Xavier Gold Rush beat Privateers 6-3 for first victory against UNO

ZACH TAYLOR

NEW ORLEANS -- Zach Taylor rallied for a three-set victory against Hossam Meligy to clinch Xavier University of Louisiana's 6-3 men's victory Friday against the University of New Orleans at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.

It was the first victory ever for the Gold Rush (1-1), ranked ninth in the NAIA, against the Privateers (0-1).

UNO's women defeated Xavier 9-0.

Taylor defeated Meligy 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to give the Gold Rush a 5-2 lead. Loic Didavi, Steffen Giles-Osborn and Amir Rahbar also won in singles for Xavier.  



LOIC DIDAVI

"This was a great win for our guys," XU coach Alan Green said. "I was proud of the way they fought and competed. It's good to beat UNO after all these years of losing to them as a coach and as a player."

Didavi and Taylor scored the first point of the dual with their 8-4 victory at No. 1 singles against Meligy and Yoshikazu Ysa. Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson gave the Rush a 2-1 lead with an 8-6 victory at No. 3 doubles against Dominik Kardell and Rohit Chivukula. 



UNO's women (1-0) won every match against Xavier (0-2) for the second straight year. The Gold Nuggets' best shot at a point came at No. 1 singles, but the Privateers' Marta Sans rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) victory against Kourtney Howell. XU's Amanda Materre lost 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) to Juliet Labarthe at No. 3, but no other XU singles player won more than one game.

KOURTNEY HOWELL

"Our women still have some work to do," Green said. "They've got to keep fighting. I saw some improvement in doubles, but we still have to get a lot better."

The Gold Nuggets will travel to South Alabama for an 11 a.m. Saturday dual. The next Gold Rush match will start at 3 p.m. next Friday at Prairie View A&M.

Results: Men Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Nationally-Ranked Players Lift Xavier Past UNO in Men's Tennis Dual

NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans men's tennis team dropped their season opener on Friday evening, falling 6-3 to crosstown foe Xavier at City Park.

STEFFEN GILES-OSBORN

Nationally-ranked singles' and doubles' players made their mark throughout the lineup for XULA (1-1), accounting for five of the squad's six victories on the day for a Gold Rush program that produced its first-ever victory over UNO.

XULA started off play by claiming 2 of 3 doubles' matches against the three debuting UNO doubles tandems.

At the No. 1 position, No. 46 ranked Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor fended off UNO's Yoshikazu Ysa and Hossam Meligy 8-4. The No. 21 duo of Sean Richardson and Steffen Giles-Osborn held on for an 8-6 win over Dominik Kardell and Rohit Chivukula at No. 3.

The lone Privateer victory in doubles' play came at the No. 2 position where Ricardo Campos and David Malmgren downed unranked Viktor Svoboda and Corey Huggins 8-6.

Trailing 2-1 with six singles' matches slated, UNO got a win at the No. 3 position as Ysa claimed a 6-3, 6-0 result over Huggins to knot the team score at 2-all.

XULA broke the tie over the next few minutes with wins by a pair of top 15 NAIA singles' players. The No. 7 ranked Didavi bested Campos 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 1 court with No. 13 Giles-Osborn defeating Kardell 7-6 (4), 6-3 at No. 5.

UNO would have its chances to win the dual as the remaining three matches reached a third set.

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Alcorn Braves' Riley has no regrets on college move

Former Provine coach won big in high school but now dealing with growing pains in Lorman

LORMAN, Mississippi  -  Luther Riley traded the bright-city lights and a powerhouse high school basketball program for the dark country roads and a struggling Southwestern Athletic Conference squad. So, 10 months in, how's the former Provine and current Alcorn State coach feel about that decision?

"I enjoy it. I love it and I wouldn't trade it for the world," he said.  Well then.

Riley returns to Jackson today, when his Braves (4-16, 2-7 SWAC) meet Jackson State (5-16, 3-6) at 5:30 p.m. in the Athletics and Assembly Center. Two struggling teams will battle to remain out of the league cellar. After all, nobody wants those dreaded No. 7 or 8 seeds in the SWAC Tournament.

But the real story line is Riley, the 39-year-old who won four state championships in his dozen years at Provine. He won 290 games with the Rams - or 24 a year. He led Provine to seven title games in his last nine years.

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An unlikely journey: Howard Bison Tracy White started out in St. Stephen and ended up at the Super Bowl

#58 TRACY WHITE,
LINEBACKER, 6'- 0" 230
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON

CHARLESTON, South Carolina - During Super Bowl media day this week, Tracy White was interviewed by somebody named "Pick Boy", a character on the kids' TV network Nicktoons.

"It's my first time," White said of the wild scene at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. "It's kind of crazy."



Crazy is one word to describe the NFL career of White, a nine-year veteran who has played for five different teams. Despite making the playoffs in seven of his nine seasons, White will make his Super Bowl debut on Sunday when the Patriots face the New York Giants.

Not bad for a kid who grew up in St. Stephen, starred in football and wrestling at Timberland High School and nearly joined the Army before his one scholarship offer -- from Howard University -- came through. 

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Henry to join old teammates at South Carolina State University

MANNING, South Carolina – The South Carolina State Bulldogs have had a healthy pipeline coming from Manning High School in recent years – picking up commitments from Daniel Green, Marcus Lloyd and Brandon Miller at one point all during the last three years. That familiarity is part of the reason why recruit No. 4 is on his way as well.

Monarchs defensive back Phillip Henry chose the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Bulldogs over fellow FCS schools Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina and over Division II Newberry on Wednesday during National Signing Day.

"I'm excited to get this opportunity," Henry said. "I just want to compete, win championships and get a chance to play at a higher (level)."  Already knowing a few of his teammates helped as well, he said.  "A lot of my friends are there and it just felt like the best place for me," Henry said. "I liked the campus. I liked the coaches and everyone there treated me well.

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SC State Signs 23 Football Prospects

ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State, Wednesday, announced the signing of twenty-three (23) football prospects to national letters. The list includes three mid-year signees. Fifteen of the prospects are from the Palmetto State, along with four each from North Carolina and Georgia. Five are Shrine Bowlers and four participated in the North-South All-Star Game.

The 2012 class is made up of five defensive backs (three safeties) and defensive linemen each, four offensive linemen, three linebackers, two quarterbacks and fullbacks each, one athlete and one wide receiver.

SC State head coach Buddy Pough, who is beginning his 11th season as Bulldog head coach, said this year's class was similar those of recent years and appeared to address the team's needs, primarily at quarterback, fullback and the middle of the defense (LB and safety).

“We try to stay as high up the recruiting chain we possibly can, that is to get the very best available,” Pough said. “Both of the quarterbacks (Gaffney's Joey Copeland and Spartanburg's Adrian Kollock) we signed are very close to ready as we've signed here during my tenure. They did similar things for their high school teams, appear to be mature and possess a good understanding of the game.

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2012 Football Signees

Name                          Pos.     Ht.       Wt.      High School                Hometown      Honors/Facts
Shaquan Brock         DB      6'0       183      Camden County          St. Mary's, GARegion III 5A All Region,                                                                                                                                         All Coastal Region. GAAC All-     
                                                                                                                                    Star

Dondre Brown          FB       6'1       236      Wade Hampton           Varnville, SC  Offensive MVP, All Region,                                                                                                                                     3-time All-Region, 2 time                                                                                                                                           Offensive POTY

Javonte Brown          DL       6'0       250      Calhoun County          Cameron, SC   Shrine Bowl, All-State,                                                                                                                                               Region Defensive POTY,                                                                                                                                           T & D All-Area

Joey Copeland           QB      6'0       205      Gaffney                       Gaffney, SC    Shrine Bowl, All-State, All-
                                                                                                                                    Region, Offensive POTY, SI                                                                                                                                     All-American Honorable, Max                                                                                                                                     Prep All-American, HSSR                                                                                                                                          Offensive POTY,                                                                                                                                                        Spartanburg Herald-Journal                                                                                                                                        Offensive POTY

Antoine Crouch         DL       6'0       286      Richmond County      Ellerbe, NC     Shrine Bowl


Eric Dickerson           OL       6'4       265      Stratford                     Goose Creek, SC North/South All-Star Game,                                                                                                                                     HSSR All-State*Javon Hargrave       DL       6'2       295      North Rowan             Salisbury, NC  2-time All-State, 4 time All-
                                                                                                                                    Conference, 2-time Defensive
                                                                                                                                    POTY

Phillip Henry             DB      6'0       170      Manning                      Manning, SC   North/South All-Star Game,                                                                                                                                       HSSR All-State

Clyde Johnson           OL       6'3       315      Calhoun County          Orangeburg, SC All-State, All Region,T&D                                                                                                                                                 All-Area
Marquise Jones         DB      6'1       172      Eau Claire                   Columbia, SC  HSSR Top 100 Prospects


Adrian Kollock          QB      6'2       194      Spartanburg                 Spartanburg, SC HS MVP, HSSR All-State,                                                                                                                                      Spartanburg Herald-Journal                                                                                                                                         All-Area TeamNikeem Ladson         DL       6'3       265      Wade Hampton           Greenville, SC North/South All-State,
                                                                                                                                    All-County, HSSR All-State

Jetavius Marshall      DE       6'1       225      Lincolnton County      Lincolnton, GA All-State, All-CSRA, All-                                                                                                                                         Region, 2-time HS Defensive                                                                                                                                     Lineman of the Year

Javarius Leamon       OL       6-6       290      Woodruff                    Woodruff, SC Shrine Bowl, 2A Upper State
                                                                                                                                    Lineman of the Year,         
                                                                                                                                   Spartanburg Herald-Journal
                                                                                                                                    All-Area Team

Kimario McFadden   DB      5'11     197      Atlanta Sports Acad.  Riverdale, GA


Reggie Owens            LB       6'2       216      Statesboro                   Statesboro, GA 4A All-State, All-Region

Jake Scott                   OL       6'3       245      Calhoun County          Swansea, SC   All-State, All-Region, T & D                                                                                                                                     All-Area

Virgil Smalls              FB       6'0       260      Goose Creek               Goose Creek, SC Shrine Bowl, 4A Lower                                                                                                                                          State Back of the Year, HSSR                                                                                                                                     All-State, HSSR Division 2                                                                                                                                        4A POTY, HSSR All-State

Tyler Smith                DB      6'1       182      Keenan                        Columbia, SC  All-Region

*Alkeem Thomas      LB       6'0       205      Gray Military Acad.    Durham, NC   2-time Wilson Time All-Area,                                                                                                                                     All Big East 3A Conference

*Deion Walker          ATH    5'10     190      Butler                         Charlotte, NC 2-time NC 4AA State                                                                                                                                                             Champion

Taquan West             WR      6'4       210      Lexington                    Lexington, SC HSSR Top 100 Prospects

Michael Wilson          LB       5'11     200      Timberland                  St. Stephen, SC 2-A Division I State                                                                                                                                                   Champion
*mid-year signee

Courtesy: South Carolina State University Sports Information

Wiggins enters her 21st season as FAMU Rattlers' head coach

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The warm-up exercise to start practice Thursday afternoon was moving at a pace that seemed just fine to a curious visitor. But when a player missed a step in the routine, coach Veronica Wiggins didn't hesitate to let her know.

"I push my players," she said. "They will tell you that."

They would also tell you that as much as Wiggins is a stickler when it comes to the details of preparing for a game, she has a side that goes beyond what they do inside the chalked lines. They refer to her as a godmother and mentor who takes as much time to teach life lesson as she does making sure they understand the fundamentals of the game.

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West Rowan receiver Morgan to Winston-Salem State

MOUNT ULLA, North Carolina — West Rowan football coach Scott Young found it hard to believe he didn’t have a player inking on National Signing Day. Jarvis Morgan took care of that detail one day later. With his parents by his side, the 6-foot-3 wide receiver signed with Winston-Salem State of the CIAA on Thursday morning.

The all-conference and all-county star becomes the sixth Ram recruit for head coach Connell Maynor and the second wide receiver. Rodney Quick, a 5-9, 170-pound end, signed out of Chapel Hill.

“They expressed interest in him about two, three weeks ago,” Young said. “I think this is a program that Jarvis had his eye on from the beginning. I’m really pleased.”

WSSU liked what they saw on film and why not? In 2011, Morgan helped the Falcons to a 13-3 record. He caught 48 passes for 1,015 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had a four-touchdown game in a 54-7 trouncing of East Rowan.

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WSSU Football Signees 2012 on NLI Day

Below is the most up to date list of of signees from the 2012 National Signing Day, and are the newest members of the WSSU Ram Family!

1) Keith Tanksley, 6-4, 304, Defensive Line, Greensboro, NC/Ragsdale HS

2) Chaunsee Bess, 6-0, 180, Corner Back, Columbia, SC/Ridgeview HS

3) Takhare Donalson, 5-11, 180, Defensive Back, Charlotte, NC/Mallard Creek HS

4) Rodney Quick, 5-9, 170, Wide Receiver, Chapel Hill, NC/Chapel Hill HS

5) Demeeko Jones, 6-3, 245, Tight End, Fayetteville, NC/Douglas Byrd HS

6) Isaiah Towns, 6-3, 285, Offensive Line, Greensboro, NC/Page HS

7) Jarvis Morgan, 6-4, 200, Wide Receiver, Salisbury, NC/West Rowan HS

Courtesy: Winston Salem State Sports Information

Xavier's Kenner will take his talents to medical school

"My family has been motivational.

They’ve believed I could become

a doctor more than I’ve believed.
And I've always believed
I could do this."


— Jamaan Kenner

NEW ORLEANS — In a ninth-grade biology class at Jesuit High School, Jamaan Kenner made a discovery. He wanted to attend medical school.

"It was my first biology class. It was a college-level class," said Kenner, a 6-foot-4 senior guard on the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team. "We were studying the body. I was intrigued."

Eight years later his journey continues. Kenner, a biology/pre-medical major, has been accepted to the School of Medicine of LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport. Three other applications are pending, but it's nice to have one in the bag.

Kenner is a starter for the Gold Rush — a defensive and 3-point-shooting specialist — and has helped Xavier win 17-of-23 games this season and earn a No. 25 ranking in this week's NAIA Division I coaches poll. With one semester to complete, his cumulative grade-point average at Xavier is 3.62. He survived organic chemistry, the MCAT and his first interview for medical school.

"I was nervous at first at the interview. But I didn't get any hard questions," Kenner said. "They just wanted to know who you are."

No doubt about it — these are good times for Kenner. He's earned them.

"When I think of Jamaan, I think of sacrifice," XU head coach Dannton Jackson said. "Other students are probably having more fun than he is. Jamaan has been playing college basketball and going through a strenuous curriculum at a tough university to prepare for medical school. But he has displayed the character, the work ethic and the discipline to do both. And he's just as good a person as he is a student and a basketball player. He's balanced."

As a child Kenner pursued good grades "because I was scared of getting in trouble with my dad." But as he got older, his rationale changed. He wanted to better himself. Fears turned into something positive.

"When I started getting good grades, I did'’t want to slack off," Kenner said. "My family has been motivational. They've believed I could become a doctor more than I've believed. And I've always believed I could do this."

Kenner didn't remain at Jesuit. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he enrolled at East St. John High School in his hometown, LaPlace, La., and didn't miss a beat. At ESJ he was a member of an eight-student team which received second place in the Junior Engineering Technical Society's Test of Engineering, Aptitude, Mathematics and Science Competition.

He chose Xavier over city rival Loyola and NCAA Division I member William & Mary. "Xavier was the best fit for me," Kenner said. "The sciences are great here, it was close to home, and Coach Jackson was always nice to me. He's always understood that school comes first."

The past two summers Kenner participated in breast cancer research in XU's College of Pharmacy under the guidance of Dr. KiTani Parker-Johnson.

"Jamaan was a joy to have in the lab. He did so well the first summer that we brought him back the next summer," Parker-Johnson said. "That doesn't happen often. I was impressed with his work ethic, his tenacity and his focus. He has good hands, which is important in bench research. He was able to tweak an experiement and get the results he was looking for."

Kenner plans to concentrate on sports medicine — "I haven’t decided yet on primary care or surgery," he said — and if he has his way, he'll be back in New Orleans to stay.

"My goal is to be the team doctor for one of the local teams," Kenner said. "The Saints or the Hornets — that would be perfect."

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: GCACSPORTS

HU Pirates Annouces Signing of 14 New Student-Athletes

HAMPTON, Virginia – Hampton University head football coach Donovan Rose announced on Wednesday the signing of 15 recruits to the program with the arrival of National Signing Day.

This year’s group of recruits includes 11 high school players and four transfers; it also includes eight players from the Commonwealth of Virginia (and five from Hampton Roads).


QB J.J. Williamson finished his senior season with 3,062 passing yards -- sixth all-time on South Hampton Roads' single-season list. He also threw 39 touchdown passes. We talk with him and his coach at Oscar Smith H.S.

High School Players
-Matrick Belton (6-4, 195, WR, Columbia, S.C.): was an Offensive MVP at W.J. Keenan High School, while also picking up All-Area and All-Region honors – as well as numerous camp MVP awards.

-Lorenzo Fields (5-9, 177, CB, Richmond, Va.): won the VHSL state championship at Thomas Dale High School as a sophomore, named All-Region and All-State, on top of being named All-State in the 100-meter dash in track & field.

-Marcus Haynes (6-3, 290, OL, Portsmouth, Va.): was an All-District, All-Region and All-Tidewater selection at I.C. Norcom High School.

-Jordan Hill (5-9, 165, CB, Fayetteville, N.C.): was ranked No. 5 in the nation in punt returns, and was a First Team All-Conference and All-Region selection at Douglas Byrd High School.

-Keith McAfee (6-0, 240, LB, Charlotte, N.C.): played in the Shrine Bowl after being named All-District and All-Region at Olympic High School.

-Twan Mixson (5-10, 170, LB, West Charlotte, N.C.): was a team MVP and an All-Conference selection at West Charlotte High School.

-Marshal Lee Mungin (6-6, 235, DE, Richmond, Va.): First Team All-District on offense and defense at John Marshall High School, on top of being the starting center on the No. 1 basketball team in Virginia.

-Rashad Riddick (5-9, 170, WR, Portsmouth, Va.): was a First Team All-District and Second Team All-Tidewater selection at Wilson High School.

-Dominique Roldan (6-4, 315, OT, Virginia Beach, Va.): named to the Honor Roll at Landstown High School.

-Joshua Thorne (6-0, 215, LB, Potomac, Md.): was named All-County and All-League at Potomac High School..

-J.J. Williamson (5-9, 170, QB, Chesapeake, Va.): Virginia State Player of the Year and a VHSL state champion at Oscar Smith High School.

Transfers
-Miles Grooms (6-4, 245, DE, Richmond, Va.): attended Hargrave Military Academy and had four offers.

-Carvin Johnson (6-1, 195, DB, New Orleans, La.): comes to Hampton from Michigan, where he started as a true freshman.

-Terrell Stewart (6-3, 350, DT, Suitland, Md.): also attended Hargrave Military Academy, was an All-State selection on offense and defense in high school.

-Najee Tyler (6-5, 240, QB, Brooklyn, N.Y.): the Purdue transfer was highly sought-after out of high school (15 offers) and was an All-Conference performer at Coffeyville Community College.

For more information on Hampton University football, please visit the official Pirates website at http://www.hamptonpirates.com/.

Courtesy: Hampton University Sports Information

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff 2012 Recruiting Class Unveiled

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas - The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff football program has signed a total of 15 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent today. Going into this recruiting season UAPB head coach Monte Coleman saw the need to address several key area of his football team.

“We focused a lot of our efforts on bolstering our wide receiver and offensive lineman units," said Coleman. "We wanted to bring in receivers with speed that could help us stretch the field offensively. The three receivers that we were able to sign address all of our needs and they bring with them world class speed."

Headling the Golden Lions recruiting class are the additions of wide receivers Isiah Ferguson (ASA College), Johnathan Johnson (Eastern Arizona JC), and Cody Swain (McKinley HS).

"Our offensive line was another major area that we wanted to address and we were able to sign several kids with the size and fundamentals skills needed to be successful at this level. Overall we're extremely excited about all of the players we were able to sign on both sides of the ball including several talented defensive lineman and defensive backs.”

Arkansas-Pine Bluff will release its 2012 football schedule in the upcoming weeks. For the latest news regarding UAPB Football please visit www.uapblionsroar.com.

#37 Cody Swain

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF 2012 FOOTBALL SIGNEES (.pdf)

Keathric Brown OL 6’2 330 Arkansas Baptist College (Memphis, TN)
Kenny Eagle OL 6’4 305 New Mexico Military Institute (Knox, IN)
Darius Fells OL 6’7 350 Central HS (Little Rock, AR)
Isiah Ferguson WR 6’6 205 ASA College (Mount Vernon, NY)
Eddie Heard, Jr. QB 6’4 220 McClymonds HS (Oakland, CA)
Ashton Henderson DT 6’0 315 Jenks HS (Jenks, OK)
Johnathan Johnson WR 5’11 185 Eastern Arizona JC (New Orleans, LA)
Howard Jones DB 6’2 190 Louisiana Tech (Harvey, LA)
Johnathan Parks FS 6’3 200 North Little Rock HS (North Little Rock, AR)

Trevon Reagan OL 6’3 275 Betty Fairfax HS (Phoenix, AZ)

Kempys Robinson TE 6’3 240 Springdale HS (Springdale, AR)

Anthony Smith DE 6’1 235 Georgia Military College (Tignall, GA)

Cody Swain WR 5’11 170 McKinley HS (Baton Rouge, LA)

David Watson DB 6’1 185 Georgia Military College (Cameron, SC)

Willie Young WR 6’1 180 Miller-McCoy Academy (Chalmette, LA)

Courtesy: UAPB Sports Information

Perry's Last Minute Heroics Led to SUNO Victory

NEW ORLEANS - As the game began it seemed to be the start of a very fist clinching night, with the Lady Knights making their presence known inside the paint. Until Dillard's Jasmine Smith and Ariel Mitchell came into the picture, SUNO definitely had their work cut out for them in the first half trailing Dillard 34-25.

But the Lady Knights decided that moving up to the number two place in conference was more important than anything else. They fought back going on a 17-4 run to not only tie the game at 51-51 with a little over 6 minutes left, but to eventually take the lead and win the game.

Senior Margot Tracy went 6 for 6 during this period helping to expand the SUNO run. The score was 62-60 SUNO when Dillard's Brittany Smith hit a short jumper inside the paint to tie the game 62-62. SUNO threw the ball into their point guard April Perry who took it cross court and with 4 seconds left she hit the biggest shot of the night, 10 footer right outside of the paint; putting SUNO up by 2 and giving SUNO the W!

Janee Morton led SUNO in Scoring with 13 and Margot Tracy chipped in 12 points and 3 blocks. Rose Boatner grabbed 16 rebounds and also had 10 points. The hero of the night April Perry finished with 11 points and 7 assists.

SUNO now (7-2, 11-7) is in the number two spot in the GCAC and looking forward to Talladega College on Saturday February 4, 2012 at 5 in The Castle.

BATTLE OF GENTILLY GOES TO SUNO

The Battle of Gentilly came to an end last night as the Knights of SUNO beat the Dillard Blue Devils.

SUNO (7-2, 11-9) started out slow and allowed Dillard (1-7, 1-17) to take the lead going into the first half. At halftime Dillard was only up by 3, 36-33. The Castle got on its feet for the second half of this rivalry. Devin White, a senior from New Orleans was unstoppable contributing to the SUNO take over. His efforts gave SUNO just the intensity they needed to extend their lead and to finish off the Blue Devils.

Even with Dillard continuing to fight and make clutch shots, the Knights were just a force to be reckoned with. Leading SUNO to the final score of 73-63 was Devin White with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 6 blocks. Merlin Walker also had 12 points and 5 assists as well as Kevin Dukes chipping in 11 points and 5 assists.

The Knights look forward to Talladega College coming to the Castle on Saturday February 4, 2012 at 7:30.

Courtesy: Southern University-New Orleans Sports Information

TSU Lady Tigers drop second straight with loss to EKU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State University women's basketball team suffered a disappointing, 73-66, loss to Eastern Kentucky Wednesday night in the Gentry Center.

Tennessee State (8-15, 4-7 OVC) was led in scoring by Kim Haynes' 19 points while Simone Hopes added 16. Rachel Allen (12) and Chelsea Hudson (10) also recorded double figures as TSU's leading scorer Jasmin Shuler was held to only three points.

Raechele Gray led Eastern Kentucky (11-10, 6-4 OVC) with 18 points while Jade Barber added 17. Marie Carpenter scored 14 as Alex Jones posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Tennessee State got off to a slow start and fell behind Eastern Kentucky, 13-4, at the 14:46 mark. The Lady Tigers finally got going after Chelsea Hudson hit a free-throw that sparked a 9-2 run to pulled the them within two.

TSU evened the score at 17-all on a bucket by Hudson before an offensive rebound and put back by Simone Hopes gave the Lady Tigers the lead.

Back-to-back scores from TSU made the advantage, 23-17, before EKU regained the lead, 27-25, with 1:39 left in the half. The Lady Tigers tied the game at 27 before going into the half trailing, 31-29.

Eastern Kentucky opened the second half with consecutive three-pointers to go ahead, 37-29, with 1:10 ticked off the clock.

TSU was trailing, 39-34, when the visitors stretched their lead to, 45-34, with 11:52 left in the game. Kim Haynes nailed a triple from the top of the key to cut the deficit down to seven but EKU responded with a 7-0 run to move ahead, 56-42.

Another triple by Haynes followed by a lay-up from Simone Hopes pulled the Lady Tigers to within single digits but the Lady Colonels answered with a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to go up, 65-54, with 3:34 remaining.

TSU fell behind, 71-59, before four points including a three-pointer by Jasmin Shuler, made the score, 71-63.

Kim Haynes knocked down her fourth triple of the game at the buzzer to make the final score, 73-66.

Although Tennessee State only committed 10 turnovers, the Lady Tigers seemed out of sync the entire game. TSU shot 32.1 percent (25-of-78) from the field and 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from three-point range.

Eastern Kentucky knocked down 43.1 percent (25-of-58) of its shots, including 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from long range.

TSU held the advantage in rebounds, 47-43, but EKU dished out 14 assists compared to TSU's eight.

The Lady Tigers return to action on Saturday, Feb. 4 on the road at Southeast Missouri. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. in the Show Me Center.

Courtesy: Tennessee State University Sports Information

Alabama State signs 21; QB Darren Daniel is transfer from Stanford

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University announced its 2012 signing class, with 21 players signed to letters of intent, two mid-year transfers and Stanford transfer Darren Daniel, a quarterback who started for three years at Phenix City's Central High.

At Central, Daniel passed for 2,858 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 656 yards and nine touchdowns. He was last listed as a Stanford sophomore who did not see playing time in 2010.

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The Alabama State University Football Program announces its 2012 signing class, which features 21 players signed to National Letters of Intent, two mid-year transfers and one scholarship offer.

2012 NLI SIGNEES Position HT WT Class Hometown/Previous School

Carnell Boyd WR 5-11 185 Fr. Atlanta, Ga./Martin Luther King High
Terease Chappell OL 6-2 250 Fr. Montgomery, Ala./Carver High
Julian Cole OL 6-4 280 Fr. Florence, Ala./Florence High
Jahaad Coleman RB 5-10 185 Fr. Conyers, Ga./Salem High
Darren Davis OL 6-2 265 Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Chaminade Madonna High
Melvin Davis FS/CB 5-11 185 Fr. New Orleans, La./Edna Karr High
Torrey Davis S 5-10 205 Fr. Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County High
Myles Everett WR 5-11 175 Fr. Marietta, Ga./Pope High
Jamaal Fears DT 6-2 300 Fr. Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville High
Garrius Hudson DT 6-1 325 Fr. Jonesboro, Ga./Jonesboro High
Wallace Hunter OL 6-1 280 Fr. Phenix City, Ala./Central High
Damian Love OL 6-3 270 Fr. Millbrook, Ga./Stanhope Elmore
Nick Martin CB 5-10 160 Fr. Dothan, Ala./Dothan High
Jarrett Neely RB/WR 5-10 180 Jr. Milledgeville, Ala./Georgia Military Academy
Charles Purnell RB 5-9 175 Fr. Atlanta, Ga./Westlake High
Eric Sledge DL/LB 6-1 240 Fr. Bessemer, Ala./Bessemer Academy
Bradley Street CB 6-0 183 Fr. Riverdale, Ga./Charles Drew High
Jylan Ware OT 6-7 270 Fr. Valley, Ala./Valley High
Richard Webb OT 6-6 360 Fr. Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha Catholic High
Emanuell Williams QB 5-11 185 Fr. LaMarque, Texas/LaMarque High
Bobby Wintons DT 6-2 320 Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy
MID-YEAR TRANSFER
Giles Chapman RB 5-9 175 Fr. Fremont, Calif./Washington High
Marquis Lovett LS 6-3 225 Jr. Milledgesville, Ga./Georgia Military Academy
OFFERED ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP
Darren Daniel QB 6-4 195 Fr. Phenix City, Ala. / Central High/ Stanford

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