NCAA: Morgan State Bears 50, West Virginia Mountaineer 77

[Morgan State Coach Todd] Bozeman said he felt historically black college and universities, with the right approach by administrators, could become a major player in Division I basketball.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- West Virginia fought off an early scare, got its act straightened out and rolled past Morgan State, 77-50 this afternoon at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo in a first-round NCAA tournament game. The Mountaineers -- the No. 2-seed in the East region -- advanced their record to 28-6 and, on Sunday, will play Missouri. Morgan State, looking to become the fifth No. 15-seed in tournament history to earn an opening round win, had its season end with a 27-10 record as West Virginia was led in scoring by Kevin Jones, who had 17, and Devin Ebanks' 16.

West Virginia was deplorable at the beginning, as the squad missed its first 11 shots and fell behind, 10-0 in the early going, and didn't score a field goal in the opening 7 minutes, 45 seconds. But the Mountaineers remaining steady against Morgan State's zone, never deviating from their intended offensive course and slowly climbed back into it. They narrowed the disadvantage and narrowed the disadvantage until West Virginia took its first lead, 22-21 with 5:42 remaining in the half on a Joe Mazzulla free throw. Coach Bob Huggins' team never trailed again. From there, the Mountaineers cruised into halftime, distancing themselves from the MEAC champions and securing a 38-27 halftime lead.

Loyal Bozeman Rebuilds Morgan State and His Reputation

Buffalo, NY - When Todd Bozeman faced the news media Friday, he was pleasant but far more somber than he had been a day earlier as he talked about Morgan State’s chances against West Virginia in the opening round of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Bozeman’s 15th-seeded Bears were crushed by No. 2 West Virginia, 77-50, but he told his players not to let the defeat mar what had been a heroic season. Heroic, not because of victories or a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, but for displaying grace under pressure during a season of heartbreaks.

The father of sophomore guard Ameer Ali committed suicide.

The senior guard Troy Smith’s daughter, who was born blind, had a tumor removed.

The popular freshman forward Anthony Anderson, who redshirted last season, was found to have leukemia sometime after the first day of practice.

Bozeman used the numbing events to underscore his favorite message: the power of overcoming obstacles. “Everybody is going to have adversity,” he said. “It just depends on how you deal with it.” Bozeman is an embodiment of fighting through adversity. He has endured a grueling journey, a rebound from a steep fall from grace. In a close-knit industry that is built largely on relationships, Bozeman’s odyssey through the treacherous waters of N.C.A.A. basketball is a testament to tempering rabid ambition with loyalty. He dabbled in the dark side of ambition, and it changed his life.

Click HERE to watch Morgan State vs. West Virginia game.

Morgan State University superstar, senior guard Reggie Holmes.

Morgan State is no stranger to emotion

Hugs can linger at the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It is an emotional time for coaches, parents, fans and players - especially those who are playing their final time in their collegiate careers. But even by those standards, the embrace shared by Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman and his senior guard Reggie Holmes at the end of a 77-50 loss to West Virginia Friday was long. The seconds flew by, until the hug stopped just shy of 30 seconds, by one rough estimate.

"Great career," Holmes said Bozeman's first words were. "We've been here the last four years, since it's started. Since our run started." "You ain't gonna tell them I told you I loved you, man?" Bozeman inquired at the podium. "Yeah, you love me," Holmes said, trailing off. The declaration of love is not a rare thing for Morgan State, the Baltimore school that came into the tournament as a 15th seed in the East region. No, on this day, every player had his emotions tattooed on his face.

And at many times this year, the emotions have been overwhelming. One Morgan State fan who made the trip to Buffalo held up a sign that read "Do It 4 Big Ant." That would be Anthony Anderson, the 6-foot-10 forward who did not play as a red-shirt freshman last year, and found out he had leukemia after the team's first practice this year. "Just imagine waiting for Christmas, then on Christmas, they take it away from you," Bozeman said yesterday.

NCAA tournament blogging – Morgan-W.Va. final thoughts

There really isn't a whole lot to add on Morgan State's loss. The Bears started strong, West Virginia started cold, and then Morgan State just got overwhelmed by the West Virginia size, depth and athleticism. If they played this game 100 times, West Virginia would probably win 98 of them. The Mountaineers are going to be tough to beat with their rebounding ability.

But I think we shouldn't walk away from this contest without acknowledging one very nice moment for the Bears that happened with 30 seconds left. Todd Bozeman called a timeout, and took Reggie Holmes out of the game. Holmes, a senior, is Morgan State's all-time leading scorer, and when the two men met at the scorer's table, Holmes started to cry. And then Bozeman started to cry.

Holmes was one of the first kids to buy into what Bozeman was selling four years ago when he got this job. He's a shy kid, but a year ago, we sat in the stands and talked about his decision to enroll at Morgan, which wasn't easy. The kids he grew up playing against in his neighborhood thought Morgan State was a joke. There was almost more pride in not playing at all instead of playing for a school like Morgan State back then, but Holmes believed what Bozeman told him. He was a good player, but if he came to Morgan State, he could develop and become a great player.

Mountaineers cruise to easy win‎

Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia's all-Big East swingman, once explained how current coach Bob Huggins differs from former coach John Beilein as such: Beilein teaches first and screams second. Huggins screams first, second and third and then gets down to the teaching. Given their coach's quick fuse and harsh critiques, one might expect the Mountaineers would have shed their penchant for listless starts by the 34th game of the season. Seriously, who among them could possibly enjoy heading to the first timeout knowing what's transpired to that point will send spittle and invective spewing from the mouth of Mount Huggins?

For whatever the reason, West Virginia has been incapable of shaking its malady. Like a sleeping engine on a winter's morning, the Mountaineers are simply slow to warm. And while the affliction might one day prove their undoing, Friday wasn't that day. If anything, West Virginia's 77-50 destruction of Morgan State at HSBC Arena spoke to the immensity of the Mountaineers' capabilities. They fell behind, 10-0. They needed almost eight minutes to score from the floor. And yet just seven minutes after their first field goal they had moved in front, by halftime they were up by double digits and the second half amounted to seven subs making early pitches for more playing time this season.

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BEST QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"Those damn 40-minute games," joked Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman. "If we had it at 12, we would have won the game."

"Coach Bob Huggins makes a mockery of the term "student-athlete"...even by today's threadbare standards. He once went four consecutive years at Cincinnati with a graduation rate of zero. Statistically speaking, you'd think at least one guy would get a diploma, just by accident. Nope. That's dedication, my friends." by SABREGUY29

One Morgan State fan who made the trip to Buffalo held up a sign that read "Do It 4 Big Ant."

"Just imagine waiting for Christmas, then on Christmas, they take it away from you," by Coach Todd Bozeman, MSU Bears.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Bowling Ranked No. 1

HACKENSACK, N.J.—It took 16 months, but the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Women's Bowling Team has regained the number one ranking in the nation. The March poll of the National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) featured a record breaking 21 members voting and eight of them cast the Lady Hawks as the first place team. Those eight votes, along with the other 13 voters gave UMES 566 total points and the top spot in the poll.

The move up is due to the recent play of the maroon and gray. They posted three straight tournament wins, collecting wins over many of the nation's top programs. They took home the hardware at the Lady Bulldog Classic, the Kutztown Invite and the Mid-Winter Classic. They took second place at the Holiday Classic, third at the Morgan State Invite and just won the USBC Chattanooga Sectional. The Hawks dethroned Vanderbilt who was the previous number one team. The Commodores collected eight first place votes themselves, but amassed 560 points, six shy of the UMES total. The Lady Hawk's schedule is one of the busiest in the nation as they sport an overall record of 93-26. That is 11 more wins than rival Delaware State.

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UMES Coach Sharron Brummell holds the Lady Hawks 2008 National Championship Trophy. The five-time MEAC Coach of the Year and the Lady Hawks will be seeking the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Bowling Championship, which will begin today, at 9 a.m. at the Gate City Lanes in Greensboro, North Carolina.

2009-10 NTCA MARCH NATIONAL POLL
Rank Institution, City, State Season Record W - L 1st Place Votes Adjusted Point Standings

1. Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 93 - 26 8 566 2
2. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 46 - 20 8 560 1
3. Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ 60 - 25 3 519 4
4. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 61 - 25 2 432 8
5. Delaware State University, Dover, DE 81 - 24 415 3
6. University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64 - 31 393 5
7. Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 61 - 32 391 6
8. New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ 60 - 26 359 9
9. Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 72 - 38 272 7
10. Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN 60 - 39 248 11
11. St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, NY 55 - 32 209 10
12. Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA 51 - 40 173 12
13. Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT 44 - 32 147 17
14. Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 39 - 34 123 13
15. Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL 47 - 20 112 16
16. University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, WI 42 - 32 106 T14
17. Louisiana Tech, Ruston, LA 38 - 22 75 T14
18. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 61 - 34 62 --
19. Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA 60 - 45 22 19
20. Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 52 - 48 18 20

Also receiving points:
St. Peter’s College, Jersey City, NJ; Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC; Elmhurst
College, Elmhurst, IL, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA.

Point system: NTCA voters rank the top 20 teams on their ballot. Each position has a designated point value,
ranging from 32 points for first place and one point for twentieth place. Teams are ranked using the
adjusted total point standings, after the highest and lowest votes are dropped. The specific point values
follow:
1st place = 32 points, 2nd = 29, 3rd = 27, 4th = 25, 5th = 23, 6th = 21, 7th = 19, 8th = 17, 9th = 15, 10th =
13, 11th = 11, 12th = 9, 13th = 8, 14th = 7, 15th = 6, 16th = 5, 17th = 4, 18th = 3, 19th = 2, 20th

WNIT: North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies rout Wake Forest Deacons

North Carolina A&T State University took care of Wake Forest easily last night in the Women's NIT at sold-out Reynolds Gym.The Aggies jumped all over the Deacons early and never let up, rolling to a 73-49 victory in the first round. With close to 1,000 crammed into the on-campus gym that included both school bands, the atmosphere was as good as it gets. It was so loud that the scorer's table had to resort to using a bullhorn instead of the scoreboard buzzer.

And the Aggies' shooting and focus was as good as it gets. "To do this is just another step for us," Coach Patricia Bibbs of the Aggies said of winning their first postseason game in school history. "We knew we had to come out and play a near-perfect game and for the most part we did that." The Aggies (22-10) advanced, and will play UNC Charlotte on Sunday at 3 p.m., and they advanced rather easily. Coach Mike Petersen of the Deacons, who had hoped to have his team playing in the NCAA Tournament but didn't get a bid despite finishing fifth in the ACC, said that the Aggies, who had more fan support last night, came out blazing.

Final Stats

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Florida A&M Rattlers perform for NFL eyes

San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary couldn't stay for all of the events that his NFL peers brought to test the talent on display, but when he left he was thoroughly impressed. One by one former Florida A&M players went through the Pro Timing Day drills, knowing that nothing weighed as heavily as their speed in the 40-yard dash. For some the event that amounts to a job fair was their only opportunity to show off in front of prospective bosses, who carried stopwatches and notepads on Thursday as the players performed in front of a surprisingly large crowd on the FAMU practice field.

"There is a lot of untapped talent here," Singletary said. "It's a lot like a lot of other colleges (and) a lot of the guys are excited about what they're doing. I think the talent here is great, particularly on the big guys. They can run, they can move. It's just a matter of having the opportunity and making the most of it when they get it." Singletary said his team has interests in quarterback Curtis Pulley, offensive lineman Robert Okeafor, linebacker Bryant Parker and punt/kick returner LeRoy Vann. Vann worked out earlier this week for the Jacksonville Jaguars and will have a similar workout with the Tampa Bay Bucs next month.

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Morgan State Coach Todd Bozeman is making the most of his second chance

Todd Bozeman is on the other end of the phone and he wants to talk about the team he's coaching right now, Morgan State, which is a perfectly reasonable request since this Bears team has one of the best players in school history, a kid named Reggie Holmes, and it's 27-9 and heading into the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season. But I was a whole lot less interested in Morgan State than I was in talking to Bozeman about Bozeman, mostly about what happens from here going forward, about reputations and second chances and whether he'll ever coach on the big stage again.

See, it's no surprise to anybody that Morgan State won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the second straight year to get to the NCAAs, or that Bozeman won the league's coach-of-the-year award for the third straight time, or that he's got a couple of really big-time players in Holmes, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, and Kevin Thompson, a 6-9 sophomore forward.

Bozeman, a Washington native, can recruit and he can coach and anybody who tells you anything else is a fool. In 7 1/2 years as a Division I head coach, at the University of California and Morgan State, Bozeman has been in five NCAA tournaments and an NIT.

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Jackson High hires former FAMU QB Quinn Gray to be its football coach

Gray spent five seasons with NFL Jacksonville Jaguars

Jackson High School (Jacksonville, FL) has a new football coach, and it’s a name that area football fans will undoubtedly recognize. The school has hired former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Quinn Gray. The 30-year-old Gray spent six seasons in the NFL, including the first five (2003-07) with the Jaguars. “It’s truly a privilege and an honor to be part of such a great tradition here at Jackson," Gray said. “Jackson reminds me of my old high school [Dillard] with its great tradition. The student-athletes here measure up and being able to coach at a school with such a great tradition is a great opportunity for me.”

He succeeds Kevin Sullivan, who resigned to take over at Atlantic Coast, the new Duval County high school that opens in the fall. Gray, who is teaching physical education and health at the school, inherits a Jackson program that has posted consecutive 11-1 seasons. Gray spent last season playing for Hartford in the United Football League after his NFL run ended after a year with Kansas City. This will be his first coaching position.

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Howard University Announces 2010 Football Schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howard University announced its 2010 football schedule on March 17. The Bison open the season on September 4 against Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Holy Cross is a perennial contender in the Football Championships Subdivision (FCS, formerly 1-AA). Howard will then host rival Hampton University on September 11 at 1 p.m. in Greene Stadium. In addition to it being The Battle of the Real HUs, it will also be part of the Military Appreciation Day.

The Bison will follow with another home date, this time against the Rattlers of Florida A&M University on September 18 at 1 pm. That game will be part of Mighty Blue & White and will be designated to honor alumni, student, faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Howard will then follow with a game against Morgan State University at a site to be named later and a home game against Lincoln University, a one-time rival. That game will be October 2 at 1 p.m. and is labeled “A Rivalry Revived.” It is Kids/Community and Organization Day.

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HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON 2010 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Site Time
9/4 at Holy Cross Worcester, MA TBA
9/11 vs. HAMPTON Wash., D.C. 1 p.m.
9/18 vs. FLORIDA A&M Wash., D.C. 1 p.m.
9/25 vs. Morgan State TBA TBA

10/2 vs. LINCOLN Wash., D.C. 1 p.m.
10/9 at Furman Greenville, S.C. TBA
1016 OPEN
10/23 at North Carolina A&T Greensboro, N.C. TBA
10/30 vs. NORFOLK STATE* Wash. D.C. TBA

11/6 at South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. TBA
11/13 at Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA
11/20 vs. DELAWARE STATE Wash., D.C. 1 p.m.
*homecoming

PVAMU 2010 Football Schedule Announced

With the kickoff less than seven months away, Prairie View A&M University has announced its 2010 football schedule. The schedule, which marks the team’s first 11-game slate since 2005, is highlighted by five games in the state of Texas, two state fair appearances and the first-ever match-up versus Football Bowl Subdivision and Conference USA member Southern Mississippi. “I’m definitely pleased we have 11 ballgames as this will be a competitive schedule with a wide variety of teams from the FBS, FCS and Division II ranks,” said head coach Henry Frazier III.

Prairie View A&M opens the 2010 campaign in Houston on Saturday, Sept. 4 versus SWAC rival Texas Southern in the 26th edition of the Labor Day Classic at a site to be determined. The Panthers have defeated their in-state foes in five of the past six meetings. Following the Labor Day Classic, Prairie View travels to the state of Mississippi in the first of three trips next season for a match-up at Southern Mississippi of Conference USA on Sept. 11 in Hattiesburg, Miss. This will mark the second consecutive season the Panthers will face a FBS member after battling New Mexico State of the Western Athletic Conference last year.

Prairie View’s home opener at Blackshear Field is set for Sept. 18 when the Panthers host Alabama State.

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Prairie View A&M University 2010 Football Schedule

9/4 Texas Southern 12:00 Noon Houston, Texas Labor Day Classic
9/11 Southern Mississippi 6:00 PM Hattiesburg, Miss.
9/18 Alabama State 12:00 Noon Prairie View
9/25 Grambling State 6:00 PM Dallas, Texas State Fair Classic

10/2Mississippi Valley 12:00 Noon Itta Bena, Miss,
10/9 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 12:00 Noon Pine Bluff, Ark.
10/16 Lincoln 12:00 Noon Prairie View Homecoming
10/23 Southern 12:00 Noon Shreveport, La.
10/30 Jackson State 12:00 Noon Jackson, Miss.

11/13 Alcorn State 12:00 Noon Prairie View
11/20 Alabama A&M 12:00 Noon Huntsville, Ala.

Unexpected boost from Boogaard lifts KU in WNIT win over Prairie View

Oh, Canada. Saskatchewan native Krysten Boogaard produced a career-high 37 points in a rare start as Kansas plunked Prairie View A&M, 82-70, in its WNIT basketball opener Wednesday night in Allen Fieldhouse. “I just knew I needed to fill some big shoes,” Boogaard said. Back in January, the 6-foot-5 junior lost her starting job to Carolyn Davis, but Davis suffered a recurrence of an earlier concussion and had to sit this one out. With Boogaard dominating the paint against the undersized Panthers, the Jayhawks didn’t miss Davis at all.

“It was a huge evening for her,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “She did a great job of getting in front of the rim, and the guards got a lot of passes to her, too.” “I don’t think we were prepared for the intensity that she brought tonight,” Prairie View coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke said of Boogaard. “She maintained that level of intensity on both ends of the court all game long, and that we weren’t prepared for.”

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Lady Jayhawks win, advance

JSU Tigers' Williams to be punished, Anderson vows

The day after one of his players was ejected from Tuesday's game for punching a Mississippi State player in the groin, Jackson State basketball coach Tevester Anderson called the action "uncharacteristic" and said Phillip Williams will be punished in some fashion. "It's uncharacteristic of him, it's uncharacteristic of our team and I'm really disappointed in what took place," said Anderson, whose team lost 81-67 to MSU in a first-round game of the National Invitation Tournament at Starkville. "There will be some repercussions from me down the road. ... Nothing should happen to cause a guy to do something like that.

"I will get to the bottom of it. I don't run that kind of program. I don't condone that at all." SWAC policy mandates a one-game suspension for a player ejected from a game. Although Williams became an instant YouTube hit and was fodder for radio and TV talk show hosts around the country, Anderson said he had not seen a replay of the punch by Wednesday afternoon. He said he will make Williams' punishment public after making a decision.



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Morgan State playing for ailing teammate 'Big Ant'

Morgan State University basketball jerseys bears a No. 4 for teammate Anthony Anderson, who has been fighting acute leukemia.

Wherever Morgan State's basketball team goes this season, the Bears take Anthony Anderson with them. He was in Winston-Salem, N.C., last week - in spirit, at least - when they won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship. And he'll be in Buffalo's HSBC Arena on Friday - emotionally - when they play West Virginia in an opening-round game in the NCAA East Regional. Physically, the 19-year-old from St. Charles remains at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He has been waging a fight against acute myeloid leukemia since October.

If things had gone better, Anderson would have joined his teammates in Buffalo, a reward for four rounds of chemotherapy. He asked his teammates a week ago to win the MEAC so he could go to an NCAA tournament. But his blood cell count was too low, and Anderson's dream trip was denied. He had his hopes up, I had my hopes up," his mother, TaWanna Williams, said on Wednesday. "I talked to him this morning, and he said, 'Mom, it's OK, I'm not going to let it get me down any worse than what this has gotten me.' He's had his moments. His back pain was so bad this morning, he was crying."

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Morgan State coach rejuvenated, set for WVU
Morgan State Coach Todd Bozeman is making the most of his second chance
Morgan looks to depth against West Virginia: Bench strength 'gives us more ...
Scouting report: West Virginia vs. Morgan State
Morgan Back On Hoops Map, Thanks To Holmes, Bozeman
Morgan State Excited For NCAA Tournament
WVU awaits Morgan State

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff wallops Winthrop

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Coach George Ivory now has an NCAA Tournament victory to add to his Golden Lions resume.

DAYTON, Ohio — Smiling Arkansas-Pine Bluff players plopped into the black folding chairs at courtside and checked their cell phones for congratulatory messages before heading out the arena door to get on yet another bus. Finally, the Golden Lions had found a road trip to their liking. Allen Smith scored 14 points Tuesday night, including a pair of 3-pointers during the Golden Lions' second-half surge to a 61-44 victory over Winthrop in the NCAA tournament's opening game.

The Golden Lions (18-15) will play Duke, the No. 1 seed in the South Regional, on Friday in Jacksonville, Fla. — a place they somehow missed during a season-opening jaunt that nearly did them in. "It seems like we play better on the road than we do at home because we're so used to being on the road," said center Lebaron Weathers."



Pine Bluff pumped to move on in NCAA

Excerpt: Against a lot of odds — their top scorer, Terrence Calvin, was on the bench most of the second half with four fouls, their well-muscled 6-foot-7 forward Tyree Glass was there, too, with an injury — Pine Bluff still pushed aside Winthrop 61-44 Tuesday night, March 16, in front of 8,205 in the NCAA tournament’s opening-round game at UD Arena. On Friday, it plays Duke, the No. 1 seed in the South Regional, in Jacksonville, Fla. It may seem a stretch to paint a David-versus-Goliath script for the opening-round game, but Winthrop has been to the NCAA tournament nine times and in 2007 knocked out Notre Dame.

This was Pine Bluff’s first trip ever to the tournament and everything was new to it. The Golden Lions played the entire first half without the NCAA tournament stickers affixed to their jerseys, which is protocol. They didn’t know. If Pine Bluff is just learning to dress for the Big Dance, it didn’t know the rigors of the road. Using a strategy the opposite of the Dayton Flyers, the Golden Lions played their entire nonconference schedule on the road against teams like Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Kansas State and Oregon.

NCAA photos

UD Arena gets new court for NCAA events

The NCAA has been sending supplies to the University of Dayton to make sure UD Arena would be amply stocked for the men’s and women’s basketball events being held there this month. “We’ve been getting NCAA (drinking) cups, basketballs, ball racks and coolers so the NCAA 'brand’ is prevalent,” said Tim O’Connell, UD Arena manager. “It’s like Christmas around here. We don’t have room for all the boxes.”

The biggest shipment of all, though, had to be transported by an 18-wheeler. The NCAA decided this year that all host venues for every round of the men’s tournament will have identical courts, and UD received a floor and methodically assembled it Sunday, March 14, after removing the arena’s portable court. The baskets at both ends were part of the delivery, too. The equipment will stay in place through the NCAA women’s regional final March 30.

Golden Lions win first NCAA Tournament game in program history

DAYTON, Ohio -- George Ivory remained calm and the attitude of his Arkansas-Pine Bluff players remained focused. But through the final 10-minute stretch of the second half, as each second ticked away and UAPB came closer to its first ever win in the NCAA Tournament, the realization took over each of them at different moments. Guard Terrance Calvin said he knew at halftime, guard Allen Smith said he knew with about 90 seconds left and forward Tyree Glass knew as soon as he hobbled out of the locker room to watch the final seconds roll off the clock. What he came out to see was the finishing touches put on UAPB's 61-44 win over Winthrop in the opening-round game Tuesday at University of Dayton Arena.

It was the first NCAA Tournament win for a team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 17 years and it makes UAPB the No. 16 seed in the South Regional, setting up a Friday matchup with No. 1 seed Duke in Jacksonville, Fla. "We were just flowing too good for us to lose," said Glass, who scored 10 points. Glass had gone down with 12 minutes left when he slammed his knee to the floor while driving to the basket. At that point, UAPB (18-15) was already without one starter. Calvin had picked up his fourth foul with 13:18 left and spent more than 10 minutes on the bench.

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WNIT: North Carolina A&T Aggies set to play Wake Forest

Senior guard Ta’Wuana “Tweet” Cook, first-team all-MEAC, leads the Lady Aggies into the WNIT.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team will see its season continue in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament 7 p.m., Thursday, March 18 against Wake Forest University at Reynolds Gymnasium on the campus of Wake Forest. If the Aggies are able to defeat the Demon Deacons of the ACC, they will play the winner of Thursday’s Gardner-Webb at Charlotte contest. The location of the second round game will be announced after the first round contests. The Aggies (21-10) earned the WNIT bid as an automatic qualifier after winning the MEAC regular-season championship for the third straight season. Thursday’s game will mark the third straight season the Aggies have participated in postseason play.

Wake Forest To Host NC A&T In WNIT Opening Round

Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team will open the 2010 Women's National Invitation Tournament with North Carolina A&T on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Gymnasium on Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus. The winner will advance to face either Charlotte or Gardner-Webb at a location that will be announced following the first round conclusion. The invitation marks the second consecutive WNIT appearance for the Demon Deacons.

Last season Wake Forest received a first round bye and faced Georgetown in the second round in Winston-Salem, where the Deacs fell 72-61. Wake Forest (18-13) last faced North Carolina A&T (21-10) in 2004, taking a 92-43 win in Winston-Salem.

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Johnson's 32 not enough as JSU falls to MSU in NIT

JSU Coach Tevester Anderson

STARKVILLE, MS — Even in the moments leading up to the NIT opener at Mississippi State on Tuesday, no one was talking about Jackson State. The conversations inside Humphrey Coliseum still centered on Kentucky, a perceived NCAA Tournament snub, poor officiating and even an expected tiny crowd. JSU was the least of anyone's concern. Mississippi State won 81-67, as expected, but JSU caused a little more concern than any of the announced 4,433 inside Humphrey Coliseum thought it would. And that's been the story for this Tiger team - going against conventional thought.

Jackson State trailed by just five points with 14:15 remaining, but a flagrant foul and two technicals on Phillip Williams started the downward spiral. "Our guys have really overachieved," said JSU coach Tevester Anderson. "To win the regular season (SWAC ) championship is big for our program. We have to build off of this.

Game Photo Gallery: MSU - JSU

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Competition is on at FAMU for quarterback

FAMU senior quarterback Eddie Battle is a strong and smart competitor. Don't count Battle out, yet!

After Martin Ukpai's spectacular performance in the Florida Classic last season, the consensus has been that the sophomore established himself as the front-runner in what should amount to a three-player battle for Florida A&M starting quarterback job. He gets his shot at proving that wrong or right beginning Monday when the Rattlers open spring practice. Ukpai will face off against senior Eddie Battle and Austin Trainer, who showed a strong arm last season with the practice squad.

Battle played sparingly behind Kentucky transfer Curtis Pulley, but Ukpai made a strong case that he might actually be the one to beat after leading FAMU to a one-sided win over Bethune-Cookman. But FAMU coach Joe Taylor said Ukpai won't be a shoo-in to replace Pulley. Every effort, from warm-up to on-the-field drills, by the three quarterbacks will be evaluated, Taylor said. "It's going to be an open situation, but as coaches we are going to have to really evaluate it accurately; just look at who is under center and what's happening with the offense," Taylor said. "The best way is to let them separate themselves. That's why it's so good to have spring football.

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Prairie View to play football in Shreveport

2009 SWAC champions Prairie View A&M has signed a two-year agreement to play a football game in Shreveport's Independence Stadium during the 2010 and 2011 football seasons, The Times has learned. The Panthers will play Southern University this fall and Jackson State next fall on the opening weekend of the State Fair. This year's game is set for Oct. 23.

"We are very excited to bring this event to Shreveport and Bossier City," Prairie View athletic director Fred Washington said. "We currently play Grambling during the Texas State Fair and draw in excess of 40,000 people for that. We're hoping for that type success here with all of the support we've already received." The contract is a three-way partnership between the Shreveport Regional Sports Authority, Prairie View and the State Fair of Louisiana. SRSA executive director Mary Ann Tice said the contract can be renewed for two more seasons with Prairie View playing the same two schools.

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FAMU's Vann works out for scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars

All-American Rattler LeRoy Vann completed a workout with Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday, sporting a new hair cut. San Francisco, Detroit, Green Bay and Tampa Bay have expressed interest in Vann and expects to be among 20 NFL teams present for FAMU Pro Day Drills on Thursday, March 18.

Nate Koczor, an assistant special teams coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, had a single focus Monday morning inside Bragg Stadium. He watched former Florida A&;M punt/kick returner LeRoy Vann chase balls for almost 90 minutes. The unannounced workout exclusively for the Jaguars was the first with a pro team for Vann, who wasn't invited to the NFL combine but has since been on the radar of several teams.

As fast as the ball machine pumped them out, Vann snagged one ball after another. He even caught those that he had to pursue after getting up from a laying position, dropping only a couple during the rapid-fire segment of the drill. Koczar wouldn't give his assessment of the workout, but Vann thought he was impressive. "It went well," said Vann, who no longer wears the long locks that he'd worn last season when he was setting NCAA and school records for the Rattlers. "My goal was not to drop any ball but eventually I dropped two. Out of 60 balls, that's good so I feel I did a good job."

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Yipes! Southern faces top-ranked Connecticut in NCAA

They all gathered at a restaurant on Coursey Boulevard to celebrate a championship, eat some food and find out where they’ll play in the big dance. Yet as the Southern women’s basketball team watched ESPN on Monday night, waiting to learn their first-round matchup in the NCAA tournament, their banquet room erupted well before the Jaguars saw their school name on the TV screen, paired with Connecticut — the No. 1 team in the nation, winner of 72 straight games and the reigning national champion.

The first eruption, in fact, came when ESPN revealed Tennessee, the No. 1 seed in the Memphis Bracket, and its first-round opponent. It wasn’t Southern. It was Austin Peay. That left the Jaguars to wonder if they’d somehow earn a No. 15 seed, thereby avoiding the mighty Huskies. Minutes later, the second eruption came when ESPN unveiled Duke, the No. 2 seed in the Memphis Region, and its first-round opponent — Hampton, champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. That left the inevitable. That led to the third and final eruption from the room. It came when SU saw its name next to UConn, top-seeded team from the Dayton Region.

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Prairie View to play at Kansas in WNIT

PVAMU Lady Panthers Coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke faces University of Kansas in first round of WNIT. Kansas enters the tournament with a 15-15 overall record and a 5-11 Big 12 mark.

LAWRENCE, KS -- The University of Kansas women's basketball team, under sixth-year head coach Bonnie Henrickson, has been selected to play in the postseason Women's NIT for the third-consecutive season. The Jayhawks will host Prairie View A&M on Wednesday, March 17 in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. The postseason appearance is Kansas' fourth under Henrickson and the 20th in school history. The Jayhawks, who went 4-1 in last season's WNIT, collected wins over Creighton, Arkansas, New Mexico and Illinois State before falling in the title game to South Florida.

Prairie View A&M, enters Wednesday's game with a 15-13 overall mark and a 12-6 mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. The Lady Panthers finished second in the SWAC, but fell in the first round of the conference tournament to Alabama State. Prairie View A&M is coached by the legendary Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and is led by Candice Thomas with 14.8 points per game, while Dominique Smith pours 13.6 points a game.

Printable 2010 WNIT Bracket: Women's NIT Schedule and Bracket ...

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Jackson State Takes On Mississippi State In NIT 1st Round

Jackson, MS -- It's not the tournament either team had planned to play in, but Jackson State University and Mississippi State University will face off Tuesday night in Starkville in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament. Both the Tigers and Bulldogs had hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament this year. JSU went 17-1 in the SWAC regular season, and MSU lived on the bubble for two weeks leading up to selection Sunday.

State had a chance to beat Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Championship Sunday, but the Wildcats forced overtime when Demarcus Cousins scored as time ran out. Kentucky eventually won the game 75-74 in overtime. JSU won the SWAC regular season title, but lost to Grambling in the first round of the conference tournament. The two Mississippi teams will tip-off Tuesday at 9 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN-U.

MSU to host JSU in NIT on Tuesday

Mississippi State and Jackson State will face each other in a first-round game of the National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville. A few hours after State lost 75-74 to No. 2-ranked Kentucky in the SEC Tournament final in Nashville, the Bulldogs received one of the four No. 1 seeds in the 32-team NIT. The MSU-JSU game will start at 9 p.m. (CDT) and be televised on ESPNU. The MSU-JSU winner will face either William & Mary or North Carolina, the reigning NCAA champion, in a second-round game.

By virtue of getting a No. 1 seed, Mississippi State (23-11) can host games up until the NIT semifinals, which are played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. State advanced to the NIT semifinals in 2007, where it lost to West Virginia. Jackson State (19-12) received its spot in the NIT by result of it winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season title. JSU blew through the SWAC with a 17-1 record, winning its first regular-season championship since sharing the title with Mississippi Valley State in 1996. It was the Tigers’ first outright championship since 1993. JSU went into the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed, but was knocked out in the first round with a 65-57 loss to No. 8 Grambling State.

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MEAC women's champ Hampton draws 15 seed; opens against Duke

Hampton University gives coach David Six a three-year contract extension.

HAMPTON, VA - One by one, David Six introduced the people responsible for the Hampton University women's basketball team's first NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons --the managers, the assistant coaches, the players. He paused when he saw 4-year-old Sallie Dawson standing in the doorway. "This is our inspiration," Six said. Sallie, who's had four surgeries because of heart and kidney abnormalities, sat with the players as the NCAA women's selection show aired, holding a stuffed Pirate and wearing her Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship cap backward. An avid Lady Pirates fan, Sallie watched with a crowd of people at an Armstrong Stadium football meeting room as HU learned it will play Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Pirates (20-11), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament champions and a 15th seed, will take on second-seeded Duke (27-5) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Durham, N.C., in the Memphis regional. "To be honest, it still hasn't hit me yet," said junior forward Quanneisha Perry, the MEAC defensive player of the year who, like several of her teammates, had a piece of the net HU players cut down in Winston-Salem, N.C., tied to her cap. "It's like just another game. When the horn sounded, it was like, 'I'm a MEAC champion,' but it still hasn't got to me yet."

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UAPB To Face Winthrop In NCAA Tournament

Selection Sunday came with the announcement that the UAPB Golden Lions will take on Winthrop in the "Play In" game on Tuesday. The Golden Lions won their first ever SWAC Title game to get to the big dance. Head coach George Ivory is in his second year as head coach and since taking over he's led them to their best conference record in school's history. They've also captured their first SWAC title and first trip to the NCAA Tournament under Ivory. The game will be Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. Gametime set for 6:30 p.m. (CST)

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What A Long, Rewarding Trip It's Been For University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff

We call them "Champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the UAPB Golden Lions."

Arkansas-Pine Bluff is certainly battled-tested entering the NCAA Tournament. UAPB, which clinched a berth with a 50-38 victory against Texas Southern in the SWAC Tournament, hit the road in search of competition and money early in the season. Playing at eventual NCAA tournament teams like UTEP and Missouri and Georgia Tech and Kansas State was a good way to make money for the athletic department as those programs paid to have the Lions come essentially with the understanding that it would be a loss. What was good for the pocketbook (a similar schedule last year raised $700,000) wasn't good for the record. UAPB started 0-11.

Here's more from an early season New York Times piece:

Arkansas-Pine Bluff's entire basketball season has been a road trip.The Golden Lions began their season with a game at Colorado. They lost. Two days later they played at Denver. They lost again. Three days after that, they had a game at Texas-El Paso. And they had another loss. By the time they had finished their first week on the road, the Golden Lions had traveled nearly 2,800 miles. And they were just getting started. A peek at the Golden Lions' schedule revealed that their first 11 games all had the dreaded @ next to their opponent.

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Morgan State glad to be back in NCAA tournament

Buffalo? No sweat. Fifteen seed? Could've been worse.

For the second straight year, Morgan State got slapped with a 15 seed and a first-round NCAA tournament game against a team that perhaps should have had a No. 1 seed in West Virginia. Todd Bozeman, though, wasn't sweating the details. "We aren't a 16 seed, we aren't in the play-in game," the Bears coach said after a Selection Sunday celebration at the school's new student center.

Morgan vs. West Virginia: Preparation, perspective of last season will guide Coach Todd Bozeman and the Bears

The Bears have the same seed they had a year ago when, as a 15 seed, they were sent to Kansas City to play Oklahoma, which carried top-seed credentials. The result was a 28-point loss and - a year later - the loss of 6-foot-4 Ameer Ali, who faces a one-game tournament suspension for flipping Blake Griffin to the court in that defeat. This year, they're headed to Buffalo's HSBC Arena on Friday in an East bracket matchup against the Mountaineers (27-6), whose championship in the Big East tournament could have earned them a top seed.

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NFL Jacksonville Jags will conduct private workout today with FAMU's LeRoy Vann

Folks know about all the big dogs entering this year’s NFL Draft. But a name Jags fans should file into their mental Rolodex as April approaches is LeRoy Vann, a former standout at Florida A&M, who will conduct a private workout today in Tallahassee for the Jaguars, according to an NFL source. Originally scheduled to work out for Tampa Bay later this week (with Jacksonville set to help guide the session), Vann had also planned to perform for the Jaguars shortly after the session with the Buccaneers. But the plans quickly changed thanks, in part, to a buzz beginning to build concerning Vann, who holds the NCAA record for career returns for touchdowns (eight punts – including five last season – and three kickoffs for TDs).




Instead of waiting until later this week to conduct the session they’d originally planned for Vann, the Jaguars contacted his representatives and asked for the workout to be moved up to today. Vann plans to conduct his pro day at FAMU next month. According to the league source, the Jags also plan to attend that session, despite conducting the private workout today with Vann.

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