Raleigh Trio Signs With North Carolina A&T Track and Field

Asya Macon

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The North Carolina A&T track and field team has signed three impressive athletes to improve the women’s program over the next four years.

The trio of athletes are all from Raleigh, N.C., and they include Kristoni Barnes (5-6, Raleigh, N.C., Wake Forest Roseville HS), G’Jasmyne Butler (5-3, Raleigh, N.C., Leesville Road HS) and Asya Macon (5-2, Raleigh, N.C., Southeast Raleigh). They will join the women’s program during the 2016-17 season.

“We’re extremely young on both the men’s and women’s side, but when we first came in here we put a lot of focus on the men’s program,” said Duane Ross, director of track and field programs. “Now it’s the women’s turn. The women we’re bringing in are really needed. We’re expecting them to come in and duplicate what the freshman class did last year.”

Barnes is a versatile middle distance athlete and long sprinter who is competitive in the 800 meters as well as the 400. Barnes has a personal best of 57.03 in the 400 and earned all-state honors in the event with a sixth-place finish in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 4-A State Championship. She was also all-state in the 500 with a seventh-place finish at states. Competing for her track club, Carolina Elite of Raleigh, Barnes qualified for the 800 at the USATF Junior Olympics where she earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish in 2:16.57.

G’Jasmyne Butler

“She adds depth to the 400 and the 800 but especially the 800, so she is a crucial part,” said Ross.

Butler comes to A&T as an accomplished middle distance runner. Ross said he and his staff put a lot of time into recruiting Butler. “She’s a national champion, so she’s coming in to lead,” Ross said.

Butler is the USATF Junior Olympic national champion for the Young Women’s 800—a title she earned competing for her Track Explosion club. Additionally, Butler is also the reigning North Carolina 4-A state champion in the 800. Butler boasts personal records of 2:11.07 for the 800, 5:03.50 for the 1600 and 4:40.23 for the 1500. With Butler’s best 1600, she finished third in the state. During the indoor season, Butler recorded a personal-best 3:01.58 in the 1000 to finish third in the state as a junior. Also, Butler has recorded a time of 18:45.49 in the 5,000, making her a prime cross country candidate.

Macon is a long sprinter whose specialties are the 200 and 400. Additionally, Macon has significantly contributed to the relay teams at Southeast Raleigh. She holds a personal best of 56.33 in the 400, which earned her all-state honors thanks to her fourth-place finish at the state meet. Macon is the reigning Greater Neuse River conference champion in the 400, and has a personal-best 25.50 in the 200.

She anchored the Southeast Raleigh 4x400m relay to a second-place finish in the state championship meet, and for indoor, Macon earned all-state honors with a sixth-place finish in the 500 with a time of 1:17.06.

Kristoni Barnes

“I think she is a sleeping giant,” Ross said. “She didn’t win last year, but she is one of the top 400 runners. I think she’s going to have a great season. Her potential is just outstanding.”

Last year, Ross’ women’s track and field team finished third at the Indoor Track and Field MEAC Championships, a steep leap from the eighth-place finish they took in 2014. And most of the top-10 performances went to the freshman ladies Ross recruited such as Morgan Knight, Reneazia Collins, India Brown and Qizeah Jackson, who was the Aggies top scorer with a total of 24 points.

Ross’ latest freshman class is expected to fill the void in the middle distance and distance programs. “We’re not done recruiting,” Ross said. “We want to send a message to the rest of the country that we’re serious about our women’s program, and these girls are on the right track to do that.”

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nicholls State Colonels Fall to Grambling, 69-65

THIBODAUX, Louisiana – Marina Lilly and Cassidy Barrios recorded their first career double doubles for the Nicholls State University women's basketball team but Grambling State was able to weather a late comeback by the Colonels as Nicholls fell, 69-65, Tuesday night at Stopher Gym.

Despite a balanced scoring effort with four players reaching double figures in points, the shooting struggles continued for Colonels (2-8) as they dropped their fourth straight contest. Nicholls shot just 31.8 percent and had 31 turnovers; however, the team was able to fight back to take the lead after an early nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Barrios led the team with 12 points while adding 11 rebounds and her basket-and-one sparked the Colonels' late comeback with 7:35 to go. Grambling (3-8) maintained the lead until LiAnn McCarthy (10 points) sank a jumper to put Nicholls ahead, 64-63, at the 3:01 mark, but it was short-lived as the Colonels did not make another field goal the rest of the way.

Grambling retook the lead on a pair of free throws and extended it to 67-64 on a layup by Takerra Parsons with 1:45 left on the clock. Hope Pawlowski added a free throw for Nicholls with less than a minute remaining before Grambling knocked down two at the line down the stretch to make the final.

Lilly had a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with 11 points. Tia Charles chipped in with 11 points and Pawlowski added nine points and four steals. Barrios also had four steals, but the Tigers had a 27-14 advantage on points off turnovers.

Nicholls jumped out to a fast start to lead 19-13 before the Tigers chiseled away at the deficit to make the score 33-31 at the break. But like much of the season, the Colonels let the lead slip away in the third as they were outscored 26-18.

Neither team shot well from long range, as Charles hit Nicholls' lone 3-pointer as the team finished 1 of 14 from behind the arc. Grambling made 2 of 7 from deep, but Bre'nae Andrews' 3-ball early in the fourth looked to be a dagger as the Tigers went up 60-51. Nicholls answered with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 62 before suffering its fourth loss at home.

Shakyla Hill led all scorers with 23 points, with Andrews and Chant Lewis adding 11 points each for the visitors. GSU shot 36.6 percent from the field and had 19 steals.

Nicholls will open at home against Lamar on Saturday (Jan. 2) to start the Southland Conference schedule. Tipoff for the women's / men's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Tayong Makes All-Tournament Team as CSU Closes 2015 With Win Over Lafayette

Omaah Tayong

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia -- The Coppin State women's basketball team completed the 2015 calendar year with a win in its second game of the UVA Cavalier Classic against Lafayette College 64-57 in John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA.

Coppin State (3-9) also collected its first win in the month of December and remain undefeated in games played on Tuesday.

Senior forward Omaah Tayong was named to the all-tournament team.

Tayong finished the game with 10 points, 12 rebounds and three steals off the bench. Her three steals tied a season high. She now has two double doubles so far this season.

Tayong averaged nine points and nine rebounds on 47.3% shooting from the floor over the two-game tournament. She now leads the Lady Eagles with 95 rebounds.

Overall four Coppin State players reached double figures in the win.

Janelle Lane also recorded a double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. She added two assists, a career high seven steals and one block in 38 minutes on game action. She now has three consecutive games scoring in double-digits.

Lane leads Coppin State with 12 blocks so far this year.

Genesis Lucas finished the game with a season high 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes. She has three or more assists and 35 minutes played in three straight games for Coppin State.

Lucas leads the Lady Eagles 38 assists and 20 steals through 10 games.

Keena Samuels scored 10 points; two rebounds and one steal in her six consecutive starts for Coppin State. Both of her rebounds came on the offensive end.

Samuels has four double figure scoring games this season.

Senior guard Amber Griffin added nine points, four assists, three rebounds and one steal in 37 minutes.

Griffin has dished two or more assists in 10 games this season. She now has 326 assists for her career. Griffin is second on the team with 33 assists this season.

The Lady Eagles outscored the Leopards 34-26 in the second half after being down by one point at halftime.

Coppin State also outscored the Lafayette in paint points, points off turnovers, second chance points, fast break points and bench points.
The Lafayette Leopards (2-9) now have lost four straight games.

Sammy Stipa led all scorers with 17 points, four assists and three rebounds. Jamie O'Hare finished with 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Coppin State will return to action after the New Year with its conference home opener against Norfolk State January 4 with tipoff at 6:00 p.m. in PEC Arena.

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By Jason J. Brown, Coppin State Sports Information Intern
COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Lady Rattlers Close Out 2015 With 77-68 Win Over Clemson

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers were short on personnel heading into Tuesday night's contest against the Clemson Tigers, including coach LeDawn Gibson who was dealing with flu-like symptoms and did not make the trip. Associate head coach Latasha Shipman-Ganus and assistant coach Andrea Johnson took the reigns and reeled in one of FAMU's biggest wins in some time, striking the Clemson Tigers for a 77-68 win at Jervey gym on the campus of Clemson University.

Shipman credits the team's work ethic and willingness to sacrifice with the win. "We were obviously short-handed going into this game, so we had to make adjustments. We put in three plays in the 24 hours leading up to the game to maximize the personnel we had on hand. Alicia McCray had the big game we needed from her, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with her 17 points. Victoria Nguyen also stepped up and played well at this level," Shipman said.

Olivia Antilla, led the Rattlers with 20 points on efficient 8-of-16 shooting. Khadejra Young, who was forced to play point guard for some of the game, put in 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Antilla and Young both shot .500 from the field. London Holland also contributed on sharp 5-of-9 shooting from the field for 11 points to round out the balanced scoring of four players in double figures. McCray would be key, carding a double-double for the game.

A key to the win was the Lady Rattlers' ability to stop the dribble penetration that had been key to Clemson's success thus far. The tigers were led by Nelly Perry, who led all scorers with 21 points. Paige Mosley scored 16 points, while Danielle Edwards chipped in 14 points. Aliyah Collier grabbed seven rebounds for the orange and purple, while Edwards grabbed six.

What's next: The Lady Rattlers will face the Tigers of Savannah State on Jan.1 at 1 p.m. in the Al Lawson Center to kick of the year and begin MEAC play in 2016. The game will feature $1 concessions and $1 entry. Parking for the game is free. DJ Laila Jade and DJ Z-Dub will be the day's entertainment.

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Hampton Lady Pirates Beat Rhode Island in OT, Win FIT Tourney

MIAMI, Florida – It took an extra five minutes, but the Hampton University women's basketball team defended its FIU post-Christmas tournament crown on Tuesday, defeating Rhode Island 59-54 at the FIU Arena in the FIU Surfing Santa Classic title game.

The Lady Pirates (3-9) have won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas dropped a season-high 33 points to lead the Lady Pirates, going 10-for-33 from the floor and making five 3-pointers. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line, on top of grabbing six rebounds and registering two steals.

Senior guard Ryan Jordan added a season-high 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Sophomore forward Kaylah Lupoe tied her career high with 13 rebounds.

Tate-DeFreitas was named Tournament MVP for the second straight year, while Jordan was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Hampton struggled from the floor, shooting just 27.4 percent (20-for-73) from the floor for the game. The Lady Pirates made eight of their 24 3-pointers (33.3 percent), and they were a season-best 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) from the free throw line.

The Lady Pirates out-rebounded Rhode Island 44-38 and scored 16 points off of 22 Ram turnovers.

Symone Bullard sank a layup with 44 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 50-50, and the Lady Pirates had two looks in the final second – one from Tate-DeFreitas and the other from Lupoe. But both shots were off the mark, sending Hampton into its second overtime game of the season.

The Rams scored the first four points of the overtime, including a trey from Charlise Wilson, to take a 54-50 lead. But that was Rhode Island's only field goal of overtime, and the Lady Pirates scored the last nine points of the game.

Tate-DeFreitas scored seven of those points, including four free throws in the final 20 seconds to ice the game.

Lupoe's stickback layup with 59 seconds left gave Hampton its first lead of the extra session.

Rhode Island opened up an 11-3 lead in the first quarter after a 3-pointer from Kallie Banker, and Morgan Johnson hit a trey at the 2:44 mark to give the Rams a 16-5 lead. A layup from Samantha Tabakman at the 1:39 mark put Rhode Island up 18-7.

The Rams led 20-9 after the first quarter, but the Lady Pirates scored the first five points of the second quarter to cut the lead to 20-14 after two free throws from Tate-DeFreitas. Rhode Island built the lead back up to 24-14, before Hampton went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 25-25 after a fastbreak layup from Tate-DeFreitas.

The Rams closed the half on a 7-0 run to take a 32-25 lead at the break.

Tate-DeFreitas had 15 points at the half.

Hampton held Rhode Island to nine points in both the third and fourth quarters, and the Lady Pirates opened the third quarter with an 8-2 run – cutting the lead to 34-33 at the 4:26 mark with a jumper from Tate-DeFreitas.

Hampton's first lead came with 2:54 left in the third quarter, when redshirt-junior forward Shaleise Boyd converted a putback to give the Lady Pirates a 37-36 lead.

A jumper from Jordan at the 2:10 mark put Hampton up 39-38.

Kiara Palmer converted a 3-point play with 1:01 left in the quarter to give Rhode Island a 41-39 lead, but that was the Rams' last field goal until the 3:44 mark of the fourth quarter. An 8-3 Hampton run ensued in the interim, giving the Lady Pirates a 47-44 lead with 4:08 left in regulation following a Jordan jumper.

A 6-3 Rhode Island run closed the fourth quarter and forced overtime.

The Rams (6-6) shot 36.7 percent (18-for-49) from the floor, despite making just seven field goals in the second half and only one in the overtime session. Rhode Island went 5-for-14 (35.7 percent) from behind the arc and made just 13 of 19 free throws (68.4 percent).

Wilson and Tabakman each had 14 points for the Rams.

The Lady Pirates will be in DeLand, Fla. on Friday to take on Stetson at 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the officialwww.hamptonpirates.com.
Pirates website at

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TSU Lady Tigers Face Youngstown State on Wednesday

TENNESSEE STATE (5-7) vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE (9-2)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30 | 6:00 P.M. CT | YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO | BEEGHLY CENTER

GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE
VIDEO: ESPN3
LIVE STATS: YSUSPORTS.COM

GAMEDAY
The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will continue its road swing and play in the final non-conference game of the season on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Youngstown State. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. CT in Beeghly Center. The match-up will be TSU’s second game in three days.

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE
Tennessee State has dropped three consecutive games and lost four of its last five. The Lady Tigers are most recently coming off an, 81-39, loss to No. 7 Kentucky on Monday.

Juniors I’mani Davis (13.2 ppg) and Jayda Johnson (13.1 ppg) lead TSU in scoring while senior Brianna Lawrence (10.1 ppg) rounds out the top three scorers. These three upperclassmen also lead the Lady Tigers in rebounding.

As a team, TSU is averaging 60.7 points per game and shooting 34.0 percent from the field, including 28.0 percent from beyond the arc and 67.6 percent from the free-throw line.

The Lady Tigers are led by fourth year head coach and Hall of Famer, Larry Joe Inman.

LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee State fell to No. 7 Kentucky, 81-39, Monday night in Memorial Coliseum. The non-conference match-up against the SEC opponent was the team’s first action after a week off. Jayda Johnson was the only Lady Tiger able to reach double-digits with a team-high 19 points while I’mani Davis just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. TSU committed 24 turnovers and only shot 26.7 percent from the field in the contest.

ABOUT YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Youngstown State (9-2) had won three-straight before falling to Akron on the road, 74-49, in the last outing. Sarah Cash (15) and Alison Smolinski (10) led the team in scoring in the loss.

The Horizon League members are led in scoring and rebounding by Cash with 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per outing. Nikki Arbanas’ 11.6 points per game.

As a team, Youngstown State is averaging 67.6 points per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range.

SERIES INFORMATION
TSU will match up with Youngstown State for the fourth time with YSU leading the series 3-0. In the last meeting, the Penguins defeated the Lady Tigers, 73-66 in the inaugural Teresa Phillips Thanksgiving Classic (11/30/14).

COVERAGE
Updates on the game will be available throughout the game on the official twitter page via @TSU_Tigers. Links for live stats and live video will also be available on tsutigers.com under the schedule.

UP NEXT
The Lady Tigers will begin Ohio Valley Conference against Southeast Missouri on Saturday, January 2 on the road. Game time is set for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. TSU will meet SEMO for the 46th time with the Redhawks holding a 24-21 advantage. The Lady Tigers claimed the only match-up last season, 62-55 in the Gentry Center. TSU has won the last three meetings.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Mizzou Hoops Puts Clamps on Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Wins 78-25

COLUMBIA, Missouri - Mizzou Men's Basketball (6-6) earned a 53-point victory over Arkansas Pine-Bluff (2-12) Tuesday, 78-25, its largest margin of victory since Dec. 18, 2010 when the Tigers defeated Central Arkansas by the same margin. The 25 points given up is the lowest total Mizzou has allowed since Jan. 3 1947, when Mizzou beat Iowa State, 36-25.

Freshman forward Kevin Puryear (Blue Springs, Mo.) led all scorers with 13 points, while matching his season-high rebound total with eight. Junior guard Wes Clark (Detroit, Mich.) also scored in double figures, posting 11 points, all in the first half. Sophomore forward Jakeenan Gant (Springfield, Ga.) recorded career-highs in rebounds and blocks, with 11 and four, respectively.



As a team, Mizzou posted season-highs in free-throw percentage, rebounds, blocks and steals. The Tigers connected on 18-of-22 shots from the free throw line and outrebounded the Golden Lions 56-30. Mizzou had seven players tally blocks for 11 total, while the Tigers also grabbed 12 steals.

The Tigers attacked the basket right from the start of the game, earning seven of its first 16 points from the free throw line. Gant made good on four early trips to the line. Later in the half, the Tigers scored 21 consecutive points, led by three three-pointers from Clark. Gant and senior forward Ryan Rosburg (Chesterfield, Mo.) each had thunderous dunks during the stretch. Rosburg's dunk came on a fast break which began after a block on the defensive end from freshman guard Terrence Phillips (Orange County, Calif.). Mizzou led 39-12 at halftime, its largest lead of the season at halftime.

An 18-1 run in the second half helped Mizzou increase its lead. Six different Tigers contributed during the run, led by six points from Puryear. Freshman forward Adam Wolf (Beaver Dam, Wis.) saw action for the second time this season in the second half, contributing six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, as well as three rebounds and two blocks.

Mizzou will wrap up nonconference play on Saturday, Jan. 2, against Savannah State. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 2 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+.

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Baylor Cruises Past Texas Southern, 72-59

WACO, Texas -- Al Freeman scored 21 points and ignited a key run that finally put No. 23 Baylor in control on way to a 72-59 victory over Texas Southern on Tuesday.

The Bears (10-2), in their final game before opening Big 12 Conference play, led only 44-40 in the second half before Freeman made a layup and then hit a 3-pointer to start a 10-0 run. By time Johnathan Motley made a short jumper for his first points and Lester Medford made a 3, it was 54-40 with 11:11 left.

Rico Gathers had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his 30th career double-double for Baylor. Terry Maston had 14 points and Medford 12.

Malcolm Riley scored 18 for Texas Southern (1-11).

TSU was scheduled to host Hampton at home on Dec. 31st but the contest has been cancelled.

The Tigers will face the Southern Jaguars at home on Saturday, Jan. 2nd at the HPE Arena at 7:30 pm.

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TEXAS SOUTHERN POSTGAME QUOTES

Head Coach Mike Davis
On what positives he saw in the team…
“I liked our effort. We talked about giving great effort to get ready for our conference play. We hadn’t played the big name schools that we played last year, but Stephen F. Austin is really good. They won their conference last year. Central Michigan won their conference last year, so we replaced the mid major schools for the big names that we played last year. I’ll take this loss because we’ve been working so hard on the zone offense over Christmas break. We really haven’t worked on man offense lately, so when they went to that man defense it really changed our rhythm. We weren’t patient in our man offense the way we were in our zone offense. I want to see us play better while giving this much effort.”

On maintaining a good zone offense…
“We did a good job of preparing for the zone and being patient in our offense. When they went to the man defense it got us out of our rhythm. Then when they went back to the zone defense and we lost our rhythm against the zone because of what Coach Drew did by switching to man. It was a great game plan. We hadn’t worked on man offense in a while, so we didn’t get the ball moving from side to side like we wanted to. So, when he went back to the zone we still didn’t have any ball movement. However, I think we gave the best effort that we’ve given all year. We just ran out of gas. That’s no excuse, but because we had to play at such a high level, we ran out of gas. But, that’s the level that I want us to play at.”

COURTESY BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

AAMU Bulldogs drop close one at Ball State

MUNCIE, Indiana -- During a six-minute stretch in the second half of Ball State’s basketball game Tuesday, star Alabama A&M player Ladarius Tabb had his way with the Cardinals’ defense.

Specifically Ball State wing Franko House. Tabb fired in 15 consecutive points for the Bulldogs in that span with House guarding him most of the time, lifting A&M to an eight-point lead.

The final salvo in that flurry was a 3-point basket with 4:31 to play. The Cardinals quickly called timeout and coach James Whitford showed his ire with House when the players reached the bench.

“He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, we’ve still got this, we’re good,’ ” Whitford said. “It was good to hear him say that. We just had to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, that was my point.

“But he answered the bell and we went to him every time down the stretch, and he scored or got fouled or had an assist.”

Video

House was a rock for the Cardinals (8-4) in the final four minutes, including a smothering defensive effort on Tabb on the final play of the game, as he sparked them to a 63-62 victory in Worthen Arena.

Predictably, Tabb got the ball on the left wing as the final seconds ticked down. He drove to the basket with House hounding him all the way. When double-team help arrived as Tabb neared the lane, all he could do was uncork a shot that hit the side of the basket, and House rebounded the ball as the buzzer sounded.

The field-goal attempt was Tabb’s only one in the final 4:31 of the game.

House said his goal on the play was to push Tabb off the 3-point line.

“I wanted to force him to drive into my guys (inside) who had my back,” he said. “I anticipated a drive to the baseline and I stayed in front of him pretty well.”

Tabb, the Bulldogs’ season scoring leader with a 23.4 average and the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the year, finished with 29 points, making 12 of 17 shot attempts.

House did damage on offense, too. He scored seven of his 15 points in the final 7:45, including 5-for-6 at the free-throw line in the final 4:05.

Ball State claimed the victory on a night when it had trouble shooting from the perimeter. Alabama A&M (4-5) played a 2-3 zone for most of the first 30 minutes of the game, and Ball State finished just 6-of-27 from the arc.

The Cardinals were 4-of-19 overall and 1-for-10 from the 3-point line in the second half when the Bulldogs abandoned the zone and went man-to-man with about 9 minutes remaining.

That move probably benefited Ball State as it scored 18 points in the final 8 minutes, 40 seconds.

“Maybe in some respects, yes, but I didn’t feel we were lacking with our shot attempts,” Whitford said. “I’m not saying all 27 were great, but enough of them were pretty good.”

The Cardinals simply didn’t hit shots. Their four best shooters from the arc – Jeremie Tyler, Francis Kiapway, Sean Sellers and Ryan Weber, who Whitford said were “four guys I’d put in the category of elite college shooters” – combined to make just 6-of-23.

“We had the right looks from the right guys, and we didn’t have a good shooting night,” Whitford said.

Added Sellers, “We shot poorly from the 3-point line, but for the most part we got good looks.”

Ball State hit only 40.4 percent overall from the floor and shot a season-low 22.2 percent from the 3-point line. Alabama A&M helped offset that by making just 4-of-13 free throws.

Bo Calhoun led the Cardinals with 16 points (7-of-10 shooting) and nine rebounds. House added 15 and eight. Weber and Kiapway scored 10 points each, and Naiel Smith tied his season high with six assists.

The Cardinals will play their final non-conference game at 2 p.m. Thursday against Chicago State in Worthen Arena. The Cougars are coached by former Ball State assistant Tracy Dildy.

The Bulldogs begin their SWAC schedule next weekend at Grambling State.

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TSU Tigers Take Tennessee to The Wire in 74-69 Loss

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee -- ayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) registered 19 points and nine rebounds, but the Tennessee State men's basketball team suffered a 74-69 road loss at Tennessee on Tuesday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena in the non-conference finale.

Playing in front of 13,214 fans, the Tigers (9-4) led for 28:19 of the game, but could not hold on as Tennessee (7-5) improved to 7-0 at home.

“I think our guys made a decision to compete, how we define what competing is,” second-year Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford said. “They really helped each other defensively and tried to give a valiant effort on the glass. I think our ability to stop them in the first half really kept us in the game.”

TSU held a 43-36 halftime edge and had a three-point lead at 66-63 with 3:26 to play before the Volunteers utilized a 9-0 run to take a six-point edge, 72-66, with just over a minute left. Martin converted a three-point play to put the score at 72-69 with 49.0 seconds left, but that was as close as TSU would get the rest of the way.

TSU forced Tennessee into four turnovers in the opening five minutes and held an 11-8 lead with six points coming from Martin.

Later in the half, Tennessee led by as many as four points before TSU was able to battle back. After a stop on the defensive end, Christian Griggs-Williams (Milwaukee, Wisc.) hit a layup to tie it up at 17-17, and a Marcus Roper (Walton Beach, Fla.) dunk off a steal led to a 19-17 lead with 10:37 left before the half.

Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.), who finished with 13 points and six assists, converted a layup as the first-half buzzer sounded to give the Tigers a 43-36 halftime advantage.

Tennessee shot 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) on three pointers in the first half, but TSU finished 17-for-31 (54.8 percent) from the field in the opening 20 minutes and forced UT into 10 turnovers.

The Tigers continued to lead for most of the second half and posted a six-point edge at 62-56 on a layup from Griggs-Williams with 7:10 showing on the clock.

The Volunteers swung the game back in their favor and eventually took the lead for good with their 9-0 run late in the contest.

For UT, Kevin Punter led all scorers with 23 points, while Armani Moore posted eight points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. On the other end, Roper continued his strong play with 10 points off the bench for TSU.

Up next, the Tigers take on Southeast Missouri on the road on Jan. 2 in the team’s Ohio Valley Conference opener.

GAME NOTES: Tennessee State concludes non-conference play with nine wins, which are the most since moving to the OVC prior to the 1987-88 season... TSU falls to 0-6 in the all-time series versus UT…. TSU is now 1-33 versus teams that currently make up the Southeastern Conference…. The Tigers used their fifth different starting lineup of the season with Demontez Loman, Wayne Martin, Darreon Reddick, Keron DeShields and Xavier Richards making up the starting five.

Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford

“There’s so much going on in that game, I just can’t put my finger on what it was right now. I have to go back and watch the tape and be able to evaluate it. I was glad to see our guys come back and compete a little bit harder than they did before Christmas break.”

- On what contributed to the defeat

“He’s coming along. He’s getting in better shape. Our whole plan was to get him ready by the time OVC gets here. I think he’s making progress. It will be good to have two guys down there that can score. On the other end, the defensive rebounding end he’s getting a little bit better; still has a little ways to go. He’s definitely someone we feel will be able to help us the next two months.”

PHOTO GALLERY

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Albany State University Golden Rams Marching Band headed to Pasadena

The Band will march in the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1

ALBANY, Georgia — “Excited” was the word of the day as 122 members of the Albany State University Marching Band crowded onto two buses early Monday morning to begin their journey to Pasadena, Calif., and the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.

The buses carried the band to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to catch two flights to Los Angeles International Airport.

“We’re all very excited,” Assistant Band Director David Decuir said. “I am actually looking forward to seeing a game in the Rose Bowl. I’ve seen it on TV but have never been there. I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to expose our band to America on national television.”

Jordan Lee, a trumpet player from Ellenwood, was also eager to get the journey started.

“I’m excited about performing at the Tournament of Roses Parade and getting the chance to visit California again,” Lee said. “The entire band is excited about representing Georgia and we are also the only HBCU (historically black college or university) in the parade.”

Prior to their departure for the Albany State campus, the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce distributed specially designed “Rams in the Roses” bags to band members. In October the Chamber Foundation presented a check for $25,000 to ASU in support of the “Rams in the Roses and Beyond” campaign.

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Daniel Scores 36 in Howard Men's Basketball Loss to Columbia

NEW YORK, New York -- James J-Byrd" Daniel III poured in a game-high 36 points but it was not enough to offset the balanced attack of the Columbia Lions as the hosts had four players score in double figures to get by Howard, 72-59 in a non-conference matchup Monday evening at the Levien Center.

Daniel, the leading scorer in the nation coming into the game with 28 points per game, did all he could to keep his team close through most of the game. The 5-11 junior guard from Hampton, VA accounted for 21 of his team's 25 first half points.

But the Lions (9-5) set the tone as Maodo Lo (12 points), Grant Mullins (8 points), CJ Grant (7 points) and Luke Petrasek (7 points) combined to lead Columbia to a 38-25 halftime lead.

"It is the same problem we ran into in the last game," recalled Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "Damon (Collins) and Tyler (Stone) got into early foul trouble and J Byrd got tired. That changed things. We had to go to some younger players and we were even smaller than when we started the game."

With Daniel as the Bison's only real offensive threat, the Lions were able to methodically build on their lead and keep the Bison at bay en route to their fifth straight victory.

"We missed some 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 opportunities," said Nickelberry. "We have to take advantage of those kind of opportunities. Right now, we just don't have the depth and experience to sustain those kind of hits."

Junior forward Solomon "Solo" Mangham was Howard's second leading scorer with nine points. Daniel was 9-of-29 from the field and the rest of the team made only 7-of-33 as the Bison shot 25 percent from the field.

Columbia did not shoot the ball especially well, but they connected on 11-of-25 from the three-point line and recorded 13 assists on 23 field goals.

The Bison defense forced 17 turnovers and picked up seven steals. Again, they continued their consistency from the free throw line where they shot 85 percent (23-of-27).

"I challenged the team to play harder and with more energy, something I did not think they did in the last game," he said.

GAME NOTES
- Daniel went 16-for-17 from the free throw line and he has now made 59-of-61 in the past six games…he leads the nation in free throws attempted and made…Cameron Lewis continues to show improvement...the freshman forward/center, who was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week on Monday, scored 4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 20 minutes.

NEXT UP
Howard travels out west to take on the Rainbows of the Un
iversity of Hawaiii on January 2 at 11:30 pm Eastern time.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON SPORTS INFORMATION

For Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball, losses are lucrative

HEAD COACH GEORGE IVORY
UAPB GOLDEN LIONS

WHO: Missouri vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

WHERE: Mizzou Arena, Columbia

WHEN: 8 p.m., Tuesday

TV: SEC Network + (Online)

TICKETS: Visit Missouri's athletics website

COLUMBIA, Missouri — During his seven-plus seasons as head coach of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball team, George Ivory has achievements to hang his hat on.

Ivory won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship for the first time in school history in 2010. His team went on to defeat Winthrop University in a play-in game in the NCAA Tournament that season.

There is one more thing Ivory is looking to accomplish next season, however. He wants a nonconference home game. Since Ivory became head coach in 2008, Arkansas-Pine Bluff has never hosted a team during nonconference play.

That includes this season. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-11) has opened the season with 14 consecutive nonconference games away from home. The Golden Lions wrap up this elongated road trip at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday when they take on Missouri (5-6).

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Six Players Score in Double Figures as Chicago State Falls at Oakland

ROCHESTER, Michigan -- Six players scored in double figures for the Chicago State men's basketball team here against host Oakland, but the Golden Grizzlies also has six players record double digit scoring en route to capturing a 101-93 win Monday night at the Blacktop at the O'Rena.

Leading the Green and White was freshman Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale), who recorded a team-best 18 points while adding four assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Junior Elliott Cole (Chicago, Ill./Powerhouse) finished with 15 points and redshirt sophomore Clemmye Owens V (Toledo, Ohio/Rogers) added 13 points to go along with dishing out a career-best six assists.Senior Jawad Adekoya (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) also tallied 13 points and junior Jordan Madrid-Andrews (Denver, Colo./Bishop Machebeauf) posted 10 points.

Junior Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) produced his team-leading fourth double-double of the season as he grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, in addition to tallying 10 points.

Senior Kieran Woods (Chicago, Ill./Crane) matched Palmer with 11 boards to go along with six points, four assists and two steals for CSU (4-11).

Oakland (8-4) was led by Kay Felder as he tallied game high totals of 23 points, 13 assists and eight steals.

Chicago State travels to Indiana for the finale of its three-game road swing as it takes on Ball State on New Year's Eve at Worthen Arena in Muncie with a start time of 2 p.m., Central Time.

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COURTESY CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Johnson Scores Game High 19, TSU Falls at No. 7 Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Jayda Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, posting her second highest scoring performance of the season, as Tennessee State fell to No. 7 Kentucky on Monday evening. The Wildcats improved to 11-0 with an 81-39 victory over the Lady Tigers (5-7) in front of a crowd of 5,586 at Memorial Coliseum.

The two teams went back-and-forth to start the game with Johnson hitting a pair of buckets. Maxine Beard hit a jumper at the 6:27 mark to bring the Lady Tigers within one, 7-6.

The Wildcats extended its lead to 13-6 over the next three minutes before Johnson could convert on an old fashioned three-point play, cutting the deficit to four at 13-9. TSU would be held scoreless for the remaining of the first quarter and for just over four minutes into the second stanza.



The drought would allow UK to go on a 20-0 run, as they began to pull away building a 33-9 advantage. Johnson ended the Wildcats run with a bucket at 5:58 of the second period, which led to a 6-0 run for the Lady Tigers.

Johnson scored the second of her two buckets of the stretch on a fast break layup after I’mani Davis blocked a shot and fed Johnson for the easy two. Davis capped off the scoring for TSU with a layup giving the Big Blue six points in a 30 second span making the score 33-15.

That would be the closest TSU would get the rest of the night as they went into half time trailing 38-17.

UK shot 43 percent opposed to the Lady Tigers 24 percent in the first half. The Wildcats would heat up even more in the second half as they shot 52 percent from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the three-point line.

Kentucky attacked TSU with a balanced attack with six players in double figures, led by Evelyn Akhator’s 14 points.

Davis finished short of her second double-double of the season, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.

The Lady Tigers will close out non-conference play as they continue their holiday road trip at Youngstown State on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

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COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UH's Blacklock to join Texas Southern staff

DALLAS BLACKLOCK
ASSISTANT COACH - WIDE RECEIVERS
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Dallas Blacklock has been hired as wide receivers coach at Texas Southern.

"It's a great opportunity for me," said Blacklock, who has spent the past three seasons as the University of Houston's director of high school relations. "Anybody who leaves the University of Houston and Tom Herman is probably crazy. It had to be a great fit."

Blacklock joins the staff of new TSU coach Mike Haywood, who was hired in early December. The move allows Blacklock to get back into coaching in an area with which he's familiar. Before UH, Blacklock spent one season as an assistant at Fort Bend Marshall and four seasons at his alma mater, Sharpstown High School, the last two as head coach.

As Sharpstown's head coach, Blacklock compiled a two-year record of 16-7 including playoff berths both seasons. Blacklock's 2012 team finished the year undefeated in district play and advanced to the second round of the Texas state playoffs. During his two-year stint at Sharpstown, 19 players went on to play football on the collegiate level.

A Houston native, Blacklock graduated from McPherson College in May of 2003 with a degree in Religion and Philosophy. A four-year letterman as a defensive back, Blacklock earned NAIA second team All-America honors as a senior while also earning All-KCAC second team honors in 2002 and 2003.

Dallas Blacklock joined the Houston Football program as the director of high school relation in June of 2013.

"Texas Southern is a place that's always been dear to my heart," he said Monday.

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Texas Southern Lady Tigers rout UTSA 59-44 on the road

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A game-high 19 points from Brianna Sidney gave Texas Southern its fourth win of the season over Texas- San Antonio during the UTSA Winter Classic. The Lady Tigers finished the game winning by a score of 59-44.

Sidney (5-for-12) was the lone student-athlete to register a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds). Joyce Kennerson (4-for-7) also scored in double figures, managing 18 points with eight rebounds. Jazzmin Parker contributed five points and five rebounds, while Kiana Vines earned four points and six rebounds.

The Roadrunners struck first and continued frequent scoring, but a 12 point run in the third quarter pushed TSU to a 42-31 standing. The Lady Tigers would never lose the lead for the remainder of the game.

The Lady Tigers kept UTSA at shooting 27.8 percent and 6.3 percent at three-point range. TSU forced 15 turnovers in the contest, while the two teams also combined to set a new NCAA record for blocked shots in a game with 29.

Individually Texas Southern's Vines totaled eight blocks matching the single-game record set last season by Middle Tennessee's Cheyenne Parker.

Due to wintry weather conditions rolling through the country, the final two days of the UTSA Holiday Classic have been canceled.

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COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Ohio State Beats S.C. State 73-57

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 24 points and Ohio State won its fourth straight with a 73-57 victory against South Carolina on Sunday night.

Senior forward Gabriel McCray had 17 points and sophomore guard Ed Stephens scored 11 for South Carolina State (5-9) in the loss.

Bates-Diop was 8-for-14 from the floor, including 5-of-9 on 3-pointers, and tied a career-high with 10 rebounds.

Bates-Diop was the story in the first half, scoring 17 points to top his previous best in a half by one. He made 5-of-7 3-pointers while his teammates missed all eight tries from beyond the arc and the Buckeyes held a 34-21 halftime lead.

Kam Williams added 12 points for Ohio State (8-5), and Trevor Thompson had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs were ahead 15-11 nine minutes into the game but went cold from there, enduring a four-minute drought that enabled Ohio State to reel off eight straight points.

After a bank shot by forward DouDou Gueye drew South Carolina State to within 19-17, Bates-Diop connected on consecutive 3s off assists by Marc Loving to make it 25-17. Bates-Diop added two more treys in the final 2:15 of the half.

South Carolina State opened the second-half with six straight points, four by McCray, to cut the deficit to 34-27 before a Ja'Quan Lyle's mid-range floater restored a nine-point advantage.

The Bulldogs forced 14 turnovers, while finishing with ten answered points. Meanwhile, The Buckeyes also blocked nine shots, six coming in the first-half.

Junior guard Eric Eaves finished with eight points, while sophomore forward Tashombe Riley added five points and a team-high eight rebounds.

UP NEXT: South Carolina State resume play in the second of a three-game Midwest swing at Akron on Wednesday (Dec.30). Tip-off is 7 p.m.

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COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU’s Mitchell fondly recalls Globetrotters' Meadowlark

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Meadowlark Lemon entertained millions of fans around the world – including Tallahassee – with his blend of style and humor as the “clown prince of basketball” while with the Harlem Globetrotters.

But Tommy Mitchell Sr., learning to craft his dribbling routine with the traveling team in the early 1960s, recalls the personal time he spent in quiet gymnasiums with the attentive, serious showman.

Lemon died Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 83.



“I was indebted to him,” said Mitchell, 76, president of the Florida A&M National Alumni Association.

“I thought I was a good basketball player, but I certainly wasn’t a dribbling clown. But he took me into the gym and told me about the older guys and showed me some things they did. Meadowlark was responsible for teaching me the routine that I developed.”

After briefly attending FAMU and serving in the U.S. Army, Lemon joined the Globetrotters in 1954.

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Five things to watch when B-CU women's basketball returns to action this week

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman entered the holiday break on a positive note after defeating Georgia Southern 65-49 to conclude the Hatter Classic at Stetson.

The Wildcats will take part in another tournament, beginning Tuesday, down in Boca Raton after an eight-day rest. B-CU will face host Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m., followed by a meeting with either Miami (Ohio) or LIU Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Entering the final week of December with a respectable 6-6 record, here are five things to watch as the Wildcats prepare for the second half of the season.

Fly the Coop

Junior guard Kendra Cooper torched Georgia Southern for a career-high 31 points in B-CU's victory. She was aggressive from the opening tip, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers within the first four minutes.

The Spring, Texas, native leads B-CU in scoring at 16.9 points per game, shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

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Basketball Hall of Fame on the Passing of Meadowlark Lemon, Class of 2003

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts -- Fans around the world lost a part of their basketball family, with the passing of Harlem Globetrotter legend Meadowlark Lemon. Known as the Clown Prince of Basketball, Lemon played more than 16,000 games in front of millions of fans through appearances in over 70 countries. He was one of the most recognizable Globetotters during his career from 1954 until 1978. He played 50 games for the team in 1994.

“Meadowlark used the game of basketball to bring happiness, peace and laughter to people from a variety of cultures across the globe,” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “He proved that basketball truly has no boundaries and the language of the game is spoken universally whether he was performing in front of the Pope, Presidents or children of all ages. We were proud to recognize Meadowlark as part of our Hall of Fame family and we will continue to celebrate the joy that he brought to so many people.”



COURTESY NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME

Florida A&M's Meadowlark Lemon Dies at Age 83

TAMPA BAY, Florida -- Every year starting in the 1960s all the way through today the Harlem Globetrotters have played an annual basketball game in the Tampa Bay area. In the early days they came to a sold out Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa or the Bay Front Arena in St. Petersburg.

The team was led by Florida A&M star, George Meadowlark Lemon one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He passed away on Sunday at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 83. He was the heart and soul of the most popular basketball team in the world, the Harlem Globetrotters.

Lemon was a gifted forward who had an amazing ability to pass the ball and a half court hook shot that he could hit almost on command. He was a master showman and a born entertainer. He was at his best setting other players up.

Today in the New York Times reported that Lemon and the Trotters played in Rome before the pope; they played in Moscow during the Cold War before the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. In the United States, they played in small towns and big cities, in Madison Square Garden, in high school gyms, in cleared-out auditoriums even on the floor of a drained swimming pool. They performed their most entertaining ball-handling tricks, accompanied by their signature tune Sweet Georgia Brown, on The Ed Sullivan Show.

They played a total of over 16,000 games in over 100 countries. They remain the best known basketball team in the world and Lemon was a big reason why.



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Bethune-Cookman Drum Majors Fulfill Graduation Promise

Wells said when he became director of bands in 1996, only one member of the 300 plus member band graduated. 

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — On the field, they relied on each other to lead the Marching Wildcats through performances that garnered attention and applause; boosted, of course, by their own high-stepping, show-stopping dance moves and marching precision. Off the field, they relied on each other to achieve a life milestone that is also worthy of attention and applause.

Micheal Crane, Javaris Gooding-Butts, Marcel Lewis, Louis Owens and Rashaun Phillips were Bethune Cookman University drum majors whose support of each other resulted in another important distinction; they are now all Bethune Cookman University graduates.



The men made a pledge to themselves and to each other that they would all wear the BCU band uniform with pride, but also, importantly, that they would achieve the actual goal of matriculating at one of Florida’s four HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities): graduating.

Owens, 25, was the head drum major in 2012 when he embraced a vision for himself and his fellow DMs. “My goal for the group was to improve the leadership on and off the field in a major way. My mentor, Mr. Earnest Hamilton, always challenged me to be great and to lead by example,” said Owens, who is now the director of bands at Carver School of the Arts in Atlanta.

Graduation rates at HBCUs have been ...

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Winfrey has passion for his work at WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina --
Ken Winfrey didn’t attend Winston-Salem State as a student.

While he grew up in Winston-Salem, he didn’t know much about the school but is making up for that in a big way. Since 2013, Winfrey has settled into his role as the voice of the Rams, a job he does with a smile on a volunteer basis.

“I love it,” said Winfrey, a 1974 graduate of North Forsyth who attended Wake Forest. “Just to see these athletes thrive on and off the field is something I get a kick out of it.”

There’s no paycheck for Winfrey despite his long hours and his trips to faraway places to broadcast games. But the satisfaction of doing a good job and telling a story along the way is good enough for him. With a tight budget, WSSU can’t afford to pay Winfrey, but the reach he has on the internet through the school’s website gives the athletic program a voice.

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Fayetteville State names Winston-Salem State assistant its head football coach

RICHARD HAYES
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY BRONCOS

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Fayetteville State's board of trustees has approved the hiring of Richard Hayes to be the school's next head football coach.

The 45-year-old Hayes, who worked at CIAA powerhouse Winston-Salem State for the previous six years and served as a defensive coordinator for the previous two, will be paid $90,000 annually as part of a three-year contract that starts Feb. 1. His appointment was approved Monday morning during a special meeting of the trustees.

There were more than 60 applicants for the job, Fayetteville State athletics director Anthony Bennett said, and Hayes was one of four candidates to receive an on-campus interview. During the last six years, he worked closely with Bennett, who was Winston-Salem State's associate athletic director for compliance before being hired by Fayetteville State in August.

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