Southern baseball to play doubleheader at UAPB on Sunday, will give freshman pitcher Tyler Robinson a start

HEAD COACH ROGER CADOR
SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY JAGUARS

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The start of the Southern baseball team’s season has been bumpy, to say the least. The Jaguars are 2-9 and near the bottom of most Southwestern Athletic Conference statistical categories.

Southern coach Roger Cador thinks he’s found the answer.

Cador called his decision to move freshman Tyler Robinson and senior James Fontenot into the starting rotation with senior Santos Saldivar one of his best ideas in years and one that could potentially change the fate of the floundering Jaguars.

He’ll get his first shot to prove that Sunday, when the Jaguars play a noon doubleheader at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-7) in their first Southwestern Athletic Conference road series of the season.

The teams were supposed to play a three-game series, but unfavorable weather forced the coaches to settle for the Sunday doubleheader instead.

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Alabama State rolls over Southern in women's SWAC title game

HOUSTON, Texas -- Southern University had 12 players available on Saturday in the championship game of the women's SWAC Tournament, in a week that eight Lady Jaguars had been disciplined following a fight with Texas Southern players on March 7.

But even at nearly full strength, the top-seed Lady Jaguars were no match for Alabama State, as the Lady Hornets led the entire game in winning 73-55 at Toyota Center, out-rebounding Southern by 13 boards.

"We discussed that we were not going to be beaten by a team three times," said Alabama State's Britney Wright, who delivered with 17 points and seven rebounds and was named the tournament's MVP. Teammate Jasmine Peeples contributed 18 points and nine rebounds.

Win or lose, third-seed Alabama State (17-14) was going to receive the conference's automatic berth to the women's NCAA Tournament. The Lady Jaguars (20-11) were ineligible because the school inadequately reported the Academic Progress Rates of its student-athletes.

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Introducing Cinderella: Meet the Texas Southern Tigers

Conference: SWAC

Coach: Mike Davis

Record: 21-12 (16-2 SWAC)

Rankings and ratings:

– Kenpom: 82
– RPI: 206
– AP/USA Today: Not ranked

Seeding: 16 seed

Names you need to know: Senior guard Madarious Gibbs (14.2 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.4 rpg), junior guard Chris Thomas (12.6 ppg, 5 rpg, 1.7 apg), senior guard Deverell Biggs (11.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg).

Stats you need to know: Four players average double figures in points for the Tigers. They also challenged themselves extensively in the non-conference portion of the schedule and went 10-11 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games. Texas Southern is a poor shooting team and only hit 32 percent of 3-pointers this season.

Tendencies: Texas Southern tends to push tempo against opponents in the SWAC, but they’ll try to maximize possessions at times against more talented opponents. With talented isolation players like Chris Thomas, the Tigers try to do a lot off the dribble since they only shot 32 percent from distance.

Big wins, bad losses: The Texas Southern overtime win at Michigan State was one of the bigger upsets of the early season and they also beat Kansas State. The Tigers also played Indiana, Tennessee, SMU, Baylor, Florida, Gonzaga, Auburn and talented mid-major teams like Eastern Washington and New Mexico State.

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Hampton Pirates Upend Delaware State to win MEAC Title

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Twenty minutes into Saturday's MEAC Tournament final at Norfolk Scope Arena, the Hampton University men's basketball team and Delaware State were deadlocked. But once the second half started, the Pirates kicked into gear.

That 20-minute drive to the finish netted Hampton an 82-61 win over the Hornets and the 2015 MEAC Tournament title – the Pirates' second such crown under head coach Edward Joyner Jr. and the first since 2011.

Hampton has won five MEAC Tournament titles.



Hampton (16-17), the No. 6 seed, earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament; the Pirates will learn their opponent, location, and game date on Sunday when CBS unveils the bracket at 6 p.m. EST.
 
Junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) was named to the All-Tournament Team. Joyner was named Most Outstanding Coach.
 
Johnson and junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) led the Pirates with 20 points apiece, going a combined 11-for-26 from the floor – and 7-for-14 from 3-point range. Powers added 16 points, while redshirt freshman forward Charles Wilson-Fisher (Los Angeles, Calif.) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
The Pirates shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63) from the floor and hit nine of 23 3-pointers. More importantly, the Pirates knocked down 19 of their 24 free throws – including a 17-for-21 clip (81.0 percent) in the second half.
 
Hampton out-rebounded Delaware State 35-34 and held a 26-8 edge in points off turnovers – largely because the Hornets turned the ball over 17 times.
 
Even though the Hornets opened the game with an 8-3 spurt, and later held a 15-6 lead, the Pirates methodically began clawing at the deficit, going on an 11-2 run over the course of five and a half minutes to tie the game at 17-17 after Johnson hit a trey at the 8:21 mark.
 
The score was tied six more times in the half, though the Pirates held a 28-26 lead with 3:09 left in the half after a layup from guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.). Powers later sank a layup of his own with 1:28 left to put Hampton up 32-30.
 
DeAndre Haywood sent the teams into the locker room tied at 32-32 with a layup with 1:04 left.
 
Johnson, who was every bit as important to the Pirates on Saturday as Chievous had been in Friday's semifinal win over Norfolk State, led the Pirates with 14 points at the break.
 
When Amere May sank two free throws with 15:55 left in the second half, it gave the Hornets a 4-39 lead. But Delaware State relinquished the lead on the ensuing possession when Darden drained a three, and the Hornets never led again.
 
In fact, Darden's trey kicked off a 13-3 Hampton run, and when junior guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) nailed a 3-pointer with 11:07 to play, it gave the Pirates a 52-39 lead.

"There is always a point in a game like that where you need some separation," Joyner said. "It gave us a chance to exhale. It was definitely a key."
 
May, the MEAC's leading scorer who struggled to a 6-for-15 shooting day, hit a three to cut the lead to 54-48 with 9:13 left, but the Pirates responded on a Powers layup on the following possession. Hampton's first double-digit lead came with 7:43 left, when junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) hit a layup to put the Pirates up 61-51.
 
The Hornets went on a 5-0 spurt, cutting the lead to 61-56 with 5:09 left, but the Pirates scored 11 of the next 13 points to take a 70-58 lead with 2:01 remaining after senior center Emmanuel Okoroba (Garland, Texas) converted a 3-point play.
 
All told, after the Hornets clawed to within five, the Pirates ended the game on a 21-5 run – a run punctuated by a Chieovus 3-point play with 38 seconds remaining.
 
No. 5 seed Delaware State (17-16) shot 43.4 percent (23-for-53) from the floor – but only shot 9-for-26 (34.6 percent) in the second half. The Hornets went 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) from distance and went just 8-for-16 from the free throw line.
 
May led the Hornets with 20 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.

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COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

SCSU Bulldogs set to open spring drills Tuesday

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina --It’s been a tumultuous offseason for South Carolina State University, and none of it directly involved the school’s football team.

Even so, 14th-year head coach Buddy Pough said he’ll be glad to see the Bulldogs back on the field Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. for the first of 15 spring practices. He hopes the onset of spring drills brings a much-needed boost to an S.C. State fanbase that has mostly listened to disheartening news about the university’s finances over the last few months.

“We have a had a thing or two going on, haven’t we,” Pough said. “It will be good to get back out there. It will be great to do something positive for our university. It will be nice to get a little excitement going again.”

Aside from the aforementioned factors beyond the Bulldogs’ control, spring football won’t be much different for S.C. State. Pough said the 15 days of practice, capped by an April 11 spring game, will be centered on evaluating the Bulldogs younger players, some of which will be counted on to step into more prominent roles in 2015.

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Delaware State knocks NC Central out of MEAC tourney 63-57

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Amere May scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half and Delaware State stunned top-seeded North Carolina Central 63-57 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament semifinals on Friday night.

The No. 5 seed Hornets (18-16) trailed by 13 early in the second half. But thanks to May, they hung around and surpassed NC Central (25-7) with a late rally, snapping the defending champion Eagles' 35-game conference winning streak.

Delaware State advanced to Saturday's championship game and will face sixth-seeded Hampton, which beat No. 2 seed Norfolk State 75-64 in the other semifinal game.

May made both free throws on a one-and-one with 1:46 left to give Delaware State its first lead, at 57-55, since the opening minutes and pushed the lead to four on another pair of free throws.

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Hampton U. bounces Norfolk State 75-64, will play for MEAC title

NORFOLK, Virginia  -Hampton University coach Ed Joyner Jr., considers Quinton Chievous his sixth starter. Minus one starter in championship week, the Pirates benefited from the luxury.

Chievous, the versatile 6-foot-6 transfer, carried the Pirates to a 75-64 win against rival Norfolk State on Friday and to the brink of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

“He’s the reason we’re sitting here right now,” Joyner said. “He made big free throws, he got big rebounds, he made timely shots. I think the biggest thing out of all of it was his communication. He stayed in constant communication with everybody.”

Chievous more than made up for the absence of leading scorer and rebounder Dwight Meikle, with a career-high 23 points and a career best-tying 16 rebounds.



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NCAA Tourney: Kentucky State Ends Season With 66-56 Loss to Nova Southeastern

JACKSON, Tennessee -- In the NCAA Championship Tournament for just the third time in school history, the seventh-seeded Kentucky State University women's basketball team fell short of an upset victory over two-seed Nova Southeastern University, 66-56, on Friday, March 13, at Union University's Fred Delay Gymnasium.

In the first half, the Thorobrettes (22-6) came out strong, getting on the scoreboard first with a 3-pointer from senior Brieona Warner. Nova Southeastern (25-5) responded with a 3-pointer of their own from Danielle Robinson but KSU rattled off six straight to take an early 9-3 lead with 15 minutes left in the half.

Shaquanda Wiggins was a huge boost off the bench for KSU in the first half, picking up four points, four rebounds, two steals and a pair of blocks. KSU held the lead for 13:11 in the first half compared to just 43 seconds for NSU.

With just 33 seconds remaining in the half and the teams knotted at 28-28, Shaia Horton fouled NSU's Jessica Valley who split a pair of free-throws to put the Sharks ahead 29-28 heading into the locker rooms.

In the second half, Nova Southeastern turned up their defensive pressure, forcing eight KSU turnovers, and, on the offensive end, got hot from 3-point range, going 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. Forward Jasmine Wilkins led the way for NSU, picking up 12 points and 11 rebounds in the final 20 minutes. Wilkins finished with 21 points and 18 rebounds, both game-highs.

NSU outscored KSU 37-28 in the second half.

Warner continued her impressive postseason stretch to lead Kentucky State with a team-high 20 points to go along with four rebounds and a pair of steals. Wiggins finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Shayla Moore added eight points, seven rebounds, a block and a steal. Horton finished with seven points.

NSU had four starters score in double figures. Robinson finished with 16 points and a pair of steals but also had six turnovers. Alexis Murphy and Monaye Merritt added 11 points each. Jessica Valley finished with five points, six rebounds and five assists.

Kentucky State finishes with its best overall record since the 1996-97 season, their third in the SIAC, when the Thorobrettes finished 25-6 and won the SIAC Championship. After defeating Alabama A&M, 78-63, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament that season, KSU was bounced by Delta State, 83-61, in the second round. In 2007-08, Kentucky State ear
ned its first at-large bid to the tournament after falling in the SIAC Championship final to Tuskegee, 59-55. Once again pitted against Delta State, the Thorobrettes fell to the Lady Statesmen, 76-34, to finish their season at 19-12.

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COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCAA Tourney: Union women beat Albany State (Ga.)

JACKSON, Tennessee -- In a gym nearly filled to capacity, with a large group of students chanting and shouting eager for the school's biggest true home game in recent memory, Union began its NCAA tournament journey Friday night.

And as they have done for years in big moments, the Lady Bulldogs found success.

The top seed Lady Bulldogs avoided an upset with a 92-83 win over eighth seed and SIAC tournament champion Albany State in Friday night's South region quarterfinal. Union (27-3) hosts West Florida at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a game with identical stakes.

Senior guard Amy Philamlee, the leading scorer nationally in NCAA Division II, contributed 34 points and 14 assists. Junior guard Kelsey Risner had 27 points with 10 rebounds.

Take your pick for player of the game. Without either of those two, Union's season is over.

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Central State University to become full member of Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

WILBERFORCE, Ohio --  Central State University President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond announced today that Central State will join the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (S-I-A-C).

"Joining the SIAC is a great opportunity for Central State University. The SIAC provides additional exposure for Central State and enhances the collegiate and academic experience," Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond said. "We look forward to the camaraderie and athletic competition with some of the best universities in the country."

Presidents of the SIAC institutions voted unanimously last month on the decision to grant full membership status to Central State University. CSU, which had established partial membership with football in 2013, will see all its sports compete under the rules and by-laws of the SIAC beginning this Fall.

SIAC Presidents Council Chairman and Miles College President Dr. George T. French said, "Central State's participation in the conference is exciting because it will not only add to the competitive spirit that already exists among conference members but will strengthen our conference as a leader within NCAA ranks."

Central State currently competes as a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in cross-country, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's tennis, women's tennis, women's track & field, and men's track & field. CSU will officially exit the conference at the conclusion of the 2015 spring sports season.

"We (SIAC) are very pleased to welcome Central State University as a full member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference," said SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore. "Central State is an outstanding academic institution with a rich athletic tradition. We look forward to working with President Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond and her staff as they make the transition to full membership."

Founded in 1913, the SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities. Its headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. The primary mission and purpose of the SIAC is to leverage intercollegiate athletics to the benefit of its student-athletes and to advance the overarching strategic interests of SIAC member institutions. The SIAC includes 15 member institutions. They are: Albany State University, Benedict College, Central State University Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Miles College, Morehouse College, Paine College, Spring Hill College, Stillman College, Tuskegee University. The institutions which are located within a contiguous six-state footprint (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio).

"Joining the SIAC is an investment into our program. It shows our commitment to enhancing our brand and broadening our fan base," CSU Athletic Director Jahan Culbreath said. "We are excited to start this new era of Marauder sports as a part of the SIAC family."

Central State has been a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference since its inception in 2011. CSU recently celebrated a 10-year anniversary of achieving NCAA Div. II status, which dates back to 2004. Prior to joining the NCAA, Central State competed as a member of the NAIA.

For more information on the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, please visit - http://www.thesiac.com/

COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Livingstone Receives No. 8 Atlantic Region Seed

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee announced the field of 64 teams that will compete in the 2015 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship.

Twenty-two conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining 42 teams were selected at large by the committee.

Livingstone College will represent the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) with its third consecutive trip to the Atlantic Region Tournament. The Blue Bears (19-9 overall) won its second consecutive conference championship and automatic qualification.

West Liberty University won the Mountain East Conference (MEC) championship and an automatic qualification as the No. 1 seed. The Hilltoppers (26-3 overall) - last year's national runners-up – have won the last four Atlantic Region championships and are serving as regional tournament hosts for the fifth time in the past six seasons.

Livingstone will travel to West Liberty, West Virginia to take on West Liberty for the second time in post-season play.

The Atlantic Region Tournament will be conducted March 14, 15 and 17. The eight regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals in conjunction with the 2015 NCAA Division II Men’s Elite Eight at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Central Missouri defeated West Liberty, 84-77, to win the 2014 NCAA Division II Men’s Elite Eight championship game in Evansville, Indiana.



NCAA Division II Men's Basketball
Atlantic Region Tournament

Saturday, March 14
Regional Quarterfinals (at West Liberty, W.Va.)
No. 1 WEST LIBERTY (26-3) vs. No. 8 Livingstone, N.C. (19-9), 6:00 PM - LIVE STATS
No. 4 Fairmont State (21-10) vs. No. 5 Mercyhurst, Pa. (20-8), 8:30 PM
No. 3 Indiana, Pa. (26-6) vs. No. 6 Glenville State (22-10), 12:00 PM
No. 2 Gannon, Pa. (23-8) vs. No. 7 Slippery Rock, Pa. (20-10), 2:30 PM

Sunday, March 15
Regional Semifinals
West Liberty/Livingstone winner vs. Fairmont/Mercyhurst winner, 5:00 PM
Indiana/Glenville winner vs. Gannon/Slippery Rock winner, 7:30 PM

Tuesday, March 17
Regional Championship
Sunday's winners, 7:00 PM

Follow the NCAA DII interactive map at: http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-men/d2

COURTESY CIAA MEDIA RELATIONS

In the FCS Huddle: MEAC spring football primer

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- The lack of a win in the FCS playoffs since 1999 and a big annual payday have the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference considering significant change to its postseason plans.

The MEAC could relinquish its automatic bid to the playoffs to have its champion face the top team from the other historically black conference in the FCS, the Southwestern Athletic Conference, in an ESPN-funded postseason bowl, similar to MEAC-SWAC Challenge each opening weekend (this year, it's South Carolina State taking on Arkansas-Pine Bluff).

The estimate with a bowl game is that each conference would received $1 million to split among members. Floyd Kerr, the athletic director of last year's MEAC playoff qualifier Morgan State, said in a December radio interview that it's going to happen.

Even if the idea doesn't come off this year, the competitiveness within the 11-team MEAC will be high. Morgan State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State combined on a five-way tie for the title a year ago, and each remains in this year's title picture in a conference boasting four new head coaches ... as well as questions across the quarterback position.

Here's a look across the ...

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Southern stings ASU in SWAC Semifinals, 68-66

HOUSTON, Texas  – On paper, the Alabama State men's basketball team shouldn't have been in contention with 2.8 seconds remaining in Friday's Southwestern Athletic Conference semifinal.

The second-seeded Hornets (19-10) were outshot 42.6 percent to 30.2 percent and didn't score their first field goal against third-seeded Southern (18-16) until more than 8 minutes into the game.

But ASU built a 10-point second-half lead, before falling to the Jaguars, 68-66, in the semifinals on Friday afternoon at the Toyota Center.

Southern senior forward Keith Davis was driving to the lane when ASU senior guard DeMarcus Robinson was called for a foul.

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XU's Mandlekar, Vernet earn 2nd GCAC weekly awards of '15

Caroline Vernet: Beat NAIA's No. 21 singles player



Tushar Mandlekar: 3-0 in singles, 2-0 in doubles

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Caroline Vernet and Tushar Mandlekar are the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week in tennis for March 2-8. Both are two-time recipients this season.       Vernet, a home-schooled freshman from Lyon, France, won all three of her singles matches this past week and is 7-2 this semester. Sunday she defeated Auburn Montgomery's Paula Diaz, No. 21 in the ITA's NAIA rankings, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5) at the AUM Invitational in Montgomery, Ala.       Mandlekar, a sophomore from Bhilai, India, and a graduate of Deepak Nagar, went 3-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles at the AUM Invitational. He was the lone Gold Rush player to win in singles and doubles Sunday at NAIA No. 3 Auburn Montgomery. His current win streaks are eight matches in singles and, with Manav Chakma, seven matches in doubles.       \Mandlekar won the GCAC award for the second consecutive week and has four in his career.       The Gold Nuggets' next dual match will start at noon Sunday at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. The XU women are 9-6 and ranked xseventh in the NAIA. Next for the Gold Rush will be a 3 p.m. Thursday dual (March 19) at 11th-ranked William Carey in Hattiesburg, Miss. The XU men are 8-2 and ranked sixth. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAATHLETICS XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  https://twitter.com/xulagold https://www.facebook.com/

Tennessee State Tigers to Open Spring Practice on March 16

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  –  The Tennessee State football team will start its Spring Camp on Monday, Mar. 16 at 4 p.m.

The Tigers are set to practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4-6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9-11 a.m. The camp will run for four weeks and culminate in the annual Spring Game on Apr. 11 at 3 p.m.

Big Blue is coming off of a 6-6 season in 2014 for the team’s third straight non-losing season – a feat that had not been done since 1984-86.

The squad will welcome back many young players in hopes of filling the spots of TSU’s all-time leader in passing yards Mike German and the school’s second-leading tackler Nick Thrasher.

Practices are open to the public and locations of each session are to be determined.

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TSU's Dameus Named Top Athlete of the OVC Championship

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Clairwin Dameus was named Female Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the OVC Championship for her performance in the event on Feb. 27-28.

Dameus, who also won the award last season, tallied 3,856 points in the pentathlon this year including earning top marks in the 60 meter hurdles (8.64 seconds) and the long jump (5.98 meters).

Dameus continued her winning ways on Day One by defending her top seed and earning a maximum 10 points in the long jump competition with a leap of 5.9

3 meters.

On Day Two, Dameus teamed with Amber Hughes and Christian Pryor and Kayla Pryor to repeat as champions in the 4x400 meter relay. The squad clocked a time of 3:48.88 and had to fight off a charge from rival Austin Peay.

The Tennessee State track and field team will start the Outdoor Season on March 19 in the Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa.

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Rush to play March 19 against Mid-America Christian

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana will play at 4:30 p.m. March 19 against 13th-seeded Mid-America Christian in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Kansas City, Mo.

The NAIA announced the pairings of the 32-team event Wednesday evening, five hours after revealing that the Gold Rush (24-9) had qualified for a school-record fifth consecutive year and the 16th time overall.

Xavier finished second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament. Though unseeded at nationals, the Gold Rush were 19th in Wednesday's coaches poll, and Xavier has the longest current streak of top-25 appearances, 49.

Mid-America Christian, from Oklahoma City, qualified for nationals for the first time. The Evangels (23-10) were the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season champion, then lost 94-60 to Wayland Baptist in the championship game of the conference tournament.

MACU did not receive a vote in this season's national polls until Jan. 20, when it entered at No. 25. The Evangels climbed eight places the following week after a 92-75 home victory against then-No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist.

It will be the first-ever meeting between Xavier and MACU. It will be Xavier's first game against a Sooner team since a 58-57 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma in the second round of nationals in 2007.

Willie Holley is in his 42nd and final season as MACU's head coach. His teams have won 813 games and four national championships in the National Christian College Athletic Association. The Evangels' leading scorer is 5-foot-5 senior point guard Semar Farris, who has 1,220 points in two years and averages 17.6 points this season. Farris was second-team All-America as a junior.

Dannton Jackson is 273-116 in his 12th season as Xavier's head coach. This will be his ninth appearance at nationals. Junior guard Morris Wright (14.5), senior guard Anthony Goode (12.9) and senior forward Sydney Coleman (12.1) are Xavier's leading scorers.

The XU-MACU winner will play fourth-seeded Freed-Hardeman or Missouri Valley in the second round at 8 p.m. Friday. Two victories would put Xavier in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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NSU women beat Howard in MEAC quarterfinals

NORFOLK, Virginia -- In a week full of March Madness at Scope, the Norfolk State women were happy to bring some sanity to the MEAC tournament.

Fueled by a 13-0 run to open the game, the fourth-seeded Spartans closed the book on No. 12-seed Howard's Cinderella story with a 67-55 win in a Thursday afternoon MEAC quarterfinal.

With the win, NSU makes its first semifinals appearance since 2005. It was also a historic moment for the school: For the first time the men's and women's programs reached the league's final four during the same season.

"It's exciting for the university, and it just so happens to be in the city of Norfolk, so I think it's great for the community," NSU coach Debra Clark said.

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UMES shocks No. 1 seed Hampton U. women in MEAC tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Hampton University’s tournament streak was destined to end at some point. It didn’t figure to come on this day against this particular opponent.

The Lady Pirates blitzed Maryland Eastern Shore during the regular season. They entered the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament on an eight-game win streak, while UMES had lost three of four before a first-round win Tuesday.

But No. 8 seed UMES never rattled and took down the five-time defending champs 52-50 Wednesday at Scope Arena, the dagger Jessica Long’s baseline jump shot with less than a second remaining.

“They played well the entire 40 minutes,” HU coach David Six said. “They were very effective in what they did defensively, and ultimately it was our undoing.”

Hampton (18-12) lost its first MEAC tournament game since 2009. The Lady Pirates were 15-0 in MEAC tournament games under Six, who was 88-8 in the conference in his six seasons before Wednesday.

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Hampton U. beats No. 3 seed UMES, will face Norfolk St. in MEAC semifinal

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Thirty-six good minutes trumped four spotty ones and extended Hampton University’s basketball season at least one more day.

The sixth-seeded Pirates weathered poor free-throw shooting and a Maryland Eastern Shore comeback for a 76-71 win Thursday in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal at Scope.

“I thought we played beautifully for 36 minutes,” HU coach Ed Joyner Jr. said. “I thought for 36 minutes we put on a clinic. But in the last (four) minutes, mainly because of free throws, we allowed them to get back into the ball game. But at the end I’m proud of my guys because they gutted it out.”

Hampton (14-17) earned a semifinal berth against second-seeded Norfolk State on Friday at approximately 8 p.m. The Spartans, who defeated South Carolina State in their quarterfinal Wednesday, swept both games against HU during the regular season.

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