DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- David Blackwell didn't know he would be Bethune-Cookman's starting quarterback Saturday until the very last minute.
He said he was informed of the decision "coming out of the bathroom (after warmups) when I was putting the equipment on." Minutes later, he ran the first snap from scrimmage 80 yards for a touchdown and the rout was on. By the time, the final buzzer sounded, B-CU had amassed 625 yards of offense in thrashing Savannah State 59-3 before 4,964 fans at Municipal Stadium.
The Wildcats (7-3 overall, 5-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) won their fifth in a row in their final home game of the season. They will meet Florida A&M in the annual Florida Classic next Saturday in Orlando in their final regular-season game. Savannah State fell to 1-8, 1-6.
Blackwell ran for three touchdowns on runs of 80, 59 and 37 yards and added two touchdown passes of 46 yards to Isidore Jackson and 16 yards to Johnathan Moment. In less than three quarters of play, Blackwell gained 206 yards rushing on just six carries and completed 8-of-10 passes for 147 yards.
Photo Gallery: BCU vs. SSU
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Monday, November 14, 2011
Garden City Basketball Classic: SCSU sweeps reborn Classic
Orangeburg, South Carolina - The surreal scene around Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center spoke for itself Friday.Cars filled the parking spaces both outside the gymnasium and stretching all along the fences adjacent to the football practice field. Posted on the entrance door window was a white paper with the words "Sold Out" while streaming fans from South Carolina State and Claflin brimmed with excitement and anticipation as they filled the 3,100-plus gymnasium seats.
After a 10-year hiatus, the Garden City Basketball Classic was welcomed back with open arms. While the public response pleased organizers, it was S.C. State which came away all smiles as the men's and women's teams swept Claflin to earn college bragging rights in Orangeburg and season-opening victories.
The Lady Bulldogs opened the doubleheader with a 76-59 victory, while the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half with a 70-53 win over the Panthers.
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NCCU falls to Florida A&M in final home game, senior day
Durham, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University’s second half efforts were not enough to combat the first half deficit against Florida A&M University who won 31-10 on Senior Day at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.
FAMU amassed 261 total offensive yards in the first half, outscoring the Eagles 28-0 before intermission, including three touchdowns in the second quarter. Junior running back Lavante Page gave FAMU an early lead on the opening drive scoring on a two-yard touchdown run, giving the Rattlers a 7-0 lead at 7:55 of the first quarter.
The Eagles’ opening drive was a four-and-out on three plays for a gain of only two yards ending with a punt by redshirt sophomore punter Matthew Cornelius. That trend continued for the Eagles as they only had five first downs in the first half compared to 15 by FAMU.
When the Eagles were not giving the Rattlers the ball off of punts, NCCU turned the ball over twice, fumbling and then on an interception, both times resulting in touchdown drives for FAMU.
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FAMU amassed 261 total offensive yards in the first half, outscoring the Eagles 28-0 before intermission, including three touchdowns in the second quarter. Junior running back Lavante Page gave FAMU an early lead on the opening drive scoring on a two-yard touchdown run, giving the Rattlers a 7-0 lead at 7:55 of the first quarter.
The Eagles’ opening drive was a four-and-out on three plays for a gain of only two yards ending with a punt by redshirt sophomore punter Matthew Cornelius. That trend continued for the Eagles as they only had five first downs in the first half compared to 15 by FAMU.
When the Eagles were not giving the Rattlers the ball off of punts, NCCU turned the ball over twice, fumbling and then on an interception, both times resulting in touchdown drives for FAMU.
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Marquette Hosts Norfolk State Monday Night At 6 p.m.
Marquette Game Notes 
| Norfolk State Game Notes DATE: November 14, 2011
TIP‐OFF: 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Bradley Center (18,600) ‐ Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TELEVISION: Sports32 will feature the broadcast with Steve “The Homer”
True” (play‐by‐play) and former MU standout Jim McIlvaine (analyst) call‐
ing the action.
RADIO: 540 ESPN is the flagship station for the Marquette Radio Network.
Kent Sommerfeld (play‐by‐play) and George Thompson (analyst) will call
the action.
The Marquette University men’s basketball team wraps up a two-game homestand Monday night at 6 p.m. CT when the squad entertains Norfolk State at the Bradley Center in non-conference action. Sports32 will feature the live television broadcast, with Steve “The Homer” True (play-by-play) and former MU standout Jim McIlvaine (analyst) calling the action. Kent Sommerfeld (play-by-play) and George Thompson (analyst) will be courtside for 540 ESPN’s radio coverage. The Golden Eagles will depart Wednesday night for the U.S. Virgin Islands and open play Friday at 7:30 p.m. CT against Winthrop at the Paradise Jam.
Spartans To Make Bradley Center Debut
For the second-straight game Marquette will be facing an opponent for the first time ever. Norfolk State, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, is making its first appearance at the Bradley Center.
The Golden Eagles are a perfect 23-0 against programs currently in the MEAC, having faced nine of the 13 teams on at least one occasion. The most recent matchup came against Maryland Eastern Shore in the second game of the 2009-10 campaign and resulted in an 86-60 Marquette victory.
Norfolk State returns two starters and 11 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including Preseason MEAC Player of the Year Kyle O’Quinn. The 6-10 center claimed the league’s defensive player of the year award in 2010-11, the first-ever selection for NSU.
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S.C. State Bulldogs hold on for 30-22 victory over N.C. A&T
Orangeburg, South Carolina -- "Seniors Day" for Devonne Quattlebaum and his fellow 17 South Carolina State honorees was not going according to form Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
With the Bulldogs down 11 points to North Carolina A&T in the first half, the senior DOG safety was determined to change things in his fellow seniors' favor during their final home game.
"At the moment, I was talking to my guy (linebacker) Donovan Richard," he said. "I told him either me or you were going to make a play, so one of us had to make a play."
It was Quattlebaum who reached out to intercept Aggies' quarterback Lewis Kindle and returned the football 55 yards for the touchdown. He injured his hamstring on the score and did not return to action, but ignited a rally of 30 unanswered points for S.C. State, which held on for a 30-22 victory before 16,224 fans.
VIDEO: N.C. A&T vs. S.C. State
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S.C. State Hands A&T Another Disappointing Loss
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - As Norfolk State turned the fortunes of its program around on Saturday by clinching its first-ever MEAC football title, a North Carolina A&T team looking to change its losing image this season could only sit back and think about what could have been.
Coming through on a 1st-and-goal at the 3-yard line, making a catch in the end zone or converting in the final seconds, and the Aggies might be celebrating an historic season. Instead, they lost another close one on Saturday.
S.C. State came back from an 11-point deficit and won its 11th straight over the Aggies with a 30-22 victory at Oliver C. Stadium Saturday afternoon. S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough remained undefeated (10-0) against the Aggies.
"I don't think we've accomplished anything this season," said N.C. A&T head coach Rod Broadway. "Here we are sitting at 4-6 even though we had an opportunity to have a really good football team. But we're not coached well enough and we don't play well enough. But we're going to get this fixed."
One of Broadway's main concerns is the Aggies inability to score points. For the third straight week, the Aggies offense failed to score any second-half points. Playing without starting running back Mike Mayhew most of the game didn't help matters.
N.C. A&T's defense gave the Aggies a chance as safety Travis Crosby intercepted quarterback Richard Cue's pass and returned it 55 yards to put the Aggies within eight with 12 minutes remaining. But the Aggies could not advance the football beyond the S.C. State 43.
The Aggies last attempt started at its own 20. After two completions to Demonta Brown, quarterback Lewis Kindle's last-second effort to Larry Raper only went 19 yards as the Aggies (4-6, 3-4) dropped their fourth straight.
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With the Bulldogs down 11 points to North Carolina A&T in the first half, the senior DOG safety was determined to change things in his fellow seniors' favor during their final home game.
"At the moment, I was talking to my guy (linebacker) Donovan Richard," he said. "I told him either me or you were going to make a play, so one of us had to make a play."
It was Quattlebaum who reached out to intercept Aggies' quarterback Lewis Kindle and returned the football 55 yards for the touchdown. He injured his hamstring on the score and did not return to action, but ignited a rally of 30 unanswered points for S.C. State, which held on for a 30-22 victory before 16,224 fans.
VIDEO: N.C. A&T vs. S.C. State
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S.C. State Hands A&T Another Disappointing Loss
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - As Norfolk State turned the fortunes of its program around on Saturday by clinching its first-ever MEAC football title, a North Carolina A&T team looking to change its losing image this season could only sit back and think about what could have been.
Coming through on a 1st-and-goal at the 3-yard line, making a catch in the end zone or converting in the final seconds, and the Aggies might be celebrating an historic season. Instead, they lost another close one on Saturday.
S.C. State came back from an 11-point deficit and won its 11th straight over the Aggies with a 30-22 victory at Oliver C. Stadium Saturday afternoon. S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough remained undefeated (10-0) against the Aggies.
"I don't think we've accomplished anything this season," said N.C. A&T head coach Rod Broadway. "Here we are sitting at 4-6 even though we had an opportunity to have a really good football team. But we're not coached well enough and we don't play well enough. But we're going to get this fixed."
One of Broadway's main concerns is the Aggies inability to score points. For the third straight week, the Aggies offense failed to score any second-half points. Playing without starting running back Mike Mayhew most of the game didn't help matters.
N.C. A&T's defense gave the Aggies a chance as safety Travis Crosby intercepted quarterback Richard Cue's pass and returned it 55 yards to put the Aggies within eight with 12 minutes remaining. But the Aggies could not advance the football beyond the S.C. State 43.
The Aggies last attempt started at its own 20. After two completions to Demonta Brown, quarterback Lewis Kindle's last-second effort to Larry Raper only went 19 yards as the Aggies (4-6, 3-4) dropped their fourth straight.
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WSSU Ram Ramblings: That Division I thing is a distant memory
DURHAM, North Carolina – I didn’t hear any complaints from Winston-Salem State fans about that failed move to Division I. From the looks of how much fun approximately 8,000 Rams’ fan were having at the CIAA championship game on Saturday Division I was probably the furthest thing from their minds.
The Rams, who are two years into their transition back to Division II, won the school’s ninth CIAA title by dispatching Elizabeth City State 38-18 in front of around 10,000 fans. WSSU fans were all over the place, including about 200 who watched from a hill outside of the stadium. (It was cheaper to watch from there.)
There was plenty of controversy in September of 2009 when chancellor Donald Reaves and the board of trustees pulled the plug on the move to Division I and the MEAC for financial reasons.
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Elizabeth City State Marching Band and the Winston-Salem State University Marching Band "Red Sea of Sound" performs at halftime of the 2011 CIAA Football Championship game on November 12, 2011.
The Rams, who are two years into their transition back to Division II, won the school’s ninth CIAA title by dispatching Elizabeth City State 38-18 in front of around 10,000 fans. WSSU fans were all over the place, including about 200 who watched from a hill outside of the stadium. (It was cheaper to watch from there.)
There was plenty of controversy in September of 2009 when chancellor Donald Reaves and the board of trustees pulled the plug on the move to Division I and the MEAC for financial reasons.
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Elizabeth City State Marching Band and the Winston-Salem State University Marching Band "Red Sea of Sound" performs at halftime of the 2011 CIAA Football Championship game on November 12, 2011.
Morgan State Bears host Murray State in home opener Monday Night
2011 MORGAN STATE BASKETBALLGame 2
Monday, November 14 – 7 p.m. (ET)
Morgan State (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Murray State (1-0, 0-0 OVC)
Baltimore, Md. – Hill Field House
Live Coverage
Television: N/A
Radio: Sirius Channel 137, Lamont Germany (Play-by-Play)
BEAR FACTS
Head Coach: Todd Bozeman
Alma Mater/Year: Rhode Island/1986
Record at MSU/Year: 102-66/6th
Career Record: 137-128
Basketball SID: Leonard L. Haynes IV
Office Phone: 443-885-3831
E-Mail: lhaynesiv@aol.com
Ticket Info: 443-885-3830
MSU Gamenotes
2011 MSU SCHEDULE & RESULTS OFFICIAL MURRAY STATE WEBSITE GAME TIME • Morgan State will host Murray State in their home-opener at Hill Field House on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live by Sirius Channel 137. There will also be a LIVE stats of the game at www.MorganStateBears.com. Last Friday, Kevin Thompson posted 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the Bears fell 74-63 at #14/15 Xavier. Murray State's Donte Poole scored a career-high 18 points as the Racers won 76-49 in their season- pener against Harris-Stowe at the CFSB Center.
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Hampton Pirates get defensive; take sting out DSU Hornets
Hampton, Virginia -- The Hampton University football team scored 28 points in the fourth quarter on its way to a 42-6 rout of the Hornets of Delaware State at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday.
Turnovers were the key in the game for both teams. On the second play of the game, Delbert Tyler got his first of two interceptions on the day and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown. Hampton’s defense would force four turnovers in the first half, with three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Following Tyler’s interception, Destin Route forced a fumble before Tyler got his second interception of the game. Micah Pellerin would also get in on the action, when he got an interception to stop a Hornets drive.
After some back-and-forth between the two teams, Hampton went into the half with a 7-0 lead.
Hampton came out in the second half moving a lot quicker. Following a forced punt by the defense and a great punt return by Justin Blake, the Pirates went 45 yards in just three plays for their second score of the day, going up 14-0 when quarterback Bradford Hudson threw his first career touchdown pass to Dyrri McCain.
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DSU's seven turnovers lead to another loss
HAMPTON, Va. — Delaware State committed seven turnovers, including a school-record six interceptions, in a 42-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Hampton on Saturday. The Hornets (2-8 overall, 0-7 MEAC) dropped their eighth straight game.
Delaware State trailed 14-6 after scoring its lone touchdown on a 16-yard run by Travis Tarpley with 12:56 left to play. The score capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive. Hampton scored 28 unanswered points in the last 8:41 to put the Hornets away.
Josh Bailey, a former junior college quarterback who has competed at running back most of the season, played the entire game at quarterback for the Hornets. He completed 17-of-39 passes for 134 yards and six interceptions.
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Turnovers were the key in the game for both teams. On the second play of the game, Delbert Tyler got his first of two interceptions on the day and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown. Hampton’s defense would force four turnovers in the first half, with three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Following Tyler’s interception, Destin Route forced a fumble before Tyler got his second interception of the game. Micah Pellerin would also get in on the action, when he got an interception to stop a Hornets drive.
After some back-and-forth between the two teams, Hampton went into the half with a 7-0 lead.
Hampton came out in the second half moving a lot quicker. Following a forced punt by the defense and a great punt return by Justin Blake, the Pirates went 45 yards in just three plays for their second score of the day, going up 14-0 when quarterback Bradford Hudson threw his first career touchdown pass to Dyrri McCain.
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DSU's seven turnovers lead to another loss
HAMPTON, Va. — Delaware State committed seven turnovers, including a school-record six interceptions, in a 42-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Hampton on Saturday. The Hornets (2-8 overall, 0-7 MEAC) dropped their eighth straight game.
Delaware State trailed 14-6 after scoring its lone touchdown on a 16-yard run by Travis Tarpley with 12:56 left to play. The score capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive. Hampton scored 28 unanswered points in the last 8:41 to put the Hornets away.
Josh Bailey, a former junior college quarterback who has competed at running back most of the season, played the entire game at quarterback for the Hornets. He completed 17-of-39 passes for 134 yards and six interceptions.
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Magic City Classic economic impact tops $24 million, most ever
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Organizers estimate that this year's Magic City Classic packed an economic impact of $24.3 million, shattering previous records for the event. "We were projecting anywhere between $13 million and $15 million, and we would have been happy with that," Birmingham Mayor William Bell said.Traditionally, the annual clash between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M has an economic impact between $15 million and $16 million, according to Gene Hallman, chief executive of the Alabama Sports Foundation, which organizes the Classic. The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, which routinely calculates economic impact figures for major events, came up with the $24.3 million figure for this year's game.
Organizers say:
• Corporate sponsorship amounting to $890,000 was the most ever.
• The 66,473 tickets sold was not a record, but when combined with the estimated 40,000 tailgaters that remained outside Legion Field during the game, Hallman said it set a new mark.
• The 2.75 night average hotel stay was higher than in previous years.
• The $450,000 paid to each school was a new record, blowing past the $425,000 paid last year.
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Sunday, November 13, 2011
Hall of Famer Richard Dent backs TSU's return to Hale Stadium
Possible future plans for Hale Stadium on the campus of Tennessee State University.
Nashville, Tennessee -- Former Tennessee State defensive end and recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee Richard Dent said he supports the Tigers moving their home games back to Hale Stadium and will help fund the project.
Dent said he already has made his first financial donation earmarked for the renovation of Hale Stadium, where the Tigers last played in 1998. The former Chicago Bear said he also met with university officials and informed them he was setting up a campaign in which he will match donations from other alumni.
“I’m starting a matching fund with my Make A Dent Foundation … and I’m really looking forward to helping the school,” Dent said. “I think it’s important to play games on campus.”
Dent attended Saturday’s game with UT Martin as co-grand marshal of TSU’s homecoming festivities. TSU has played at LP Field since 1999.
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Cooper leads Winston-Salem State to CIAA football championship
DURHAM, North Carolina -- Nic Cooper scored three touchdowns and ran for 163 yards Saturday in leading unbeaten Winston-Salem State to a 38-13 victory over Elizabeth City State in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game at Durham County Stadium.
Cooper, a senior and former Clinton High School star, scored on a 3-yard run in the first minute of the third quarter, a 1-yard dive later in the period and a 20-yard dash in the fourth period. Quarterback Kameron Smith threw a touchdown pass to Tehvyn Brantley. Smith completed 12 passes for 111 yards.
Defensive back Alton Keaton, a former Douglas Byrd High star, led the Rams with seven tackles, including a sack. He also recovered a fumble. Keaton was named CIAA Defensive Player of the Year earlier. The CIAA championship was the first for the Rams since 1978.
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Rams return to glory
DURHAM, North Carolina -- It had been 11 long years since the last CIAA title, but Winston-Salem State was very comfortable on center stage Saturday in front of about 10,000 fans at Durham County Stadium. WSSU defeated Elizabeth City State 38-18 to win the school's ninth football title.
"Our theme is 'Return to Glory,' and we are back to those glory days and back to winning rings," coach Connell Maynor said. "We are back to winning championships…."
The Rams won the championship with a tough defense that put the clamps on running back Daronte McNeill and an offense that produced when it mattered most. The Rams (11-0) held the Vikings (8-3) to a season-low 210 yards, and Nic Cooper ran for 163 yards on 24 carries and scored on a 20-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to ice the Rams' victory.
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Will Harris: ECSU football has come a long way
Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- It’s been a crazy few weeks here with the end of fall sports and winter teams getting started. Because of that, time and space has been kind of limited, so I guess we have some catching up to do.
But first let’s start with the Elizabeth City State football team, which lost to Winston-Salem State 38-18 in the CIAA title game Saturday.
One of these days the Vikings are going to break through, but this just wasn’t the year. Seems like every time ECSU gets this far, its runs into a team with a little more to play for. Each of the three CIAA championship losses have been to teams that were ranked pretty high in the national polls and had legitimate shots at moving on the Division II playoffs. Not that the Vikings couldn’t have taken that mantle in any of those years, but the power of the opposition has been pretty large ...
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Cooper, a senior and former Clinton High School star, scored on a 3-yard run in the first minute of the third quarter, a 1-yard dive later in the period and a 20-yard dash in the fourth period. Quarterback Kameron Smith threw a touchdown pass to Tehvyn Brantley. Smith completed 12 passes for 111 yards.
Defensive back Alton Keaton, a former Douglas Byrd High star, led the Rams with seven tackles, including a sack. He also recovered a fumble. Keaton was named CIAA Defensive Player of the Year earlier. The CIAA championship was the first for the Rams since 1978.
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Rams return to glory
DURHAM, North Carolina -- It had been 11 long years since the last CIAA title, but Winston-Salem State was very comfortable on center stage Saturday in front of about 10,000 fans at Durham County Stadium. WSSU defeated Elizabeth City State 38-18 to win the school's ninth football title.
"Our theme is 'Return to Glory,' and we are back to those glory days and back to winning rings," coach Connell Maynor said. "We are back to winning championships…."
The Rams won the championship with a tough defense that put the clamps on running back Daronte McNeill and an offense that produced when it mattered most. The Rams (11-0) held the Vikings (8-3) to a season-low 210 yards, and Nic Cooper ran for 163 yards on 24 carries and scored on a 20-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to ice the Rams' victory.
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Will Harris: ECSU football has come a long wayElizabeth City, North Carolina -- It’s been a crazy few weeks here with the end of fall sports and winter teams getting started. Because of that, time and space has been kind of limited, so I guess we have some catching up to do.
But first let’s start with the Elizabeth City State football team, which lost to Winston-Salem State 38-18 in the CIAA title game Saturday.
One of these days the Vikings are going to break through, but this just wasn’t the year. Seems like every time ECSU gets this far, its runs into a team with a little more to play for. Each of the three CIAA championship losses have been to teams that were ranked pretty high in the national polls and had legitimate shots at moving on the Division II playoffs. Not that the Vikings couldn’t have taken that mantle in any of those years, but the power of the opposition has been pretty large ...
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Southern 26, Alabama State 23: Golden opportunity slips away
Montgomery, Alabama -- It was there for the taking. But it was Southern, not Alabama State, that took it. The Hornets followed the formula that had spelled success all season. They forced four turnovers, they brought in the injured Greg Jenkins at quarterback to provide the spark. They even got 92 yards rushing from tailback Tim Clark.
But while Jackson State was demolishing Alabama A&M 34-6 -- giving ASU a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game provided they won -- the Jaguars were weaving their own brand of voodoo magic.
Alabama State highlights vs. Southern University: Nov. 12, at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Watch game highlights and postgame interview with ASU coach Reggie Barlow. (Video courtesy ASU)
And when Brian McCann landed in the end zone from a yard out with nine seconds left, it was Southern, not Alabama State, that pulled out a 26-23 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of 8,255 stunned fans at the Cramton Bowl.
"It hurts," said Jenkins, who sparked the Hornets to 16 fourth-quarter points. "I'm ready to play right now, just to get that bad taste out of my mouth."
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Finally!: Late TD helps SU sting Hornets
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The moment of truth was at hand. Moments earlier, in what looked like another trademark collapse, the Southern football team fizzled on offense, made too many late mistakes on defense and gave away a fourth-quarter lead to Alabama State.
But before freshman quarterback J.P. Douglas led the Jaguars to a game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds left in a 26-23 thriller at the Cramton Bowl, he and his teammates had a short meeting with coach Stump Mitchell on the visitors sideline. So many times, the Jaguars had been in this spot before. So many times, they caved under pressure.
“Coach told us we needed to come together as an offense,” Douglas said. “He told us, remember all the times that we lost the close ones. Win this close one.’ “ They did. Southern took over at its own 27-yard line with 2:59 remaining.
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Payton fires up defense
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Suspended two weeks for his role in a postgame brawl, Southern linebacker Jamie Payton was despondent. In losing his cool at the wrong time, he’d prevented himself from doing the one thing he loved most: playing football.
So when Payton returned Saturday in the Cramton Bowl, he played with passion. He tried to get the most out of every snap in a 26-23 upset win against Alabama State. It showed.
Though Payton and the Jaguars defense were sloppy in the fourth quarter, they made enough key plays to help Southern win - and for much of the sunny, mild afternoon, Payton was anything but mild. He led the charge, finishing with a team-high 10 tackles to go along with an interception and a 48-yard fumble return.
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Douglas steps up at QB
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Last week, Southern football coach Stump Mitchell said he planned to use freshman J.P. Douglas as his starting quarterback for the rest of the season. He changed his mind, starting sophomore Dray Joseph when the team faced Alabama State in the Cramton Bowl on Saturday.
Before long, it didn’t matter. Out of necessity, Douglas came in - and that turned out well for Southern, which scored with 9 seconds left to top the Hornets 26-23.
Joseph suffered a concussion in the second quarter when, after throwing an incomplete pass, his smacked the hard artificial turf. He eventually returned to the visitor’s sideline and watched the game in warmups. Joseph completed seven of 16 passes for 72 yards before his exit.
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But while Jackson State was demolishing Alabama A&M 34-6 -- giving ASU a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game provided they won -- the Jaguars were weaving their own brand of voodoo magic.
Alabama State highlights vs. Southern University: Nov. 12, at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Watch game highlights and postgame interview with ASU coach Reggie Barlow. (Video courtesy ASU)
And when Brian McCann landed in the end zone from a yard out with nine seconds left, it was Southern, not Alabama State, that pulled out a 26-23 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of 8,255 stunned fans at the Cramton Bowl.
"It hurts," said Jenkins, who sparked the Hornets to 16 fourth-quarter points. "I'm ready to play right now, just to get that bad taste out of my mouth."
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Finally!: Late TD helps SU sting Hornets
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The moment of truth was at hand. Moments earlier, in what looked like another trademark collapse, the Southern football team fizzled on offense, made too many late mistakes on defense and gave away a fourth-quarter lead to Alabama State.
But before freshman quarterback J.P. Douglas led the Jaguars to a game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds left in a 26-23 thriller at the Cramton Bowl, he and his teammates had a short meeting with coach Stump Mitchell on the visitors sideline. So many times, the Jaguars had been in this spot before. So many times, they caved under pressure.
“Coach told us we needed to come together as an offense,” Douglas said. “He told us, remember all the times that we lost the close ones. Win this close one.’ “ They did. Southern took over at its own 27-yard line with 2:59 remaining.
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Payton fires up defense
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Suspended two weeks for his role in a postgame brawl, Southern linebacker Jamie Payton was despondent. In losing his cool at the wrong time, he’d prevented himself from doing the one thing he loved most: playing football.
So when Payton returned Saturday in the Cramton Bowl, he played with passion. He tried to get the most out of every snap in a 26-23 upset win against Alabama State. It showed.
Though Payton and the Jaguars defense were sloppy in the fourth quarter, they made enough key plays to help Southern win - and for much of the sunny, mild afternoon, Payton was anything but mild. He led the charge, finishing with a team-high 10 tackles to go along with an interception and a 48-yard fumble return.
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Douglas steps up at QB
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Last week, Southern football coach Stump Mitchell said he planned to use freshman J.P. Douglas as his starting quarterback for the rest of the season. He changed his mind, starting sophomore Dray Joseph when the team faced Alabama State in the Cramton Bowl on Saturday.
Before long, it didn’t matter. Out of necessity, Douglas came in - and that turned out well for Southern, which scored with 9 seconds left to top the Hornets 26-23.
Joseph suffered a concussion in the second quarter when, after throwing an incomplete pass, his smacked the hard artificial turf. He eventually returned to the visitor’s sideline and watched the game in warmups. Joseph completed seven of 16 passes for 72 yards before his exit.
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Tennessee State Tigers gets familiar with comeback victories
Nashville, Tennessee -- For the second consecutive week, Tennessee State overcame a double-digit deficit to keep alive its hopes of posting a winning record. After falling behind 17-0 in the first quarter, the Tigers scored four consecutive touchdowns, then had to hold UT Martin off for a 35-30 victory.
The Tigers (5-5, 4-3 OVC) end the season next week at home against Jacksonville State. An LP Field crowd of 19,537 watched TSU claim its fourth win in five games. The Tigers’ last winning season came in 2008 when they finished 8-4.
Last week, TSU fell behind Eastern Illinois 17-5 in the third quarter and battled back for an 18-17 win. “The Cardiac Kids is taken, the Comeback Kids is taken; I don’t know what you should call us,” TSU Coach Rod Reed said. “But I don’t want us to have a nickname like that. I don’t want us to have to win like this anymore.”
UT Martin (5-5, 4-3) scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and threatened to take back the lead when it recovered an onside kick with 2:47 remaining and then drove into TSU territory.
Photo Gallary: TSU vs. UT-Martin
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Xavier Nuggets finish the job, sweep SUNO to win GCAC tourney
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Moira Kirk knew it during warmups Saturday. Taylor Reuther knew it during the first set. Coach Christabell Hamilton knew it late in the third set.
All three were confident, though at different points, that the Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team was going to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Gold Nuggets concluded a 4-0 run through the three-day, double-elimination event with a 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 victory Saturday against city rival SUNO.
The victory was the school-record-tying eighth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (23-6), who earned the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which will begin next Saturday at 12 campus sites. Teams and pairings will be announced early next week. It's the first conference tournament championship and bid to nationals for the Gold Nuggets' 4-year-old program which began in 2003, then took a hiatus in 2005 because of Hurricane Katrina before resurfacing a year ago.
Reuther, who shared tournament MVP with Talladega's Shalitha Swain, had 10 kills and 18 digs in the title match. Kirk, Xavier's other all-tournament selection, hit .609 -- 16 kills in 23 attacks with no errors -- and had seven blocks. Both Reuther and Kirk are among seven Xavier freshmen this season, four of whom started in the title match.
Chinedu Echebelem, another freshman, and Iva Bobkova had five kills apiece, and Celeste Poe had 13 digs for Xavier.
Third-seeded SUNO (20-11) eliminated defending champion and second-seeded Dillard 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 and had just 30 minutes to replenish calories and prepare for a championship round in which the Lady Knights would need two more victories to prevent a Xavier championship. But the Gold Nuggets -- who sent Dillard into the losers bracket Friday with a one-for-the ages rally from two sets down -- started strongly with 5-0 and 15-5 first-set leads. SUNO's only leads in the final were at 2-1 and 4-3 in the third set, and the Lady Knights finished second for the second consecutive year.
"We had energy and an excitement to win," said Kirk, announced Wednesday as GCAC Freshman of the Year. "We had fought too hard against Dillard last night. We didn't want to give up after fighting for it so much.
"I just felt in the warmup we were going to win. We're always high energy when we warm up, but this time it just felt different."
Reuther couldn't make any predictions until after the Nuggets' blazing start in which they produced seven kills, two aces and a block in the first 18 rallies.
"We crushed SUNO's momentum from the beginning," said Reuther, who had 11 second-set digs en route to her team-leading 12th kill-dig double-double. "We stuck together after that and played Xavier volleyball. I had confidence we were going to finish strongly."
Hamilton didn't feel confident until the final 10 rallies, and before that she kept reminding her team "that if we didn't stay focused we could easily end up the way Dillard did last night -- winning the first two sets and not being able to finish. We had to finish strongly."
Kirk led the way in that department. Her final six swings in the third all went for kills. Xavier hit .320 with 39 kills and seven errors in 100 attacks.
Xavier won all 14 of its matches this season against the GCAC -- the Nuggets were 10-0 in the regular season and won that championship too -- in a rags-to-riches climb from 11-26 in 2010. Hamilton, hired in mid-June, is in her first season as a collegiate head coach. She'll turn 30 Christmas Day.
"This has been a great experience," Kirk said. "Learning and becoming a better volleyball player . . . and bonding as a team."
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCACSPORTS
All three were confident, though at different points, that the Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team was going to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Gold Nuggets concluded a 4-0 run through the three-day, double-elimination event with a 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 victory Saturday against city rival SUNO.
The victory was the school-record-tying eighth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (23-6), who earned the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which will begin next Saturday at 12 campus sites. Teams and pairings will be announced early next week. It's the first conference tournament championship and bid to nationals for the Gold Nuggets' 4-year-old program which began in 2003, then took a hiatus in 2005 because of Hurricane Katrina before resurfacing a year ago.
Reuther, who shared tournament MVP with Talladega's Shalitha Swain, had 10 kills and 18 digs in the title match. Kirk, Xavier's other all-tournament selection, hit .609 -- 16 kills in 23 attacks with no errors -- and had seven blocks. Both Reuther and Kirk are among seven Xavier freshmen this season, four of whom started in the title match.
Chinedu Echebelem, another freshman, and Iva Bobkova had five kills apiece, and Celeste Poe had 13 digs for Xavier.
Third-seeded SUNO (20-11) eliminated defending champion and second-seeded Dillard 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 and had just 30 minutes to replenish calories and prepare for a championship round in which the Lady Knights would need two more victories to prevent a Xavier championship. But the Gold Nuggets -- who sent Dillard into the losers bracket Friday with a one-for-the ages rally from two sets down -- started strongly with 5-0 and 15-5 first-set leads. SUNO's only leads in the final were at 2-1 and 4-3 in the third set, and the Lady Knights finished second for the second consecutive year.
"We had energy and an excitement to win," said Kirk, announced Wednesday as GCAC Freshman of the Year. "We had fought too hard against Dillard last night. We didn't want to give up after fighting for it so much.
"I just felt in the warmup we were going to win. We're always high energy when we warm up, but this time it just felt different."
Reuther couldn't make any predictions until after the Nuggets' blazing start in which they produced seven kills, two aces and a block in the first 18 rallies.
"We crushed SUNO's momentum from the beginning," said Reuther, who had 11 second-set digs en route to her team-leading 12th kill-dig double-double. "We stuck together after that and played Xavier volleyball. I had confidence we were going to finish strongly."
Hamilton didn't feel confident until the final 10 rallies, and before that she kept reminding her team "that if we didn't stay focused we could easily end up the way Dillard did last night -- winning the first two sets and not being able to finish. We had to finish strongly."
Kirk led the way in that department. Her final six swings in the third all went for kills. Xavier hit .320 with 39 kills and seven errors in 100 attacks.
Xavier won all 14 of its matches this season against the GCAC -- the Nuggets were 10-0 in the regular season and won that championship too -- in a rags-to-riches climb from 11-26 in 2010. Hamilton, hired in mid-June, is in her first season as a collegiate head coach. She'll turn 30 Christmas Day."This has been a great experience," Kirk said. "Learning and becoming a better volleyball player . . . and bonding as a team."
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCACSPORTS
Jackson State snaps Alabama A&M win streak 34-6
HUNTSVILLE, ALA. — Casey Therriault threw for 428 yards and four straight touchdowns as Jackson State defeated Alabama A&M 34-6 on Saturday, snapping the Bulldogs' seven-game winning streak.
The Tigers (8-2, 6-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) trailed 6-0 after Chance Wilson kicked field goals of 49 and 45 yards. Then Therriault threw a 7-yard TD pass to Renty Rollins with 2:33 left in the first quarter, followed by a 30-yarder to E.J. Drewery just 42 seconds into the second. He hit Rico Richardson with a 67-yarder to take a 21-6 lead into halftime.
Therriault, who was 23 of 41 with no interceptions, threw his final scoring pass, a 15-yarder to Rollins, with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
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Former A&M aide Wilson concocts offensive scheme to lead Jackson State over Bulldogs
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- On an office wall in the Alabama A&M football building is a fading photo, 17 years old now, with mug shots of the Bulldogs' coaching staff. At the far right are photos of two dark-headed, smiling young men.
As dusk crept over Louis Crews Stadium Saturday, after Alabama A&M's 34-6 loss to Jackson State, the same men, one now with hair of cotton, the other with hair long since departed, greeted each other in a hug on the 30-yard line.
In 1994-95, Brawnski Towns and Earnest Wilson were Alabama A&M assistant coaches. On Saturday -- indeed for an entire week's worth of plotting -- they were on opposite sides of a chessboard.
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Alabama A&M football: Bulldogs can still reach SWAC championship game despite blowout loss
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M's hopes of winning the Eastern Division title and advancing to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game appeared all but over late Saturday afternoon at Louis Crews Stadium.
While the Bulldogs were getting blown out 34-6 by Jackson State, Alabama State was rallying from a 12-point deficit against Southern. An A&M loss and an Alabama State win would give the Hornets the Eastern Division title.
A&M coach Anthony Jones was aware that Alabama State had the lead as he prepared to walk across the field to shake hands with Jackson State coach Rick Comegy. But, before Jones took off his headsets, he had a conversation with offensive coordinator Cedric Pearl.
"His words were we're not done," Jones said. "This is a special team and we still have special things ahead of us."
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The Tigers (8-2, 6-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) trailed 6-0 after Chance Wilson kicked field goals of 49 and 45 yards. Then Therriault threw a 7-yard TD pass to Renty Rollins with 2:33 left in the first quarter, followed by a 30-yarder to E.J. Drewery just 42 seconds into the second. He hit Rico Richardson with a 67-yarder to take a 21-6 lead into halftime.
Therriault, who was 23 of 41 with no interceptions, threw his final scoring pass, a 15-yarder to Rollins, with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
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Former A&M aide Wilson concocts offensive scheme to lead Jackson State over Bulldogs
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- On an office wall in the Alabama A&M football building is a fading photo, 17 years old now, with mug shots of the Bulldogs' coaching staff. At the far right are photos of two dark-headed, smiling young men.
As dusk crept over Louis Crews Stadium Saturday, after Alabama A&M's 34-6 loss to Jackson State, the same men, one now with hair of cotton, the other with hair long since departed, greeted each other in a hug on the 30-yard line.
In 1994-95, Brawnski Towns and Earnest Wilson were Alabama A&M assistant coaches. On Saturday -- indeed for an entire week's worth of plotting -- they were on opposite sides of a chessboard.
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Alabama A&M football: Bulldogs can still reach SWAC championship game despite blowout loss
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M's hopes of winning the Eastern Division title and advancing to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game appeared all but over late Saturday afternoon at Louis Crews Stadium.
While the Bulldogs were getting blown out 34-6 by Jackson State, Alabama State was rallying from a 12-point deficit against Southern. An A&M loss and an Alabama State win would give the Hornets the Eastern Division title.
A&M coach Anthony Jones was aware that Alabama State had the lead as he prepared to walk across the field to shake hands with Jackson State coach Rick Comegy. But, before Jones took off his headsets, he had a conversation with offensive coordinator Cedric Pearl.
"His words were we're not done," Jones said. "This is a special team and we still have special things ahead of us."
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HU Pirates Down William & Mary in Season Opener
Hampton, Virginia -- The Hampton University men’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season against the Tribe of William & Mary in front of a crowd of more than 4,000 at the HU Convocation Center, winning 73-58. Hampton (1-0) handed the Tribe their second loss of the season.“It was a good first game and we still have a lot that we are trying to find out about the team,” said head coach Edward Joyner Jr. “We got out to a really slow start and William & Mary is a really good team and they shot the ball really well, so we knew that we had to play good defense.”
The Pirates started the game on a 5-0 run before the Tribe would get on the board by a score by Marcus Thornton. Hampton shot 38 percent from the floor in the first half, making 12 of 31 shots taken and going five-of-14 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Pirates were led by guard Darrion Pellum, who scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
Thornton scored 11 to lead the Tribe at the half.
Hampton took the lead at the 5:54 mark in the first half and never looked back, going into the half leading 32-26. The Pirates opened the second half on a 19-8 run, on their way to scoring 41 second-half points. William & Mary would follow that run by going on a 10-4 run to cut Hampton’s lead to 55-45.
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XU Gold Nuggets come from 16 down to win at Georgetown (Ky.)
GEORGETOWN, Kentucky -- Senior center Keldra Hall scored eight points during a closing rally Saturday which lifted NAIA No. 16 Xavier University to a 79-76 women's basketball victory against host Georgetown in the Chick-fil-A Classic.
The Gold Nuggets (3-1) trailed by 16 points late in the first half, 41-28 at halftime and 70-61 with 4:09 remaining before an 18-6 run in which they scored on their final eight possessions.
Hall had a pair of 3-point plays during the rally, with the second putting Xavier ahead to stay at 71-70 with 1:54 remaining.
"It's hard on the road," Xavier coach Bo Browder said. "But the Gold Nuggets know how to fight!"
Hall finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Brandi Young scored 17 points -- including 2-of-2 3-pointers and 9-of-10 free throws -- Jasmine Grant scored 12 and Carmen Holcombe and Jessica Savannah had 11 apiece. Grant made 4-of-8 3-pointers. Holcombe added a career-high eight rebounds and Savannah, a freshman, did not miss any of her seven shots.
Grant's final 3-pointer followed a Holcombe steal and gave Xavier a 74-70 lead with 1:42 remaining. Young made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 12 seconds.
It was the first time in five years that the Nuggets won despite surrendering 75 or more points.
Andrea Howard had 19 points and six rebounds for Georgetown (4-1). Mikkah Rogers scored a season-high 18 points. Jessica Waddle had 17 points and five rebounds, and Devon Golden had 10 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Howard scored 15 first-half points and passed to Waddle for a 3-pointer which gave the Tigers their biggest lead, 41-26, with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. Grant answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession.
Georgetown outshot the Nuggets 39.6 to 35.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 46-35.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
The Gold Nuggets (3-1) trailed by 16 points late in the first half, 41-28 at halftime and 70-61 with 4:09 remaining before an 18-6 run in which they scored on their final eight possessions.
Hall had a pair of 3-point plays during the rally, with the second putting Xavier ahead to stay at 71-70 with 1:54 remaining.
"It's hard on the road," Xavier coach Bo Browder said. "But the Gold Nuggets know how to fight!"
Hall finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Brandi Young scored 17 points -- including 2-of-2 3-pointers and 9-of-10 free throws -- Jasmine Grant scored 12 and Carmen Holcombe and Jessica Savannah had 11 apiece. Grant made 4-of-8 3-pointers. Holcombe added a career-high eight rebounds and Savannah, a freshman, did not miss any of her seven shots.
Grant's final 3-pointer followed a Holcombe steal and gave Xavier a 74-70 lead with 1:42 remaining. Young made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 12 seconds.
It was the first time in five years that the Nuggets won despite surrendering 75 or more points.
Andrea Howard had 19 points and six rebounds for Georgetown (4-1). Mikkah Rogers scored a season-high 18 points. Jessica Waddle had 17 points and five rebounds, and Devon Golden had 10 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
Howard scored 15 first-half points and passed to Waddle for a 3-pointer which gave the Tigers their biggest lead, 41-26, with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. Grant answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession.Georgetown outshot the Nuggets 39.6 to 35.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 46-35.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
ASU unable to capitalize
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - It was a formula the Alabama State Hornets have used all season. Force turnovers on defense that lead to big plays on offense. Give up yards, but not points. Alabama State played the same card for the eighth time in 10 games. This time, the formula didn’t work.Brian McCain’s 1-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left gave Southern an improbable 26-23 victory over the Hornets at the Cramton Bowl on Saturday afternoon. Improbable because the Hornets had scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to shake off a sluggish start. Improbable because the defense, one of the nation’s best at forcing turnovers, had forced three fumbles and intercepted a pass, doing its job to secure another victory.
Stunned as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Hornets wept openly on the sideline and in their locker room, unable to figure out how they lost not only the game but quite possibly the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division title as well.
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Another comeback for GSU; Tigers beat Texas Southern 29-25
GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Wide receiver Mario Louis and linebacker Cliff Exama came up with some of Senior Day's biggest plays in their final home game, but freshman Tyree Hollins provided the coverage on the final play to clinch the victory.
On a fourth down from the 5-yard line, the Carroll alumnus covered Texas Southern senior receiver Joe Anderson tightly in the end zone as time expired to help the home Tigers hang on for the 29-25 victory that took a 15-0 fourth-quarter run just to set up.
"We hadn't made a play all day, so we had to put somebody back there that would make a play," Grambling coach Doug Williams said. "The throw helped him a lot because the throw was close to being out of bounds. I don't know what happened in the end zone, did he get his hands on it or what. I was just hoping the receiver didn't put his hands on it."
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Jason Pugh: Grambling's victory worthy of big 'screen'
GRAMBLING, LA — Mario Louis claims he only went to the Grambling coaching staff "twice or three times" Saturday asking them to let him make a play. Freshman quarterback D.J. Williams was more than happy to allow his senior receiver that opportunity — repeatedly.
Louis, whose big plays are serenaded with calls of "Suuuuuuuper Mario, to the rescue" over the Robinson Stadium speakers, saved perhaps his biggest play of the season for his final catch in the natural bowl Grambling calls home.
The senior from New Orleans took a jailbreak screen 34 yards — covering the final 3 with a headlong dive into the end zone — to keep secure a 29-25 comeback victory over Texas Southern on Saturday, keeping the host Tigers' conference title hopes alive for another week.
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Grambling State edges Texas Southern 29-25
GRAMBLING, LA — D.J. Williams threw his third touchdown pass of the game with 1:45 remaining, capping an 89-yard drive, to lift Grambling State to a 29-25 victory over Texas Southern on Saturday.
Williams, who completed 14 of 19 for 253 yards for Grambling State (6-4, 5-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference), found Mario Louis for a 34-yard score at the end of the eight-play drive. On the play before the touchdown, Williams completed an 11-yarder to Louis on fourth-and-7.
Texas Southern (4-6, 2-6) got the ball back at its 20 after a touchback on the kickoff and drove to the Grambling State four on completions of 11, 25 and 23 yards by Riko Smalls and runs of 12 and 5 yards by the quarterback. Smalls was sacked for 10 yards by Cliff Exama on third down and his fourth-down pass was incomplete.
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On a fourth down from the 5-yard line, the Carroll alumnus covered Texas Southern senior receiver Joe Anderson tightly in the end zone as time expired to help the home Tigers hang on for the 29-25 victory that took a 15-0 fourth-quarter run just to set up.
"We hadn't made a play all day, so we had to put somebody back there that would make a play," Grambling coach Doug Williams said. "The throw helped him a lot because the throw was close to being out of bounds. I don't know what happened in the end zone, did he get his hands on it or what. I was just hoping the receiver didn't put his hands on it."
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Jason Pugh: Grambling's victory worthy of big 'screen'
GRAMBLING, LA — Mario Louis claims he only went to the Grambling coaching staff "twice or three times" Saturday asking them to let him make a play. Freshman quarterback D.J. Williams was more than happy to allow his senior receiver that opportunity — repeatedly.
Louis, whose big plays are serenaded with calls of "Suuuuuuuper Mario, to the rescue" over the Robinson Stadium speakers, saved perhaps his biggest play of the season for his final catch in the natural bowl Grambling calls home.
The senior from New Orleans took a jailbreak screen 34 yards — covering the final 3 with a headlong dive into the end zone — to keep secure a 29-25 comeback victory over Texas Southern on Saturday, keeping the host Tigers' conference title hopes alive for another week.
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Grambling State edges Texas Southern 29-25
GRAMBLING, LA — D.J. Williams threw his third touchdown pass of the game with 1:45 remaining, capping an 89-yard drive, to lift Grambling State to a 29-25 victory over Texas Southern on Saturday.
Williams, who completed 14 of 19 for 253 yards for Grambling State (6-4, 5-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference), found Mario Louis for a 34-yard score at the end of the eight-play drive. On the play before the touchdown, Williams completed an 11-yarder to Louis on fourth-and-7.
Texas Southern (4-6, 2-6) got the ball back at its 20 after a touchback on the kickoff and drove to the Grambling State four on completions of 11, 25 and 23 yards by Riko Smalls and runs of 12 and 5 yards by the quarterback. Smalls was sacked for 10 yards by Cliff Exama on third down and his fourth-down pass was incomplete.
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Miles College upsets Albany State 20-17 to win SIAC championship
Atlanta, Georgia -- The Miles College Golden Bears, under first-year coach Reginald Ruffin, are the champions of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Bears upset Albany State 20-17 on a 29-yard Patton Chambers field goal with nine seconds left in the first SIAC Championship Game on Saturday in Atlanta.
Miles, 7-4 and the Western Division champs going into the game, ended Albany State's bid for a seventh straight bid in the Division II football playoffs.
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Miles upsets Albany State for SIAC championship
Make room for Miles at the top of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The Golden Bears stunned Albany State for a 20-17 victory on Patton Chambers’ 29-yard field goal with nine seconds left for a 20-17 victory at Clark Atlanta’s Panther Stadium. Miles (7-4) earned its first SIAC championship and knocked Albany State (8-3) out of contention for its seventh consecutive bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
It’s the first time since 2000 that either Albany State or Tuskegee didn’t win the SIAC. With only four winning seasons since 1963 and a 3-8 record in 2010, Miles seemed like an unlikely candidate to break through. But first-year coach Reginald Ruffin led Miles to the West division championship and won the league’s first championship game.
“When I interviewed for the job, we didn’t talk about just competing,” Ruffin said. “We talked about winning, and winning right now.”
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Miles, 7-4 and the Western Division champs going into the game, ended Albany State's bid for a seventh straight bid in the Division II football playoffs.
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Miles upsets Albany State for SIAC championship
Make room for Miles at the top of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
The Golden Bears stunned Albany State for a 20-17 victory on Patton Chambers’ 29-yard field goal with nine seconds left for a 20-17 victory at Clark Atlanta’s Panther Stadium. Miles (7-4) earned its first SIAC championship and knocked Albany State (8-3) out of contention for its seventh consecutive bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
It’s the first time since 2000 that either Albany State or Tuskegee didn’t win the SIAC. With only four winning seasons since 1963 and a 3-8 record in 2010, Miles seemed like an unlikely candidate to break through. But first-year coach Reginald Ruffin led Miles to the West division championship and won the league’s first championship game.
“When I interviewed for the job, we didn’t talk about just competing,” Ruffin said. “We talked about winning, and winning right now.”
photo gallery
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Alcorn gets blown out by Prairie View
LORMAN, Mississippi — Alcorn State had no problem moving the ball against Prairie View A&M Saturday afternoon. It was scoring that proved elusive. And the Braves didn’t help themselves with four turnovers and 14 penalties for minus-120 yards as the Panthers (5-5, 5-3) pulled away in the third quarter en route to a 40-14 blowout loss for Alcorn. Alcorn scored just once in two trips to the Panthers’ red zone, and Braves head coach Melvin Spears said inconsistency and lack of focus was the culprit.
“First-and-15, second-and-15 (killed us),” Spears said. “We’d have a great play here, then we’d come back and have some mishap. It really boils down to our focus. We have to continue to hone in on the finer things of the game. There’s no substitute for great discipline.”
After failing to score on its opening possession, Alcorn punted ...
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Pitt Women's Basketball Dropped by Hampton, 60-37, In Season Opener
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -– Sophomore Asia Logan had 12 points off the bench, but it was not enough to stop Hampton as the Panthers lost a 60-37 decision on Saturday afternoon at the Petersen Events Center. The contest was the season opener for both teams.Sophomore Marquel Davis and freshman Brianna Kiesel each had eight points for the Panthers (0-1). The Lady Pirates (1-0) were paced by a game-high 22 points from Choicetta McMillian. McMillian drained six 3-pointers, tying an individual Petersen Events Center record by an opponent.
The Panthers jumped out of the gate early, moving to a 6-1 lead less than three minutes in on a fast break layup from Davis. The sophomore scored four of Pitt’s first six points. HU tallied the next eight-straight points, the last on a jumper from Sherena Abercrumbia to take a 9-6 advantage with 13:46 on the clock.
Davis and Kiesel scored on two of the next three Pitt possessions to make it 10-9, but that would be the last lead of the afternoon for the Panthers. Hampton used a 22-2 run to take a 31-12 lead just prior to the half. Pitt would go from the 11:47 mark until the halftime horn without a field goal, trailing 31-15 at the break.
Box Score
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HAMPTON LADY PIRATES OPEN SEASON WITH ROUT OF PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season in style on Saturday, upending the University of Pittsburgh 60-37 at the Petersen Events Center. Dating back to last season, the Lady Pirates (1-0) have won 15 of their last 16 games.
Senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) led the Lady Pirates with 22 points, thanks in large part to a 6-for-15 effort from behind the arc. Senior forward Melanie Warner (Tallahassee, Fla.) poured in 12 points and was two rebounds shy of a double-double. Junior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) added 10 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds.
Pitt jumped out to a 6-1 lead, before the Lady Pirates scored eight straight points to take a 9-6 lead after a jumper from senior center Sherena Abercrumbia (Dallas, Texas). Brianna Kiesel gave the Panthers the lead again with a jumper at the 11:47 mark, but a layup from sophomore forward Alyssa Bennett (Newport News, Va.) put the Lady Pirates on top for good.
From there, Hampton closed out the half on a 22-5 run; after Kiesel’s jumper, Pitt would not score another field goal until Asia Logan’s layup at the buzzer.
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Stillman drops homecoming game to Concordia
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | The Stillman football team could not pull out a victory Saturday, losing a close game to the Concordia-Selma Hornets 12-7 on homecoming. It was also a homecoming of sorts for former Stillman coach and Concordia defensive coordinator L.C. Cole, whose defense held Stillman to just 115 yards and forced two turnovers.
“We don’t sit back, we bring that heat,” Cole said. “We try to get the quarterback disturbed a little bit, our goal was to contain him, and I think we did just that.”
Stillman got the scoring started on its opening possession behind a strong rushing attack. After long runs by Carlos Wilson and Deandre Holley, quarterback Dondre Purnell took the ball in for a touchdown from 6 yards out on third-and-goal.
After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Hornets struck back, scoring on a 12-play touchdown drive. The key play was an 18-yard fourth-down pass from ...
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“We don’t sit back, we bring that heat,” Cole said. “We try to get the quarterback disturbed a little bit, our goal was to contain him, and I think we did just that.”
Stillman got the scoring started on its opening possession behind a strong rushing attack. After long runs by Carlos Wilson and Deandre Holley, quarterback Dondre Purnell took the ball in for a touchdown from 6 yards out on third-and-goal.
After forcing a three-and-out on defense, the Hornets struck back, scoring on a 12-play touchdown drive. The key play was an 18-yard fourth-down pass from ...
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XU Gold Rush rally in second half to defeat Bobcats
NEW ORLEANS -- Another home victory, another free-throw feast. It was more of the same Friday for the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team.
Chris Iles scored 17 points, Anthony Simmons 16 and Wanto Joseph 10 to lead Xavier, ranked 21st in NAIA Division I, to a 69-59 decision over St. Thomas (Fla.) at The Barn.
The Gold Rush (2-0) rallied from a 34-30 halftime deficit, outscored the Bobcats 33-7 in free throws -- 11-0 in the second half -- and won for the 22nd time in the past 23 home games.
Xavier attempted 48 free throws and improved to 31-0 since November 2009 when making more free throws than opponents. Iles, the team's most accurate free-throw shooter this past season, was 10-of-10 from the line, all in the first half. Joseph made 8-of-12 free throws, and Kevin Miller was 4-of-4.
Simmons scored 11 second-half points, and his basket with 8:48 remaining put the Gold Rush ahead to stay at 49-47. That followed 16 ties and 12 lead changes.
Joseph's free throws with 27 seconds remaining gave the XU men their biggest lead, 67-55, and capped a 10-0 run which covered nearly 3½ minutes.
Jeffery Remmington scored 16 points and Dylan O'Sullivan 15 for the Bobcats (1-2), who lost Thursday at Loyola. Both players had nine first-half points.
St. Thomas, an NAIA Division II member, outshot Xavier 44.4 to 39.5 percent from the floor. Both teams grabbed 27 rebounds, and the Gold Rush committed 19 turnovers and gained 25.
The Bobcats were assessed with 33 fouls, two less than they committed at Loyola.
The Gold Rush and Bobcats will meet again Dec. 29 in the St. Thomas Classic. Next for Xavier will be a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday game at Mobile.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Chris Iles scored 17 points, Anthony Simmons 16 and Wanto Joseph 10 to lead Xavier, ranked 21st in NAIA Division I, to a 69-59 decision over St. Thomas (Fla.) at The Barn.
The Gold Rush (2-0) rallied from a 34-30 halftime deficit, outscored the Bobcats 33-7 in free throws -- 11-0 in the second half -- and won for the 22nd time in the past 23 home games.
Xavier attempted 48 free throws and improved to 31-0 since November 2009 when making more free throws than opponents. Iles, the team's most accurate free-throw shooter this past season, was 10-of-10 from the line, all in the first half. Joseph made 8-of-12 free throws, and Kevin Miller was 4-of-4.
Simmons scored 11 second-half points, and his basket with 8:48 remaining put the Gold Rush ahead to stay at 49-47. That followed 16 ties and 12 lead changes.
Joseph's free throws with 27 seconds remaining gave the XU men their biggest lead, 67-55, and capped a 10-0 run which covered nearly 3½ minutes.
Jeffery Remmington scored 16 points and Dylan O'Sullivan 15 for the Bobcats (1-2), who lost Thursday at Loyola. Both players had nine first-half points.
St. Thomas, an NAIA Division II member, outshot Xavier 44.4 to 39.5 percent from the floor. Both teams grabbed 27 rebounds, and the Gold Rush committed 19 turnovers and gained 25.
The Bobcats were assessed with 33 fouls, two less than they committed at Loyola.The Gold Rush and Bobcats will meet again Dec. 29 in the St. Thomas Classic. Next for Xavier will be a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday game at Mobile.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
MVSU ends season with loss to UAPB
TTA BENA, MS — Mississippi Valley State had one of their best defensive outings of the season Saturday against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, but it still didn't end in the Delta Devils' favor. The Golden Lions (5-5, 4-4 SWAC) used 15 first-half points to take down MVSU (1-10, 1-8 Southwestern Athletic Conference) 15-3 in the season finalé for Valley.
Pine-Bluff scored all 15 points in the final three minutes using a Benjamin Anderson 1-yard touchdown plunge and a 10-yard scamper by Stephen Jones.
Valley's three points came on a 27-yard fourth quarter field goal by Carlos Sanchez.
The Delta Devils outgained the Golden Lions 203 to 174 and held them to 63 passing yards. Garrick Jones and Marvin Pittman split duties at quarterback. Jones went 5-of-12 for 33 yards and two interceptions while Marvin Pittman finished 3-of-11 for 22 yards.
Jones also paced the Delta Devils with 73 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Pittman added 35 on the ground.
In his final game, Paul Cox hauled in two catches for 22 yards. Brandon Stansell, Kenneth Dabneyand Malcolm Sam added two catches each.
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