Hampton Pirates seeks some redemption

Photo: Hampton University head basketball coach Kevin Nickelberry.

Blown out in NCAA in'06, Pirates gird for MEAC tourney

HAMPTON, VA -- Hampton coach Kevin Nickleberry spent much of Friday in Richmond in search of a recruit or two who could further help elevate the Pirates' program to national prominence.

The Pirates, of course, captivated college basketball fans with a stunning victory over No. 2-seed Iowa State in the NCAA tournament in 2001. They were invited back to the postseason party two years ago but suffered a 22-point setback to Monmouth in an opening-round game at the University of Dayton.

Nickleberry, in his second season, is eager to prove the Pirates are a far better team than the one that appeared shell shocked in the spotlight of March Madness.

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2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament Schedule

Photo: Delaware State University Lady Hornets sophomore Ashley Thompson takes the ball to the hole against Morgan State University Lady Bears.

2008 MEAC Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule

Tuesday, March 11 - Opening Round
11:00 AM Game 1- No. 7 South Carolina State vs. No. 10 Bethune-Cookman
1:30 PM Game 2 - No. 8 Howard vs.No. 9 Florida A&M
4:00 PM Game 3 - No. 6 Morgan State vs. No. 11 Norfolk State

Wednesday, March 12 - Opening Round/Quarterfinals
10 AM Game 6 - No. 1 North Carolina A&T vs. Winner of Game 2
12:30 PM Game 7 - No. 2 Coppin State vs.Winner of Game 1

Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
NOON Game 11 - No. 3 Delaware State vs. Winner of Game 3
2:30 PM Game 12 - No. 4 Hampton vs.No. 5 Maryland E. Shore

Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
NOON Game 15 - Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 12
2:30 PM Game 16 - Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 11

Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPNU)
1:00 PM Game 19 - Winner of Game 15 vs. Winner of Game 16


2008 MEAC Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule

Tuesday, March 11 - Opening Round
6:30 PM Game 4 - No. 7 Coppin State vs. No. 10 Howard
9:00 PM Game 5 - No. 8 South Carolina State vs. No. 9 Bethune-Cookman

Wednesday, March 12 - Opening Round/Quarterfinals
3:00 PM Game 8 - No. 6 Florida A&M vs. No. 11 Maryland E. Shore
7:00 PM Game 9 - No. 1 Morgan State vs. Winner of Game 5
9:30 PM Game 10 - No. 2 Hampton vs. Winner of Game 4

Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
6:00 PM Game 13 - No. 3 Norfolk State vs. Winner of Game 8
8:00 PM Game 14 - No. 4 Delaware State vs. No. 5 N.C. A&T

Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
6:00 PM Game 17 - Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 14
8:00 PM Game 18 - Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 13

Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPN Classic)
4:30 PM Men’s Bonus Game: N.C. Central vs. Winston-Salem State
8:00 PM Game 20 - Winner of Game 17 vs. Winner of Game 18

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MEAC Women's Tournament

Photo: Coppin State University shooting guard Rashida Suber has averaged 16.6 points a contest in conference play.


ELEVATOR

N.C. A&T

Finished MEAC schedule 15-1 (23-6 overall) and won first regular-season title since the 1989-90 season.

Bethune-Cookman

Started season with four losses and have lost six of the past eight to drop to 6-23 overall, 2-14 in the league.

BY THE NUMBERS

81.3 - Points per game in conference play by league leader N.C. A&T.

50.4 - Points allowed per game in conference play by league leader Delaware State.

8.2 - Hampton's league-best rebounding margin in conference play.

47.2 - N.C. A&T's league-best shooting percentage.

WHAT TO WATCH

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MEAC Men's Tournament

Photo: Morgan State University point guard Reggie Holmes will lead the Bears high powered offense in the MEAC Tournament.


ELEVATOR

Morgan State

Squad has players among the conference's top five in scoring, rebounding and assists. Finished first in the MEAC (14-2, 20-9 overall).

Hampton/Norfolk State

Tied for second at 11-5 in conference. Hampton was 18-11 overall. Norfolk State was 15-14 overall.

Howard

The Bison (3-13, 6-25 overall) averaged a league-worst 54.4 points per game in conference play.

BY THE NUMBERS

21.4 - MEAC scoring average for league's leader, Maryland-Eastern Shore guard Ed Tyson.

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MEAC holding final Raleigh tournament

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference brought its basketball tournament here three years ago with high expectations. Growth, publicity and income were all but promised to the league, which would send its champion to the NCAA Tournament.

Three years later, on the eve of its final tournament in Raleigh, the MEAC is about to leave town; neither of its Raleigh winners advanced past the play-in game in the NCAA field of 65; and the Division I league is looking for a new home.

The MEAC will hold its final Raleigh tournament today through Saturday at the RBC Center. There will be some parties to attend, but many here aren't weeping about the tournament's impending departure.

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FAMU's El-Amin comes up a tick short

The history books are safe — at least for now.

Florida A&M University's Mujahid El-Amin came up a full second short on Sunday in his quest to become the first swimmer from an Historical Black College or University to qualify for the NCAA championships.

Competing at the James E. Martin Invitational at Auburn University in Alabama, El-Amin did well enough in the preliminaries to earn a spot in the final.

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UAPB next up for Alabama A&M 'Dogs

Alabama A&M will have to get revenge against Arkansas-Pine Bluff if it is going to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Bulldogs, who wrapped up the third seed in next week's tournament at Fair Park Arena in Birmingham, will take on the Golden Lions Thursday at 2:30 p.m. UAPB swept A&M this season, winning 65-59 at Elmore Gym and 70-65 in Pine Bluff.

"We're hoping the third time is the charm for us," A&M coach Vann Pettaway said Saturday night. "I'm hoping my history will remain the same. I don't know of a team that has beaten me three times in the same season."

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Alabama State Hornets should waltz through the SWAC tournament and win the NCAA bid without being tested. The SWAC has been so weak this season, that it makes you question if the Hornets will be competitive in the NCAAs. Anyhow, AAMU is going to be home watching it all on television and grumbling about how the season got away from them. There is always a next year...

Jackson State's Comegy giving backups long look

Photo: JSU Tigers head football coach Rick Comegy.

The Jackson State football team held its first scrimmage of spring workouts Saturday with several projected starters out with injuries.

Defensive end Marcus Benard (shoulder), defensive tackle Dennis Coit (foot), quarterback Tray Rutland (shoulder), linebacker Marcus Jamison (wrist), DT Anthony Atkins (hip), wide receiver Rodney Gray (knee) and defensive back Domonique Johnson (shoulder) have all been out during the spring.

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Alcorn State baseball sweeps Alabama State, leads SWAC East 6-0

LORMAN - Alcorn State moved to 10-1 and 6-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East by completing a three-game sweep over Alabama State on Saturday.

The Braves put 15 hits together with 12 walks. They beat the Hornets 14-5 two times on Friday. For the three games, Alcorn racked up 40 runs and 45 hits.

Grambling baseball takes two from Prairie View

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas- Grambling State won the first two games of a three-game series against the Prairie View by the score of 4-2 and 3-0 in games one and two respectively.

The Panthers struggled offensively, tallying only one hit in game one against grambling ace Mario Jefferson. In seven innings of work, Jefferson struck out nine and didn't allow a run.

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Alabama State gets triple-digit revenge on Jackson State

Photo: Chief Kickingstallionsims, a seven footer, scored a career high 22 points on Jackson State.

Way back at the start of the conference season in early January, Alabama State suffered a disappointing loss on the road at Jackson State. That was two months and 15 games ago. The Hornets have long memories.

ASU saved one of its best games of the year for their regular-season finale against the Tigers. The Hornets shot better than 68 percent from behind the three-point line, better than 56 percent from the floor and committed just seven turnovers. ASU hit triple digits for the first time this season, winning easily, 103-83, at the Joe L. Reed Acadome.

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TSU Tigers’ OVC Championship Bid Falls Short with 82-64 Loss to Austin Peay

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Jerrell Houston Scores Career High 25 points

The Tennessee State Tigers (15-17) bid for an Ohio Valley Conference championship came up short with an 82-64 loss to Austin Peay (24-10) at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium on ESPN2 television.

Junior forward Jerrell Houston scored a career-high 25 points with 11 rebounds in the game. Reiley Ervin, playing in his last game for the Big Blue contributed 13 points and freshman Darius Cox added 12 points with seven rebounds.

Todd Babington led Austin Peay with 24 points, including 6-8 from 3-point range. Three other Governors added double figure support, Derek Wright (13), Drake Reed (11) and Fernandez Lockett (10).

The Tigers entered their first OVC championship game in ten years as a sixth seed and were currently on a three-game winning streak. They were not able to sustain the same intensity in the championship game that had propelled them through wins at Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and in the semifinal game against Murray State.

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Cador 'concerned' as Southern opens SWAC play

Winless and yet to establish a consistent offense and left trying to regain the glory two years since a reign of conference domination ended, the Southern University baseball team begins Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division play today.

Southern (0-5) will play Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-7, 0-3 Western Division) in a doubleheader today and a single game Monday. The Jaguars then will host Alcorn State, a member of the Eastern Division, at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

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Alabama A&M clobbers Grambling, 74-43

A&M's 6-foot-11 center rims out on trey in 74-43 win as 3-point attempt thrills Gladness on Senior Day

Alabama A&M's Mickell Gladness had always fashioned himself as a shooting guard. Unfortunately for his hopes, at 6-foot-11 and 205 pounds, he grew into a center. Saturday night, however, with A&M holding a commanding lead over Grambling State, coach Vann Pettaway moved Gladness to the shooting guard spot with approximately three minutes to go in the game.

Gladness came off of a screen and launched a 3-pointer that rimmed out. Afterwards, he left to a standing ovation as the Bulldogs clobbered the Tigers 74-43 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game at Elmore Gym.

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Alabama State Hornets remain hot in win over Grambling State

Photo: ASU junior guard Andrew Hayles drove his way to a 28 point night against GSU Tigers.

Long, contested threes, twisting layups, runners in the lane, turnaround jumpers -- Hayles hit them all Thursday night. The junior guard scored a season-high 28 points and time and again provided a spark for a struggling ASU offense.

The Hornets won their fourth in a row, 73-61.

"I'm just trying to do what I can within the offense," Hayles said. "This is all a team effort each night. When I was open, I tried to hit what I could."

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FAMU's El-Amin hopes to make history

Mujahid El-Amin wants to make more than a splash at Sunday’s James Martin Invitational swim meet. The Florida A&M University junior wants to make history.

If El-Amin is able to shave one second from his best time in the 100-yard butterfly, he will be the first swimmer from an Historical Black College or University to ever qualify for the NCAA championships.

The Atlanta native was unaware he was on the verge of becoming a pioneer two weeks ago when he won the event by more than two seconds (48.17) at the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association championships, setting a conference record in the process.

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DSU Bright hits milestone as Hornets end skid

Photo: Senor guard Roy Bright scored his first career double/double against the UMES Hawks. The 6-6 Hornets star hit for 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Senior scores his 1,000th point at DSU in win

DOVER -- His first attempt sailed through with ease. The second, just another pretty shot again from beyond the arc.

By the time Roy Bright had made his third and fourth baskets in five attempts Thursday, he'd gotten his milestone and his Delaware State team essentially had the lead it needed for an important victory.

This was actually Senior Day and, perhaps more importantly, a day of redemption during a 67-52 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore at Memorial Hall.

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Seniors help Delaware State secure third seed

DOVER -- Baskets of gifts awaited them, but a win came first on Thursday for the seniors on the Delaware State women's basketball team. It was senior night, after all. And those eager underclassmen had prepared the pleasantries for their three senior leaders as a thank you for their four years of contributions.

The Hornets' 57-46 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore clinched the No. 3 seed in next week's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.

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North Carolina A&T edges NSU 72-70

GREENSBORO, N.C. -As North Carolina A&T's Jason Willis soared in the air, Norfolk State's last chance to stage an improbable comeback hung in the balance. Then Willis came crashing down on the rim, and with him so did the Spartans' final opportunity to lock down the second seed in the MEAC Tournament next week. Willis dunked the ball with 6.1 seconds left in regulation, punctuating a 72-70 victory over Norfolk State at Irvin-Corbett Court on Thursday.

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N.C. A&T Lady Aggies steamroll Norfolk State, 93-60

Photo: Ta’Wuana Cook scored 14 points, 4 assists and 3 steals in 22 minutes of action against Norfolk State.

Aggies will play Wednesday morning at 10 against the No. 8/9 seed winner

GREENSBORO, March 6, 2008 – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team broke the school record for wins in a season with its 93-60 win over Norfolk State on Thursday night from Irvin-Corbett Court. Then head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs set down a new challenge for the team.

Do it again.

The Aggies improved to 23-6 overall and 15-1 into the conference as they head into next week’s MEAC Tournament in Raleigh as the No. 1 seed and MEAC regular-season champion. Freshman Jalessa Sams led the Aggies with 20 points and seven rebounds while Ta’Wuana Cook and Brittanie Taylor-James had 14 points apiece.

“I hope we break it again with me as the coach,’’ said Bibbs. “It’s a wonderful honor for my ladies to remember, but the thing about records they are made to be broken. I hope they don’t become complacent and take it upon themselves to break it again next year.”

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Coppin State Lady Eagles cage Morgan State 71-58

Photo: 6-3 Junior Center Whitney Cunningham is proving to be an offensive and defensive force for the Eagles.

BALTIMORE -- Whitney Cunningham scored a career-high 21 points and Coppin State extended its winning streak to eight straight with a 71-58 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Morgan State in both teams regular-season finale at Hill Field House.

The Eagles, who have won 13 of their last 14 games, had already secured the second seed in the upcoming MEAC Tournament but had plenty to play for entering the contest. Coppin State snapped a two-game losing streak to the Bears and moved to within a game of posting its fourth straight 20-win season.

Coppin State (19-11, 13-3 MEAC) overcame a season-high 30 turnovers by out-rebounding the Bears 51-41 and holding them to 28.8 percent shooting.

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Four consecutive 20 game seasons is a great accomplishment for Coach Derek Brown. Is there a third bid forthcoming to the NCAA Tournament for the Coppin State Eagles?

Morgan Bears too hot to handle by Coppin

Photo: Morgan State Bears, with a 20-9 record and first MEAC Basketball Championship (regular season) can finally show their faces in Division I with pride.

Coppin puts up a fight, but Morgan stays unbeaten at home

With the school's first regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament locked up, Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman could have been forgiven if he wanted to give his starters a breather last night. But when the opponent is Coppin State, and with city bragging rights on the line, the Forestville native knew that taking this game lightly was not an option.

Despite being without leading scorer Jamar Smith (foot injury), the Bears took the Eagles' best shots and still came away with a hard-fought 68-64 victory on Senior Night before an announced 4,500 last night at Hill Field House.

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Never under-estimate at team coached by ole school Fang Mitchell. Just throw out the records and get ready to do battle, as his teams will scratch and claw their way into the game and beat you if you make mistakes. Whoever draws Coppin State in the MEAC Tournament is in for a dog fight (sorry, Vick) to get to the next round.

This is going to be a great MEAC Tournament!

Southern clinches spot in SWAC tourney

Jaguars top Prairie View, 76-64

The Southern University men’s basketball team has discovered its poise down the stretch, at the right time. In games, and for its season.

The Jaguars secured a spot in next week’s Southwestern Athletic Conference with a balanced 76-64 win over Prairie View on Thursday night at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

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Lewis lifts Southern Lady Jaguars over SWAC Champs Prairie View

There’s still magic left in senior center Fredrieka Lewis and Southern. Lewis had 15 points to pace Southern’s 43-34 win over Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season champ Prairie View on Thursday night at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Despite the loss, Prairie View won the regular-season title outright after sharing the regular-season crown with Jackson State last season. Jackson State fell out of contention with a 65-57 loss at Alabama A&M on Thursday night.

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Howard Lady Bison routed by Hampton University

Photo: Senior guard Rachel Butler lead the Lady Pirates in the rout by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds.

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University Lady Pirates basketball team concluded regular-season play with a 28-point shellacking of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Howard University here on Thursday, defeating the Lady Bison 74-46 at the HU Convocation Center.

Hampton, 17-12 overall and 10-6 in the MEAC, led 41-31 at halftime. Howard ended the regular-season with records of 4-25 overall and 3-13 in the conference. Mebane said his team’s performances over the last three games are hopefully an indication of the level of preparedness his players have for next week’s MEAC tournament, which will be played at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. on March 10-15.

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