the Wolf Pack.
NEW ORLEANS — Mikayla Bates, Whitney Gathright and Alesha Smith scored 10 points apiece Monday, and NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana rolled to an 80-41 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Tougaloo.
The Gold Nuggets (14-6, 3-1), 8-0 at home this season, won for the fifth time in six games overall.
Bates, a freshman, matched her career highs in points, and had career highs of eight rebounds and five assists. Gathright had five assists, and Smith scored in double figures for the second straight game.
Xavier outscored the Lady Bulldogs (0-11, 0-4) 10-0 in the first two minutes and led 51-19 at halftime. The final margin was the Gold Nuggets' largest of the game.
Donyeah Mayfield and Trana Hopkins scored nine points apiece for Xavier. Mayfield grabbed nine rebounds, and Hopkins had four steals to match her career high.
Montoria Atkinson scored nine points and Ahsia Clayton eight for Tougaloo.
Xavier outshot the Lady Bulldogs 42 to 28.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 49-32. The rebound margin was the Gold Nuggets' best of the season, as were their 21 steals.
Xavier will travel to Little Rock, Ark., to play GCAC opponent Philander Smith at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Gold Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. against GCAC leader Talladega, ranked 21st nationally.
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana produced a season-high six double-figure scorers Monday in an 83-75 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.
Thibodeaux grabbed 14 rebounds in his first double-double of the season.
Xavier scored the first 15 points and led 35-26 at halftime. The Bulldogs (8-7, 1-3), cut the Gold Rush lead to 76-73 in the final minute, but Xavier clinched with 5-of-6 free throws in the final 48 seconds.
Quintarius Porter had 28 points — he made six 3-pointers — 10 rebounds and four steals for Tougaloo. De'Andre Scott scored 16, and Andravious Smith had 15 points and seven steals.
Xavier outshot Tougaloo 58.3 to 31 percent from the floor and won for the 13th time in 14 home games this season. The Gold Rush outrebounded the Bulldogs 47-24. Carter grabbed eight rebounds for Xavier and blocked four shots.
Xavier's next game will start at 4 p.m. Saturday in Little Rock, Ark., against GCAC opponent Philander Smith. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday against eighth-ranked Talladega.
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Ray Anderson poured in 32 points and Virginia Union defeated Virginia State 70-68 at the Richmond Coliseum in the Freedom Classic on Sunday.
Virginia Union erased a three-point halftime deficit with a 9-0 run to start the second half. Anderson, the CIAA's leading scorer, scored eight of those points.
It was the first victory over Virginia State for first-year Union head coach Jay Butler.
It's the first time the Panthers have won three consecutive games this season. It's their first victory over their in-state rivals in the past five meetings.
Kevin Williams led the Trojans with 20 points. Elijah Moore added 19. It was the first CIAA loss of the season for Virginia State, who had won three straight entering Sunday.
The win evened VUU's record to 9-9 overall and 2-4 in the CIAA. Virginia State fell to 11-4 overall and 6-1 in the CIAA.
Virginia Union will face Bowie State University at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 20, in Barco-Stevens Hall in Richmond, Va.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- It took a little while, but Jackson State displayed it could hang with defending SWAC champion Texas Southern on Saturday.
While JSU did put together a strong rally at the end of its 71-65 loss to TSU, a moral victory won't make up for the ground they lost in the conference standings.
Wayne Brent described the Texas Southern matchup as a "make-or-break" game for the Tigers, now they'll have to move past the disappointment of the loss and focus on their upcoming contest with Prairie View A&M (1-15, 1-3) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday night at the Lee E. Williams AAC.
Eight days ago, JSU sat at 3-0 in conference play. After back-to-back losses to Southern and Texas Southern, the Tigers are looking to stop their losing skid.
"Just (need to avoid) the droughts," JSU guard Raeford Worsham said. "We need to stay together, believe in each other and exit out the scoring droughts we have, the mishaps on defense. That's it."
GREENWOOD, Mississippi — The Southern women’s and men’s teams are both among the hottest basketball teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The women won their fourth consecutive game when they started a two-game road trip with a 78-61 victory at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. A short time later, the men followed them on to the court at the H.O. Clemmons Arena and won their third consecutive game 67-57.
Both Jaguars teams will seek a repeat performance when they play Mississippi Valley State on Monday at the Leflore County Civic Center.
The Southern women (4-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and 7-7 overall) and their Delta Devils counterparts (1-3, 3-11) meet at 5:30 p.m.
The women took control in the second quarter against UAPB and never relinquished the lead, though it wasn’t a blemish-free performance.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to four with a 69-58 win over Murray State on Saturday night in the Gentry Center.
For the second time this week, the Lady Tigers had to recover from a weak third quarter to push past the Racers. After leading by 14 at the half, the Lady Tigers fell victim to fouls and turnovers, allowing a 22-14 run by Murray State. A strong defense and late run would prove key in the Lady Tiger’s fourth conference win of the season.
The Lady Tigers (9-9, 4-1 OVC) had three players score in double-digits. Junior Jayda Johnson led the team with a career-high 28 points on the night. Fellow junior I’mani Davis finished with a double-double, scoring 12 and notching a career-high 17 rebound while senior Brianna Lawrence finished the contest with 18 points.
Murray State (6-10, 2-3 OVC) had two players score in double-digits and was led by Jashae Lee, who notched 15 points on the night.
TSU opened the game with 15 unanswered points, keeping the Racers scoreless until a layup at the 4:26 mark put Murray State on the board. The Racers ate away at their 13-point deficit with a 9-4 run in the final minutes of the first, but would continue to trail the Lady Tigers 19-11 going into the second.
A Murray State foul took Davis to the line in the opening minutes of the second, allowing The Lady Tigers to tack on two more and extend their lead, 21-11. The teams went back and forth for the next five minutes, with Murray outscoring TSU 10-9 before the media timeout. With 4:43 left on the clock, the Lady Tigers would use a 9-4 run, highlighted by five points from Johnson, to go into the second half with a 14-point lead (39-25) over the Racers.
Multiple Tennessee State fouls and turnovers in the third would allow the Racers to outscore the Lady Tigers 22-14, cutting their double-digit deficit to six (53-47) heading into the final quarter of the game.
Looking to make a comeback, Murray State continued to close the gap in the score with a 5-4 run to pull within three (57-54) with 6:19 left in the game. TSU’s defense would hold off Murray State for the next four minutes of the quarter while tacking on four before forcing the Racers into their first timeout of the period at the 2:28 mark. Three Racer fouls in the remaining minutes of the game made way for an 8-4 run, pushing the Lady Tigers past the Racers with a 69-58 final score.
The Lady Tigers are back in action on Thursday as they begin their four-game road stretch against Tennessee Tech at 6:00 p.m in Cookeville, Tenn.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) hit a layup with 2.5 seconds left to lift the Tennessee State men’s basketball team to a 73-71 home victory over Murray State on Saturday night at the Gentry Center to keep the Tigers undefeated in Ohio Valley Conference play at 5-0. The win was the first for TSU over the Racers since Feb. 9, 2012.
The Tigers improved to 14-4 on the season, matching the start of the 1994-95 team that won the OVC regular season championship, while the Racers slip to 8-10 overall and 2-3 in the OVC. TSU’s last home win over Murray State came on Feb. 14, 2008. The victory also extends TSU winning streak to five games.
“A win like tonight, that kind of solidifies you in terms of your program getting better,” second-year TSU Head Coach Dana Ford said. “We haven’t beaten Murray State in a few years.”
McCall led the home side with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists on the night. Three other TSU players finished in double figures in Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.) with 15, 12 from Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and 10 from Darreon Reddick (Belleville, Ill.).
For the Racers, Bryce Jones finished 10-for-10 from the free throw line and led his team with 18 points.
A back-and-forth contest in the early going saw the Tigers take a 19-14 advantage midway through the half on a jumper from Marcus Roper (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.).
After the Racers took a 21-20 lead with 7:50 left in the first half, TSU responded with a 9-0 run to regain the advantage at 29-21. During the run, which was highlighted by a Martin layup off a McCall no-look pass, TSU held the Racers scoreless for more than three minutes.
The visitors ended the half by scoring the final three points to close the gap to 37-34 through 20 minutes.
The Racers had the better of the play to kick off the second half, leveling the score at 42-42 1:38 into the half. Bouncing right back, the Tigers answered with an 11-2 run for a nine-point edge at 53-44. On the run, Martin finished a layup, blocked a shot on Murray State’s next possession and hit another layup next time down the floor.
Murray State tied the score at 55-55 with 9:16 to play and took the lead at 58-55 on Justin Seymour’s corner three on the next possession.
The game remained close, and TSU tied it back up at 67-67 on Martin’s free throws with 3:24 left.
Down the stretch, the Tigers gained a four-point edge at 71-67 on two McCall free throws with 1:14 to play before Jeffrey Moss’ layup with just over a minute left put the margin back down to two.
A pair of Jones free throws for MSU leveled the score at 71-71 with 22.1 seconds left setting up McCall’s late-game heroics.
TSU held a noticeable advantage inside, scoring 36 points in the paint to Murray State’s 16. The Tigers also finished with a 35-27 rebounding edge.
Next up, TSU heads to Belmont to face the Bruins on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. at the Curb Event Center.
GAME NOTES: TSU improves to 17-51 in the all-time series versus Murray State… TSU led at the half for the sixth game in a row… For the second time during the OVC schedule, the Tigers finished with four players with double figures… TSU also accomplished the feat at Southeast Missouri on Jan. 2, 2016…TSU moves to 7-1 at home this season… The Tigers have now won five in a row.
Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford
“They’re good. They’ve got some really good players and they strike you off the bounce and they’re athletic and they’re strong, they can handle the ball… When you get in that bonus early your guys, they play a little more timid and they had made some shot so they loosened our defense, they loosened our gaps up when we had to be closer to our man then to the ball. They took advantage of it. They’re well coached, great preparation and we just had to weather the storm at the line to be honest.”
•On Facing Murray State
Tennessee State Guard Tahjere McCall
“I wish I could tell you what was going through my mind. I knew it was going to come down to one shot. Coach said ‘make sure you take the last shot.’ So that’s what I was waiting for. Going to the rack, (the defender) actually played really good D. I was taller so I was able to get over him on the last shot, and I watched it go up. It felt good, and I was just waiting for it to go in. The feeling was amazing.”
•On the game-winning shot
Tennessee State Guard Darreon Reddick
“We’re a family, and we’re always together. We came together in the huddle and Coach (Dana) Ford said it’s now or never. We just came together for the last four minutes and got it done.”
•On staying together down the stretch.
SALISBURY, North Carolina -- Kaula Jacks (Chesapeake Beach, MD) of the Shaw University women's basketball scored a season-high 24 points to lead the Lady Bears to a 75-72 victory over Livingstone College on Saturday afternoon inside New Trent Gymnasium.
The win boasts Shaw to 13-5 overall, 5-1 in CIAA action and 1-0 in the Southern Division. The Lady Blue Bears drop to 8-7 overall, 3-3 in the league and 0-1 in the division.
For the contest, Shaw outscored LC 40-36 in the paint, 10-6 in fast breaks, 26-13 in bench points and scored 26 points off of the Lady Blues 23 turnovers.
Shaw opened up the first quarter with a 4-0 run before the Lady Blue Bears got on the scoreboard at the 9:04 mark. Things got going for LC as they would go on a 14-8 run to lead 20-13 at the end of the quarter.
The Lady Bears cut at the Lady Blue Bears lead with 4:24 left in the second quarter after a layup from Laquisha Taylor (Charlotte, NC). Shaw got within three points (28-25) on a good bucket from Mercer but LC quickly went up by eight points off a 7-2 run.
With 1:07 left in the first half, Jacks hit a jumper to spark a 6-0 run for the Lady Bears as they went into the locker room trailing by one-point (35-34).
Shaw trailed by as many as 11-points with 2:44 left in the third quarter but they were able to close the gap and get within four points (56-52) going into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Bears took their first lead since the first quarter at the 5:35 mark after a layup from Taylor but that would be short lived as LC's Zena Lovette was fouled on a 3-point play – giving the Lady Blue Bears the lead again.
Down the stretch, both teams exchanged baskets over the next two minutes but the deciding factor came the 1:14 mark when Wright hit a layup to tie the game for the fifth time in the quarter. LC failed to score on the next possession as Ross went to the line to sink one-of-two free throws to give SU a 70-69 lead.
A crucial turnover from the Lady Blue Bears resulted in a layup for Tyson. From there, Shaw held a 5-3 scoring advantage in the final seconds to seal the deal.
Livingstone had four players score in double-figures including, Lovette with 16 points, Brittany Taylor with 13 points, while Wende Foster and Toxiana Wilson finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Shaw will return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 20th when they host Winston-Salem State University in a CIAA Southern Divisional matchup. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Shaw women's basketball and its 11 varsity sport teams, visit shawbears.com.
Jesse Ward finished with a career-high 18 points in the win over SUNO. Courtesy: J. Williams
NEW ORLEANS -- Dillard enjoyed a 12-point halftime lead en route to a 70 to 60 victory over the Southern University at New Orleans Knights at the Battlefield in Dent Hall. The win marked the tenth victory of the season and second straight Gulf Coast Athletic Conference win for the Bleu Devils.
Dillard's Jesse Ward (SO/Maringouin, La.) finished with a game-high 18 points, nailing all eight of his free throws and hitting 2-of-4 from behind the arc. Ward also pulled down five boards and had two steals in 31 minutes of action and has been flourishing for the Bleu Devils as of late.
Dillard (10-6, 2-1 GCAC) controlled the game by dominating the glass with a total of 44 rebounds to just 28 for SUNO, and the Bleu Devils had as many offensive rebounds (19) as SUNO had defensively (19).
SUNO struggled from the line and only made a total of five free throws all night while Dillard scored 25 points from the charity stripe.
Last season's GCAC Freshman of the Year Patrick Thompson (SO/Geismar, La.) posted his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 boards and Kristian Clark (JR/Ocean Springs, Miss.) chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals for Dillard.
The Knights (5-8, 0-2) were led by Dominique Suggs who finished with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting while former Bleu Devil Junaid Olusesi finished with 10 points, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field.
Dillard continues GCAC action on Saturday, January 23 as they host the nation's eighth-ranked team in Talladega College. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.
Ladonna Richards Breaks Women's 60m Hurdles Record at University of Missouri Invitational ...Twice!!
COLUMBIA, Missouri -- Ladonna Richards shattered a pair of records (60m hurdles), highlighting the Lincoln women's track & field team's day at the Missouri Invitational on Friday (Jan. 15).
The meet was hosted by the University of Missouri at the Hearnes Center, and Richards broke the facility record not once, but twice. Richards initially won the preliminaries of the event with a time of 8.43, which was good enough to break the building record of 8.53, set in 2004. During the finals, Richards broke her own mark with a time of 8.25, the best in the country and an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division II National Championships. The 8.25 mark is also a new meet record.
Yanique Ellington was also a winner on Friday, taking the crown in the 200m with a time of 25.34. Kimona Shaw also competed in that event, taking fourth after timing in at 26.31. Shaw later ran in the 400m, finishing 10th in 1:00.78.
Diana Cauldwell had a pair of top-three finishes for Lincoln, placing second in the triple jump (12.11m) and third in the finals of the 60m dash (7.78). Tina Coombs finished fourth in both the triple jump (10.94m) and the long jump (5.46m) while Lexanna Morgan placed fifth in the latter event (5.39m).
The Blue Tigers also had a top-five finish in the 4x400m relay, as the foursome of Shaw, Cauldwell, Ebony Rose and Shanice Clarke took third in 4:04.62. Clarke rounded out Lincoln's performance by competing in the 800m, placing third with a time of 2:27.23.
Lincoln will be back on the track next weekend, as the Blue Tigers travel to Joplin, Mo. to compete in the MSSU Open Invitational, which will be hosted by Missouri Southern State University on Jan. 22-23.
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania -- The Bowie State University men's basketball had its two-game win streak snapped on Saturday afternoon as the Bulldogs dropped a huge 72-70 CIAA divisional decision to the Lions of Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.
The setback sets the Bulldogs record at 11-7 overall, 4-3 in the CIAA and 0-1 in the Northern Division. As for the Lions, they improve to 6-11 overall, 4-3 in the league and 1-0 in the division.
"Three words best describes today's game … They played tougher" said a very disappointed Bowie State head coach Darrell Brooks.
Senior Justin Beck (Ellicott City, Md.) led Bowie State's scorers with 16 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists and blocked three shots. Senior Andre Jackson (Baltimore, Md.) and junior Enuoma Ebinum (Greenbelt, Md.) chipped in 15 and 10 points respectively for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs were outrebounded 51-44, outscored 18-16 in the paint, while the Lions bench outscored Bowie State 43-16.
Bowie State opened the game with 6-0 advantage before a Joshua Davis layup ended a Lincoln 0-11 drought over the five minutes. Bowie State led by seven twice in the first half before the Lions shot their way back to tie the game at 19-all at the 3:36 mark of the first half.
The Lions defense held Bowie State to just one field goal over the final five plus minutes of the opening half of play and took a 27-23 lead into halftime.
Field goal shooting was simply awful in the first 20 minutes for both teams. Lincoln (Pa.) made 9-of-37 from the field (24.3 percent) compared to 22.6 percent for Bowie State on 7-of-31 shooting from the field.
The Bulldogs erased their halftime deficit and a 3-pointer by junior Julian Livingston (Bowie, Md.) shifted the advantage over to Bowie State at 32-31 at the 16:52 mark of the second half.
The lead would change hands five more times before Lincoln's Sean James drilled a triple with 4:53 left in the game that gave the Lions a 58-56 lead they would not relinquish the rest of the afternoon. From there, Lincoln (Pa.) went on a 10-2 run to seal the win.
Lincoln's Davis recorded a double-double of 19 points and 19 rebounds while Quaman Burton and James scored 15 and 12 points respectively. Vernon Young just missed a double-double, hauling down a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with eight points.
The Bulldogs shot a season-low 31.3 percent from the field (21-of-67), which included 10-of-29 beyond the 3-point line (34.5 percent) and made only 18-of-28 (64.3 percent) at the charity stripe.
Bowie State will look to rebound on Wednesday (1/20) night with they travel to Richmond to face the Panthers of Virginia Union University at 7:30 p.m. in VUU's Barco-Stevens Hall.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters of action en-route to a 69-46 victory vs. Mercy College in East Coast Conference play Saturday afternoon in our nation's capital.
The Firebirds (13-3, 8-0 ECC), who have now won 11 straight games, out-scored Mercy 16-4 in the 2nd quarter and 25-17 in the 3rd quarter, as they went on to win by their 2nd largest margin of the season, 23. Mercy has now lost three of its last four, as the Mavericks fell to 4-11 overall and 1-7 in league play.
Seniors Tiara Goode and Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore paced the Firebirds with 21 points apiece while combining for nine rebounds and eight steals, defensively. Senior forward Iman Scott pitched in with 12 points, while junior transfer Brandi Henton added five off the bench.
Mercy was led by two double-figure scorers in Deasia Goodson (14 pts, nine rebounds, two blocked shots) and Latisha Clark (11 points, six rebounds, two assists).
UDC forced Mercy into 29 turnovers and scored 32 points off of those turnovers. The Firebirds combined for 16 steals as a team.
Next up, UDC will host LIU Post on Wednesday, January 20th at 5 p.m.
TEANECK, N.J. - Teaneck High School held a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, to name the basketball court in honor of coaching legend Curtis March, a Saint Augustine's University alumnus.
March spent nearly 40 years teaching history at Teaneck High School, where he also was the boys and girls basketball coach. He was named head girls coach in 1980 and guided the team for 11 years. He then took over as head boys coach in 1991 and directed the squad for 17 years.
His girls and boys teams combined to win 594 games and captured 34 league, county and state championships including two Group 4 state boys' titles in 1999 and 2003. He won numerous coaching awards and is the only coach in the state of New Jersey to win 300 games in boys' basketball and 200 games in girls' basketball. A Columbia, S.C., native, March retired in 2010 and currently resides in Charlotte, N.C.
March was a standout collegiate basketball player at then Saint Augustine's College in the 1960s. He graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree in history and government in 1968. March is a member of the Saint Augustine's University Athletic Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the Rucker Pro Basketball League Hall of Fame.
GREENSBORO, North Carolina – In what was often a defensive struggle Saturday afternoon, the Hampton University women's basketball team got back into the win column by defeating North Carolina A&T 55-52 at the Corbett Sports Center.
The Lady Pirates improved to 5-12 overall and 3-1 in MEAC play.
Freshman guard K'lynn Willis led all scorers with a career-high 19 points – 16 of which came in the second half – going 5-for-12 from the floor and hitting all eight of her free throws. Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas added 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Sophomore forward Kaylah Lupoe grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
The Lady Pirates shot 32.7 percent (18-for-55) from the floor and went 1-for-16 (6.3 percent) from behind the arc. Hampton was also 18-for-25 (72.0 percent) from the free throw line.
Hampton scored 15 points off of 17 Aggie turnovers.
The Aggies opened the game on an 8-0 run, before the Lady Pirates responded with a 9-2 run of their own to cut the deficit to 10-9 after the first 10 minutes of play. A Dana Brown trey put the Aggies up 15-11 with 5:24 left in the second quarter, but the Lady Pirates went on an 11-1 run to take a 22-16 lead after sophomore forward Mikayla Sayle sank a putback with 19 seconds left in the half.
Hampton led 22-18 at the half. Tate-DeFreitas had six points at the break.
Willis scored the first six points of the third quarter, and her fastbreak jumper with 8:43 left in the frame put the Lady Pirates up 28-18. Freshman guard Dejane' James converted a 3-point play at the 8:02 mark that gave Hampton a 31-21 lead.
But the Aggies scored the next six points to cut the lead to 31-27 after a pair of free throws from Aprill McRae at the 5:14 mark. Willis hit two free throws with 2:34 left in the quarter to give Hampton a 36-31 lead, and her jumper with three seconds left put the Lady Pirates up 38-34 after 30 minutes.
A 10-4 Aggies run gave North Carolina A&T a 44-42 lead with 5:44 left in the contest following a layup from McRae. A Tate-DeFreitas fastbreak layup with 2:19 left put the Lady Pirates up 47-46, before Courtney Powell gave the lead back to the Aggies with a pair of free throws.
Two Willis free throws with 12 seconds left put the Lady Pirates up 53-49, before Whitney Martin took what she thought was a trey while getting fouled. But an official review revealed that Martin had a foot on the line, which meant she took just two free throws.
She hit both to cut the lead to 53-51, but free throws from Tate-DeFreitas and senior guard Kristine Rose down the stretch iced the game.
The Aggies (7-9, 3-2 MEAC) shot just 27.0 percent (17-for-63) from the floor and made only three of their 14 3-pointers (21.4 percent). North Carolina A&T also went 15-for-23 (65.2 percent) from the free throw line, while out-rebounding Hampton 48-42.
McRae led the Aggies with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lady Pirates will be in Durham, N.C. to take on North Carolina Central on Monday at 6 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
OXFORD, Mississippi - Wide receiver Collins Moore announced on Instagram that he intends to transfer from Ole Miss to Alcorn State to complete his football career.
