Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Urban Sports Poll: Winston-Salem State 11-0 and top-ranked; Grambling hits top 10
Arlington, Texas— Winston-Salem State solidified its hold on the number one ranking in the Urban Sports News Black College Poll with its 38-18 victory over Elizabeth City State in the CIAA Conference Championship before 10,127 fans. The Rams ran their record to 11-0 and earned the number one seed in Super Region I of the NCAA D-II playoffs.
WSSU will have this weekend off and will await the winner of Saturday's game between Elizabeth City State and California (Pa.). The winner of that game will play the Rams at Bowman Gray Stadium at noon on Nov. 26. It is WSSU’s first appearance in the playoffs in 20 years.
USN Black College Football 2011 Poll: Week 11
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WSSU will have this weekend off and will await the winner of Saturday's game between Elizabeth City State and California (Pa.). The winner of that game will play the Rams at Bowman Gray Stadium at noon on Nov. 26. It is WSSU’s first appearance in the playoffs in 20 years.
USN Black College Football 2011 Poll: Week 11
| Rank | Team | Record | Comment |
| 1. | Winston-Salem State Rams | 11-0 | Beat Elizabeth City in CIAA Championship 38-18. Next Up: NCAA D-II playoffs. |
| 2. | Norfolk State Spartans | 9-2 | Won MEAC Championship outright with 49-14 beat down of Morgan State. Next Up:TBD |
| 3. | Jackson State Tigers | 8-2 | Destroyed Alabama A&M 34-6. When Tigers are on, they can play with anyone. Next Up: Play Alcorn. |
| 4. | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats | 7-3 | Defeated Savannah State 59-6. Next Up: FAMU in Florida Classic. |
| 5. | Alabama State Hornets | 7-3 | Lost to Southern 26-23 on last second TD. Must hope for A&M loss to PV. Next Up: Tuskegee in Turkey Day Classic. |
| 6. | FAMU Rattlers | 7-3 | Defeated North Central 34-10. Next Up: Meet Bethune in Florida Classic. |
| 7. | Morehouse Maroon Tigers | 8-2 | Season Over. |
| 8. | Alabama A&M Bulldogs | 7-3 | Blew chance to win SWAC East with 34-6 loss to Jackson State. Next Up: Travel to Prairie View for must win game. |
| 9. | Grambling Tigers | 6-4 | G-Men have risen from the ashes. Grambling beat Texas Southern 29-25. Next Up: Meet Southern in Bayou Classic. |
| 10. | Albany State Golden Rams | 8-3 | Lost SIAC Championship Game to Miles 20-17. Play at North Grenville State in D-II Playoffs. |
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Miles College to play Johnson C. Smith in Pioneer Bowl
COLUMBUS, Georgia -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced Tuesday that Johnson C. Smith University and Miles College have been selected to play in the Dec. 3 Pioneer Bowl. The game will be held at A.J. McClung Stadium in Columbus, with kickoff at noon. Miles, under first-year head coach Reginald Ruffin, finished first in the SIAC West Division with a 5-2 record. Last week the Golden Bears won the inaugural SIAC Championship Game by upsetting Albany State to finish with a 7-4 record.
The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls, led by head coach Steve Aycock, finished third in the CIAA Southern Division with a 5-5 overall record. They were 4-3 in conference play.
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Tillar leads ECSU Vikings turnaround
Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- At the end of the 2005 football season, Elizabeth City State football coach sat down with then-athletic director Dr. Edward McLean to discuss the direction of the Vikings football program. Given the state of the program at the time, no one would have been surprised if the Tillar era ended after three seasons.“The pressure was not whether I was going to win or not, the pressure was whether I was going to stay here,” Tillar said. “If there is no improvement in your situation over a three-year period it looks kind of grim.”
Tillar’s record was an uninspiring 7-23 and his teams had been shut out eight times. ECSU football, which had just one winning record in the previous 14 seasons, was barely on the football map.
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CIAA Commissioner Retires
HAMPTON, VA (11/15/2011) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and its Board of Directors announced today the retirement of Commissioner Leon G. Kerry for personal reasons effective immediately. Kerry, 63, had worked for the CIAA since 1988 and has been Commissioner of America’s oldest black college and university conference for the past twenty-two years.
“The CIAA Board of Directors would like to thank Leon for his years of service to this great conference. Our league has grown under his leadership and we are well-positioned to expand on that foundation”, stated Board President Dr. Mickey Burnim. Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator Monique Smith has been named interim commissioner.
Courtesy theCIAA.com
Davenport trying to steer SSU Tigers through tough times
Savannah, Georgia -- Steve Davenport remembers as a player going through a tough stretch at Georgia Tech. During coach Bobby Ross’ first two years, the Yellow Jackets won only one game against Division I-A competition.
But Ross stayed his course to turn the program around. He demanded discipline and 12 freshmen quit the team his first year. He demanded academics and nine players with bad grades were gone. During Davenport’s junior season in 1987 (Ross’ first), Tech went 2-9 and as a senior, the Jackets won three games.
“As a player, it was tough to understand,” Davenport said. “Some of the guys (Ross) brought in, we practiced against and they could play, but he was building for the future. In his grand scheme it worked out.”
Two years later, in 1990, Georgia Tech won the national championship.
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But Ross stayed his course to turn the program around. He demanded discipline and 12 freshmen quit the team his first year. He demanded academics and nine players with bad grades were gone. During Davenport’s junior season in 1987 (Ross’ first), Tech went 2-9 and as a senior, the Jackets won three games.
“As a player, it was tough to understand,” Davenport said. “Some of the guys (Ross) brought in, we practiced against and they could play, but he was building for the future. In his grand scheme it worked out.”
Two years later, in 1990, Georgia Tech won the national championship.
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North Carolina Central visits for Wagner Seahawks' home opener
Finally, just before the school year began, coach Dan Hurley received a hurried commitment from North Carolina Central, a program which graduated to Division I several seasons back and was about to begin its inaugural season in the MEAC.
It seemed, at first glance, like a pretty comfortable fit as a home opener for a team in a pinch. Until the Seahawks checked the fine print, that is.
The Division I newbie without a track record to check out turned out to be a team led by athletic forward Dominique Sutton, who went for 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Seahawks when he was wearing a Kansas State jersey in December of 2008.
| 11/16/2011 NCCU | at Wagner: | 7:30 pm | Time Warner | Live Video | Live Stats |
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Savannah State finds first year in MEAC battle a ‘baptism’
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Regardless of the outcome, Saturday's regular-season finale at Theodore Wright Stadium against South Carolina State will conclude another losing campaign for Savannah State.
Since moving up to the Football Championship Subdivision level, the Tigers have compiled an 18-98 record. Their last winning season came in 1998 under former S.C. State offensive coordinator Daryl "Brick" McNeil as a member of the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Savannah State's results have not improved in their first season as a full-fledged member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Since rallying to defeat North Carolina Central 33-30 at home on Sept. 24, the Tigers (1-10, 1-6) have dropped six straight and have amassed a total of 18 points in getting held to single digits in their last four outings.
Nevertheless, first-year Savannah State head football coach Steve Davenport believes "the future's bright" for the program.
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Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Miller, Joseph help unbeaten Rush win 80-71 at Mobile
MOBILE, Alabama — Kevin Miller scored a career-high 20 points Monday, and Wanto Joseph had a season-high 16 to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 80-71 men's basketball victory at Mobile.The Gold Rush (3-0) took the lead for good in the 18th minute when Miller grabbed an offensive rebound, then passed to Jamaan Kenner for a 3-pointer and a 37-35 advantage. Xavier led 44-41 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 73-59, on an Anthony Simmons basket with 2:39 remaining.
Miller reached double figures for the first time this season and shattered his previous career best of 13 points. Joseph, a 5-foot-9 reserve point guard and the team's shortest player, is the only XU player to reach double figures in all three regular-season games.
Ji Kimbrough scored 27 points, 17 in the first half, and made 14-of-14 free throws for Mobile (2-1), and Jonathan Tinch scored 15. The Rams were the preseason favorite in the Southern States Athletic Conference West Division.
Both teams shot 44 percent from the floor. Xavier made 28-of-37 free throws, and Mobile made 20-of-24. Cordell Hadnot grabbed a season-best eight rebounds for Xavier, which had a 35-30 advantage on the boards.
Eleven Gold Rush players scored, including Simmons with nine points and seven rebounds and Kenner with season highs of eight points and two 3-pointers.
Brock Dockery's basket with 18:18 remaining reduced Xavier's lead to 47-45, but the Rush followed with an 11-2 run which included a Miller 3-pointer, two Denzell Erves baskets and three Chris Iles assists. Xavier led by at least seven points for the final 8:52.
The Gold Rush have won four straight and seven of eight against Mobile and lead the series 29-26. The teams will meet again Dec. 6 at The Barn.
Xavier will play Wiley for homecoming at 2 p.m. Saturday at The Barn, and PSBlive.com will webcast that game and the XU women's contest against Huston-Tillotson at noon.
NOTES: Kimbrough scored eight points in the final 2:31 after Xavier established its largest lead . . . The Gold Rush are 3-0 for the 10th consecutive season . . . The XU men have won 34 of their past 41 games and are 10-3 on opponents' courts during that time . . . Xavier's four consecutive victories against Mobile match its longest streak in the series . . . It's the first time in 10 games that either team reached 80 points in the series, and it's the first time in 13 games that both teams reached 70 . . . Iles, a 17-point scorer Friday at home against St. Thomas (Fla.), didn't score again after making 2-of-2 free throws in the second minute. He's 12-of-12 from the line this season and has made 16 in a row dating to this past season . . . Simmons grabbed five offensive rebounds, giving him 14 in three games. Simmons needed nine games in 2010-11 to reach 14 offensive rebounds . . . The Gold Rush are 10-1 against five former Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents — Mobile, Belhaven, Loyola, Spring Hill and William Carey — since they left the league in the summer of 2010 to join the Southern States. Xavier, Belhaven, Spring Hill and William Carey were GCAC charter members in 1981-82.
Box scoreBy Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCACSPORTS
NEXT GAME: Saturday, November 19 — Women's Basketball vs. Huston-Tillotson, noon FREE VIDEO STREAMING -- live on internet • live stats
Saturday, November 19 — Men's Basketball vs. Wiley, 2 p.m. FREE VIDEO STREAMING -- live on internet • live stats
Pough feeling letdown of 'only' a 7-4 season, no 4th straight MEAC title
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| Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough |
The relief Pough had in seeing the Bulldogs rally from a 14-3 deficit to defeat North Carolina A&T 30-22 in the team's 2011 finale at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium was accompanied by a sense of disappointment. For the first time in four years, S.C. State's offseason will not include a playoff appearance and ring-sizing for another Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
"I think it's gone kind of medium," Pough said about the current season. "We haven't been good enough. We haven't been bad enough. Kind of medium. That's what it is. It's not quite up to standards for South Carolina State. I can tell you we're not satisfied. But at the same time, it is what it is."
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EMU Heads to Houston for Road Game with Texas Southern
YPSILANTI, Michigan - The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team will square off against the Texas Southern Tigers Tuesday, Nov. 15, in the first of four games the Eagles will play in during the Auto Owners Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University. Game time is 7 p.m. in Texas Southern's H & PE Building in Houston, Texas. After Tuesday's outing the Eagles will have three more games as part of the invitational. Eastern will host Arkansas-Little Rock Friday, Nov. 18, before traveling to Indianapolis, Ind. to meet IUPUI Sunday, Nov. 20. Eastern closes out the Auto Owners Spartan Invitational Sunday, Nov. 27, with a home game against the Michigan State University Spartans. Game time for that MSU contest is noon in the Convocation Center.
MURPHY ERA STARTS WITH A WIN: The Rob Murphy Era of Eastern Michigan University men's basketball opened successfully as the Eagles downed the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames, 68-57, Friday, Nov. 11, in the Convocation Center. The Eagles rallied from six-points down in the second half to record the win.
FAMILIAR FACE: When the Eagles travel to Houston, Texas for Wednesday's, Nov. 15, matchup with the Texas Southern University, Nov. 15, there will be a familiar face on the opposition's sideline. TSU Head Coach Tony Harvey, now in his fourth season, was an assistant men's basketball coach at EMU for a three-year period, from 1996-99. He has a 43-55 record at Texas Southern and led his team to the 2010-11 Southwest Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the post-season NIT.
FOR THE 115th TIME: The Eastern Michigan University men's basketball team kicked off its 115th season of competition Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, when the Eagles posted a 68-57 win over the Flames of the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) in a 7 p.m. game in the Convocation Center. Eastern played its first season in 1897-98 and split games with Detroit, losing a 2-0 decision before coming back for a 4-0 victory. The Eagles are are 67-48 in season openers.
38th MAC SEASON: The 2011-12 season will also be the 38th for the Eagles in the Mid-American Conference. The first year of MAC play for EMU was 1974-75 when the then-Hurons went 12-14 overall and 4-9 in league play.
EMU has won three Mid-American Conference titles: 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1995-96, and the Green and White captured MAC Tournament crowns in all three of those years in addition to winning the tournament title in 1997-98.
CHECKING THE SERIES: EMU and Texas Southern are meeting for the first time Tuesday, Nov. 15, when the two teams square off in the H & PE Arena in Hoston, Texas.
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CIAA championship game is a hit
DURHAM, North Carolina -- It wasn't hard to spot commissioner Leon Kerry of the CIAA during the championship game at overflowing Durham County Stadium on Saturday afternoon. He was the one wearing the ear-to-ear smile.
The great experiment known as the football championship game reached a pinnacle with more than 10,000 people cramming into the stadium to watch Winston-Salem State beat Elizabeth City State 38-18 in what many described as one of the best atmospheres in recent memory for a CIAA game.
After all tickets were sold, late-arriving fans were reduced to watching from a hill just outside the stadium. "This was a great game and a great facility and a dream come true with how this worked out," Kerry said on the field after presenting the trophy to WSSU.
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The great experiment known as the football championship game reached a pinnacle with more than 10,000 people cramming into the stadium to watch Winston-Salem State beat Elizabeth City State 38-18 in what many described as one of the best atmospheres in recent memory for a CIAA game.
After all tickets were sold, late-arriving fans were reduced to watching from a hill just outside the stadium. "This was a great game and a great facility and a dream come true with how this worked out," Kerry said on the field after presenting the trophy to WSSU.
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Stetson Hats rout FAMU Rattlers for rare 2-0 start
Tallahassee, Florida -- Stetson routed Florida A&M, 78-60, on Monday night to open the season with two consecutive victories for the first time since the 1952-53 season. The win was also the first non-conference road victory for the Hatters since an 89-79 victory at Wake Forest to start the 2010-11 season.
It wasn't always pretty, though. Stetson turned the ball over 26 times, but FAMU (0-2) gave the ball back 19 times. Stetson was able to build a lead by beating the Rattlers on the boards to the tune of a 54-31 advantage.
"If you put the entire 40 minutes together tonight, it was significantly better than the first game," Hatters coach Casey Alexander said. "We all know there is miles and miles of improvement left to go."
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FAMU men's basketball falls to Stetson
Tallahassee, Florida -- Midway through the second half, FAMU guard Avery Moore went to the free throw line to shoot two shots for a technical called against Stetson University on Monday night. He missed the second one, then rolled his eyed toward the ceiling of the Lawson Center as he mumbled a few words not suitable for printing.
Such was the kind of night that the Rattlers had as they fell 78-60. They just couldn't get their shots to fall on a night when they could have used some sure points from Amin Stevens, Brandon Hosely and Chris Watson. Eligibility issues forced them to watch from the bench.
The Rattlers tried getting its points from behind the arc. They got 2 of 16. They tried jumpers, lay-ups. Nothing worked, especially in the second half.
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It wasn't always pretty, though. Stetson turned the ball over 26 times, but FAMU (0-2) gave the ball back 19 times. Stetson was able to build a lead by beating the Rattlers on the boards to the tune of a 54-31 advantage.
"If you put the entire 40 minutes together tonight, it was significantly better than the first game," Hatters coach Casey Alexander said. "We all know there is miles and miles of improvement left to go."
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FAMU men's basketball falls to Stetson
Tallahassee, Florida -- Midway through the second half, FAMU guard Avery Moore went to the free throw line to shoot two shots for a technical called against Stetson University on Monday night. He missed the second one, then rolled his eyed toward the ceiling of the Lawson Center as he mumbled a few words not suitable for printing.
Such was the kind of night that the Rattlers had as they fell 78-60. They just couldn't get their shots to fall on a night when they could have used some sure points from Amin Stevens, Brandon Hosely and Chris Watson. Eligibility issues forced them to watch from the bench.
The Rattlers tried getting its points from behind the arc. They got 2 of 16. They tried jumpers, lay-ups. Nothing worked, especially in the second half.
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Monday, November 14, 2011
Analysis: Norfolk State has waited ... and waited for this
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Twenty-seven years ago, an NCAA championship football bracket included Norfolk State for the first and only time. Those 1984 Spartans, coach Willard Bailey's first team, went 10-1 in their CIAA championship season. They departed the Division II tournament field in the first round, however, on a 10-point loss to Towson State.
But they would be back soon; of course they would. Isn't that how players and coaches and teams and programs are trained to think, to feel, to believe? As six head coaches came to know - seven if you include a guy who once took the job and almost immediately gave it back - "soon" didn't happen.
But maybe that makes Norfolk State's pending postseason return, secured by a 47-14 triumph Saturday at Morgan State that locked down the MEAC title, the purest of nectars to a long-famished fan base. Because it was for this renown that the Spartans (9-2, 7-1) made their then-controversial jump from Division II to the I-AA MEAC in 1997.
And it's for this turn in the national spotlight in two weeks - as 1 of 20 teams in what's now known as the Football Championship Subdivision tournament - that athletic director Marty Miller, among many, has waited. And waited.
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But they would be back soon; of course they would. Isn't that how players and coaches and teams and programs are trained to think, to feel, to believe? As six head coaches came to know - seven if you include a guy who once took the job and almost immediately gave it back - "soon" didn't happen.
But maybe that makes Norfolk State's pending postseason return, secured by a 47-14 triumph Saturday at Morgan State that locked down the MEAC title, the purest of nectars to a long-famished fan base. Because it was for this renown that the Spartans (9-2, 7-1) made their then-controversial jump from Division II to the I-AA MEAC in 1997.
And it's for this turn in the national spotlight in two weeks - as 1 of 20 teams in what's now known as the Football Championship Subdivision tournament - that athletic director Marty Miller, among many, has waited. And waited.
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TSU has depth to make coach's vision work
With all five starters returning, Tigers hope to contend in OVCNashville, Tennessee -- Of the three transfers eligible to play men’s basketball at Tennessee State this season, Muniru Bawa stands taller than the others. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound Indiana transfer and Ghana native is pretty hard to miss. But like the other two transfers, Bawa will not be counted on to do anything more than contribute and find a role on the team, TSU Coach John Cooper said.
“My biggest concern is that I really worry about the expectations that he faces,” Cooper said. “Any time you’re at this level and you come in with that size there’s an expectation from the fan base and everybody around that he just comes in and he’s the savior.”
Beginning his third season, Cooper has five returning starters and adds three transfers and redshirt freshman M.J. Rhett to the mix. “I don’t even know who’s starting Friday,” Cooper said of the opener at Saint Louis. “Guys are going to play and guys are going to get minutes. I want them to be ready."
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Albany State, ECSU, Winston-Salem State Earn D-II Playoff Berths
Undefeated Winston-Salem State earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II playoffs, while Albany State and Elizabeth City State received at-large bids. ASU (8-3) and ECSU (8-3) were both runners-up for the SIAC and CIAA championships respectively.Miles (7-4), which defeated then 15th-ranked Albany State, 20-17, in the SIAC championship Saturday, missed the playoffs. Of the 24 teams selected (six each in four regions), Concord (7-3) had the worst record.
Albany State will travel to North Greenville (9-2) for a noon contest on Saturday. The winner will face Mars Hill Nov. 26 at noon.
Elizabeth City State goes to California (Pa.), the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference winner, for a first-round game Saturday at noon as well. The winner between those two meets Winston-Salem State Nov. 26 at noon. WSSU is undefeated at 11-0 and dominated ECSU this past weekend, 38-18, in the CIAA championship.
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Xavier gets rematch at Spring Hill in NAIA opening round
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana will get a rematch with Spring Hill on Saturday in the 2011 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round.
The NAIA announced Sunday the 32 qualifiers and pairings for 12 first-round matches. Xavier (23-6) and Spring Hill (38-1) will meet at the Arthur Outlaw Rec Center on Spring Hill's campus in Mobile, Ala. Starting time has not been determined.
The Gold Nuggets earned an automatic bid to nationals after beating SUNO 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 Saturday in the championship match of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Nashville, Tenn. The appearance at nationals is Xavier's first in four seasons of intercollegiate competition.
Spring Hill defeated Xavier 25-10, 25-20, 25-12 at Mobile on Sept. 6. Since then the Gold Nuggets have won 22 of 26 matches, including a pair of school-record eight-match win streaks. The Nuggets also set program records for victories, home victories (8), conference victories (10) and victories on opponents' courts (6). Xavier was 11-26 a year ago.
The Badgers won 38 in a row before losing 25-22, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21 Satruday to third-ranked Lee (Tenn.) in the title match of the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships at Biloxi, Miss. Spring Hill beat Lee in five sets in mid-September.
"Spring Hill is a strong program. To be ranked 16th and have an astounding 38-1 record is very respectable," said Xavier first-year coach Christabell Hamilton. "We have grown a lot as a team since our first meeting, and I am excited for the match this weekend. This will be a good challenge for us."
Xavier is 0-10 all-time against Spring Hill, with the six most recent losses occurring in straight sets.
Saturday's other first-round matches are Carroll (Mont.) at College of Idaho, Montreat at Indiana Wesleyan, La Sierra at Vanguard, Robert Morris (Chicago) at Missouri Baptist, Point Park at Indiana Tech, Cal State San Marcos at Point Loma Nazarene, Lindsey Wilson at Taylor, Oklahoma Baptist at Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene at Bellevue, Grand View at Olivet Nazarene and Freed-Hardeman at Indiana East. First-round byes went to Azusa Pacific, Biola, Columbia (Mo.), Concordia (Calif.), Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Fresno Pacific, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Morningside, Rocky Mountain, Southern Oregon and Texas at Brownsville.
The winners of the Saturday matches will advance with the 12 teams with byes to the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, for the NAIA National Championship presented by CNOS Foundation Nov. 29-Dec. 3.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
The NAIA announced Sunday the 32 qualifiers and pairings for 12 first-round matches. Xavier (23-6) and Spring Hill (38-1) will meet at the Arthur Outlaw Rec Center on Spring Hill's campus in Mobile, Ala. Starting time has not been determined.
The Gold Nuggets earned an automatic bid to nationals after beating SUNO 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 Saturday in the championship match of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Nashville, Tenn. The appearance at nationals is Xavier's first in four seasons of intercollegiate competition.
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| Xavier beat SUNO 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 Saturday to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Nashville, Tenn. (click on photo to enlarge) |
The Badgers won 38 in a row before losing 25-22, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21 Satruday to third-ranked Lee (Tenn.) in the title match of the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships at Biloxi, Miss. Spring Hill beat Lee in five sets in mid-September.
"Spring Hill is a strong program. To be ranked 16th and have an astounding 38-1 record is very respectable," said Xavier first-year coach Christabell Hamilton. "We have grown a lot as a team since our first meeting, and I am excited for the match this weekend. This will be a good challenge for us."
Xavier is 0-10 all-time against Spring Hill, with the six most recent losses occurring in straight sets.
Saturday's other first-round matches are Carroll (Mont.) at College of Idaho, Montreat at Indiana Wesleyan, La Sierra at Vanguard, Robert Morris (Chicago) at Missouri Baptist, Point Park at Indiana Tech, Cal State San Marcos at Point Loma Nazarene, Lindsey Wilson at Taylor, Oklahoma Baptist at Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene at Bellevue, Grand View at Olivet Nazarene and Freed-Hardeman at Indiana East. First-round byes went to Azusa Pacific, Biola, Columbia (Mo.), Concordia (Calif.), Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Fresno Pacific, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Morningside, Rocky Mountain, Southern Oregon and Texas at Brownsville.The winners of the Saturday matches will advance with the 12 teams with byes to the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, for the NAIA National Championship presented by CNOS Foundation Nov. 29-Dec. 3.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
Florida A&M turns focus to Florida Classic
DURHAM, North Carolina — Now that the picture is clear as to whom is the MEAC champion, coach Joe Taylor wasted little time explaining the significance of Saturday's game that has turned into a little bit more than a rivalry between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman.
Norfolk State won the league title, leaving the Rattlers to fight for the No.2 spot, which might actually mean something as far as an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. If nothing else, they will be playing for state bragging rights in the nationally-televised game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
"Now this game down there has significant value to it," said Taylor following the Rattlers' 31-10 victory Saturday over North Carolina Central. "We will get back and we will prepare. It's going to be electric for the classic; it always is but (the stakes) are going to add some things to it."
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FAMU Marching 100 leading Tallahassee, Florida Veterans Day Parade, 11/11/2011.
Norfolk State won the league title, leaving the Rattlers to fight for the No.2 spot, which might actually mean something as far as an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. If nothing else, they will be playing for state bragging rights in the nationally-televised game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
"Now this game down there has significant value to it," said Taylor following the Rattlers' 31-10 victory Saturday over North Carolina Central. "We will get back and we will prepare. It's going to be electric for the classic; it always is but (the stakes) are going to add some things to it."
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FAMU Marching 100 leading Tallahassee, Florida Veterans Day Parade, 11/11/2011.
NCAA Division II Football Championship Selections Announced
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The NCAA Division II Football Committee announced Sunday the field of 24 teams for the 2011 NCAA Division II Football Championship.
Eight first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, two teams per super regional have earned first-round byes. The first-round winners will all advance to face a bye team in their super regional in the second round on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Six teams selected per super regional make up the field of 24 teams.
Dates, sites and pairings
Nov. 19 at Livingston, Ala.
North Alabama (8-2) at West Alabama (8-3)
Nov. 19 at Tigerville, S.C.
Albany State (Georgia) (8-3) at North Greenville (9-2)
Nov. 19 at St. Joseph, Mo.
Northwest Missouri State (9-2) at Missouri Western State (9-2)
Nov. 19 at Topeka, Kan.
Abilene Christian (8-2) at Washburn (9-2)
Nov. 19 at California, Pa.
Elizabeth City State (8-3) at California (Pa.) (9-2)
Nov. 19 at Kutztown, Pa.
Concord (7-3) at Kutztown (10-1)
Nov. 19 at Duluth, Minn.
Saginaw Valley State (7-3) at Minnesota-Duluth (9-2)
Nov. 19 at St. Cloud, Minn.
Wayne State (Michigan) (8-3) at St. Cloud State (9-2)
Super Regional/School
Super Regional One
Winston-Salem State (11-0)
New Haven (10-1)
Super Regional Two
Delta State (9-2)
Mars Hill (8-2)
Super Regional Three
Colorado State-Pueblo (11-0)
Nebraska-Kearney (10-1)
Super Regional Four
Midwestern State (10-0)
Pittsburg State (9-1)
Institutions earning first-round byes in each super regional will host a second-round game on Nov. 26, 2011.
All contests shall start at noon local time. Other times may be established if approved by the committee.
Minnesota-Duluth defeated Delta State in the 2010 national championship game to claim last year’s NCAA title.
The championship game will be played Dec.17, at 11 a.m. ET at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala., and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 HD/ESPN3.com.
Courtesy NCAA.com
Eight first-round games will be conducted on the campus of one of the competing institutions. In addition, two teams per super regional have earned first-round byes. The first-round winners will all advance to face a bye team in their super regional in the second round on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Second-round winners will meet in the quarterfinals at various campus sites. Quarterfinal winners will advance to play in the semifinals on the campus of one of the competing institutions. Six teams selected per super regional make up the field of 24 teams.
| 2011 Division II Championship |
|---|
| Interactive Bracket |
| Printable Bracket |
| Championship Information |
Dates, sites and pairings
Nov. 19 at Livingston, Ala.
North Alabama (8-2) at West Alabama (8-3)
Nov. 19 at Tigerville, S.C.
Albany State (Georgia) (8-3) at North Greenville (9-2)
Nov. 19 at St. Joseph, Mo.
Northwest Missouri State (9-2) at Missouri Western State (9-2)
Nov. 19 at Topeka, Kan.
Abilene Christian (8-2) at Washburn (9-2)
Nov. 19 at California, Pa.
Elizabeth City State (8-3) at California (Pa.) (9-2)
Nov. 19 at Kutztown, Pa.
Concord (7-3) at Kutztown (10-1)
Nov. 19 at Duluth, Minn.
Saginaw Valley State (7-3) at Minnesota-Duluth (9-2)
Nov. 19 at St. Cloud, Minn.
Wayne State (Michigan) (8-3) at St. Cloud State (9-2)
Super Regional/School
Super Regional One
Winston-Salem State (11-0)
New Haven (10-1)
Super Regional Two
Delta State (9-2)
Mars Hill (8-2)
Super Regional Three
Colorado State-Pueblo (11-0)
Nebraska-Kearney (10-1)
Super Regional Four
Midwestern State (10-0)
Pittsburg State (9-1)
Institutions earning first-round byes in each super regional will host a second-round game on Nov. 26, 2011.
All contests shall start at noon local time. Other times may be established if approved by the committee.
Minnesota-Duluth defeated Delta State in the 2010 national championship game to claim last year’s NCAA title.
The championship game will be played Dec.17, at 11 a.m. ET at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala., and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 HD/ESPN3.com.
Courtesy NCAA.com
Stetson Hatters To Square Off With FAMU Rattlers Tonight
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – After winning their season-opener at home on Friday night, the Stetson Hatters will take their show on the road for the first time for a two-game swing through the state capital.Stetson (1-0) will square off with Florida A&M (0-1) on Monday night at the Al Lawson Center on the FAMU campus with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Hatters will then face Florida State (1-0) at the Donald L. Tucker Center on the FSU campus on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The Seminoles will also be in action on Monday, hosting UCF at 7 p.m.
The Hatters are looking to make major improvement in the area of ball protection during this road trip. Stetson turned the ball over 29 times in a 65-60 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Friday, the most in a game for the Hatters since January of 2002 in a game at Troy when Stetson turned it over 32 times.
“Our staff wants to see our guys be more sound and more consistent,” Stetson head coach Casey Alexander said. “We thought our shot selection was a lot better, when we actually got shots against Bethune. We just didn’t get enough of them because we kept throwing the ball to them and turning it over.”
The Hatters shot a respectable 54.8 percent from the field against B-CU, but managed just 42 shots in the game, as compared to 73 for the Wildcats. Bethune managed to hit just 19 of those shots, a 26 percent clip.
“I think we played hard and I think our guys tried to execute our defensive game-plan,” Alexander said of his team.
Stetson will likely see a similar type of team from Florida A&M, which opened the season on Friday with a 92-59 loss at Georgia Tech. The Rattlers shot just 37.7 percent from the field in that game, and got outrebounded 46-19.
“I think we will see a lot of the same from FAMU,” Alexander said. “I think they have more quality depth than we saw on the Bethune team, but they are not a team where we should not expect to go in and win the game. It won’t be easy and we aren’t favored, but it is a chance for us to get a road win, which would be great for us going forward.”
For the Hatters to be successful, they will have to continue to focus offensively on getting the ball inside to 6-9 junior center Adam Pegg. The Clearwater native tied for the team lead with 14 points on Friday, and got six of those from the free throw line.
“We wanted to get the ball to Adam, and we want to do that this year,” Alexander said. “He is the best chance we have of getting off to a good start by getting some interior points and getting to the free throw line. That is a focus for us, we talk a lot about that and our guys did that.”
After getting established on the inside, the Hatters should be able to get some open looks from the perimeter, which is what happened in the second half of the opener. Both Aaron Graham and Joel Naburgs connected on a trio of three-pointers, with five of the six bombs coming in the second half.
Alexander said Naburgs is almost back to full strength after missing an extended stretch during the preseason with an injury.
“I think Joel is OK,” Alexander said. “He made a big one late. He is a guy who plays with confidence, which we need. I am not worried about him. I think he will be fine over the course of the long haul.”
Courtesy: Stetson University
Norfolk State earns first MEAC championship after 47-14 win at Morgan State
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- It took Norfolk State 14 years to put itself in a position to win a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. It took the Spartans five minutes to clinch it. Norfolk State defeated Morgan State 47-14 Saturday thanks to a 17-point scoring flurry in the first five minutes of the second half.
The win clinches the school's first MEAC championship and earns the Spartans an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. It is the school's first FCS playoff appearance. "I feel great for them," Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian said. "They'll go down in history for the first MEAC title, and that's a great thing."
Photo Gallery: View all 8 photos
Norfolk State led 20-14 at halftime. It looked as though Norfolk State would run away with the game early on, but the Spartans had two drives stall out in the red zone in the first half. Norfolk State (9-2, 7-1 MEAC) struck quickly after the break, though.
Running back Randy Maynes scored on the first play from scrimmage in the quarter, a 56-yard run off right tackle that Maynes cut back for a touchdown. A defensive stop, a 28-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Estep and a Morgan State (5-5, 4-3) fumble on the ensuing kickoff quickly followed.
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NSU cinches MEAC championship with 47-14 victory
BALTIMORE, MD - Randy Maynes took a hand-off on the first play of the second half and handed back history. With Norfolk State leading by six and only one half of football standing between it and the playoffs, Maynes took the first play of the second half and rushed 56 yards up the middle of the Morgan State defense, erasing more than a quarter-century of football failures.
The touchdown, an inside run that Maynes bounced off-tackle, set off an avalanche of points for the Spartans in a 47-14 win over Morgan State (5-5, 4-3) and began a quick transition from close contest to championship celebration. Maynes' run made the score 27-14 and the Spartans (9-2, 7-1) tacked on 10 more points over the next five minutes, making the fourth quarter a victory march.
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The win clinches the school's first MEAC championship and earns the Spartans an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. It is the school's first FCS playoff appearance. "I feel great for them," Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian said. "They'll go down in history for the first MEAC title, and that's a great thing."
Photo Gallery: View all 8 photos
Norfolk State led 20-14 at halftime. It looked as though Norfolk State would run away with the game early on, but the Spartans had two drives stall out in the red zone in the first half. Norfolk State (9-2, 7-1 MEAC) struck quickly after the break, though.
Running back Randy Maynes scored on the first play from scrimmage in the quarter, a 56-yard run off right tackle that Maynes cut back for a touchdown. A defensive stop, a 28-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Estep and a Morgan State (5-5, 4-3) fumble on the ensuing kickoff quickly followed.
READ MORE
NSU cinches MEAC championship with 47-14 victory
BALTIMORE, MD - Randy Maynes took a hand-off on the first play of the second half and handed back history. With Norfolk State leading by six and only one half of football standing between it and the playoffs, Maynes took the first play of the second half and rushed 56 yards up the middle of the Morgan State defense, erasing more than a quarter-century of football failures.
The touchdown, an inside run that Maynes bounced off-tackle, set off an avalanche of points for the Spartans in a 47-14 win over Morgan State (5-5, 4-3) and began a quick transition from close contest to championship celebration. Maynes' run made the score 27-14 and the Spartans (9-2, 7-1) tacked on 10 more points over the next five minutes, making the fourth quarter a victory march.
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Prairie View's path to SWAC title game clear
Prairie View, Texas -- Prairie View A&M could advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game under two scenarios. But the Panthers care mostly about the main one - beating Alabama A&M.
Prairie View (5-5, 5-3 SWAC) is in control of its destiny as it prepares to face Alabama A&M in the teams' regular-season finale Saturday at Blackshear Stadium in Prairie View. The Panthers are tied with Grambling State (6-4, 5-3) for first place in the Western Division but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with their 31-23 win in the teams' Oct. 1 meeting.
Alabama A&M (7-3, 6-2) also needs a win to clinch the Eastern Division and advance to the title game. A loss would end the Bulldogs' championship hopes.
"The bottom line is that both teams are playing for their postseason lives right now," Prairie View coach Heishma Northern said. "As a football player and a coach, you want to play for all the marbles."
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Prairie View (5-5, 5-3 SWAC) is in control of its destiny as it prepares to face Alabama A&M in the teams' regular-season finale Saturday at Blackshear Stadium in Prairie View. The Panthers are tied with Grambling State (6-4, 5-3) for first place in the Western Division but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with their 31-23 win in the teams' Oct. 1 meeting.
Alabama A&M (7-3, 6-2) also needs a win to clinch the Eastern Division and advance to the title game. A loss would end the Bulldogs' championship hopes.
"The bottom line is that both teams are playing for their postseason lives right now," Prairie View coach Heishma Northern said. "As a football player and a coach, you want to play for all the marbles."
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S.C. State announces signing of five hoops players
Orangeburg, South Carolina -- S.C. State officially announced the signing of five men's and women's basketball players for the 2012-13 season.The newest Bulldogs include Orangeburg-Wilkinson point guard Patrick Myers, Timberland forward Darryl Palmer, Baptist Hill point guard Shaquille Mitchell and junior college guard Louis Adams.
S.C. State women's basketball coach Doug Robertson Jr. announced the signing of Spring Valley point guard Shaquita Walker. The 5-5 point guard averaged 7.1 points 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 4.1 assists for the defending Class 4-A champions last year.
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