SIAC Tournament: Fort Valley State women advance

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  Jayme Gilbert scored a game-high 19 points and was one of five players to score in double figures to help Fort Valley State cruise to a 101-61 win over Lane College in the opening round of the 2013 SIAC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Atlanta.

The #4 seed in the East, Fort Valley State (14-12), dominated the #5 seed in the West, Lane, early with pressure defense and fast-break points.

The win placed the Lady Wildcats in the quarterfinals against the top seed in the West, the Lady Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. With the loss, the Lady Dragons were eliminated from the tournament.

Benedict claimed the East Division title and received the top-seed from the division and first-round bye. Tuskegee swept through the West Division to garner the top-seed from its division and first-round bye, as well. East and West Division runners-up, Clark Atlanta and Benedict, in addition, received first-round byes.

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Claflin pulls away in final minutes to top Lane

ATLANTA — Claflin University used a late run to create distance in a 79-68 victory over Lane College on Monday in the opening round of the 2013 SIAC Men’s Basketball Tournament being played through Saturday at Franklin L. Forbes Arena on the campus of Morehouse College.

Claflin’s Jarrod Denard led all scorers with a game-high 22 points. Michael Jones tallied 18 points and David Glover tossed in 11, all off the Panthers’ bench to lead Claflin to a quarterfinal match-up Wednesday afternoon at 3:15 against #1 West seed Tuskegee.

Trailing 32-28 at the half, Claflin found it difficult to shake off the physical play of the Dragons until midway through the second half when the Panthers took a 56-54 lead.

With less than two minutes remaining, Claflin built its largest lead of the contest at 77-65. Free throws down the stretch proved to be crucial for the Panthers, who converted on 6-6 as they advanced in the tournament.

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Follow Bowie State Lady Bulldogs and Bulldogs Basketball at CIAA Tournament

 CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fans can follow the Bowie State University women's and men's basketball teams at the CIAA Basketball Tournament through Live Streaming, Live Stats and Live Twitter updates as play begins at 11 a.m., Tuesday (2/26) at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Bowie State Lady Bulldogs, the No. 6 seed from the Northern Division, begins tournament play 3 p.m., Tuesday against Winston-Salem State, the No. 3 seed from the Southern Division, in the opening round of the tournament.

Winston-Salem State cruised to a 66-41 victory over Bowie State in their only meeting this season, on January 7 at BSU's A.C. Jordan Arena. Junior Alessandra Flores Conway (Hagerstown, Md.) led the Lady Bulldogs with eight points. Senior Jasmine Jacobs (Baltimore, Md.) and sophomore Bria Robinson (Richmond, Va.) contributed seven points each. Jacobs was BSU's top rebounder with six.

Bowie State's men, enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed in the North and receive a first round bye. The Bulldogs begin competition on Wednesday (2/27) at 9 pm versus the winner of the Shaw (No. 5 South) and Chowan (No. 6 South) opening round contest.

The tournament gets underway Tuesday at 11:00 am and continues through Saturday at the Time Warner Cable Arena. For those unable to attend the tournament, follow the games via LIVE STATS, live VIDEO STREAMING or by way of twitter.


COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA is all-basketball on Tuesday

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  The focus will be on basketball Tuesday, as six first-round games launch the annual CIAA tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte’s uptown.

A number of other special events are scheduled in addition to the tournament later in the week, including bowling and skating parties, special programs for the region’s middle school and high school students, a dance team step show, and the CIAA Toyota Fan Experience.

But on Tuesday, it’s just basketball. The Johnson C. Smith University women’s team plays at 5 p.m. against Lincoln (Pa.) University. The men’s team does not play until Thursday afternoon.

Charlotte Area Transit System says its Gold Rush Red Line will operate extended hours between Johnson C. Smith University and the intersection of Fourth and McDowell streets. The buses will run 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Red Line hours will be 6:30 a.m.-midnight Thursday and Friday, and from 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday.


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Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/25/3877824/ciaa-is-all-basketball-on-tuesday.html#storylink=cpy

VSU football staff heavy with FCS experience

ETTRICK, Virginia  --  Virginia State University has committed to football in a way that allowed new head coach Latrell Scott to form a staff heavy with experience at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Scott, the former University of Richmond coach hired by Division II VSU on Jan. 14, will be the Trojans’ offensive coordinator.

“It’s exciting to be back in a situation to run a program again, and to be able to do it with quality coaches and quality kids,” said Scott, a Richmond native and Lee-Davis High graduate. “The kids have embraced the structure, and we’re running this just like we did at Richmond.”

Chris Malone, who’s from Emporia and was a four-year starter at guard for Virginia Tech, will coordinate VSU’s running game and coach the Trojans’ offensive linemen. Malone spent the past seven seasons on James Madison’s staff, on which Scott worked last season.

VSU’s defensive coordinator is ...

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Shaw women’s basketball team hopes to continue CIAA success

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  The Shaw women’s basketball team will seek its third straight conference championship as the CIAA tournament gets under way Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.

The Bears, who are also the defending NCAA Division II national champions, finished a game behind Fayetteville State in the CIAA South. The two teams tied in the division (8-2), but the Broncos had the better conference record.

Shaw has a first-round bye and will take on the winner of the Winston-Salem State, Bowie State matchup on Wednesday at 5 p.m. The Bears (22-4) have won five of their last six games, including a televised 88-58 thrashing of Johnson C. Smith Saturday at Southeast Raleigh High School.

“It was good for our seniors to go out like that,” coach Jacques Curtis said. “We’ve had a good year. To make it a better year, we have to go out and try to win the CIAA tournament. That’s what is on the minds of our seniors right now.”

Shaw will have to do it without the services of ...




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UAPB'S Terron Armstead, a 306-pound tackle, runs a jaw-dropping 40

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Unless you’re a hard-core draft junkie or a fan of Arkansas Pine-Bluff, you’ve probably never heard of Terron Armstead. But he just did something unprecedented at the Scouting Combine.

Armstead ran his 40-yard dash in an unofficial time of 4.65 seconds, which is stunningly fast for a 306-pound offensive tackle. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said he had never seen an offensive lineman finish a 40 in less than 4.7 seconds, and according to NFL.com, the Combine record for an offensive lineman before Armstead’s stunning run this morning was 4.84 seconds, set by Allen Barbre in 2007.

Armstead is a freakish all-around athlete who was also an outstanding shot putter in college, but the question, of course, is whether he can translate that athleticism to playing at the NFL level. And on that score, the early indications are good: Although he didn’t play against high-quality competition at Arkansas Pine-Bluff, he was a good college player who was so impressive at the East-West Shrine Game that he got a late invitation to the Senior Bowl.

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Terron Armstead surprises in 40-yard dash at combine

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  -- Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive lineman Terron Armstead wasn't a household name before Saturday. He won't be one Sunday. But he might have just made some history at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Armstead provided the first "wow" moment in Indianapolis, running an official time of 4.71 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Armstead's mark is the best time by a lineman at the combine since at least 2006.

Minutes before Armstead's feat, NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock speculated that Oklahoma's Lane Johnson had a chance to run a sub-4.7 40.  Johnson ran with the second group of linemen and posted an official time of 4.72 seconds.

Mayock said Armstead began his move up draft boards with a strong performance in the East-West Shrine Game. Players from small schools can use all-star games to put themselves on the radar, which Armstead certainly did.



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How fast was Terron Armstead's 40?

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana --  We spliced the 40s of Terron Armstead -- a 300-pound lineman -- and TJ Moe -- a wide receiver -- together to paint a picture.

What Armstead did on Saturday, running a 4.71 40 officially that appeared to have been quicker than that at first, was absolutely impressive. And even more impressive was how quick he got off the line. Moe is going to chase Armstead down here, because linemen aren't really expected to keep the pace up for 40 yards. But look at that get off. That's the impressive piece.

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Wrapping up Alabama A&M OL Jamaal Johnson-Webb's time at the NFL Combine

NORMAL, Alabama  --  Simply being at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis was a monumental achievement for Alabama A&M's Jamaal-Johnson Webb.

He didn't begin playing football until his senior year of high school, then took a redshirt as a freshman at A&M before going on to become a three-year starter and the first player in the school's history to be invited to the league's official pre-draft showcase.

The Georgia native heighted out at 6-foot-5 and weighed in at 313 pounds. Johnson- Webb's 35.75-inch wingspan was third among the 61 offensive linemen who participated behind only Alabama's D.J. Fluker and Tennessee State's Roger Gaines.

While fellow SWAC product Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Terron Armstead stole the show and ...


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Tomlin’s ninth-inning single lifts SU past Prairie View

HOUSTON, Texas — After losing the first two games of the MLB Urban Invitational college baseball tournament and having only one hit through the first seven innings Sunday, Southern’s game against Prairie View came down to a backup shortstop getting his first at-bat with two outs in the ninth inning.

Sophomore Marcus Tomlin, who came in an inning earlier to replace an injured Jeremy Lopez, drove a line drive single through the hole to give the Jaguars a 5-4 win over Prairie View at Minute Maid Park.

“Marcus was the one guy I want up there in that situation,” SU coach Roger Cador said. “He’s not going to try to do too much. He’s going to stay within himself, and he did exactly that.”



Tomlin drove in Thomas Willis, who had pinch run for Jose De La Torre, who led off the inning with a single. After a Gavin Webster sacrifice bunt and a Kevin Williams ground out, it was up to Tomlin to come through with two outs.

“That is just how our team is. If one guy can’t do it, you got to come behind him and get it done,” Tomlin said. “We have a lot of heart, sometimes it just takes awhile to show it. I had confidence in myself, and it felt great to come through for my team.”

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Southern’s Odums seeks clarity as spring practice nears

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Another important step in the start of the Dawson Odums era at Southern arrives Tuesday when the football team begins spring practice.

The Jaguars will be on the field for 15 practices in the next four weeks. The spring game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23.

“Coming out of spring ball, I think we’ll have a better gauge of what kind of football team we’re going to have,” Odums said. “I think this football team is only going to be as good as it believes it can be.”

Odums was awarded the full-time job in December after spending the final nine games of 2012 running the team in an interim capacity. The Jaguars went 4-7 last year and finished 3-6 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, losing three times by a combined five points.

But Odums welcomes back 15 starters — eight on offense, seven on defense — from the team that beat Grambling in last year’s Bayou Classic. Kicker Matthew Hill and punter Chase Tuten are also due back.

Senior quarterback Dray Joseph returns after throwing for 2,511 yards to lead the SWAC in passing.



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Seeding Announced for the 2013 SIAC Basketball Tournament

ATLANTA, GA — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) released seeding for the 80^th Annual SIAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will tip off on Monday, February 25th and will be played through Saturday, March 2nd at Franklin L. Forbes Arena on the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA.

SIAC East Co-Division Champions Benedict and Morehouse, along with SIAC West Division Champion Tuskegee received first round byes in the men’s bracket.
 

For the women, Benedict claimed the East Division title and received the top-seed from the division and first round bye. Tuskegee swept through the West Division to garner the top-seed from its division and first round bye, as well. East and West Division runners-up, Clark Atlanta and Benedict, in addition, will also receive first round byes.
 

By virtue of a tie-breaker Benedict men’s team received the top-seed from the East Division after posting a 16-2 record in SIAC action, and a conference best 20-6 overall record. The defending SIAC Tournament Champions, coached by veteran Fred Watson, are led by senior point guard Xavier Collier and reigning SIAC Player of the Year Marcus Goode. Last week, Benedict was ranked No. 6 in the first edition of the Division II South Regional rankings. The Tigers will face the winner of Game 4 between #4W Miles and #5 Albany State, Wednesday evening at 7:45 p.m.
 

Tuskegee, (14-12, 13-4 SIAC) earned the top-seed out of the West Division by finishing its regular season one game ahead of second place Stillman. Coached by veteran Leon Douglass, the Golden Tigers are led by senior guard Calvin Thomas and freshman sensation Shaquille Cook. Tuskegee will face the winner of Game 2 between #4E Claflin and #5W Lane, Wednesday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.
 

In the women’s bracket, Benedict, (16-12, 13-3 SIAC), won nine of its last ten regular season games in the conference to claim the East Division title. The Lady Tigers, coached by first year head coach James Rice, are led by London Richardson, Alexus Jones, and Monique Weathers. Benedict will face the winner of Game 3 between #5W Miles and #4E Albany State, Wednesday at 1 p.m.
 

Coached by Belinda Ruby, Tuskegee finished the SIAC regular season undefeated at 16-0 to claim the SIAC West Division. Tuskegee is led Amelia Dorton, Kajuanna Rivers, Mary McAbee, and Nnenna Eze. In the Division II South Region poll, the Lady Tigers were ranked No. 3. Tuskegee will face the winner of Game 1 between #4E Fort Valley State and #5W Lane.
 

The opening day of the 80^th SIAC Basketball Tournament (Monday, February 25) will feature two women’s game #4E Fort Valley State v. #5W Lane at 1 p.m. and #4W Miles v. #5E Albany State at 5:30 p.m., as well as two men’s games #4E Claflin v. #5W Lane at 3:15 p.m. and #4W Miles v. #5E Albany at 7:45 p.m.

 

2013 SIAC Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule

Monday, February 25 - Opening Round

1:00 PM Game 1 - #4E Fort Valley State vs. #5W Lane

5:30 PM Game 3 - #4W Miles vs. #5E Albany State

Tuesday, February 26 - Opening Round

2:15 PM Game 6 - #3E Paine vs. #6W LeMoyne-Owen

6:45 PM Game 8 - #3W Stillman vs. #6E Claflin

Wednesday, February 27 - Quarterfinals

1:00 PM Game 10 - #1E Benedict vs. Winner of Game 3

5:30 PM Game 12 - #1W Tuskegee vs. Winner of Game 1

Thursday, February 28 - Quarterfinals

1:00 PM Game 14 - #2W Kentucky State vs. Winner of Game 6

5:30 PM Game 16 - #2E Clark Atlanta vs. Winner of Game 8

Friday, March 1 - Semifinals

1:00 PM Game 18 - Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 14

5:30 PM Game 20 - Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 16

Saturday, March 2 - Championship

5:30 PM Game 22 - Winner of Game 18 vs. Winner of Game 20

2013 SIAC Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule

Monday, February 25 - Opening Round

3:15 PM Game 2 - #4E Claflin vs. #5W Lane

7:45 PM Game 4 - #4W Miles vs. #5E Albany State

Tuesday, February 26 - Opening Round

12:00 PM Game 5 - #3E Paine vs. #6W LeMoyne-Owen

4:30 PM Game 7 - #3W Kentucky State vs. #6E Fort Valley State

9:00 PM Game 9 - #2W Stillman vs. #7E Clark Atlanta

Wednesday, February 27 - Quarterfinals

3:15 PM Game 11 - #1W Tuskegee vs. Winner of Game 2

7:45 PM Game 13 - #1E Benedict vs. Winner of Game 4

Thursday, February 28 - Quarterfinals

3:15 PM Game 15 - #2E Morehouse vs. Winner of Game 7

7:45 PM Game 17 - Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 9

Friday, March 1 - Semifinals

3:15 PM Game 19 - Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 17

7:45 PM Game 21 - Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 15

Saturday, March 2 - Championship

8:30 PM Game 23 - Winner of Game 19 vs. Winner of Game 21

COURTESY CIAA.COM

Texas Southern Tigers Rally for Win on National Television

HOUSTON, Texas  --  Andrew Garza had the big stick for the Tigers when they faced Prairie View A&M in national TV in the MLB Urban Invitation at Minute Maid Park.

TSU beat Prairie View 9-0 in a game that was carried on the MLB network.

Sebastian Stargell, Jr. got the Tigers’ offense started in the 2^nd inning when he led off with a triple to left center field. Garza finished it up with a double down the third base line to drive in TSU’s first score of the night.

De’Mario Thibodeaux gave Texas Southern their second run when he singled to left field and Ellis Stephney crossed the plate.

The Tigers’ big inning came in the 5^th. Garza picked up two RBIs when his double up the middle sent Thibodeaux and Corbin Smith home. Stargell scored on the same plate on the throw. TSU held a 6-0 lead at this point.

Stephney tripled in the 7^th inning and scored on the throw to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

TSU scored two runs in the 9^th inning and wrapped up their second win of the tournament.

Garza ended the game with 2 hits and 3 RBIs. Marquis Curry and Smith also had two hits each.

Robert Pearson was outstanding on the mound. He pitched 7.1 innings with 6 strikeouts, two walks and no earned runs.

The Tigers are 2-0 in the MLB Urban Invitational with one game left to play. TSU will face Alabama State on Sunday at noon for their final game of the tournament.

Box Score




By Rodney Bush TSU Sports Information Director
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

TSU Lady Tigers Claim first SWAC Regular Season Title in school history

NORMAL, Alabama  --   History was made on Saturday as the Texas Southern Lady Tigers basketball team captured the programs' first Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season Championship in school history defeating Alabama A&M 72-56.

Texas Southern head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke captured her fourth conference championship in her impressive collegiate career. With the win the Lady Tigers also subsequently clinched the number one seed at the 2013 SWAC Basketball Tournament.

“We are the regular season Champions and we’re very excited about that,” said Cooper-Dyke. “We continued to work hard throughout the season and overall we’ve improved as the season has gone on. I’m very proud of the way our team has fought through adversity and stayed focused.”

TSU was led in scoring by freshman sensation Te’era Williams. Throughout the duration of the game Williams was a constant offensive scoring punch for the Lady Tigers as she scored 25 points marking her new career high for points as well as a new season high for the team.

Kayla West added 16 points along with fellow teammate Brianna Sidney as the Lady Tigers were hot from the field shooting 67 percent in the first half (14-22) and 57 percent for the game (26-45). Texas Southern pushed their season win total to 17 and have won 14 consecutive games in conference play.

Inside the Numbers
Texas Southern grabbed their largest lead of the contest at the 1:07 mark of the first half leading AAMU 42-20. Texas Southern outrebounded Alabama A&M 40-29 while also outscoring them inside the paint 30-22. Williams went 8-of-13 from the field while also connecting on 9-of-12 free throw attempts she also led all player in minutes played with 34.

Up Next
Texas Southern will get set to face Alabama State on the road on Monday at 5:30 pm. The Lady Tigers will return home on Thursday as they are slated to host Southern on Thursday, February 28 at 5:30 pm at H&PE Arena.

Lady Tiger Notables
Texas Southern clinched the number one seed at the 2013 SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament in Dallas.

Head coach Cynthia Cooper Dyke is now only 3 victories shy of reaching 150 wins as a head coach.

The Lady Tigers have now won 14 straight games dating back to Jan. 4.

Te'era Williams scored a season high 25 points against Alabama A&M.

*Texas Southern has set new school records for consecutive wins (14) and overall wins during the regular season (17).

Box Score

*As a member of the NCAA

By Andrew Roberts TSU Sports Information Director
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

The CIAA Releases Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament Pairings and Times

Charlotte, NC…The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has released its pairings for the 2013 CIAA Basketball Tournament as determined by the Basketball Tournament Committee. Both men’s and women’s games begin on opening day, Tuesday, February 25 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Men’s semifinals and finals games will be televised on Bounce TV and ESPNU. All games and post game press conferences will be streamed live online. To follow visit: www.livestream.com/ciaa.

Tournament tickets are still available for purchase by visiting the CIAA Tournament website: www.ciaatournament.org or www.ticketmaster.com. Single day tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday only, are available for purchase at the TWC Arena box office. $25 general admission; $10 students with ID. For an official schedule of events visit www.ciaatournament.org.


Game Times and Seedings:

Tuesday, February 26,
Women

#4S St. Augustine’s vs #5N Chowan	11:00am
#3N Virginia St. vs #6S Livingstone	1:00pm
#3S Winston-Salem St. vs #6N Bowie St.	3:00pm
#4N Lincoln (PA) vs #5S Johnson C. Smith	5:00pm

Men

#5N Virginia St. vs #6S Fayetteville St.	7:00pm
#5S Shaw vs #6N Chowan	9:00pm

Wednesday, February 27
Women

#2N Virginia Union vs 3N/6S winner	11:00am
#1N Elizabeth City St. vs 4S/5N winner	1:00pm
#1S Fayetteville St. vs 4N/5S winner	3:00pm
#2S Shaw vs 3S/6N winner	5:00pm

Men

#4 S St. Augustine’s vs 5N/6S winner	7:00pm
#4N Bowie St. vs 5S/6N winner	9:00pm

Thursday, February 28
Men

#2N Elizabeth City St. vs #3S Johnson C. Smith	1:00pm
#2S Winston-Salem St. vs #3N Virginia Union	3:00pm
#1S Livingstone vs 4S/6S/5N winner	7:00pm
#1N Lincoln (PA) vs 4N/6N/5S winner	9:00pm

Friday, March 1
Women
1:00, 3:00pm

Men
7:00pm, 9:00pm

Saturday, March 2
Women’s Final- 5:00pm
Men’s Final- 8:30pm

CIAA NORTHERN DIVISION CHAMPS: Lincoln Lions rally from 17-point deficit to beat Virginia State

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. –  It was an epic comeback and one for the ages as the Lincoln University men's basketball team rallied from a 17-point deficit and stormed back with a furious second-half rally as the Lions captured the CIAA Northern Division championship with a thrilling, 61-54, victory over Virginia State on Saturday afternoon in a CIAA Northern Division game at Manuel Rivero Gymnasium.

Lincoln (17-9) won the CIAA Northern Division outright as Elizabeth City State was defeated at home against Bowie State, 87-77.

“It's phenominal for the program to win the CIAA Northern Division title,” Lincoln head coach John Hill said. It's history. This title gives us respect.”

Derrick Washington (Washington, D.C./Coolidge SHS) came off the bench and scored all of his game-high 16 points in the second half to power the Lincoln offense. George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS) finished with 15 points and four steals, while Will Cole (Newark, N.J./Cesar Chavez HS) provided a spark in the post with 10 points and four rebounds as the Lions shot 36 percent (21-of-58).

The Lions fell behind, 20-6, after a Kenny Mitchell bucket with 8:48 left in the opening half and the Trojans extended the advantage to 27-19 after an Allen Harris 3-pointer with 3:20 remaining.

Lincoln rallied and closed the deficit to 27-17 right before half with baskets down the stretch by Beloved Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Princeton Day Academy), Chris Kinney (Washington, D.C./Theodore Roosevelt SHS) and Wayne Newsome (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway HS).

Virginia State continued to lead by double digits early in the second half and extended the margin to 43-29 after a pair of free throws by Harris with 11:08 remaining. But Lincoln refused to quit and used a 19-5 run during the next seven minutes to tie the contest at 48 after a Washington 3-pointer with 4:25 left.

The Lions grabbed their first lead of the game, 51-48, on a George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS) 3-pointer with 3:21 remaining and Lincoln never looked back during the final three minutes in rolling to its 17^th victory of the season.

“Virginia State let us hang around,” Hill said. “We got the momentum late in the second half and took it over.”

Harris went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line to lead the Trojans with 15 points and five boards. Christopher Grier had 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers as Virginia State was 17-of-45 from the floor for 38 percent.

Lincoln turns its attention to the CIAA Basketball Tournament Feb. 26-March 2. Pairings for the tournament will be released on Sunday. By winning the CIAA Northern Division, Lincoln receives an automatic bye and will open CIAA play in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Feb. 28. To follow live stats throughout the tournament, click here.

Lions Notebook: Prior to the game, Lincoln honored seniors – Richard Glover (Baltimore, Md./Havre De Grace HS), Rodney Goodson (Bronx, N.Y./John F. Kennedy HS), Quinton Hector (Schertz, Texas/Samuel Clemens HS), Beloved Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Princeton Day Academy) and Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy)…Chris Kinney (Washington, D.C./Theodore Roosevelt SHS) had seven points off the bench and grabbed four key rebounds in the win…Lincoln was 6-of-15 from behind the 3-point line (George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS) (3), Derrick Washington (Washington, D.C./Coolidge SHS) (2) and Beloved Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Princeton Day Academy) (1))…The Lions finished with 31 rebounds, 10 steals, eight assists and one blocked shot…Lincoln held the advantage in points in the paint, 30-20l points off turnovers, 18-10; fastbreak points, 8-2, and bench points, 38-30…There was just one tie and one lead change.

Box Score

By Brian Howard, Sports Information and Media Specialist
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY --  PENNSYLVANIA

SAU Falcons Preparing For CIAA Tourney After FSU Loss

RALEIGH, North Carolina --  Moments after a 59-57 overtime loss to Fayetteville State University on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, Saint Augustine's University Head Coach Lonnie Blow, Jr. was already thinking about the upcoming CIAA Tournament, which starts next week.

The tournament represents a new season for the Falcons, who finished tied for third in the Southern Division after being picked last in the preseason. The last time the Falcons (15-11 overall, 5-5 Southern Division) were in the tournament under Blow, they won the championship in 2010.

Despite going 5-5 in their last 10 games including five consecutive losses to end the season, Blow is optimistic heading into next week. The Falcons will play an undetermined opponent on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. The pairings will be released on Sunday, Feb. 24.

“Tournament play is different,” Blow said. “Sometimes it brings out the best in teams.”

That is what Blow is counting on from his team. At one point, the Falcons were atop the Southern Division standings and riding a five-game win streak. They have split with every team in the division, including nationally-ranked Winston-Salem State, and are 3-3 against Northern Division teams.

The Falcons have the players to make a deep run. Forward Chris Johnson (R-Jr./Hampton, Va.) scored 11 points and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds against the Broncos. All-CIAA forward Percy Woods, led all scorers with 14 points and guard Joel Kindred (Jr./Raleigh, N.C.) added 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Jonathan Crawley (So./Richmond, Va.) continued his strong play off the bench with nine rebounds. Guard Tyquan Stroman (Sr./Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) only had four points against FSU but he is among the better scorers in the league.

The Falcons get the job done on defense as well. They lead the CIAA in points allowed, field-goal percentage defense and rebounding margin. The Falcons are among the top 20 teams nationally in Division II in the latter two categories.

The Falcons overwhelmed the Broncos on the glass by a 61-40 margin including 31-9 in offensive rebounds. It kept the Falcons in the game despite frigid shooting (a season-low 24 percent). The Falcons scored 19 points on follow shots. During the regular season, the Falcons outrebounded their opponents in all but three games.

Blow says the key to a successful tournament hinges on paying attention to detail. The team who does that the best will walk away with the title.

"You have to do the little things,” Blow said. “Everything becomes important [in the tournament].”

That includes free throws. The Falcons held an opponent to under 60 points for the 10 time this season on Saturday, but free throws were their undoing against the Broncos. The Falcons made 18 of 35 free-throw attempts for 51.4 percent. Meanwhile, the Broncos hit 15 of 20 free throws for 75 percent.

It was a role reversal from the first meeting on Feb. 2 between the two teams in Fayetteville, N.C. The Falcons were 16 of 20 from the charity stripe for 80 percent while the Broncos were 11 of 23 for 48 percent.

The good news is the Falcons will likely shoot better than they did against FSU on Saturday. Their field-goal percentage for the season is close to 45 percent. Their free-throw shooting percentage for the season is 67 percent, but as Blow says, teams tend to rise to the occasion come tournament time. The Falcons are looking to be that team.

The contest against the Broncos was Senior Day. Six Falcons were honored on Senior Day at Emery Gymnasium along with the women's basketball and cheerleading seniors between the women's and men's games. They were Akeem Anderson (Memphis, Tenn.), Nick Chamblee (Hampton, Va.), Jon Kindred (Raleigh, N.C.), Stroman, Woods and Johnson.


COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

McNeese beats Nuggets, but XU wins 3 singles matches

NEW ORLEANS -- Klaudia Gawlik, Diana Pirciu and Annabelle Peacock won in doubles and singles Saturday to lead McNeese State to a 6-3 women's tennis victory against NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Cowgirls (6-3) won for the fourth time in five duals and gave the Gold Nuggets (3-3) their second consecutive loss. All three XU losses this year are to NCAA Division I opponents.

For the first time in four meetings with McNeese, the Gold Nuggets won three singles matches. But all three were decided after McNeese clinched the dual.

2012-13 GOLD NUGGETS WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
(CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE)
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XU freshman Brion Flowers, playing at No. 2, ended her four-match singles losing streak with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory against Lara Pujol. Amanda Materre won 1-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5) against Anastasia Surkova at No. 3, and another XU freshman, Simone-Alyce Ewell, defeated Andreea Nenu 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4.

Gawlik, a freshman, improved to 9-0 in singles this semester after her 6-3, 6-3 victory against NAIA All-American Kourtney Howell at No. 1. Gawlik and Nenu beat Ewell and Materre 8-5 at No. 2 doubles.

All three doubles matches were close, including Pirciu and Peacock's 9-8 (7-4) decision against Amber Brown and Vashni Balleste at No. 3. Pirciu and Peacock combined to lose just two games at the bottom two singles flights, and Peacock clinched the dual with her 6-2, 6-0 victory against Brown at No. 6.

"We lost this one in the doubles," XU coach Alan Green said. "We fought hard to split the singles. I have to do a better job with our doubles teams."

A year ago, the Nuggets won only one set and just five combined doubles games in a 7-0 loss at McNeese.

Xavier's women and men will play Belhaven at 3 p.m. Thursday at the XU Tennis Center. Xavier's men are ranked 10th in the NAIA. Belhaven's men are 12th, and its women are 22nd.


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

CIAA Commissioner goes 1-on-1

CIAA COMMISSIONER JACQIE CARPENTER

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  As the first African-American woman to be named CIAA commissioner, Jacqie Carpenter is a trailblazer. Prior to settling into her current position last September, she spent nearly 10 years with the NCAA working in top-level administrative roles with national championships for Division I men’s and women’s basketball.

During her college days at Hampton University, Carpenter, a three-time pick as the CIAA MVP in women’s basketball, played a key role for the Pirates who won the Division II national championship in 1988.

Carpenter takes over as the chief executive of a well-established conference entering its 101st year of operation. The new commissioner recently granted an interview to Chronicle Sports to discuss a range of topics concerning the conference.

Q: You’re a product of the CIAA and now you’re the league boss. Has it all sunk in yet?

A: Being commissioner is something I’ve always dreamed about. There aren’t too many people who get to realize their dream job. These last five months have been an absolute treat for me.

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WSSU teams ready for CIAA basketball tournament

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Defending champion Winston-Salem State, the seventh-ranked team in Division II, will play in a quarterfinal game on Thursday against Virginia Union at 3 p.m. in the CIAA Tournament.

The CIAA Tournament will begin Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.

The WSSU women, the third seed out of the Southern Division, will play a first-round game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. against Bowie State.

The WSSU men are coming off a 60-55 loss to Livingstone on Saturday night and despite not being a top seed are still considered a favorite to repeat.

Guard Justin Glover says the Rams, who have been ranked all season, are still the team to beat despite the loss on Saturday that gave the Blue Bears the Southern Division title.

“We’re still confident,” Glover said. “This loss set us back a little but we’ll regroup and come out ready to play in the tournament.”

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Xavier Nuggets rout Dillard, win third consecutive GCAC title

2012-2013 GCAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA GOLD NUGGETS
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NEW ORLEANS -- Chelsea Broussard enjoyed a rare moment in the spotlight Saturday, scoring 11 points to lead NAIA No. 10 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 67-43 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic.

The Gold Nuggets (24-4, 12-2) won their 12th in a row to claim their third consecutive GCAC regular-season championship, this time by a game over SUNO and Talladega. Xavier will play Fisk at noon Thursday in the opening round of the GCAC Tournament at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock, Ark.

Broussard, a reserve junior forward, scored in double figures for the fifth time this season and the ninth time in her career. It was the first time she led Xavier in scoring since the 2011-12 season opener. In 15 minutes she was 2-of-3 from the floor and a career-best 7-of-8 from the line. She and Carmen Holcombe led Xavier with five rebounds each.

No one else scored more than eight points for Xavier, but 14 Gold Nuggets scored. Holcombe scored eight points, and Paige Gauthier had seven.

Jazzmin Smith scored 19 points -- including a career-best 13-of-18 free throws -- for Dillard (6-21, 4-10), and J'Ashala Haynes scored 12. The Lady Bleu Devils had just seven available players.

Xavier took the lead for good in the fourth minute and had a 32-25 halftime advantage, but the Gold Nuggets did not pull away until the middle of the second half, scoring 10 consecutive points in less than 2½ minutes to take a 52-35 lead with 9:12 remaining. SiMon Franklin, honored during a senior day ceremony at halftime, assisted on all five baskets during the run and finished with a career-best six. But leading the Gold Nuggets in assists was freshman reserve Whitney Gathright with a career-best seven in 19 minutes.

Xavier outshot Dillard 48.1 to 24.4 percent from the floor -- just the third time this season the Gold Nuggets reached 45 percent -- and had a 39-27 rebound advantage.

Dillard has a six-game losing streak.

Xavier defeated Dillard for the ninth consecutive time and the 18th time in the last 19 meetings. This was the first time the longtime rivals met in XU's new Convocation Center, which opened in November. It was the Gold Nuggets' sixth consecutive home victory and their 15th in 17 home games this season.

Xavier, the three-time defending GCAC Tournament champion, will play Fisk in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. That winner will play Tougaloo or Philander Smith in the semifinals at noon Friday. The championship game will start at 2 p.m. Saturday.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU Rush grab share of 2nd straight GCAC championship

2012-13 GCAC REGULAR SEASON CO-CHAMPIONS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA GOLD RUSH
(CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE)
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NEW ORLEANS -- It was the largest crowd of the season at Xavier University of Louisiana's new Convocation Center -- an estimated 2,500 -- and the Gold Rush did not disappoint.

Denzell Erves and Wanto Joseph both surpassed 1,000 career points on senior day, and Xavier defeated Dillard 70-46 in the Crosstown Classic to earn a share of its second consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season men's basketball championship.

Xavier (24-6 overall, 11-3 GCAC), ranked 16th in NAIA Division I, shared the title with second-year member Philander Smith, but the Gold Rush won a tiebreaker to earn the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament at Little Rock, Ark. Xavier will get a rematch with Dillard in the opening round at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Barton Coliseum. It will be the first postseason meeting between the Gold Rush and Bleu Devils since 2000.

It's the first time since 1985-86 and 1986-87 that the Gold Rush won back-to-back GCAC regular-season championships.

Erves scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the first six minutes to give the XU men a 16-3 lead and jump-start their sixth consecutive double-digit victory -- fourth straight by 20 or more points -- against their longtime city rival.

Erves' basket at 15:19 of the first half, coming after a pass from Renard Smith, made Erves the 26th Gold Rush player to reach 1,000 career points. Joseph became the 27th player less than four minutes later, scoring after a pass from Gary Smith to give Xavier a 24-8 lead at 11:24.

Joseph finished with 10 points -- all in the first half -- and 10 assists for his fourth double-double of the season. He did not get the 10th assist until he passed to Anthony Simmons for a basket with 1:52 remaining in the game.

Simmons scored 13 points -- he has 965 in three XU seasons -- and Nick Haywood scored 11 to reach double figures for the second time in the last 16 games. Renard Smith scored nine points, and he and Erves had eight rebounds each.

Jarrain Jenkins scored 13 points and Jeremy Rixner 12 for Dillard (3-20, 2-12), and Jordan Kilson had 10 points, six assists and four steals.

Xavier shot 54 percent from the floor -- the fourth time in the last six games and the 11th time this season that the Gold Rush made at least half of the shots -- and limited the Bleu Devils to 41.5 percent. Xavier outrebounded Dillard 35-18.

Xavier's 40-19 halftime lead was its largest of the season, and a Haywood 3-pointer with 16:48 remaining gave the Gold Rush the first of two 29-point leads. The Gold Rush led by at least 20 points for all but 72 seconds of the second half.

Xavier defeated Dillard for the eighth consecutive time and the 15th time in the last 16 meetings. The Gold Rush lead 78-47 in a series which began during the 1947-48 season.

The previous attendance high in the Convocation Center was 2,000 when the Gold Rush defeated Morehouse in the inaugural game Nov. 3. Among the attendees on Saturday were Bruce Seals and Donald "Slick" Watts, catalysts of the 1971-72 and 1972-73 XU teams which won NAIA District 30 championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship both seasons. Seals and Watts, both of whom played in the NBA, addressed the crowd during a halftime ceremony.

Honored before the game were six XU seniors in their final home appearance: Erves, Joseph, Simmons, Haywood, Renard Smith and Keenan Gay.

The Xavier-Dillard winner will play Talladega or SUNO in the semifinals at 2:30 p.m. Friday. The championship game will start ay 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Xavier hasn't won the GCAC Tournament since 1996 and has reached the championship game only twice since then -- in 2008 and 2011.

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

Estrada's Grand Slam Lifts ASU Hornets Over Southern

HOUSTON. Texas – Waldyvan Estrada's grand slam highlighted a five-run fifth inning as Alabama State beat Southern 6-4 Saturday in the Major League Baseball Urban Invitational at Minute Maid Park.

Trailing 3-0 in the fifth with one out, a Manny Rodriguez single was sandwiched around walks to Dillon Cooper and Einar Muniz to load the bases. Richard Amion grounded out to third, scoring Cooper with the first run. Following a walk to Richard Gonzalez to load the bases, Estrada hit a 1-1 pitch out to left field off of reliever John Thigpen to put the Hornets ahead as Alabama State improves to 6-1 for the first time since 2009.

“I thought it was a fastball down the middle,” head coach Mervyl Melendez said. “He put a good swing together. We have shown the ability to hit the long ball a little more than the past (five this year through seven games after hitting 14 all of 2012). A lot of credit goes to our head strength and conditioning coach Karl Jordan for working tirelessly with our guys, and you see the difference with our guys and the way they are swing the bats and the power they are creating.”

Joseph Camacho (2-0) pitched into the seventh, allowing six hits, four runs with one walk and three strikeouts.

“He got out of trouble consistently,” Melendez said. “I didn't think he had great stuff tonight, but he bore down in big situations. I wanted to get five innings out of him. I got six, so I got one bonus inning from him. He did a good job.”

In the sixth, Cooper hit his first home run of the season to complete the Alabama State scoring, once again in the late innings. The Hornets are finishing games strong, outscoring opponents 43-15 from the fifth inning on this season.

“Our guys have to be resilient, and sometimes it doesn't happen at the beginning of the game,” Melendez said. “In the first inning, we left a runner on second base with no one out, and he didn't score. In the second inning, we had a runner on third base and we punch out (strike out) twice. So, we did a better job as the game went on. I was proud of the guys for sticking with it and doing a good job later in the ball game when it counts.”

Alabama State will go for the weekend sweep of the MLB Invitational Sunday at noon against Texas Southern before coming home to face Troy Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Kennesaw State Wednesday at 4 p.m.

“We have to take it one inning at a time,” Melendez said. “We have to take everything in stride. Although we want to win, and we came here to win and have every intention of that, we're learning how to play the game. We've got to take it one pitch at a time, one inning at a time, and if we play well, I like our chances.”

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COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Hangs On to Top Delaware State, 60-56

DOVER, Delaware – As has been the case for most of conference play, the Norfolk State men's basketball team saw a double-digit second-half lead dwindle down to low single digits, or as was the case of Saturday afternoon down to zero.

Against Delaware State at Memorial Hall in the last road game of the year, the Spartans did just enough in the end to exorcise some state of Delaware demons and escape with a 60-56 win.

The victory broke a seven-game, nine-year losing streak at Memorial Hall, the smallest gym in the conference but one of the toughest to play in because of its cozy setting. NSU secured a first-round bye in the MEAC tournament with the win and tied last year's team for the most conference victories in a season.

At 13-0 in the MEAC, NSU is one of just five schools left in the nation undefeated in conference play after Miami fell on Saturday. NSU won its 12th in a row, now the fifth-longest win streak in the nation. NSU also improved to 18-10 overall on the year.

Those win streaks almost came to an end despite NSU leading by 15 at the half and by as much as 17 early in the second half. It marked the 12th time in 13 conference games NSU had a double-digit second-half lead. The Spartans, though, could not handle the full-court pressure the Hornets came out of the locker room with after the intermission.

Delaware State (12-14, 7-5 MEAC) tied it up twice with less than eight minutes left and got to within two with 32.1 seconds to go when Amere May hit a deep 3-pointer from the right wing. Pendarvis Williams missed the front end of a 1-and-1 on NSU's next possession, and May launched a 3-pointer with six seconds to go from several feet beyond the top of the arc.

May, though, could not find the bottom of the net this time, and Williams made DSU pay with a pair of free throws on the other end with 5.4 seconds left for the final four-point margin.

Williams led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while junior Brandon Goode tallied 16 points on 7-of-11 field goal attempts with eight rebounds and three blocks.

Tyshawn Bell (13 points) and Marques Oliver (12 points, 11 rebounds) paced the way for the Hornets.

Delaware State outscored NSU 23-6 after intermission to tie it up at 41-41 with a little less than nine minutes to go in the game. The Spartans had 10 of their 14 turnovers in the second stanza, including several that wasted prime scoring opportunities.

Senior Kris Brown hit a 3-pointer from the left key to put NSU back on top, but Bell answered with a trey of his own. Knotted at 44-44 – Delaware State never led in the game and only tied it up those two times – NSU went on a 9-2 run, capped by a layup from junior Jamel Fuentes at 3:24, to go up by seven, 53-46.

Casey Walker responded with a trey for Delaware State 30 seconds later. After Williams hit what looked like a back-breaking 3-pointer with more than a minute remaining to put NSU back up by seven, though, May hit a running jumper in the lane and then got the Hornets to within two with his 3-pointer before failing to hit the potential go-ahead trey.

NSU shot 47.2 percent for the game on 25-of-53 shooting and held Delaware State to nearly its season average at 22-of-53 (41.5 percent).

Fuentes finished with nine points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. Brown was the only other player for NSU in double figures with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including nine points in the second half when Delaware State outscored NSU by 11.

The Spartans scored the first six points of the game and held the Hornets scoreless for nearly five minutes. Williams and Walker exchanged 3-pointers before NSU forced two separate Delaware State timeouts, the latter at 9:58 when Brown's fastbreak dunk made it 19-9.

Bell's 3-pointer at 8:27 marked the only field goal for Delaware State in a more than six-minute span. Goode, who had 12 in the first half, scored six straight at one point to put the Spartans up by a 27-15 lead with four minutes left.

Goode's off-balance layup and a short baseline jumper from Williams marked the final scoring of the first stanza, giving NSU a 33-18 lead at the intermission.

NSU held the rebounding edge by a 36-28 margin and outscored the Hornets 19-6 in second chance points and 40-24 in the paint.

Walker and Tahj Tate each added eight points for the Hornets.

Aside from North Carolina Central, whom NSU has not played, the Spartans have now defeated every MEAC opponent on the road the last two years.

The Spartans finish out the regular season with three straight games at home, beginning with Bethune-Cookman next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.

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By Mike Bello, Assistant Sports Information Director
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
NSUSPARTANS.COM