Wofford Women's Basketball Falls to Howard at Terrapin Classic, 63-55

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland  -- The Wofford College women's basketball team was defeated by Howard University, 63-55, in the consolation game of the Terrapin Classic on Sunday from Maryland's Comcast Center.

The Terriers (2-10) were hurt most by 24 turnovers while Howard (4-8) took care of the basketball with just 13. It helped the Lady Bison put up 14 more shots and use a 9-0 run to take a 46-33 lead midway through the second period. The Terriers got back within six with a minute to play, but could not close the gap any further and suffered its sixth straight defeat.

For Wofford, sophomore Ashton Fleming recorded her first collegiate double-double. Fleming posted career-highs in both points and rebounds, putting down 10 points and collecting 14 boards. She shot 4-of-5 from the field and filled up the stat sheet with two steals, one block and one assist.

Classmate Jordan Frazier tied Fleming's team-high 10 points, marking her ninth double-figure scoring game of the season. Frazier scored 19 against Maryland on Saturday and was named to the Terrapin Classic All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of the championship game between the Terps and College of Charleston. Khadijah Joyner, another sophomore, grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, seven of which came in the second half, and posted her fourth multi-block game of the year.

Howard's Te'Shya Heslip scored a game-high 16 points, also recording eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Cheyenne Brown scored in double figures with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbed five boards. Shavonne Duckett had a team-high nine rebounds.

Brown came out ready for the early 11 a.m., tip and scored on each of Howard's first two possessions. A few minutes later, she downed her sixth point to get the Lady Bison off to an 11-2 start and force an early Terrier timeout. Rebounding was hurting Wofford early on, as well as not being able to get a few open jumpers to fall.

Down 13-5, Wofford scored the next five points to make it a one possession game. Redshirt senior Erin Frost got fouled on a drive to the basket and made both free throws, and sophomore Chanel Stokes went 1-of-2 from the line on Wofford's next trip down the floor. Out of a media timeout, freshman Kentra Washington hit a layup to get the score to 13-10.

Frost went on to score Wofford's next five points, hitting a jumper and a 3-pointer to cut the gap to two, 17-15. Meanwhile, Howard was having trouble from the field, unable to sink a basket for nearly seven minutes.

Howard ended the drought and with the two sides trading points, the Terriers remained behind by one to two possessions. Buckets by senior Logan Morris and junior Lauren Kirby brought the Terriers within just one point, 22-21, at the 4:06 mark.

Howard scored six of the half's last seven points to get some breathing room heading into the break. Wofford trailed 24-22 with less than a minute to play, but Brown sank a layup, followed by a jumper with 10 seconds on the clock to give the Lady Bison a 28-22 halftime lead.

At the half, Wofford was shooting 28.6 percent (8-28 FG) while Howard was at 36.4 percent (12-33 FG). The Lady Bison held a 26-20 rebounding edge and were sharing the ball well with seven assists on their 12 baskets. Brown led the game with 12 points (6-8 FG), while Frost headed Wofford with 7 points (2-5 FG, 1-2 3FG, 2-2 FT).

Wofford head coach Edgar Farmer went with a bigger lineup to begin the second half, starting 6-foot-2 Joyner in favor of 5-foot-2 Frazier. Kirby scored 14 seconds into the half and with a made free throw from Fleming the Terriers were within a basket, 29-27.

It remained a one possession game until Imani Bailey, Victoria Gonzalez and Heslip scored the next six points to put Howard up eight. Wofford cut it to four on buckets from Frazier and Morris, but Howard responded with the game's biggest run, scoring nine consecutive points and burning another Wofford timeout with 11:45 to play ahead 46-33.

Kirby, Morris and Fleming got the margin to seven with a made field goal apiece, but Heslip killed the momentum with a trey to get her team back ahead by double digits. Joyner and Fleming were doing a good job on the glass to make sure Howard didn't get second and third chances, but the Terriers hurt themselves by going 1-of-2 from the free throw line on three consecutive trips. Instead of a four-point game, the missed attempts kept Howard ahead by seven, 51-44. Two Lady Bison baskets later, Wofford trailed by 11 with less than four minutes remaining.

The Terriers gave it one final push. Down by 10, Washington got to the line for a pair of free throws and sank both. Fleming stole the ensuing in-bounds pass and hit a quick layup, making it a six-point game, 57-51, with 1:05 showing on the clock.

It was not to be. Howard hit its free throws and after Wofford got the margin back to six, Cabria Johnson found Heslip wide open down court on an in-bounds pass. Heslip sank an easy layup to leave the game out of reach.

The Wofford women's basketball team returns home for the first time in a month on Saturday, welcoming Western Carolina to Benjamin Johnson Arena. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m., and is part of a Wofford basketball doubleheader. The men's team takes on Davidson that evening at 7 p.m.

Terrier Notes

- Ashton Fleming recorded her first collegiate double-double, setting career-highs of 10 points and 14 rebounds

- Jordan Frazier scored 10 points, marking her ninth double-figure scoring game of the season

- Frazier was named to the Terrapin Classic All-Tournament Team.

- Khadijah Joyner marked her fourth multi-block game of the year and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, seven of which came in the second half

- The matchup was the consolation game of the Terrapin Classic

- It was the first ever series meeting between Wofford and Howard

Box Score

COURTESY WOFFORD UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

HU Lady Pirates Use Strong Second Half to Beat Brown

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- For the third straight game, the Hampton University women's basketball team had a strong second half. This time, the Lady Pirates used it to upend Brown 71-50 on Sunday in the first game of the Georgia Tech Holiday Tournament at McCamish Pavilion.

The Lady Pirates (10-3) led by just two at the half, but outscored the Bears 38-19 in the second half to pull away with their fifth straight win. Hampton will face either Alabama State or Georgia Tech in Monday's title game at 2 p.m.

Junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) led the Lady Pirates with a season-high 19 points, thanks to a career-high five 3-pointers and seven field goals. Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) added 16 points – 10 in the second half – seven assists, and six rebounds.

Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) scored 13 points and dished out seven assists.

After the Lady Pirates scored the first four points of the game, Brown answered with five straight to take a 5-4 lead at the 17:05 mark after a layup from Lauren Clarke. Hampton then went on a 5-0 run of its own, going up 10-5 after a layup from senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) at the 15:33 mark.

Clarke hit a trey with 13:09 left in the half to cut Hampton's lead to 12-11, before Jordin Alexander added a layup at the 12:11 mark to give Brown a 13-12 lead. Brown led by as many as three, going up 21-18 with 9:41 left in the half after a Sophie Beutel 3-pointer.

But the Lady Pirates scored the next seven points to take a 25-21 lead at the 7:00 mark after a trey from Hamilton. Brown answered with an 8-2 run, taking a 29-27 lead with 2:41 left in the half on an Ellise Sharpe layup.

Jordin Juker hit two free throws with 1:18 left in the half to give the Bears a 31-29 lead, but the Lady Pirates closed the half with a layup from Tate-DeFreitas and a short jumper from redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) to take a 33-31 lead into the locker room.

Hamilton led the Lady Pirates with nine points at the half.

The Lady Pirates opened the second half with a 10-2 run, taking a 43-33 lead with 15:27 left to play after a layup from sophomore guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.). Cole added a layup, and then a 3-pointer, helping the Lady Pirates take a 48-38 lead at the 12:26 mark.

Beutel closed the gap to six, cutting Hampton's lead to 48-42 with a layup with 11:14 to play, but the Lady Pirates answered with nine straight points to break the game wide open, taking a 57-42 lead 8:11 left to play after a fastbreak layup from Cole.

Clarke hit a trey with 4:40 left to cut Hampton's lead to 62-48, but the Lady Pirates scored the next seven points to go up 69-48 with 2:26 left after a jumper from Bennett.

A layup from Tate-DeFreitas with 42 seconds left pushed the game to its final margin.

The Lady Pirates shot 40.5 percent (30-for-74) from the floor – including a 45.5 percent clip (15-for-33) in the second half – and made eight of their 26 3-pointers (30.8 percent). Hampton also held a 43-41 edge on the glass, and the Lady Pirates turned 16 Brown turnovers into 25 points.

Hampton also outscored the Bears (5-5) 38-22 in the paint.

Brown shot 32.8 percent (19-for-58) from the floor – hitting just eight of their 30 field goals (26.7 percent) in the second half – and went just 7-for-31 (22.7 percent) from behind the arc.

Clarke led Brown with 17 points.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Box Score

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Rams 'excited' for start of conference season

ALBANY, Georgia  — The Albany State men’s basketball team returns to campus today after a two-week holiday break.

And Rams coach Chris Cameron is hoping his team comes back with the same focus and determination it left with 14 days ago.

 

The Rams wrapped up first-semester practices a couple of weeks ago before Cameron sent his players home for the holidays, and the eight-year coach believes his players were peaking just as they left campus for the break.

 

“We had three or four practices after final exams, and those practices were good,” said Cameron, whose Rams lost their final game before break to St. Leo, 96-62, on Dec. 7. “I saw focus and concentration in the guys during those practices, and we are hoping they come back the same way.”

 

ASU (3-5) resumes practice today and will begin the second half of the season Thursday at home in its SIAC opener against Kentucky State. The Thorobreds (1-4) are on a four-game losing streak but have won six of their last seven games against ASU dating back to 2010.

 

CONTINUE READING

FAMU Lady Rattlers Bested 79-63 By Wake Forest At FIU

MIAMI, Florida  --    The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers (6-8, 1-1 MEAC) dropped a testy battle in South Florida to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4, 0-0 ACC), 79-63 at the U.S. Century Bank Arena on the campus of FIU, in the first round of the Fun& Sun Classic.

In the first half, the Lady Rattlers battled through a physically imposing WFU front line that bested them on the boards, but used a press defense to slow progress, allowing the Lady Rattlers to keep the Demon Deacons close.

“I thought we played a tough game in the face of a very tall team, while nursing some injuries of a few of our front court players.  We let a few opportunities get away at times, but overall we stayed aggressive throughout the game.  We did some good things in this game and we hope to build on it and get a split here to close out this tournament.  From there we plan to tighten up loose ends just in time for conference play,” head coach LeDawn Gibson said.

The Lady Rattlers were led by Jasmine Grice as scored 20 points on 7-of-20 shooting from the field.  She was also one of the team leaders with seven rebounds and added five steals to her line.  Taneka Rubin poured in 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting, while Kimberly Sparkman chipped in 14 on 6-of-10 shooting.  Rubin pulled down seven rebounds, as did Ann Marie Harris.

Wake Forest was led by Dearica Hamby, who hit for 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting.  Chelsea Douglas added 13 and Ataijah Taylor closed out the double-digit scorers with 10.  Hamby dominated the boards, using her lengthy frame to haul in 18 rebounds.  No other play grabbed double digit rebounds in the game.

The Lady Rattlers put up a fight to the end, but had no answer for the Demon Deacon size.  “I am encouraged by what I saw.  We never gave up.  Looking at our team now, as opposed to where they were just a few weeks ago, we’ve made some positive strides.  If we continue to improve, we should be where we want to be this season,” Gibson said.

FAMU shot 32.4 percent for the game, while WF shot a scorching 50 percent.  54 of the Demon Deacon points came in the paint, eclipsing FAMU’s 28 points.  WF also had 30 points contributed by their bench to 19 for FAMU.





Final Stats

The Lady Rattlers will play in the consolation game tomorrow at 1 p.m. as they will face Farleigh Dickinson at the U.S. Century Bank Arena.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Denver Pioneers Down Alcorn State 67-49

EL PASO, Texas – University of Denver junior Brett Olson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) scored 16 points and tied a season-high with four three-pointers, leading the Pioneers to a 67-49 victory over Alcorn State at the 52^nd Annual Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational at the Don Haskins Center on Saturday evening.

Senior Chris Udofia (Irving, Texas) added 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocked shots, while junior Cam Griffin (San Antonio, Texas) pulled down a game-high eight rebounds and scored eight points. Sophomore Jalen Love (Wichita, Kan.) set a career high with seven rebounds for the Pioneers (6-6).

“I thought we came out ready and played well to build a 20-point lead in the first half,” head coach Joe Scott said. “The second half was what we expected, and I think our guys again did a pretty good job of rebounding and taking care of the ball, and never letting them get it back to within 10 points. That’s what you’ve got to do in a game like this.”



The Pioneers used a 17-0 run midway through the first half, punctuated by back-to-back follow dunks from Griffin and Udofia, to spark a 27-17 lead at the break.

The Braves (3-8) used hot shooting to get back in the game during the second half, hitting their first eight shots and pulling the score to 55-44 with 5:27 remaining.

However, Udofia scored five-straight and Alcorn State went without a field goal over the final 5:31, as Denver sealed the win down the stretch.

The Pioneers shot 48.1 percent (25-of-52) in the game and went 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) from the three-point line. Alcorn State hit 44.7 percent (17-of-38) from the floor, while going 0-for-4 from beyond the arc and 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) from the free throw line.
DU held a 34-24 rebounding advantage over Alcorn State, which was led in scoring by LeAntwan Luckett’s 20 points.

Denver concludes the 52^nd Annual WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational against UTEP on Sunday at 7 p.m. MT.

Individual home game tickets for men's basketball are on sale now with prices starting at $9 for adults. Single-game tickets can be purchased in person at the Ritchie Center Box Office, by phone at 303-871-2336 or online at DenverPioneers.com/tickets. DU students are admitted to all Denver men's basketball games FREE with their Pioneer Card.

DU continues its commitment to provide the community with the most affordable and exciting entertainment in the Denver metro area.

Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 17 of DU's NCAA Division I sports.

Denver vs. Alcorn State Box Score (PDF)

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DENVER ATHLETICS 

Robinson, Graham Lead ASU Past AUM

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- DeMarcus Robinson tied his career-high with 21 points and Brandon Graham collected a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Alabama State (5-5) to a 78-51 win over Auburn Montgomery in a friendly neighborhood basketball game.

Both of Graham's totals were career-highs while Luther Page also hit double digits with 10 points to give the Hornets three double-digit scorers.

The Hornets shot 45 percent from the field (32-71) for the game and shot 35 percent (8-23) from beyond the three point line as both Robinson and Graham led the way with three threes each.

"I thought the guys came out today and got off to a good start," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said. "We were able to get some early baskets and we were playing some pretty good defense and things were working for us. Things fell off some when we made some substitutions with our offense, but overall I thought it was a good effort."

"The guys came out and executed well on some things and we got a chance to play some guys that have not played in a while."

Maurice Strong collected a career-high 10 rebounds to help the Hornets our rebound AUM 48-35 and Jamel Waters, the Hornets leading scorer, tied his career-high with 10 assists while scoring seven points.

ASU came out in the second half and scored the first seven points of the half to add to ASU's halftime lead of 37-22 and pushed the lead out to 44-22. The run was a 14-0 run that covered the end of the first half and was stopped by a free throw from AUM's Spencer Jones.

ASU's largest lead of the game came on back-to-back dunks from Bobby Brown that gave ASU a 70-40 lead with 6:44 left in the game.

"Jamel was pushing the ball tonight and I think he had seven assists at halftime and he ended up with 10 and we want to get out and run more," Jackson said. "We have good athletes and we are trying to run more and put pressure on the other teams with our transition offense. There were some things that were good tonight so we just have to continue to work on the things that will allow us to be successful."

Brett Person and Brandon Howard scored 12 points each to lead AUM and Quay Davis came off the bench to add 11. ASU's defense held AUM to 32 percent shooting (18-57) and 28 percent (5-18) from beyond the three point line.

The first half saw the Hornets score the first six points of the game and go on to lead by as many as 18 points (21-3) before the Warhawks started to come back.

AUM's Howard and Davis hit back-to-back three's to cut the led to 30-22 with 3:08 left in the opening half, but that would be as close as the visitors would get.

ASU held AUM scoreless the final three minutes of the half and scored the half's final seven points which ended with Waters hitting a three at the horn to send ASU into the locker room with a 37-22 lead.

Strong and Robinson had nine points each to lead ASU and Strong added eight rebounds as the Hornets out rebounded AUM 26-18 in the opening half.

ASU will be back in action Monday, Dec. 30 when they host Thomas University at 7 p.m. It will be the Hornets final non-conference action of the season before starting Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play at Grambling Jan. 4.

"It's very important (to play AUM and Thomas) to play these games and we have some things we need to work on in our offense as well as our defense," Jackson said. "It's important to play some games before we go into conference play and we have this game scheduled (AUM) and another on Monday (Thomas)."

"We have to come out and play better, especially on defense and getting into the passing lane. I thought we did a good job of rebounding but the challenges are going to get stronger so we have to try and improve day in and day out."

Box Score

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

WSU Cougars Down MVSU Delta Devils, 85-48

PULLMAN, Washington --  Que Johnson scored 19 points and Royce Woolridge added 16 as Washington State routed Mississippi Valley State 85-48 on Saturday.

The Cougars did it without their leading scorer, DaVonte Lacy. Lacy had an appendix attack early Saturday morning and will miss the conference opener against Arizona next Thursday.

D.J. Shelton recorded his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds for Washington State (7-5) who shot 88 percent from the field in the second half.

Washington State got out to an early 21-3 lead and never trailed in the game. It held Mississippi Valley State (3-8) to just one basket in the early run as they started the game 1-for-16 from the field. The Delta Devils went eleven minutes without a score in the first half.

Washington State continued the rout in the second half, outscoring MVSU 48-18 in the paint.

Video: Ken Bone: MVSU Postgame

Players: MVSU Postgame

Highlights: MBB vs. MVSU

Final Stats

Postgame Notes

 

COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY COUGARS ATHLETICS

BCU Football to Hold Annual Awards Banquet

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- Bethune-Cookman University football will hold its annual end-of-year awards banquet Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Plaza Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Fla. Veteran play-by-play announcer for ESPN, Charlie Neal, will serve as master of ceremonies for the annual event.

The event will take place at the Plaza Resort & Spa, located at 600 North Atlantic Avenue on beachside in Daytona Beach. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the banquet beginning at 7 p.m.

Recently completing the 2013 season under head coach Brian Jenkins, who just finished his fourth year at the helm in Daytona Beach, the B-CU Wildcats ended the year as HBCU National Champions in the BoxToRow media poll. In addition, several Wildcats were named to numerous All-America teams, while Jenkins received his third Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Coach of the Year award in four years – the second consecutive for the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native.

B-CU claimed its second MEAC title in as many years during the 2013 campaign, and the third in four years under Jenkins. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA FCS Playoffs for third time in four years, travelling to Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.

For more information on the Bethune-Cookman University football team, please log onto BCUathletics.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Wildcats football program.

Fans can keep up-to-date with all B-CU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/BCUathletics, in addition to the official football twitter page at Twitter.com/BCUGridIron. You can also become a fan of the Wildcats on Facebook at Facebook.com/BCUathletics.



COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Miller Nets 30 in 70-69 Defeat at Eastern Illinois

CHARLESTON, Illinois  -- The Tennessee State men’s basketball team led by 10 points with four minutes left, but couldn’t fend off Eastern Illinois as the Tigers lost on a buzzer-beater, 70-69, on Saturday.

Guard Patrick Miller tied a career-high with 30 points on 9-of-19 shooting and added a 10-for-11 mark from the free throw line.

 

Senior Jacquan Nobles and big man M.J. Rhett also scored in the double figures for TSU (1-13, 0-1 OVC) with 14 and 10, respectively.

 

Nobles was also 4-for-7 from behind the three-point line and Rhett led the Tigers in rebounds with eight.

 

Miller got the TSU offense going with a wide-open three two minutes into the game, but TSU’s second field goal did not come until the 6:44 mark of the first half.

 

In the meantime, the Panthers (4-8, 1-0 OVC) raced out to a 28-13 lead thanks to 10-for-20 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

 

TSU’s second basket of the contest started a 10-0 Tiger run that was capped by a contested lay-in from Rhett that pulled the visitors within five with 3:25 to go in the half.

 

Nobles closed the first period scoring with a triple with 53 seconds left and TSU went into the locker room down, 33-28.

The Tigers were 1-of-14 to start the game (7.1 percent), but finished the half 6-of-12 (50 percent). TSU’s stellar free throw shooting (84.6 percent) kept the team in the game, early.

 

Nobles started the second stanza with another three, and Miller converted a fast-break layup at the 17:26 mark to tie the game at 36. It was the first time the game had been tied since it started 0-0.

 

Miller’s hoop sparked a 9-2 Tiger run to give TSU a five-point lead, and an old-fashioned three-point play by the senior later in the period made the score 59-51 with under six minutes to play.

 

The Tigers would not relent, and a great rebound by Rhett led to a quick lay-up by Kennedy Eubanks on the other end of the floor to put Big Blue up by double-digits.

 

The Panthers clawed back following a TSU timeout and rattled off seven straight points to pull within three and force another Tiger timeout at the 2:35 mark.

 

The contest remained a one-possession game until a pair of missed free throws by TSU gave EIU a chance to win the game, down by one with 20 seconds to play.

 

A pair of missed shots from inside the paint allowed Chris Oliver a rebound with just two seconds left. Oliver nailed the shot and got fouled. He missed the ensuing free throw, but EIU hung on to win, 70-69.

 

The Tigers will look to rebound t when they host Tennessee Tech on Jan. 2. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Final Box

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

South Carolina Gamecocks Soar Past SSU Lady Tigers 82-40

Box Score |  Photo Gallery  | Printable Box Score Highlights  Mitchell, Dozier Coach Staley

COLUMBIA, South Carolina  -- No. 13/12 South Carolina improved to 12-1 in non-conference action Saturday afternoon with an 82-40 win over Savannah State at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks used a 14-3 run late in the first half to establish a 43-25 halftime lead and never looked back. Sophomore guard Tiffany Mitchell turned in a stellar all-purpose effort with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals to pace the team. Junior Aleighsa Welch, sophomore Asia Dozier and freshman Alaina Coates joined her in double figures with 14, 10 and 17 points, respectively, with Coates wrapping up her third double-double of the season with 12 boards.

"I'm happy for Tiffany (Mitchell) because she works so hard," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said. "She is always in the gym, and she wasn't really getting a full return on being in the gym. Now she is, and she is more efficient at everything she does. She plays hard, and she always gets after it."

The Lady Tigers kept it close early, but the Gamecock defense locked in midway through the first half, launching a 7-1 run that pushed the lead to double digits at 22-12 with 6:25 left in the period. Mitchell did a bulk of the damage at the free throw line, making six trips there, hitting three, and adding a floater in the lane to Dozier's transition layup during the spurt.

Savannah State scored on consecutive possessions to get back within six, but a 14-3 Gamecock surge delivered the knockout punch. Olivia Gaines got things going with a jumper from the free throw line, and Welch added a pair of free throws. The junior forward swiped a steal and led the break down the court, feeding Gaines for a transition layup. Mitchell and Gaines combined to forced a turnover on the Lady Tigers' next possession with Mitchell hitting a pair of free throws. She swiped another steal the next time up the floor, and Welch hit a transition layup to make it a 32-16 contest with 3:37 on the clock. Kenyata Hendrix hit a three from the left wing to stem the tide, but Coates came back with a bucket on the other end, and Mitchell added two more free throws to make it 36-19 just a minute later.

The Gamecocks took a 43-25 lead into the locker room behind 20-of-27 free throw shooting, highlighted by career high makes and attempts from Mitchell, who went 10-of-14 on the way to 12 points in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half started with the Gamecocks pounding the ball inside. Welch hit in the lane to start things off. After Elem Ibiam picked up a steal on the other end, she got the ball inside and through the double team found Tiffany Davis for a 3 from the top of the arc. Dozier picked up the steal on the Lady Tigers' next trip up the floor and Mitchell led the break, finding Ibiam on the left block for her first field goal of the game. Welch continued the steal theme with a pick then got the ball back underneath, where she kicked out to Dozier for a 3 from the left corner and a 53-25 lead just two minutes into the half.

Several Gamecocks posted career-high efforts, including Welch with a team-high five assists. Davis netted a career-high eight points, and Gaines added one to her career high with seven points. South Carolina shot 51.1 percent from the field, topping the 50.0 percent mark for the eighth time this season, and made 30-of-48 from the free throw line for season highs in both makes and attempts. The Gamecocks open SEC action on Thu., Jan. 2, traveling to Arkansas. South Carolina is back at home to play Vanderbilt on Sun., Jan. 5, at 1 p.m.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS 

Toledo Rolls to 85-66 Win Over Coppin State to Move to 12-0

TOLEDO, Ohio  -- Toledo started strong and never trailed on Saturday afternoon as the Rockets remained unbeaten with an 85-66 triumph over Coppin State (4-8) in Savage Arena. With the victory, UT improved to 12-0 to match the 1940-41 squad for the second-longest unbeaten start to a season in school history.

Senior guard Rian Pearson paced a balanced Rocket attack with a game-high 22 points with junior guard Julius Brown (18 pts.), junior guard Justin Drummond (13 pts.) and senior forward Matt Smith (season-high 10 pts.) also scoring in double figures.

Toledo also dominated the glass for a third-straight outing with a commanding 47-25 rebounding advantage. Over its last three contests, UT has outrebounded its opponents by a 136-84 margin.

Freshman guard Jordan Lauf led the Rockets’ rebounding efforts with a season-high 10 caroms with junior forward J.D. Weatherspoon tying a season best with nine boards.

Brown also spearheaded the Rocket offense with a game-high seven assists to help UT tally 19 helpers as a team with just 11 turnovers. Toledo shot 49.2 percent (29-of-59) from the field and limited the Eagles to a 39.7 shooting mark (23-of-58).

Senior guard Andre Armstrong came off the bench to lead the Eagles with 15 points.

Toledo took control in the latter stages of the opening stanza, ending the half on a 16-2 run for a 44-24 halftime advantage that was the Rockets’ largest lead after 20 minutes this season.

UT increased its lead to 22 points early in the second half before the Eagles rallied to within 71-58 with five minutes to play. Brown was able to restore the Rockets’ cushion back to 20 points at 82-62 though with a trey at the 2:06 mark.

Toledo now has a quick turnaround as it returns to action on Monday, Dec. 30 with a trip to Lawrence, KS to battle No. 16 Kansas. Tip-off time from Allen Fieldhouse which can be seen on ESPN 3 is 7:00 p.m. (CT).

Final Stats (HTML)

COURTESY TOLEDO ATHLETICS

No. 17 Memphis Cruises to 75-61 Win Over Jackson State

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MEMPHIS, Tennessee  -- The No. 17 University of Memphis men's basketball team (9-2) opened up a 21-6 lead and never looked back on their way to a 75-61 victory over Jackson State (4-8) on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Dixon Jr. led Memphis with 14 points while Shaq Goodwin added 13 points and seven boards. David Pellom came off the bench for the Tigers to chip in 12 points on 5-of-5 from the field while Joe Jackson totaled 11 points.

Holding a 6-4 advantage, Memphis capitalized off five JSU turnovers in the first six minutes of the game to go on a 15-2 run and build a 21-6 lead with 10:25 to play in the half.

Dixon Jr. stretched the Memphis lead even further with a basket at the 8:22 mark to make it a 27-10 game. After two free throws from Chris Crawford to extend the U of M lead to 33-14 with 5:37 to go, JSU reeled off an 11-4 run with six points coming from Treshawn Bolden over the next four minutes to cut its deficit to 37-25.

JSU would not pull any closer the rest of the half with Memphis going into the locker room up 40-28. The trio of Jackson, Dixon Jr. and Crawford accounted for 25 of the team's 40 first half points.



In the opening minutes of the second period, JSU pulled within single digits for the first time since the 15:03 mark in the first half at 41-32 following a bucket from Brandon West. However, Memphis answered with a 12-0 run over the next five minutes to push its lead to 53-32 with 12:37 to play.

JSU ended its drought 30 seconds later with a three-pointer from Julysses Nobles followed by a layup from Marcus Love to pull JSU within 16.

Memphis extended its lead back to 20 after a basket from Nick King for a 59-39 advantage midway through the half. JSU answered again with a three-point play from Nobles to bring the Memphis lead down to 14 with 8:33.

JSU would be able to get back within 11 at 65-54 with four minutes left in the game, but that deficit would not dwindle down any further in the final minutes as Memphis held on for the 75-61 win.

Memphis opens American Athletic Conference play on the road Tuesday in Tampa, Fla., when the Tigers take on USF in a televised 6 p.m. (CT) game on ESPN2.

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Washington State Cougars to Battle MVSU Devils Saturday

PULLMAN, Washington  -- Washington State University men’s basketball (6-5) returns to the hardwood after a week-long hiatus, to take on Mississippi  Valley State (3-7 as of Dec. 26), Saturday, Dec. 28 at 5 p.m.

• Saturday’s game can be seen on the Pac-12 Networks as Ernie Kent and Rich Waltz have the
• Bud Nameck, in his 21st year with Cougar Basketball, will have the call on the Cougar IMG Radio Network...please see the list of affiliates on page one of today’s notes.
call.
• Live updates can be found on Twitter by following @WSUMensHoops, the official Twitter account of Washington State men’s basketball.

COUGARS TO HOLD FREE KIDS’ CLINIC AFTER DEC. 28 GAME:
•  The Cougars will hold a free kids’ clinic to children grades kindergarten through sixth, that attend their game against Mississippi Valley State, Saturday, Dec. 28.
• The game starts at 5 p.m. with the clinic beginning approximately 30 minutes after the final buzzer.
• Pre-registration is required at wsucougars.com.
• More information can be found at wsucougars.com.

COUGARS VS. DELTA DEVILS:
• The Cougars and Delta Devils have met three times in the two schools’ histories, with WSU winning all three meetings.
• The two teams first met Nov. 24, 2007 at Spokane Arena as part of the Cougar Hispanic College Fund Challenge hosted by WSU, resulting in a 71-26 victory.
•  The next season WSU extended its 45 point margin to 51 with a 76-25 victory at Beasley Coliseum, Nov. 15, 2008.
• The 51-point victory marks the second largest margin of victory for WSU since 1945, while the 45 point victory ranks tied for seventh.
• The last victory came during Ken Bone’s first season as WSU defeated MVSU, 94-66, Nov. 13, 2009.

COUGARS AGAINST THE SWAC:
• Mississippi Valley State is currently a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), along with Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Grambling, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M, Southern and Texas Southern.
• The Cougars are 17-0 all-time against current members of the SWAC.
• Their first meeting with the SWAC came Dec. 9, 1989 against Texas Southern, resulting in a 1-0 victory at Moscow, Idaho.
• Last season WSU defeated two SWAC schools, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 24) and Jackson State (Dec. 13).
• WSU reached the 100-point plateau five times in those 17 games, including a school-record, 131 points against Prairie View A&M, Jan. 14, 1991.

ABOUT THE COUGARS:
•  WSU snapped its 3-game winning streak with a loss to UTEP, Saturday, Dec. 21 at Beasley Coliseum.
• The Cougars are 4-2 in home games and 3-2 at Beasley Coliseum this season. 
• Junior DaVonté Lacy leads the team with 18.9 points per game.
• He ranks sixth in the Pac-12 and 67th in the nation in scoring with 18.9 points per game, leads the league and ranks 16th in the nation with 3.4 3-pointers made per game, is tied for sixth in the conference with 1.5 steals per game, and is 14th in the Pac-12 and 63rd in the nation with a .407 3-point field goal percentage.
• Fellow-junior Royce Woolridge is contributing 10.5 points per game, as the only other Cougar scoring in double figures.
• Senior D.J. Shelton leads the team and ranks ninth in the Pac-12 and 144th in the nation with 7.7 rebounds per game.

LAST OUTING:
•  The Cougars snapped their 3-game winning streak with a 64-51 loss to UTEP at Beasley Coliseum, Saturday, Dec. 21.
• Redshirt freshman Que Johnson led the Cougars in scoring for the first time in his career, finishing with a career-high 21 points…his previous high was 14 against Pepperdine, Dec. 15.
• Johnson made a career-high 4 3-pointers, going 4-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
• For the second-straight game D. J. Shelton was one point shy of a double-double, finished with 11 rebounds and 9 points.
• Junior DaVonté Lacy did not hit a 3-pointer in a game for the first time since Jan. 19, 2013 against Colorado last season.
• WSU had a season-low 51 points…it’s the fewest points since scoring 54 at California last season, Jan. 12, 2013. 
• WSU’s 17 first-half point tied their lowest in a half this season…also had 17 against Purdue at the Old Spice Classic, Nov. 29.

WSU GAME NOTES

COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

#13 S.C. Gamecocks host Savannah State Saturday at Noon

Opponent: Savannah State
Date: Saturday, December 28, 2013, Noon
Site: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Tickets: $7 adult, $4 youth (17 and under)
Note: Arena will be cleared prior to men's game starting at 4 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports South (Andy Demetra, Debbie Antonelli)
Radio: WNKT 107.5 FM/WISW 1320 AM (Brad Muller); GamecocksOnline.com
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Series History: SC leads 5-0
South Carolina Game Notes

South Carolina Notables

• One of the offseason focuses for the South Carolina coaching staff was passing, and the work is paying dividends in assist numbers as the Gamecocks rank 37th in the nation at 16.8 per game. In the previous five seasons under Staley, the highest season average was 11.2 per game. At least 60 percent of made field goals have been assisted in eight of 12 games so far this season.
• While guard Tiffany Mitchell is the Gamecocks' leading scorer, South Carolina's offense is driven by what happens in the paint. The Gamecocks have scored 38.7 points per game in the paint - more than half of their 76.8 scoring average.
• Four Gamecocks average double figure points so far this season with two others adding at least 7.8 per game, making it the most diversified offense of the Dawn Staley era. The transition occurred while sacrificing little on the defensive end, where, despite Staley feeling her team needs to prove more in that area, the Gamecocks rank third in the nation (2nd in the SEC) by allowing just 49.0 points per game.
• Junior forward Aleighsa Welch is one of two of the SEC's top 10 rebounders to also rank among the top 15 scorers.
• Alaina Coates turned in the best shooting performance ever by a Gamecock freshman, hitting 7-of-7 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line against SC State (Dec. 22). It was the first time a freshman was perfect from both the field and free throw line (min. 5 attempts at each) in school history. She became the third Gamecock to post a perfect shooting night from the floor this season - Elem Ibiam 7-of-7 vs. Charleston Southern (Nov. 8), Aleighsa Welch 6-of-6 vs. NC Central (Dec. 2). Coates' field goal attempts made her outing against SC State tied for fourth for the best perfect game in Colonial Life Arena history.
• While Tiffany Mitchell posted her first single-digit scoring game of the season against SC State, the sophomore guard still showed the diversity of her game by tying for team-high rebounding honors (9) and leading the team with four assists. It is her all-around impact on the team that led ESPN's Graham Hayes to name her one of his "10 Rising to the Occasion."

Notes
A South Carolina Win Would...

• Give the Gamecocks a 12-1 record for the second time in as many seasons, matching the best non-conference mark under Staley and the 2002-03 mark as the best since the program first joined a conference in 1983-84
• Be the Gamecocks' sixth over Savannah State in as many meetings.

By the Numbers
1 Perfect shooting game by a freshman in South Carolina women's basketball history (min. five FGA and five FTA) - Alaina Coates vs. SC State (Dec. 22) with 7-of-7 from the field and 9-of-9 from the free throw line
2 Players in the SEC who rank among the league's top 10 in rebounding and top 20 in scoring, including junior forward Aleighsa Welch
2 Gamecocks ranked among the SEC's top 15 scorers, one of four SEC teams to have multiple entries
3 Gamecocks ranked among the SEC's top 20 rebounders, one of three SEC teams to have three entries - Kentucky and Tennessee being the other two
3 Games this season in which five Gamecocks have scored in double figures, which had happened just five previous times in the Dawn Staley era
5 Statistical categories in which the Gamecocks rank among the nation's top five - scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage defense and blocked shots
5 Different Gamecocks who have been the team's high scorer in a game this season - Alaina Coates (Charleston Southern, at San Diego State, SC State), Aleighsa Welch (LA Tech, at Clemson, vs. UNC), Asia Dozier (CofC), Elem Ibiam (Seton Hall, Charlotte) and Tiffany Mitchell (at USC, NC Central, Winthrop)
6 Individual 20-point games this season by the Gamecock - three by Alaina Coates (CSU, at SDSU), two by Tiffany Mitchell (at USC, Winthrop) and one by Aleighsa Welch (vs. UNC)
6 Games in which South Carolina has shot at least 50.0 percent from the field this season after reaching the mark just 12 times in the previous five seasons under Staley
7 Games this season in which South Carolina has scored at least 50.0 percent of its points in the paint, including scoring 70 of 99 points against Charleston Southern (Nov. 8) inside
8 Opponents who have been held to 55 or fewer points by the Gamecocks this season, helping the Gamecocks rank third in the nation in scoring defense (49.0 ppg)
26 Points allowed to SC State by the Gamecocks (Dec. 22), the third lowest in the Dawn Staley era
26 More rebounds by the Gamecocks than SC State (Dec. 22), the second-highest rebounding margin in the Staley era
62.0 Percent of field goals made this season that have been assisted

Savannah State Series Notes
South Carolina leads the series 5-0, including wins in each of the last three seasons. In last year's 78-47 victory (Nov. 15), forward Aleighsa Welch recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Then-freshman Asia Dozier posted her first career double-digit point game with 11, including three 3-pointers.

Scouting the Lady Tigers
The Lady Tigers conclude a season long 10-game road stretch today with their final away match, before returning home on Sunday. SSU lost a close game to Alabama State in their last outing, falling 52-57 after leading 26-23 at the half on Dec. 22 in Montgomery, Ala.

Today's opponent is the second of two Southeastern Conference (SEC) teams that SSU will face this season. They fell to Mississippi State, 63-81, on Nov. 26. SSU played a record four SEC opponents last season. This is the sixth match-up between SSU and South Carolina, since the program's elevation to NCAA Division I in the 2001-02 season. The Lady Tigers are winless against SEC opponents.

The Lady Tigers are led by senior Ezinne Kalu. The Newark, N.J. native is averaging 15.0 points per game and has a 150 points overall. Freshman Tiyonda Davis leads the team in rebounds with 85, averaging 7.7 per game. Jasmine Norman and Kenyata Hendrix are both averaging at least 8.1 points per contest. The Lady Tigers are 2-4 on the road this year, an improvement over last season's 1-15 away record

Five-Second Count
For the first time in her tenure at South Carolina, head coach Dawn's Staley's Gamecocks look different - on the court and in the box score. After seasons of building around defense, Staley finally as a group that is designed for offensive efficiency. The Gamecocks are scoring more (77.5 ppg - 6th in SEC, 48th in nation) and more efficiently (.491 FG %age - 2nd in SEC, 6th in country) than at any time in the Staley era. And, after seasons of talented guards generating their own offense, Staley's 2013-14 success is predicated on getting the ball inside - three primary post players combine to score 47.5 percent of the team's points - and on ball movement creating the best shots as 62.0 percent of made field goals have been assisted, ranking the Gamecocks sixth in the SEC and 37th in the nation with 16.8 assists per game. Defense is still a staple of the program with the Gamecocks ranking third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 49.0 points per game. Only four opponents this season have scored 55 or more points against South Carolina.

December Decisions
In its 40th season of women's basketball, South Carolina is 159-79 (.668) all-time in the month of December, including a 27-7 record (.794) in the sixth season of the Dawn Staley era. The Gamecocks hold at least a .500 record in all three site possibilities during the month - 96-23 (.807) at home, 34-30 (.531) on the road and 24-24 (.500) at neutral sites.

Home Sweet Home
With comprehensive records beginning in the 1976-77 season (the third for women's basketball at South Carolina), the Gamecocks are 369-155 (.704) all-time in games played at home, including a 124-58 mark (.681) in Colonial Life Arena. In the sixth season with head coach Dawn Staley at the helm, South Carolina is 59-25 (.702) at home, including one game at Carolina Coliseum in the 2012-13 season. The Gamecocks have won 45 of their last 56 games played in Colonial Life Arena.

Make It, Take It
South Carolina is exhibiting its most efficient offense of the Dawn Staley era so far this season, leading the SEC and ranking sixth in the nation with 49.1 percent accuracy from the field. The Gamecocks have shot 50.0 percent or higher six times already this season - the most in a season under Staley. In fact, in the previous five seasons, South Carolina hit at least 50.0 percent of its field goal attempts just 12 times combined. This year's top effort was 60.9 percent against Charleston Southern (Nov. 8) - program best under Staley - followed by a 58.5 percent showing against NC Central (Dec. 2). The Gamecocks made at least 65.0 percent of their attempts in a half five times this season, including a remarkable 73.9 percent (17-of-23) in the second half against Seton Hall (Nov. 17).

Post Presence
South Carolina's trio of primary post players - Alaina Coates, Elem Ibiam and Aleighsa Welch - has been the key to the Gamecocks' offensive production so far this season. The trio has accounted for 438 of the team's 922 points this season - 47.5 percent - and is shooting a combined 64.1 percent from the field (164-of-256). Welch leads the SEC and is third in the nation in field goal percentage at .700 for 14.3 points per game (12th in SEC). Coates' perfect shooting outing for 23 points against SC State has lifted her average to 11.2 points on 64.9 percent shooting. Ibiam's strong three games before the holiday break have her scoring 11.1 points per game on 57.6 percent shooting. In all, the Gamecocks have scored 464 points in the paint this season - 50.3 percent of their total scoring.

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Second-Half Rally lifts Washington Huskies over MVSU, 95-80

SEATTLE, Washington  -- Nigel Williams-Goss and Andrew Andrews each scored 18 points and helped spark a decisive second half run as the Washington Huskies pulled away for a 95-80 victory over Mississippi Valley State Friday night.

Washington (7-5) held the Delta Devils scoreless for over five minutes as the Huskies mounted an 18-0 run to break the game open in the second half. After a layup from Jeffrey Simmons tied the game at 56 with 12:40 left to play, Washington began to pull away. Williams-Goss and Andrews forced the action by attacking the basket. Anthony McDonald finally halted the Huskies run with a layup at the 7:26 mark.

Mississippi Valley State (3-8) couldn't keep the Huskies from getting to the rim and were outclassed on the boards as well. Perris Blackwell scored 17 points with 10 rebounds as Washington out-rebounded the Delta Devils by a 51-29 margin.

Washington built a 10-point lead midway through the first half but couldn't put MVSU away before the break. The Delta Devils kept in the contest on the strength of their 3-point shooting. Mississippi Valley State was 5 of 10 from behind the arc in the first half. Meanwhile, Washington didn't convert a 3-pointer in the half, going 0 for 6.

However, MVSU was just 2 for 19 from 3-point distance in the second half as Washington took control.

A three-point play from Andrews and free throw from Mike Anderson helped the Huskies take a 22-12 lead over MVSU midway through the first half. The Delta Devils slowly closed the deficit and a pair of 3-pointers from Daniel Hurtt helped the Delta Devils close the gap to 39-35 at the half.

After a quick start to the second half from the Huskies, MVSU erased a 10-point deficit in the blink of an eye. Simmons converted a four-point play after being fouled by Washington's Darin Johnson. A pair of free throws from McDonald closed the gap to 54-50 before Washington mistakes allowed the Delta Devils to tie the game. The Huskies turned the ball over on an inbounding violation and with a careless pass under their own basket on consecutive possessions. James Currington scored baskets off both turnovers to knot the score at 54.

C.J. Wilcox also posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Washington.

McDonald led the Delta Devils with 19 points on the night.

Box Score

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Cal State Northridge Defeats Morgan State, 86-80

Box Score - CSUN vs Morgan State  Audio | Video | Live stats | Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, California  --  Going into Friday night's non-league basketball game against Morgan State, senior guard Josh Greene knew he needed six three-pointers to tie the long-time career school record set by Ian Boylan (1997-01) with 182.

Greene wanted to tie or set the record in front of family, friends and fans who faithfully attend basketball games at the Matadome.

Greene raced to a fast start in the first half. Within a two-minute span nearing the midway point of the first half, Greene hit three straight shots from behind the arc, and added a fourth trey near the end of the first half.

Then with 11:24 mark in the second half, Greene hit his fifth three-pointer of the contest to give the Matadors a comfortable 59-48 lead over the Bears.


Greene then turned his attention to his success at the free throw line. Six consecutive free throws in the final 1:36 of the contest helped propel CSUN to a hard-earned 86-80 victory over Morgan State in a non-league game on Friday night at the Matadome.

Greene's 36-minute night looked outstanding from the left margin to the right margin of the official box score. A season-high 28 points (8-for-10 from the floor, 5-for-6 from three point territory), five rebounds, four assists and three steals is a pretty good night of work.

Matador head coach Reggie Theus noticed Greene's outstanding play, and was quick to praise Greene's success on the floor, and the leadership he displays amongst his teammates.

"Josh has an excellent jump shot," said Theus. "When he gets it going, he can make shots all over the court. Tonight he had it going. He has a green light under those circumstances."

Greene is a team player, who says winning as a team will always take top honors over individual achievements.

"I'm really not disappointed," said Greene. "I'm just happy the team won."

Greene's next opportunity to tie or break the school record takes place on Dec. 30 at Stephen F. Austin in Texas.

"It simply means that all hard work pays off," said Greene when asked about his three-point success. "I'm really blessed the Good Lord has put me in this position. All the credit also goes to my teammates. They look for me when I'm open. Making shots give us a good chance to win."

Greene's success at the free throw line has not gone unnoticed. His 7-for-8 effort from the charity stripe included six straight charity tosses late in the game that has given him a percentage of .864, tops on the team and amongst the top three players in the conference.

Greene's career free throw percentage is .846, third-best all-time at Cal State Northridge.

"Just hard work," said the soft-spoken senior. "It's just a matter of coming to work every day and being disciplined along with being dedicated. I'm always striving for perfection."

Stephen Maxwell again displayed his blue collar style of play with a career-high 28 points along with 12 rebounds. At 6-foot-7, 220-pounds, Maxwell worked for every point against his opponent who stood 7-foot-2, and scaled the weights at 270-pounds.

"Stephen never stops working," said Theus. "We have made him a pivotal part of our offense. There are certain things he still has to learn. He draws double teams which means he is doing something right offensively. Now he has to get better at finding the open man."

Stephan Hicks added his third double-double of the season with ten points and eleven rebounds to help the Matadors raise their season record to 8-5.

Morgan State fell to 3-8.

Morgan State led 12-11 at the 16:05 mark of the first half, but the Matadors ripped off ten straight points to take a 21-12 lead at the 13:04 mark. CSUN never surrendered the lead.

Cal State Northridge led at halftime, 39-34, and built its lead to as many as 13 points (61-48) with 10:30 remaining in the game.

Morgan State mounted a late rally that cut the Matadors lead to only three points, 76-73, with 1:21 remaining.

But a 4-0 run in the next 21 seconds thanks to two free throws by Hicks and another two free throws by Greene gave the Matadors a much needed cushion.

In fact, nine free throws in the final minute helped give the Matadors the 86-80 victory.

"We got a little complacent," admits Greene. "We took our foot off the pedal and Morgan State started to make a real run. We are still learning. We will continue to watch film. We will find our mistakes and continue to work to prepare for our next game at Stephen F. Austin."

"We did a lot of good things, and we stuck to our game plan," said Theus. "Good teams, even when things aren't perfect, find a way to win. That is our goal."

Cal State Northridge has now won five of its last six games going into the Dec. 30 game at Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks are 10-2 and have won 23 straight games on their home court.

"I'm enjoying it. I like teaching," when reporters asked Theus about his first season at CSUN. "I like the opportunity to help these players grow. I also like the opportunity to teach the players how to play hard; how to grind a game out … to learn to win. I have had those experiences at all the levels that I have played basketball. These are the type of things I'm trying to teach the team.

Matador Memo … Josh Greene's 28 points gave him 1,184 in his four-year Matador career, ninth-best in school history … Greene's six three-point attempts against Morgan State give him 473 in his CSUN career to move him into second place all-time, just ahead of Vinnie McGhee (472, 2009-12) … Tre Hale-Edmerson tied his school record with six blocks against Morgan State … Earlier this year, Hale-Edmerson had six blocks against La Sierra (12/1/13) to tie the record set earlier by Calvin Chitwood at Washington (12/22/07) … Hale-Edmerson now has 57 career blocks, seventh-best in school history.

By Bob Vazquez, Assistant Athletics Director, Strategic Communications
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Game Day Central: FAMU vs. Wake Forest in FIU Fun & Sun Classic

MIAMI, Florida  -- After enjoying the Christmas break, Wake Forest returns to action this weekend at the Fun & Sun Classic hosted by FIU.  The Demon Deacons will play Florida A&M at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 28, and then will play either FIU or Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday, Dec. 29.


Live video will be available for all games involving FIU.

Last Time Out

Junior Dearica Hamby scored a career-high 31 points and senior Chelsea Douglas chipped-in with 20 points as the Deacs rolled past South Alabama 92-66 on Dec. 20.

Hamby dominated on both ends of the floor. In addition to her 31 points, she grabbed 11 rebounds, had four steals and dished-out a season-high four assists.

Douglas knocked-down three shots from beyond the arc en route to her seventh 20-point game of the season. She also finished with season-highs of five assists and four steals. Freshman Ataijah Taylor scored nine points and dished-out four assists while redshirt-freshman Kelila Atkinson scored eight points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.

Senior Lindsy Wright came off the bench and provided an immediate spark, scoring six points and pulling-down a total of nine boards.

Wake Forest Storylines

Dearica Hamby has notched nine double-doubles this season. She was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Nugget Classic and currently leads the ACC in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

Senior Chelsea Douglas was the first player in school history to score 20 or more points in the first three games of a season. She is second in the ACC in scoring (19.8) and three-pointers made (38).

Douglas is currently tied for sixth in school history with 1,352 career points and also second with 209 career three-pointers.

The Opposition

Florida A&M opened the season with five wins in its first six games but has since dropped six of its last seven.

Jasmine Grice is leading the Rattlers in scoring at 22.2 points per game and she has also nabbed a team-high 41 steals.

Taneka Rubin (12.8) and Kimberly Sparkman (10.4) are the other two Rattlers averaging in double-figures. Sparkman has dished-out a team-high 41 assists.

Series History

The Demon Deacons are 3-0 all-time against FAMU, including an 80-60 victory last season at the Joel Coliseum.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams outside of Winston-Salem.

Wake Forest Game Notes
Live Stats
Twitter Updates

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Oregon Ducks Close Out Non-Conference Slate with Morgan State

Oregon wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule by hosting Morgan State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Sunday, Dec. 29 at noon.

#12/#10 Oregon Ducks (11-0, 0-0 PAC-12) vs.
Morgan State (3-7, 1-0 MEAC)

Date Sunday, December 29, 2013

 Tip Time 12:02 p.m PT
 Site Eugene, Oregon

Stadium Matthew Knight Arena

Stadium Capacity 12,364

Television Pac-12 Networks

Rich Cellini, play-by-play, Ernie Kent, analyst

Radio Oregon IMG Sports Network 95.3 FM KUJZ in Eugene/Springfield

Terry Jonz, play-by-play

Live Stats GoDucks.com

Live Audio GoDucks.com

Twitter @OregonMBB

Facebook OregonMBB

Satellite Radio Sirius 125 XM ch. NA

 EUGENE, Oregon  --  Oregon wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule by hosting Morgan State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Sunday, Dec. 29 at noon. Winners of three of their last four games, the Bears were 17-15 last season and return four starters from the squad that advanced to the MEAC Tournament final. Morgan State is coached by former Cal head coach Todd Bozeman. Morgan State plays at Cal State Northridge Friday night.

 

THE STARTING FIVE
1- Oregon is 11-0 for just the fifth time in school history. With a win Sunday, the Ducks would be 12-0 for the fifth time ever. The current start is the school’s best since 2006-07. That Aaron Brooks-led Duck squad, which won the Pac-10 tournament and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, went 13-0 to open the year.

 

2 - A third of the way into the 2013-14 season, Oregon leads the nation in scoring and continues to be one of the best shooting teams nationally. The Ducks average 90.3 points per game to lead the nation. Oregon is also among the national leaders in field goal percentage (.511/7th), 3-point field goal percentage (.424/11th), free throw percentage (.756/18th) and assists (16.2 per game/24th).

3 - Oregon tied a school record by reaching the century mark for the fourth time this season Dec. 21 against Brigham Young. It is just the third time in 109 seasons of basketball that the Ducks have scored 100 points four times in the same season. Oregon has never had more than four 100-point games in the same year. The Ducks last had four 100-point games in the same year in 2001-02. Oregon first accomplished that feat in 1995-96.

4 - Stealing away. The Ducks have recorded double-digit steals in three of the last four games. That’s after recording 10-plus steals only once in the first seven games.

5 - Johnathan Loyd continues to climb Oregon’s career assist chart. Last week against BYU, he passed Fred Jones (367/1998-02) for sixth. Loyd, who ranks eighth nationally at 6.8 assists per game, comes into the Morgan State contest with 372 career dimes.

SHARED SCORING
The Ducks have reached 80 points in nine of 11 games this season. Oregon has also gone over 90 points six times and 100 four times. Oregon has put up those big scoring totals through a collaborative effort. Oregon has had at least four players score in double figures in each of the last eight games. The Ducks have also had five double figure scorers five times, and six twice.

DOUBLE FIGURES CONTINUE FOR YOUNG
Joseph Young has scored in double figures in all 11 games this season. Dating back to last season while at Houston, Young has scored in double figures in 13 straight games, and 36 of his last 37 outings. The junior recently reached the 1,000 point milestone of his NCAA career. Young scored 916 points in two seasons at Houston, and has added another 218 this year for 1,134 career points. He joins Jason Calliste, who surpassed 1,000 career points in three seasons at Detroit, in the 1,000-point club.

 

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