GSU Lady Tigers roll past defending SWAC champs

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — The recent success of Grambling's women's basketball program, or lack thereof, hasn't exactly been enough to command respect on its home court.

And the Lady Tigers know that. But that doesn't mean they don't take offense to an opposing team hooting and hollering at them over the weekend during practices or walk-thru's at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Arena.

"When you come into somebody’s house screaming and yelling, that’s very disrespectful. That triggers me," said Grambling freshman Jazmine Boyd. "I knew we had to win this game."

Grambling did.

The Lady Tigers shot an otherworldly 66.7 percent from the field and had three different players score at least 19 points in an 89-69 win Monday night over defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions Alabama State.

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Ron Galimore to be enshrined in USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame

Ron Galimore was the first Black U.S. Olympic gymnast.  His father is Florida A&M University and Chicago Bears legendary half-back, Willie Galimore.  The late Mr. Willie Galimore was inducted into the National Football Foundation, College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. In terms of a total football player, he was the best Florida A&M ever had ... (Quote from Costa Kittles, former Florida A&M assistant football coach).  

Tallahassee, Florida -- Ron Galimore still remembers the moment when he realized he wouldn’t get a chance to compete for an Olympic medal.

In 1980, Galimore, a Rickards High grad, was the first black athlete, male or female, to be named to the U.S. Olympic team. Since he was a child, he had dreamed of representing his country on the global stage.

But the United States boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. At first, the weight of the decision didn’t hit him. It truly dawned on him when the U.S. Olympic Committee flew him out to Washington, D.C., for a celebration in lieu of the games.

“It was at one of the functions where Patti LaBelle was singing,” he said.

“That’s when it hit me that I wasn’t going to be able to go. When you have a goal like that and you work for 11 years, when all of the sudden when you wake up and that’s not in front of you anymore, you feel lost. It took me about five years to brush myself off.”

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RON GALIMORE on Rings (START AT 28:17 through 29:31) 


USA GYMNASTICS HALL OF FAME (Press Release)
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Seven individuals representing five different gymnastics disciplines comprise the 2016 class of inductees for the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. The four Olympic athletes and two coaches are: athletes – Ron Galimore of Indianapolis (men’s gymnastics), Paul Hamm of Glen Ellyn, Ill. (men’s gymnastics), Alicia Sacramone of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (women’s gymnastics), and Julie Zetlin of Los Angeles (rhythmic gymnastics); and coaches – Valeri Liukin of Parker, Texas (women’s gymnastics coach), and Jurek Pol of Slidell, La. (acrobatic gymnastics coach). George Hery of Fallbrook, Calif., will receive the Lifetime Achievement award for his efforts in trampoline and tumbling. The induction ceremony is slated for Saturday, July 9, during the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials – Women’s Gymnastics and USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show in San Jose, Calif.

“Each of these individuals has had a significant impact on our sport,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, “and contributed in a number of different ways. Congratulations to the inductees.”

Ron Galimore, men's gymnastics
Galimore, one of the country’s top gymnasts, was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team, becoming the first African-American to make a U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team. He was the first four-year NCAA national gymnastics champion and earned the first perfect 10 at a NCAA National Championships.

While at Iowa State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in speech, Galimore was a 12-time All American and was named Athlete of the Year in 1981. A member of the U.S. Men’s National Team from 1977-81, he holds the record for most U.S. national vault titles at four and is tied for the record of three national floor exercise titles. After finishing his education at Iowa State and retiring from competition, Galimore participated in two touring gymnastics shows/competitions sponsored by Madison Square Garden; served as the assistant coach for Iowa State; and worked for ABC during the 1984 Olympics Games.

Galimore was the founder and athletic director of the Ron Galimore Athlete Training Center in Tallahassee, Florida, from 1985-94, and a project manager for Marketing and Financial Management, a firm that specialized in sports marketing (1984-85). Currently, Galimore is the chief operating officer of USA Gymnastics, and he resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Loree.

BSU Bulldogs Bite JCSU, 83-75

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Bowie State outscored JCSU 19-11 over the final five minutes en route to a 83-75 win over the Johnson C. Smith men's basketball team on Monday afternoon at Brayboy Gym.

The Golden Bulls (7-5, 2-1 CIAA) got a team-high 19 points and 14 rebounds from senior Diondre Pratt (Morven, N.C.).  Pratt finished 6-of-11 from the field in the loss.  Also scoring in double figures was senior teammate Stedmon Lemon (Lithonia, Ga.) with 17 points and Alandre Davis (Florence, S.C.) chipped in 14.

In the first half, JCSU held a five point advantage at the 4:45 mark when Joshua Linson (San Antonio, Tex.) converted a layup that made it 22-17.  Bowie State would cut the lead to 31-29 at the break after Andre Jackson hit a jumper with eight seconds left.

In the second half, JCSU surged ahead by nine points at 38-29 when Pratt drained a three pointer at the 18:28 mark.  Bowie State would trim the lead to 52-50 after a Justin Beck layup with 10:06 remaining.  Bowie State would tie the game at 64-64 with 5:06 left after Ahmaad Wilson drained a jumper.

The Bulldogs would then build their lead to as many as

five points at 75-70 after two Wilson free throws with 1:59 remaining.  JCSU would cut the lead to 77-75 after Pratt hit two free throws when 28 seconds left but Bowie State made their free throws down the stretch, with Wilson going 4-of-4 in the final stages.  Andre Jackson provided the final margin after a breakaway dunk made it 83-75. 

Collectively, JCSU shot 41.8% from the field (28-of-67) including a 3-of-12 mark from long range.  Bowie State finished 27-of-67 (40.3%) and an efficient 92% (23-of-25) from the foul line.

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Chad Germany to be Jackson State offensive coordinator

JACKSON, Mississippi -- It appears Tony Hughes has found the coach who will guide Jackson State's offense next fall.

Sources close to the situation have confirmed that former Southern co-offensive coordinator Chad Germany will be the Tigers' offensive coordinator.

Germany, who began coaching at Southern in 2011, was also the Jaguars' quarterback coach and recruiting coordinator. He resigned from his post last month to pursue other opportunities, according to The Advocate in Baton Rouge.

The Jaguars' offense finished fourth in the SWAC in total and scoring offense this past season. Southern averaged 34.6 points per game and scored 50 in a 19-point win against JSU.

The Tigers' offense ranked fifth in the SWAC in total offense and seventh in scoring offense at 22.9 points per game. Germany will be tasked with reviving a rushing offense that averaged just 101.1 yards per game and instituting some balance into JSU's offensive attack.

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Bowie State Upends Johnson C. Smith 52-50 in CIAA Opener for the Lady Bulldogs

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – In a key Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) Monday afternoon matchup, Bowie State University women's basketball handed Johnson C. Smith University a 52-50 setback at JCSU's Brayboy Gymnasium.

The loss is the first conference loss for the Golden Bulls in three outings and sets the Johnson C. Smith overall record at 9-5.

Bowie State improves to 8-3 for the season and 1-0 in CIAA play.

Sophomore Kyah Proctor (Capitol Heights, Md.) led the Lady Bulldogs in scoring with 21 points (14 in the first half). Sophomore Kiara Colston (Burtonsville, Md.) contributed 13 points and junior Ashley Jennings (Newark, N.J.) chipped in 10 points in the win. Jennings and Proctor led Bowie State on the glass, ripping down 10 and eight rebounds respectively.

MaryAnna Moore (Laurens, S.C.) and A'Diyah Ussery (Shelby, N.C.) led the Golden Bulls with 11 points each. Ashley Porter (Winston-Salem, N.C.) pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds and Larryqua Hall (Atlanta, Ga.) grabbed 10 in the loss.

The Bowie State Lady Bulldogs led Johnson C. Smith 12-10 after the first quarter and took a 27-19 lead into halftime. As a team, Bowie State shot 29 percent from the field (9-of-31) in the first 2o minutes and made 8-of-10 free throws. On the other side of the stat sheet, the Golden Bulls made 7-of-29 first half field goals (24.1 percent) and 50 percent (5-of-10) of its free throws.

A Hall jumper at the 1:59 mark of the third quarter tied the score at 34-all and the Golden Bulls took their first lead (43-41) since 9-8 of the first quarter, at the 5:45 mark of the final quarter.

A Colston jumper followed by a pair of free throws shifted the advantage back over to Bowie State after a technical foul on JCSU's Quinseha Lynch (Rocky Mount, N.C.) with 4:22 left on the clock.

After JCSU's Lynch was fouled on a put back attempt, she tied it once more by nailing two free throws at the 3:03 mark, but Bowie State responded when Proctor hit a jumper to provide a 47-45 score. After a JCSU miss, BSU's Colston missed two free throws, but the Golden Bulls could not capitalize, turning it over on their next possession.

Following an Ussery miss, Ashley Porter boarded the miss and was fouled. She then hit one free throw to draw JCSU to within 47-46 with 1:20 left.

Bowie State's Jennings found her way to the line after a JCSU foul, knocking down one shot with 1:09 left to give the Bulldogs the 48-46 lead.

Bowie State would then get a steal from Jennings and she converted a jumper to provide the 50-46 lead. JCSU then got a layup from Porter to bring JCSU to within 50-48.

After a travelling call on the Lady Bulldogs with 14.5 remaining, JCSU was able to get another layup from Porter with 7.9 left to knot the game at 50-50.

After a BSU timeout, Colston knifed through the JCSU defense and got a layup to drop in traffic with 4.9 seconds left to make it 52-50.

Offensively, the Lady Bulldogs shot just 31 percent from the floor 18-of-58, hitting just 2-of-10 from three-point range. The Golden Bulls made 18-of-57 from the field (31.6 percent) and 3-of-16 from long range (18.8 percent). Johnson C. Smith outrebounded Bowie State 43-35 but committed 21 turnovers.

The Bowie State Lady Bulldogs will continue its CIAA Southern swing playing again on Tuesday (1/5), making a short hope over to Livingstone College for a 5:30 p.m. tilt against the Lady Blue Bears.

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Holmes Resigns as NCCU Volleyball Head Coach to Join NC State Coaching Staff

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Nicki Holmes has resigned as head women's volleyball coach at North Carolina Central University to accept the role as an assistant women's volleyball coach at North Carolina State University.

NCCU assistant coach Jennifer Charles will serve as interim head coach until the full-time head coaching vacancy is filled.

"I am saddened by the early departure of Coach Holmes; however, he has done a tremendous job in the rebuilding of our volleyball program over the past year-and-a-half," said NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree. "I am confident in Coach Charles' ability to guide our program until a permanent head coach is named."

The search process for a new head volleyball coach will begin immediately.

Linda Hampton-Keith, NC State Volleyball Head Coach
"Nicki Holmes is a rising star in the coaching profession who I have worked side-by-side for several summers in the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team program. It's immediately clear when you work with Nicki, that he brings a high level of knowledge about the game and can communicate with the athletes in a way that maximizes their potential.  His coaching experiences, creative technical savvy and familiarity of the North Carolina region will allow our staff to seamlessly transition into a highly-functioning program that will allow our athletes to compete at the highest levels immediately." 

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Lincoln Blue Tigers Hold Off Hornets For Fifth-Straight Win

EMPORIA, Kansas --  Anthony Virdure scored 26 points andRichie Lewis had a double-double to lead the Lincoln men's basketball team to a 71-65 win over Emporia State on Saturday (Jan. 2). The Blue Tigers improved to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the MIAA in the win, Lincoln's fifth in a row and first in a true road game.

Jaylon Smith made a pair of threes to help Lincoln take an early 12-3 lead, and a pair of Virdure free throws put Lincoln ahead by 11 with 14:18 left in the half. Emporia State (6-6, 3-3 MIAA) stormed back to cut the LU advantage to 23-19 at the 11:18 mark, but the Blue Tigers scored on three-straight possession to go back up by 10 by the second media timeout.

Emporia State shot .520 overall and .600 from long range in the first half, and as a result was able to close the gap down to 39-36 after hitting a buzzer-beating jumper just before halftime. The Hornets then began the second half on a 13-1 run, and led by six with 11:42 remaining.

An old-fashioned three-point play by Aaron Spudich began Lincoln's comeback, and Virdure sank a three to pull LU to within 53-51 with 10 minutes to play. The Blue Tigers then tied the game on a pair of free throws from Lewis before two shots at the line by Virdure and a layup from Tacourrus Mattox gave Lincoln a 57-53 advantage.

Lincoln would not trail again from that point forward, with a trey by Smith giving LU a 65-59 lead with 3:31 remaining. Emporia State scored five unanswered to close the gap down to one, but a jumper by Virdure and two more free throws by Lewis gave Lincoln a two-score advantage in the game's final minute. The Blue Tiger defense proved too tough to score on late, as ESU scored just one point in the contest's final two minutes.

Lewis and Smith each scored 12 points, with Lewis also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing four assists. Mattox and Smith each tallied six boards, with Mattox additionally scoring six points, dishing a pair of assists and registering three steals. In addition to his game-high point total, Virdure also pulled down five rebounds and dropped two dimes.

O'Shai Clark added six points, a block, two assists and two steals to the LU cause while Spudich finished with five points and a pair of rebounds. Rod Ollison rounded out the scoring with four points and grabbed five rebounds.

As a team, Lincoln shot .479 from the floor and out-rebounded the Hornets, 37-31. LU defensively held ESU to .324 shooting in the second half, with Emporia State hitting just two of its 12 attempts from three-point land. With the win, LU now has nine victories in a season for the first time since 2001-02, which is also the last time the Blue Tigers had a five-game winning streak.

Lincoln will be back in action on Monday (Jan. 4), traveling to Topeka, Kan. to play Washburn at 7:30 p.m. CST

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By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
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Tuskegee Golden Tigers win in final seconds over Benedict

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Freshman forward Joshua Culver scored just five points the entire game, but his final three points of the contest were the biggest as Tuskegee defeated Benedict 68-67 on the road Saturday afternoon in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) play at HRC Arena.

Leading 63-60 with 3:28 remaining, Tuskegee (6-4, 2-1 SIAC) fell behind on successive possessions by Benedict (8-4, 3-1 SIAC) as the Tigers took a 65-63 lead with 1:39 to play in the game. Senior Camden Foster tied the game at 65-all when he knocked down a pair of free throws with 1:21 remaining, before Quayshun Hawkins hit a jumper to put Benedict back up 67-65 with 50 seconds to play.

That is where Culver and the Golden Tigers answered.

The sophomore took a pass from fellow freshman, Daniel Roach, with 35 seconds to play and tied the game at 67-all. Following a missed three-pointer from Hawkins, the Golden Tigers Elijah McMillan grabbed the defensive rebound setting up the final possession for Tuskegee.

Foster missed a three-pointer with just four seconds remaining, however, Culver grabbed the rebound and was fouled. The freshman hit the second of two free throws, giving Benedict a chance with just three seconds remaining but their final shot rimmed out for the Tuskegee victory.

Foster led three players in double figures for Tuskegee with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including connecting of 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Austin Cherry added 14 off the bench – connecting on 4-of-7 three-pointers – while Kevin May added 13 points and a season-high eight assists.

The Golden Tigers shot 52.1 (25-of-48) percent from the floor and 40 (12-of-30) percent from beyond the arc. They also shot 60 (6-of-10) percent from the free throw line, while winning the rebounding battle 32-25.

Christopher Spencer led Benedict with 15 points, while Hawkins added 14 and Brennan Reynard 13 in the loss.

Tuskegee travels to Orangeburg (S.C.) to face Claflin University Monday night at 7:30 pm (est) in the final game of the two-game South Carolina road trip.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

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KSU Thorobreds hold on for 86-83 win at Fort Valley State

FORT VALLEY, Georgia  –  Playing its first game in nearly a month, the Kentucky State men's basketball team held off Fort Valley State to come away with an 86-83 road victory on Saturday.

Malcolm Smith led the way for the Thorobreds with a game-high 24 points while also pulling down eight rebounds. Tryston Ford added 19 points, while Julius Barton chipped in 14, including 12 in the first half as Kentucky State built its lead. Dareial Franklin and Ralph Wilson each had 20 points to lead Fort Valley State.

The game was tied just briefly at 2-2, and Kentucky State led the rest of the way. The win didn't come easily for the Thorobreds, however, as Fort Valley State gradually cut into a Kentucky State lead that had been as many as 18 points, eventually pulling within one possession in the game's final minute. Though Fort Valley State got the ball back after a missed free throw with 11 seconds left, they were unable to get off a final shot to tie the game.

Kentucky State took control of the game early, holding the Wildcats scoreless over a four minute stretch while putting together a 14-0 run to go up 21-4. Later in the half, the Thorobreds built their lead to as many as 18 points after a Barton free throw made the score 33-15.

Kentucky State took a 45-32 lead to halftime, but the Wildcats opened the second half with a 13-3 surge over the first five minutes, cutting the lead to one possession. Five straight points by Smith helped the Thorobreds push the lead back out to 72-57 with just under nine minutes to play, giving them just enough of a cushion to hold on down the stretch.

Kentucky State shot 45 percent (33-of-74) from the field and 32 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point range, while Fort Valley State shot 42 percent (25-of-60) overall and 28 percent (5-of-18) from outside. The Wildcats held a 47-44 rebounding advantage and turned the ball over 21 times to Kentucky State's 16.

Kentucky State pulls even at 4-4 on the season and improves to 3-1 in SIAC competition, while Fort Valley State drops to 2-11 overall and 0-3 in the conference. The Thorobreds continue their road trip when they travel to Albany State on Monday.

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WSSU to open CIAA play at home against Lincoln

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- If Winston-Salem State is going to make a serious run for a third straight appearance in the CIAA championship game it will be up to the newcomers to make it happen.

The Rams have almost an entirely new roster, and getting used to conference play is no picnic. The small gyms where fans are breathing down opponents’ necks are something the Rams will have to get used to.

“We’ve been talking to them all year about it, and I’ve said that once January hits it’s a whole new deal,” guard Terrell Leach of the Rams said. “The conference season is here.”

The Rams (6-5) will play host to Lincoln (Pa.) at 7:30 tonight at the Gaines Center. The Lions (2-9, 0-3 CIAA) are coming off a loss to Livingstone on Saturday.

Leach, along with point guard C.J. Ford, are the only players for the Rams who are on the roster from last season. They both have been through the full 16-game CIAA schedule and the grind of the tournament.

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UDC Firebirds Fight Off Devils for 7th Straight Win

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team fought off a pesky University of the Sciences team, 72-69 in regional play Sunday afternoon in our nation's capital.

With their 7th straight victory, the Firebirds improved to 9-3 overall while the Devils loss dropped USciences to 3-10. UDC also improved to 3-0 vs. the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference with today's win.

Senior forward Tiara Goode led four double-figure scorers for UDC with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-10 FG shooting and 5-of-8 from long range. Sixteen of her points came in the 3rd quarter as she dictated much of a transformative 22-6 surge by the Firebirds which brought them from down seven (38-31) to up nine (53-44). Goode also contributed five rebounds and two assists.

Other key performances for UDC included senior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore's 17 points and team-high four assists, team newcomer junior transfer Brandi Henton's 14 points, three assists and three steals in 21 minutes off the bench in her Firebird debut, and senior forward Tatyana Calhoun's 10 points and game-high eight rebounds.



The Firebirds out-shot their guests 49-percent to 40-percent from the field, and they out-scored the Devils 32-16 in the paint, 14-5 on the fast break, and 21-13 in bench points. UDC also caused five more turnovers (21-16) and had 25 points off of turnovers compared to just nine by USciences.

Poor free-throw shooting (11-of-18) by UDC allowed the Devils to stay in the game as the guests made 10-of-12 on their end. Also, USciences was a tad better shooting from long distance, making 11-of-27 (41-percent) to UDC's 9-of-23 (39-percent). The Devils made four three-point field goals in the 4th quarter, including Natalie Stella's triple to make it a one-point game (70-69) with eight seconds left in regulation.

UDC opened the game on a 9-0 run, but back-to-back three-pointers by Marissa Sylvester (19 pts) helped the Devils get back in the game as they outscored UDC 10-5 the rest of the quarter and made it 14-10 at the end of the opening period.

The action would intensify in the 2nd quarter as USciences' Amber Reiley (6 pts, 7 rebounds), Micah Morgan (20 pts., 8 rb.) and Sylvester all contributed during an 18-7 run by the Devils over the next 4:17. With USciences already up 23-21, the Firebirds' bench was whistled for back-to-back technical fouls resulting in UDC head coach DeWayne Burroughs' ejection. Morgan, who had already made one free-throw before the technicals, went on to make three more and later a layup, as USciences grabbed its largest lead of the afternoon, 28-21 with 5:43 left in the first half. UDC would trail 30-24 at halftime.

Both teams opened the 3rd quarter 3-for-3 from the field, but it was Sylvester's back-to-back triples which again opened up a seven-point USciences advantage, 38-31. But at that point, Goode took over for the Firebirds, kick-starting the game-changing 22-6 surge with a jump shot at 7:12, burying three straight three-point field goals, and culminating the run with a running jumper at 1:14 which gave UDC a 53-44 lead. The Firebirds would take a 53-47 advantage into the final quarter.

UDC remained on the offensive attack as a three-pointer by Henton kick-started a 10-0 run by the Firebirds as they opened up their largest lead of the day, 63-47 with 7:23 remaining. USciences would not go away easily, however, as reserve Molly Greenberg came in the game and quickly knocked down two long-range shots and Morgan added another all during a 15-3 surge by the Devils to pull within four, 66-62 with 2:41 left to play.

The next two UDC possessions resulted in trips to the foul line as the Firebirds converted 3-of-4 and upped their lead to seven, 69-62 with 2:07 showing on the clock. A pair of free-throws by Megan Wolf, followed later by an Amber Reiley layup cut the deficit to three, 69-66 with 48 ticks left, and after a 1-of-2 free-throw line trip by Henton, Natalie Stella got a friendly roll on a three-pointer at the top of the key to pull the Devils within one, 70-69 with eight seconds left.

Confusion on the part of the Devils after the quick UDC inbounds pass allowed for three seconds to run off the clock before USciences could foul Baldwin-Kollore – the 2nd best free-throw shooter in the East Coast Conference. Baldwin-Kollore calmly sank both to make it a three-point game, and Sylvester's three-point attempt at the buzzer rimmed out as the Firebirds held on for their 7th straight victory.

UDC will return to East Coast Conference play on Wednesday night, January 6th as the Firebirds host the University of Bridgeport at 5 p.m.

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Livingstone wins CIAA Opener

SALISBURY, North Carolina — Livingstone coach James Stinson is the first to admit the Blue Bears aren't as talented as they've been in recent seasons, but he still believes his team can make some noise.

"We made passes today that probably would have led to dunks last year, but today they were turnovers," Stinson said. "We don't have guys like Hakeem Jackson and Eric Mayo going up to get the ball now."

Despite a few unnecessary turnovers. Livingstone got off to a good start in CIAA play on Saturday by beating Lincoln, 84-70, at New Trent Gym. It was mostly empty New Trent Gym, as the students haven't returned yet from Christmas break.

"There were a lot of things we could've done better, but we're satisfied with the win," Stinson said. "It was a win against a very well-coached team. John Hill does a great job, and his bigs executed on ball screens very well. They gave us a lot of trouble with their set plays."

Livingstone was 1-5 in November — all on the road. Since veterans Ty Newman and Eric Dubose, both preseason All-CIAA players, returned to the court in December, the Blue Bears are 5-1. They leveled their season mark at 6-6 on Saturday when they finally made their home debut.

Nine Blue Bears scored Saturday. Stinson wouldn't mind seeing 13 score.

"We try to wear teams down with numbers," Stinson said. "We want our 13th guy to be as good as the other team's ninth guy. As all our guys become acclimated to each other, we've got a chance to be a good basketball team. It just takes a while for guys like Newman and Dubose to mesh with the new faces."

Livingstone got off to a quick start on a 3-pointer by returner Daryl Traynham and a three-point play by Newman and built a 37-24 halftime lead.

The Blue Bears led by 20 points with 10:56 remaining after Dubose made a jumper, but Lincoln (2-10) never let Livingstone turn it into a romp.

Newman had 23 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Blue Bears.

"If he was little more selfish, he could have scored more," Stinson said. "He's all about the team."

Traynham scored 12 points and had eight assists.

"He's running the team and pulling our young guys along," Stinson said.

Robert Flint, a veteran who has always been in a backup role, stood out on Saturday, shooting 3-for-3 on 3-pointers and committing zero turnovers.

"He's played his role well for years, and now he's going to get more opportunities," Stinson said. "He's a stabilizer. They gave him some space today, and he rose up and knocked shots down."

The stat sheet credited Livingstone with 22 assists on 30 made buckets. That's a terrific percentage of assists.

"We were only having four or five assists per game early in the season because guys were trying to do too much," Stinson said. "We're sharing the ball better now."

Joshua Davis led the visitors from Pennsylvania with 19 points.

Dubose had 12 points for the Blue Bears, while Nasir Austin and Cordero Holt added 10 each.

Newman is shooting 56 percent from the field since returning, and he's capable of leading the Blue Bears a long way.

"We have veterans who know how to win and know when it's time to make a push," Stinson said. "This team is still figuring out who it is, but we'll establish an identity."

Livingstone is home again on Tuesday, taking on CIAA foe Bowie State.

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Evans & Moore Combine for 42 as Dillard Lady Bleu Devils down Tougaloo

Jackson, Mississippi -- Dillard snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating Tougaloo College by the score of 80-65 in Mississippi. Senior Alena Evans (SR/Las Vegas, Nev.) produced a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 boards in the win. With the loss, the Lady Bulldogs drop to 0-8 on the season.

The Lady Bleu Devils (6-8, 1-0 GCAC) used a huge first quarter lead to gain momentum and never looked back as they led 27 to 11 over Tougaloo. Freshman sharpshooter Shaelynn Moore (FR/Houston, Texas) finished with 21 points, nailing 4-of-8 shots from downtown while post player Keona Favis (JR/Shreveport, La.) had a solid output as she finished with 18 points, hitting 6-of-9 shots from the field as well as 6-of-9 shots from the free throw line.

As a team Dillard outrebounded its opponent 34 to 25 while scoring 23 points off of 25 Tougaloo turnovers. The Lady Bleu Devils also had more steals, blocks and assists than the Lady Bulldogs.

Tougaloo's Montoria Atkinson finished with a team-high 15 points while teammate Arnissayur Robinson had 14 points in the loss.

Dillard returns to action on Monday, January 4 as they travel to Little Rock, Ark. for its second Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game of the year against Philander Smith College. Tip-off is set for 12:00 p.m.

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Tougaloo Bulldogs Dial Long Distanced to Defeat Blue Devils in GCAC Opener

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- Tougaloo College made 14 of 29 three pointers as the Bulldogs defeated Dillard University 100-92 in the GCAC opener for both schools. Quintarius Porter made seven of his 13 attempts on the way to a game and career-high 32 points for the Bulldogs.

As anticipated, both teams were able to get things going offensively from the outset. The visiting Bleu Devils opened by shooting 57 percent from the floor in the first half, making 21 of 37 attempts. The Bulldogs shot 45 percent but were able to take a 50-49 half time lead by making nine of their 15 three pointers in the half.

Dillard stayed hot as the second half opened, surging briefly and taking a three point lead with 17 minutes to play. But foul trouble and Tougaloo's relentless offensive attack proved to be too much.

Dillard also missed 11 free throws, shooting 48 percent from the line as the Bulldogs converted 20 of their 26 attempts.

Tougaloo also held advantages in points off turnovers (17-14) and second chance points (13-10). Dillard's bench outscored the Bulldogs' reserves 31-28.

Porter (pictured at left) was one of five Tougaloo players to reach double figures. Denevian Cunningham came off the bench to score a season-high 22 points and grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. De'Andre Scott added 14 points and Jarmell Anderson and Andravious Smith each scored 12 points.

Demetric Austin scored 24 points to lead four Bleu Devils in double figures, his eighth 20-point game of the season. Austin was limited to 28 minutes of action due to foul trouble.

Montrey Thomas had 19 points and 7 assists in a losing effort.

Tougaloo (7-4, 1-0 GCAC) extended its win streak to five, it's longest since the 2012-13 season. Dillard (8-5, 0-1) lost for the second time in its last three games.

Tougaloo visits 11th-ranked Talladega on Jan. 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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March Nails Game-Winner at the Free Throw Line, PSC Gets by Edward Waters

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- In a game that wasn't decided until the final seconds, Philander Smith topped Edward Waters 75-74 in the conference opener for both schools. Ronald March made the first of two free throws with :02 on the clock to give the Panthers the win and snap their two-game losing streak. EWC lost its third straight contest.

March had a game-high 30 points for Philander Smith, making 10 of his 19 field goal attempts and nine of 13 free throws (including the game-winner). Rashad Brackeen (13) and Chris Ward (11) were the other two Panthers to reach double figures.

Keith Williams Jr. scored 24 points to lead the Tigers. Charles-Eddie Smith chipped in with 15 points off of the bench, with Oceann Maddox (12) and Derrick Davis (11) combining for 23 points and eight rebounds.

The game was tied at 32 at the half, but Philander Smith came out for the second half and went on an 11-0 run to go up 46-35 with 17 minutes to play. A D'Angelo Tucker three pointer put the Panthers up 62-50 with 10:43 remaining.

The margin was still 12 at the with less than seven minutes in the game when the Tigers made their push. Williams made back-to-back buckets to cut the lead to six. Edward Waters continued to attack, shaving the deficit at the free throw line by making 27 of 33 attempts. A 16-4 run would tie the game at 74 with 15 seconds remaining. Charles-Eddie Smith sank three from behind the line after a foul by March to even the score.

March would have the ball in his hands as time wound down and would get fouled by the Tigers' Derrick Davis with :02 on the clock. March would hit the first and miss the second, giving PSC the victory.

Philander Smith (8-8, 1-0 GCAC) will host Dillard at home on Monday night while Edward Waters (6-9, 0-1) goes on the road to take on No. 17 Xavier.

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PSC Lady Panthers Stifle Edward Waters in Second Half, Earn 57-46 Victory in GCAC Opener

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Philander Smith College held Edward Waters to five points in the third quarter and 20 points in the second half as the Lady Panthers were able to pull away from the Lady Tigers and win the conference opener for both schools 57-46.

Edward Waters was held to 14 made field goals, and the Lady Tigers made just 28 percent of their shots. After an off target first half where they shot 30 percent from the floor, the Lady Panthers made 46 percent of their field goal attempts in the second half to finish the game shooting 37 percent.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Edward Waters and allowed Philander Smith to end its own two-game losing streak.

Juquecia Chaney had a team-high 16 points for the Lady Panthers and Brittany Leonard added 12 points and six rebounds. Philander Smith played without Rubyunnia McHenry, the nation's second leading shot blocker.

Edward Waters led 26-24 at the half and were up by 5 points early in the third quarter after a Kyeshia Dawkins three pointer. However, the Lady Tigers would only score a pair of free throws the rest of the quarter as the Lady Panthers surged with a 14-2 run in the period and head into the fourth up 38-31.

The fourth quarter was much closer but Philander Smith was able to keep their lead and complete the victory.

The conference's leading scorer Kyeshia Dawkins led the Lady Tigers with a game-high 18 points, but shot 5 of 13 from the floor and missed 10 of her 17 free throw attempts. Valerie Hill was the only other player for Edward Waters in double figures with 10 points.

Philander Smith (8-5, 1-0 GCAC) goes on to host Dillard on Jan. 4 at Mims Gymnasium. Edward Waters (12-3, 0-1) will look to rebound on the road against No. 9 Xavier on Monday at the Convocation Center.

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Jackson State in search of elusive 2-0 SWAC start

JACKSON, Mississippi -- A 1-0 start in the SWAC isn’t new territory for Jackson State coach Wayne Brent.

The Tigers won their conference opener last season, but a 2-0 start eluded them when they lost by 20 to Alabama State.

JSU (6-8) hasn’t won its first two conference games since 2011, but it will try to do just that when it hosts Alabama A&M (4-6) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday night at the Lee E. Williams AAC.

On Saturday night, the Tigers opened SWAC play with a 68-61 victory against Alabama State. JSU trailed for a small portion of the first half, but led for good after a late run gave it a five-point halftime lead.

“I think the thing with this team is that they know they can be good,” Brent said. “We have some high-energy kids. Each and every day they come to practice and bring that same energy. If we continue to do that then we have a chance to be very good in this league.”

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Howard Women's Basketball Edges Cornell for First Win of 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  2016 has gotten off to a great start for Howard women's basketball.

In its first game of the New Year and its last of the non-schedule schedule, the Bison were able to hold off the Cornell University Big Red for a thrilling 76-74 victory Saturday afternoon in Burr Gymnasium.

Three Bison players finished in double figures to propel HU to its first home victory of the season: senior center Victoria Gonzales (22 points), senior guard Imani Bailey (13) and junior guard Jasmine Hill (10).

Gonzales scored 18 second half points and her final tally led all scorers. She also scored nine straight points in a six-minute span during the third quarter. The Atlanta native shot 7-of-15 from the field, 8-of-9 from the free throw line, and was only rebound shy of her sixth double-double of the year.

Her efforts pushed her career point total to 989 - only 11 points away from the 1,000 point mark.

Bailey - one of four players that made their season debuts against Cornell - nailed four straight three pointers to start the game and ended up with half of the Bison's season-best total from long distance. Hill scored six points in the fourth after only having four points in the first three periods.

Howard stormed out to its largest lead of the season (29-9) by the late stages of the first quarter and took a 16-point edge into the second.

Cornell (7-6) responded in-kind by outscoring Howard 27-15 to pull within four (44-40) by halftime.

After the Big Red trimmed Howard's lead to three (57-54) after the third and two (63-61) with 5:56 left in the game, the Bison pushed back out to an eight point advantage (69-61) at the 4:34 mark on a steal-and-score by redshirt junior guard Te'Shya Heslip.

However, Cornell made one final push and used a 13-4 run to take a 74-73 lead with 1:09 to go - its first lead since hitting the first basket of the game.

Howard would call a timeout with 45 seconds left after each team exchanged turnovers.

With the ball advanced to the frontcourt, the Bison were able to run a play that got the ball into Hill's hands and the veteran guard drove hard to the basket for the go-ahead score.

Cornell missed its next shot attempt with 11 seconds remaining and would foul to send Heslip to the foul line. After making the second of two shots, the Bison defense kicked in to keep the Big Red from getting a final shot off.

OTHER NOTES
- For the third straight game, Howard has shot over 80 percent from the free throw line, going 14-of-17 (.824) from the line and 48-of-58 (.828) during the three-game run.
- Hill, Heslip and redshirt sophomore forward Erin Blaine all played in their first games of the 2015-16 season. Heslip finished with seven points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals while Blaine went scoreless in limited action.
- Junior forward Sydni Johnson bounced back from a scoreless game at Syracuse to play 38 minutes and score nine points.
- The 76 points by Howard are the most the team has recorded in any game this season.

NEXT UP
Howard resumes Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Saturday, January 9 at 2 p.m. when the Bison host Coppin State University.

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Browder records 400th XU victory; Nuggets topple LSUS

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana defeated LSU-Shreveport 55-46 in women's basketball Saturday to end a three-game losing streak and give Bo Browder his 400th career victory as coach of the Gold Nuggets.
     

Whitney Gathright scored 20 points, Donyeah Mayfield had 11 points and 10 rebounds, Mikayla Bateshad a career-high seven steals, and Kelsee Singletonblocked a career-high-tying five shots for Xavier (10-5), which will play its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at 5:30 p.m. Monday against Edward Waters at the Convocation Center.
     

Xavier is ranked ninth in NAIA Division I, and LSUS (6-5) is 22nd. It was the Gold Nuggets' fifth victory this season against a ranked opponent.
     

Browder is 400-147 in 17 seasons at Xavier. He is the fourth Louisiana women's basketball coach to reach 400 victories.  Browder is 402-155 overall as a head coach at four-year colleges. He was 2-8 at Evansville as an interim coach in 1995-96.
     

"I have been very blessed to work at Xavier, an outstanding university, and work with some talented young ladies," Browder said.
     

Gathright made three 3-pointers and was 9-of-10 from the line in her fourth 20-point performance of the season and 12th of her career. Mayfield recorded her second double-double of the season and her sixth in two XU seasons. Bates, a freshman, produced the most steals in a game by an XU player in two years.
     

Singleton's basket at 5:54 of the first quarter put Xavier ahead to stay, 3-2. The Gold Nuggets led 30-20 at halftime and led by 20 points three times in the third quarter. The Pilots (6-5) cut XU's lead to seven in the final 66 seconds but did not get closer.
     

Xavier blocked nine shots, its most in a game since February 2011, and had 15 steals.

    

"Our defense was very good for the first three quarters," Browder said.
     

Courtney Randle had 10 points, six rebounds and three steals for LSUS. Kourtney Pennywell, a first-team NAIA All-American last season who missed the past six games because of an ankle injury, did not start but had nine points and five rebounds in a team-high 27 minutes.
     

Xavier is 5-0 at home this season and 5-0 in Saturday games.

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S.C. State Defeats Miami (Ohio) 71-67

OXFORD, Ohio –Junior guard Eric Eaves scored a team-high 23 points to lead South Carolina State to an 71-67 victory over Miami(Ohio) Saturday (Jan. 2) at Millett Hall Arena.

Eaves came off the bench to hit 7-of-13 from the floor and 9-of-12 from the line. The Bulldogs (6-10) closed out the three-game Midwest swing with a much needed victory over a talented MAC opponent in non-conference action.

Sophomore guard Ed Stephens finished with 13, while senior guard/forward Gabriel McCray chipped in 10 and five rebounds in the win.

Despite a lofty 17 turnovers by the Bulldogs, SC State dominated the boards out-rebounding Miami (Ohio) 38-28 and shot 77.8% (28-of-36) from the free-throw line, while scoring 34 points from bench play.

Geovonie McKnight paced Miami (6-7) with a career-high 24 points. Eric Washington added 16.

Miami (Ohio) led 37-26 at intermission and by as many as 12 early in the second half.

Late in the second-half South Carolina State led by eight, 59-67, with 1:29 to go. LJ Livingston scored on a dunk, then McKnight tipped one in and Rod Mills made a pair at the line to get within two, 67-65, with 28 seconds left.

After a pair of free throws by Bulldog sophomore guard Ty Soloman, Mills scored on another tip-in with three seconds left. Stephens then tossed in a pair of free-throws from the charity stripe to seal the victory for South Carolina State.

South Carolina State returns home to open up conference Saturday (Jan.9) against NC Central in a pivotal MEAC doubleheader. Tipoff is 4 p.m., immediately following the women's contest at 2 p.m. at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

For more information on SC State Athletics visit www.scsuathletics.com

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Texas Southern’s 3-point barrage buries Southern in SWAC opener

HOUSTON, Texas -- Even when the 3-pointers weren’t falling, Texas Southern was still turning them into three-point plays.

Texas Southern hit 10 3-pointers in the second half and turned another 3-point miss into an offensive rebound, putback and pivotal three-point play.

All in all, defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Texas Southern outshot and outrebounded Southern in a dominating 88-66 victory at H&PE Arena on Saturday.

“We didn’t match their execution and intensity tonight,” Southern coach Roman Banks said.

“At the end of the day, they were much more ready to play than we were. Coming to their home court, they were determined to be ready.”

Chris Thomas scored 25 points, including three 3-pointers, while Jose Rodriguez added another 18 points and three 3-pointers to lead the Tigers.

Adrian Rodgers led Southern (8-6, 0-1) with 14 points. Jared Sam had 12, while Trelun Banks had 11, Tony Nuun 10 and Chris Thomas 10.

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GSU men snap pair of streaks

GRAMBLING — Mark Gray and Nigel Ribeiro scored 18 points apiece and Grambling State beat Alabama A&M 81-78 in overtime in a Southwestern Athletic Conference opener on Saturday night.

Grambling State (3-9, 1-0) outscored Alabama A&M 9-4 in overtime to snap its four-game skid. The win also ended a 37-game losing streak against Division I competition for the Tigers.

“We got the monkey off our backs,’’ Grambling coach Shawn Walker said. “We’re trying to change the culture here, and now these guys believe that they can win.

“We haven’t been in a game up 3 with 30 seconds left, so I’m proud of them. Certainly they’re happy, …and we’re going to take this momentum into the rest of 2016.”

Deonte Hearns scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Remond Brown added 15 points for the Tigers.

The Tigers led by as many as seven points three times during the second half, the latest at the 11:49-mark.

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Jackson State earns tough win to start SWAC play

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Wayne Brent has his theory on why the opening night of conference play is tough.

"Everybody is 0-0 and thinks they have a chance to win a SWAC championship," he said. "So you're going to get a team's best shot. As you go through the season, teams start losing games, they start to give up. That first night is just so difficult because teams know if they win that first one, they still have a chance."

Jackson State's SWAC opener definitely presented its own set of challenges.

The Tigers had an answer for all of them, though, in a 68-61 victory against Alabama State at the Lee E. Williams AAC on Saturday night.

JSU (6-8) threatened to pull away multiple times and led by nine points with 8:13 left in the game, but the Hornets (5-8) never surrendered and crept within three points twice in the final 4:29.

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Lady Panthers open SWAC play with 58-54 win over Alcorn State

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers snapped a four-game losing streak Saturday as they defeated Alcorn State 58-54 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

Prairie View A&M senior forward Larissa Scott recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling in 15 rebounds. The SWAC's leading rebounder, Scott, who also ranks 11th nationally in rebounding, reached double digits in caroms for the first time since Dec. 5.

Alexus Parker also scored 13 points for the Lady Panthers (5-5, 1-0 SWAC). Lamaria Cole came off the bench for the first time this season and scored 12 points for Prairie View A&M.

Alcorn State's Norianna Haynes, the leading scorer in the SWAC, scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Lady Braves. Tori Danielle Spann and Ashtin McNichols scored 11 points and 10 points, respectively, for Alcorn State.

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SUNO Lady Knights Closeout 2015 With 65-45 Rout of Spring Hill

NEW ORLEANS -- Southern University at New Orleans led from start to finish as the Lady Knights won for the fourth time in five games, defeating Spring Hill College 65-45 at The Castle on New Year's Eve.

SUNO was able to avenge a 61-75 loss to the Lady Badgers 15 days ago and earn a split of the season series between the two schools. Rayvin Miller led three Lady Knights in double figures with 19 points to go alongs with six rebounds and six steals. Micah Brooks posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists and Jophiea Irvin added 10 points and six boards. Ashair Shakir narrowly missed a double-double of her own with 9 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes off of the bench.

The Lady Knights led 18-11 after the first quarter and 32-25 at the half, though both teams stuggled offensively. SUNO made just 36 percent of their first half shot attempts (0-11 on three pointers) and the Lady Badgers shot 33 percent from the floor.

The third quarter was where the Lady Knights were able to pull away for good, outscoring Spring Hill 16-6 and building a 48-31 advantage. The Lady Badgers would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.

Former Lady Knight Alishia Drayton Lewis, a member of SUNO's 2013 tournament team, led Spring Hill with nine points.

"This was a good win for us", said SUNO head coach Roshaun Ambrose. "Now that we have our full roster together we've been able to start showing more of who we can be when we play to our potential. The good thing is I don't think that we're close to reaching that level, so there's more to teach at practice and we want to continue to improve throughout our conference schedule. If we do that we have a good chance of being there at the end. It won't be easy, but I believe in the group that we have."

SUNO (4-6) goes on the road to face Concordia-Selma on Jan.4 before returning home to begin GCAC play on Jan. 9 against Philander Smith.

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