Matchups Announced for 2015 MEAC/SWAC Challenge

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The 2015 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Presented by Disney – to be played Sunday, Sept. 6 from the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla. – will showcase the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff of the SWAC against South Carolina State University of the MEAC. The 11^th annual event – which features teams from two prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) – will be aired on an ESPN network.

“We are thrilled to have South Carolina State University and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in our 2015 game,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president, ESPN Events. “We are equally excited to be returning to the newly renovated Orlando Citrus Bowl for the 11th installment of our event, and engaging with the community again. As we start our second decade, our mission remains strong, which is to continue to build on HBCU traditions, while providing a stellar experience for the student-athletes and conference partners.”

The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN. ESPN SportsCenteranchor Jay Harris has played a significant role in the event, serving as emcee at various ancillary functions.

UAPB will be making its first appearance in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The Golden Lions have been led by Monte Coleman since November 2007. This past season, UAPB went 4-7 overall, 3-6 in the SWAC.

“We are excited to be stepping into the next decade of this event,” said Duer Sharp, commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. “The tradition and history of the Challenge speaks for itself and UAPB and South Carolina State join a long line of programs to benefit from the experience. It is a great way to kick off the season.”

South Carolina State will be playing in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge for the third time, having won its two previous appearances (2005, 2009). The Bulldogs are led by Oliver "Buddy" Pough, who just completed his 13^th season at the helm of his alma mater. South Carolina State went 8-4 overall in 2014, and recorded a 6-2 mark in the MEAC.

“We are excited to have South Carolina State University represent the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the 11th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney,” said MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas. “The MEAC/SWAC Challenge has been an instrumental event for our conference in continuing to expand our brand on a national platform, playing on ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports, and providing our teams with an opportunity to participate in a bowl-like, first-class event, which kicks off the football season.  I look forward to a competitive game as the two teams from both conferences display their talents and sportsmanship on the national stage.”

“Walt Disney World Resort is proud to be a longtime supporter of this HBCU tradition, which combines football, family and the legacies of these great institutions,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of corporate citizenship for Walt Disney World Resort. “We look forward to welcoming the fans and teams of Arkansas Pine-Bluff and South Carolina State for a fantastic college football weekend.”

For more information about the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, or to join the event’s following on Facebook and Twitter, please visit the event’s official Web site at www.meacswacchallenge.com. 

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

NCAA Tournament: Texas Southern draws No.15 Seed; Plays PAC-12 Champion Arizona in West Region

DI Bracket |  Printable |

TUCSON, Arizona – The automatic qualifier from the Pac-12 Conference by way of Saturday’s Pac-12 Tournament championship, the Arizona men’s basketball program has garnered the No. 2 seed in the West Region from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

The Wildcats will face Texas Southern on Thursday in second-round action at Portland. With a win, UA would move on to face the winner of the second-round matchup between VCU and Ohio State.

Winner of its 14th Pac-12 regular-season title and fifth Pac-12 Tournament crown, Arizona is a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000 and 2001. UA is 12-5 (.706) all-time as a No. 2 seed, including a run to the 2001 national final.

Making its 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance, Arizona is 51-30 (.630) all-time in the tournament with 16 Sweet 16 appearances, 10 Elite Eight runs, four Final Fours and the 1997 national championship to its credit. The Wildcats are making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years under head coach Sean Miller, who has led UA to three Sweet 16s and two Elite Eights.

Texas Southern is 22-12 overall after winning its second-straight SWAC Tournament title. The Tigers went 16-2 in SWAC play to claim the league’s regular-season championship. They are led by Madarious Gibbs, the SWAC Player of the Year who averages 14.2 points and 4.3 assists per game.

Arizona and Texas Southern have never met in men’s basketball.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

NCAA Tournament: Hampton headed for play-in game as 16 seed

DI Bracket |  Printable 

Early projections from the NCAA are that each team’s conference will net $1.53 million for each game a team plays.

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Hampton Pirates are one of the most unlikely teams in this year’s tournament field, having won four games at the MEAC tournament this weekend to secure their bid.

Hampton entered the tourney at Norfolk’s Scope Arena as the No. 6 seed, sporting a losing record. Over the course of four games, though, they knocked off hometown favorite Norfolk State, then beat Delaware on Saturday for the title.

The Pirates won those games without leading scorer Dwight Meikle, who is nursing an ankle injury.

Their reward is a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament and a trip to the play-in game in Dayton, Ohio this Tuesday night against Manhattan (19-13). Tipoff is slated for 6:40 p.m.

Should the Pirates (16-17) win the play-in game, they’ll get to face No. 1 seed Kentucky on Thursday.

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NIT: North Carolina Central Men's Basketball headed to Miami

2015 MSG NIT MEN'S BRACKET

MIAMI, Florida --The Miami Hurricanes will not be playing in the NCAA tournament after the selection committee held the Hurricanes out of the field of 68, but the Canes will be playing some more basketball in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Hurricanes were one of the most noticeable teams left off the field of 68, therefore they’ll be one of the favorites to get to New York for the NIT final four.

Miami will go through the NIT as a two-seed and they’ll start their run to Madison Square Garden against the regular-season champions out of the MEAC, North Carolina Central. The game will be held at the BankUnited Center as the highest seeded team hosts the game in the NIT. Tip-off time will be at 7:00 PM EST on Tuesday night.

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UDC Firebirds Men’s Tennis Upends So. New Hampshire in Battle of Regionally Ranked Teams

GOFFSTOWN, New Hampshire -- In a battle of two top-10 regionally ranked teams, the visiting No. 9 ranked University of the District of Columbia men's tennis team upended No. 6 Southern New Hampshire University, 7-2 on Saturday night at the Allard Center.

The Firebirds (3-2) won two of the three doubles matches and five of the six singles matches to secure the victory. The Penmen, a Northeast-10 Conference team, fell to 2-3 on the season with the loss.

Rok Bozic earned wins at No. 2 doubles and No. 2 singles.

In doubles play, SNHU's Xavier Aubron and Emerson Kelby bested UDC's Simon Andersson and Alexis Baguelin, 8-4 at No. 1 doubles to give the Penmen an early, 1-0 lead. Two pairs of freshmen, Rok Bozic and Marco Feligioni at No. 2 doubles and Ander Murillo and Diego Pinto at No. 3 doubles, answered for UDC with wins in their respective matches to put the Firebirds on top 2-1 heading into singles play.

The first three singles matches in were Firebirds victories by Baguelin at No. 3, Murillo at No. 4 and Bozic at No. 2, as UDC clinched the match victory with the win by Bozic. SNHU's Aubron picked up the Penmen's lone singles win of the day as he edged Andersson, 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 1 spot, but the Firebirds ended the day by picking up the final two singles wins at No. 5 and 6 by Feligioni and Pinto, respectively.

Next up, UDC will take on another NE-10 team, Merrimack on Sunday, March 15th.

FULL STATS

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIREBIRDS SPORTS INFORMATION

Bluefield State Lady Blues Are Back-to-Back ECAC DII Champs

COURTESY BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Box Score

LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania -- The Bluefield State Women's Basketball team defeated the #1 seed, Lincoln University, on their home court 72-70 in overtime. The Lady Blues have won the 2015 ECAC DII Championship and repeats as ECAC DII Champions (2015 and 2014).

In the first half, both teams were scoring and the lead changed quite a few times, but the Lady Blues took the lead and pushed it to 9 points after 2 made free-throws by Shakima Wiggins at the half.

In the second half, the Lady Blues quickly pushed the lead to 11 points after 2 made free-throws by Tonya Jackson, just under a minute into the game. But, the Lincoln University went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 5 with 15:11 on the clock. The Lady Blues came right back and pushed the lead back to 10 points.

Lincoln University would not give up and eventually cut the lead to 2 points at the 4:09 mark and eventually tied the game and took a 3 point lead with 1:18 remaining. Shakima Wiggins made 2 free-throws and Tasia Nolan made 1 out-of-2 free-throws to tie the game 60-60 with 31 seconds remaining.

The Lady Blues had an opportunity to take the lead, but missed the shot attempt and the game went into overtime.

Charity Harris
2015 ECAC DII Championship
Most Outstanding Player

Chaunte McDowell knocked down a 3-point shot just a few seconds into overtime, but the Lions came back and made a 3-pointer of their own to tie the game. The lead changed after each team had the ball offensively. With under a minute remaining, Shakima Wiggins made 1-out-of -2 free-throws to take the lead.

The Lions missed the shot attempt and Hope Smith grabbed a defensive rebound and Tanasia Blake was fouled. Tanasia made 1-out-of-2 free-throws for a 72-70 lead. The Lions had the ball to tie the game, but missed the shot attempt and the Lady Blues sealed the victory 72-70.

For the game, the Lady Blues shot 43.6% from the field, 23.5% from the 3-point line, and 71.4% from the free-throw line.

Senior center Hope Smith had a great game with a double-double. She had 15 rebounds and 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting. She also had 5 blocks and 1 steal. Freshman guard Chaunte McDowell had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Senior guard Charity Harris had 12 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 block.

Charity Harris received the 2015 ECAC DII Championship Most Outstanding Player Award. The Lady Blues end the 2014-15 season with 21-7 record.

COURTESY BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Lincoln Lady Lions Fall in Overtime in ECAC Championship Game to Bluefield State

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania -- The Lady Lions had a pair score in double figures in a 72-70 overtime loss in the ECAC Women's Basketball Championship against Bluefield State College on Sunday, March 15^th in Manuel Rivero Hall. Senior Zephrah Pam(Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) scored 22 points while junior Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) had 18 points for the Lady Lions.

Bluefield State controlled the momentum of the first half by shooting 52 percent (13-25) from the field and shooting 77 percent (7-of-9) from the free-throw line. The Lady Lions struggled to stop the Blues in transition allowing eight fast break points. Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) scored a team-high ten points in the first half on 4-of-8 made shots from the field. At the half the Lady Lions trailed 34-25.

The Blues opened up a ten point lead (49-39) with 8:59 left to play in the second half. De'jah Taylor (Nanuet, NY/Paramus Catholic Regional) scored five consecutive points for LU cutting into the deficit. Bluefield State held on to a slim advantage in the final minutes before Lincoln went on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 57-57 with 2:14 remaining. Free-throws made byZephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) and Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) got things rolling down the stretch.

Smith nailed two shots from long range in the second half and her last three-pointer gave the Lady Lions a 60-57 lead with 1:18 left. The Blues answered with a pair of free-throws and trailed by one with just under a minute to play. The Lady Lions turned the ball over and Bluefield State tied the game with 31-seconds on a made free-throw. Bluefield State made 9-of-13 free-throws in the second half but struggles from the field on 30 percent (8-for-26) shooting.

With 25 seconds left the Lady Lions committed their second straight turnover on offense giving the Blues a final attempt. Bluefield State missed their final shot at the rim and the game was sent into overtime tied at 60-60.

Both teams hit three-pointers on their first possession in overtime showing no signs of fatigue. Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) continued her dominance in the post with four points in overtime. Bluefield State's second made shot from downtown gave them a 70-69 lead with 1:43 left in overtime. Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) tied the game at 70-70 for the Lady Lions on a made free-throw at 1:02 mark. In the final minute of action Bluefield State made 2-of-4 attempts from the charity stripe pulling ahead 72-70. The Lady Lions final attempt at the basket came with 13-seconds but were unsuccessful as the Blues went on to win the 2015 ECAC Women's Basketball Championship 72-70 in overtime against Lincoln.

Bluefield State's Charity Harris was named the MVP after leading her squad with 12 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Shakima Wiggins had a team-high 21 points for the Blues.   

Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) scored a game-high 22 points and had eight rebounds off of the Lady Lions bench. Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) finished with 18 points and seven rebounds. Smith was 3-for-8 from behind the arc and made 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. De'jah Taylor (Nanuet, NY/Paramus Catholic Regional) recorded a career-high 12 rebounds and had eight points.

The Lady Lions conclude their historical season at 22-9.
 
BOX SCORE

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Virginia Union C'Evon Jones Wins NCAA Division II 60 Meter Dash National Championship (Video)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Virginia Union University's C'Evon Jones has won the school's first national championship in Indoor Track & Field by winning the women's 60 meter dash at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, Ala.

Jones, a junior from Pompano Beach, Fla., won the championship with a time of 7.35 seconds, with Raven Covington of Winston-Salem State University coming in second with a time of 7.42 seconds.

"We decided to make a commitment prior to the National Championship," said VUU Track & Field Head Coach Wilbert D. Johnson. "During the last two weeks we got up at 4:45 a.m. and drove to Hampton, Va., to practice at the Boo Williams Complex. Commitment, hard work and dedication proved to be the correct formula for C'Evon Jones becoming a National Champion in the 60 meters."

Jones' National Championship is the first National Championship for VUU since the men's basketball team won the National Championship in 2005.

RESULTS

Place Athlete Time

1 C'Evon Jones
JR - Virginia Union 7.35
2 Raven Covington
JR - Winston-Salem State 7.42
3 Katelin Barber
JR - Alabama-Huntsville 7.42
4 Ada Udaya
SR - New Haven 7.44
5 Sunayna Wahi
JR - Adams State 7.51
6 Nikia Squire
FR - Queens (N.C.) 7.52
7 Ornella Livingston
FR - Saint Augustine's 7.52
8 Kiara Allen
JR - Millersville 7.58



COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION AND NCAA.COM

Saint Augustine's Falcons Win 4x400 Meter Relay At NCAA D-II Indoor Track & Field Championships (Video)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Saint Augustine's University won the men's 4x400 meter relay race in the final event of the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Saturday, March 14, 2015.

The foursome of Khari Herbert (So./Coral Springs, FL) , Burkheart Ellis Jr. (Jr./Raleigh, NC), Immanuel Hutchinson (Jr./San Jacinto, CA) and Omar Johnson (Jr./St. Ann, Jamaica) crossed the finish line first in 3:12.13. The Falcons have won 17 national men's indoor 4x400 meter titles including their second straight and sixth in the last eight years.

The Falcons placed fifth in the men's team standings with 32 points after winning the last two national indoor titles. Adams State captured the men's crown with 45 points followed by Findlay and Grand Valley State with 40 points apiece.

The Lady Falcons tied for 16th in the women's team standings with 14 points. Central Missouri was the women's winner with 47 points followed by Hillsdale with 40 points and Ashland with 37 points.

"Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose," said legendary Head Coach George Williams, who has guided the Falcons and Lady Falcons to 35 NCAA Division II championships combined. "We will try to do the best we can to get back."

Nine of the 10 Falcons and Lady Falcons who competed at the national meet earned Division II All-America honors, which are awarded to the top eight finishers in their respective events.

In the men's events, Johnson finished second (47.15 seconds) and Herbert was seventh (48.04) in the 400 meter dash. David Shaw (Sr./Red Springs, NC) was sixth (49-4½) in the triple jump and Hutchinson placed eighth (1:53.26) in the 800 meter run. Johnson also placed fourth (21.42) and Ellis Jr. was seventh (21.70) in the 200 meter dash. On Friday, JaQuan Demiel (Sr./Suffolk, VA) was eighth (23 feet, 4 inches) in the long jump.

In the women's events, Shamia Lassiter (Jr./Chesapeake, VA) finished fifth (8.50) in the 60 meter hurdles and Ornella Livingston (Jr./Christiana, Jamaica) was seventh (7.52) in the 60 meter dash for the Lady Falcons. On Friday, Shakinah Brooks (So./Raleigh, NC) placed second (19-11¾) in the long jump.



COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION AND NCAA.COM

Eder rejoins WSSU as offensive coordinator

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State’s football team will have a familiar face running its offense.

John Eder, who was the offensive-line coach and co-offensive coordinator for four seasons at WSSU before leaving for one season at Hampton, has returned.

“I’m glad to be back,” said Eder, a veteran assistant with more than 30 years of experience.
Coach Kienus Boulware also hired Todd McComb as a defensive assistant coach. McComb, a former star at Thomasville High School and Catawba, has 11 years of coaching experience and spent last season as defensive coordinator at Northwest Guilford High School.

Boulware said having Eder, 60, back at WSSU is a good move for everybody. Eder’s family never moved out of Winston-Salem; so, after spending a season at Hampton with Coach Connell Maynor, Eder decided to come back.



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Hampton Pirates became a better team just in time to win MEAC

NORFOLK, Virginia --Without the aid of a parallel universe machine, we’ll never know how Hampton University would have fared last week with a healthy Dwight Meikle.

The Pirates still might have blown through the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament. If their leading scorer and rebounder had not sprained an ankle in last Monday’s first-round win versus Morgan State, they certainly fielded a better collection of talent.

But without Meikle, you can make the argument that the Pirates might have been a better team, one that was focused and resourceful and cohesive enough to win the program’s first MEAC title in four years.

“Sometimes they say adversity makes you stronger,” HU coach Ed Joyner Jr., said. “It scared the hell out of me when Dwight went down, I’m going to be honest with you. Not that I didn’t think we could win, but Dwight was the one person who was consistent for us all year.”

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EKU To Host 20-Win Norfolk State In CIT

RICHMOND, Kentucky –  Eastern Kentucky will host Norfolk State in the first round of the 7th Annual CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) on Tuesday, at 7 p.m.

Norfolk State is 20-13 overall and finished second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with a 12-4 record. The No. 2 seeded Spartans were upset by eventual champion Hampton, 75-64, in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament. Only thr
ee Ohio Valley Conference teams have a higher RPI than NSU's 167.

One lucky student could win a free meal plan, free books from Barnes & Noble at EKU and a half scholarship for next semester by sinking the Mega Prize Pack Half-Court Shot at Tuesday's game.

Eastern Kentucky (19-11, 11-5 OVC) is making its third straight appearance in a national postseason tournament. This is Eastern's sixth national postseason tournament appearance in the last 11 years. Included among those six are three NCAA Tournament trips.

LIVE STATS  |  FREE LIVE WEBCAST  |  LIVE AUDIO  |  Game Notes

Free St. Patrick's Day themed EKU t-shirts will be given away at the game. All Eastern Kentucky University students will receive FREE admission. Tickets for lower level chair-back seats will be $15, upper chair-back seats are $10 and general admission seats are $8. EKU season ticket holders and Colonel Club members can purchase chair-back tickets for half price if ordered in advance. EKU faculty and staff can receive half price general admission seats. To order tickets, or for more information, call the ticket office at 859-622-2122.

The live radio broadcast is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, and can be heard worldwide on EKUSports.com. A live free video broadcast is available on CollegeInsider.com.

The Colonels are on the cusp of the 10th 20-win season in program history due in large part to their defense. Eastern Kentucky leads the OVC with 63 points allowed per game. EKU is fourth in the nation in steals (9.7 spg), has forced its opponents into an average of 18.9 turnovers per game and leads the country in turnover margin (+7.3).

Eastern ended the regular season with eight wins in nine games, to post a top-3 finish in the Ohio Valley Conference for the third straight season.

When senior Eric Stutz steps on the court Tuesday he will tie the EKU record for games played, making his 131st appearance as a Colonel. A victory over Norfolk State would give fellow senior Deverin Muff his 100th win as a Colonel. Senior Corey Walden has already broken the school record for career steals and steals in a season. He now has the eighth most steals in OVC history and his 90 steals this season are the fourth most-ever by an OVC player. He is five steals away from reaching the top-5 on the OVC career list and four steals away for tying for the second most in one season in conference history.

Eastern Kentucky played in the 2013 CIT, beating Gardner-Webb 69-62 before falling to Evansville, 86-72. The victory at Gardner-Webb was the first for EKU in a national postseason tournament in 68 years.

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was created in 2009. Invitations to the 32-team postseason tournament are extended only to teams outside of the BCS power conferences. There is no formal bracket for the tournament. The match-ups for each round are determined after the preceding round is completed.

Norfolk State is led by a trio of juniors. Jeff Short, a 6-foot-4 guard, averages a team-best 19.2 points per game. RaShid Gaston, a 6-foot-9 forward, nearly averages a double-double at 15.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 62 percent from the field. D'Shon Taylor, a 6-foot-5 guard, contributes 13 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

As a team, NSU has limited its opponents to 65.8 points per game, 41 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from three-point range.

Short was held to 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting in the semifinal loss to Hampton. The Spartans committed 26 personal fouls and sent Hampton to the line 38 times.

The first round will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday. Second-round CIT games will be played Friday and Saturday, quarterfinal games March 24-25 and semifinal games March 31. The championship game will be played on April 2. The semifinals and the championship game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

COURTESY EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Langston University Lady Lions draws Pikesville (Ky)

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the brackets for the 35th annual NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship, presented by Susan G. Komen® Greater Kansas City. The 32-team, single elimination event will take place from March 18 – 24 at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Missouri, for the first time in championship history.

Action kicks off at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, March 18, when No. 3 Langston (Okla.) takes on No. 6 Pikeville (Ky.), with a live stream provided by Stretch Internet.

No. 12 ranked Langston earned their bid by winning the Red River Athletic Conference tournament, while Pikeville made their way to Kansas City through the At-Large No. 10. The Lady Lions have won their last four games, including wins over #14 Wiley and #11 Our Lady of the Lake to capture the RRAC title.  The Lady Lions are 27-3 and Pikeville is 23-8.

The tournament will take place at the Independence Events Center. More information on session tickets can be found at the official NAIA championships website.

The first 30 games of the national championship will be video-streamed live on  http://www.naianetwork.com/, the NAIA’s official video-streaming platform powered by Stretch Internet. For more information, click here.

For more information on all 32 qualifiers, click here.

COURTESY LANGSTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

West Liberty Men Blitz Livingstone in NCAA Opener

WEST LIBERTY, West Virginia  –  The four-time defending NCAA Division II Atlantic Region champion West Liberty blistered the nets at better than a 70 percent clip Saturday night, running away to a 127-89 regional quarterfinal victory against No. 8 seed Livingstone (N.C.) before a capacity crowd at the ASRC.

Coach Jim Crutchfield's Hilltoppers (27-3) advanced to their sixth straight regional semifinal. They will take on the winner of Saturday's late quarterfinal between No. 4 seed Fairmont State (21-10) and No. 5 seed Mercyhurst, Pa. (20-8) in Sunday's 7:30 p.m. semifinal.

Indiana, Pa. (27-6), the No. 3 seed, and No. 7 seed Slippery Rock, Pa. (21-10) will play in the 5 p.m. semifinal. Sunday's winners advance to Tuesday's regional championship game, which is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

"I thought we played good team ball tonight," Crutchfield said after picking up his 299th career win. "The reason we shot the ball so well is that we shared it so well which created a lot of high-percentage shots. You're not going to lose many games when you have 30 assists and shoot 70 percent from the floor."

Saturday's outcome was never in question for West Liberty as the Hilltoppers jumped out to a 65-40 halftime lead and led by as many as 42 points down the stretch to make the Blue Bears' (19-11) third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance a brief one.

Atlantic Region Player of the Year Seger Bonifant tossed in a game-high 24 points and All-MEC guard Devin Hoehn added 21 to lead six double-figure scorers for the Hilltoppers, though neither player saw much action in the second half.

Two-time All-Region standout C.J. Hester was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor and finished with 14 points while point guard Indiana Faithfull had 11 points and a game-high 7 assists. Brandon Smith and Brady Arnold donated 13 points each off the bench.

The Blue Bears, who had rolled through the CIAA Tournament with three straight double-digit wins, placed four players in double figures. Eric Dubose and Ty Newman led the way with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

"The things that we knew could hurt us coming in are the things that hurt us," Livingstone coach James Stinson said. "I give a lot of credit to Coach Crutchfield for the tremendous job he's done with this program. We don't play a lot of teams that shoot the ball as well as his team does and that was really the key tonight.

"(West Liberty) just kept making shot after shot and they kept making big shots. That's the sign of a well-prepared program."

The Hilltoppers came up just short of the all-time NCAA Division II Tournament scoring record of 132 points. That mark was set by Bridgeport (Conn.) in an overtime win against Stonehill (N.J.) during the 1989 tournament and tied by Central Oklahoma against Washburn (Kan.) during the 1992 event but Crutchfield's attention was already focusing on Sunday's semifinal matchup.

"No matter who we play tomorrow night, we know we're going to get a really tough opponent," Crutchfield said. "We've played Fairmont a lot and we've seen tape of Mercyhurst but I don't think you can ever see a team too much. We're going to watch both teams play tonight and then we'll be up late putting our game plan together for tomorrow."

BOX SCORE 

COURTESY WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Huge Second Half Propels Lincoln Over Dominican 81-72 in ECAC Semifinals

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania -- Senior Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) led the Lady Lions to the ECAC Women's Basketball Championship game with 20 points and 20 rebounds off of the bench in a 81-72, victory over Dominican College on Saturday, March 14^th. Three other Lady Lions also reached double-figure scoring in the semifinals win.

LU's junior guard Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) was 2-of-6 from behind the arc in the opening half leading the Lady Lions with ten points. The visiting Chargers got off to a fast start and led 8-2 early.  Their defense forced several LU turnovers aided by their defensive pressure. Smith got the Lady Lions rolling with her first three-pointer of the half. A pair of baskets made by Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) andTeira Pendleton (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Poly Institute) brought the deficit to 10-9 at the 15:31 mark.

Dominican held on to a slim lead until the 3-minute mark when Pendleton made a pair of free-throws giving the Lady Lions their first lead of the afternoon, 28-27. The Chargers responded by taking a 35-33 halftime lead with converted free-throws in the final minute. Lincoln was held to 31 percent (10-of-32) shooting from the field while Dominican was 37 percent (11-of-29). The Chargers scored 13 points off of 11 LU turnovers and held a slight rebounding advantage 22-21.

After a sluggish start in the first half, Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) exploded for 18 points and 16 rebounds in the second half. Pam dominated the paint with ten offensive rebounds and scoring on 6-of-9 shots from the field. Lincoln improved their perimeter shooting to 50 percent and converted on 12-of-22 second half free-throws.

In the beginning of the half, the Lady Lions went on a 16-3 run pulling ahead of the Chargers 48-38. Amani Clark(Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink HS) added eight points while Pendleton had six points as Lincoln opened up a 17 point advantage with 9:09 left in regulation. Defensively, Mieana Gaines (Lincoln Park, MI/Southfield University Academy)recorded two blocks while Clark and Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) both had a pair of steals.

Lincoln powered their way to 48 second half points and into the ECAC Championship game against Bluefield State. The Lady Lions won 81-72 over Dominican.

Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) led the way with a team-high 20 points on 7-of-14 made shots off of the bench. Pam had 11 offensive rebounds with nine defensive boards while converting on 6-of-9 free-throws. Courtney Smith(Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Amani Clark (Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink HS) was a force defensively with six steals and had ten points. Teira Pendleton (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore Poly Institute) also scored ten points and had three assists.

Bluefield State defeated Le Moyne in the other semifinal game. Lincoln will play at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 15^th in the ECAC Women's Basketball Championship game.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Savannah State women going to first NCAA tourney

Photo Credit: Savannah State University Athletics Twitter Page (@SavStateTigers

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Jasmine Norman was a freshman at Savannah State in 2011-2012 when the Lady Tigers won just ten women’s basketball games and finished dead last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

That just made it all the more satisfying Saturday night as the Lady Tigers hoisted the MEAC championship trophy and cut down the nets at Scope.

Norman, a 5-foot-9 guard from T.C. Williams High in Alexandria, scored 20 points, including ten consecutive points in one stretch, as Savannah State ran away from Maryland-Eastern Shore, 65-47, in the MEAC championship game.

“This means the world to me, to all of us,” said Norman, who was named the tournament’s outstanding player.

“It’s been a such long journey. We came from being the last seed to the second seed to winning a championship.”

Savannah State (21-10) earned a bid to the NCAA tournament and will find out its first-round opponent Sunday night.

The championship game loss ended a remarkable string of upsets by eighth-seeded UMES (14-17), which after defeating No. 9 North Carolina Central, upset No. 1 Hampton and then No. 4 Norfolk State to advance to the championship game.

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Savannah State University Lady Tigers win MEAC tournament, punch ticket to NCAA Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Behind 20 points from reserve Jasmine Norman, the Savannah State Lady Tigers complete their run through the 2015 MEAC tournament with a 65-47 win over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks, punching their ticket to the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

To kick off the championship game, Savannah State and Eastern Shore hit the ground running, trading baskets, specifically from behind the arch as Ezinne Kalu knocked down her first two three-point attempts and UMES hit four in the first 8 minutes.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers asserted their dominance over the Lady Hawks. Unlike the first half, the Lady Hawks were unable to get going from three as the Lady Tigers' defense took a step up. And as the Lady Tigers stiffled the Lady Hawks on defense, their offense came on strong, outscoring UMES 18-7 to open the half (SSU also scored the first eight points of the half).

As UMES attempted to climb back, SSU continued their run offensively, thanks in part to several turnovers forced on the offensive end and several timely buckets from Jasmine Norman, who scored 10 points in the second half during a 23-8 run that pushed Savannah State further away from Eastern Shore and closer to the NCAA tournament.



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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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