CAU Homecoming Sees Panthers Victorious Over Benedict; 27-14

ATLANTA, Georgia -- In the 25th meeting between Clark Atlanta and Benedict on the football field it was the home team wining on Homecoming; 27-14. The victory is the twelfth in the series for the Panthers in 25 games. The Panther win streak has now extended to four in-a-row, including a pair versus SIAC opponents.

THE GAME
Score: Clark Atlanta 27, Benedict 14
Records: Clark Atlanta (5-2; 3-2 SIAC), Benedict (3-4; 2-2 SIAC)
Date: Oct. 15, 2016 | 2:00 pm Kickoff
Location: CAU Panther Stadium | Atlanta, Ga.
Series: 25th Meeting | CAU leads series 12-11-2

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game opened with Clark Atlanta winning the toss and driving 63 yards in seven plays ending with Johnathon McCrary finding Trenton Earl from 30 yards out. The scoring pass was the twelfth passing touchdown for McCrary and fifth receiving score for Earl. The Saldana kick was good and gave the Panthers the early 7-0 lead.

After forcing Benedict to fail to convert on fourth down, McCrary found Earl on the first play on the short route before the senior outran the defense on his way to his second touchdown in as many plays. Saldana's kick made the advantage 14-0 in the opening quarter.

After Jaquatin Victrum intercepted the Tiger pass, Carlos Saldana had his 36 yard FG missed. On the opening play of the Benedict drive, George Myers ran 80 yards for the first BC score. The PAT was good cutting the CAU advantage to 14-6 with 4:22 left in the first half.

Clark Atlanta responded by traveling 41 yards in seven plays ending with a 40 yards FG from Saldana to give the Panthers the 17-7 advantage into halftime.

After starting the second half on defense and forcing the punt by Benedict. Saldana capped a 20 play drive that covered 71 yards with a 30-yard FG.

Benedict picked up a touchdown early in the fourth quarter after returning the Jaha McCray fumble for a defensive score with the PAT making the score 20-14 with 13:08 remaining in the game.

CAU responded with another touchdown from McCrary, this time he rushed for 13 yards into the end zone before Saldana added another PAT. The Panthers led 27-14 with 10:47 remaining in the game.

Benedict would punt on the next drive and after the shorter kick CAU was unable to take advantage and was hit for a loss on a bad snap on a FG attempt resulting in a loss of 16 yards. Benedict turned the ball over on fourth down for the second time in the game on the ensuing drive before CAU had to punt for the lone tie in the game with 22 seconds remaining. BC covered 34 yards in two plays before the game ended.

OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
McCrary went 21-for-31 passing for 302 yards and the two scores.

Earl tied his career-best with seven receptions and set a new high with 152 yards receiving - the third time this season he has recorded 100 yards receiving.

Dre Martin hauled in four receptions for 90 yards and Wade Barlow had two grabs for 24 yards.

McCrary led the team in rushing with 42 yards on 10 carries while McCray had 27 yards on 14 carries.

DEFENSIVE NUMBERS
Jacob Mitchell led the defense with eight tackles while Victrum added seven. While Victrum, Chavious Burns, Mekiye Kingston each registered a sack of the Benedict passer.

TEAM NUMBERS
CAU held the advantage in first downs (20-11), passing yards (302-68), and time of possession (34:51-25:09).

The Panthers went 9-for-14 on third down attempts while holding the Tigers to 5-for-11.

UP NEXT
The Panthers head to Albany State on Oct. 22 for the final division game within the SIAC East. The Panthers trail the series with the Golden Rams, 6-38, having las
t picked up a victory on 2001.

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

University of the District of Columbia Announces Hiring of Juan Dixon as Head Women’s Basketball Coach

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Director of Athletics Patricia Thomas has announced that former NBA player and University of Maryland basketball star Juan Dixon, has been chosen as the next University of the District of Columbia Head Women's Basketball Coach effective Monday, October 17th.

"There is no question Juan Dixon will take our women's basketball program to the next level," Thomas said. "His tremendous success as a student-athlete, as well as professionally, combined with his respect for the development of students support our goals. I am excited about the opportunity to work with Juan and welcome him to the Firebird community."

Dixon's last coaching stop was as a Special Assistant to the Head Coach – Men's Basketball at his alma mater, Maryland. There he supported 2015 Big 10 Conference Coach of the Year, Mark Turgeon, by enhancing game plans and strategizing how to attack opponents offensively and defensively. He helped implement offensive sets and defensive principles, analyzed and broke down film, and mentored, motivated, counseled and developed student-athletes, including future NBA players Alex Len, Diamond Stone, Jake Layman and Robert Carter, Jr.

Dixon also coached DMV's Finest and Team Maryland during The Basketball Tournament (TBT) in Philadelphia, PA, and directs his own Juan Dixon Basketball Camp and Premier Basketball Camp, both in Baltimore, MD.

One of the most celebrated student-athletes in Maryland history, Dixon remains the all-time leading scorer in program history (2,269 points) after leading the Terrapins to their first national title in 2002 as a senior. He holds six different records in program history, ranging from points, games played, steals and 3-pointers.

The Most Outstanding Player of the 2002 NCAA Final Four and ACC Player of the Year, Dixon earned two All-America selections, three First Team All-ACC selections and two All-ACC Tournament selections throughout his illustrious career. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 steals in 141 games from 1998-2002.

Dixon was drafted with the 17th pick of the 2002 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, where he spent three seasons. He signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2005, and he averaged a career-high 12.3 points during his first season with the team. After stops in Toronto and Detroit, Dixon wrapped up his nine-year NBA career with the Wizards in 2008-09.

Throughout his NBA career, Dixon played under Hall of Fame Player Doug Collins and Patrick Ewing (Wizards), Monty Williams and Nate McMillan (Trail Blazers), 2007 NBA Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell (Toronto Raptors), Flip Saunders (Detroit Pistons), and Eddie Jordan (Wizards). He also played alongside the following: Charles Oakley, Jerry Stackhouse, Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Christian Laettner, Tyronn Lue, (former Maryland backcourt-mate) Steve Blake, Zach Randolph, Theo Ratliff, Chris Bosh, TJ Ford, José Calderón, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Caron Butler. During his first stint with the Wards, he was also teammates with and mentored by NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Dixon, a graduate of Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, MD, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Family Science in 2013 from the University of Maryland. During his student-athlete career at Maryland he earned numerous distinctions including: NCAA Senior CLASS Award (2002), Chip Hilton Award (2002), ESPN Shooting Guard of the Year (2002), Wooden Player of the Year Award candidate (2002), Third Team NABC All-American (2001) and Third Team USBWA All-American (2001). He was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2012, and he was selected as one of 75 All-Time March Madness Players in 2012.

Dixon takes over a Firebirds women's basketball program that since 2011-12 has four seasons with over 20 wins, three NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament bids, four ECC Championship Tournament semifinal appearances, and one ECC Tournament Championship.

He replaces DeWayne Burroughs, who left UDC after a one-year stint to take the Head Women's Basketball Coach position at his alma mater, Coppin State University.

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WSSU blows out St. Aug's

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State needed a homecoming blowout victory to feel a little better about the direction it's going.

The Rams had little trouble with St. Augustine’s on Saturday afternoon in a dominating 45-10 win in front of more than 9,500 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

“This just felt more complete,” said center Josh Wormley of the Rams.

The complete effort was a more-balanced look on offense as the Rams' churned out 424 yards with 238 coming from the running game and 186 through the air.

“That’s how we should score,” coach Kienus Boulware of the Rams said. “We mixed it up and we had a couple of long passes that went for touchdowns and that’s really been missing.”

Quarterback Rod Tinsley broke out of his mini slump by going 10 of 19 for 186 yards passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. At one point, he directed the Rams on five straight scoring drives to break the game open.

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Albany State holds on to beat Morehouse

ATLANTA, Georgia - Quarterback Caleb Edmonds was 18-for-29 passing with two touchdowns and rushed 84 yards and another touchdown to help the Albany State Golden Rams negate a potential comeback by Morehouse College. After taking building a large halftime lead, Albany State held its host scoreless in the fourth quarter to secure a 26-21 victory.
 
With the win, ASU improves to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the SIAC. Albany State also is 1-0 in the SIAC East Division. The Maroon Tigers fall to 2-5, 1-4.
 
At the 10:10 mark of the first quarter, The Albany State "Dirty Blue" Defense put up the first points of the game when defensive end Monte Taylor sacked Morehouse quarterback Monqavious Johnson in the end zone for a safety. However, ASU could not score additional points on the following drive and turned the ball over to the Maroon Tigers.
 
Morehouse scored its first touchdown of the game with 4:14 left in the period. Bricen Terry ran for a 4-yard touchdown to give the home team a 7-2 edge.
 
The Golden Rams would answer in the early portion of the second period. Edmonds found Quadrey Simmons in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. A successful PAT by Emilio Maldonado gave Albany State a 9-7 advantage. The drive went 12 plays and 75 yards in 5:57.
 
Four minutes later, Edmonds showed Morehouse why he is a dual quarterback. The senior scampered 61 yards to the end zone to conclude a six-play, 78-yard drive that used only 1:38. After Maldonado's PAT, ASU led 16-7.
 
The Golden Rams added two more scores before halftime. Maldonado connected on a 37-yard field goal at the 3:22 mark to give ASU a 19-7 lead. The drive used seven plays and four yards in 3:04.
 
Edmonds combined with wide receiver Ta'Keevian Harris for what would eventually be Albany State's final score. Harris recorded a 9-yard reception from the quarterback to give the team a 26-7 lead going into intermission.
 
In the third quarter, the Maroon Tigers took advantage of ASU's stalling offense. First, Tamarick Vanove caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Kivon Taylor with 8:29 left in the stanza. Then, Lake McGuffie was the recipient of a 4-yard touchdown pass from Taylor during the final seconds of the period, and Albany State's lead was cut to 26-21.
 
In the fourth quarter, neither team could generate points. The Albany State defense prevented Morehouse from advancing on several scoring drives to help seal the win.
 
Michael Green caught four passes for 53 yards, and Simmons had three receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. Albany State outgained Morehouse total yardage with 354 to the home team's 269.
 
Defensively, Zavondric Shingleton led the way with 10 tackles (four solos), and Nick Scott added eight tackles (six solos). Monte Taylor added eight tackles, a sack and a pass break up.
 
Morehouse was led offensively by Kivon Taylor, who recorded 151 yards and two touchdowns on 10-of-14 passing. Terry rushed 19 times for 51 yards.
 
David Smith tallied a game-high 19 tackles (11 solos) for the Maroon Tigers. He also had 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Joshua Burton added eight tackles and a half sack.
 
Albany State will return to action on Sat., Oct. 22 in its annual homecoming game. The Golden Rams will face the Clark Atlanta University Panthers in a contest that will be broadcasted on Aspire TV. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Albany State University Coliseum.

ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

'Bama State football coaches suspended one game for NCAA violation

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University head football coach Brian Jenkins and assistant coach James Joseph have been suspended from coaching for one football game in response to a level - three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) infraction, which occurred in 2015.

Jenkins will serve his suspension during the upcoming home game against Mississippi Valley State University on October 15, with the assistant coach serving his suspension at a later date.

"It was an honest mistake by one of the assistant coaches," stated Jenkins.



"Once I discovered the violation, I immediately reported it to the ASU director of Athletics and the ASU Office of Compliance. As head football coach, I accept full responsibility for the program," Jenkins added.

The violation occurred when a member of Coach Jenkins' staff provided two written offers to two prospective student - athletes before the August 1, permissible date of their respective senior years. These incidents are a violation of NCAA bylaw 13.9.2.2 – "Written Offer of Aid Before the Signing Date."

In accordance to NCAA legislation for this level of recruiting infraction, both the identified assistant coach as well as the head coach of the program must serve a one - game suspension from all coaching - related activities.

Assistant head coach, Allen Suber, who is in his second season with the Hornets, will coach the team against Mississippi Valley State University this weekend.

"Acting in compliance with NCAA rules is something we take seriously at Alabama State University," said Director of ASU Athletics Melvin Hines.
 
"Alabama State University is committed to performing within the culture of NCAA compliance."

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ASU 56, MVSU 24: Hornets win big without Jenkins

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- There was something different about Alabama State’s sideline on Saturday.

The Hornets were without suspended head coach Brian Jenkins, but didn’t miss a beat.

Alabama State running back Khalid Thomas rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries to lead the Hornets to a 56-24 victory over winless Mississippi Valley State at ASU Stadium.

The Hornets (2-5, 2-4 SWAC) racked up 558 yards of total offense and scored 50 points for the first time since a 52-21 win over Grambling State in 2013.

Alabama State assistant head coach Allen Suber said the team controlled every phase of the game and limited costly mistakes.

“I thought we came out with a lot of energy,” Suber said. “I was really happy with the reduction in penalties (5 for 27 yards). That was something we’ve really been working on. It allowed us to really get our offense on track.”

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NCCU Celebrates Homecoming with 33-3 Win over Savannah State

DURHAM, North Carolina – North Carolina Central University amassed 422 yards of total offence and recorded a season-best six sacks during a 33-3 homecoming victory over Savannah State University on Saturday inside a packed O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium with a crowd of 12,966 fans.

NCCU (5-2, 4-0 MEAC) remains unbeaten in the conference with its 11th consecutive win over MEAC opposition, including seven straight to end the 2015 campaign.

A dominant defensive effort by the Eagles resulted in 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and just 141 total yards by the visiting Tigers. Junior defensive lineman Ja'Quan Smith and senior linebacker LeGrande Harley topped NCCU with eight takedowns each, with Smith contributing 1.5 hits for a loss and a sack. Linebacker Reggie Hunter and end Frederick Henry-Ajudua each collected seven tackles and 2.5 hits for a loss, while Henry-Ajudua added 1.5 sacks with a safety to increase his MEAC-leading sack total to 5.5.



NCCU's lone takeaway came via an interception by senior Ronald Conyers, his first career pick.

Senior quarterback Malcolm Bell topped NCCU's offensive attack with 388 yards of total offense, including 336 yards and two touchdowns through the air and 52 yards and another score on the ground. Bell moves to fifth on NCCU's career passing list with 5,376 yards and ranks third in total offense with 6,572 yards.

Bell connected on receptions to nine different teammates, but his favorite target on this day was sophomore Jalen Wilkes, who finished with six catches for 105 yards and a 28-yard touchdown. Four other Eagles had four receptions apiece, including Khalil Stinson (57 yards), LaVontis Smith (43 yards), Ramone Simpson (37 yards) and Jacen Murphy (30 yards).

Special teams was also a homecoming force. Nathaniel Tilque averaged 44.5 yards per punt, including a downed kick at the 1-yard line that resulted in a safety. Brandon McLaren accounted for seven points with a 21-yard field goal and four extra-point kicks. LaVontis Smith broke off a 45-yard kickoff return to finish the contest with 133 all-purpose yards. And junior Mike Jones returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown, the first score of his career.

Jones's touchdown is NCCU's 22nd special teams touchdown since the start of the 2012 season, including 13 trips to the end zone on punt returns.

Savannah State (1-4, 1-2 MEAC) was topped by a stellar defensive performance by linebacker Marquis Smith, who amassed 10 total tackles, including 4.0 hits for a loss with two solo sacks.

Up next, NCCU visits Morgan State University on Oct. 22.

BOX SCORE

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hysteria showed what's coming for UMES hoops

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- After the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s volleyball team swept Delaware State on Friday night, the William P. Hytche Athletic Center got loud.

There was plenty to cheer for during the volleyball game — where the Hawks captured their fifth straight win — but fans, students and former Hawks were really charged up by the dancers, pep band and cheerleaders.

And all of that was just a series of appetizers to the main event of Hawk Hysteria on Oct. 14, the unveiling of the UMES men’s and women’s basketball teams for the upcoming season.

In many ways, Hawk Hysteria showed a sign of things to come for both sides. Things that were good and things that might be not so good.

The good: the newcomers to the women’s basketball team.

The bad: the lack of size and depth from the men.

Let’s start with the good.

CONTINUE READING

Offense Excels In North Carolina A&T Aggies Win Over B-CU

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – The North Carolina A&T defense has done more than its fair share to help the Aggies secure back-to-back MEAC football titles.

In a game that featured very few defensive stops, however, it was offense that powered the 15th-ranked Aggies to a 52-35 win over Bethune-Cookman Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. It was N.C. A&T’s first win in Daytona Beach in 13 years, ending a four-game losing streak to the Wildcats in Florida.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 MEAC), led by Tarik Cohen’s 220-yard, 3-touchdown performance, posted a season-high 561 yards of offense. His latest outing made him the first player in school history to rush for 200-plus yards in three straight contests. It was his seventh career 200-yard game, and he scored three touchdowns in a game for the seventh time. He is now 79 yards shy of 5,000 career rushing yards.

But it wasn’t all Cohen. Sophomore quarterback Lamar Raynard threw for a career-high 277 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 20-for-31 passing, which included a career-long 55-yard touchdown pass to junior Khris Gardin.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons we can use a lot of times that will make things a lot easier for Tarik,” said N.C. A&T head coach Rod Broadway. “We’ve got a good tight end (Leroy Hill), a couple of receivers with great hands and guys with some speed out there. We spread the ball around today like I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Eight different Aggie receivers caught passes on Saturday, but the Aggies were not alone in excelling at the passing game. N.C. A&T’s pass defense had a tough afternoon. The Aggies held Bethune-Cookman (0-5, 0-3 MEAC) to eight yards rushing, but the Wildcats had 403 yards passing led by quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr., who had 376 yards, four touchdowns and one interception on 23-for-42 passing.

The Wildcats had two 100-yard receivers as Jawill Davis caught nine passes for 143 yards and Frank Brown had five receptions for 117 yards and three touchdowns. After surrendering 358 and 388 yards passing to Tulsa and Hampton this season, Broadway said pass defense is now a concern.

“I’m glad we only gave up eight, nine yards rushing, but we have to be better coverage wise,” said Broadway. “We’re giving up too many easy ones. Four hundred yards passing is too many, and it’s everybody. It starts with upfront with the pass rush, it goes to the linebackers and then it goes into the secondary. We've got to do a much better job of playing the pass because it's becoming too easy for teams to pass against us.”

It was a 67-yard TD pass from Brihm to Brown that gave the Wildcats their first fourth-quarter lead of the season at 28-24 lead with 14:50 remaining in the game. It was also the Wildcats’ first lead of the game.

An excessive celebration penalty after the score helped the Aggies obtain good field position at their own 47-yard line. A 21-yard run by Cohen and a 21-yard completion from Raynard to freshman Elijah Bell set up an 11-yard TD run by Cohen to help the Aggies recapture the lead. The Wildcats quickly answered with a 5-play, 59-yard yard drive that took only 91 seconds to take a 35-31 lead with 12:04 to play.

Instead of turning to Cohen for a big play, the Aggies responded with an excellent 37-yard toss from Raynard to Bell to give the Aggies a 38-35 lead. The Aggies never trailed again as on the first play of B-CU’s next possession, redshirt junior Jeremy Taylor intercepted a Brihm pass and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown with 8:53 to play. After B-CU’s next drive stalled, Cohen lined up as the Aggies punt returner and wowed everyone again with a 67-yard return for touchdown that was called back on a holding penalty. Cohen did eventually score his third touchdown on an 8-yard run. Cohen also had a first-half TD run of 87 yards. He has five runs over 50 yards this season.

“That punt return was something to see. It’s a darn shame that one was called back,” said Broadway. “There are not enough positive things you can say about him. He's a warrior, and when comes time to play, he plays. I'm just glad he's on our team.”

N.C. A&T heads to Washington, D.C., next week to face the Howard Bison (1-6, 1-3 MEAC) 2 p.m., Saturday at Greene Stadium.

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Former XULA Rush standout Erves signs with Polish pro team

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana graduate Denzell Erves has signed a professional basketball contract with PGE Turow Zgorzelec of Poland.
     
This will be the fourth pro season for Erves, who averaged 22.7 points per game this past season for Soavegel Francavilla in Italian Serie C Silver, according to the website Eurobasket.com.     



Erves, from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, played for XULA as a 6-foot-7 forward from 2009-13. He was third-team NAIA Division I All-America his senior year and averaged 13.7 points and 9.3 rebounds that season. Erves is XULA's career leader with 132 blocked shots and No. 4 with 762 rebounds. He scored 1,031 career points.
     
Erves was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference his senior and junior seasons and was a six-time GCAC Player of the Week.
     
Eurobasket.com lists Erves' height as 6-9.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XULA clinches tie for GCAC regular-season championship

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Dillard 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 25-14 Thursday at the Convocation Center to clinch a tie for its sixth consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season volleyball championship.

The Gold Nuggets (12-13, 9-0) can win the title outright with a victory next Thursday at SUNO or a Talladega loss in any of its final four GCAC matches. The Lady Tornadoes will visit conference opponent Edward Waters Saturday.

XULA set a school record for digs in a match with 118. Amanda Perry led the Gold Nuggets with 28 digs, and Juliana Tomasoni had 20. Tomasoni produced 14 kills, and Hasani Salaam had 11.
Sarah Boykin had 15 kills for Dillard (8-15, 5-4), and Demetria Horton had 32 digs.

Dillard finished with 113 digs, and both teams had five players apiece in double figures. For XULA, Taylor Ducros and Tiffany Phillips had 14 apiece, and Kayla Jones had 12. Phillips had a career-high three blocks, and her 28 assists helped her set a XULA season record of 11 assist-dig double-doubles. Franziska Pirkl had 10 in 2014.

XULA defeated Dillard, its longtime city and GCAC rival, for the 15th consecutive time. The Gold Nuggets clinched exactly two months after their first practice of the season. This year's team has 11 newcomers, including nine freshmen. The Nuggets continued their GCAC success without any of the starters or the regular libero from 2015.

"We've come an extremely long way since we first practiced. I'm really proud of how efficient we have become as a whole," fourth-year XULA coach Hannah Lawing said. "Our players have really started to process the game in a different way. They are anticipating what is happening on the other side of the net instead of just reacting. It can take young athletes years to grasp this concept, but our team has developed this skill so quickly. It's been so fun to be a part of that growth process."

XULA outhit Dillard .129 to .050 and had advantages of 54-40 in kills and 5-1 in aces. Phillips and Kaelan Temple served two aces apiece for the Gold Nuggets.

Attendance was 504, the second largest in the Nuggets' four seasons at the Convocation Center. XULA and Dillard attracted 511 fans a year ago.

XULA will play host to Southern States Athletic Conference leader Mobile at 3 p.m. Saturday. It will be senior day for Jones and Ralitsa Slanchev.

NOTES: The previous XULA record for digs in a match was 108 at SUNO in a five-set victory on Oct. 1, 2014 . . . XULA had 102 digs the final three sets against Dillard — 38 in the final set . . . Salaam reached double figures in kills for the first time since Sept. 3 . . . XULA ended the match on a 10-2 run that included four Salaam kills and two by Terri Drake . . . Phillips has double-doubles in both meetings this season with Dillard . . . Perry improved her XULA freshman record to 403 digs; she's nine short of Darian Harris' overall season mark from a year ago . . . XULA is 24-0 all-time in the Convocation Center in GCAC regular-season matches.

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XULA runners produce 4 career bests at Crimson Classic

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana produced four career bests Friday, all in the women's 6,000-meter race, in the Crimson Classic cross country meet.

It was XULA's final competition before the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships Oct. 22 at Jacksonville, Fla.

The Gold Nuggets' Brianna Pace, Dionysia Love, Maliya Vaughan and Imani Walker finished with 6K bests and were a collective 2 minutes and 15 seconds faster. Pace made the biggest improvement, reducing her time by nearly 78 seconds.

XULA's leaders were the same as they've been in every meet this season — Christopher August of the Gold Rush and Taylor Price of the Gold Nuggets. Competing in the college division — non-NCAA Division I schools — August finished 26th in 28:49.1 for 8,000 meters. Price's 6K time was 25:56.3, and she placed 21st.

The non-DIs competed simultaneously with university division (NCAA Division I) runners. August finished ahead of 14 men, and Price was faster than 26 women from DI.

Pace was 25th in the college division in 26:24.0, Love was 26th in 26:28.7, Vaughan was 28th in 26:44.9, and Walker was 31st in 32:49.0. Pace was the Gold Nuggets' No. 2 finisher for the first time since their season opener.

The other Gold Rush finishers were Clydarius Everett, 40th in 31:48.7; Darrick Williams, 42nd in 32:11.1; Oji Wells, 45th in 33:19.5; and Ammiel Williams, 48th in 35:40.7. Everett, a freshman, was the Rush's No. 2 finisher for the fourth time in five meets.

In college division team scoring, the XULA men finished fifth with 118 points, and the women placed fourth with 96. Among 4-year non DIs, both XULA teams placed third. Winning both team titles were the University of Guelph, an Ontario school whose women are ranked first in Canada and whose men are ranked second. XULA was the only NAIA school at the meet.

The GCAC Championships will resume after a one-year absence. XULA is a nine-time defending team champion in the men's and women's divisions.

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Hampton improves to 3-1 in MEAC with win over Morgan State

COURTESY MARK SUTTON PHOTOGRAPHY
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia — Robert Scott IV intercepted Morgan State's Chris Andrews, and returned the ball 46 yards to the Bear 44 to seal a 21-12 win for Hampton in front of a homecoming crowd at Armstrong Stadium.

With the win, Hampton (3-3) is 3-1 in MEAC play for the first time since 2010.

Asked about the enhanced position within the conference, Coach Cornell Maynor, remained cautious.

"That's where we want to be. We control our own destiny, but for right now, we have to focus on playing FAMU (Florida A&M) next week."

Down 21-12 in the game's final four minutes, Morgan State was in the middle of a six-play, 31-yard drive that started at midfield, and threatening to score. However, with 3:32 remaining in the game, Andrews' pass to the left was tracked correctly by the freshman cornerback who zoomed in to take the ball first.

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SCSU defense helps Bulldogs to 14-9 victory over Howard

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a game in which its offense struggled all day, South Carolina State got a big lift from its defense to edge Howard 14-9 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest at Greene Stadium Saturday.

The Bulldog defense, paced by redshirt junior Darius Leonard, forced six Howard turnovers, including five interceptions in slowing the Bison, who outgained S.C. State 350-174 in total yards. Coach Buddy Pough’s team was limited to just 53 yards passing and 121 yards on the ground.

Leonard and redshirt senior safety Phillip Henry had two of the five picks each, one of which he returned 64 yards for the first score of the game. Tyler Scandrett’s point-after-touchdown gave S.C. State a 7-0 lead with 6:19 to play in the second period.

The Bulldogs' only other score came wit 12:41 to play when sophomore quarterback Caleb York connected with Mykal Moody for a five-yard scoring ...

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Savannah State hopes to overcome shortened week vs. N.C. Central

SAVANNAH Georgia -- Savannah State has had two weeks off before playing two-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion North Carolina Central today at 2 p.m. in Durham, N.C.

Usually that’s a good thing.

But the Tigers can hardly say they’ve had two weeks to prepare for the homecoming Eagles — not with Hurricane Matthew causing havoc in the area eight days ago.

“It’s an unusual week, but I think the guys feel fortunate that we’re able to come back and practice (after evacuating town),” said SSU coach Erik Raeburn, whose squad lost to Florida A&M 19-14 the last time out on Oct. 1. “It’s not ideal, but we’re thankful everyone’s OK. Everything else is workable.”.

The Tigers (1-3, 1-1 MEAC) lost a day of practice Monday as players returned back to Savannah. They lost two days of preparation the previous week for a home game against Morgan State which was rescheduled for Nov. 26.

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Morgan State faces Hampton with first place in the conference at stake

Morgan State (2-2, 2-0 in MEAC) at Hampton University (2-3 overall, 2-1)

When: Saturday, 2 p.m.

Site: Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, Va.

TV: None

Radio: Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com)

Series: Morgan leads, 38-25-2

What's at stake: First place in the conference. Depending on what happens with North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central, either Morgan State or Hampton could move up. Morgan's game last Saturday at Savannah State was postponed because of Hurricane Matthew.

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FAMU Rattlers hope to overcome penalties, spoil Del. State’s homecoming

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Last season, Florida A&M’s game against Delaware State was called a “must-win” for the Rattlers by head coach Alex Wood.

The Rattlers were reeling after a 37-27 loss to Savannah State in Savannah, Ga., and were off to an all-time worst 0-6 start to the 2015 season. Del. State was FAMU’s homecoming opponent, and Wood said he wanted to give fans something to cheer for.

The Rattlers defeated DSU 41-13 for the team’s first – and only – victory of 2015. It was the team’s second straight blowout of Del. State, following a 41-7 thrashing of the Hornets in Dover in 2014.

The scenario leading into Saturday’s game is flipped. The Hornets are 0-5, and FAMU got its first win of the season two weeks ago. And FAMU, which lost to North Carolina Central last week, is Delaware State’s homecoming opponent.

“The game plan is to try to win the game,” said DSU head coach Kenny Carter during the MEAC’s weekly teleconference. “Coach Wood does a great job. He’s got a great staff and their kids play hard. They’re going to play structured football.

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Grambling, Fobbs discussing new contract

GRAMBLING — Grambling's football program is experiencing a rejuvenation under Broderick Fobbs, and the university has every intention of keeping the Tigers' coach around.

Fobbs, who was hired in 2013, has a three-year contract that expires in December 2016, and the two sides are nearing an agreement, according to new Grambling president Rick Gallot.

"We are committed to coach Fobbs. Coach Fobbs has expressed his commitment to us," Gallot said Wednesday. "I can tell you we are incredibly close to having that done. Obviously, he's been busy with a winning season. I've not attempted to put any pressure on him. The talks have been on going. We're really, really close."

Fobbs is earning $190,000 annually as part of the three-year contract. It's unclear what Grambling will offer for his new deal.

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MEAC Preview: Learn the name James Daniel

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Believe it or not, the MEAC actually sent four teams to postseason tournaments in 2016, as Hampton won the league’s automatic bid while Norfolk State, Savannah State and South Carolina State all earned themselves a trip to the CIT.

The name to know in the MEAC this season is Howard‘s James Daniel, the reigning MEAC Player of the Year and the nation’s leading scorer last year at 27.1 points. The Bison finished just 6-10 in league play a year ago, but much of that was the result of injuries depleting the team’s ranks. Marcel Boyd, who is one of the best bigs in the conference, returns, as does James Miller, a 6-foot-4 redshirt junior who played just five games last year. With all that talent and experience returning, don’t be surprised to see Kevin Nickelberry’s club compete for a league title this year.

They likely won’t be the favorite entering the season, however, not as long as South Carolina State is still in the conference. The Bulldogs were a program in disarray earlier this decade, but with three Cof their top four scorers returning – including a sleeper for MEAC Player of the Year in E.J. Eaves – Murray Garvin has a team with the talent to make a return run to the NCAA tournament.

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Throw out the resumes for HU and Morgan State

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Here's a semi-interesting factoid regarding Saturday's Morgan State-Hampton football game at Armstrong Stadium: The Pirates and Bears have two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference wins apiece, and each came against the same opponents — Howard and Delaware State.

Hampton's victories came by a combined score of 61-24. Morgan State's collective score in those games was 48-41.

It would be easy to look at the margin differential (30 points) and proclaim Hampton to be the clear favorite. But HU coach Connell Maynor doesn't look at it that way.

"It's amazing how matchups are so different," he said. "You think since we (beat) the same teams, you could look at the scores and see who is going to win. But it doesn't work out that way. Systems, schemes … (the Bears) run a different offense and defense, so the results will be different.

"You can't really base it on that. You just watch those guys, see how they perform against the same guys that we went against. You look at things like that when they played the same teams you played."

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WSSU notes: St. Aug's coming to Bowman Gray with confidence

WINSTONS-SALEM, North Carolina -- There’s little doubt as to which school had the hardest nonconference schedule in the CIAA this season.

St. Augustine’s, which plays at Winston-Salem State on Saturday, lost to N.C. A&T 62-0 and followed that with a 48-14 loss to Carson-Newman. In their final nonconference game, the Falcons lost 65-7 to N.C. Central.
However, coach Tim Chavous said they needed to play the two money games against N.C. A&T and N.C. Central to help the budget for athletics.

“You have to play those kinds of games and we did that, but I think it prepared us for CIAA play,” said Chavous, whose Falcons are 2-1 in conference play.

The Falcons are coming off a 38-37 double-overtime win over Livingstone, thanks in large part to quarterback D.J. Johnson and wide receiver Sam Boyd. Both were named players of the week in the CIAA for their outstanding games against the Blue Bears.

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TSU basketball picked to repeat as SWAC champs

HOUSTON, Texas -- Last year, multi-sport star Derrick Griffin didn't begin basketball practice for Texas Southern until two days before the Tigers' first game. The lack of a preseason didn't hinder the 6-7, 230-pounder who became the SWAC player of the year.

Suspended from the football team earlier this season, Griffin's focus is strictly on playing basketball for the Tigers, who on Wednesday were picked to repeat as the conference's regular season champions in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Prairie View A&M is picked sixth among the 10 teams.

"Our talent is better this year than it has been since I've been here," said fifth-year TSU coach Mike Davis, whose Tigers return only one starter in Griffin. But Davis redshirted four transfers that will contribute this season, including 6-4 Zach Lofton and 6-10 Marvin Jones, who began his college career at Kent State.

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SCSU Bulldogs set sights on Howard after three-week hiatus

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- It’s one thing for a college football coach to describe the non-conference schedule as one season and the conference schedule as another season. That helps in measuring goals achieved against varied competition.

But, for the Bulldogs of South Carolina State, this really feels like a second season is about to begin with this Saturday’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Howard University in Washington, D.C. at 1 p.m.



The last game the Bulldogs (1-3 overall, 1-0 in MEAC play) were able to play was a 48-14 win at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Fla. on Sept. 24. The next week the team had its bye week after four straight road games to open the season. Then, this past week, the scheduled Oct. 8 home opener against Bethune-Cookman was postponed to Nov. 26, due to Hurricane Matthew’s destructive wind and rains delivered to the East Coast.

So, after three weeks of mid-season practices with no opponent to step on the field against, S.C. State is more than ready to have a game, a challenge, and an opportunity to see some more competition. It matters little that the opponent is 1-5 this season and 1-2 in conference play. Just being able to have a game, instead of another practice against teammates, is something the Bulldogs relish.

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HU's 'human calculator' crunches the numbers

HAMPTON, Virginia — The one and only time he choked came on the big stage.

It was last year at Hampton University's freshman talent show, and linebacker Jayso'n Davidson was asked to demonstrate why he is called "the human calculator." You see, Davidson can take any pair of two-digit numbers and multiply them in his head, usually within three or four seconds.

But when Pirates coach Connell Maynor called out two numbers, Davidson froze. Or, as he put it, "my brain died on me."

Wednesday afternoon, with video rolling and an audience watching, he got another shot — in the same team meeting room where his brain had died last fall. This time, he and Maynor were side by side. The coach had the advantage of pen and paper. The player had only his brain.

The first problem was 36 times 12. Before Maynor had even drawn the line under the 12, Davidson answered 432.

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Quarterback's development has been key to N.C. A&T's success

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Tarik Cohen is 5 feet, 6 inches tall. But he casts a long, long shadow.

All eyes are on N.C. A&T’s swift senior running back, the MEAC’s two-time offensive player of the year who set the conference’s all-time rushing record last week.

While Cohen is rightfully the center of attention, sophomore quarterback Lamar Raynard has quietly emerged as key contributor to the MEAC’s highest-scoring offense.

And that makes the injury Raynard suffered in the victory over Norfolk State a concern as A&T (2-0 MEAC, 4-1) plays at Bethune-Cookman (0-2, 0-4) Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Raynard, who ranks second in the league in pass efficiency, took a hard hit in the first half last Thursday night and sat out the second half with sore ribs.

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