Lincoln (Mo.), St. Augustine's and JCSU Are Preseason Top Teams in Division II Indoor Track and Field

St. Aug's Falcons Head Coach George
Williams has won  31 NCAA Division II
indoor and outdoor titles combined.

NEW ORLEANS  –  The men’s team at Lincoln University of Missouri and the women’s team at Grand Valley State University are the preseason No. 1-ranked teams in the country for the 2012 NCAA indoor track & field season in Division II. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national team computer rankings placed Lincoln – who placed third at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships – and Grand Valley State – the nation’s defending champion women’s team – in the top spot.

Lincoln’s men returns a squad that placed third (41 points) at last year’s NCAA Championships. The Blue Tigers return defending 200-meter champion Terrel Cotton among five other individual scorers set to make another run in 2012. In addition, Lincoln sophomore Romel Lewis currently leads the division with a 6.67 clocking in the 60 meters that was recorded in December.

Defending men’s national team champions Abilene Christian begin the season at No. 24 in the national rankings. Of the 49 points scored last year to win the national crown, only five return for the Wildcats with now-senior Nick Jones in the shot put (fourth place). No. 2 Saint Augustine’s placed sixth at last year’s indoor championships and is looking for their first indoor crown since 2009. No. 3 Adams State – seventh a year ago – won the NCAA title in 2010. Ashland, last year’s runner-up team, starts the season at No. 4 and returns defending weight throw champ Ryan Loughney who has already bettered his season-best from last year in the event.

Defending men’s national team champions Abilene Christian begin the season at No. 24 in the national rankings. Of the 49 points scored last year to win the national crown, only five return for the Wildcats with now-senior Nick Jones in the shot put (fourth place). No. 2 Saint Augustine’s placed sixth at last year’s indoor championships and is looking for their first indoor crown since 2009. No. 3 Adams State – seventh a year ago – won the NCAA title in 2010. Ashland, last year’s runner-up team, starts the season at No. 4 and returns defending weight throw champ Ryan Loughney who has already bettered his season-best from last year in the event.

PDFs: Top 25 | Full by Team | Event-by-Event
Previous Rankings

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Falcons Second In Preseason D-II Men's Indoor Track & Field Poll

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Saint Augustine's College is ranked second in the preseason NCAA Division II men's poll for the 2012 indoor track and field season. The rankings were released Tuesday (Jan. 17) by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The Falcons, who placed sixth among the men's teams last season at the NCAA Indoor Championships, received 129.28 points from the USTFCCCA national computer rankings. Lincoln (Mo.) is the preseason top men's squad with 176.75 points and Adams State is third with 124.29 points.

The Falcons are led by senior Christopher Copeland (Suffolk, Va.), who automatically qualified for indoor nationals in the high jump. Copeland leaped 7-1 ¾ at the CNU Holiday Classic in December 2011.

Four other Falcons have provisionally qualified for indoor nationals. They are junior Ramaan Ansley (60 Dash /6.84), junior Gerkenz Senesca (60 Hurdles/8.02), senior Jason Boyd (Waycross, Ga./60 Hurdles/8.03) and sophomore Eddie Shelton (Deltona, Fla./high jump/6-11 ¾).

In the USTFCCCA women's Division II poll, Saint Augustine's College is ranked 14th with 49.42 points. Sophomore Nicketa Bernard (Westmoreland, Jamaica) has provisionally qualified in the 400 dash in 57.74.

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Blue Tigers' Men's Track & Field Team Tops USTFCCCA Preseason Rankings

Women's Team Slated Second in NCAA DIvision II

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - The Lincoln men's track & field team is the preseason No. 1 NCAA Division II team in the country, according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national team computer rankings, released on Tuesday (Jan. 17). Additionally, Lincoln's women's team, which finished last season as the national runner-up, begins this season ranked No. 2 in the USTFCCCA women's poll.

The Blue Tiger men, coming off a third-place finish at the 2011 NCAA Division II national championships, received 176.25 in this season's initial computer rankings. They are the only MIAA ranked in the top five, with Central Missouri (eighth with 79.23 points) being the only other league team ranked in the top 25.

Lincoln returns six runners who scored points at last year's NCAA Division II Men's Inddor National Championships, including Terrel Cotton, the defending 200-meter champion. Additionally, the Blue Tigers' Romel Lewis currently has the country's best time the 60-meter dash this season, clocking in at 6.67 at Iowa State's Holiday Preview on Dec. 9.

The Blue Tigers received 46.97 points in the ranking system than Saint Augustine's which was picked second with 129.28 points. Adams State (124.29) was ranked third while Ashland (121.53) and Grand Canyon (115.41) round out the top five.

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Xavier's Simmons repeats as GCAC Player of the Week

ANTHONY SIMMONS

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Anthony Simmons is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball for the second consecutive time.

Simmons, a 6-foot-8 junior forward from Rochester, N.Y., and a graduate of Allendale Columbia School, averaged 13.3 points, 11 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots and shot 57.7 percent from the floor to help the Gold Rush win two of three conference games. Simmons scored 15 points in an overtime loss to SUNO on Jan. 10, had 12 rebounds and a season-high 18 points in a victory against Edward Waters on Friday and had seven points and a career-high-tying 13 rebounds in a victory against Fisk on Saturday. Against Edward Waters in a 70-39 decision, Simmons was part of a defensive effort in which Xavier allowed its fewest points since November 2004.

Simmons has started 11 times in 16 appearances this season and leads Xavier with 10.4 points per game and 64.4 percent from the floor. He averages 6.4 rebounds to rank second on the team and eighth in the GCAC.

Xavier, 13-5 and ranked 19th in NAIA Division I, will conclude a five-game home stand with a 7 p.m. GCAC matchup Saturday against Talladega at The Barn.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Shawn Yonker: Frahm ready to fill big shoes for UMES Hawks

COACH KRISTINA FRAHM

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - A year ago today, Kristina Frahm was a senior on the No. 1 ranked University of Maryland Eastern Shore bowling team, fresh off a strong showing at the Mid-Winter Classic in Cabot, Arkansas. She had finished fourth in a field of 89 bowlers, posting a total pin fall of 1,085 with three games of more than 200, including a 257, while helping the Hawks to a fourth-place overall finish.

My how things have changed.

Today Frahm sits "nervous, but excited" pondering the Hawks' future as their coach, while trying to fill the very big shoes left behind by former coach Sharon Brummell.

Brummell, the two-time national championship winning coach took a job at Georgetown, leaving the UMES Athletic Department with a coaching vacancy to fill.

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VISIT: UMESHAWKS
VISIT: UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Gators DE winds up at Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Virginia - Nearly two months after it was announced he would be transferring from Florida, defensive end Lynden Trail has found a new home.

A spokesperson for 1-AA program Norfolk State confirmed to the Orlando Sentinel that Trail had enrolled at the school, and because of NCAA transfer rules, will be able to play immediately.

Trail was a redshirt freshman this season but did not crack the two-deep of the depth chart and did not see any playing time.  “I have decided that I would like to pursue opportunities elsewhere,” Trail said in a statement upon his decision to leave. “I want to thank the fans and Gator Nation for their support. I’ll always be a Gator at heart.”

Trail was a four-star DE out of Miami, FL, according to Rivals.com when he signed with the Gators in 2010.



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Nuggets return to 16th, Rush drop to 19th in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS — A 3-0 week at home helped the Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team climb one place to 16th in the NAIA Division I coaches poll.

The poll, the fifth of the season, was announced late Monday afternoon, just before Xavier's home doubleheader against Philander Smith.

Xavier is 19th in the men's poll after tying for 18th a week ago.

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 23rd consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 16th time in 17 polls.

XU's women defeated Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents SUNO, Edward Waters and Fisk to extend a winning streak they started four days before Christmas. Then they defeated Philander Smith 56-27 for their eighth consecutive victory and longest streak since 2010.

In five polls this season the XU women have ranked 16th or 17th.

The Gold Rush had a 2-1 week at home, losing to SUNO in overtime, then beating Edward Waters and Fisk. The XU men then rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Philander Smith 87-80 and spoil a 45-point performance — best among NAIA men this season — by the Panthers' Ken Brown.

Both Xavier teams will conclude a five-game home stand with a GCAC doubleheader Saturday against Talladega at The Barn. The women's game will start at 5 p.m., and the men's game will start at 7. Xavier and Talladega are two of three women's teams unbeaten in conference.

The only other ranked GCAC school is Tougaloo, which is 25th in the men's poll and returned to the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 5. Tougaloo will play host to Xavier in a doubleheader Monday.

Oklahoma City's women, a unanimous No. 1 in the previous three polls, dropped to second after an 88-66 home loss to Lubbock Christian. Freed-Hardeman, a 66-54 winner at home against perennial power Union (Tenn.), climbed from third to first. Freed-Hardeman is the third No. 1 women's team this season.

Unbeaten Shorter became the fifth men's team to reach No. 1 this season. The Hawks swapped places with Oklahoma Baptist, which dropped to No. 2.

Xavier is one of 10 schools, one fewer than the previous poll, with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Campbellsville, Georgetown (Ky.), Lee (Tenn.), Lindsey Wilson, Robert Morris (Chicago), Saint Xavier, Westmont and Southern Nazarene.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 15)

Rank Team Record Points Last

1 Freed-Hardeman (11) 15-2 312 3

2 Oklahoma City (1) 15-1 299 1
3 Union (Tenn.) 16-2 293 2
4 Westmont 16-1 278 4
5 Langston 16-0 273 5
6 Lee (Tenn.) 16-1 257 7

7 Lewis-Clark State 17-2 256 6

8 Cumberlands 16-1 244 8

9 Lubbock Christian 12-3 225 12

10 Vanguard 11-3 218 tie-10

11 Saint Xavier 13-4 215 tie-10

12 Shawnee State 14-4 212 9
13 Azusa Pacific 11-5 189 13
14 Olivet Nazarene 14-5 181 14
15 Southern Nazarene 13-4 174 16
16 Xavier 14-5 161 17
17 Campbellsville 13-6 149 18
18-tie Georgetown (Ky.) 12-6 136 15
18-tie Belhaven 14-5 136 19
20 Lindsey Wilson 14-5 114 20

21 Westminster (Utah) 11-6 106 24

22 Robert Morris (Chicago) 12-3 95 23

23 Loyola 14-1 87 RV

24 MidAmerica Nazarene 13-5 81 RV

25 William Woods 11-5 73 22

Others receiving votes: Lyon 71, Shorter 63, Columbia (Mo.) 26, Rogers State 26, LSU-Shreveport 13, Avila 10, Rio Grande 4, Park 3, Montana Western 3, Point Loma Nazarene 1, Oklahoma Baptist 1, Martin Methodist 1, Our Lady of the Lake 1, St. Catharine 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 15)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Shorter (9) 17-0 280 2
2 Oklahoma Baptist (1) 15-1 269 1
3 Robert Morris (Chicago) (1) 16-1 267 3
4 Southern Poly 13-2 240 10
5 Rogers State 15-2 238 8
6 Concordia (Calif.) 14-3 231 4
7-tie Azusa Pacific 14-3 224 7
7-tie Georgetown (Ky.) 15-3 224 5
9 Martin Methodist 13-3 223 9
10 Our Lady of the Lake 13-3 199 17
11 Lindsey Wilson 13-4 189 14

12 Montana State Northern 17-2 184 13

13 Texas Wesleyan 12-3 169 6

14 Southern Nazarene 13-4 165 12

15 Mountain State 12-6 157 11
16 Westmont 13-2 133 RV
17 Evangel 14-5 132 15

18 Lee (Tenn.) 11-3 126 21

19 Xavier 12-5 104 tie-18

20 Campbellsville 13-5 102 22

21 Saint Xavier 13-4 96 25

22 Montana Western 15-5 86 23
23 Cumberland 12-3 83 RV
24 Columbia (Mo.) 14-5 68 RV
25 Tougaloo 14-5 59 RV

Others receiving votes: The Master's 49, Freed-Hardeman 43, Oklahoma City 31, Southwestern Assemblies of God 21, Cal State San Marcos 21, Pikeville 21, Westminster (Utah) 16, MidAmerica Nazarene 10, Missouri Baptist 1, Science & Arts 1, Cumberlands 1, Oklahoma Christian 1, Wiley 1, Union (Tenn.) 1, Rocky Mountain 1, Benedictine (Kan.) 1, Life 1.

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

Shaw Names Robert Massey Head Football Coach

RALEIGH, North Carolina  -  Shaw University today named defensive coordinator Robert Massey its new head football coach.

"Coach Massey has proven himself as a coach and a loyal member of the Shaw family," said Shaw president Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy. "This promotion is well earned and a sign that our strong tradition of football at Shaw continues."

"This is a dream job for me," said Massey. "I'm devoted to the Shaw program and am proud that Shaw had the faith in me to continue what we've started here. There is a tradition of not just winning, but of winning championships, and that's something I'm dedicated to continuing."



Massey has served on the Shaw coaching staff for five years, the last two as defensive coordinator. In his first year as defensive coordinator, the Bears won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship, in large part because of Massey's "bend don't break" defense.

Prior to coming to Shaw, Massey served as the interim head football coach at Livingstone College and as assistant coach, receivers coach and defensive back coach for his alma mater, North Carolina Central University (NCCU). During his collegiate career at NCCU, Massey won several honors, including Black Collegiate All American, All CIAA 1st team and All CIAA Defensive Back.

He began his coaching career with the New York Giants as an assistant defensive back coach before moving to Hillside High School in Durham, N.C. where he served as both assistant and head football coach.

Before coaching, Massey completed l ten years as a successful defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in 1989 in the second round (46th pick overall) by the New Orleans Saints. That season he was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team and was the Saints' Rookie of the Year.

He then moved to the Phoenix Cardinals, where he was named to the 1992 NFC Pro Bowl Team. He also played for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants, where he completed his NFL career. He then assumed the position of assistant defensive back coach with the Giants.

Massey takes the helm from Darrell Asberry, who accepted the head coaching position at Division I Texas Southern. The Bears won the 2010 CIAA Championship, but finished last season with a 3-7 record.

The Bears open play in 2012 with a trip to Charleston, W.Va., to take on the University of Charleston on August 30.

VISIT: SHAW UNIVERSITY
VISIT: SHAWBEARS

Former Southern University Athletics Director Greg LaFleur found NOT GUILTY of prostitution charges

GREG LAFLEUR SERVED NEARLY
SIX YEARS AS SOUTHERN'S A.D.
BEFORE HIS GOOD REPUTATION
AND CAREER WAS DERAILED BY
THE HARRIS COUNTY/HOUSTON
POLICE DEPARTMENT. 

HOUSTON, TEXAS - A jury has found former Southern University Athletic Director Greg LaFleur not guilty on a charge of prostitution. The jury of six reached its decision Tuesday night, said a spokeswoman for the Harris County District Attorney's office in Houston.

LaFleur was arrested in April 2011. According to the police report, LaFleur, 52, was arrested on Main Street in Houston for alleged solicitation of a prostitute. LaFleur denied the allegation. LaFleur, who was fired from Southern University after his arrest, filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Southern.

"This should have never happened," LaFleur told WAFB 9NEWS Wednesday. "The chic solicited me. I have lived with this for a year. I'm more pissed off than happy."

At the time of his arrest, the prosecutor's office in Harris County characterized the case as "straight sex for pay." According to the police report, LaFleur was accused of picking up an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute.

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LaFleur found not guilty

Former Southern University Athletic Director Greg LaFleur has been found not guilty of solicitation of prostitution.

LaFleur lost his job as Southern’s Athletic Director when he was arrested in April of 2011, for allegedly trying to pay an undercover police officer for sex in Houston. According to his lawyer, LaFleur was acquitted of the charge Tuesday night by a Texas jury. His attorney says a lawsuit is pending against Southern, seeking back pay and damages.

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Scores That Matters!!

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

OVC
Austin Peay 69, Tennessee State 63

SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 75, Alcorn State 68
Jackson State 54, Texas Southern 51
Prairie View 81, Grambling State 64
Mississippi Valley 77, Southern 56

GCAC
Southern-New Orleans 89, Fisk 72
Tougaloo 58, Mobile 52
Dillard 64, Edward Waters 62
Xavier 87, Philander Smith 80

CIAA
Shaw 83, Elizabeth City 74
Bowie State 69, Livingstone 64
Winston Salem 59, Lincoln Pa. 52
St. Augustine's 66, Chowan 52
Virginia Union 85, Johnson C. Smith 84

SIAC
Tuskegee 82, LeMoyne-Owen 76
Claflin 68, Clark Atlanta 55
Miles 60, Stillman 56

MEAC
Norfolk State 74, Coppin State 66
Bethune Cookman 68, Savannah State 62
North Carolina Central 69, Howard 63
Florida A&M 86, South Carolina State 69
Morgan State 68, Hampton 56

OTHERS
Langston OK 81, Huston-Tillotson TX 78
Texas College 75, Wiley TX 64
Greensboro 82, Allen S.C. 45
St. Thomas TX 54, Paul Quinn TX 51

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC
Jackson State 55, Texas Southern 38
Alcorn State 65, Arkansas Pine Bluff 51
Mississippi Valley 78, Southern 61
Prairie View 68, Grambling State 55

GCAC
Xavier 56, Philander Smith 27
Dillard 71, Edward Waters 58
Southern-New Orleans 87, Fisk 55

CIAA
Winston Salem 94, Lincoln Pa. 44
Shaw 74, Elizabeth City 72
Livingstone 65, Bowie State 64
Johnson C. Smith 65, Virginia Union 51
St. Augustine's 65, Chowan 63

SIAC
Stillman 52, Miles 48
Clark Atlanta 66, Claflin 58
Tuskegee 76, LeMoyne-Owen 60

MEAC
Hampton 83, Morgan State 51
Howard 67, North Carolina Central 26
Florida A&M 79, South Carolina State 62
Coppin State 67, Norfolk State 62
Bethune Cookman 58, Savannah State 54 O.T.

OTHERS
Paul Quinn TX 59, St. Thomas Tx 48
Wiley 91,Texas College 75
Langston OK 87, Huston-Tillotson TX 63
Allen S.C. 49, Pensacola Christian 45

Lady Rattlers Beats SCSU 79-62 for Ninth Consecutive Win

TAMEKA McKELTON

SENIOR GUARD

W. PALM BCH., FL

KIMBERLY SPARKMAN
5-8 SOPH. GUARD
COLUMBIA, TN



REGINA SMILEY
5-11 SR. FORWARD
CLEVELAND, OH

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers Basketball team picked up their ninth straight win and remains unbeaten in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as they defeated South Carolina State 79-62, here Monday evening at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center.

FAMU (12-5, 5-0 MEAC) was paced by Antonia Bennett as she scored a team high 27 points, followed by Tameka McKelton with 12, while Jamie Foreman added 10. Regina Smiley led the Lady Rattlers on the boards with nine, Kimberly Sparkman dished out a game high six assists.



SCSU (8-9, 3-3 MEAC) had four Lady Bulldogs to score in double-figures as Tiara Knotts scored a team high 17 points, followed by Cabriel Duren with 11. Tiana Hemphill finished with a double-double as she scored 10 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while Trinese Fox added 10.


FAMU grabbed an 11-4 lead as Bennett sank a three pointer with 14:07 to go in the first half and they never looked back. SCSU would cut FAMU’s lead to 13-10 on a pair of Hemphill free throws with 12:19 to go in the half.  



The Lady Rattlers would close out the first half with a 9-4 run and another 14-10 run to take a 38-24 lead into the break.



FAMU finished the first half shooting 48.4 percent (15-of-31), while SCSU shot 26.5 percent (9-of-34).

The Lady Rattlers opened the second half with a 12-4 run, giving FAMU a 50-28 lead, capped off by a McKelton three pointer, with16:44 to go.

FAMU would build their lead to as much as 27 points as Andreya Lacy nailed a jumper with 8:04 to go in the game. 

 

SCSU would close the game with a 14-6 run, primarily against reserves as the Lady Rattlers held on for the 79-62 win.

The Lady Rattlers will return to action on Saturday, Jan 21 as they will travel to Princess Anne, Md., to take the University Maryland Eastern Shore in a MEAC contest in a 2 p.m. start.

Florida A&M University Sports Information

VISIT: FAMUATHLETICS

VISIT: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY 

Day leads Tougaloo Bulldogs Past Mobile Rams, 58-52

2011/12 TOUGALOO COLLEGE BULLDOGS

HEAD COACH: Lafayette Stribling,  (MS Industrial College, 1957)

Collegiate Record: 359-351 / 52 years 

ASSISTANT COACH: Harvey Wardell (Alcorn, 1972)

ROSTER 

TOUGALOO, Mississippi - The Tougaloo College Men's Basketball team hosted the Rams of the University of Mobile in a non-conference match-up tonight in the Dawg Pound. The Bulldogs escapes a late run by the Rams to get the 58-52 win and improve to 15-5.

The #25th-ranked Bulldogs would come into tonight's game knowing it would not be easy against the former GCAC foe Rams, but they were up for challenge in trying to extend their win streak to five straight.

Early in the first half, the Bulldogs would take the lead over the Rams with a pair a three pointers by Juan Gray and Kadon Day. The Bulldogs would continue to pour it on the Rams from downtown, as they would shoot 47% from behind the arc in the first half, taking a commanding 36-22 halftime lead over the Rams.

In the second half, the Bulldogs would continue to play good basketball, but late in the half the Rams would fight their way back within 3 points of the Bulldogs, forcing the Bulldogs would regroup its defense to try and hold off a scare by the Rams. Coach Stribling would do just that, regrouping its defense to hold off the Rams offense and escape the scare by the Rams and take the victory.

The Bulldogs were led by Kadon Day, who finished with 17 points. Horace Whitehead chipped in 14 points, Marquise Mems tacked in 11 points, and Juan Gray added 10 points. Whitehead also finished the night with 4 blocks, as he leads the conference in blocks.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Monday, January 23, 2012 as they host #19 Xavier University in a Top 25 showdown. Tip-off is set for 7:30 P.M.

VISIT: TOUGALOO COLLEGE

VISIT: TOUGALOOATHLETICS

FAMU Rattlers Ignite Lawson Center With 86-69 WIn Over SCSU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The Florida A&M Men's Basketball team picked up their second Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the season as they defeated South Carolina State 86-69, here Monday evening at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.

FAMU (4-15, 2-3 MEAC) had two Rattlers to finish with double-doubles as Amin Steven pumped in 19 points and pulling down 12 rebounds, followed by Jeremy Dean scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Reggie Lewis continued his hot shooting, adding 18 points.

SCSU (4-15, 0-5 MEAC) had four Bulldogs to score in double-figures as Brandon Riley scored a team high 16 points. Both Khalif Toomb and Omar Sanders finished with 13 points each, while Luka Radovic pumped in 10. Sanders led the Bulldogs in rebounds with nine boards.

The Bulldogs took a 10-5 lead on a Luka Radovic layup with 16:16 to go in the first.

FAMU answered with a 10-0 run as they took a 15-10 lead on a Stevens layup with 11:58 to go in the first half. The Rattlers would extend their lead to 25-15, capping a 10-5 run on a Markee Teal field goal with 7:50 remaining in the first half.

FAMU would go into the break with a 44-32 lead as they shot 46.2 percent (12-of-46) from the field, while SCSU shot 50 percent (19-of-38).

The Rattlers would open up the second half with a 17-9 run as they took a 61-41 lead, capped off by a D'Andre Bullard layup with 15:02 to go in the game.

FAMU would never relinquish the lead as they went on to win 86-69.

The Rattlers finished the game shooting 49.3 percent (37-of-75), while the Bulldogs shot 48.3 percent (28-of-58). FAMU held the rebounding edge over SCSU 39-35.

FAMU will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 21 as they will take on Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md., in a 4 p.m. tip.

By Florida A&M Sports Information
VISIT: FAMUATHLETICS
VISIT: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY

Gold Rush survive Brown's 45, defeat Panthers 87-80

DENZELL ERVES SCORED CAREER BEST
 23 POINTS,13 REBOUNDS OVER PSC. 
ERVES IS A 6-7/205 JUNIOR FORWARD FROM
VICKSBURG H.S., VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

NEW ORLEANS -- Denzell Erves' career-best 23 points and 13 rebounds Monday helped NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana rally in the second half for an 87-80 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Philander Smith.

The Gold Rush (13-5 overall, 4-1 GCAC) survived a career-best 45 points by senior guard Ken Brown of Philander Smith (7-11, 2-3).

Erves recorded his third double-double of the season and fourth of his career. The junior forward had 17 points and nine rebounds in the second half.

Brown, NAIA Division I's scoring leader with more than 30 points per game, was 11-of-20 from the floor, 7-of-13 on 3-pointers and 16-of-19 from the line in 39 minutes. It was sixth his consecutive 30-point game and his second time this season to reach 40.

Brown scored 24 points in the first half to give the Panthers a 44-37 advantage at the break. But Xavier outshot the Panthers 46.7 to 29 percent from the floor in the second half and took the lead for good at 69-67 on Wanto Joseph's basket with 5:45 remaining. Chris Iles' 3-pointer with 4:19 remaining made it 79-70 and capped a 14-3 Xavier run.

Cordell Hadnot had 12 points and eight rebounds for Xavier, which won its third in a row and for the sixth time in seven games. Xavier won for the 29th time in its past 33 games at The Barn. Iles had 11 points and six assists, and Joseph had nine points and five assists.

Brandon Bell scored 16 points for Philander Smith, and Damarkus Lipscomb had 13 points, four assists and five steals. Jaron Egbe led the Panthers with 11 rebounds.

For the game Xavier outshot the Panthers 49.1 to 39.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded then 44-22. Philander Smith made 12 3-pointers -- three by Bell and two by Lipscomb -- and 24-of-30 free throws. Xavier made five 3-pointers -- two apiece by Iles and Jamaan Kenner -- and 28-of-34 free throws.

Xavier beat Philander Smith for the second time in 10 days and improved to 8-0 all-time against the Panthers. Brown scored 33 points at home Jan. 7 in Xavier's 76-70 victory.

Both teams will play GCAC home games at 7 p.m. Saturday. Xavier will play Talladega, and Philander Smith will play SUNO, the GCAC leader by a half-game over Xavier and Tougaloo.

BOX SCORE

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS 

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Hampton Lady Pirates runover Morgan State, 83-51



CHOICETTA McMILLIAN



JERICKA JENKINS



BALTIMORE, Maryland – The Hampton University women’s basketball team scored a season-high 83 points on Monday at the Talmadge Hill Field House en route to an 83-51 win over Morgan State.

The Lady Pirates (13-3, 5-0 MEAC) ran their winning streak to four games and handed Morgan State its 12th loss in 13 games. Hampton has won every conference game so far this season by double digits.

Senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) led the Lady Pirates with 22 points, hitting four 3-pointers, while senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas) added 16 points and tallied a season-high 12 assists to become the second player if program history to have 500 career assists.

Jenkins now has 511 career assists.

Sophomore guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.), the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, added 15 points, while senior forward Melanie Warner (Tallahassee, Fla.) chipped in 13 points and junior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) added 10 points.

Sophomore forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.

Morgan St hung tough early, taking a 9-7 lead with 15:39 left in the first half after Amarah Williams sank a layup. But back-to-back jumpers from Jenkins and McMillian put Hampton up 11-9 with 14:49 left in the half, and the Lady Pirates never trailed again.

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VISIT: HAMPTON UNIVERSITY 

VISIT: HAMPTONPIRATES 

Kelly's double-double leads Nuggets past Philander Smith

NEW ORLEANS -- Jazmoné Kelly had 11 points and 13 rebounds Monday to lead NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 56-27 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Philander Smith.

The Gold Nuggets (15-5 overall, 5-0 GCAC) have won eight straight for the first time since the 2009-10 season. It was their third victory in four days.

Kelly, a senior guard/forward, recorded her first career double-double. She also had four assists and two assists in 19 minutes.

SiMon Franklin and Jasmine Grant scored 10 points apiece for Xavier, which led 36-14 at halftime. Kelly had seven points and eight rebounds in the first half.

Caryan Jones led Philander Smith (1-16, 0-5) with six points. The Lady Panthers, a first-year GCAC member, have lost 15 in a row.

Xavier committed 27 turnovers, seven more than the Lady Panthers, but outshot them 38.7 to 16 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 56-28. Philander Smith shot 24 free throws but made seven. Xavier blocked a season-best six shots for the second straight game.

It's the fifth consecutive game that the Gold Nuggets allowed less than 50 points and the third straight game they allowed less than 40. Xavier has 34 consecutive GCAC victories, 29 in the regular season.

Xavier, tied for first place in the GCAC with city rival Dillard, will play Talladega at 5 p.m. Saturday at The Barn. The Lady Tornadoes are unbeaten through three conference games.

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By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Howard Lady Bison Crush North Carolina Central Eagles, 67-26

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Howard Women's Basketball team held North Carolina Central to a season low, 26 points, by defeating the Eagles, 67-26 in Burr Gymnasium.

Tamoria Holmes and Saadia Doyle both finished with a total of 44 points to lead HU (13-6 overall, 5-1 in MEAC) into its fifth conference win. This win marks a 7-0 record on Howard's home court.

Doyle also added eight rebounds to the stat sheet. Cheyenne Curley-Payne had a solid performance with eight points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Nicole Deterville grabbed a game-high 11 off the glass.

To start the game, the Eagles quickly scored a layup from a steal by Chasidy Williams. From there, HU answered with two points in the paint by Doyle at the 19:11 mark. After that, the Bison went on a 38-8 run, to give the Bison a 29 point cushion, 39-10, at the half.

To open scoring for the last 20 minutes of the game, Holmes hit a jumper inside the arc to increase the spread to 31 points, (41-10) in the first 32 seconds of the half. The Eagles responded with a three-pointer by Blaire Houston at the 18:42 mark. By the first media timeout, NCCU trailed HU 46-13. Coming out of the timeout, Houston was fouled and rewarded two shots at the charity-stripe. After hitting just one free throw, the Eagle's Alesha Jenkins scored a lay-up to decrease the margin to 30 points. With a little less than six points remaining in regulation, both teams traded baskets to make the score 53-23 at the 8:26 mark.

Howard outscored the Eagles 12-3 in the last four-plus minutes to cruise to the 67-26.

For the Eagle's, Houston recorded a team high of nine points in 32 minutes of action while Jenkins added a team high of six rebounds and four points.

HU will look to continue their home winning streak by facing Hampton University on Monday Jan 23 in Burr Gymnasium. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

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Written by Julee O'Neal, W. Basketball , Broadcast Journalism '13

Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Sports Information Director

VISIT: HOWARD-BISON
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY 

Johnson commits to Grambling State Tigers

WINNSBORO, Louisiana  -  Franklin Parish runningback Noble Johnson gave his verbal commitment over the weekend to play football at Grambling State University. After making an official visit on Saturday, Johnson said he came away convinced GSU was the best program for him and what he wanted to do at the next level.

"Most of the programs that were interested in me wanted to take me out of my position," Johnson said. "Grambling made it clear to me that I would be playing running back and that made a big difference with me."

Johnson rushed for 1,686 rushing yards and 22 TDs this season, while leading the Patriots to their first play-off victory since the school's consoladation in 2005. The bruising ball carrier – listed at 6'1, 244 lbs – was named to this year's 4A all-state team and was voted co-offensive MVP of district 2-4A.

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Howard University educated physician was a trailblazer in college athletics and civil rights

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On a day of reflection of the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there isn't much anyone can add to his legacy that hasn't already been written. But, shortly before Dr. King was born, an African-American named Charles Fremont "Pruner" West, in Washington, Pennsylvania was laying the foundation for the advancement of African-Americans in collegiate sports.

'Pruner West', who would later earn his doctor of medicine degree from Howard University, and would briefly coach the Bison football team, was the first African American quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl, in 1922.

As the story goes, West was an outstanding student and athlete who played halfback and backup quarterback on the football team, and threw the javelin for the track and field teams at Washington & Jefferson College in 1920-24.  But his impact goes way beyond sports, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and his legacy is a cornerstone of this highly acclaimed private liberal arts college.

Now the rest of the story...

'Pruner' West: Rose Bowl QB, civil rights pioneer

The college football teams at Oregon and Wisconsin recently played in the 98th Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  While the tradition-rich game seems worlds away from Washington, this was not so 90 years ago when Washington & Jefferson College played the University of California in the 8th Rose Bowl, then called the Tournament of Roses game.

Prior to the start of its 120th football season last year, Washington & Jefferson commemorated the 90th anniversary of their only appearance in the Rose Bowl and honored the quarterback who led the 1922 team.

To recognize the accomplishments of Charles "Pruner" West, Dana Brooks, dean and professor of physical education at West Virginia University, presented W&J with a poster of West in a dedication ceremony at the U. Grant Miller Library. The event was attended by members of the West family, including his daughter, Linda West Nickens, grandson Michael West Nickens and granddaughter Crystal Nickens.

In 1922, the Presidents - the only team to play a Rose Bowl without using a substitute - held the California Golden Bears to the only scoreless tie in the game's history.

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CHARLES FREMONT "PRUNER" WEST

1922 ROSE BOWL QUARTERBACK

WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE

HOWARD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL GRAD.

ALEXANDRIA (Va.) FAMILY PHYSICIAN - 50 YEARS

(1/25/1899 - 1979)

" A Life of  Integrity for which there is No Compromise"

(Photo Courtesy: W&J U. Grant Miller Library Digital Archives)

REMEMBERING A ROSE BOWL LEGEND:  CHARLES 'PRUNER' WEST

WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania - Nearly 90 years ago, Charles Pruner West made history, but even the most well-informed sport historian still probably doesn’t recognize his name. That’s certainly not the case at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa., where West’s iconic status was recently recognized during a ceremony.

West is believed to be the first African-American quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl when in 1922 W&J travelled across the country to play the University of California in college football’s oldest bowl game.

Dana Brooks, co-editor of Racism in College Athletics and Diversity and Social Justice in College Sports, and dean of the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at West Virginia University, put together a collection of images from his research archives to create a poster that was presented to Washington & Jefferson to be displayed in its U. Grant Miller Library. Fitness Information Technology also donated to the library a copy of Racism in College Athletics as well as the Leaders in Sport collection of books authored by Richard Lapchick. West’s daughter, Linda West Nickens, was among the dignitaries who attended the presentation.

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W&J honors early black football star

WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania (9/8/2011) - Washington & Jefferson College on Saturday kicked off its 120th football season by defeating Juanita in a lopsided 40-0 contest. As W&J fans got their first taste of a new gridiron season, they also looked back to honor one of the college's most distinguished African-American football players and students -- Charles West, a 1924 graduate who became a family doctor in Alexandria, Virginia.

In 1922, Dr. West led the Presidents football team to its only appearance in the Rose Bowl in California. He is believed to be the first African-American quarterback to play in the nation's oldest bowl game. The rainy, muddy game ended in a scoreless tie with the University of California.

Last week, Dana Brooks, dean and professor of physical education at West Virginia University, presented W&J officials with a poster collage of Dr. West's accomplishments to display in the U. Grant Miller Library on campus. Mr. Brooks co-wrote the book "Racism in College Athletics: The African-American Experience" and is writing a paper on Dr. West.  He co-wrote the book with Ronald Althouse, a West Virginia University sociology professor, in 2000.

"He was a pioneer," Mr. Brooks said. "Back then, in the 1920s, there were very few African-American players in private colleges, but there were some in the Midwest and East." Paul Robeson, the concert singer, was one. He was playing football at Rutgers in New Jersey in the early 1920s.

Charles West grew up in Washington, Pa., where his father owned a general store. He was a very good high school student and also excelled at track.

"Early African-American athletes faced prejudice and discrimination, especially when their college teams played teams from the South, where very few blacks were playing," Mr. Brooks said.

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