North Carolina A&T Aggies at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky — WKU Hilltopper Basketball returns home after its first road trip to host North Carolina A&T at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday in the 34th Annual BB&T Classic at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Hilltoppers (2-1) are coming off a 90-69 loss at Belmont in the first road game under first-year head coach Rick Stansbury. Belmont made 16 3-pointers to run past the Hilltoppers, who led by 11 at one point in the first half.

North Carolina A&T has lost two games in a row to East Carolina and Grambling State after opening the season with a victory over Greensboro College. The Aggies (1-2) are led by junior forward Davaris McGowens, who averages 15 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.


This is the first time WKU has ever faced North Carolina A&T. Stansbury is 1-0 all-time against the Aggies.

WKU Notes

GAME 4

WKU (2-1) vs. North Carolina A&T (1-2)
November 22, 2016 | 7 p.m. (CT)
Bowling Green, Ky. | E.A. Diddle Arena (7,326)

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BROADCAST

Listen: Hilltopper IMG Sports Network (WKLX 100.7 FM flagship), TuneIn Radio (free) (Randy Lee, pxp | Hal Schmitt, analysis)
Watch: Fox College Sports, WKU PBS (Bowling Green), WBNA (Louisville)
Live Stats: Gametracker

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QUICK SHOTS

• After Tuesday’s game, WKU will not play at home for almost a full calendar month. The Hilltoppers play seven straight games on the road or at neutral sites before returning to host Ohio on Dec. 21.
• WKU is 51-15 (.773) at E.A. Diddle Arena over the last four-plus seasons after going 27-17 (.614) in the three seasons prior. The Hilltoppers are 575-162 all-time at Diddle Arena for a .780 winning percentage.
• The Hilltoppers have won 11 straight nonconference home games dating back to a loss to fourth-ranked Louisville on Dec. 20, 2014.
• The Hilltoppers have drawn at least 4,149 fans in each of their first two home games. They drew a larger crowd just three times all of last season.
• The Hilltoppers started guards Junior Lomomba, Pancake Thomas and Que Johnsonalongside forwards Justin Johnson and Ben Lawson in each of their first three games.
• WKU ranks seventh in the country in 3-point percentage (.462) and 54th in free-throw percentage (.759).
• WKU has made at least one 3-pointer in 909 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The 3-point shot was instituted prior to the 1986-87 season.
• Junior Justin Johnson has made 5 of 8 shots from 3-point range in his last two games after netting just one 3-pointer over his first two seasons.
• Graduate senior Pancake Thomas has scored 31 of his 37 total points through three games this season in the second half.
• Pancake Thomas and graduate senior Junior Lomomba are a combined 25 of 26 from the free-throw line. WKU’s guards are a combined 30 of 33 (.909) from the charity stripe.
• Pancake Thomas played in his 100th career game at Belmont. Junior Lomomba (94) and graduate senior Que Johnson (96) are also nearing the 100-game milestone.
• Junior Justin Johnson needs 301 points this season to become the 49th player in Hilltopper Basketball history to score 1,000 career points.
• Graduate senior Que Johnson needs 121 points to reach 1,000 for his career across his time at Washington State and WKU. Pancake Thomas needs 226 points to reach 1,000 for his career across his time at New Mexico, Hartford and WKU.
• Senior Ben Lawson ranks fifth in WKU history with 134 career blocked shots. His 66 blocks in 2015-16 were the seventh-most in a season in Hilltopper history. Lawson joins Jeremy Evans, Elgrace Wilborn and Chris Marcus as Hilltoppers with at least 50 blocks in multiple seasons.
• Head coach Rick Stansbury needs five more wins to reach 300 victories for his career.
• Rick Stansbury is the first Hilltopper coach to start his first season 2-0 since Murray Arnold in the 1986-87 campaign, and just the third since 1922, joining Arnold and E.A. Diddle.

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PROMOTIONS

WKU Faculty/Staff Night: Faculty/staff receive two complimentary reserved seat tickets for the game at the WKU Box Office in Diddle Arena prior to gameday. Must show valid WKU ID. Offer not valid on gameday.
Mister B’s Weekday Two-Pack: Two tickets to the game and a small pizza for $25. Offer valid online and at the Diddle Box Office (while supplies last). 
Big Red’s Rascals Night: All members of Big Red’s Rascals will receive a complimentary reserved ticket for them and a friend to the game, and all other friends and family may purchase additional tickets for just $5 apiece.

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TICKETS

WKU Ticket Office: Online at WKUTickets.com, in person at E.A. Diddle Arena, via phone at 1-800-5-BIG Red or 745-5222 locally.

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MED CENTER HEALTH

The 2016-17 WKU Basketball season is presented by Med Center Health. With The Medical Center at its core, Med Center Health has served Southcentral Kentucky for 90 years, and its system of care includes six acute care hospitals, a complete network of immediate to emergency services and services in dozens of specialties. Whether it is emergency treatment for heart attack victims or preventative programs to improve the health of the communities it serves, Med Center Health is committed to providing the highest level of care and service.

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How to follow the Hilltoppers: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Basketball, follow the team's social media channels, @WKUBasketball on Twitter, @WKUBasketball on Instagram, and WKU Basketball on Facebook.

WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Gameday: South Carolina State Bulldogs at Syracuse Orange

Syracuse vs. South Carolina State
Game Details	Tuesday, Nov. 22 | Syracuse, N.Y. | 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome
Game Coverage	Television: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel Live Video: ACC Network Extra | Live Stats Radio: Syracuse IMG Network | Audio Twitter: @Cuse | @Cuse_MBB Instagram: @cusepics | @cuse_mbb
Syracuse Links	News | Roster | Schedule | Notes
South Carolina St. Links	News | Roster | Schedule | Notes

SYRACUSE, New York -- Syracuse returns to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 22 when it hosts South Carolina State as part of the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Tickets for the game can be purchased online at Cuse.com, by phone at 1-888-DOME-TIX or in person at Gate B at the Carrier Dome. Fans can watch the game live on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel throughout New York State and on ACC Network Extra.

FOR STARTERS

• Syracuse defeated Monmouth, 71-50, last Friday night to improve its record to 3-0.
• The Orange remained at No. 18 in this week's AP poll and moved up two spots to No. 16 in the USA Today/Coaches poll.
• Sophomore Frank Howard ranks second in the ACC in assists, while graduate student John Gillon is fourth. Howard is also tied for fourth in the league in steals.

DOWNING OF THE HAWKS

• Graduate student Andrew White III led the Orange with 18 points in their win against Monmouth. He also added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. White leads the Orange and ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring, averaging 18.0 points per game.
• Freshman Taurean Thompson came off the bench to contribute 12 points in the win. He was 5-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 from the free throw line.
• As a team, Syracuse shot 42.4 percent (25-for-59) from the floor against the Hawks. The Orange were especially accurate in the first half, when they were 14-for-28 (50 percent) from the floor, including 5-for-13 (38.5 percent) from three-point range.

READY FOR A BULLDOG FIGHT

• Tuesday's game will be the first meeting between Syracuse and South Carolina State.
• The Bulldogs are 1-2 this season. South Carolina State opened the season with an 85-39 loss to rv/rv Wichita State before defeating St. Andrews, 93-76. The Bulldogs lost to South Carolina, 92-50, last Friday.
• Eric Eaves leads South Carolina State in scoring. He averages 15.3 points per game. Greg Mortimer also averages double figures in scoring with a 12.3 points-per-game average.
• The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in the MEAC this season in a preseason vote by the league's head coaches. In addition, Eaves and Ed Stephens were chosen to the All-MEAC Preseason Team.
• Murray Garvin is in his fourth season at the helm of the South Carolina State program. He was the MEAC and NABC District 15 Coach of the Year last season when he led the Bulldogs to their best regular-season finish since 2005.

ON THE ORANGE HORIZON
Syracuse goes on the road for the first time for the finale of the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational against South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Gameday: ECU Continues Savannah Invitational Play vs. FAMU

Game 5: East Carolina vs. Florida A&M
Date	Tuesday, November 22
Time	7 p.m. (ET)
Location	Greenville, N.C. (Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum)
Coverage	Live Stats \\\ Watch Live \\\ Listen Live
Game Notes	East Carolina \\\ Florida A&M
Social Media	Twitter: @ECUScoreboard \\\ @ECUPirateHoops

East Carolina men's basketball looks to continue its winning ways at home Tuesday when it host Florida A&M in its second game of the Savannah Invitational, before heading to Georgia for bracket play this weekend.

The Pirates have won 15 straight non-conference home games dating back to 2014 and are hoping for a history making 16th consecutive victory that would make coach Jeff Lebo the winningest coach in the program's Division I era (since 1965).

Lebo, now in his seventh season with the Pirates, is one of just three coaches to win more than 100 games at ECU and a victory over Florida A&M would move him past former coach Tom Quinn for the most wins since joining the upper echelon of the NCAA.

East Carolina had four players score double figures Sunday in its 23-point win over Stetson. Caleb Whiteled the Pirates with 22 points, while Andre Washington added 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Clarence Williams (13) and Kentrell Barkley (11) also grabbed double digit boards en route to a 63-38 rebounding margin.

White (18.3), Tyson (12.8), Barkley (10.5) and Washington (10.5) are all averaging double figures scoring through four games.

Florida A&M is coming off an 87-62 loss to Air Force in Colorado Springs Sunday. The Rattlers won both of their home games against non-Division I opponents, but are 0-2 on the road versus Division I squads as they also lost to USF in their season opener, 84-73. Craig Bowman leads the Rattlers with 14.3 points per game.

The addition of 7-foot-1 center Andre Washington has allowed the Pirates the freedom to extend their perimeter defense, knowing Washington, 6-10 junior college transfer Jabari Craig or 6-10 redshirt freshman Deng Riak will be protecting the rim should an opponent get into the lane. Offensively, Washington and his fellow big men free up ECU’s attack by providing post threats that were sorely missing from last season’s injury-depleted squad.

NEWS AND NOTES

• East Carolina and Florida A&M are meeting in Greenville for the second time in three years, but just the third time overall. The Pirates won the previous meeting 75-57 behind 19 points from Caleb White, 14 from Michel Nzege and 11 from B.J. Tyson.
• ECU is looking to extend its non-conference home winning streak to 16 games. It's last non-conference home loss was Nov. 16, 2014 to UNC Asheville (79-83).
• Graduate transfer Andre Washington was named to The American Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after scoring 21 points and grabbing 16 rebounds Sunday against Stetson. He became the first Pirate since 2006 to have 20 points and 15 rebounds in the same game.
• Washington was one of three Pirates to grab double digit rebounds against the Hatters Sunday. Clarence Williams nabbed a career-high 13 boards and Kentrell Barkley pulled down 11. It was the first time since 2004 that a trio of ECU players turned that trick.
• The Pirates collected 63 rebounds Sunday, their most under coach Jeff Lebo and most since grabbing an ECU record 71 against USF during the 2002-03 season.
• Florida A&M is ECU's third HBCU opponent of the season. The Pirates defeated Grambling State to open the season and then took down N.C. A&T the following game. They will also host HBCU foes Hampton and N.C. Central upon their return from Georgia.
• ECU has held three of its first four opponents under 60 points, all at home. In eight halves of basketball this season, ECU has held its opponent to less than 30 points seven times.
• The Pirates have 24 blocks and 24 steals through the first four games. While they did have 20 steals after four games last season, they didn't record their 24th block until game 10.
• ECU has forced its opponents to shoot under 35 percent from the floor in six halves this season, including four halves under 30 percent. Stetson was 6-for-37 (.162) in the second half Sunday after shooting 8-of-32 (.250 in the first half. N.C. A&T shot just 25.9 percent in the first half and Charlotte made just 29.4 percent of its first half field goal attempts.
• After four games, East Carolina holds a +12.8 rebounding margin over its opponents. It has out-rebounded each opponent of its first four opponents with a high margin of 25 (63-38) against Stetson.
  
  

COURTESY Reflector.com

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TV: CSN - Hampton at Richmond basketball preview

HAMPTON AT RICHMOND

When: Noon 

Where: Robins Center (7,201) TV: CSN

Radio: WXGI (950), WBBT (107.3)

Records: HU 1-2; UR 2-1

Notable: This the second game of the Barclays Center Classic for both the Spiders and the Pirates. UR defeated Robert Morris 81-69 in the first round Sunday, when HU lost 89-67 at Kansas State. ... The Pirates have been to two consecutive NCAA tournaments after winning MEAC titles under eighth-year coach Ed Joyner. They are picked third in the MEAC and led by freshman guard Jermaine Marrow (13 ppg) and sophomore guard Kalin Fisher (10 ppg). ... 

CONTINUE READING

ESPN3: Grambling State at No. 7 Virginia preview

GRAMBLING STATE AT NO. 7 VIRGINIA

When: 7 p.m. 
Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville (14,593)
Online: ESPN3.com 
Radio: WRVA (1140) 
Records: GSU 1-2; U.Va. 3-0

Notable: These teams haven’t met since a 112-67 win by the Cavaliers on Dec. 30, 2001, also in Charlottesville. U.Va. is 2-0 all-time against teams from the SWAC. ... The Cavaliers have won 22 consecutive games at John Paul Jones Arena, the sixth-longest current streak in the nation among Division I teams. Virginia is 140-36 (.795) in 11 seasons at JPJ.... Tony Bennett’s club leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 40.3 points per game.

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Chicago State basketball travels to Northern Illinois on Tuesday in ESPN3 Broadcast

Chicago State (0-3) at Northern Illinois (2-1)
Date	Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016
Time	7 p.m.
Location	NIU Convocation Center - DeKalb, Ill.
Video	ESPN3
Radio	http://www.niuhuskies.com/showcase?Live=1056
Live Stats	http://www.sidearmstats.com/niu/wbball
Social Media	@GoHuskiesWBB (Twitter)

Northern Illinois Game Notes

OPENING TIP – Chicago State women's basketball travels to DeKalb, Ill., on Tuesday night to start a two-game road swing when it takes on Northern Illinois in an ESPN3 live broadcast at the NIU Convocation Center with a start time of 7 p.m.

SCOUTING CSU – The Green and White kick off this week's road swing with a 0-3 season record after concluding a two-game homestand last Saturday with a close 71-65 defeat to Wright State at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center with three players scoring in double figures. Sophomore forward/center Sh'Toya Sanders (Fort Wayne, Ind./Wayne) currently leads CSU in scoring (14.3 ppg), rebounding (9.0 rpg), blocked shots (4.3 bpg) and steals (2.0 spg) on the young season with two double-doubles, while sophomore guard/forward Kaylee Allen (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) is dishing out a team-leading 4.3 assists a game to go along with averaging 11.7 points per contest.

SCOUTING NIU – Northern Illinois heads into Tuesday's contest with CSU looking to regain its winning ways after dropping an 83-79 decision at Western Illinois last Saturday which snapped its two-game win streak. The Huskies have six players posting double-figure scoring averages, led by senior guard Ally Raisman with a double-double of 23.3 points and 11.7 rebounds a game in addition to dishing out a team-best 4.7 assists per contest and contributing six steals. Sophomore guard Courtney Woods is second on the team with 18.7 points per game while shooting a team-leading 45 percent from three-point range, and redshirt senior forward Cassidy Glenn is averaging 15 points and 7.7 boards a game.

SERIES HISTORY – NIU currently holds a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series with CSU that includes a 7-3 mark in games played in DeKalb. The Huskies captured a 68-50 victory over the Green and White at the Jones Convocation Center last season on Dec. 30, 2015. Four Cougars scored in double figures in that game with Layne Murphy(Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Central) recording a double-double of 14 rebounds and 11 points.

WAC LEADER – Sanders currently sits atop a couple of statistical categories in the WAC enter this week's action as she leads the league in blocked shots and is tied for first in offensive rebounds with UTRGV's Hildur Bjorg Kjartansdöttir with 3.7 per game. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native also ranks second in total rebounds and seventh in scoring.

UP NEXT – The Cougars travel to the state of Kentucky two days after Thanksgiving for a non-conference battle at Ohio Valley Conference foe Morehead State on Saturday, Nov. 26. The start time for the game at Johnson Arena is set for 11 a.m.

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hughes: JSU Tigers were more competitive in 2016

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State’s season is over, and while there will be plenty of time to dissect the season, head coach Tony Hughes was already taking a comprehensive look back following his team’s 35-16 loss to Alcorn State Saturday.

Hughes addressed his team following the game and reflected on the season they had just completed.

“We just talked about how we’d been fighting all season, regardless of the circumstances or what the score has been,” Hughes said. “We stuck together as a team. I think we built common bond and camaraderie, and it’s the kind of thing we need to build on headed into next year.”

The Tigers (3-8, 3-6 in SWAC) didn’t improve on their 2015 record, but they didn’t fall off, either. They beat the same three teams – Texas Southern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State – they beat the season before.

Taking a closer look at the numbers shows the Tigers were more competitive in some areas, and not so much in others.



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Coach Mike Davis Is Playing It Forward at TSU

What is the man who replaced Bobby Knight doing in Houston? Winning.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Mike Davis walks into Texas Southern University's Health and Physical Education Arena looking like a freshman on his way to an anthropology lecture. There’s a gray backpack slung over his right shoulder, headphones jammed into both ears. He’s wearing exceptionally baggy track pants and a billowy Nike T-shirt.

Aside from the gray stubble and middle-age spare tire, the 56-year-old looks exactly as he did 15 years ago, when he led the Indiana Hoosiers to the National Championship game just 18 months after replacing Bobby Knight, maybe the most iconic men’s basketball coach in NCAA history. His face is long and regal, his brow pronounced, his cheeks modestly freckled. He seems like a man who has learned a thing or two about this world.



It would be valid to question what in the hell Davis is doing at TSU, waiting for the women’s volleyball team to vacate the practice floor so his Tigers, in their off-brand black-and-gray jerseys, can loosen up. This dinged-up Third Ward gym is a long way from Bloomington’s Assembly Hall.

Davis, though, couldn’t be happier. He loves Houston, loves his bosses. His contract runs through 2020. He wants desperately to return to the Final Four, and to do so from this overlooked HBCU (historically black college or university), celebrating its 90th anniversary next year.

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Grambling showed character in comeback win over TSU

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Grambling's pristine 8-0 conference record hasn't come without challenges, but the Tigers met their stiffest one of the season over the weekend.

And Grambling's coach didn't say a word.

Down 28-7 in the first half, Grambling (8-1, 8-0) pulled out a gutsy win over Texas Southern with 40 unanswered points while holding Texas Southern scoreless to extend the Tigers' Southwestern Athletic Conference win streak to 17 games.

"I get excited when I see their character and their passion, whether it's practice or whether it's a game," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said Monday. "I didn't say anything. Our coaching staff addressed us being down 28-7. I didn't say anything. I just watched them."

Fobbs stood there silent. His players did all the work.

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NCAA FCS Playoffs: Richmond Spiders lost star quarterback, don't want to lose impact of star receivers

1st Round: North Carolina A&T at Richmond, 2 PM ET, Saturday, November 26, 2016, ESPN3

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Richmond lost its star quarterback. The Spiders are now trying to come up with ways to avoid losing the impact of quality receivers who no longer will benefit from the passing of Kyle Lauletta or an experienced back-up.

Lauletta, UR's junior quarterback, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s 34-13 loss at William & Mary. Richmond (8-3) plays MEAC runner-up North Carolina A&T (9-2) Saturday at Robins Stadium in the first round of the FCS playoffs and identifying a starting quarterback is coach Danny Rocco’s first order of business.

He said Monday that the Spiders continue to work through that. A few weeks ago, an injury to Lauletta would have been followed by the insertion of fifth-year senior David Broadus, a back-up with experience and a part-time tailback. Broadus did not dress for UR’s last two games and Rocco twice explained Broadus’ absence by saying “coach’s decision,” without elaboration.

Monday, Rocco said it was “highly unlikely” Broadus would play Saturday. The coach again declined to say why Broadus is unavailable.

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Lincoln Blue Tigers Win The Battle of the LU's, 78-65

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Anthony Virdure scored a game-high 25 points, Jaylon Smith recorded his second double-double of the season and Richie Lewis added 17 points as the Lincoln men's basketball team beat Langston, 78-65, to win the Battle of the LU's on Saturday (Nov. 19).

Smith scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished four assists and tallied three steals for the Blue Tigers. Virdure pulled down five rebounds, dropped two dimes and had a steal while Lewis recorded three assists and a pair of steals.



Lincoln (3-1) shot .500 from the floor and .538 from three-point range in the first half en route to a 46-24 halftime lead. Langston (4-2) opened the second half with a 13-3 run to pull within 12 of the Blue Tigers, but that ended up being as close to a comeback as the Lions would muster. Tacourrus Mattox ended the run with a jumper, O'Shai Clark followed with a layup and Virdure later drained a three to put Lincoln back up by 24.

The Blue Tigers out-rebounded the Lions, 39-32, and finished with a slight 16-17 advantage in turnovers. Lincoln grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, which it converted into 21 second-chance points, and finished with a 38-22 advantage in points in the paint.

Clark was second on the squad with six rebounds to go with two points, a pair of assists, a block and three steals. Maurice Mason blocked two shots and had a steal while scoring five points and grabbing three boards. Mattox added five points to the Lincoln cause and had an assist.

Darrius Spencer closed out the scoring with four points and two boards. Alexander Nailes grabbed three rebounds, Rod Ollison pulled down five boards and Deionte Wilson finished with one rebound. Kevin Bolen and Chase Morfeld also represented the Blue Tigers on the court.

Up next for Lincoln is a road game at McKendree on Tuesday (Nov. 22). Tip-off for that game in Lebanon, Ill. is set for 7:00 p.m. CST.

BOX SCORE

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Turkey Day Classic: Game still matters

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The promo commercial pops.

Just one of many signs of entertainer Steve Harvey's imprint on this year's Turkey Day Classic. The festivities are endless. I might have to check out the Hip-Hop concert.

Much love and respect to Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, but I grew up on rap music. Like DJ Kid Capri says, "It ain't nothing like Hip-Hop music."

Still, there is something for everyone, but let's not forget what all these events are leading up to – the actual game.

Harvey is the headliner, no question. He's rejuvenated the Turkey Day Classic and created a week-long celebration, but alumni, family and friends are coming from miles around to watch Alabama State beat NCAA Division II school Miles College on Thanksgiving.

So ASU (3-7) better bring its 'A' game. Miles (5-4) has some talent, took Tuskegee down to wire before losing, 13-10, and will have had nearly three weeks to prepare for the Turkey Day Classic. ASU handled Miles pretty easily last season, will be favored to win again Thursday, but it won't be a cakewalk.



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McNair, Alcorn Braves overcame a lot to repeat as East champs

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Fred McNair’s first season as Alcorn State coach hasn’t gone as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he can’t complain about the results.

The Braves (5-5, 5-4 in SWAC) clinched their third-straight SWAC East title Saturday with a 35-16 win over Jackson State in their regular-season finale in Lorman.

Alcorn State struggled to a .500 record a year after finishing 9-4 following a loss to North Carolina A&T under Jay Hopson, who left Alcorn for southern Miss following the season.

But quarterback Lenorris Footman, who accounted for 2,100 yards and 25 touchdowns last fall, played in just six games this season, as did tailback Arron Baker, who led the team in yards per carry.

Those are just two of the guys who have dealt with nagging injuries throughout the season.

“We’ve had a lot of starters out,” McNair said. “It’s been a struggle trying to get everyone healthy at the same time, and even going back to preseason camp, we had so much rain we couldn’t even get outside and practice. That put us behind from the start.”

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU left it all on the field on Saturday

BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Will Johnson, a four-year starter for Winston-Salem State, stood on the field at Long Island Post flanked by his family who came from High Point to see what turned out to be his final college game.

Johnson, an All-CIAA kicker and one of the best in school history, was in no hurry to get back on the team bus for the long 11-hour bus ride back to Winston-Salem.

For the roughly 300 WSSU fans who came to Saturday’s 48-41 loss to Long Island Post it didn’t seem like it was worth the trip late in the third quarter. The Rams trailed 48-24 and the Pioneers had started celebrating.

But what happened next was one of the more memorable moments for this year’s team, even if they couldn’t comeback all the way. The Ram scored 17 unanswered points to put a scare in the Long Island Post fans.

One of the fans who travelled from his home in White Plains, New York was Danny Woodward, who was in a wheelchair but wasn’t going to miss the game. Woodward, who is a 1953 graduate of WSSU, played football for the Rams in the 1950s.

Before the game many of the coaches and players shook his hand outside the locker room.

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Shaw Lady Bears Claims 2016 CIAA Volleyball Championship

PETERSBURG, Virginia – The Shaw University women's volleyball team claimed the 2016 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Volleyball Championship after sweeping Southern Division foe Fayetteville State University, 3-0 on Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Virginia State University Multipurpose Center.

Truly a Cinderella story, under the leadership of head volleyball coach DiShondra Goree, the Lady Bears whom was 1-19 overall in her first season. Goree guided the Lady Bears to a 21-11 overall record in her second season in addition to a runner-up finish in the 2015 CIAA Volleyball Championships. The Lady Bears claimed the title for the first time in 21 years and will automatically earn a berth in the NCAA Volleyball playoffs.

Sophomore and the tournament's Most Valuable Player - Kelly Murphy (Mukwonago, WI) registered a match-high and double-double 13 kills and 14 digs while freshman Amari Fletcher (Phoneix, AZ) tallied a career-high 12 kills. Sophomore and all-tournament player Michelle Olmeda-Gonzalez (San Juan, PR) recorded a match-high 26 assists while junior Tiffany Brooks (Efland, NC) collected 14 digs.

Sophomore Keveesha Wattley (St. Croix, VI) was also named to the 2016 CIAA Volleyball All-Tournament Team.



In the first set, Shaw established a 7-3 lead but the Lady Broncos capitalized on the Lady Bears miscues to tie the contest at 9-9. A hit to the Lady Bears back line gave FSU its first lead of the set. The contest would tie four more times before Shaw went a 9-3 run to lead 23-17. A kill by sophomore Morghan Robinson (Anaheim, CA) and a service ace for Murphy gave the Lady Bears the 25-18 set win.

Shaw trailed 6-1 early in the second set caused by the Lady Broncos hot hitting in conjunction with the Lady Bears errors. Shaw would rally from behind to tie the match at nine before both teams exchanged points in segments as the match would tie four more times. The Lady Bears used a 5-1 run to secure the 25-22 set win over FSU.

With a 2-0 match lead, the Lady Bears established a 5-2 stretch in the third frame. Focused and hungrier than ever, Shaw would lead by as many as nine points (18-9) before the Lady Broncos made a run to close gap to get within two points on a kill by Bojo Jada. A bad set from Shaw would give the Lady Bears a one-point lead (20-19) but a kill from freshman Tapanga Moten (New Orleans, LA) ignited a 4-0 run as the Lady Bears sealed the deal with a 25-19 set win and the 2016 CIAA Volleyball Championship.

Shaw will now await the 2016 NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information on Shaw University women's volleyball and its 11 varsity sport teams, please visit shawbears.com.

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SHAW UNIVERSITY BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Claflin Lady Panthers Cruise Pass Queen University of Charlotte for Homecoming

Orangeburg, South Carolina -- Joclyn Ramos scored a game-high 21 points as the Claflin University Lady Panthers defeated Queen University of Charlotte 79-51 for Homecoming in a women's basketball game Saturday at the Tullis Arena.

The victory improved the Lady Panthers early season record to 3-1.

The offensive production was Claflin largest this season. The Lady Panthers previously won by 14 points (52-38) over Elizabeth City University Nov. 16th.
Ramos, who scored 12 of her points in the second half, was nine-of 16 from the field with a three-pointer.

Claflin finished the game with 11 players reaching the scoring column. Carnique Marks, Dominique Williams and Deja Dickens added eight points each.
Junior Dionna Marcus led the Lady Panthers on the boards with nine rebounds.

Queens University, winless on the season at 0-4, was led by Oliverio McKell with 16 points.

The Lady Panthers came out of the gate on fire, scoring 10 of the game's first 12 points to lead 10-2 after three minutes of play. Claflin hit four-of-five shots to start the game. Dickens and Ramos highlighted the fast start with three-point baskets.

After Queens cut the lead to 12-6 at the 5:28 mark, Claflin reposed with five unanswered points for a 17-6 lead over the next three minutes. The Lady Panthers ended the first quarter of play with a 20-15 advantages.

The second quarter saw Claflin maintain a double-digit lead. It was Dominque Williams' three-pointer as time expired that provided the home team with a 42-26 halftime lead.

Defense also played an important role as the Lady Panthers forced 12 turnovers.

In the third quarter, Claflin held a 20 point-plus lead with the largest being 60-35 at 2:47 mark.
Claflin led 61-39 after three quarters of play.

The Lady Panthers outscored Queens 18-12 in the final quarter. Claflin produced its biggest lead of the game at 76-43 on a layup by junior Dionna Marcus with 5:12 left in the game.

Claflin will take to the road for two games, Livingstone College on Tuesday (Nov. 22) and Newberry Saturday (Nov. 26). The Lady Panthers return home to start Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) play against Central State University (Nov. 29).

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Union, Lane to meet in basketball

JACKSON, Tennessee -- Lane College and Union University have diverse student bodies, but athletics is bringing the two educational institutions together Tuesday night as the Bulldogs will host the Dragons for basketball games.

The women will tip off at 6 p.m. The men are scheduled to tip two hours later.

The presidents of the nearby universities — Union’s Dub Oliver and Lane’s Logan Hampton — have appeared together on a number of occasions discussing racial reconciliation and the role each of their universities can and do play in the culture of Jackson and West Tennessee.

That partnership will continue when the teams meet for a rare scheduled game between the programs. The men’s teams met last year during a Gulf South Conference-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showcase.

“We haven’t played much if at all in recent years,” said Union athletic director Tommy Sadler. “We’d play a home-and-home series every year in the 1970s, and Dr. Hampton opened the conversation between he and (Oliver) about the possibility of it happening again soon after they both came to Jackson.”

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Alabama State Back on top of the SWAC

JACKSON, Mississippi – The Alabama State women's volleyball team returned to the top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) by rallying back to defeat No. 2 seeded Texas Southern 3-1 (16-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-14) at the Williams Assembly Center on the campus of Jackson State University to claim the SWAC championship for the third time in the past four seasons under head coach Penny Lucas-White.

The Lady Hornets (24-8 overall) have won 23 of their last 24 matches now including 12 consecutive matches and will now await the NCAA Selection Show next Sunday at 8 p.m. CT to discover who, when and where they'll be playing in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament that begins next Thursday, December 1.

SWAC Freshman of the Year Bayle Bennett played like a seasoned veteran, cool under pressure as she whacked a team-best 19 kills and junior Briana Dorsey added nine kills as ASU responded well after dropping the opening set.

Bennett was named SWAC Tournament MVP for her efforts.

Alabama State had to battle back from an uncharacteristic poor first set in which the team committed more errors (10) than kills (nine) for a negative .030 hitting percentage.

Dropping just their fourth total set in 21 matches against conference opponents, the Lady Hornets stormed back to take the next three sets with renewed vigor.
"They feed off my energy," said coach Lucas-White.

"Texas Southern jumped out a whole lot stronger than we had expected. We completely switched the lineup, flipped Ni'yesha [Brown] and Krysta [Medearis] with different sides and it worked. We put Asha [Daniels} back in and we settled down. It put Bayle [Bennett] up to swing and they had to contend with Bri [Dorsey] and Candace [Martin]."

Bennett was unmatched as she proved to be a problem for the Texas Southern (22-11) defense all season.

The freshman notched 12 kills in a four-set victory back on Oct. 3 against the Lady Tigers, followed that up with a 15-kill performance in a sweep at home on Nov. 5 and then saved her best for the most important match of the season by smacking a career-high 19 kills in Sunday's championship against them.

"There's only one player who plays the whole match," Lucas-White said.

"That alone speaks volume about her [Bennett's] experience because she's done that all year around. She passes excellent. It does not matter. She can pass anything. But when you talk about our stability, she's a big reason for it. The team is so fun and loose that they don't have a clue the history that they made here today."

Of course, Bennett had plenty of help.

Dorsey and Ni'yesha Brown had nine kills apiece and Krysta Medearis added another seven kills to the fold for the ASU attack.

Jamie Coleman, the lone player who has been a part of all four Alabama State teams that have reached the championship, recorded a game-high 26 digs.

It was her second highest total of the season.

"They wanted to do this for Jamie," Lucas-White said.

"The girls decided in the locker room that they wanted to send Jamie out on an excellent note. Jamie has nurtured and cultured and taught them. She has done everything for this team."

And, setters Justus Tuiolosega and Kori Kutsch each had 19 assists to get the offense in the right direction.

All three of the Lady Tigers' losses against conference opponents came against Alabama State.

The Lady Hornets are now one win shy of tying the all-time school record for most wins in single season.

The 2013 team won 25 games.

Coach Lucas-White's teams have now won 25, 20, 21 and 24 games in each of the past four seasons.

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FCS football: 24-team championship bracket selected: North Carolina A&T Aggies vs. Richmond Spiders

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — The field of 24 teams competing for the 2016 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced Sunday by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee. The top eight national seeds will host winners from the first-round matchups.

FCS Championship: Interactive bracket | Printable bracket

Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State (10-1) tops the bracket as the No. 1 seed after tying for the Missouri Valley Football Conference Championship. The Bison are making their seventh straight and overall appearance in the championship.

Eastern Washington (10-1) is the No. 2 seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Big Sky Conference. The Eagles, the 2010 champion, are making their 12th appearance in the championship.

Jacksonville State (10-1) is the No. 3 seed after capturing the Ohio Valley Conference automatic berth. The Gamecocks, 2016 national finalist, are making their fourth straight and seventh overall appearance in the championship.

James Madison (10-1) is the fourth seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Dukes, the 2004 champion, are making their third straight and 13th overall appearance in the championship.

Winner of the Southland Conference automatic qualifying berth, Sam Houston State (11-0), the 2011 and 2012 national finalist will be the fifth seed. The Bearkats are making their sixth straight and 10th overall appearance in the championship.

The No. 6 seed is The Citadel (10-1). The Bulldogs earned the automatic qualifying berth from the Southern Conference and are making their second straight and fifth overall appearance in the championship.

North Dakota (9-2) earned an at-large berth in championship after finishing as co-champion of the Big Sky Conference. The Fighting Hawks are making their inaugural appearance in the championship and will be the seventh seed.

The eighth and final seeded team will be South Dakota State (8-3). The Jackrabbits will be making their fifth straight appearance and sixth overall after capturing the Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic berth, tying with North Dakota State.

The 2016 championship field consists of 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large qualifiers.

Automatic Qualifiers (10)
Conference School
Big Sky Eastern Washington (10-1)
Big South Charleston Southern (7-3)
Colonial Athletic Assocation James Madison (10-1)
Missouri Valley South Dakota State (8-3)
Northeast Saint Francis (Pa.) (7-4)
Ohio Valley Jacksonville State (10-1)
Patriot League Lehigh (9-2)
Pioneer San Diego (9-1)
Southern The Citadel (10-1)
Southland Sam Houston State (11-0)

At-Large (14)
Conference School
Big Sky Cal Poly (7-4)
Big Sky North Dakota (9-2)
Big Sky Weber State (7-4)
Colonial Athletic Association New Hampshire (7-4)
Colonial Athletic Association Richmond (8-3)
Colonial Athletic Association Villanova (8-3)
Mid-Eastern Athletic North Carolina A&T (9-2)
Missouri Valley Illinois State (6-5)
Missouri Valley North Dakota State (10-1)
Missouri Valley Youngstown State (8-3)
Southern Chattanooga (8-3)
Southern Samford (7-4)
Southern Wofford (8-3)
Southland Central Arkansas (9-2)

FIRST-ROUND GAMES
November 26 at San Luis Obispo, California, 7 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego (9-1) at Cal Poly (7-4)

November 26 at Villanova, Pennsylvania, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Sant Francis (Pa.) (7-4) at Villanova (8-3)

November 26 at Chattanooga, Tennessee, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Weber St. (7-4) at Chattanooga (8-3)

November 26 at Durham, New Hampshire, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Lehigh (9-2) at New Hampshire (7-4)

November 26 at Youngstown, Ohio, 5 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford (7-4) at Youngstown St. (8-3)

November 26 at Spartanburg, South Carolina, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Charleston So. (7-3) at Wofford (8-3)

November 26 at Richmond, Virginia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
N.C. A&T (9-2) at Richmond (8-3)

November 26 at Conway, Arkansas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Illinois St. (6-5) at Central Ark. (9-2)

SECOND-ROUND GAMES

December 3 at Fargo, North Dakota, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego/Cal Poly winner at #1 North Dakota St. (10-1)

December 3 at Brookings, South Dakota, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Sant Francis (PA)/Villanova winner at #8 South Dakota St. (8-3)

December 3 at Huntsville, Texas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Weber St./Chattanooga winner at #5 Sam Houston St. (11-0)

December 3 at Harrisonburg, Virginia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Lehigh/New Hampshire winner at #4 James Madison (10-1)

December 3 at Jacksonville, Alabama, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford/Youngstown St. winner at #3 Jacksonville St. (10-1)

December 3 at Charleston, South Carolina, 6 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Charleston So./Wofford winner at #6 The Citadel (10-1)

December 3 at Grand Forks, North Dakota, 6 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
N.C. A&T/Richmond winner at #7 North Dakota (9-2)

December 3 at Cheney, Washington 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Illinois St./Central Ark. winner at #2 Eastern Wash. (10-1)

Television schedules and games times for all rounds of the 2016 championship will be updated at www.ncaa.com/fcs

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St. Francis rallies each set to gain sweep of Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Sr. Francis (Ill.) rallied in all three sets Saturday to eliminate Xavier University of Louisiana 25-15, 25-21, 25-22 in the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round.

The Saints (31-11) rallied from deficits of 14-11 in the first set, 17-12 in the second set and 18-16 in the third. The victory advanced them to the NAIA National Championship Final Site Nov. 29-Dec. 3 at Sioux City, Iowa.

JoAnna Nowicki had 10 kills and nine digs for St. Francis, and Jade Livesay-Groark and Brenne Perinar had eight kills apiece. Brooke Hartnell had 18 digs, Leah Alles had 16 digs, and Amber Casey had 24 assists.

Juliana Tomasoni led XULA (16-17) with her 14th double-double of the season, 10 kills and 14 digs. Terri Drake had nine kills, and Taylor Ducros had a career-high 17 digs. Two seniors played their final XULA match. Kayla Jones had six digs, and Ralitsa Slanchev had 12 assists and three digs.

St. Francis outhit the Gold Nuggets .233 to .111 and had advantages of 45-35 in kills, 4-2 in aces and 67-64 in digs.

XULA was eliminated in the opening round for the sixth consecutive season. It was the Gold Nuggets' sixth overall appearance at nationals. The Saturday match was the first time a XULA team in any sport hosted an NAIA tourney match on its campus.

St. Francis and 11 other Saturday winners will join 20 teams with byes in Sioux City.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Texas Southern Lady Tigers power past Texas State 66-53

SAN MARCOS. Texas – The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern returned to their winning ways Sunday as the put away Texas State by a score of 66-53.
 
Joyce Kennerson scored a game-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting to lead the Lady Tigers, who are 2-1 to start the season for the first time since 2013.
 
Kaitlyn Palmer scored 15 points to TSU, followed by Breasia McElrath and Chynna Ewing, who scored nine points apiece. Ewing also handed out six assists for the Lady Tigers.
 
Toshua Leavitt scored 11 points to lead Texas State; the Bobcats fell to 2-2 with the loss.
 
The Lady Tigers pulled away from their hosts for good by scoring eight unanswered points between the 6:25 and 2:19 marks of the third quarter. After Leavitt knocked down a 3-pointer to cut TSU's lead to 39-38, Kennerson answered with a layup with time winding down on the shot clock to spark the run.
 
With a 51-42 advantage to start the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers continued to pull away from Texas State. A layup by Nycolle Smith gave TSU its largest lead of the game at 60-44 with 5:28 left to play in the fourth period, and Texas State was unable to get closer than nine points the rest of the way. 

KEY POINTS:

• The Lady Tigers have won multiple games over schools with FBS-level football teams for the second year in a row. They accomplished the feat last year with wins at Rice and UTSA on either side of the Christmas break.
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• Texas Southern improved to 7-6 all-time over Texas State. The Lady Tigers last win in the series came in Houston in 2009.
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• The win at Texas State came 37 years and one day after TSU's last true road win at San Marcos; the Lady Tigers defeated what was then known as Southwest Texas State 103-74 on Nov. 19, 1979.
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• The Lady Tigers shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the first time this season, making 27 out of their 53 field goal attempts (51 percent).
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• TSU shot 50 percent from the 3-point circle in the game, going 5-of-10. Palmer was 3-of-5 from long range, while Kennerson was 2-of-5.
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• Ewing made four out of her five field goal attempts, while McElrath was 4-for-6.
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• TSU held Texas State to 36 percent shooting (22 of 61) from the floor.

 
NEXT GAME:

The Lady Tigers will play their next two games in the Caribbean as they take part in the Puerto Rico Clasico in San Juan. They will face Puerto Rico–Bayamón on Wednesday, and then will face Presbyterian College (S.C.) on Friday. UPRB is affiliated with the NCAA's Division II, while Presbyterian is a Division I program that competes in the Big South Conference.

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