Saint Augustine’s sweeps CIAA cross country titles

CARY, North Carolina  -- Saint Augustine’s University swept the CIAA men’s and women’s cross country titles for the second consecutive year at WakeMed Soccer Park on Thursday.

The Falcons and Lady Falcons have combined to win over 150 cross country and track and field conference crowns under coach George Williams.

“Our student-athletes and (assistant coach) Sandy Chapman did a great job of bringing home both championships,” Williams said. “Chapman, being a premier cross country coach, made it happen.”

The Falcons, led by Torion Bailey’s first-place finish, scored 47 points to place first in the 12-team men’s 8K run. Virginia Union University was second with 58 points and Virginia State University was third with 80 points.

The Lady Falcons placed four runners in the top six to score 29 points for the easy victory in the women’s 12-team 5K run. Virginia State, led by the first-place finish of Taylor-Ashley Bean, was second with 69 points and Winston-Salem State University was third with 76 points.

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SWAC suspends officials for poor clock management in Alabama A&M's loss at Southern

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference levied one-game suspensions against officials for poor clock management in Alabama A&M's 20-17 double-overtime loss at Southern (La.) Oct. 12th. 

 

Late in the game, referees let the clock run out when Southern was penalized for intentional grounding only to add time back on the clock after finding out the Jaguars still had a timeout remaining. 

 

"This was an unusual end to a game," Southwestern Athletic Conference commissioner Duer Sharp said in a release sent out by the conference. "After a thorough review, we have determined the officials fell short of the high standards in which SWAC contests should be officiated.  We will continue to work with our coordinator of officials and game officials to make sure this situation does not occur again." 

 

Southern kicker Matthew Hill connected on a 37-yard field goal to win the game for the Jaguars.

 

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It's plain and simple -- just not easy: Alabama A&M has to stop Alabama State's running game

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- A scouting report for the week, with a drawing on the cover and a kaleidoscope of X's and O's tumbling about inside, sits on a stack of other paperwork on the corner of Brawnski Towns' desk in the Alabama A&M football offices.

There is wisdom and insight and many hours of work in the scouting report. There is also great simplicity in it as the Bulldogs (2-5) prepare to face Alabama State (6-1) in the Magic City Classic (Saturday, 2:30 at Legion Field).

Stop. The. Run.

Alabama State averages 272 yards per game on the ground. It's rushed the ball 343 times and thrown just 201 passes. The passing game might be further limited as starting quarterback Daniel Duhart has been dealing with a bad back. The Hornets' Isaiah Crowell, who transferred from Georgia after a star-crossed tenure there, is averaging 116.3 yards per game, with 16 carries a game.

"They line up and they're coming at you," said Towns, the Bulldogs' veteran defensive coordinator who is going into ...

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Gerald Ensley: New book shows FAMU Jake Gaither's role in black equality

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Jake Gaither was not an Uncle Tom.

That’s one of the lessons of the new book, “Breaking the Line,” by Samuel Freedman — who paints a compelling new portrait of the late Florida A&M football coach.

It was Gaither, who arranged the state’s first football game between predominantly black and white college football teams — FAMU vs. University of Tampa in 1969 — which struck one of the most important blows for racial equality in Florida history.



“I think the record should show (Gaither) stepped up and did something hugely important,” Freedman said. “You can argue whether he should have stepped up sooner or more publicly. But when he did it, he did it in an immensely important way.”

Freedman, 58, is a celebrated New York Times columnist and author of four acclaimed books about education and religion. Freedman was in Tallahassee last week to speak at a Florida State University lecture series.

“Breaking the Line” is about two important events in black college football history: the purposeful development by Grambling State coach Eddie Robinson of the first black NFL quarterback, James Harris; and the FAMU-Tampa game.

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Gold Nuggets need less than an hour to defeat Tougaloo

NEW ORLEANS -- Moira Kirk hit .625 and had 11 kills, and Franziska Pirkl served a season-high three aces Wednesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 25-6, 25-16, 25-13 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against Tougaloo.

The Gold Nuggets (19-7, 8-0) extended their school-record win streak to 13 and reduced their magic number to three for clinching a third consecutive GCAC regular-season championship.

Xavier won in 51 minutes -- the sixth time during the streak that the Nuggets finished in less than an hour. They became the first XU team to win seven in a row at home in one season. Their overall home win streak is 11.

Kirk had seven kills in nine attacks, and Pirkl served two aces in the first set. Kirk did not play in the third set.

Claudia Haywood had seven kills and two blocks for Xavier. Jodi Hill had six kills and a block. Pirkl had four kills in as many attacks, 26 assists and a block. CeCe Williams had eight digs to lead the Nuggets for the second consecutive match, and Alexandria Rencher had two aces and 10 assists.

Briana Murphy had six kills and a block for Tougaloo (2-15, 2-7), which has dropped six straight.

Xavier led 9-1 in the first set, 6-0 in the second and 8-1 in the third.

Xavier outhit Tougaloo .361 to minus-.020 and had advantages of 42-9 in kills and 8-0 in aces.

The teams will meet again at 1 p.m. Saturday at Tougaloo. Xavier's next home match will start at 7 p.m. Monday against Philander Smith.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Morgan State football staying in hunt in MEAC

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- The Morgan State football team lost its first five games of the season, including its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against Norfolk State. Despite that slow start, however, the program is firmly entrenched in the race for the league championship.

That’s because the Bears have won their last two conference games, defeating Florida A&M, 34-21, on Oct. 5 and North Carolina Central, 34-22, last Saturday. Those victories have helped Morgan State (2-5 overall and 2-1 in the MEAC) move to a tie with Hampton for fourth place in the league.

“It was a great win for us,” coach Donald Hill-Eley said of Saturday’s result against the Eagles during a conference call organized by the MEAC on Tuesday morning. “As we’ve said before, we want to do well in conference play. You want to do well in all your games, but as we were waiting on the maturity from these guys, we wanted to do well in the conference. That win keeps us elevated in the conference and keeps things in perspective for whatever may happen.”

There was some concern that a bye week that separated the team’s victories could cause some rust. But the Bears scored the first 21 points against North Carolina Central, and Hill-Eley was pleased to see that the momentum was still there.

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JSU Tigers, PVAMU Panthers meet in possible SWAC matchup

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  -- Jackson State travels to Prairie View on Saturday in what could be a preview of the SWAC championship game.

The Panthers are expected to win the Western Division title, while Jackson State (6-2, 6-0) controls its destiny in the East race. Neither team was the preseason pick to win their respective divisions. Alabama State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff were the preseason picks to win the West and East.

Jackson State is off to its best start since 1995 during the final years of the late James "Big Daddy" Carson's reign as coach. Alcorn State at Southern University, 6 p.m.: The Braves (6-2, 4-1 SWAC) need a victory to remain in contention for the East Division title. Alcorn is also aiming for its best season since the Steve McNair days of the mid-1990s.

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2013-14 TSU Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish Released

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- In a poll voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors, the Tennessee State University women’s basketball team was selected to finish fifth in the East Division for the 2013-14 Ohio Valley Conference campaign.

“I’ve been doing this for a number of years as a coach and it’s not how you start the race its how you finish it,” commented head coach Larry Inman. “We have a lot of work to do as a team but we’re going to be doing everything we can to finish in the top echelon of the East, with the hope of winning it all. But that’s what we do that every year, we try to compete for a championship. Last year I thought our kids really competed in the conference, we came up a little short but it was very encouraging to see our team battle. This team is very young with a lot of potential and I think we are going to make some noise in the conference.”

Tennessee State only returns four letterwinners from last season, including lone senior Alana Morris, redshirt junior Chelsea Hudson, junior Rachel Allen and sophomore Brianna Lawrence. In 2012-13, TSU finished 4^th in the East Division with a conference record of 9-7.

Allen ranked first in the OVC in assist/turnover ratio (1.9) and led the team in assists per game (8^th in OVC). Hudson is the top returning scorer and rebounder from last year. She put up an average of 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds.  

The Lady Tigers posted an overall record of 13-15 on the season while ranking second in the OVC in steals (9.5 per game), turnover margin (+2.8) and offensive rebounds (14.5 per game). TSU also ranked third in blocked shots with 4.1 per outing.

In addition to the four returners, eight newcomers will join the team.

The Lady Tigers will host Tennessee Temple in an exhibition game on Nov. 1 before officially kicking off the season at Kansas State on Nov. 8.

EAST Order of Finish Points

1. Tennessee Tech (12 first-place votes) 119 

2. Belmont (Nine first-place votes) 115 

3. Eastern Kentucky (Three first-place votes) 95 

4. Morehead State 66 

5. Tennessee State 65 

6. Jacksonville State 32

WEST Order of Finish Points

1. UT Martin (22 first-place votes) 132 

2. SIUE (Two first-place votes) 103 

3. Eastern Illinois 85 

4. Murray State 68 

5. Southeast Missouri 61 

6. Austin Peay 42

2013 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Preseason

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Echebelem earns XU's 4th GCAC player award this year

Chinedu Echebelem

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Chinedu Echebelem is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's volleyball for Oct. 14-20.

The Gold Nuggets have won this award four times this season. This is the second time that Echebelem has been honored; the other was in the opening week of 2012.

Echebelem, a 5-foot-6 outside hitter from Dallas and a graduate of Duncanville High School, hit .325 with 29 kills, 33 digs and three aces produced a pair of kill-dig double-doubles during the Gold Nuggets' 3-0 week. She had 11 kills, 12 digs, an ace and two blocks to help Xavier defeat Mobile and break a school record for consecutive victories. Echebelem had eight kills, eight digs and hit .400 against Avila and 10 kills, 13 digs and two aces to help Xavier complete a three-match season sweep of city rival Loyola.

Echebelem has 219 kills, 34 aces, 234 digs and 23 blocks in 25 matches this season.

Xavier (18-7, 7-0) will play GCAC opponent Tougaloo (2-13, 2-6) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Convocation Center. The Gold Nuggets have won 29 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Miller Named to OVC Preseason Team, TSU Tabbed Fifth

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – On Tuesday, the Ohio Valley Conference held its annual Basketball Media Day at the Sheraton Music City Hotel featuring both head coaches from its 12 member schools.

The Tennessee State men’s basketball team was predicted to finish fifth in the OVC’s Eastern Division while Patrick Miller was selected to the league’s All-Preseason squad.

The Tigers will look to replace a trio of seniors who combined for nearly 45 points and 18 rebounds per game last season. The squad brought in four freshmen and two JUCO transfers that will try to match the departed players’ numbers.

Despite losing four starters overall, the team returns senior Patrick Miller who was a first-team All-OVC selection as a junior a year ago. Miller led the OVC in assists (5.8 per game) while also contributing 14.8 points (11th in OVC), 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game (8th in the OVC). The guard was also a key leader for the team when Robert Covington (who is now with the Houston Rockets) missed time with an injury during the middle of the season.

Another key returnee is redshirt junior forward M.J. Rhett, who pulled down 6.1 rebounds/game and blocked 32 shots a year ago.

Miller, Rhett and the rest of the Tigers will look to prove the predictions wrong when they start play at the University of Hawai’i on Nov. 8.
 

2013-14 OVC Predicted Order of Finish
East
1. Eastern Kentucky (18 first-place votes) – 128
2. Belmont (6) – 116
3. Morehead State – 74
4. Jacksonville State – 72
5. Tennessee State – 60
6. Tennessee Tech - 42

West
1. Southeast Missouri (13 first-place votes) – 117
     Murray State (11) – 117
3. Austin Peay – 90
4. UT Martin – 66
5. Eastern Illinois – 58
6. SIUE - 44

6 points awarded for a first-place vote, 5 for second, etc. - Coaches and SID's could not vote for their own teams.
 

2013-14 Preseason All-OVC Team
Travis Betran, Austin Peay
Glenn Cosey, Eastern Kentucky
Nino Johnson, Southeast Missouri
J.J. Mann, Belmont
Patrick Miller, Tennessee State
Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri
Myles Taylor, UT Martin
Will Triggs, Austin Peay
Corey Walden, Eastern Kentucky
Brian Williams, Jacksonville State

OVC Preseason Player of the Year: Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State says it will sue Grambling State

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Grambling State's football player mutiny this past week captured the attention of media outlets and sports fans nationally.

Add Jackson State's lawyers to that list.

Jackson State says it took a financial hit after Saturday's homecoming game was canceled because Grambling forfeited when players refused to play. Now, Jackson State leaders plan to take legal action against Grambling State and "others" to recoup the losses, a Jackson State spokesman said Tuesday night in a message to alumni and school supporters.

RELATED: What got Grambling's players back on the field

AT GRAMBLING: School to launch review

"The JSU family was damaged. Our Homecoming game draws tens of thousands of fans. The university intends to use litigation to be made whole for our direct and indirect financial losses," Eric Stringfellow, executive director of Jackson State University Communications, wrote.

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Central State Marauders stun Lane on its homecoming

COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

JACKSON, Tennessee -- For the second week in a row Central State University shocked a SIAC West opponent, this time the Marauders scored 20 unanswered points in the third quarter to hold on to a 37-34 win over Lane College on its homecoming played Saturday afternoon at Lane Stadium.  Central State quarterback Michael Wilson threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 93 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. The senior had a total of five TDs.  Priestly Shuler added 113 yard rushing and field goal kicker Dustin Bryant added a 29-yard field goal.

In all Central State racked up a season-high 514 yards of total offense. Trailing 27-17 early in the third quarter, Wilson completed a eight play 65 yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown run. Moments later, on Central State's next possession, the senior quarterback scored the go-ahead touchdown with a 74-yard strike to receiver Aaron Wade. After another stalled Lane drive, Wilson scored the Marauders last touchdown on a 15-yard run, which completed a six play 43 yard drive.

??For Lane, the loss spoiled the Dragons homecoming, and put a dent in the team's SIAC West Division Championship hopes. The SIAC's leading passer Chris Rini continued his strong senior campaign with 340 yards passing  and three touchdowns, completing 31-for-49 attempts. Rini also rushed for a score. His favorite target, wide receiver Gregory Moore II had a game-high 108 yards receiving on five catches.??With the loss, the Dragons fall to (4-3, 2-2 SIAC).

Lane will have a short week with its upcoming game against Miles on Thursday in another pivotal SIAC West Division match up.  After losing its first five games, and allowing a league high 48 points per game, Central State remains in contention in the SIAC West Division. The Marauders, (2-4, 2-3 SIAC), will travel to face Stillman next Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama which will be a homecoming for Central State head coach EJ Junior, a former All-American Linebacker and National Champion at the University of Alabama.

Box Score



COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State set to prep for Alabama A&M, big stage in Magic City Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- A week off allowed a bruised and battered Alabama State team to get some much needed time off before it began to hone in on its next opponent arch-rival Alabama A&M.

The two teams will square off in their annual showdown at the 72nd Annual State Farm Magic City Classic presented by Coca-Cola Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Birmingham's Legion Field. 

The Hornets (6-2, 6-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) and riding a six-game winning streak while the Bulldogs are 2-5 (2-3) and have dropped two in a row against Mississippi Valley State. 

 

The matchup will pit the Alabama State's second-rated offense at 38.3 points per game against Alabama A&M's defense, a unit which is rated No. 1 in the league in total defense, allowing 278 yards per game. 

"They're playing a good bit of people up front," Barlow said of the Bulldogs. Typically, some of the kids, may not be big in girth on the inside are really active or use a variety of moves. So, our offensive line has to make sure they're knee-benders and not waist-benders and make sure that we are moving our feet against those athletic guys." 

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Edward Waters fired football coach Brad Bernard after 0-7 start; Alvin Wyatt will be interim coach

JACKSONVILLE, Florida  -- Edward Waters College has fired football coach Brad Bernard and replaced him on an interim basis with Alvin Wyatt, former coach at Bethune-Cookman.

The Tigers are 0-7 and have four games remaining, three on the road. EWC had an open date last Saturday and is playing at Newport News Apprentice School on Saturday.

Bernard, the former offensive coordinator at Bethune, took over EWC's program in 2011. He played football at Georgia Southern.

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Alvin Wyatt names interim head coach at Edward Waters

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Former Bethune-Cookman football coach Alvin Wyatt was named interim head coach of Edward Waters on Tuesday, according to The Florida Times-Union.

The Jacksonville newspaper reported Edward Waters athletic director Johnny Rembert fired Brad Bernard and promoted Wyatt on an interim basis with four games left in the season. Edward Waters, an NAIA program, is 0-7.

Wyatt, 65, was head coach at B-CU for 13 seasons and won more games than any coach in school history. He compiled a 90-54 record.



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WSSU Notes: Season is over for RB Mputu

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Patrick Mputu, who started three games and shared the tailback spot with Maurice Lewis, tore a knee ligament Oct. 12 against Johnson C. Smith and will miss the rest of the season.

"It’s tough for him, and being a senior it’s a bad break,” Coach Connell Maynor said Tuesday. “The worst part about it was, he was just running, and he went down. To end his career like that is really tough.”

Mputu gained 297 yards on 60 carries and scored three touchdowns this season and also was an effective receiver out of the backfield, with eight catches for 80 yards.

Freshman Josh Glisson will get more carries as the backup to Lewis. He gained 31 yards on four carries and scored twice last Saturday against St. Aug’s.

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WSSU Rams say they’re not overlooking Livingstone Blue Bears

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State won’t face its toughest opponent of the season Saturday at Livingstone, and Coach Connell Maynor is sticking with a phrase he uses often — “Respect all, fear none” — to keep his team focused in practice.

The No. 15-ranked Rams (6-1, 4-0 CIAA) know the danger of an upset lurks around every corner. But they have won six straight this season and have dominated their last three games against the Blue Bears (2-5, 1-4), winning 58-0, 63-7 and 58-0. They also lead the CIAA in most major statistical categories.

"One loss could cost us everything,” Maynor said Tuesday. “It could cost us getting into the playoffs because with two losses, there’s no guarantee that we would even get invited. So we know that one loss could ruin our season.”

Although it’s possible the Rams could lose once more and still make the Division II playoffs, Maynor isn’t leaving anything to chance.

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Female Officiating Crew to make history at SIAC Lane vs. Miles game

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and its Supervisor of Officials Harold Mitchell announced today that a crew of four females will serve as officials in Thursday Night's football game between Lane College and Miles College.

The game will mark the first time that a crew of officials will be predominately females on any NCAA level.

"This is a special opportunity for not only the group of ladies selected to officiate the game, but all officials in the SIAC. Playing on a Thursday night is also a great opportunity for our [SIAC] officials to partner with officials from an FCS conference." said Mitchell, who also is the Coordinator of Officials in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. "To that point, it's also very important for everyone to understand that selected crew are all outstanding officials, and not just females."

 When the game kickoffs at 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT) at Albert J. Sloan Stadium on the campus of Miles College in Fairfield, AL, the officials, Yvonda Lewis (Head Linesman) from Houston, TX, Tangela Mitchell (Line Judge) from Atlanta, GA, Sabrina Brunson (Field Judge) from Atlanta, GA and Krystle Apellaniz (Back Judge) from Oviedo, FL will represent the first majority female crew.

Brunson is the veteran of the four officials, working as the first female official in the SIAC since 1995. Coincidentally, Lewis became the first female official in the SWAC in 2009, and has been officiating SIAC games since 2010. Mitchell and Apellaniz both are in their first year in the SIAC.

The National Football League (NFL) has also taken notice to this ground breaking moment as its Director of Football Officials, David Coleman and Ron Baynes, Director of Recruiting, will be in attendance to evaluate the officials performance. Furthermore, the league will also have members of its Public Relations department in attendance taking photos in an effort to promote its initiative to afford more opportunities for female officials in the National Football League.

COURTESY SIAC.COM

Grambling State University football players ready to resume season after boycott

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The Grambling State University football team said it would return to the playing field Monday and resume its season after boycotting its SWAC game with Jackson State on Saturday. The team met with several ex-Grambling players this weekend as well as Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard, all of who advised them to return to the playing field.

In a show of solidarity, all 83 of the players appeared in front of the Eddie Robinson Museum in Grambling at 3 p.m. to meet with the media. Senior defensive back Naquan Smith, who has become the spokesman for the team, read a prepared statement and answered a few questions before the team departed for practice.

The players skipped practices Wednesday and Thursday and elected not to play Saturday’s game because of what they characterized poor facilities, the firing of popular coach Doug Williams and long bus rides to Kansas City and Indianapolis for games.

“As part of the athletic program at Grambling State University, the football team, took a stance on what we thought was right,’’ the players said in a joint statement. “We did not quit on our university. There are many problems that exist and if no one says anything, nothing will come of our institution.’’

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Grambling players say they'll continue season

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The Grambling State University football players issued a statement Monday that said they will return to practice and resume playing but that they had no regrets about boycotting practices last week and refusing to travel for Saturday's game at Jackson State.

The statement, a copy of which was emailed to USA TODAY Sports and signed by safety Naquan Smith, said "although we are going to continue our season, we have not forgotten the situation and how we've gotten here."

The statement said that the players decided to return after consulting former head coach Doug Williams, who was fired Sept. 11. He was replaced by running backs coach George Ragsdale, who was in turn reassigned within the athletics department Thursday amid the player revolt. Defensive coordinator Dennis "Dirt" Winston was appointed to replace Ragsdale as interim head coach.

The statement said Williams main statement to the players was, "Go out there and play football."

In a text message to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, Williams had said, "I'm proud of them boys. They took a stance."

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SWAC working with Grambling in player dispute

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The Southwestern Athletic Conference has announced that it is working with Grambling officials to "ensure that the appropriate actions are made" to resolve the continuing standoff between the school's football players and administration.

The SWAC said Sunday night in a release that Grambling had not been fined for forfeiting its scheduled game Saturday at Jackson State. As part of a boycott, Grambling players refused to travel from their Louisiana campus because of issues with athletic department and university leaders.

SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp told the Associated Press on Friday that Grambling would be subject to a fine for forfeiting according to the league's bylaws.

"The ramifications of this unprecedented situation (are) covered in our bylaws and constitution," Sharp said in Sunday's statement. "Therefore, there should not be any confusion as it relates to how a boycotted game will be classified."

Grambling's next scheduled game is Saturday at home against Texas Southern.

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XU Gold Nuggets sweep SUNO to extend their many streaks

NEW ORLEANS -- Moira Kirk had 10 kills, and Jodi Hill had career bests of nine kills and an .818 hitting percentage Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-17, 25-15, 25-16 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against SUNO.

The Gold Nuggets (18-7, 7-0) extended a a school record with their 12th consecutive victory. They've won 10 in a row at home -- all six in their first season at the Convocation Center -- and 29 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches.

Delores Tyler had 11 kills for SUNO (13-10, 9-2), which has dropped eight straight to Xavier over three seasons. The Lady Knights have won 18 of their last 22 conference matches, but all the losses are to Xavier.

Xavier trailed 5-1, 12-7 and 15-11 before winning the first set with a 14-2 run which included six SUNO attack errors. Kirk's ace tied the score at 15, and two consecutive SUNO attack errors put Xavier ahead to stay.

The Gold Nuggets closed the second set with a 16-5 run and scored the final five points of the match, which ended after Taylor Reuther's block of a SUNO attack.

Hill had six kills in as many attempts during the second set. Her match hitting percentage is the second highest by an XU player with 10 or more attacks since the program resumed in 2010.

CeCe Williams had 17 kills against the Lady Knights for the second time this season. Williams produced nine digs in the opening set. Claudia Haywood had eight kills and four blocks, and setter Franziska Pirkl hit .571 in seven attempts with four kills, 30 assists, five digs and two blocks.

Kirk produced double figures in kills for the fifth time in six matches and the 38th time in her career.

Xavier outhit SUNO .368 to .046 and had advantages of 42-28 in kills, 49-38 in digs and 6-2 in blocks. SUNO had a 6-3 advantage in aces but recorded eight service errors, twice as many as the Nuggets. The Lady Knights committed 37 errors, nearly twice as many as Xavier's 19.

Including GCAC Tournament matches, the Gold Nuggets have won 35 in a row against conference opponents. SUNO was the last GCAC team to beat Xavier; that occurred in the 2010 tournament semifinals.

Xavier's next match will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at the Convocation Center.

Box Score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Florida A&M Marching 100 at Rattlers' 126th Homecoming

WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

Coach Barlow Addresses Media; Kickoff Scheduled for ASU vs. Kentucky Game

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Alabama State head football coach Reggie Barlow addressed the media on the Southwestern Athletic Conference's weekly coaches teleconference. He spent time going over the off week and then talked about the Hornets next opponent, Alabama A&M, at the 72^nd State Farm Magic City Classic.

"Like most coaches and teams around the country we have a lot of guys nicked up," Barlow said.

"We had an opportunity to work smart with our practices and we didn't practice as long as we usually practice. It was just to get a little work in. We also gave the guys some time off so they could catch up in their studies. But all-in-all it was productive and we got back in here to prepare for the Magic City Classic."

ASU and AAMU will meet at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 at Legion Field for the 72^nd State Farm Magic City Classic. It will be Barlow's seventh time to lead ASU into the Classic as the head coach.



"Of course the Classic is always a magnificent atmosphere and always a good game," Barlow said.

"A&M has always done a good job of playing very physical, running the ball, being aggressive on defense and they have always had solid players that can make plays and it is no different this year. It will be another big challenge for us, but I imagine both teams are looking forward to playing in one of our biggest games of the year."

Alabama State also received word today the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has released the kickoff time for the ASU-Kentucky game and where it will be aired. The kickoff has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS). The game will be played Saturday, Nov. 2 in Lexington at Kentucky's Commonwealth Stadium.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Long layoff concerns SCSU Pough ahead of MEAC showdown

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- Head coach Buddy Pough has two perspectives on South Carolina State’s 16-day hiatus prior to playing its most important game of the season.

On one hand, he can see the lengthy break providing an advantage from a strategic standpoint as it allows more time to develop an effective game plan to defeat defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 26 at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The flip side is the concern Pough expressed at Monday’s weekly press conference about building up game rust and losing the momentum from a five-game winning streak – the Bulldogs’ longest in three years.



“I worry a little bit about this long layoff,” Pough said. “I think we’re going to be about 16 days between games and that’s a pretty good little ways. So we’ve got to figure ways that we make sure we do a good job of keeping our team as sharp as we possibly can for the next 12-14 days we have.”

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S.C. State football's midseason report card

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- As cliché as it sounds, “What a difference a year makes” is really apropos for South Carolina State.

At this point last season, the Bulldogs were involved in a futile effort to avoid their first losing season in 12 years. After an off-season to regroup and reorganize, the coaching staff, lead by head coach Buddy Pough, has S.C. State back in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title hunt.

A win on Saturday over defending champion Bethune-Cookman would put the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-0) back in the driver’s seat for the title and the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. As fans look forward to the “Battle at the Beach,” here’s a mid-season report card on the 2013 S.C. State football team.

Quarterback — B

The head-shaking, fan-frustrating moments are exhibited fewer these days by starter Richard Cue. Under the tutelage of quarterbacks coach Danny Lewis and offensive coordinator Joseph Blackwell, the Florence native has become an efficient, effective leader on the field. This is reflected in an offense which ranks first in the MEAC in scoring (32.4 points per game) and total offense (372 yards per game). Currently the third-highest rated quarterback in the MEAC, Cue has reversed the touchdown/interception ratio in his favor from a year ago and is starting to exhibit those traits which made him a state championship quarterback at Wilson High School. A victory over Bethune-Cookman could very much redefine his legacy in a positive way.

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