UMES Lady Hawks crush Norfolk State 84-65

NORFOLK, Va. - It started nine games ago. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) went on a seven game winning streak in conference play before they dropped their last two contests. That streak began with a win over Norfolk State University (NSU) and the Lady Hawks hope the streak begins anew as they toppled that same Spartan team 84-65 Monday night on the campus of NSU.

April McBride, Tiffany Reid and Queenique Tyler all posted 16 points in the game. For Tyler it is a new career high while fellow freshmen Casey Morton added 15 points. Both McBride and Reid had a double double as they grabbed 13 and 10 rebounds respectively.

With the win, UMES improves to 8-4 in league play and stands third in the MEAC tied with Morgan State and Delaware State, both of whom UMES has defeated this season.

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Oakley Scores 25 in CSU Eagle Win at Florida A&M

Photo: Shalamar Oakley, 5-6 point guard, Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson H.S.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Senior Shalamar Oakley paced five players in double figures in points with 25 and Coppin State extended its winning streak to four straight with an 85-64 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Florida A&M on Monday in Gaither Gymnasium.

Oakley was 11-of-19 from the floor and also added nine points, three assists and one steal. Danielle Anders had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Rashida Suber scored 13 points and dished out a career-high 10 assists. Jennifer Martin and Whitney Cunningham each scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Eagles.

Coppin State (15-11, 9-3 MEAC), which won for the ninth time in the last 10 games, shot 60.0 percent from the floor in the second half and outscored the Rattlers 52-32.

Florida A&M (11-13, 2-9 MEAC) shot only 32.9 percent from the floor for the game and was 1-of-17 from beyond the three-point arc.

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Oakley was a transfer from Hofstra University to Coppin State University and has completed her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice (3.2 GPA) and is in graduate school. She has aspirations of playing basketball professionally in the WNBA or overseas. Oakley was an All-MEAC rookie and All-MEAC first team scholar-athlete .

Mississippi Valley edges Southern Jaguars

Chris Watson’s one-handed tip-in with 23 seconds to play lifted Mississippi Valley State to a 52-51 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory in front of 759 Monday night at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Southern (8-16, 6-7 SWAC) lost its fourth straight game and for the sixth time in its last eight games after a 4-1 conference start. Valley (9-15, 7-6) snapped a two-game losing streak. The Delta Devils had lost four of its previous six games. SU can look back at a host of missed opportunities. The Jaguars led by 15 points with 7:31 left in the first half, but squandered that momentum before halftime.

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JSU's coach must retool after 2007 success

The reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division baseball champions have been picked to retain the title in 2008.

The honor carries very little weight with Jackson State coach Omar Johnson. "That doesn't mean anything," Johnson said. "They didn't pick us to win last year, and we basically walked through the second half. "It's who's going to play well down the stretch." What it does mean is the Tigers are being held in high respect around the league after just one season with Johnson leading the program.

With a rookie head coach, Jackson State (33-23) posted its first 30-win season since athletic director Bob Braddy ran the team. The feat was even more meaningful considering the 2006 season was virtually wiped clean because JSU used two players that were ineligible.

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Jackson State Season Opener: at Georgia State, Friday: 4 p.m.

Southern University, FAMU to play this season

Photo: Southern University Dancing Dolls -2007

Southern and Florida A&M will play football in 2008 after all.

The schools, with the help of South Carolina State, came to an agreement to play, and FAMU sent out a release announcing the game Monday. The sides have yet to sign a contract. “We agreed to it,” Southern Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said Monday.

A new contract establishing dates for the final three games (barring any interruption: at Florida A&M in 2009 and 2011 and at Southern in 2010) will need to be authored. “It worked out great,” LaFleur said. “Thanks to South Carolina State. This would not have been possible without the cooperation of South Carolina State.”

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Proposed 2008 Football Schedule

Date Opponent

Aug. 30 at Houston
Sept. 6 at Tenn. State
Sept. 13 MISS. VALLEY
Sept. 20 Open
Sept. 27 at Alcorn State*
Oct. 4 at Jackson State*
Oct. 11 TEXAS SOUTHERN*
Oct. 18 FLORIDA A&M
Oct. 25 at Prairie View*
Nov. 1 UAPB*
Nov. 8 Open
Nov. 15 ALABAMA STATE*
Nov. 22 Open
Nov. 29 Grambling* (Bayou Classic)

* Southwestern Athletic Conference games
Home games in CAPS

'Fang' Mitchell, among 13 to enter Gloucester County (N.J.) Sports Hall of Fame

Photo: Ron "Fang" Mitchell, head basketball coach Coppin State University - 21 years; (29 years experience), native of Philadelphia, PA; graduate of Coppin State University.

Coppin State University men's basketball coach Ron "Fang' Mitchell, along with former Washington Township High football star Mike Koerner will be among the 13 inductees to the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame during the 28th annual Induction Banquet on March 18, 2008 at Auletto's Caterers in Almonesson, New Jersey, the executive committee has announced.

Tickets for the 28th Annual Banquet are available by calling (856) 435-3367.

Ron "Fang" Mitchell (Gloucester CC): The longtime Coppin State men's basketball coach, Mitchell has earned a reputation as one of the nation's top collegiate coaches. Entering this season, he was Coppin's all-time winningest coach with 318 career victories, three NCAA tournament appearances, two NIT bids, six 20-win seasons, and a share of nine Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles in the 1990s.

Mitchell was a former star player at Gloucester County College, averaging 23 points per game his sophomore season. He later coached the GCC men's basketball teams to a career record of 227-45 from 1978 to 1986, winning four regional junior college titles and 10 Garden State Conference crowns.

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Bright night for DSU Hornets

Photo: DSU 6-6/225 guard/forward Roy Bright hit for 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 1 steal to lead the Hornets attack against the Aggies.

North Carolina native leads DSU to crucial MEAC win over NCA&T.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Roy Bright took the abuse from the Dawg Pound and responded Monday night with a smile and a game-winning basket.

Playing in his home state and before a large contingent of family and friends, Bright delivered. He led Delaware State to a crucial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball victory, 70-66, over North Carolina A&T before a rowdy Corbett Sports Center crowd of 3,752.

A native of Durham, N.C., Bright finished with 19 points.

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NSU beats UMES 68-61 with lots of help from Murphy

Photo: NSU senior Tony Murphy stepped up with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 2 steals to keep the Spartans tied with Morgan State for first place in the MEAC.

NORFOLK, VA - When his team needed him most Monday night, Norfolk State senior guard Tony Murphy was there – as he always has been. The Spartans were reeling and on the verge of losing to Maryland-Eastern Shore. But Murphy willed his team to victory, helping Norfolk State prevail 68-61.

First, he helped wrest the lead away from Eastern Shore for the final time, burying a 3-pointer with 4:52 left . Then he knocked out the Hawks with a three-point play two minutes later in what is likely his final home game of his career. It was the defining moment on a night when Murphy scored 25 points.

“It’s good to see him step up,” Norfolk State coach Anthony Evans said. “He’s a senior and it’s great to see him knocking down some shots.”

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JSU Lady Tigers escape Texas Southern with 51-48 win

Photo: Erica Traham, 5-10 junior forward, Baton Rough, LA scored 17 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in the JSU win.

JSU Office of Athletic Media Relations

HOUSTON, Tex. - After taking a nine point lead into halftime the Jackson State women's basketball team had to fight tooth and nail to hang on and beat Texas Southern 51-48 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action Monday night.

With the win JSU improves to a 13-10 overall record and an 11-2 SWAC mark. Texas Southern falls to 7-15, 5-7.

Two Lady Tigers scored in double figures, with Erica Trahan leading the way with 17 points on 6-9 shooting. Carena Easley followed with a double-double. She finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Camile Parks led Texas Southern with 11 points and eight rebounds.

JSU held a 23-14 halftime lead. In the first half, neither team lit up the scoreboard. Jackson State shot 25 percent from the field and Texas Southern shot 17 percent.

In the second half Texas Southern outscored JSU 34-28. The Lady Tigers out rebounded TSU 49-46.

Jackson State will return to action Feb. 23 when the Lady Tigers travel to Grambling, LA to face Grambling State in SWAC action. Tip-off is set for 5:30 pm.

THE GOOD FIGHT

Photo: Tywain Mckee, 6-2 senior point guard/shooting guard, Philadelphia, PA/Bartram H.S., major: Criminal Justice.

Forgotten and ignored, Tywain McKee was an unlikely college hoops prospect. Then a basketball legend tapped him on the shoulder.

There are some kids you just want to protect. It would be great to say that about all of them, but the truth is some wear trouble like a too-big pair of jeans, uncomfortable unless they're pretty much engulfed by it. Tywain McKee, back when he was a hunch-shouldered, woolly haired teenager, could have been one of those kids.

"He was swallowed up by strife, living in a hotbed of violence," says former Temple coach John Chaney, who recruited McKee as a Philly high school senior four years ago. Chaney discovered McKee when the Bartram High guard dropped 13 fourth-quarter points in a city-league semis loss to Philly power Simon Gratz. But McKee, who battled a stutter and had always felt uncomfortable in school, fell well short of Temple's academic requirements.

Still, the Hall of Fame coach liked the fight he saw in McKee. He liked that the kid had learned the game from his mom. He liked that McKee kept playing, even after his mother's drug abuse meant she was around less and less. And he liked that McKee didn't lose focus, even while his younger brother, Robert, was skipping school. Chaney wanted to see McKee play at the next level, for him or someone else. "If no one puts a kid like that in a position to succeed, his self-esteem keeps dropping," Chaney says. "I called Fang Mitchell because I knew he would be good for Tywain."

Ron "Fang" Mitchell has spent 21 seasons at Baltimore's Coppin State University, one of 103 historically black colleges and universities in the U.S.

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Price, Tennessee State earn huge win over Austin Peay

Tigers guard will forgo final year

Bruce Price made sure he went out as a winner with Tennessee State's men's basketball team Monday night.

Price decided before the game to forgo his final year of eligibility with the Tigers. He joined the team's four seniors who were honored before the tip-off against Austin Peay at Gentry Center.

Then in the final 46 seconds, Price sank two free throws, stripped the ball from Austin Peay's Ernest Fields under the Governors' basket and pinned a shot by Derek Wright on the backboard to help Tigers hang on for a 73-69 victory before a crowd of 4,857.

"This is where it all started for me and this was a very important game for me,'' Price said. "Even though we weren't hitting our free throws at the end I made sure that I made some good defensive plays with the charges and the block and the strip."

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Hampton Lady Pirates win big against Winston Salem State

Photo: Hampton forward Chivyere Ukoh scored 14 points and had 8 rebounds in the victory. The 6-3 junior is from Woodbridge H.S., Woodbridge, VA.

HAMPTON, Va. - The Hampton University Lady Pirates bounced back after a close loss to South Carolina State University last Saturday to defeat the Lady Rams of Winston Salem State University by a score of 65-41 here at the HU Convocation Center on Monday night.

The Lady Pirates came out red hot after the opening tip, jumping out to a 6-0 run.

The Lady Rams did manage to take the lead at the 10:55 mark when Jalesa Byrd gave WSSU a short-lived lead at13-12 at the 10:55 mark after connecting on one of two free throw tries. But the Lady Pirates gradually built up a comfortable cushion, increasing their lead to 12 points in the waning seconds of the half.

HU’s lead at halftime was 30-18.

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North Carolina A&T stay perfect in conference in win over DSU Lady Hornets

Photo: NCA&T Lady Aggies Ta' Wuana "Tweet" Cook had her usual outstanding game scoring 20 points and 8 assists.

GREENSBORO -- There is actually a way the N.C. A&T women's basketball team can fall short of postseason play. But figuring that out is probably harder than beating the Aggies.

In beating Delaware State 78-53 on Monday, A&T improved to 12-0 in the league and retained a three-game lead over Coppin State (9-3) with four to play. One more Aggie victory or one more loss by the Eagles or Hampton (8-4) clinches the regular-season title and at least a WNIT bid for A&T. The winner of the conference tournament gets the automatic NCAA tournament spot, but a safeguard ensures that any regular-season champion failing to win its league tournament will be invited to the WNIT. A&T hasn't been to postseason since it claimed the MEAC title in 1994.

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Tip-In Extends Coppin State Win Streak at FAMU

Photo: CSU 6-3 small forward Antwan Harrison made the game winner on a tip-in. The senior is from Beltsville, MD/Gonzaga College H.S. and is majoring in Sports Management.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Senior Antwan Harrison scored on a tip-in with four seconds remaining lifting Coppin State to a 69-68 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Florida A&M on Monday in Gaither Gymnasium and extending the Eagles winning streak to five straight.

Harrison, who scored 12 points, followed up a miss by Julian Conyers with the game-winning basket giving Coppin State its longest winning streak since the 2004-05 season.

Tywain McKee sealed the victory for the Eagles with a steal on Florida A&M's final possession.

Coppin State (9-19, 4-8 MEAC) shot 63.6 percent from the floor in the second half and a season-high 51.7 percent for the game. Florida A&M (9-16, 5-7 MEAC) was led by Leslie Robinson who scored a game-high 24 points.

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Hampton sweeps Winston Salem State

Photo: HU Pirates Rashad West was the game high scorer with 18 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. The 6-1/170 senior guard is from Raleigh, N.C./Maine Central Institute.

HAMPTON - Hampton completed a two-game season sweep of nonconference Winston-Salem State on Monday night, using almost its entire roster in the process. It was a rude welcome back for Hampton's former coach Bobby Collins, who now directs the Rams.

Fourteen HU players got in on the Pirates' 67-62 victory at HU Convocation Center. Hampton senior Rashad West's 18 points were the high, with Vinny Simpson tossing in 16 off the bench.

"One of our guys said in the locker room: (WSS) played like it was personal, a backyard ... chip on our shoulder," said HU coach Kevin Nickelberry. "Just all the emotion of the last game; it was a spillover.

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Prairie View A&M routs Grambling State Tigers

Photo: PVAMU guard Gaati Werema led four Lady Panthers in double figure scoring with 28 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal in 26 minutes of action. The 6-0 sophomore is from Orlando, Florida, Orlando Christian Prep.

Prairie View A&M University Sports Information

Gaati Werema's 28 points and 16 rebounds paces the Lady Panther's offensive attack

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- The Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers (16-8 11-1 SWAC) got back on track with a convincing victory over the Grambling State Lady Tigers (1-22, 0-13 SWAC) on Monday, February 18th in the William Nicks Building.

Lady Panther forward Gaati Werema had a monster night racking up 28 points and 16 rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor. Werema’s point total also included an impressive 10-of-12 showing from the charity stripe.

Chari Smith had a double-double performance tallying 14 points and 10 rebounds. Overall Prairie View A&M shot 37 percent from the floor, while holding the Lady Tigers to just 20 percent shooting for the game.

PVAMU took their largest lead of the game at 32 points at the 2:20 mark of the second half. From that point Grambling State would get no closer than 30 points.

For the game Prairie View A&M scored 25 points off GSU miscues. The Lady Panthers out scored Grambling State in the paint 34-8 and in second chance points 12-1.

Prairie View A&M will return to the hardwood on Saturday, February 23rd, when they travel to Pine Bluff, Arkansas to take on the UAPB Lady Golden Lions. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.

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Morgan State rolls over Bethune Cookman

Photo: Point guard Jerrell Green led four Bears in double figure scoring with a career high of 17 points, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 rebound. The 5-10/170 senior is from Baltimore, MD, Seward County C.C./Southern HS, and is majoring in Sociology.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Florida A&M stopped Morgan State's eight-game winning streak Saturday. The Bears were not likely to go winless in Florida.

Morgan State proved to be too big, too quick and too deep in defeating Bethune-Cookman 63-52 Monday at the Ocean Center. "I think they're the best team in the league. They're very talented," said B-CU coach Clifford Reed. "They're definitely one of the best teams for us to match up against. They're big and athletic."

B-CU tried to keep the game as close as possible by consistently holding the ball to the end of the 35-second clock, but the Bears out-rebounded the Wildcats 31-21, shot 46.5 percent from the field and hit 20 of 26 free throws.

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Alabama A&M expects stronger defense

Photo: Re'Quincia Mack, SWAC preseason Player of the Year, Junior, 5-8 Centerfielder, Buckhorn H.S., Huntsville, AL. Mack batted last season .361 with 8 homers, 28 RBIs, 48 hits, scored 37 runs and had a .932 fielding percentage.

New coach Brown says team can make tournament

Nedra Brown is hoping to do for Alabama A&M's softball program what she did for the Bulldogs' volleyball team. Brown guided the volleyball program to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship last October in her first season. She'll try to do the same thing in softball.


Photo: Debra Borcherding, SWAC preseason Pitcher of the Year, Senior, Right Handed Pitcher, Ames H.S., Ames, IA. Borcherding was 8-16 with a 5.41 ERA last season on a bad defensive club.

"We want to be competitive every time we take the field," said Brown, whose team opened the season Saturday dropping a doubleheader at Tennessee State. "If we can do that and improve over the course of the season, we'll have a chance to get into the (SWAC) tournament and hopefully make a run at it."

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AAMU 2008 SCHEDULE
(Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

Sat., Feb. 16 at Tennessee State Nashville, Tenn. L, 7-2
at Tennessee State Nashville, Tenn. L, 6-3

Univ. of Memphis Tournament
Fri., Feb. 22 vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff Southaven, Miss. 12:00 pm CT
vs. Evansville Southaven, Miss. 4:30 pm CT
Sat., Feb. 23 at Memphis Southaven, Miss. 2:15 pm CT
vs. Morehead State Southaven, Miss. 4:30 pm CT
Sun., Feb. 24 vs. SE Missouri Southaven, Miss. 10:00 am CT

Tue., Feb. 26 vs. Auburn Huntsville, Ala. 1:00 pm CT
vs. Auburn Huntsville, Ala. 3:00 pm CT
Tue., Mar. 4 at Tenn.-Martin Martin, Tenn. 1:00 pm CT
at Tenn.-Martin Martin, Tenn. 3:00 pm CT

SWAC East-West Roundup
Fri., Mar. 7 vs. Ark.-Pine Bluff * Shreveport, La. 10:00 am CT
vs. Southern * Shreveport, La. 1:00 pm CT
Sat., Mar. 8 vs. Texas Southern * Shreveport, La. 1:00 pm CT
Sun., Mar. 9 vs. Prairie View * Shreveport, La. 10:00 am CT
vs. Grambling * Shreveport, La. 1:00 pm CT

Wed., Mar. 12 vs. Memphis Huntsville, Ala. 2:00 pm CT
vs. Memphis Huntsville, Ala. 4:00 pm CT
Fri., Mar. 21 vs. Alabama State * Huntsville, Ala. 3:00 pm CT
Sat., Mar. 22 vs. Alabama State * Huntsville, Ala. 12:00 pm CT
vs. Alabama State * Huntsville, Ala. 2:00 pm CT
Fri., Mar. 28 at Jackson State * Jackson, Miss. 5:00 pm CT
Sat., Mar. 29 at Jackson State * Jackson, Miss. 12:00 pm CT
at Jackson State * Jackson, Miss. 2:00 pm CT
Mon., Apr. 7 vs. Belmont Huntsville, Ala. 2:00 pm CT
vs. Belmont Huntsville, Ala. 4:00 pm CT
Fri., Apr. 11 vs. Miss. Valley * Huntsville, Ala. 4:00 pm CT
Sat., Apr. 12 vs. Miss. Valley * Huntsville, Ala. 12:00 pm CT
vs. Miss. Valley * Huntsville, Ala. 2:00 pm CT
Fri., Apr. 18 at Alcorn State * Alcorn State, Miss. TBA
Sat., Apr. 19 at Alcorn State * Alcorn State, Miss. TBA
at Alcorn State * Alcorn State, Miss. TBA

SWAC Tournament
Thu., Apr. 24 SWAC Tournament Houston, Tex. All Day
Fri., Apr. 25 SWAC Tournament Houston, Tex. All Day
Sat., Apr. 26 SWAC Tournament Houston, Tex. All Day
Sun., Apr. 27 SWAC Tournament Houston, Tex. All Day

FAMU 2008 Football Schedule Finalized; includes Southern University

Photo: Florida A & M University President Dr. James H. Ammons continues to deliver on promises made to the FAMU community. The rivalry game with Southern University will go forth in 2008.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (Feb. 18) – Florida A&M University, in co-operation with officials from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and member schools, announced Monday the resolution of a conflict on their 2008 schedule which will allow them to play Southern University in Baton Rouge.

The two longtime rivals will play in A.W. Mumford Stadium on the Southern campus on October 18, 2008, a move from the originally contracted date of September 20.

Florida A&M will now play 12 games in 2008 with the addition of the Southern game, with one open date on September 13.

FAMU President James H. Ammons and Athletic Director Bill Hayes worked for the past several weeks with MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas and South Carolina State Athletic Director Charlene Johnson to move the Rattlers’ October 18 home game with SCSU to October 4, paving the way for the Southern game to be played.

“We want to express our thanks to Commissioner (Dennis) Thomas and Ms. Charlene Johnson and her staff at South Carolina State for working with us in this matter,” said President Ammons upon announcing the resolution.

“The FAMU-Southern series has a rich tradition behind it, dating back to the 1940s, and it is extremely popular with the alumni and supporters of both schools, so we felt it important to do all we could to preserve the relationship between us by working out this situation,” Ammons concluded.

With the recent expansion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, an additional league game was added to all schedules, causing a shift in play dates beginning with the 2008 campaign.

Since the FAMU-Southern contract was agreed to prior to the 2007 season, the newly-aligned MEAC scheduling format was not taken into account.

The new MEAC schedule alignment eliminated the open date that FAMU had on the third week in September for the past several years, causing the conflict.

The result left the Rattlers with road games at both Southern University and Howard University on September 20.

Additionally, the agreement between FAMU and Southern was to have begun in 2007, but both schools agreed to put the four-year deal on hold for one season to accommodate the SWAC/MEAC Challenge in Birmingham, Alabama last year.

FAMU and Southern will begin talks shortly to work out future play dates for the remaining years on the contract.


FLORIDA A&M 2008 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

1. AUG. 30 ALABAMA STATE HOME/Bragg Stadium
Sports Hall of Fame

2. SEPT. 6 at Delaware State* Dover, DE/Alumni Stadium

3. SEPT. 20 at Howard University*+ Philadelphia, PA/Franklin Field

4. SEPT. 27 Tennessee State@ Atlanta, GA/Georgia Dome
Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic

5. OCT. 4 S.C. STATE* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Football Reunion • Parents’ Weekend

6. OCT. 11 WINSTON-SALEM STATE HOME/Bragg Stadium
1,000 Strikes Recognition Game

7. OCT. 18 at Southern University Baton Rouge, LA/Mumford Stadium

8. OCT. 25 at Norfolk State* Norfolk, VA/Dick Price Stadium

9. NOV. 1 MORGAN STATE* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Homecoming Weekend

10. NOV. 8 at North Carolina A&T*` Greensboro, NC/Aggie Stadium

11. NOV. 15 HAMPTON* HOME/Bragg Stadium
Senior Day • Community and Youth Day

12. NOV. 22 Bethune-Cookman#* Orlando, FL/Florida Citrus Bowl
Walt Disney World Florida Classic XXIX

(*)-Conference game; (+)-Philadelphia; (@)-Atlanta Classic; (#)-Florida Classic (Bold) - Games played in Florida

Morgan State's Hill-Eley talks Bears football recruiting class

Photo: Morgan State University head football coach Donald Hill-Eley.

Signing Day earlier this month was a fruitful one for Morgan State head coach Donald Hill-Eley. The Bears signed 23 players to its 2008 recruiting class, including four transfers from DI programs. Hill-Eley was kind enough to answer questions about MSU's recruiting class last week.

From the looks of your class on paper, it appears defense -- and linebacker in particular -- were heavy areas of emphasis. Do you feel you adequately addressed those needs?

Hill-Eley: Yes, we needed to beef up at the linebacker spot as well as the defensive line. I think we got some impressive young men where in the past we had to take freshmen and sit them out a year of two to get them up to playing level. But we’ve got a group of young men who can come in and at least help us out on special teams. Because of the program and the continuity, we’ve been able to recruit a little bit better athletes every year. Every year it’s gotten better with the quality of the athletes. We’ve gone from no-star kids to two- and three-star kids. So it’s putting us in the game that we’re getting more of the first-tier than second-tier players.

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DSU to enter crazy confines of Corbett

Photo: Interior of Corbett Sports Center, North Carolina A&T State University.

A&T's gym known for frat-like atmosphere

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Among the words used to describe Ellis F. Corbett on a bronze plaque outside the building named in his honor is fraternity leader. The plaque was made 30 years ago, but perhaps the ones responsible had the ability to know what the future held.

There is maybe no better way to describe the activities inside Corbett Sports Center, a non-descript, white brick building set in the monstrous downtown campus at North Carolina A&T, than frat-like.

Once inside the door on a game night, expect to stand shoulder to shoulder.

With the onslaught of rap music over the loudspeakers, forget about being able to hear the person next to you. But that's the charm. It awaits every opponent that enters its confines, like the Delaware State men's basketball team tonight.

The game, to broadcast on ESPNU, tips off at 7.

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For North Carolina Central University, Division I humbling, rewarding

Eagles crash-land often in first year at top NCAA level, but the money is good

DURHAM, N.C. - Imagine being an athletic competitor -- someone who has been taught all your life to play to win. Now imagine being an athletic competitor and knowing you have virtually no chance. For members of N.C. Central's men's basketball team, imagining is unnecessary. In their first season at the highest level of college basketball, losing has been their almost certain fate. Only one team out of 341 in Division I has fewer wins than Central, whose record went to 3-23 with a win against Chowan on Saturday.

Losing is hard on the players, dispiriting for the fans, but oddly profitable for Central. As a newly minted D-I school, Central is a team big-time basketball schools are eager to play -- and pay -- for another notch in their win column. In NCAA circles, these are "guarantee games," in which a team agrees to visit for a price and makes no demand for a return match at its home arena.

Records show that NCCU has received $434,500 so far, the combined take from 21 road games -- including 17 guarantee games. Every guarantee game was a loss. Central has fewer home games this season than any team except Presbyterian College. Of Central's first 16 games, 15 were on the road.

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Great Story! The Eagles will prevail in the end and the move to Division I will be proven the right move to make. However, the athletic director need to ease back on the guarantee games in 2008/09 and give the team a competitive chance of getting a .500 record. Money is important to sustain the program, but it is also very important to the players and for recruitment to show competitive progress. There is no shame for NCCU, as none of the current Division I HBCUs could defeat Duke, Florida or Nebraska at their home arena or neutral site for that matter.

Central deserves membership in a conference.

The administrators at NCCU should not limit themselves to only the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference but should make overtures to the Big South Conference and the Southern Conference. The MEAC has severe limitations in developing a comprehensive marketing program that generates serious revenue for the conference from television, satellite radio and Internet, with little income being generated for the member institutions. NCCU should consider all options.

-beepbeep

Southern University baseball looks to reconstruct infield

Photo: 2007 SWAC Championship game with Southern vs. Prairie View; Southern Jaguars head coach Roger Cador is on left in third base box.

As if rebuilding most of its pitching staff, from starters to bullpen, wasn’t enough, Southern’s baseball team also faces another daunting challenge: reconstructing its infield.

While junior Calvin Anderson is a mainstay at first base, Southern, 26-18 and the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament runner-up last season, projects to have three new starters in the infield: freshman Demario Ellis, from Pasadena (Calif.), at second base; junior Michael Oliver, a transfer from Consumnes River College, at shortstop; and junior Romeo Bracey, from Kanakakee Community College, at third base.

“Those kids have shown me enough, in the fall and now,” coach Roger Cador said.

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Delaware State Lady Hornets get solid play from bench

Photo: Selena Galloway scored 12 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal against Norfolk State. The 5-8 Sophomore guard is from James Ferris H.S., Jersey City, NJ.

NORFOLK, Va. -- Every game that teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play brings them one step closer to the grand finale of the season: the conference tournament. On Saturday afternoon, during the first game of his team's last road trip of the regular season, Coach Ed Davis had a big chance to tweak the little things -- like the play of his bench -- which, in the end, could help the Hornets to a second consecutive tournament championship.

With a highly productive performance from their reserves, the Hornets shot a season-high 57 percent from the floor to breeze by Norfolk State, 81-55, at Echols Hall. In improving its overall record to over .500 for the first time this season, DSU (13-12, 8-3 MEAC) scored its most points since putting up 87 against Howard in the 2005-06 season.

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The Lady Hornets return to action on Monday at first place North Carolina A&T. The 4:00 p.m. contest will be televised live on ESPNU.

Tennessee State Softball Sweeps Alabama A&M in Opener

Tennessee State Sports Information

Nashville, Tenn.--- The Tennessee State University softball team opened the 2008 season with a sweep over visiting Alabama A&M University (7-2, 6-3) Saturday at Tiger Field. TSU moves to 2-0 while A&M falls to 0-2.

Leading 2-0 in the fifth inning of game one, TSU posted five runs on five hits and three A&M errors. The Bulldogs rallied to score two runs on two hits in the seventh inning before the Lady Tigers went on to win 7-2.

Photo: Alabama A&M University Lady Bulldogs 2008 Softball Team

TSU jumped ahead 5-0 in the second game following a three run, four hit inning in the third. Alabama A&M scored one run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth inning but TSU would go on to win the game 6-3.

Amanda Vaught picked up both wins with a total of 18 strikeouts. Brittany Webb led with four RBI’s and registered a triple in the first game.

TSU returns to action this Wednesday at home against Lipscomb University in a double header. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Tiger Field.

Alabama A&M will play at the University of Memphis Tournament beginning on Friday before returning for the home opener vs. Auburn on Tuesday, February 26.