Coppin State’s Shalamar Oakley named MEAC Player of the Year

Photo: Shalamar Oakley, Coppin State University, MEAC 2008 Women's Player of the Year.

RALEIGH, N.C.-The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2008 All-MEAC honorees at the MEAC Tip-Off Basketball Tournament Banquet on Monday evening at the North Hilton Raleigh. Coppin State guard Shalamar Oakley was selected the Player of the Year as voted by the leagues’ Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors.

North Carolina A&T Head Coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs was selected by her counterparts as the 2008 Coach of the Year. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Casey Morton was chosen as the Rookie of the Year, while Corin Adams of Morgan State was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

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Lady Rattlers defeat Howard to face #1 seed N.C. A&T

RALEIGH, N.C. - Stephanie Foster scored a game-high 18 points and Q'Vaunda Curry added 15 to lead Florida A&M (FAMU) to a 69-59 win over Howard in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's tournament at the RBC Center. The Lady Rattlers (14-16), the Number 9 seed, will take on the Number 1 seed, North Carolina A&T State in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 10 am.

FAMU set the tone early when it reeled off an 18-0 run during a seven-minute stretch that saw them erase a 10-6 deficit and take a 24-10 lead at the 7:52 mark of the first half. The run was fueled by some hot three-point shooting as the Lady Rattlers hit on 6 of 13 from beyond the arc.

"We were much more composed than were in the loss in Washington," Florida A&M Head Coach Debra Clark said. "I think we had more of a sense of urgency. We had a lot more at stake with four seniors and we did not want this to be the end of the road."

She continued, "We knew they (Howard) were capable of putting up big numbers, so we wanted to defend. "They made several runs, but each time we responded with a good defensive play, forcing them into tough shots."

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Final: South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs 66, Bethune Cookman 45

Final: Morgan State Lady Bears 86, Norfolk State 65

Last chance for A&M seniors to grab SWAC title

Bulldogs will meet Mississippi Valley Thursday

They came at a time when the women's basketball program at Alabama A&M wasn't very good. In fact, when Rebekkah Barnes, Felicia Drummond and Christian Malone and company showed up four years ago, the Bulldogs were in the midst of their sixth straight losing season.

Still, they took a chance and it paid off.

"The best decision is not always the most popular decision," said Barnes, who is from Tampa, Fla. "It's where you feel the most comfortable and where you can make your presence felt." Combined, they have certainly made their presence felt.

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UAPB heads to Birmingham for SWAC tourney

BIRMINGHAM Ala. — The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions men’s and women’s basketball teams will head out to Birmingham Alabama today in preparation for the 2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference postseason basketball tournament which gets underway on Wednesday. Both UAPB teams will play their first round games on Thursday with the No. 6 seeded Golden Lions taking on No. 3 seeded Alabama A&M at 2:30 p.m. The No. 5 seeded Lady Golden Lions are scheduled to match up with the No. 4 seeded Lady Jaguars of Southern University in the 5:30 p.m. game immediately following at the Fair Park Arena.

Both UAPB teams will arrive at the arena to partake in an afternoon shoot-around/practice today. Coaches and players will later attend the annual SWAC tournament banquet before that evening before getting in a final walk through before play tips off on Wednesday at noon with a men’s game between Alcorn State and Jackson State.

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`Sweet Lew' has ASU basketball atop SWAC

Photo: Alabama State University head baskeball coach Lewis Jackson.

They call him "Sweet Lew" because of the silky stroke he had sinking jump shots for coach James Oliver. It can only get sweeter for Alabama State University basketball fans if Lewis Jackson can lead his team to three more victories starting Wednesday night at Fair Park Arena.

Three more wins and regular-season champion ASU earns its third automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. Three more wins and boyhood dreams of playing on college basketball's biggest stage will come true for the 19-9 Hornets.

Jackson, though, has already reached one of his lifetime goals.

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Obama appearance attracts 9,000 supporters to Jackson State University

Sen. Obama Brings Message Of Hope, Change To Jackson State

A capacity crowd at Jackson State University's Lee E. Williams Athletic Center cheered in support of Senator Barack Obama's speech there Monday night.

The Illinois senator spoke for just under an hour to about 9,000 vocal supporters on the eve of Mississippi's primaries.

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A&M Gaines making a push for more playing time

Inside linebacker David Gaines has played primarily on special teams during his first two seasons at Alabama A&M.

He played in four games in 2006 and was credited with four tackles.

He played in all 11 games last season and was credited with 15 tackles. A rising junior, Gaines believes he's ready to be a contributor on defense, and if his play in Sunday's scrimmage is any indication, the 6-foot, 214-pounder could be right. Unofficially, Gaines was credited with six tackles, a sack and three pass breakups in the nearly 90-play scrimmage.

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AAMU defense takes charge in scrimmage

Unit bounces back from poor showing a week ago

Alabama A&M's offense held the upper hand through the first two weeks of spring practice. Quarterback Kevin Atkins and company torched Brawnski Towns' defense a week ago in the first scrimmage of the spring.

On Sunday afternoon, the Bulldogs' defense bounced back. Free safety Al Donaldson intercepted two of Atkins' passes and end Jeremy Maddox also had an interception as Towns' defense avenged last week's thumping.

"I think we're getting a little better on pass coverage," Towns said after the Bulldogs forced four turnovers in the almost 90-play scrimmage inside Louis Crews Stadium. "We got a little better in terms of turnovers, too. We had some kids really hustling and getting to the football.

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Alabama State University begins spring drills

Alabama State's spring football practices were likely to be a bit hectic no matter what. The first steps in installing a new offense tend to have that effect. The offense is a version of the one being used at Texas Tech now. That system saw quarterback Graham Harrell average more than 43 pass attempts per game in his career.

One of the key players not on campus is junior college transfer quarterback Reid Herchenbach, who is expected to challenge for the starting role next season. Barlow said Saturday that Herchenbach was brought in by new offensive coordinator Ben Noonan, who had been tracking Herchenbach for a while.

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Southern rolls by Arkansas-Pine Bluff

PINE BLUFF, Ark. -- The Southern baseball team started Southwestern Athletic Conference play on a positive note, sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a doubleheader Sunday. In the first game, Chase Richard (1-0) went the full seven innings, striking out nine and giving up one run in a 10-1 win.

In the second game, Southern won 10-0 behind another complete game, this time from Jared Maloy. Maloy (1-2) gave up only three hits and struck out 12 with just one walk.

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Please meet Corey Phillips

The long, slow ascent to 498 pounds started when Corey Phillips broke his ankle.

Bones cracked and ligaments tore while playing defensive tackle for Florida A&M, leaving him to haul his 6-foot, 6-inch, 320-pound frame around on crutches for nine months.

But while he wasn't working out like a football player anymore, he continued to eat like one. He got married, had four sons, and in October found himself at nearly 500 pounds.

A sturdy wood chair led him to the scale.

"I sat down in a chair and it broke," Phillips said. "That was the chair that broke the fat man's back. That was it, man."

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Great for Corey! Hope his story serves as an inspiration to others.

FAMU QB candidate leaves school

Michael Johnson, the Florida A&M University quarterback candidate who was charged on Feb. 22 with filing a false police report, is no longer at FAMU.

FAMU’s new football coach, Joe Taylor, said on Monday that Johnson is no longer enrolled at the university. Taylor believes Johnson is now at Elizabeth City State University in his native North Carolina, which would make that the third university Johnson has been a student at in the past four months.

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The Morgan Lacrosse Story: Independent Documentary Film

Photo: Morgan State University's 1975 Lacrosse Team -'Ten Bears'

INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY FOR PBS: 'THE MORGAN LACROSSE STORY'

View Movie Trailer for The Morgan Lacrosse Story: Click on Blog Title Above.

The Morgan Lacrosse Story, is slated to air nationally on PBS April 4th at 10 pm. The film chronicles the rise of the country’s first and only college lacrosse team at a historically black university--Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland. Producer: Luke David

The Morgan Lacrosse Story will be screened at the Morgan State University Murphy Fine Arts Center at 7 pm on March 11, 2008. It begins airing on public television on April 4th at 10:00 PM. Contact your local PBS station to find out when it will be aired locally.

This Documentary Brings Alive the Legacy of the First and Only College Lacrosse Team at a Historically Black Institution in the 1970's.

WASHINGTON, DC - College lacrosse was at the center of a significant storm in the early 1970's, a riveting story that is coming into full view for the first time on television with The Morgan Lacrosse Story, a new documentary film for PBS. An accounting of the first and only college lacrosse team at a prestigious and historically black institution, Baltimore's Morgan State University.

When a young white administrator reluctantly accepted the position of head lacrosse coach at Baltimore’s Morgan State University, a six-year journey culminating in a shocking upset began. The Bears’ solidarity and determination to succeed changed the sport of lacrosse forever, even as they played in a racially charged period in our nation’s history — the early 1970s.

An emotionally-charged film that deals with issues of race and class during the Civil Rights Era, The Morgan Lacrosse Story uses the official team sport of Maryland as a vehicle to tackle complicated issues, and to honor the legacy of a groundbreaking team who would eventually pull off one of the greatest upsets in intercollegiate sports history.

By introducing viewers to the courageous individuals who made this important part of history and allowing them to tell their stories directly, this highly dynamic one hour documentary film connects the audience to the real emotions of their experience.

The Morgan Lacrosse Story was produced and directed by Luke David, a Producer/Editor at TEAM Sound & Vision. David felt a responsibility to make the documentary after being deeply inspired by the book Ten Bears, co-written by Chip Silverman, the team's coach, and Miles Harrison Jr. "It's rare to get the chance to work on something that you want to be a part of, a legacy worth preserving," David says. "Once I became aware of this story, there was no way I was going to let it go, or leave it in someone else's hands.

"With the archival resources that Chip had available, we knew we had to get things moving right away while everything was still intact. The real hook came once I started meeting the players and I realized how compelling they were as individual characters, let alone the civil rights backdrop of what they accomplished."

Edited by David and TEAM Sound & Vision editor Ian Rummer, with audio mixing performed by TEAM Sound Designer/Mixer Scott Rhame, The Morgan Lacrosse Story is set in Baltimore, but the themes contained within quickly reveal themselves to be universal. The events of the team's formation and rise to prominence are re-told by the players themselves, and examined in historical context by thoughtful and informed narration by Wendell Pierce from HBO's "The Wire".

In addition, hundreds of photographs from the collections of Silverman and his players have been gathered for the film, as well as newspaper clippings from almost every game they played.

Through the prism of a sport infused with the spirituality of its Native American roots, The Morgan Lacrosse Story, made possible by the creative inspiration of TEAM Sound & Vision and the generous support of Constellation Energy, the parent company of Baltimore Gas & Electric shows how this determined group harnessed the power of the game to change the college landscape forever.

"This is a positive story," Luke David concludes. "So many stories about race relations have a sour ending or feel hopeless, but here there's a resolution and a spiritual element. I hope people take the time to watch it, absorb the material and realize that things aren't always as inclusive as we think they are, but with courage things can be different and better."

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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