XULA defeats No. 13 OLLU for 5th straight victory

NEW ORLEANS — Essence Wells had a career-high-tying 18 points Saturday, and Xavier University of Louisiana produced its highest scoring second half of the season in a 70-65 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 13 Our Lady of the Lake.
    
After trailing 31-27 at the break, the Gold Nuggets (5-2) outscored the Saints (5-4) 43-34 in the second half to extend their win streak to five games, XULA won for the third time in four days at its Convocation Center.
     
Wells, a sophomore guard, made 5-of-5 free throws in the 35th minute to give XULA a 60-56 lead. OLLU never got closer than four points in the final three minutes.
     
Ireyon Keith scored a season-high 12 points for XULA, and Gina Smith had season highs of 11 points and eight rebounds. Smith was 5-of-6 from the floor.
     
Francesca Patrick scored 16 points for OLLU, and Destinee King had 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and four steals.
     
XULA's previous high point total in a second half was 35, and the Gold Nuggets never reached 30 points in five of their first six second halves this season.
     
"Our chemistry is getting better," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "Our guards are learing how to play with our post players, and we're just doing a better job of moving the ball on offense."
     
Quintianna LeShore's basket at 6:04 gave OLLU an 11-4 lead. But the Gold Nuggets answered with seven straight points, and the Saints led 17-14 by the end of the quarter. OLLU three times led by seven points in the second quarter, but a Wells 3-pointer — her third of the half — reduced the Saints' advantage to 31-27 at the break.
     
Mikayla Bates's back-to-back 3-pointers — her only scores of the game — keyed a 13-2 run that gave XULA a 45-38 lead at 3:35 of the third quarter. The Gold Nuggets led 51-47 through three after scoring 24 points, their most in a third period this season.
     
Smith's layup — her final points of the game — came after a Jayla Nichols pass and put XULA ahead to stay, 54-53, with 7:38 remaining.
     
OLLU outshot XULA 42.3 to 34.4 percent from the floor, and both team made six treys. Boosting the Nuggets were a season-high 22 free throws made in 30 attempts. The Saints were 15-of-24 of the line, but they faded there after going 8-for-8 in the first six minutes. The Gold Nuggets produced a double-digit and season-best rebound margin for the third straight game — they won the boards 46-32.
     
XULA will break for fall-semester academic final exams, then visit the University of New Orleans in an 11 a.m. game Dec. 14. Note that UNO has pushed up the tip-off time.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Morgan State Bears Fall in Matinee Matchup at Navy 66-59

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- Hasan Abdullah scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Navy to a 66-59 victory over Morgan State on Sunday.

Along with his first career double-double, Abdullah made 4 of 6 3-point attempts and had six assists and three steals.

After freshman LaPri McCray-Pace hit a 3-pointer to get the Bears within four with a minute to go, Abdullah drove the lane to score, snagged a rebound after a Bears miss and made a free throw, and ended Morgan State's final possession with a steal.

Shawn Anderson added 11 points for the Midshipmen (7-3), who have won three straight.

Senior Phillip Carr scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the first half. Junior guard added Martez Cameron 14 (8-8 FT) with six assists and McCray-Pace had 11 points for the Bears (4-4), whose three-game win streak was snapped.

Evan Wieck and Ryan Pearson scored five points each in a 13-5 run to end the first half and give Navy a 32-28 lead. Navy led throughout the second half and was ahead by 11 with four minutes to go.

Navy shot 9-of-24 on 3-pointers and outshot Morgan State in the game, 47 percent (23-of-49) to 39 percent (19-of-18).

The Midshipman out-rebounded the Bears by a commanding 37-24 margin and scored 28 points inside the paint.


Morgan State will be right back in action on Wednesday night when they face the Towson Tigers at SECU Arena.

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MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Coppin Men’s Hoops Hangs Tough at Georgetown in BB&T Classic

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Karonn Davis matched a career-high with 20 points as the Coppin State University men's basketball team fell to undefeated Georgetown, 76-60, on Sunday night at Capital One Arena as part of the BB&T Classic. The Eagles now stand at 0-8 on the year going into their home opener against Navy on Wednesday, December 6 at 7 pm.

Davis made 4-of-11 shots from the floor with a pair of threes while also sinking ten out of 12 shots from the line to match a 20 points he scored two seasons ago as a sophomore at Niagara. A graduate transfer from Philadelphia, Pa., Davis also recorded a career-high eight rebounds and dished out four assists with just one turnover in 37 minutes,

Coppin also got 13 points from Tre' Thomas off the bench which matches his season-high and a season-high ten points from freshman Taqwain Drummond who made his first career start. Drummond made a trio of three-pointers on the day.

Georgetown (6-0) led from start to finish but the undersized Eagles hung in there with hustle and tenacious defense. Coppin forced the Hoyas into 16 turnovers and turned that in 22 points but Georgetown's size inside proved to be the difference. The Hoyas outscored the Eagles, 30-8 in the paint and made 24-of-36 shots from the free throw line with big-man Jessie Govan going for 26 points and 16 rebounds while making 11-of-14 from the line.

Coppin went into halftime trailing, 37-27 and with 12:32 left in regulation, faced a 50-36 deficit after a layup by Marcus Derrickson. The Eagles then clawed their way back into the game with a 10-1 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes sparked by triples from Davis, Thomas and Drummond.

After Drummond's three with 9:04 left made the score 51-46 in favor of Georgetown, Derrickson responded with a three of his own, forced a turnover and took the ball coast-to-coast for a layup which extended the lead back to double-digits.

Derrickson finished with 13 points on the night, 11 of which came in the second half.

For the game, Coppin shot just 30% from the field and made a season-high nine threes. The Eagles were outrebounded by 12 but recorded more offensive rebounds than the Hoyas who had just six offensive rebounds which is a season-low.

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COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Second Half Surge Lifts Wiley Wildcats Past Philander Smith

MARSHALL, Texas -- The Wiley College men's basketball team turned a competitive first half into a 90-70 rout over Philander Smith College Saturday at Alumni Gymnasium.

It was the Wildcats' first home game since November 14 as they improve to 2-1 at Alumni Gymnasium. Wiley College increased its series lead to 15-4 over Philander Smith. It led by as many as nine in the first half. The Panthers went on a 23-6 run to hold a 28-20 lead. The Wildcats retook the lead with a 10-0 run. Joshua Hamilton (JR/New Iberia, Louisiana) and Martavious Washington (JR/Shreveport, Louisiana) hit 3-pointers. Patrick Scipio (JR/Trinidad & Tobago) and Kevondric Davis (SR/Shreveport, LA) converted baskets to help Wiley hold a 40-35 advantage at halftime.

The Wildcats (5-3) opened the second half with a 13-3 run to take a 53-38 advantage. They hit 15 of 23 shots including 4 of 6 from 3-point territory. For the game, Wiley College hit 31 of 53 shots for a 58.5 shooting percentage. It held the Panthers to 35.7 shooting percentage.

"We went with a zone defense in the second half," head coach Jay Smith said. "The guys really got after it in the zone. Something we have been fussing about with the guys is playing defense for a full 40 minutes. The guys took it personally and really worked their tails off the last two days of practice."

Several contributed to Wiley College's victory as four scored in double figures. Hamilton led all players with 25. Kevondric Davis recorded a double-double and was three assists shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

"I feel like I'm back," said Davis, who was honored for scoring 1,000 career points. "I still have a little pain. The Southern University game helped me regain my form."

Ashton DeMurrell (JR/Trinidad & Tobago) notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked two shots. Anthony Sharp II (SR/Dallas, Texas) contributed 18 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals off the bench.

The Wildcats will open Red River Athletic Conference play Wednesday with Jarvis Christian College. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

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WILEY COLLEGE WILDCATS SPORTS INFORMATION

Langston Lions Football Receives Nine Selections on All-Oklahoma SportsNetwork Team

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- The fourth annual All-OSN football team from OklahomaSports.Net was released with nine members of the Langston University football being selected to this year's squad.

Langston University head football coach Quinton Morgan was selected as the OSN coach of the year after leading the Lions to a 10-0 undefeated regular season and a home playoff berth in the NAIA Football Championship Series. It was the first time since 1973 that the Lions finished the regular season undefeated.



Jamarae Finnie (SR/Tacoma, Wash.) was selected as the OSN Defensive Player of the Year and All-OSN first-team defense, racking up 64 total tackles, 33 solo with 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss; the senior defensive linemen currently ranks 10th in the NAIA in total tackles for loss.

Christopher Carillo (JR/Midland, Texas) and Michael Smith (SR/Compton, Calif.) in addition to Finnie were selected to the All-OSN first team for their efforts during the 2017 season.

Smith was second on the team in total tackles with 56 while finishing with 42 solo tackles, three interceptions and six tackles for loss; he finishes his Langston career with 73 total tackles, one sack, six tackles for loss and three interceptions.

Timothy Whitfield, Trevin Carson (JR/Midwest City, Okla.), Tyler Bess (SR/Hollis, Okla.), Peter Gordon (JR/Del City, Okla.) and Eugene Fuller (SO/Stockbridge, Ga.) were all selected to the All-OSN second team.

Whitfield led the Lions in rushing for the season with 535 yards on 95 carries with seven touchdowns.

On the defensive side Bess finished with 27 total tackles with three sacks, Gordon accumulated 48 total tackles to go along with three sacks and Fuller finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 52 including 25 solo, one sack, one interception and two tackles for loss.

The All-OSN football team is comprised of standouts from the NCAA Division II and NAIA institutions from around the state of Oklahoma, with 11 different schools to have a player named to the team.

To view the complete All-OSN football team click here.

LANGSTON UNIVERSITY LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State Men's Basketball Faces Navy on Sunday, 1 PM ET

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Game 8
Opponent: Naval Academy (6-3)
Date: Sunday, December 3, 2017
Site:  Alumni Hall, Annapolis, Md.
Game Time: 1 p.m. 
Series Record: Navy leads 2-0
Live Stats & Video Stream: navysports.com
Radio: Heritage Sports Radio Network - HSRN.org 
MSU Coaches: MSU - Todd Bozeman (177-181, 12th yr) • Navy - Ed DeChellis (74-122 7th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.navysports.com

SETTING THE STAGE
Morgan State (4-3) heads to Annapolis to take on the Naval Academy on Sunday afternoon at Navy Alumni Hall. It's the third of eight straight true road games for the Bears. Navy (6-3) held off Delaware 82-76 Friday night at Alumni Hall.  Bryce Dulin led the Midshipmen with a career-high 30 points and Shawn Anderson added 20 points. Martez Cameron led the way for the Bears by scoring a career-high 19 points and Phillip Carr had 17 points and 11 boards, but Morgan State fell to George Washington 73-66 on Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.

SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN
• Navy, a member of the Patriot League, begins the seventh season under head coach Ed DeChellis ... Under DeChellis, Navy increased its conference win total for the fifth straight season and the 10 conference wins were the most for Navy since 2000.
• Navy finished the 2016-17 season with a 16-16 overall mark and a fourth-place finish in the Patriot League at 10-8 ... Navy fell to eventual tournament champion and No. 1 seed Bucknell in the semifinals of the conference tournament, 70-65.
•  Senior 6-4 guard Bryce Dulin (13.4 ppg) has led Navy in scoring through its first nine games. Senior 6-4 guard Shawn Anderson (13.1 ppg), along with 6-7 forward Tom Lacey (10.4 ppg, 6-0 rpg) are also averaging double figures in scoring.
• Senior guard Bryce Dulin scored a team-high 20 points in the win over Denver on Sunday and was Navy's lone representative on the Homewood Suites FGCU Shootout All-Tournament Team.
•  Junior guard Hasan Abdullah leads the Patriot League in total steals (20) and is averaging 8.4 points per game.
•  Navy is averaging 73.3 points per game, while holding its opponents to 69.6 points (ranked No. 1 in the Patriot League). 
•  The Midshipmen lead the Patriot League in free throw shooting percentage (.751).

THE SERIES
• Though the two schools are separated by a half hour drive, Sunday's contest will only be the third matchup between the schools with Navy leading the series 2-0. 
•  The Midshipmen used a 20-2 scoring barrage to help them cruise to a 73-47 victory in their first visit to Hill Field House before a crowd of 1,019 on Dec. 8, 2005. T.J. Mathis was the only Bear to finish in double-figures for the Bears by posting 11 points to go along with three rebounds and three steals.
•  The Bears fell 77-66 in the first meeting against Navy on Dec. 1, 2004 at Navy Alumni Hall. Four players scored in double-digits for the Midshipmen and despite finishing the game with 26 turnovers, and not scoring a field goal in the final 6:30 of the contest, Navy came away with the victory.

AT THE HELM
Todd Bozeman enters his 12th year at the helm as Morgan State men's head coach. The Bears have participated in six of the last 11 MEAC Tournament championships, captured back-to-back-MEAC Titles, and made appearances in the NIT and two NCAA Tournaments. Bozeman is also the school's all-time winningest coach with 177 victories...and counting!

BEWARE THE BEAR
Under the direction of Todd Bozeman, Morgan State has collected a couple of memorable wins against big-time opponents. The Bears have recorded historic wins against: Long Island (2009); Manhattan (2009); Arkansas (2009); DePaul (2008); and Maryland (2009).

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has three players from the DMV (D.C., Maryland & Metropolitan-D.C.) area. Returning sophomore forward Azariah Sykes is from Richmond, Va. and graduated from Milwood HS. Returning sophomore center Tyjhai Byers is from Bethesda and was a prep standout at Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS, while Harlem native Tiwian Kendley is not from the DMV... he did play at Eleanor Roosevelt HS.

CARR NAMED MEAC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR, KENDLEY SELECTED TO FIRST TEAM
The MEAC announced that Morgan State forward Phillip Carr is the 2017-18 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.
• Carr, a Brooklyn, New York, native, led the Bears in rebounding, and was second on the team in scoring last season.
• He was selected to the All-MEAC's first team while being the third Bear to earn the Defensive Player of the Year honor (Boubacar Coly – 2008, Kevin Thompson - 2010).
• Carr becomes the first Bear to be named the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year since Kevin Thompson before his senior season in 2010. Reggie Holmes is the last Bear to win the regular-season award, when he received the award in 2009.
• Todd Bozeman's Bears received 13 of 26 first-place votes, outdistancing Norfolk State, and reigning champion North Carolina Central atop the standings.
• Carr led the five-man preseason All-MEAC First-Team and was joined by teammate Tiwian Kendley, who was the MEAC's leading scorer after averaging 21.0 points per game last season. The rest of that group was Norfolk State's Zaynah Robinson, Bethune-Cookman's Brandon Tabb and Howard's Charles Williams.

BOZEMAN'S BRAIN TRUST
Morgan State head basketball coach Todd Bozeman coaching staff returns for their third season. The0 Bears coaching staff consists of assistant coaches Brian Ellerbe, Larry Stewart, and Hans Desir.
• Ellerbe spent four years at Virginia, starting in 1990. He worked under Jeff Jones, now coach at Old Dominion. He was also the first African-American Head Coach at Loyola University, Maryland and The University of Michigan.
• Stewart was the Associate Head Coach for the Bowie State men's basketball team where he spent six seasons. He played with the NBA's Bullets, Vancouver Grizzlies and Seattle Super Sonics until 1997. His brother, Stephen, is an assistant coach at Coppin State.
• Desir, a Miami native, joins the Bears staff with over 10 years of coaching experience. he was previously lead assistant coach for J.T. Burton at Motlow College.

CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The year will open the 2017-18 season with a pair of road matchups, first  at Binghamton Nov. 10, followed by South Florida Nov. 13. The Bears' season-opener will be Nov. 16 versus Lincoln (Pa.), followed by a Nov. 18 date at West Virginia. The Bears will host Goldey Beacom Nov. 21 for its final home contest of the year. The Bears remaining seven non-conference  games will occur on the road. MSU will wrap the month of November at Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 27) and George Washington (Nov. 29). The Bears travel schedule will continue with matchups at Navy (Dec.3 ), Towson (Dec. 6), Manhattan (Dec. 9) and George Mason (Dec 22). MSU's west coast swing will begin with a trip to face Grand Canyon Dec. 27 in Las Vegas, followed by a game at CA-Northridge Dec. 30.

THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Bears completed the 2016-17 season ranked No. 2 in the conference in free throw percentage by shooting 71.1 percent (484-681) from the line. Phillip Carr ranked No. 3 (.829) in the league, while Tiwian Kendley shot .786 from the stripe (No. 7 in MEAC).
• The Bears have started the 2017-18 season by shooting 68.3 percent (97-142) from the stripe. Martez Cameron  is shooting 76.9 percent (20-26), followed by Phillp Carr at 76.7 percent (23-30) and LaPri McCray-Pace at 75.9 percent.

BEAR D 
The Bears defense was ranked among the conference leaders a season ago and should once again be solid defensively for 2017-18 season.
• MSU's defense has limited opponents to an average of 71.9 points (No. 2 in MEAC) thru the first seven games.
• The Bears rank No. 4 in the MEAC in field goal percentage defense at 39.8 percent.
• The Bears rank No. 7 in the MEAC in three-point field goal percentage defense at 36.3 percent.

FIELD GOAL SHOOTING
• Morgan State is shooting 40.7 percent from the floor.
• The Bears have shot under 50 percent from the floor in its first four of seven games.
• Morgan State has shot 50 percent or better in two of its last three contests ... they shot 50 percent against Goldey-Beacom (Nov. 21) and a season-high 52 percent at Mount St. Mary's (Nov. 27).
• Three starters are shooting better than 40 percent from the floor – Stanley Davis (.585), Tyjhai Byers (.444) and Martez Cameron (.406), and Tyler Streeter is shooting a team best 68.4 percent off the bench.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Bears close out the 2017 calendar with eight straight road games starting with Mount St. Mary's on Monday night and at George Washington on Wednesday (Nov. 29).
• Morgan State will open the month of December with a date at Navy on Dec. 3, followed by matchups at Towson Dec. 6, at Manhattan Dec. 9, and at George Mason Dec. 22.
• The Bears will wrap the non-conference schedule with a west coast swing to face Grand Canyon on Dec. 27 in Las Vegas, followed by a contest at California State, Northridge Dec. 30.

COMFORTABLE AT HILL FIELD HOUSE
Todd Bozeman has won at least 10 home games in three of his 11 seasons in Baltimore.
• The 2007-08 (12-1) and 2009-10 (11-1) squads finished with just a single loss, while the 2010-11 squad went 10-2.
• Bozeman has led the Bears to a 88-41 (.682) overall home record at  Hill Field House.

RETURNING PTS, REBS, ASTS
Morgan State returns 80.8 percent of its scoring from a season in which the team averaged 67.5 ppg during the 2016-17 season of 67.5 points ... MSU returns 74.9 boards a game from a year ago and that's about 74.3 percent of last year's team average of 39.0 a game ... When it comes to assists, MSU returns 263 assists from the total of 322 assists from last season or 81.7 percent returning.

BOARD CHAIR
Phillip Carr, the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, led the Bears in a 72-60 win over Lincoln-Pa. in which he grabbed a career record 19 rebounds, completely controlling the glass against the Lions.
•  Carr's 19 boards bested his previous record of 17, which he set Nov. 23, 2015 against Goldey-Beacom. 
•  Carr posted his 16th career double-double with 17 points and a game-high 11 boards at George Washington (Nov. 29).
•  Carr currently ranks No. 3 in the MEAC by averaging 9.1 rebounds per game in the first seven games of the season.

CARR REACHES 500 REBOUNDS
•  Senior forward Phillip Carr recorded his 500th rebound at Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 27 in his 61st career game.
•  Carr recorded a game-high 11 rebounds at George Washington and currently ranks among the school's leaders in rebounds ranked T-No. 13 (with William Lawson) with 518 boards. 
•  Carr is 44 rebounds away passing Ian Chiles for No. 12 on the school's all-time rebounds list.

HE'S BACK… DISHING OUT DIMES
MSU junior point guard Martez Cameron led the Bears in assists during the 2016-17 by averaging just over four per game (4.3) in 30 starts.
•  Cameron notched 9 points (5-6 FT) and dished out a game-high five assists in the season opener against the Binghamton.
•  He scored 11 points (4-4 FT) with five dimes and three steals in 35 minutes during the Bears win versus Lincoln-Pa.
•  He poured in a career-high 19 points (8-16 FG) and had four assists and two steals in 36 minutes at George Washington.
•  The Chicago product is currently averaging 11.3 points, 4.0 assists and is shooting 76.9 percent (20-26) from the charity stripe.

DID YOU KNOW? 
Neither of the team's two best players, MEAC Preseason Player of the Year Phillip Carr and preseason first-team All-MEAC selection Tiwian Kendley, started their career at Morgan State. Carr, a senior forward, played for a year apiece at junior colleges Mohawk Valley (N.Y.) and Williston State (N.D.). Kendley, a senior guard, spent two years at Lamar Community College (Colo.) after a standout high school career at Eleanor Roosevelt in Prince George's County.

ABOUT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is celebrating its 150th year of excellence in higher education. A Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution, Morgan offers more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SUNDAY TV: FS1 -- Georgetown hosts Coppin State Eagles with undefeated season on the line

COACH JUAN DIXON
COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY EAGLES

WHERE: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

TIME: 6:30 p.m. ET

TV: FS1 (MASN2 in D.C.)

ONLINE: Fox Sports Go

RADIO: 106.7 WJFK-FM

SERIES HISTORY: Georgetown leads, 1-0.

ODDS: Georgetown -25.5 (-110)

O/U: 138.5

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- The undefeated Georgetown Hoyas (5-0, Big East) will host the Coppin State Eagles (0-7, MEAC) on Sunday evening in the second game of the BB&T Classic. The Classic, a D.C.-based series of game that raises money for Children’s Charities Funds, will also feature a game between the George Washington Colonials and Temple Owls earlier in the day.

Georgetown enters the game fresh off a string of strong offensive performances, with five Hoyas scoring in double figures in each of the team’s last four games. In their most recent game against the Maine Black Bears, the Blue & Gray were led by juniors Kaleb Johnson, Jessie Govan, and Marcus Derrickson, who combined for 36 points in the win.

CONTINUE READING

EWC Alvin Wyatt Resigns as Head Football Coach

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- EWC Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Stanley B. Cromartie has announced that Alvin B. Wyatt, Sr. has resigned his position as head football coach at Edward Waters College, effective immediately.

Wyatt joined Edward Waters in 2012 as defensive coordinator after a storied and Hall of Fame 13- year career at Bethune-Cookman University as its head coach. He was then selected as the 13th head football coach in EWC football history on December 10, 2013.

"Coach Wyatt has been a legendary figure in the world of coaching and molding young men." Said Cromartie. "We thank him for his hard work and dedication to our football program at EWC and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors."

Cromartie will meet with the remaining assistant coaches on Monday and will launch a national search for the next head football coach for EWC soon thereafter.

Cromartie further added, "I firmly believe that we have the tools necessary to be successful in football here at EWC." "I will do everything in my power to ensure that we select the right person to help lead our program to championships on the field and greater successes off of it."

Pough still right coach for S.C. State Bulldogs

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The end of the regular season in college football annually produces as much news about coaching changes as the pending postseason. Things are no different in 2017 with coaching exits, searches and entrances at high-profile schools such as Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arizona State and UCLA.

This year, the focus on the future for coaches extends into Orangeburg, where S.C. State’s Buddy Pough is at the end of a contract and coming off his worst season in 16 years leading the Bulldog program.

After the homecoming loss to Howard on Oct. 28, first-year Athletic Director Stacey Danley went public with a statement of support for Pough amid the standard fare of fan complaints that comes with losing football games. Danley said then that he supported Pough but qualified his remarks by stating that season’s end would bring an evaluation of the coach and the program. He said S.C. State expected to win its closing two games.

But the Bulldogs did not win, even falling 34-10 on the final Saturday to Savannah State, a team that has not defeated S.C. State since 2001. The loss left the team at 3-7 and gave Pough his worst mark as the head coach of a program that boasts 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football titles.

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Grambling Tigers capture second consecutive SWAC Championship

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Grambling State University football team scored 28 unanswered second-quarter points as the Tigers held on and survived a late Alcorn State rally to capture their second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship, 40-32, on Saturday night at NRG Stadium.

"We played exceptionally well in the first half, except of the muff punt we had," Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs said. "We didn't play as well as I would have liked in the second half. Alcorn State has a tremendous program and I knew they would keep fighting. That is what champions do. Now we get two weeks to rest our players and get prepared for the Celebration Bowl."

Grambling State (11-1) began with the football and started its opening drive at 10, but a delay of game penalty backed the Tigers up five yards to the 5-yard line.

GSU went to work as Kincade connected with Martez Carter for eight yards and on third down to Calif Samon for 21 yards. After Carter was stopped for no gain, Quintin Guice caught a 46-yard pass from Kincade to set up shop at the Alcorn State 20. Two plays later, Kincade scored on a 15-yard run to give the Tigers a 7-0 advantage with 12:06 left in the opening quarter.

Alcorn State, which went 80 yards in eight plays, answered the opening Grambling State drive by using the ground game as the Braves punched the ball in from the 2-yard line on a rushing touchdown by De'Lance Turner to tie the game at 7 with 7:50 remaining in the first.

After going three-and-out on the next series, the Tigers punted the ball, but got it right back after Alcorn State's Jalen Richardson muffed the kick as Bryce Williams recovered the loose ball at the Braves' 34.

Grambling State was unable to move the ball as Marc Orozco booted a career-long 48-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead with 5:28 remaining.

After stopping the Braves on their next series, the Tigers turned the ball over as Malik Route fumbled trying to scoop up a punt and Alcorn State's Damien Anderson recovered at the Tigers' 40. The Braves cashed in off the turnover as Corey McCullough kicked a 21-yard field goal to tie the game at 10 with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter.

The Tigers appeared to go three-and-out on their next offensive series, but Miguel Mendez faked the punt and rushed eight yards for a first down at the Grambling State 41. The Tigers capitalized on the fake punt and went 59 yards in 10 plays as Carter scored on a 4-yard touchdown run to give Grambling State a 17-10 advantage with 11:27 remaining in the first half 31-10 with

After forcing an Alcorn State punt, Grambling State went to work at its own 39 and the Tigers marched 61 yards in eight plays as Kincade connected with Jordan Jones for a 15-yard touchdown pass to extend the advantage to 24-10.

Grambling State was just getting starting as the De'Andre Hogues forced a Braves fumble and the Tigers went right back to work. Kincade hit the spin button and dove for the end zone to complete a four-play, 46-yard drive. Kincade was initially ruled down on the play, but after review of the replay, the play was overturned as the Tigers led 31-10 with 4:42 remaining.
After forcing a punt by Alcorn State, Grambling State took over at its own 25 with 3:08 remaining in the first half. The Tigers proceeded to march 75 yards in six plays as Guice caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kincade to give the Tigers a commanding 38-10 lead right before the break.

Alcorn State twice had an opportunity in the third quarter to cut the deficit, but the Braves turned the ball over on downs and McCullough's 21-yard field goal banked off the left upright and away to keep the Tigers advantage at 28 points.

Grambling State put the final touches on the night just five seconds into the fourth when Turner was tackled in the end zone by Brandon Varner for a safety as the Tigers pushed the advantage to 40-10 with 14:55 remaining.

The Braves (7-5) added a 34-yard touchdown as Lenorris Footman connected with Norlando Neals for the score with 12:53 remaining to cut the deficit to 40-17.

Alcorn State scored two more touchdowns and converted a two-point conversion to cut the margin to 40-32. The Braves had one more final opportunity to attempt to tie the game, but Footman's hail may fell short as the Tigers escaped with the win.

Turning Point
The second quarter provided to be the biggest difference in the game.

Grambling State and Alcorn State were tied at 10 at the beginning of the quarter, but the Tigers dominated the second with 28 unanswered points.

It can be said that the biggest turning point in the game came on a special teams play. With the two teams tied at 10 late in the first quarter, punter Miguel Mendez rushed eight yards for a first down. That play spun the momentum into the direction of Grambling State as the Tigers went on to get a 5-yard rushing touchdown by Martez Carter to give GSU a 17-10 lead with 11:27 left in the second quarter.

Alcorn State could never recover from the momentum swing as Grambling State finished with 363 total yards in the first half and Kincade was 14-of-23 passing for 223 yards.

Jordan Jones and Quintin Guice caught touchdown passes and Kincade scored on a 27-yard touchdown run as Grambling State took a controlling 38-10 lead into the half.

Inside the Numbers
· Grambling State finished with 19 first downs.
· The Tigers registered 439 total yards, including 268 through the air.
· Alcorn State tallied 21 first downs and 502 total yards, most of them coming in the second half.
· Devante Kincade was 14-of-24 passing for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
· Devante Kincade led the Tigers in rushing with 11 carries for 75 yards and two scores.
· Kobe Ross had four receptions for a team-high 87 yards.
· Darrell Clark added four catches for 30 yards.
· Marc Orozco was 1-for-1 on field goals.
· Grambling State recorded a safety for the fourth time this season.
· De'Andre Hogues finished with seven tackles, including four solo stops, one sack and one forced fumble.
· Lenorris Footman was 20-of-34 passing for 307 yards and one score.
· De'Lance Turner added 134 yards on 20 carries to pace the ground attack for the Braves.
· Marquis Warford finished with131 yards on seven receptions.
· Terry Whittington led Alcorn State defensively with 10 tackles.
· The Tigers were 8-of-16 on third-down conversions.
· The Braves were 5-of-13 on third downs.
· Devante Kincade and De'Andre Hogues earned the SWAC Offensive and Defensive MVPs.
· Devante Kincade has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 of the 12 games played this season.
· Since the season-opening loss to Tulane, the Tigers have trailed for just 18 minutes and 40 seconds (Jackson State, Clark Atlanta, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern).
· The Tigers scored on their opening drive for the seventh time this season.

News & Notes
· Grambling State came into the game ranked No. 12 in the FCS Coaches Preseason Poll and No. 13 in the STATS FCS Top 25 Poll, No. 1 in the SBN Sports Network Black College Football Poll and No. 2 in the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Poll.
· Grambling State wore its black jersey's with black pants and improved to 6-2 during the Broderick Fobbs era.
· Grambling State has led at the half in 11-of-12 games this season.
· Saturday's SWAC title game marked the third consecutive year the two teams met for the championship.
· Broderick Fobbs improved to 6-1 all-time against Alcorn State.
· Grambling State improved to 46-21-3 all-time against Alcorn State.
· GSU came into the game ranked No. 1 in the FCS and SWAC in team sacks.
· The Tigers placed 12 student-athletes on the All-SWAC Football Teams.
· Broderick Fobbs was named the SWAC Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season.
· Devante Kincade was selected the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, the "Big Ben" Award winner (first two-time winner) and is a finalist for the Black College Football Player of the Year.
· De'Arius Christmas earned the SWAC's Defensive Player of the Year honor.
· The Tigers have won 11 straight after losing to Tulane to begin the season.
· Grambling State is the defending HBCU National Champions.
· Grambling State is seeking back-to-back SWAC Championships.
· Saturday's game was broadcasted live on the ESPNU.
· Grambling State is 8-2 all-time in SWAC Championship games.
· Saturday's championship marked the 19th and final SWAC title game.
· In the summer of 2017, the SWAC announced the end of the Conference Championship Football game, with the final game to be played on Dec. 2.
· The SWAC Championship has been played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. (1999-2012) and at NRG Stadium/Reliant Stadium (2013-2017).

Up Next
With the SWAC Championship victory, Grambling State received a berth to the 2017 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The Tigers will meet the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champions, North Carolina A&T State. The Aggies, ranked No. 7 in the FCS Top 25 Poll, won the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration are just one of two undefeated teams in the FCS with an 11-0 mark. The game will begin the bowl season live on ABC with an 11 a.m. (central) kickoff.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathetics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

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Morgan Lady Bears Extend Home Winning Streak To Five Straight; Defeat NJIT, 55-43

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Morgan State women's basketball team improved to 4-0 at home this season, following its 55-43 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House. The win is Morgan State's fifth straight at home dating back to last season.

The Lady Bears (5-3) were again led by senior Lexus Spears, who scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, as Morgan State improved to 3-1 all-time against NJIT. It was the third consecutive game that Spears has scored 20-plus points. The Jacksonville, Fla. native shot 9-of-14 from the floor and recorded two steals and a block.

Fellow senior and St. Louis, Mo. native Braennan Farrar finished with 14 points, five rebounds, a team-high three assists and two steals. Tayler Miller, another senior out of St. Louis, Mo., came off the bench to add seven points, a team-high three assists and two steals.

The Lady Bears would shot 43 percent (23-of-53) for the game, including a period-best 53 percent (8-of-15) in the third quarter. Morgan State outscored the guests, 36-10 in the paint and had a 14-1 advantage in second chance points. The Lady Bears' bench had a 13-4 advantage and Morgan State finished with a 39-25 rebounding cushion over the Highlanders.

NJIT (0-8) shot 16-of-41 (39 percent) for the game and connected on 8-of-20 (40 percent) from the free throw line. Tatianna Torres led the Highlanders with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ellyn Stoll scored 10 points and had two assists and Amarri Trueheard added seven points. Dez Allen led the team with six rebounds.

The Highlanders matched their largest lead of the game (7 points) at 20-13 with 6:58 to play in the second quarter, but the hosts responded with a 9-0 run, capped off by a basket by Farrar to give the Lady Bears their first lead of the game at 22-20. Morgan State would take a 24-23 lead into the lockerroom.

Trailing 27-26 early in the third quarter, the Lady Bears used a 13-2 spurt to take control of the game and take a 39-29 lead on a layup by Miller at the 3:15 mark in the third quarter. NJIT would pull within four points two different times, the last coming at 43-39 after a jumper by Trueheart with 5:57 left in the game. Morgan State however, would push the lead back to 12 points on an 8-0 run and never looked back.

The Lady Bears will host Florida International on Monday, Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House. FIU won the lone meeting, 77-60 on Jan. 3, 2012 in Miami, Fla. The Panthers (2-6) were dealt a 69-62 loss at Howard on Saturday. FIU is 0-2 this season against members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with its other loss coming against Bethune-Cookman (77-59) earlier in the season.

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Howard Bison Knock Off Florida International

WASHINGTON, D. C.  – Coach Ty Grace and the Howard University Women's Basketball team earned its second win in a row after knocking off Florida International (FIU), 69-62, inside Burr Gymnasium.

Despite only shooting 35-percent (23-of-66) from the field, HU (2-5) reached the charity stripe 23 times and shot 74-percent (17-of-23). Additionally, Howard outrebounded the Panthers, 48-38.

Sophomore Sarah Edmond had a game-high 24 points, including 10-of-12 from the foul line. Senior Tajzhane Dopson recorded her first double-double of the season, posting 11 points and 11 boards in the victory.

FIU's Callie Cavanaugh scored a layup and give the Panthers a nine-point advantage with 5:32 remaining in the third, 43-34. From that point on, HU chipped away at the deficit.

With less than a minute left in the third, sophomore Danielle Griffin connected on both free throws and put the Bison ahead, 47-46. Florida International regained the lead after three, 49-48, thanks to a freebie from Shante Walker.

In the fourth, Howard went on a 13-2 spurt and held its largest lead of the game, 61-51. FIU fought back and sliced the margin down as low as four, but HU made several free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Newcomer Tariah Johnson filled the stat sheet once again, finishing with 14 points, six steals, five rebounds, and an assist. Sophomore Jayla Myles added eight points, seven boards, and two rejections in the win.

Howard opened the game on a 6-1 run until FIU scored 10 unanswered to take the lead, 11-6. Florida International kept the momentum going as they extended their advantage to double-digits after a trey ball from Lauryn Snipes, 23-13. HU rallied and closed the opening quarter on an 8-2 spurt.

Moments into the second, Edmond drilled a long ball and tied the contest, 25-25. Howard took its first lead of the game after a fast-break layup from Johnson and three-pointer by Dopson, 30-25. FIU battled back and reclaimed the lead after going on a 6-0 run to end the half, 31-30.

For FIU (2-6), Kiandre'a Pound registered a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards. Cavanaugh netted a team-best 12 points in a losing effort.

Next Saturday (Dec. 9), the Bison conclude its three-game home stand against St. Francis-Brooklyn. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

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HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON SPORTS INFORMATION

UMES Ride Second Half Wave for Comeback Over American

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball came back from 12 down in the second half, taking the lead in the final minutes to beat American University 74-70 on Saturday afternoon at the Hytche Athletic Center.

“I’m exhausted, but I’m happy. It’s a good kind of exhausted,” said Hawks head coach Bobby Collins after the win. “We dug down and did some good things. We still have a lot of work to do, but that’s a good thing. I’d rather teach a lesson after a win than a loss.”

Facing a 45-37 hole at halftime, the Hawks (3-5) let the Eagles (2-5) stretch it all the way to 12 in the early stages of the second half. Back-to-back layups by Larry Motuzis put AU up 55-43 with 14:40 to play.

Eastern Shore hung tough over the next six minutes, whittling the deficit down to four with Tyler Jones’ (Atlantic City, New Jersey) jumper at the 9:38 mark. The Eagles pushed the lead back to eight moments later on breakaway layups by Motuzis and Sa’eed Nelson, making it 62-54 with 8:54 to play.

Eight was as big of a lead AU would have the rest of the game, though, as The Shore took over from there. Colen Gaynor (Berlin, Maryland) put himself on the left post for a putback layup and put in another one minute later to get the Hawks within 62-58. Logan McIntosh (Atlanta, Georgia) stripped CB Diallo on the other end, setting the fast break in motion and finding Ahmad Frost (Cincinnati, Ohio) on the left wing for an open three. Frost’s trey capped a 7-0 run to make it a 62-61 game at the 6:25 mark.

The teams went back-and-forth for the next three minutes, then Miryne Thomas (Cleveland, Ohio) sank one of two free throws with 3:37 to play to tie it at 67-67. Back on defense, Frost shadowed Motuzis on the perimeter and forced a push off for an offensive foul. The Hawks missed the ensuing shot, but Jones blocked Nelson down low and drew a foul on the attacking end, hitting his first of two foul shots to give Eastern Shore a 68-67 lead – its first since the 10:19 mark of the first half – with 2:16 to go.

Thomas and Frost each hit a pair of free throws to give the Hawks a 72-67 cushion with 42 seconds left. AU gave it one last gasp at the other end as Diallo hit one of two foul shots and Nelson converted a miss into a layup, making it 72-70. Jones then missed two to give the Eagles a chance to tie, but Frost frustrated Nelson and forced a bad shot. Jones got the board and redeemed himself by sinking two with 10 seconds left to ice it.

Jones paced the Hawk offense with 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds, including four on offense. Eastern Shore owned the offensive glass 18-11 on the way to outrebounding the Eagles 40-35.

Thomas notched his first career double-double, scoring 17 points with 10 boards. McIntosh added 13 points with five boards and a game-high six assists. Frost scored 13, including a trio of clutch three-pointers, and largely shut down Eagle star Nelson on defense in the second half.

“He did a great job containing him,” said Collins of Frost. “He was giving us an inside presence too. I was unhappy that he had to get his own offensive rebounds, but we needed that down the stretch and I’m very pleased.”

Motuzis led the way for American with 24 points, including 15 in the first half. Nelson notched 20 again for AU but was limited to just six in the second half by Frost.

Eastern Shore had one of its best free-throw shooting days of the season, hitting 22-of-29 from the charity stripe, including 8-of-12 from Jones alone.

“We expect Tyler to be a leader,” said Collins. “He’s a veteran player and he’s just a sophomore. How about that?”

The Hawks came out swinging in the first half, taking a 12-2 lead in the first four minutes on a flurry of inside pressure. AU tightened up the screws, though, and turned the game on its head over the rest of the half. A Drew LaMont three cut the lead to one, and a Motuzis fastbreak layup put the Eagles up 22-21 with 10:19 before the break. American kept the foot on the gas, leading by as many as 12 and ultimately taking an eight-point lead into the locker room.

The win gives the Hawks three nonconference triumphs in their first eight games, matching their total from all of last year.

Eastern Shore now hits the road for its next six games, starting on Monday night at Duquesne. Tip from the A.J. Paulmbo Center is set for 7 p.m. Monday’s game will be broadcast locally on flagship radio station Fox Sports 960 AM WTGM and online at EasternShoreHawks.com. Pregame coverage starts at 6:45 p.m. with Will DeBoer on the call for The Shore Sports Network.

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Women Roll Past Western Carolina, 80-63

CULLOWHEE, North Carolina  --  The FAMU Women's Basketball team rode a torrid first half shooting performance to capture their first win of the season, 80-63 over Western Carolina on the road Saturday afternoon.

FAMU (1-7) shot 53.3 percent from the floor (16 of 30) in the opening half, while splashing six of 10 shots from distance to storm to a 43-19 halftime lead.

The Rattler Women finished the game with their best shooting performance of the season, at 48.3 percent (28 of 58), while their 44.4 percent performance from distance (8 of 18) was the season's best as well.



However, Western Carolina (1-6) did not fold, shooting 51.7 percent (15 of 29) in the second half, outscoring FAMU, 44-37 in the final two quarters.

The Catamounts outpaced FAMU in the third period, 27-14, cutting the Rattler advantage to 57-46 headed into the fourth, where the visitors pulled away with a 23-17 closing surge.

Leading the way for FAMU was guard Florence Ouattara with 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers, followed by Ecenur "E" Yurdakul with 13 points and four steals, center Shalunda Burney Robinson with a double double, 12 points and 14 rebounds, and guard Dawn King with 10 points, featuring a 3-for-4 shooting effort from distance.

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WHAT'S NEXT: FAMU (1-7) will play their next two games at home, Thursday against Lynn University at 6:00 p.m., and next Sunday against North Florida at 2:00 p.m. in the Lawson Center.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Season wrap Q&A Part 2: Dawson Odums looks ahead to the 2018 season

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Currently on Southern coach Dawson Odums' mind: the holes he needs to fill on his roster and his excitement for his team to go through spring practice for the first time in a long time.

The departure of a large and productive senior class will be the latest hurdle for Odums and his coaching staff to fill, and it will have to do so with limited scholarship numbers, making it even more challenging. Odums hinted at the type of players he may try to find to fill those gaps.



One thing that will ease that burden is the return of spring practice, which Odums believes will allow him to develop some players that he believes were undernourished from a training perspective because of the lack of spring drills.

Odums spoke with the Advocate about what he expects to happen over the course of the offseason.

Odums: We’ve got to get longer receivers. In 2017, we spent time trying to get slot receivers. This class will be about long, outside receivers. We’re going to go from there.

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SWAC Football All-Conference Teams Released

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its 2017 All-Conference Teams Thursday with 12 players from the SWAC West Division champions Grambling State being tabbed for the most individual honors.

The teams were announced two days prior to the 2017 Toyota SWAC Football Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, after ballots were cast by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

50 players were named to this year’s All-Conference teams. Players were ranked in their position based upon the number of votes received. Ballots required voters to rank their selections in order. After helping lead the Tigers to a conference-best 10-win season, Grambling State quarterback Devante Kincade was the voters’ choice for the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year award.

Following up on his SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year nod, Kincade completed 59.7 percent of his passes and threw for 2,409 yards with 19 touchdowns against just three interceptions. The senior held the top passing efficiency with a rating of 143.8. Additionally, Kincade accounted for the most total yards of offense as well with 2,649 yards.

De’Arius Christmas was tabbed as the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year after he was ranked fourth in the conference in tackles with 76, third in the SWAC with 14.5 tackles for a loss, to go along with 3.5 sacks (18th in SWAC), and two forced fumbles (tied for fourth in SWAC).

Mississippi Valley State junior transfer wide receiver Quinn McElfresh was named the SWAC Newcomer of the Year after leading the conference in receptions per game (5.2), was ranked second in receiving yards per game (80.8), led in receiving yards (889) and added five touchdowns.

Prairie View A&M kicker Zach Elder was honored with the SWAC Freshman of the Year award after ranking tied for third in the conference in scoring (72 points) as he made 42-of-43 PATs and converted on 10-of-12 field goals. He led the SWAC in PAT percentage (97.7).

Broderick Fobbs was dubbed the SWAC Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to another double-digit win season and a third consecutive trip to the SWAC Championship. Grambling State lead the conference in points per game (32.0), was second in points allowed per game (19.4) and boosted the conference’s best run stopping defense (allowed 94.0 yards per game), most interceptions (16), most sacks (41) and one of the nation’s top turnover ratios (plus 21) as well as the SWAC’s top red zone offense (converted on 90 percent of chances).

SWAC East Division winner Alcorn State had the second most amount of selections with nine, SWAC West Division runner up Southern and Prairie View A&M followed closely behind with eight selections apiece on the teams.

Mississippi Valley State had four selections while Alabama A&M and Alabama State each garnered three selections apiece, Arkansas-Pine Bluff had two selections and Jackson State had one representative.

Joining Kincade on the preseason first-team offense are: running backs De’Lance Turner (Alcorn State), Martez Carter (Grambling State) and offensive linemen Trent Scott (Grambling State), Timothy Gardner (Alcorn State), William Waddell (Grambling State), Kenyon Brantley (Alcorn State), and Sam Baptiste (Alabama State), wide receivers Norlando Veals (Alcorn State) and Khadarel Hodge (Prairie View A&M) and tight end Dillon Beard (Southern).

Joining Christmas on the first-team defense are: defensive linemen Aaron Tiller (Southern), La’Allan Clark (Grambling State), Brandon Varner (Grambling State), and Vernon Moland (Alabama A&M), linebackers Kenneth Davis (Alabama A&M), and Jalyn Williams (Prairie View A&M) and defensive backs Danny Johnson (Southern), De’Aumante Johnson (Grambling State), Ju’Anthony Parker (Prairie View A&M), and Ronnie Scott (Alabama State).

Kicker Marc Orozco (Grambling State), punter Jamie Gillan (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and Darius Floyd (Prairie View A&M) were each tabbed as first team selections for special teams.

Offensive Player of the Year: Devante Kincade (QB) – Grambling State

Defensive Player of the Year: De’Arius Christmas (LB) – Grambling State

Newcomer of the Year: Quinn McElfresh (WR) – Mississippi Valley State

Freshman of the Year: Zach Elder (K) – Prairie View A&M

Coach of the Year: Broderick Fobbs – Grambling State

2017 All-SWAC Football Team

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Devante Kincade Grambling State
RB De’Lance Turner Alcorn State
RB Martez Carter Grambling State
OL Trent Scott Grambling State
OL Timothy Gardner Alcorn State
OL William Waddell Grambling State
OL Kenyon Brantley Alcorn State
OL Sam Baptiste Alabama State
WR Norlando Veals Alcorn State
WR Khadarel Hodge Prairie View A&M
TE Dillon Beard Southern

DEFENSE
DL Aaron Tiller Southern
DL La’Allan Clark Grambling State
DL Brandon Varner Grambling State
DL Vernon Moland Alabama A&M
LB De’Arius Christmas Grambling State
LB Kenneth Davis Alabama A&M
LB Jalyn Williams Prairie View A&M
DB Danny Johnson Southern
DB De’Aumante Johnson Grambling State
DB Ju’Anthony Parker Prairie View A&M
DB Ronnie Scott Alabama State

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Marc Orozco Grambling State
P Jamie Gillan Arkansas-Pine Bluff
RS Darius Floyd Prairie View A&M

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Austin Howard Southern
RB Herb Edwards Southern
RB Sta’Fon McCray Prairie View A&M
OL Mustaffa Ibrahim Alcorn State
OL Corbin Finlayson Prairie View A&M
OL Shawn Pierce Prairie View A&M
OL Alvin Solomon Mississippi Valley State
OL Christian Rodriguez Southern
WR Quinn McElfresh Mississippi Valley State
WR Darrell Clark Grambling State
TE Jordan Jones Grambling State

DEFENSE
DL Michael Brooks Alcorn State
DL Tashad Charity Arkansas-Pine Bluff
DL Linwood Banks Grambling State
DL DeVohn Reed Prairie View A&M
LB Patrick Harbin Mississippi Valley State
LB Trae Ferrell Alcorn State
LB Shawn Bishop Jackson State
DB Dylan Hamilt
on Alabama A&M
DB Everett Nicholas Mississippi Valley State
DB Andre Augustine Southern
DB Deago Sama Alcorn State

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Corey McCullough Alcorn State
P Trevor Vincent Alabama State
RS Danny Johnson Southern

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Friday night lit: Jones, Nuggets blast Georgetown Tigers 62-45

NEW ORLEANS — Freshman guard Taylor Jones scored all 11 of her points in the first three minutes — including 3-of-3 3-pointers — to spark Xavier University of Louisiana in a 62-45 women's basketball victory against Georgetown (Ky.) Friday at the Convocation Center.

It was the fourth straight victory and the second in three days for the Gold Nuggets (4-2), who will play host to NAIA No. 13 Our Lady of the Lake at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Jones, scoring in double figures for the third time in four games, produced all her points in XULA's first five possessions. Teammates Essence Wells and Jayla Nichols scored 11 points apiece; Nichols reached double figures for the first time this season.



Justus Martin had 15 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals for the Tigers (2-7), who lost their fifth in a row, and Shelby Beam scored 12.

XULA led 15-2 through four minutes and 26-4 when Wells swished XULA's sixth trey of the quarter at 2:58. Nichols made the other two treys in the period.

The Gold Nuggets led 34-18 at halftime. Georgetown closed its deficit to seven in the third quarter, but XULA ended the period on a 7-0 run. The Gold Nuggets maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the fourth quarter.



XULA was plus-9 in turnovers — gaining 21 and committing a season-low 12 — and a season-best plus-11 in rebounds (43-32). Reserve center DeDe Martinez had season highs of 10 rebounds and three blocks. XULA produced 15 steals, with Wells getting a career-high-tying four and Mikayla Bates getting three for the second straight game.

The teams' field-goal accuracy was nearly identical. Georgetown shot 36.7 percent, and XULA shot 35.8. But XULA led 24-18 in made field goals and 8-4 in made 3-pointers. The Nuggets and Tigers combined for 17 fouls in a game that lasted one hour and 28 minutes — 17 minutes shorter than the Nuggets' 51-48 Wednesday home victory against LSU-Alexandria.

XULA has trailed for just 35 seconds during its win streak, all in the last four minutes against LSUA. It was the third straight game that the Nuggets allowed fewer than 50 points.

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Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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