Southern Mississippi To Host Texas Southern In WNIT

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- The Southern Miss women's basketball team will be one of four in Conference USA teams playing in postseason as the Lady Eagles earned an at-large berth in the 2015 WNIT for the second-straight year and will host Texas Southern (19-10) on Thursday. Game times will be announced by WNIT officials tomorrow (Tuesday, March 17).

The Lady Eagles (22-10) are playing in post season for the second straight year and the 13th time overall. This is Southern Miss' fifth appearance in the WNIT and owns a 4-5 record in WNIT. The Lady Eagles advanced to the second round of the WNIT in last season before losing at Mississippi in overtime.

WNIT BRACKET

Tickets go on sale immediately on SouthernMissTickets.com. All seats will be general admission. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth, children under 2 will be admitted free as will students with a valid ID. For more information, contact the USM Ticket Office at 601-266-5418 or 1-800-844-TICK.

This year's tournament features six teams from the Mid-American Conference and four from the West Coast Conference. Ten conferences each placed three teams - American, Atlantic 10, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Sky, Colonial, C-USA, Horizon and Missouri Valley. Other conferences represented include: Big West (2), Mountain West (2), Pac-12 (2), SEC (2), American East (1), Atlantic Sun (1), Big South (1), Big Ten (1), Ivy League (1), MAAC (1), MEAC (1), Northeastern (1), Ohio Valley (1), Patriot (1), Southern (1), Southland (1), SWAC (1), Summit (1), Sun Belt (1) and WAC (1).

COURTESY SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern U. Jaguars hosts No.1 LSU for first time since 2008

Courtesy: Herman Shelton, SU Sports Information Assistant

TV: Cox Sports Television, 6 PM CDT

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern University baseball welcomes the No. 1 team in the country Tuesday night when the LSU Tigers travel to North Baton Rouge to face the Jaguars at Lee-Hines Field.

First pitch for the cross-town matchup is set for 6 p.m. and the contest will air live on Cox Sports Television. Fans can access live stats for the LSU-Southern contest at www.GoJagSports.com.

Southern (3-10), who is hosting LSU at Lee-Hines Field for the first time since an 8-3 loss in 2008, is coming off a Sunday split against Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff on the road. After falling to UAPB 2-0 in Game 1, the Jaguars rallied to score a 7-2 win in Game 2 of the abbreviated series.

LSU (18-2), which is ranked No. 1 in the Baseball America magazine poll released Monday, is fresh off a convincing 2-1 series win over Ole Miss at Alex Box Stadium. LSU features the SEC top team in batting average (.323), hits (229), triples (15) and fewest times struck out (83).

General Admission tickets are $10 and are available at the SU Ticket Office located in the service entrance of the F.G. Clark Activity Center. Ticket will available on a first-come, first served bases and LHSAA coaches card will not be accepted.

SU student tickets are also available at the ticket office to the first 100 students who present a valid SU ID.

Jaguar fans are encouraged to log on to GoJagSports.com for the latest news, scores and updates on Southern Jaguar athletics. Fans can also access the latest information on SU athletics through social media by following @SouthernUsport on Twitter and Instagram or liking the Facebook page at Facebook.com/SouthernUJaguars.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

4 qualifying marks, 1 record for XU at Cowboy Relays

 Freshman Drew Chatters threw javelin 36.54 meters
(119 feet, 10.75 inches) in her first collegiate meet to
break XU record

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana's track and field athletes produced four national qualifying marks and shattered a school record Saturday at the McNeese Cowboy Relays.

Chelsea James, Destini Thomas, Clarke Allen and Devinn Rolland ran the women's 400-meter relay in 47.97 seconds to finish eighth and reach an A-qualifying mark for the NAIA National Championships. Allen and Thomas are freshmen.

Xavier's other A-mark came from freshman Joseph Moses III, sixth in the men's 100 in 10.65 seconds. Moses, son of XU coach Joseph Moses, qualified in his first collegiate attempt at this distance.

Two-time All-America women's long-jumper Devinn Rolland was seventh in 5.57 meters (18-3 1/4) to reach the NAIA's B-qualifying mark.

Newcomer Alex Xavier finished second in the men's 110 hurdles in 14.65 seconds to reach an NAIA B-qualifying mark.

Freshman Drew Chatters, in her collegiate debut, threw the javelin 36.54 meters (119 feet, 10 3/4 inches) to place 12th and break an 11-year-old school record. Robyn Turner in 2004 set the previous mark of 24.74 meters (81-2).

Team scoring combined the women's and men's results. Xavier placed second with 135 points among non-Division I teams. Dillard was first with 170 points. Behind Xavier were Wiley with 123 points, Loyola with 111, Jarvis Christian with 104 and Southwest Christian with 95.

Xavier led all non-DI women's teams with 101 points.

It was the second meet of the outdoor season for Xavier. Next for the Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush will be the Louisiana Classics on Friday and Saturday at Lafayette, La.
Here are all the Xavier results from the McNeese Cowboy Relays:

Women
100: Devinn Rolland, 20th in 12.40; Chelsea James, 21st in 12.40; Kailey Williams, 31st in 12.80; Katelyn McMorris, 32nd in 12.87; Destini Thomas, 38th in 12.98
1,500: Catherine Fakler, 3rd in 4:56.12
100 Hurdles: Terri Cunningham, 16th in 16.03; Chelsea Simpson, 19th in 18.27
400 Hurdles: Terri Cunningham, 9th in 1:06.73; Chelsea Simpson, 19th in 1:20.49
400 Relay: Chelsea James, Destini Thomas, Clarke Allen, Devinn Rolland, 8th in 47.97
800 Relay: Kailey Williams, Karelyn McMorris, Destini Thomas, Chelsea Willard, 9th in 1:47.77
1,600 Relay: Kailey Williams, Clarke Allen, Terri Cunningham, Carlie Calais, 6th in 4:02.55
1,600 Sprint Medley Relay: Tramaine Shannon, Devinn Rolland, Chelsea James, Carlie Callais, 6th in 4:22.46
Javelin: Drew Chatters, 12th in 36.54 meters (119 feet, 10 3/4 inches)
Long Jump: Devinn Rolland, 7th in 5.57 meters (18 feet, 3 1/4) inches; Katelyn McMorris, 30th in 4.47 meters (14 feet, 8 inches)
Shot Put: Sidni Watson, 32nd in 6.57 meters (21 feet, 6 3/4 inches)

Men
100: Joseph Moses III, 6th in 10.65
110 Hurdles: Alex Xavier, 2nd in 14.65
400 Relay: Alex Xavier, Langston Adams, Christopher Kennie, Joseph Moses III, 12th in 45.03
1,600 Relay: Alex Xavier, Langston Adams, Christopher August, Joseph Moses III, 13th in 3:39.73
Long Jump: Christopher Kennie, 21st in 6.42 meters (21 feet, 3/4 inch)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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Savannah State To Play South Carolina In NCAA Tournament

                  No. 16 Lady Tigers take on No. 1 Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C.

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- In the school's first NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship Tournament berth, No. 16 Savannah State will travel to Columbia, South Carolina to take on No. 1 South Carolina in the First Round of the tournament on Friday, March 20 at 5 p.m. in Colonial Life Arena.

The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

Savannah State (21-10) and South Carolina (30-2) met on December 14 during the regular season. In the team's 7^th meeting, the Gamecocks handed SSU their worst loss of the season, 111-49. At the time, South Carolina was ranked No.1 in the nation.

NCAA Championship Tournament Full Bracket

During South Carolina's 23-0 win streak that opened the 2014-15 season, the Lady Tigers put up more points on the Gamecocks than Clemson (44-99), San Diego State (38-89) and Wisconsin (44-67), Central Michigan (49-69) and Florida (49-60).

The Gamecocks had the best regular season in school history, and claimed the program's first Southeastern Conference Title beating Tennessee 62-46. They were ranked No. 1 in the nation for 12 weeks.

Savannah State earned the program's first NCAA Championship berth and first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Title with a 65-47 rout of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Lady Tigers are on a program-high (since 1981) 11-game win streak.

During this historic season, Savannah State garnered some of the program's biggest wins. They opened with an 83-80 win over Troy on the road, and followed that with the programs first win over an SEC opponent in Division I history, beating the University of Florida 68-58 in Tiger Arena.

The Lady Tigers then broke five-time defending MEAC Champion Hampton's 54-game consecutive win streak over fellow MEAC schools with a 61-55 victory in Tiger Arena.

Savannah State is led by All-MEAC redshirt senior Ezinne Kalu, who is averaging 16.4 points a game. Among active players in NCAA Division I women's basketball, Kalu is ranked third in career points (2,098), and first in career steals (380). MEAC Tournament MVP Jasmine Normanfollows Kalu as the only other Lady Tiger in double-digit scoring, averaging 11.4 points a game.

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

TSU to Travel to Kentucky for NCAA Opening Round

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE ATHLETICS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State women’s basketball team earned a No. 15 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and will travel to Lexington, Ky. to play No. 2 seeded Kentucky on Friday, Mar. 20 at 1:30 p.m. CT.

The Lady Tigers heard the news at an on-campus selection show party held for the team on Monday night. Up to that point, they had secured a spot in the “Big Dance” by virtue of earning the Ohio Valley Conference’s automatic-berth, but the seeding, opponent and location were unknown.

BRACKET

Tennessee State will play in a postseason game for the first time in 20 years. The Lady Tigers are 0-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, having lost their two appearances to Southern Miss. and Oregon State.

TSU is 18-12 on the year and has won 10 straight contests dating back to a Feb. 5 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

The Lady Tigers fell to Kentucky earlier this season on Dec. 28, 87-75. TSU led by eight five minutes into that contest.

Friday’s contest will be broadcasted on ESPN2.

TICKETS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State Women's Basketball to Face Florida State In NCAA Tourney

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama State women's basketball team will travel to Tallahassee to take on Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

Making the second NCAA appearance in school history, the SWAC Tournament Champion Lady Hornets (17-14) are the #15 seed for the first time in the Greensboro Regional and will face the second-seeded Seminoles (29-4) Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT. Fans can listen to the game live on bamastatesports.com.

NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

"I am excited about this opportunity for our team and for Alabama State University," said head women's basketball coach Freda Freeman-Jackson. "It's an honor being the 15 seed for our team and the conference. That shows we are respected by the NCAA.  It's a great challenge. We played them about 10 years ago and we are excited once again about this."

Alabama State defeated Grambling State (65-62), Jackson State (62-60) and Southern (73-55) to win the conference tournament title for the first time since 2003.

 COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

NCAA’s nasty shot at Manhattan won’t faze Masiello’s crew

MANHATTAN, New York -- When they barge back into the teeth of March Madness, for Operation Takeover Dayton, they would have been wearing a chip the size of the Empire State Building on their MAAC shoulders anyway. The Other New York Team at The Dance, Manhattan College on the front of their jerseys, Meanhattan College once the game begins.

But NOW?

NOW, after learning seconds after the start of the Selection Show that they would be relegated to a play-in game Tuesday night in the Midwest Region against the 16-17 Hampton Pirates of the MEAC … for the right to be chewed up and spit out Thursday — in LOUISVILLE — by John Calipari’s 34-0 Kentucky meat grinder?

This is what they get for beating Iona in the MAAC Championship game?

Masiello slumped in his front-row seat against a green T-shirt with the words ‘Dancing Back to Back’ draped over it, and his head dropped. If you were looking for the obligatory shot of an underdog team rising to its feet and cheering, you didn’t find it inside Café 1853 on the second floor of Thomas Hall.

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Hampton Pirates Set To Face Manhattan in NCAA Tourney

DAYTON, Ohio --  The Hampton University men's basketball team will be in the University of Dayton's UD Arena on Tuesday for the NCAA First Four, an NCAA Tournament match-up against Manhattan at 6:40 p.m. EST.
 
TV: TruTV.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.

At Stake: The winner travels to Louisville, Ky. to face No. 1 overall seed Kentucky on Thursday.

Last Time Out: The Pirates (16-17) defeated Delaware State 82-61 in Saturday's MEAC Tournament championship game to win their fifth such title in program history – and their first since 2011. Junior guards Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) and Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) each led the way with 20 points, while junior guard Deron Powers(Williamsburg, Va.) – the MEAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player – added 16 points. Johnson was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Series: Hampton is 0-2 against Manhattan since joining Div. I in 1995, with the last meeting coming back in the 1996-97 season. The Jaspers won that game 73-61 up in Manhattan, and the Pirates dropped a home game to the Jaspers the previous season, 98-64.

The Opponent: The Jaspers (19-13) have won four straight games after a 79-69 win over Iona in the championship game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament on Sunday, March 9. It was Manhattan's second straight title. Manhattan is in its fourth season under head coach Steve Masiello, and the Jaspers boast senior Emmy Andujar, who was named First Team All-MAAC, as well as Third Team All-MAAC selection Ashton Pankey. Andujar leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. Pankey is second on the team in both categories at 13.5 points and 6.7 boards per contest. Shane Richards is third on the team in scoring at 13.1 points a game.

Pirates Against the MAAC: Hampton is 3-13 against teams currently in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) since joining Div. I in 1995 – including an NCAA Tournament opening-round matchup against Monmouth in Dayton, Ohio in 2006. Monmouth won that game 71-49. The Pirates are 0-4 against Iona; 0-2 against Manhattan; 0-1 against Marist; 1-2 against Monmouth; 0-1 against Niagara; 1-1 against Quinnipiac; 0-1 against Rider; and 1-1 against Saint Peter's. Hampton has never faced Canisius, Fairfield, or Siena.

Pirates on Neutral Courts: The Pirates are 5-1 on neutral courts so far this season, including an 82-69 win over Alcorn State back on Nov. 21 as part of the 2K Classic, Monday's 91-71 first-round win over Morgan State, Thursday's 76-71 quarterfinal win over Maryland Eastern Shore, Friday's 75-64 semifinal win over Norfolk State, and Saturday's 82-61 championship game win over Delaware State. Hampton went 1-3 on neutral courts last season, and during head coach Edward Joyner Jr.'s tenure, the Pirates are 21-12 on neutral courts – including an 8-1 mark during the 2010-11 season.

Pirates Taking on the Big Boys: The Pirates' game at Illinois on Dec. 17 was the third of three contests this season for the Pirates against teams from the so-called "power conferences." After facing the Hawkeyes on Nov. 14, the Pirates took on ACC foe Syracuse. If the Pirates defeat Manhattan on Tuesday, they will face their fourth power-conference foe of the season in No. 1 overall seed Kentucky, the SEC regular-season and tournament champion.

About the Midwest Region: Undefeated Kentucky is the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the top seed in the Midwest Region. The winner of Tuesday's Manhattan-Hampton game will face the Wildcats on Thursday in the second round in Louisville, Ky. Kansas, the Big XII regular-season champion, is the region's No. 2 seed, while ACC Tournament champion Notre Dame is the No. 3 seed and Maryland is the No. 4 seed.

Joyner Closing in on 100: Following the Pirates' MEAC championship game win over Delaware State on Saturday, head coach Edward Joyner Jr. has 98 career wins as a head coach, leaving him two shy of 100. Only two coaches in Hampton history have won at least 100 games with the school: Malcolm Avery (140 wins, 1987-95) and Hank Ford (228 wins, 1975-87). Joyner now holds the all-time program Div. I wins record; Steve Merfeld (1997-2002) won 90 games with the Pirates.

Powers Reached a Milestone: With 12 points this past Thursday against Norfolk State, Powers became the 27th player in program history – and the first since Darrion Pellum – to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. After dropping 16 points in the championship game against Delaware State, Powers has 1,070 career points, and he was a Third Team All-MEAC selection this season. The 2013 MEAC Rookie of the Year leads the MEAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.4), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.849) and fifth in assists (3.7). Powers was also named the MEAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Darden Looking for More: Darden was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.4 points per game, and he ended the season on a high note with a career-high 22 points at Penn State in the first round of the CBI. He averaged 2.0 made 3-pointers per game in 2013-14, ranking ninth in the MEAC. Darden, who shot 32.6 percent (63-for-193) from 3-point range last season, was named Preseason Third Team All-MEAC, and he comes into this season as the Pirates' best option from long distance. He had 10 points in the Pirates' opener at Iowa, before pouring in 18 points in the Pirates' win over Alcorn State. He fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per game after dropping 20 points in Saturday's title game against Delaware State.

Meikle Getting His Chance: Redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) shot just over 48 percent from the floor last season, en route to averaging 5.8 points per game. The redshirt junior scored in double figures seven times in 2013-14, tying his then-career high with 16 points against Winthrop on Dec. 29, 2013. He also showed flashes on defense, blocking 13 shots on the season – including a career-high six at Virginia back on Nov. 26, 2013. He led three Pirates in double figures at Iowa with 14 points, and he has scored in double figures 17 times this season. His 13.0 points per game lead the team after a 24-point effort on Thursday against Norfolk State, and Meikle is also averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds a game, ranking fifth in the MEAC, after grabbing eight against the Spartans to close out the regular season.

Pressley Crashing the Glass: Junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) was second on the team in rebounds last season, despite playing in just 21 games. He averaged 5.1 boards per contest in 2013-14, grabbing a career-high 12 boards at Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 24 – while also scoring 12 points for his lone double-double of the season. Pressley also scored in double figures four times last season, including a career-high 16 points at Coppin State on Feb. 1. Pressley grabbed at least one rebound in 20 of the 21 games in which he played last season. Pressley grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds on Dec. 8 against Morgan State, and his 4.9 rebounds per game are third on the team.

New Faces, Plenty of Experience: Two Hampton newcomers already have Div. I experience: guard Quinton Chievous(Chicago, Ill.)has seen significant playing time with Tennessee, and Johnson comes to the Pirates after time at Miami (Ohio). Chievous was a career 45.3-percent shooter (24-for-53) with the Volunteers, while Johnson averaged 8.4 points per game as a freshman at Miami (Ohio). In all, five players on this year's roster transferred to Hampton from other Div. I programs: Chievous, Johnson, Breon Key (Old Dominion), Darden (Radford), and Pressley (Towson). Chievous scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in his Hampton debut at Iowa, before dropping a team-high 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting on Nov. 16 at Syracuse. He has scored in double figures in 19 games; Chievous is second on the team in rebounding (6.2 per game) and fourth in scoring (10.1 per game) after his 23-point, 16-rebound effort on Friday against Norfolk State. Johnson dropped a career-high 27 points at NJIT on Feb. 2, before scoring 21 against UMES on Feb. 7 for back-to-back 20-point games. Johnson, who is averaging 11.9 points per game, has scored in double figures in nine of his last 12 games after dropping 20 in the MEAC Tournament championship game against Delaware State, earning All-Tournament Team honors.

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. 

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M football team starts spring practice on Wednesday

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M football team will begin their spring practice sessions on Wednesday, with the Rattlers up bright and early at 5:30 a.m.

FAMU is working with an almost brand-new coaching staff. Only one coach from last season's team — offensive line coach Edwin Pata — is on new head coach Alex Woods' team. The group is also working under the cloud of NCAA sanctions brought on by low APR scores and is trying to rebound after three straight losing seasons.

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2015 FAMU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 at University of South Florida+                Tampa, Fla.

Sept. 12 at Samford University**                          Birmingham, Ala.

Sept. 19 at South Carolina State* Orangeburg, S.C.

SEPT. 26 TENNESSEE STATE++     HOME (Hall of Fame Game)

Oct. 3 at Savannah State* Savannah, Ga.

OCT. 10 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL*     HOME

OCT. 17 DELAWARE STATE *      HOME  (Homecoming 2015)

OCT. 31 NORTH CAROLINA A&T*       HOME

Nov. 7 at Hampton University* Hampton, Va.

Nov. 14 at Morgan State University* Baltimore, Md.

Nov. 21 Bethune-Cookman * Orlando, Fla. (Florida Blue/Florida Classic)

*Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Games
+ American Athletic Conference

 **Southern Conference
++Ohio Valley Conference

XU's Ewell delivers clinching victory at Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — Simone-Alyse Ewell, in the lineup for the first time this season, defeated Nicki Neal 6-4, 6-4 Sunday to clinch Xavier University of Louisiana's 4-3 women's tennis victory against Southern University.

The Gold Nuggets (10-6), ranked seventh in the NAIA, won for the sixth time in their last seven duals. They ended the four-dual winning streak of the Lady Jaguars (5-7) and earned their second victory of the season against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Xavier lost the doubles point, rallied from a 2-0 deficit and won at an opponent's facility for the first time this season.

Ewell, playing at the sixth flight, clinched in singles on the road in the final match on the court for the second time in her XU career. She also teamed with Caroline Vernet for a 6-2 victory against Darnesha Moore and Gabrielle Moore. It was Ewell's 20th consecutive doubles victory dating to February of last year.

Vernet defeated Laura Syori 6-3, 6-1 at the top flight and extended her singles win streak to six. Brion Flowers beat Gabrielle Moore 6-2, 6-4, and Brandi Nelson defeated Morgan Taylor 6-2, 6-3. Flowers lost in three sets to Moore two years ago, and Nelson lost to Taylor in a third-set super-tiebreaker last year.

Xavier def
eated Southern for the second straight year after losing four straight and for the first time on the road since 2009.

Xavier will visit another NCAA DI opponent, Nicholls State, at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Nuggets are 2-4 this season against DI's. The Gold Nuggets' next home dual will start at 2:30 p.m. April 10 against NAIA No. 3 Auburn Montgomery at XU Tennis Center.

Results


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorXULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks accepts postseason bid to CIT

This will be the first post-season play for the Hawks in 41 years.

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland  -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball team will participate in the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournament, earning the first postseason berth for the program in three decades. The Hawks will travel to North Carolina to play the High Point Panthers on Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m.

Wednesday's game will be broadcasting with streaming video on CollegeInsider.com. Hawks fans can also tune into the Hawks Radio Network on SFMSports.net and Fox Sports 960 AM in Salisbury, Md with Doug Newton calling the play-by-play.

The Hawks finished their season with an 18-14 record, and a third-place finish in the MEAC with an 11-5 mark in conference play. With 18 victories, UMES enjoyed their most successful season since the 1973-74 season which culminated in a MEAC championship and an appearance in the NIT. With a quarterfinal loss to Hampton on Thursday, the Hawks' hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time were dashed. However, with an overall winning record for the year, UMES was invited to participate in another postseason competition, the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

For UMES, Wednesday's game will represent the first postseason play beyond conference tournaments since the 1980-81 season. At the time, UMES was a member of the NAIA, competing in the NAIA District 19 Tournament after the regular season. The Hawks' most recent postseason win, excluding MEAC Tournaments, is an 84-81 win over Hampton University in the NAIA Districts in 1981.

Previous postseason success for UMES came in the early 70s during the Hawks' heyday under head coach John Bates. UMES finished runners-ups in the 1973 NAIA Tournament, with a 99-96 loss to Guilford in the championship game. The next year, UMES accepted a bid to compete in the National Invitational Tournament, beating Manhattan College, 84-81 in the first round. The Hawks later lost to Jacksonville University in the NIT quarterfinals. Other postseason appearances include reaching NAIA Nationals in 1960, 1969 and 1970. The 1969 team, led by head coach Joe Robinson, also finished as NAIA runner-ups.

High Point enters the postseason with a 22-9 record, having finished in second place in the Big South with a 13-5 conference record. The Panthers lost in the quarterfinals of the Big South Tournament, 72-71 in overtime to Gardner-Webb. High Point has earned a postseason bid in each of the last three seasons, though they are still in search of the program's first-ever postseason victory.

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament consisted of 32 teams, all from mid-major conferences. This year's tournament will be the seventh edition of the CIT, which was created in 2009. There is no preset bracket format, instead the matchups are determined after each round is completed. The first round will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday, with second-round games to follow on Friday and Saturday. The quarterfinals are scheduled for March 24-25, and the semifinals to be played on March 31. The championship game will be played on April 2.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

XU has 8 student-athletes in ITA's individual rankings

NEW ORLEANS — Eight student-athletes from Xavier University of Louisiana — including top-ranked Nour Abbes and two top-10 doubles teams — are in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA individual rankings announced Friday.

The rankings are the first of the regular season, with the next one scheduled for April 15.

Abbes held on to her No. 1 women's singles ranking but dropped three places with Carmen Nelson to No. 10 in doubles.

Also in the top 10 is the men's doubles team of Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer. At No. 6, Montrel and Soifer are the fourth Gold Rush tandem to reach the national top 10 and the first since Montrel and Loic Didavi in May 2013.

The remainder of Xavier's national rankings are:

• Caroline Vernet, 12th in women's singles in her first semester at Xavier.
• Brion Flowers, 42nd in women's singles.
• Montrel, a career-high-tying 13th in men's singles.
• Soifer, a career-high 16th in men's singles and up 31 places from the preseason.
• Tushar Mandlekar, a career-high 33rd in men's singles and up 15 from the preseason.
• Mandlekar and Manav Chakma, 21st in men's doubles. This is Chakma's first XU semester.

In the South Region women's rankings, Abbes is first and Vernet sixth in singles, and Abbes and Nelson are sixth in doubles. In the men's South rankings, Montrel is seventh, Soifer eighth and Mandlekar 11th in singles. Soifer and Montrel are third in doubles — the Gold Rush's highest regional doubles ranking since 2012 — and Mandlekar and Chakma are seventh.

Abbes is a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah. Vernet is a home-schooled freshman from Lyon, France. Flowers is a junior from Lafayette, La., and a graduate of St. Thomas More High school. Nelson is a senior from Jonesboro, Ga., and a graduate of Faith Academy.

Montrel is a junior from Atlanta and a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. Soifer is a senior from Beer Sheva, Israel, and a graduate of Hof Hasharon. Mandlekar is a sophomore from Bhilai, India, and a graduate of Deepak Nagar. Chakma is a junior from Agartala, India, and a graduate of Kendriya Vidyalaya Maligaon.

The NAIA will announce new team rankings Tuesday afternoon. The Gold Rush were tied for sixth and the Gold Nuggets seventh in the March 3 coaches polls.

SCHEDULE NOTES: Coach Alan Green announced several changes Monday. The XU men will visit Nicholls State at 10 a.m. Tuesday instead of Sunday. The Gold Nuggets already were scheduled to visit Nicholls at 10 a.m. Tuesday . . . The postponed men's dual against Troy was moved to 3 p.m. Friday at Troy, Ala. The Gold Rush will remain in Troy on Saturday and play at 11 a.m. against Columbus State, ranked sixth in NCAA Division II.

Arizona faces somewhat familiar foe (Texas Southern) in first NCAA tournament game

TUCSON, Arizona --Just after their road trip to UTEP, Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller was looking for something to do and he caught a glimpse of the future.

Miller saw Texas Southern upset Michigan State 71-64 on the road on December 20.

“If you win at Michigan State, you don’t have to say anything more,” Miller said. “You’re a dangerous team, a very well-coached team and [TSU coach] Mike Davis did an unbelievable job coaching at the places he’s been, including a national championship himself at Indiana.”

The second seeded Wildcats (31-3) will face No. 15 seed Texas Southern (22-12,16-2 SWAC) on Thursday at 11:10 a.m. MST on TNT in the second round of the West Region of the NCAA tournament in Portland, Ore.

“We’re excited to be a two seed and being in the footprint of the Pac-12 in Portland,” Miller said. “We know that’s a fantastic arena, coach [Damon] Stoudamire knows that arena very well. We’re excited about moving to the next chapter, one that you seemingly talk about forever and the reality of it is that you’re here and it’s upon you very fast.”

Stoudamire played for the Portland Trail Blazers for eight seasons in the ...



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Streaking Texas Southern won't be cowed by UA

COACH MIKE DAVIS
 COURTESY: TEXAS SOUTHERN ATHLETICS

TUCSON, Arizona -- Mike Davis knows all about March. And marching.

As Bob Knight’s successor at Indiana, Davis guided the Hoosiers to four NCAA tournament appearances. His 2002 team advanced to the national championship game — as a No. 5 seed, no less — before losing to Maryland.

Davis moved on to UAB, where he led the Blazers to a tournament appearance. He did the same at Texas Southern a year ago.

So Davis, whose Tigers will take on Arizona Thursday, knows what it takes to get to this point.

Start with scheduling. Texas Southern faced five teams this season that made Sunday’s NCAA tournament bracket: Indiana, Baylor, Gonzaga, Michigan State and New Mexico State. The Tigers also took on Florida, Auburn, Tennessee and Kansas State, major conference teams that were all left out of the tournament.

Davis’ team won at Michigan State in overtime, 71-64, and won at K-State 58-56. Texas Southern lost to New Mexico State and Auburn by one and two points, respectively.

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Monte Coleman, Oliver Pough epitomize success

COACH MONTE COLEMAN
Courtesy UAPB Athletics

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  -- It’s not often a school finds a head coach who both has a winning pedigree and is familiar its program. That’s the lottery Arkansas-Pine Bluff won in 2007, when it landed Pine Bluff, Arkansas, native -- and three-time Super Bowl winner -- Monte Coleman.

One of the most heralded players in Washington Redskins history -- Coleman played in parts of three decades, the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s -- the longtime, hard-hitting linebacker still holds the team’s fourth-highest career sack total (56.5) and is a member of both the University of Central Arkansas Athletic and Arkansas Sports Halls of Fame.

As Coleman prepares for the 2015 season, the team’s first game -- the 11th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney on Sept. 6 -- is priority No. 1.

“I haven’t started to scout South Carolina State,” Coleman said of his team's opponent in that game. “I’m sure they’re going to be pretty challenging. We’re excited about playing the game. It’s a great concept to be able to play a MEAC school pretty much every year. It’s great for both conferences.”

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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