Chowan WBB Stuns #4 Virginia Union, 85-79

Murfreesboro, North Carolina – The Chowan Women's Basketball team snapped nationally ranked Virginia Union's 20-game win streak with an 85-79 win in front of the home crowd in CIAA action Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS

FINAL | Chowan 85, #4 Virginia Union 79

RECORDS | Chowan 16-4 (8-2), #4 Virginia Union 20-2 (10-1)

LOCATION | Murfreesboro, NC (Helms Center)

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

Head Coach LaToya Jones moved to 3-0 in her career against Virginia Union.  All three meetings against the Panthers came when they were nationally ranked.

Five Chowan starters posted double-figure scoring totals as Chantel Roberts tallied a game-high 23 points.  Dhyamond Crenshaw posted 18 points, nine rebounds, and six blocks on the afternoon.

Mariah Coker chipped in with 17 points and six assist, while Danielle Weldon (14 points) and Jada Lee (10 points) added to the scoring.  Jada Lee posted a program-high nine assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Quarter:

Virginia Union opened the contest with a quick 4-0 run before Dhyamond Crenshaw and Chantel Roberts knotted the game up at 4-all.  Roberts gave the Hawks a 7-6 lead early before a 6-2 run put the Hawks out front 13-8.  Danielle Weldon started the run with back-to-back baskets.

VUU closed the gap to 13-11 with an old-fashioned three-point play but Chantel Roberts tallied a bucket to keep the Hawks ahead.

Mariah Coker knocked down a trey to end the quarter to give the Hawks a 25-19 lead.

Second Quarter:

Mariah Coker started the quarter the way she ended the quarter with a triple to give the Hawks their largest lead of the contest, 28-19.  The Panthers rallied with eight straight points to trim the deficit to one, 28-27.

Dhyamond Crenshaw recorded a layup before a 9-0 Panther run allowed Virginia Union to take the lead, 40-35, with 3:50 left in the half.  Jada Lee hit a jumper to end the run.

VUU pushed the lead to seven before Mariah Coker knocked down another three.  Dhyamond Crenshaw recorded two buckets and Chantel Roberts connected from deep to swing the momentum to Chowan heading into the locker room with a one point advantage, 47-46.

Third Quarter:

The momentum for the Hawks continued out of the locker room as the lead mover to seven, 53-46, as Chantel Roberts started the half off with a pair from the stripe.  Dhyamond Crenshaw scored back-to-back buckets to cap off the run.

Virginia Union closed the gap to one, 53-52 with a quick 6-0 run.  Mariah Coker put a halt to the run with her fourth triple of the contest.  Chowan would keep at least a three point advantage the rest of the contest.

Jordan Pettway gave the Hawks a seven point advantage heading into the final stanza knocking down a trey from the wing, 70-63.

Fourth Quarter:

Virginia Union looked to make a run to open the final quarter going on a 6-2 run to once again trim the lead to three, 74-71.  Danielle Weldon and Jada Lee tallied baskets to thwart the comeback midway through the quarter.

Chantel Roberts iced the contest at the free throw line converting 4-4 from the stripe.

BOX SCORE

UP NEXT

Chowan will look to continue the momentum as the Hawks take on Elizabeth City State in a rivalry contest on February 7 in CIAA action.  Tip-off is at 5:30pm.

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS SPORTS INFORMATION Facebook

JCSU Men Uses Fast Start to Roll Past Shaw, 5-0 in Southern Division

RALEIGH, North Carolina --The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team opened the game on an 15-2 run and never trailed, as the Golden Bulls rolled to a convincing 93-83 road win over Shaw University at Spaulding Gym on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Bulls wasted no time, jumping out to an 8-0 lead just 38 seconds into the game. Senior Christian Kirchman (Roanoke, Va.) drilled a three-pointer off the opening tip, then after forcing a turnover, fellow senior Arthur Bennett (Powder Springs, Ga.) connected on a layup to make it 5-0. Roddric Ross (Forest City, N.C.) then dropped another three-pointer on the Bears at the 19:22 mark to give JCSU the quick 8-0 lead.

Following a Shaw basket from Cameron Golden, Kirchman canned another three to make it 11-2. Bennett got a layup to fall followed by a Cayse Minor (Winston-Salem, N.C.) jumper that made it 15-2 at the 17:41 mark.

Shaw closed to within 18-12 with 13:31 to play in the first, but JCSU responded again, this time using a 17-2 run to push the lead to 35-14 with 6:57 left. The Golden Bulls enjoyed their largest lead of the first half, 22 points (41-19) after senior Robert Davis (West Friendship, Md.) knocked down a jumper with 2:49 in the first half. Shaw then had a 11-4 spurt to close the half, with JCSU taking the 45-30 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Shaw trimmed the Golden Bull cushion to 45-33, but JCSU quickly extended the lead back to 17 points (53-35) after two Davis free throws at the 16:50 mark. The Golden Bulls built the lead to 23 points, (71-48), the largest of the game after Davis knocked down a three-pointer with 9:18 to play.

Down the stretch, JCSU was never seriously threatened. Shaw was able to cut the lead to nine points with 37 seconds to play, but JCSU hit three-of-four free throws in the final 19 seconds of the game to preserve the 93-83 win.

As a team, JCSU turned in their best shooting performance of the season, going 30-of-51 from the field (58.8%). JCSU also shot 7-of-18 from long range, good for 38.9%.

All five JCSU starters scored in double-figures, with Davis leading the way with 25 points. He was 8-of-11 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. A trio of JCSU players, Minor, Ross and Bennett, all scored 15 points, with Bennett hitting 7-of-9 shots, which is a career high. Ross and Minor each had identical 5-of-8 shooting efforts, with Minor hitting 3-of-5 from long range and Ross going 1-of-3.

Kirchman rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, while dishing a team-high five assists.

With the win, the sixth-straight for JCSU, the Golden Bulls improve to 14-7 overall, 6-2 in CIAA play and a perfect 5-0 in Southern Division play while drops to 14-8, 7-4 in the CIAA and 3-2 in the Southern Division.

JCSU will continue the road trip, playing at Elizabeth City State on Monday, Feb. 5. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

AAMU Bulldogs Release 2018 Football Schedule

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Alabama A&M University released its 2018 football schedule today, which includes four home games at Louis Crews Stadium.

Alabama A&M will kick off the 2018 slate and first season under head coach Connell Maynor at home against Miles College on Sept. 1 in the Louis Crews Classic, before hosting North Alabama on Sept. 8.

The Bulldogs wrap up the non-conference portion of the season on the road against Cincinnati on Sept. 15.

Alabama A&M will open Southwestern Athletic Conference play on Sept. 22 when it travels to Mobile to face Southern in the Gulf Coast Challenge at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Back-to-back road games will follow against Jackson State (Sept. 29) and Texas Southern (Oct. 6) before hosting Alcorn State on Oct. 13 for Homecoming.

The Bulldogs will then travel to Birmingham for an Oct. 27 Magic City Classic matchup against Alabama State.

The final three bgames will see the Bulldogs visiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov.3) and hosting Grambling State (Nov. 10) before closing out the season on the road at Mississippi Valley (Nov. 17).

Kick-off times have yet to be determined.

AAMU Bulldogs 2018 Schedule
Sept. 01 MILES COLLEGE (Louis Crews Classic)
Sept. 08 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
Sept. 15 at University of Cincinnati
Sept. 22 vs Southern (Gulf Coast Challenge)m Mobile, AL
Sept. 29 at Jackson State
Oct. 06 at Texas Southern
Oct. 13 ALCORN STATE (Homecoming)
Oct. 20 Bye Week
Oct. 27 vs Alabama State (Magic City Classic) Birmingham, AL
Nov. 03 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Nov. 10 GRAMBLING STATE
Nov. 17 at Mississippi Valley



ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Hampton Lady Pirates Pressure Way To Huge Win Over North Carolina A&T

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The Hampton Lady Pirates scored a huge road win on Saturday as Ashley Bates and Monnazjea Finney-Smith each scored 13 points and Mikayla Sayle scored 10 in a 63-51 win at N.C. A&T in the Corbett Sports Center.

With the win, Hampton snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Aggies and knocked them out of a first-place tie with Bethune-Cookman in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Hampton hit the Aggies with a 9-0 run over a three-minute span of the first period to take a 19-8 lead on a Dejane' James layup with 3:34 left. In the second, the Aggies trimmed the lead to 26-23 on a pair of Alexus Lessears free throws with 7:04 remaining. Hampton closed the quarter on an 11-3 spurt to lead 37-26 on a layup by LaShayla Wright-Ponder.

The Lady Pirates opened the third quarter on a 13-4 run to push the advantage to 50-30 on a layup by Finney-Smith with 3:04 left. N.C. A&T made a run scoring the final 10 points of the third to bring the margin to 50-40.

In the fourth, the Aggies got as close as seven points, but Sayle scored eight of her 10 points in the final period to help keep the hosts at bay.

BOX SCORE

Hampton (10-11/6-2) shot 23-of-54 from the floor (42.7%) and out-rebounded N.C. A&T 36-35. K'lynn Willis had five assists and five steals, while Allina Starr added seven points, six rebounds and six assists. The Lady Pirates forced the Aggies into 23 turnovers and held them to under 33% from the field.

Hampton now visits N.C. Central on Monday for a 4pm start in Durham.

For more information on Hampton University women's basketball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Nuggets fall at Stillman; there's a Likely explanation

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Ki'Onna Likely's seventh double-double of the season — 24 points and 16 rebounds — led Stillman to a 74-65 women's basketball victory Saturday against Xavier University of Louisiana.

It was the final out-of-town game of the regular season for the Gold Nuggets (8-11), who will play Edward Waters at 5:30 p.m. Monday at XULA's Convocation Center.

DeDe Martinez and Taylor Jacob scored 11 points apiece for XULA. Jacob, a freshman, made three 3-pointers. Gina Smith had four steals to tie her career high.

Likely, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, also had six assists. Her basket with 57 seconds remaining in the third quarter put Stillman ahead to stay, 48-46.

The Gold Nuggets led for 13 seconds after Jacob's 3-pointer at 1:57 of the third quarter gave them their only lead, 44-43.

The Lady Tigers (12-8) scored 19 points in the final 6 1/2 minutes to pull away and win their seventh in a row. Stillman, a second-year NAIA member, will join the Southern States Athletic Conference next season.
E
Stillman had three other double-figure scorers: O'Nesha Hunt with 14 points, Ashley World with 12 — she made all four of her 3-point attempts — and Morgan Collins with 10.

Stillman outscored XULA in 3-of-4 quarters and led 31-26 at halftime.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Cajuns sweep XULA, but Goreau dominates in singles win

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana's Charlene Goreau defeated Louisiana-Lafayette's Elena Sava 6-1, 6-0 Saturday, clearly the highlight for the Gold Nuggets in two women's tennis dual-match losses to NCAA Division I Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Ragin' Cajuns defeated XULA, ranked 10th in the NAIA, 4-0 and 4-1. The Gold Nuggets are 0-4, with three of the defeats against NCAA DI opponents.

Though she didn't win her match, Mariia Borodii — a freshman in her first day of competition for XULA — led Floriane Picaut 6-4, 6-5 at No. 1 singles when the Cajuns (6-0) clinched the second dual.

The Gold Nuggets will be on the road three times next week: 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Southern Miss, 3 p.m. Friday against Grambling in a neutral-site competition at Baton Rouge, La., then noon Saturday at NAIA No. 9 LSU-Alexandria.

Alan Green needs two victories to reach 200 in his career as coach of the Gold Nuggets. Green reached 200 with the men when the Gold Rush defeated city rival Loyola this past weekend.

Results:  Dual 1   •   Dual 2

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Rush win at first 2 singles, but home win streak ends

NEW ORLEANS — Catalin Fifea and Samir Chikhaoui won at the top two singles positions in super-tiebreakers Friday for Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis, but Jacksonville State defeated the Gold Rush 6-3 to end XULA's 18-dual home winning streak.
     
The Gamecocks are 4-0. The Gold Rush, ranked second in the NAIA, are 1-4. All of XULA's losses are against NCAA Division I opponents.
     
XULA's home streak began Jan. 30, 2015. XULA had not lost at home since a 5-1 defeat against Georgia Gwinnett on April 26, 2014. The streak included five victories against NCAA Division I opponents and five more against ranked opponents — four from the NAIA, one from NCAA Division II.
     
Fifea beat Aljaz Kaplja 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (10-5) at No. 1 singles. Chikhaoui defeated Pablo Caffarena 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6).
     
Fifea — a senior and an NAIA All-American a year ago — also won in doubles. He and Gabriel Niculescu defeated Caffarena and Joaquin Vallejo 8-2.
     
Next for the XULA men will be Georgia Gwinnett's Grizzly Invitational Feb. 16-18 at Lawrenceville, Ga.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Grambling grounds Southern 79-71 to end Jaguars' month-long winning streak

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The streak is over.

Southern’s women’s basketball team lost 79-71 on Saturday at Grambling, a road trip to the Jaguars’ fiercest rival that ended their seven-game winning streak despite Briana Green's 27 points.

“I thought we did some good things down the stretch,” said coach Sandy Pugh. “Then just some critical turnovers, didn’t box out … We just really seemed out of sync.”

The Jaguars traded punches with Grambling for much of the game, trailing by two at halftime but leading 54-53 after three quarters.

Behind a scrappy crew of guards, Grambling controlled the fourth quarter to deal the Jaguars their first loss since Jan. 3, Southern’s second Southwestern Athletic Conference game.

Grambling outscored tiring Southern 26-17 in the fourth.

“They went to a little 2-3 zone, and our shooters just weren’t shooting the ball,” Pugh said.

The Jaguars (9-10, 8-2 SWAC) remain atop the league standings.

CONTINUE READING

Southern to play Alabama A&M in the inaugural Gulf Coast Challenge

MOBILE, Alabama -- Southern will compete in the inaugural Gulf Coast Challenge football game against Alabama A&M at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, Sept. 22.

The venture was officially announced in a news conference at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Friday, complete with the introduction of an official mascot — a Mardi Gras jester named Marty.

The game is produced by the Mobile Sports Authority, and organizers said Friday the hope is to keep the game going on a yearly basis.

That does not necessarily mean Southern will always compete in the game itself.

“We can’t commit to a classic,” said Southern athletic director Roman Banks, who was present at the news conference. “It’s an Alabama A&M home game; they just moved it there. They advertised it as the Gulf Coast Challenge, but they moved a home game.”

That did not stop Southern coach Dawson Odums from making a pitch.

By playing against Alabama A&M in Mobile rather than the northern outpost of Huntsville, Alabama, Southern is cutting several hours off its travel time — both for its team and its fans.



CONTINUE READING

Alabama A&M, Southern to play at Mobile in Gulf Coast Challenge

MOBILE, Alabama -- Alabama A&M and Southern are set to meet on neutral turf.

The SWAC foes will face off Sept. 22 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile in the Gulf Coast Challenge. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.

Southern beat Alabama A&M 35-14 last season in Baton Rouge.

Alabama A&M recently hired Connell Maynor as its new coach. The Bulldogs are coming off a 4-7 season. Souther finished 7-4.

The game is being produced by the Mobile Sports Authority, which organized the 5th Quarter Classic between Tuskegee and Jackson State last season at Ladd-Peebles.

“College Football is a huge event and having the opportunity to host two of the largest HBCU football teams in the south speaks volumes for our city,” Gulf Coast Challenge Executive Director Tim Hale said in a press release. “The Gulf Coast Challenge will add to the many attractions that Mobile already has to boast about as football fans flock to the city to partake in the events for that week.”

For more information, visit thegulfcoastchallenge.com or call 251-281-8202.

Prairie View takes down rival Texas Southern

RAIRIE VIEW, Texas - What was supposed to be a battle between bitter rivals turned into a blowout as Texas Southern fell behind early and never recovered in a 96-82 loss to Prairie View A&M at the William Nicks Building on Saturday.

The Panthers turned an early one-point lead into a dozen as TSU turnovers and missed shots enabled Prairie View to open a gap that the Tigers (6-17, 6-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference) would be unable to bridge.

Four Prairie View players scored in double-digits. Junior guard Gary Blackston led the way with 29 points and eight assists and forward Zachary Hamilton contributed 26 points. Seniors J.D. Wallace and Troy Thompson chipped in 17 and 10 points, respectively. Wallace also grabbed 13 rebounds.

Guard Donte Clark led the Tigers with 27 points before fouling out with about six minutes remaining in the game.

"We didn't execute anything we talked about in practice," TSU coach Mike Davis said. "They didn't play with any passion or any heart."

The Tigers trailed 14-2 with 15 minutes remaining in the first half. The Panthers' run started with a layup by forward Iwin Ellis, followed by a jumper by Blackston. Hamilton sank a 3-pointer before Ellis and Blackston scored again to stretch the lead to 12.

CONTINUE READING

Former Houston Oilers' Robert Brazile (Jackson State) elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Houston Oilers have been Houston’s NFL team for quite some time, but another player from the glory days of that franchise is getting a bust in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Linebacker Robert Brazile got the knock on his door Saturday afternoon in Minnesota ahead of the Super Bowl with word that, as a senior nominee, he’s been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Brazile played all ten of his season with the Oilers from 1975-1984, never missing a game.



A destructive force who earned the nickname Dr. Doom, was the team’s 1st round pick (6th overall) in the 1975 draft and earned defensive rookie of the year honors.

“I had 10 good years in Houston man,” Robert Brazile told KPRC Sports Director Randy McIlvoy in Minneapolis at Super Bowl 52. “ The only team I played for was the Houston Oilers and the only team I loved were the Houston Oilers. It’s special.”

Brazile joins Oiler greats Earl Campbell, Curley Culp and Bruce Matthews in the Hall of Fame

“It means a lot. You can’t find the right words for that,” Brazile told KPRC.

CONTINUE READING 

Jackson State great Robert Brazile selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018

JACKSON, Mississippi -- A fourth Jackson State Tiger has received the highest honor in the sport.

Robert Brazile was selected Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2018.

The Mobile, Alabama native played 10 ironman seasons for the Houston Oilers from 1975 to 1984. Brazile was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls (1976-1982) and six All-Pro teams (1976-1981). He was one of the faces of an Oilers franchise coached by Bum Phillips. Brazile was up for induction by being picked by the Seniors Committee. They considered players for enshrinement whose careers ended at least 25 years ago.

Robert had a Hall of Fame career at Jackson State. He won back to back SWAC titles in 1972 and 1973. He led the conference with 9 interceptions in 1974 and set a JSU record with 129 tackles.

Brazile is no stranger to getting calls to the hall. Robert was selected to the the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame in 1994, the SWAC Hall of Fame in 1995, the Jackson State Hall of Fame in 2003, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

CONTINUE READING  

Southern Harold Carmichael has meant everything to the Philadelphia Eagles over the years

BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota — The greatest receiver in Eagles history arrived in the Twin Cities on Thursday, almost giddy with anticipation at the chance to see the franchise he loves get another chance at the Super Bowl ring that once eluded him.

Harold Carmichael is having one heck of a run in retirement.

VIDEO

Carmichael, the legendary Southern receiver, found out in October that he'd been voted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame, an honor he's quietly coveted as he's watched other peers from his time in the SWAC inducted over the years. The honor came right in the middle of a magical season for the Eagles, the NFL team that has been Carmichael's passion and project for most of his adult life.

The thrill is at a fever pitch now. Carmichael, who was part of the 1980 Philadelphia team that reached the Super Bowl, is in Minnesota to watch his Eagles make a play for their first NFL Championship since 1960 and their first Super Bowl ring, and next week he'll head to Atlanta for his formal induction into the Hall of Fame.

"It's been a great couple of months for me, from the news of my induction to the Black College Football Hall of Fame, to the NFC Championship Game and now the Super Bowl," Carmichael said. "This has been a great, great month for me."

Carmichael, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound seventh-rounder out of Southern, spent the first 13 seasons of his incredible 14-year career in Philadelphia, racking up 589 catches, 8,978 yards and 79 touchdowns, numbers that still stand and are in no jeopardy of falling any time soon.

CONTINUE READING

‘This is very personal for me’: Former DSU star Milstead new Hornet football coach

DOVER, Delaware — When Rod Milstead was a freshman at Delaware State University, his dorm room was in Conwell Hall.

Now that is where Milstead’s office will be.

Delaware State officially announced Milstead, 48, as its new head football coach on Tuesday afternoon. Milstead is one of the most decorated Hornet alums and played eight seasons in the NFL.

Milstead’s hiring ends a nearly three-month search after DSU decided on Nov. 20 to not renew the contract of coach Kenny Carter, who went 3-30 across three seasons.

Milstead comes to Delaware State from La Plata High in Maryland, where he has been the head coach since 2015. He will move into the football coaching offices on the campus of DSU — located in Conwell Hall.

“This is very personal for me,” Milstead said. “Rejuvenating the football program and making winners of our student-athletes in the classroom, in the community, as well as on the field, is my top priority.”

Milstead is a member of the Delaware State Athletics Hall of Fame after a storied playing career. The Hornets won at least a share of the MEAC three out of four years while Milstead was a starter on the offensive line.

CONTINUE READING

Gold Rush beat SUNO for third consecutive victory

NEW ORLEANS — Virgil Davison and Jalen Davidscored 20 points apiece Monday as NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana rolled to a 90-72 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against SUNO at the Convocation Center.
     
The Gold Rush (17-6, 4-2 GCAC) scored 54 points after trailing 39-36 at halftime. Davison scored all his points in the second half, including six 3-pointers in nine attempts.
     
XULA has won three straight and 11 of its last 13 games. The Knights (3-12, 1-5) have lost four straight and eight of their last nine games.
     
Rayshawn Mart scored 13 points for XULA, and Jeff Dixon had 10 points, eight assists and no turnovers.
     
SUNO's George Brock, who entered with an NAIA-leading 27.1 points per game, scored 19 before leaving with an injury with 7:41 remaining. Andre Funches scored 13 points, and Teandre Jones had 10 points and eight rebounds.
    
XULA outshot SUNO 54 to 39.3 percent from the floor. The Gold Rush made 12 3-pointers, eight in the second half.
     
XULA and Dillard moved into a second-place tie in the GCAC with Philander Smith, which was idle. Dillard won 108-86 at home against Tougaloo. Talladega, also idle, leads the conference at 5-1.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Trench triple-double leads Nuggets in rout of SUNO

NEW ORLEANS — Maya Trench's first triple-double for Xavier University of Louisiana — 11 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists — led the Gold Nuggets to a 76-40 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory Monday against SUNO.

Trench, a 5-foot-2 sophomore point guard, recorded career highs in rebounds and assists. She also had four steals. Trench had 12 first-half rebounds, two fewer than SUNO.

Trench's triple-double is the Gold Nuggets' first since Delanor Junis had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Southern on Nov. 28, 1988, and the fourth in the program's history. Dematria Lang (1986) and Datcel Kemp (1983) produced the first two.

The Gold Nuggets (8-10, 1-5) snapped a five-game losing streak. It was their first home game in six weeks.

Mikayla Bates had 13 points, six assists and three steals for XULA, and Ireyon Keith had 11 points.
Talaih Robertson scored 10 points for SUNO (5-11, 1-5), which has lost five straight and eight of its last nine games.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Gold Rush maintain top-25 national ranking

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball remained in the NAIA Division I top 25 Tuesday, dropping from 22nd to 23rd.

The Gold Rush are 17-6 overall and 4-2 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after a 90-72 home victory Monday against SUNO. XULA's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday against Edward Waters at XULA's Convocation Center.

XULA has won three straight and 11 of its last 13 games under second-year head coach Alfred Williams, and junior guard Jeff Dixon leads NAIA Division I in total assists with 124.

William Penn of Oskaloosa, Iowa, is No. 1 for the second consecutive poll. The Statesmen received all nine first-place votes from the panel of coaches representing each conference and the Association of Independent Institutions. This is the first time this season there's been a unanimous No. 1.
     
Two weeks ago XULA entered the top 25 for the first time since the preseason poll of Oct. 25, 2016. The next rankings will be announced Feb. 13.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 28)  

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	William Penn (Iowa) (9)	20-1	219
2	4	The Master's (Calif.)	21-1	212
3	5	Columbia (Mo.)	21-1	202
4	3	LSU-Shreveport (La.)	19-2	194
5	2	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	20-2	193
6	12	Pikeville (Ky.)	20-2	188
7	15	Science & Arts (Okla.)	18-3	175
8	16	Montana Western	17-4	166
9	7	Hope International (Calif.)	19-3	159
10	5	Georgetown (Ky.)	19-3	155
11	13	Dalton State (Ga.)	17-4	146
12	9	Central Methodist (Mo.)	19-3	142
13	13	LSU-Alexandria (La.)	17-5	140
14	10	Carroll (Mont.)	18-4	134
15	21	Oklahoma City	15-5	116
16	20	Westmont (Calif.)	16-4	115
17	19	William Carey (Miss.)	15-4	106
18	23	Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)	16-6	103
19	8	Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)	17-5	88
20	11	Wayland Baptist (Texas)	15-5	87
21	18	Cumberlands (Ky.)	16-5	74
22	17	Missouri Baptist	18-4	65
23	22	Xavier (La.)	16-6	62
24	RV	Texas Wesleyan	14-7	53
25	25	Life (Ga.)	16-7	48

Others Receiving Votes: Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 47; Peru State (Neb.) 46; William Jessup (Calif.) 27; Campbellsville (Ky.) 23; Faulkner (Ala.) 14; Graceland (Iowa) 9; Talladega (Ala.) 4; Dillard (La.) 3. 

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Reggie Barlow Signs Football Contract Extension with VSU

ETTRICK, Virginia — Virginia State University’s (VSU) Head Football Coach Reggie Barlow signed a contract extension with the University through the 2021 season, university officials announced Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

Barlow led the Trojans to an undefeated regular season (10-0) record, the 2017 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship title, and an NCAA Playoff appearance in his second season after taking over the program and going (9-2, 5-2 CIAA) in 2016. In addition, the VSU Football Team was named the Dr. Cavils 2017 HBCU Mid-Major Division II National Champions. Before joining VSU, Barlow coached at several secondary schools including his alma mater, Alabama State University, where he was the quarterback coach from 2005-2006 and the head coach from 2007-2014.

“What a great day.” Barlow said. “Thanks to Dr. Abdullah, Mr. Harris and our Director of Athletics Mrs. Peggy Davis! This new contract is a product of hard work and hard work by our assistant coaches. I’m so honored to have a great staff. This is a product of a great group of young men who brought into our Discipline, Attitude, Sacrifice, Habits, and Heart (DASHH) philosophy. I’m excited to be the head football coach at Virginia State University, and I look forward to being here a long time! Go Trojans!”

Reggie Barlow was introduced as VSU’s new football coach on May 5, 2016, following a brief search after previous head coach Byron Thweatt accepted a linebacker’s coaching position at FCS James Madison University.

“I couldn’t be more proud to work with Reggie Barlow as we build a nationally competitive football program representing VSU and our community across the country,” Davis said. “In my view, the turnaround he led has been nothing short of phenomenal.”



VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

UAPB announces change in athletics leadership

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff announced that it will have a change in the leadership in the Athletic Department. Lonza Hardy, who has been Director of Athletics since 2011, will no longer serve in
that role.

“We thank Lonza for his commitment and service to Golden Lions athletics,” UAPB Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander said. We are moving in a new direction and we will work as quickly as possible to name a new athletics director.”

Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator Alyse Wells-Kilbert will serve as interim Athletics Director. Wells-Kilbert has been with the university since 2012 and brings to this role more than 25 yATears of coaching and athletics administrative experience. She has also served as a member of the SWAC Task Force for more than eight years.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT PINE BLUFF ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Former Southern standout chases NFL dream

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Hundreds of professional football scouts were in attendance at the recent SPIRAL Tropical Bowl, a college football all-star game showcasing the top NFL prospects in the nation.

Among the many athletes hoping to catch the eye of the scouts was former Pendleton Heights High School standout Skyler Prol, a Southern University and A&M College offensive lineman.

Prol graduated in 2013 from Pendleton Heights, where he lettered in wrestling, track and field and football.



He received a full-ride football scholarship to Southern University and A&M College, a Division I Football Championship Series university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Prol, at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds, was among fewer than 150 players nationwide invited to take part in the college all-star game.

Since 2016, more than 110 players from the game have gone on to play in the NFL, Canadian Football League and Pro Arena leagues.

The Tropical Bowl is considered a top-four bowl game by professional scouts, according to a press release from bowl officials. The game is attended by almost every NFL team, consistently seeing 27 teams’ scouts and general managers in attendance.

CONTINUE READING