Claflin, Paine split contests in front of homecoming crowd

Orangeburg, S.C. - The mood wasn't a very cheerful one in Tullis Arena following Claflin's SIAC opener Saturday against Paine ... at least not in the home locker room.

Mario Jordan, on the other hand, was all smiles. The Lions junior guard, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists, was one of three visiting players to finish in doubie figures as Paine put a slight damper on Claflin's Homecoming game by picking up a 70-61 win.

"This win was very important," Jordan said. "We played three scrimmages against Auburn, Georgia Southern and USC-Aiken. Auburn and Georgia Southern were to exhibition games and we lost both of those. Really, we just wanted to get this win and get that winning feeling to know what that winning feeling feels like. Now, we just want to keep it up."

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Lincoln roars, beats Cheyney in “Battle of the Firsts”

Philadelphia, PA - The Cheyney University men’s basketball team showed a little rust in their season opening contest against arch rival Lincoln University inside Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia Friday night.

With virtually an entirely new team, the Wolves fell to the Lions, 65-56, in the 21st annual “Battle of the Firsts” rivalry between the nation’s two oldest historically black universities. All-PSAC East selection Sharif Bray, along with David Burton, Bruce Kennedy and Rob Townsend, graduated, leaving few experienced players on the Wolves roster.

It was his two veteran players who transferred into the program – senior Brandon Baylor (Delaware State) and junior Jason Sabb (Angelina (Tx.) College) – who provided the bulk of the offense for the Wolves. Baylor led all scorers with 21 points, while Sabb added 20 points and eight rebounds.

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Long road ahead: Delta Devils continue their 2-month trip with loss at No. 1 UNC 101-75

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Mississippi Valley State has already lost three road games to start the season — and the journey is just beginning.

A 101-75 loss at No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday marked the latest stop in the Delta Devils’ two-month trip to begin the season. They also go to South Carolina, Arkansas, No. 7 Florida and No. 14 Wisconsin before the end of December. At least on Sunday, the Delta Devils (0-3) hung around for about a half with the Tar Heels (3-0).

“It’s going to boost our confidence up,” said Brent Arrington, who scored 33 points. “We see where we’re at and we’re going to keep working from here.”

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UMES Hawks Volleyball Earns 1st Trip to NCAA Tourney; MEAC Champions!!

BALTIMORE, MD -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship for the first time ever with a five-set victory over Florida A&M (15-25, 25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 15-12) at the Physical Education Complex at Coppin State University.

With the win, UMES has earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks continue their winning streak with their 19th straight victory, improving to 24-6. Florida A&M falls to 13-13.

After Kaveinga Lea'Aetoa (Salt Lake City, Utah) earned the first kill of the match, the Rattlers came strong with a 5-0 run with two aces from Maria Ceccarelli. FAMU built up an 18-6 lead in the game. UMES took five of the next six points including aces from Lea'Aetoa and Zoe Bowens (Long Beach, Calif.) and a kill and two blocks from Ndidi Ibe (North Richland, Texas), but ultimately it was not enough as the Rattlers won set one 25-15.

Game two started back and forth as the score was tied at five each. The Hawks put together a 3-0 run capped by a Lea'Aetoa ace for an 8-5 lead. UMES kept a lead when the Rattlers took three of four points late to get within three at 17-14. The Hawks surged ahead with five straight points including kills from Victoria Williams (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Maline Vaitai (Salt Lake City, Utah), plus a Bowens ace, to take a 22-14 lead. UMES took the set 25-17 to even the match.

At 4-4 in the third game, Saitaua Iosia (Long Beach, Calif.) went to work on a personal 3-0 run with a kill and two aces for a 7-4 UMES lead. The Hawks did not allow any back-to-back points against them until the Rattlers got two to put UMES's lead at 17-14. After FAMU got to within one at 19-18, Iosia got a kill and solo block to put the advantage back to three. At 22-20 UMES, the Hawks took three of the final four points, including two kills from Vaitai, to win the set 25-22 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery |

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Florida Classic lives up to hype

Orlando, Florida - There was a proposal at halftime, a battle of the bands that got downright vicious, soldiers doing pushups in the end zone, beauty queens, a mid-afternoon rainstorm, dancers and imagine tailgating and barbecue on steroids. Oh yeah, there was a football game, too.

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats took revenge on the Florida A&M Rattlers for last year’s upset with a convincing 26-16 victory in this year’s annual Florida Classic football game played at the Citrus Bowl.

The super bowl between Florida’s historical black colleges felt exactly like that. A festive, playoff-like atmosphere started in the early morning and lasted throughout the contest that drew 60,218. Before the game, surrounding motorways and neighborhoods were paralyzed with revelers willing to put aside differing school colors and partying side by side, at least until game time.

Photo Gallery: Florida Classic



Bethune-Cookman beats Florida A&M in Florida Classic

Bethune-Cookman played one of its best all-around games of the season on Saturday, beating Florida A&M in the Florida Classic, 26-16. The game was played at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando.

Bethune-Cookman outgained Florida A&M in the rushing game, 256-58, led by 93 yards from Isidore Jackson. Jonathan Moment added 60 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Quarterback Jackie Wilson completed 13 of 18 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown.

Florida A&M was led by quarterback Damien Fleming, who completed 21 of 38 attempts for 282 yards and two touchdowns. However, he also had three passes intercepted.

Bethune-Cookman didn't score in the first quarter and trailed 3-0, but outscored FAMU 10-0 in the second quarter and 14-7 in the third to take a lead it would not relinquish.

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North Carolina A&T Aggies Beat No. 18 Liberty Lady Flames

Greensboro, N.C. - The A.C. was definitely on in Corbett Sports Center on Friday night.

Redshirt junior Amber Calvin matched a career-high by scoring 24 points to help propel the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team (2-2) to an 81-74 win against Liberty (1-2), who was ranked 18th among mid-major schools by CollegeInsider.com.

"Amber is as cool as she wants to be when she's doing it," said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "It's just great to have her back and to have Mikala (Scott)."

Scott finished with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Calvin, who had just 16 points in her first three games, more than doubled her point total with her strong performance. The redshirt sophomore out of Fayetteville, N.C., returned this season after injuring her knee before the start of the 2010-11 season.

She went 6-for-8 from beyond the arc, with four of those coming in the first half, and 6-for-8 at the free throw line. Junior forward JaQuayla Berry had 16 points for the Aggies.

With 11:18 on the clock, the Flames pulled within seven points on a layup by Devon Brown, who finished the game with 14 points. The Aggies went five minutes without scoring, a drought that ended with 7:03 to play, as Berry hit a layup to give the Aggies a three-point lead.

Catherine Kearney brought the Flames within one, at 60-59 with a layup with 6:05 left on the clock. From there, the Aggies worked to keep out of their reach, with layups and free throws. Calvin had five free throws in the last two minutes to help put the game away for the Aggies. The Aggies, in addition to having a strong shooting night, ended the game with just 15 turnovers.

Box Score:  Aggies vs. Liberty

"They're a very young team, and to not lose their composure and to just keep doing positive things, is a sign that the chemistry is coming," Bibbs said.

The Aggies finished the first half with a 43-35 lead, propelled by 12 points by Calvin, all of which came from her strong 3-point shooting, 11 points by Scott, who also had a pair from beyond the arc, and 10 points by sophomore Tiffanie Adair.

Liberty pulled ahead to a quick 4-0 lead, but a pair of three-points from Scott and Calvin tied the game at 6. The Aggies took a 17-10 lead with a three-pointer from Calvin, and never trailed again. The Aggies hammered the bigger Flames on the inside, as Adair got inside the paint to score three times in the last five minutes of the first half.

The win marks the 488th career victory for Bibbs, who is now 12 away from joining the 500 win club. For Bibbs, this win against Liberty is one she really wanted.

"We didn't tell the ladies what this team was ranked. They found out later," she said. "I lost to this team, very close each time, seven times, not only here, but when I was at Hampton. I really wanted this win, I really did, and they gave it to me. "

The Aggies will be taking on ACC opponent Clemson on Monday at 7 p.m., in Corbett Sports Center. General admission tickets are $7, but N.C. A&T students can get into the game for free by showing their student OneCard. Bibbs hopes the momentum from the win against a ranked team will help the Aggies in Monday's match-up.

"This really shows us that we can play, that we can do all the things that we need to do. I think more than anything that Monday night is going to be a very, very tough game for us, but I think we're going to be ok, if we play like we did tonight," she said.

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information

NCA&T Aggies run away with 31-21 win over rival NCCU Eagles

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The tone for North Carolina Central University’s day against rival North Carolina A&T was set on its opening drive. The Eagles moved the ball deep into Aggie territory, but lost a fumble. NCCU played catch-up the rest of the afternoon as A&T regained bragging rights in the series with a 31-21 win in front of 18,413 fans inside Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

A&T took that opening fumble down the field 77 yards on 11 plays to take an early 7-0 advantage. In the second quarter, the Aggies converted on fourth down and later on third down and 12 yards to go quarterback Lewis Kindle threw a 37-yard touchdown to Wallace Miles to push the lead to 14-0 at 12:27.



That 14-point cushion proved to be too much for the Eagles to overcome. Each time NCCU scored a touchdown, it pulled the squad close, but not even or ahead, and each time the Aggies had an answer.

A&T dominated the ground game, pounding out 213 rushing yards, including 163 rushing yards by senior Mike Mayhew, while holding the Eagles to only nine rushing yards on 19 carries. The Aggies finished the contest with 414 yards of total offense compared to 224 by NCCU.

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SSU Tigers show effort but fall short in season finale to S.C. State

Savannah, Georgia -- It was the final game of the season for Savannah State at the newly renovated T.A. Wright Stadium, and although the Tigers lost to South Carolina State, 20-10, the hard-fought game gave coach Steve Davenport something to build upon.

“Ultimately the sting of the loss is still there, but we can definitely take something positive out of this game,” said Davenport, who finished his first year at the helm of the program with a 1-10 record. “I liked how we fought our butts off today and had a zest for the game.”

The Tigers were coming off losses to Norfolk State (45-3) and Bethune-Cookman (59-3) and hadn’t scored a touchdown since a 47-7 loss to Florida A&M on Oct. 15.

MEAC rival South Carolina State (7-4) scored on its second possession on a 31-yard field goal by Blake Erickson. The 77-yard, 10-play drive was highlighted by a 39-yard pass from quarterback Richard Cue to Dylan Cook.



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FAMU Drum Major Dies On Orlando Trip

Deputies: No Sign Of Foul Play In Robert Champion's Death

Orlando, Florida -- The drum major for Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University died after being found unresponsive in a bus parked outside of an Orlando hotel Saturday night.

Orange County investigators said Robert Champion, 26, was unresponsive on a bus in the parking lot of the Rosen Plaza Hotel on International Drive just before 10 p.m. The band was staying at the hotel during a trip to the Florida Classic game.

Other band members said Champion had thrown up and could not breathe. His friends called 911 and performed CPR. Paramedics took him to Dr. Phillips Hospital, where he died.

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Deputies: FAMU student found unresponsive on bus

Orange County Sheriff's deputies said a Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University student who died, fell ill and collapsed while aboard a bus parked outside an Orlando hotel where the school's marching band was staying.

Robert Champion, 26, was on the bus with the FAMU marching band in front of the Rosen Plaza hotel on International Drive Saturday when he started vomiting and complained that he couldn't breathe, according to Orange County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ginette Rodriguez.

Friends called 911 and performed CPR, she said.

Deputies arrived about 9:46 p.m. to find Champion unresponsive, and they transported him to Dr. Phillips hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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Student Dies During Classic Weekend

Rare mistakes motivate Tuskegee's crack cornerback Baker

Tuskegee, Alabama -- Cornerbacks aren't supposed to dwell on failures. With so many pass plays in the average game, and with such a small margin for error, coaches like their defensive backs to shake off bad plays and dumb mistakes quickly. Let it go. Don't think about it again. Move on and play better next time. That's the coach-speak.

Tuskegee cornerback Kenneth Baker takes a different approach. "I remember every time I've been beaten," Baker said. "I can remember them all, and I think about them."

For instance, when talking about Alabama State's standout receiver Nick Andrews, two plays come immediately to Baker's mind -- a missed tackle and a double move.

"He got me on that double move last year -- I'll be watching for that this year," Baker said. "There was a missed tackle once, too. That's what I remember about facing him."

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Bell City's Johnson signs to play volleyball at South Carolina State

Bell City, Missouri -- South Carolina State volleyball coach Donika Sutton discovered a gem during her trip to a Missouri Class 1 sectional volleyball match last season. Sutton, who is from Hayti, Missouri, and was an assistant coach at South Carolina State last season, watched Bell City's Jasmine Johnson lead the Cubs into the state quarterfinal round last season.

"She approached me and was like, 'We're thinking about looking at you from South Carolina State,'" Johnson said. "I didn't know where it was or even heard of it. It's a four-year university, and I was like, 'OK, I want to go there.'"

Johnson visited the South Carolina State campus in early October and finalized her decision last week when she signed a letter of intent to continue her volleyball career with the Bulldogs. "The campus, I like that, the dorm, the team," Johnson said. "The coach I liked a lot. Plus the coach is from down here, so I was like, 'OK.'"

Johnson said she also considered Southeast Missouri State and Murray State as well as some junior colleges before deciding on South Carolina State, which ...

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XU Gold Nuggets' early run buries Huston-Tillotson

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Seven players scored in an early 17-0 run Saturday which carried NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 72-41 women's basketball victory against Huston-Tillotson.

The Lady Rams (0-1) scored the first two points, then went scoreless for nearly 7½ minutes. The Gold Nuggets (4-1) led 33-21 at halftime, and the final margin was the game's largest.

Keldra Hall, with 12 points, was Xavier's only double-figure scorer, but 13 teammates scored. Jasmine Grant made three 3-pointers in the first half, and Jazmoné Kelly grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds. SiMon Franklin and Carmen Holcombe scored eight points apiece.

Kandice Smith scored 15 points for Huston-Tillotson, and Jasmine Dukes had 13 points and nine rebounds.

Xavier outshot the Lady Rams 39.5 to 23.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 54-37. The Nuggets gained 27 turnovers and had 16 steals, both season bests.

The Gold Nuggets have won 13 straight at The Barn and 112 of the past 119 games in their campus facility, which was built in 1937 but will be replaced next year by a 4,500-seat arena.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Hampton Pirates have a happy Senior Day; Morgan St. falls 42-18

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Pirates of Hampton University closed out the 2011 football season it great style, beating the Bears of Morgan State at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday. With the victory, the Pirates closed out the season with a 7-4 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play.

The Bears fell to 5-6 on the year and closed with a 4-4 record in MEAC play. Hampton got off a seemingly slow start, punting on their first possession, but they turned around and scored on their second possession, when quarterback Bradford Hudson connected with Isaiah Thomas from 10 yards out to put Hampton up 7-0.



Hampton’s defense also came ready to play in the first half, holding Morgan State to just a 33-yard field goal by Ervin Gonzalez to make the score 7-3 after two quarters. The Pirates came out in the second half firing on all cylinders behind freshman quarterback Travis Champion, who threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the second half alone.

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Champion performance

Hampton true freshman quarterback Travis Champion had a pretty good two quarters of work on Saturday.

With the Pirates up 7-3 going into the third quarter after fellow freshman Brad Hudson had gone 6-of-13 for 59 yards and a touchdown in the first half, Champion got the ball to open the third quarter against Morgan State. The product of Rancho Verde (Calif.) High, where he threw for 2,400 yards and 28 TDs as a senior, promptly led a six-play, 63-yard scoring drive, capped by his 25-yard pass to Isiah Thomas.

Champion also threw TD passes of 33 and 27 yards as he went 13-of-17 for 192 yards, three scores and one interception. "That's not bad for a freshman," HU coach Donovan Rose said.



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Tarpley TDs help DSU Hornets stun Howard

DOVER, Delaware — Delaware State ended its eight-game losing streak by rallying from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit behind two Travis Tarpley touchdowns to edge Howard 39-36 Saturday for its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the season.

Delaware State (3-8 overall, 1-7 MEAC) found itself trailing 36-24 with 13:39 to go after the Bison’s Terrance LeFall scored his second touchdown of the game.

“Our mind-set was to keep working hard and keep fighting and just stay together,” Tarpley said. “All season, the obstacle was just staying together as one unit, and that’s what the coaches put in our heads this game. If we played together, we’d have a great outcome.”

Facing second-and-10 at the Bison 38 on the Hornets’ next possession, Nick Elko moved to his right and passed to Tarpley near the line of scrimmage. Tarpley weaved through the Bison defense and ran into the end zone. With Mitchell Ward’s point-after kick, Delaware State closed the gap to 36-31.

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FCS Playoff Field Announced; Strong 8-3 B-CU Team Left Out for Others ...

Scheduling Div. II Fort Valley State may have derailed both B-CU and FAMU opportunity for playoffs

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The field of 20 teams competing for the 2011 FCS title was announced Sunday by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

Sam Houston State (11-0) tops the bracket as the No. 1 seed after capturing the automatic-qualifying berth from the Southland Conference. The Bearkats are making their fifth appearance and first since 2004.

Second-seeded North Dakota State (10-1) is making its second consecutive appearance. The Bison captured the Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic berth.

Georgia Southern University (9-2), which is making its 18th overall tournament appearance, is the No. 3 seed. The six-time national champion Eagles captured the Southern Conference automatic berth.

Montana (9-2) earned the No. 4 seed after winning the Big Sky Conference automatic berth. The Grizzlies, the 1995 and 2001 national champion, are making its 21st appearance in the playoffs.

Rounding out this year’s seeded teams is Northern Iowa (9-2) with the No. 5 seed. The Panthers are making their 16th overall appearance.

FCS Championship Bracket

Conference	At-Large Qualifier (Record)
Big Sky	Montana St. (9-2)
Colonial Athletic Association	James Madison (7-4)
Colonial Athletic Association	Maine (8-3)
Colonial Athletic Association	New Hampshire (8-3)
Colonial Athletic Association	Old Dominion (9-2)
Missouri Valley Football Conference	No. 5 Northern Iowa (9-2)
Ohio Valley Conference	Eastern Kentucky (7-4)
Southern Conference	Appalachian State (8-3)
Southern Conference	Wofford (8-3)
Southland Conference	Central Arkansas (8-3)

First-round hosts include Big South automatic qualifier Stony Brook (8-3), Ohio Valley Conference automatic qualifier Tennessee Tech (7-3) along with Old Dominion (9-2) and Eastern Kentucky (7-4).

The top four national seeds will host winners from the first-round matchups. Others hosting second rounds game will be Northern Iowa, Appalachian State (8-3), Montana State (9-2) and the Colonial Athletic Association automatic qualifier Towson (9-2).

Other automatic qualifiers in the tournament include Albany (8-3), the Northeast Conference champion, which clinched its first trip into the championship. Also making its first trip into the championship is Norfolk State (9-2), winner of the automatic bid from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Winning the Patriot League was the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh (10-1).

Other teams in the field: first-time participant Central Arkansas (8-3); James Madison (7-4); Maine (8-3); New Hampshire (8-3); and Wofford (8-3).

Ten conferences received automatic-qualifying berths: the Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Missouri Valley Football Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference and Southland Conference.

The combination of NCAA.com and ESPN’s family of networks will once again provide coverage of all rounds of the 2011 FCS Championship. Television schedules and games times for all rounds of the 2011 championship will be updated daily at NCAA.com/fcs.

The 2012 FCS Championship Game is slated for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 7, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The game will be televised on ESPN2 HD and on ESPN3 the championship game.

Courtesy NCAA.com

2011 Florida Classic Battle of the Bands: FAMU vs. B-CU

Videographer: O-JAY, TheOProductions1907

Gold Rush defense steps up late to rally past Wiley

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Chris Iles had 15 points and six assists Saturday, and NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana rallied late for a 64-60 men's basketball victory against Wiley.
The Gold Rush (4-0) have won 20 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents. The Wildcats (2-2) dropped their second in a row.

Wiley had its biggest second-half lead, 58-54, after Freddie Haynes' basket with 7:41 remaining. But Xavier outscored the Wildcats 10-2 thereafter and took the lead for good at 60-58 when Iles passed to Anthony Simmons for a basket with 1:10 remaining. Simmons, who finished with 11 points, scored Xavier's first three baskets of the closing run.

Kevin Miller and Cordell Hadnot scored 10 points apiece for Xavier, and Hadnot grabbed nine rebounds.

Richard Simon had 15 points, six assists and three steals for Wiley, and Kenny La Guerre had 12 points and eight rebounds.

Miller blocked two shots and made two free throws in the final 30 seconds to give Xavier a 62-58 lead. After Simon scored for Wiley with eight-tenths of a second remaining, Iles made two more free throws for the final points.

Iles scored 10 points to lead Xavier to a 34-30 halftime advantage.

Xavier outshot the Wildcats 44.2 to 37.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-33. The Gold Rush have won 12 straight at home against Wiley since 1986.

The teams will meet again next Saturday at Wiley, making it the second straight year that the Gold Rush and Wildcats meet in consecutive games.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Lady Rattlers Beat BCU, Earn MEAC Title Spot

Baltimore, Maryland -- The Florida A&M Volleyball team returns to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship game, after a one-year hiatus with a 3-0(25-20, 25-15, 25-18) win over Bethune-Cookman in the semifinal round of the tourney, here Saturday afternoon at Physical Education Complex on the campus of Coppin State University.

FAMU (13-12) was led by Maria Ceccarelli as she finished with a game high 16 kills, followed by Marija Jovanic with 11, while Katherine Huanec added 10. Diana Gonzalez led the Lady Rattlers in assists, while Karol Marquez led the team in digs with 14.

BCU (14-18) was led by Jameen Davis with a team high 14 kills, followed by Krysta Gardner with 12. Frances Rodriguez led the Lady Wildcats in assists and digs with 22 digs and five assists.

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MEACSports.TV   Final: UMES Hawks wins 2011 MEAC Volleyball Championship

Turnovers trip up Tennessee State; Tigers post losing record

Nashville, Tennessee -- After winning four of its previous five games, Tennessee State was on a roll, but the Tigers’ season ended with a thud Saturday in a 38-16 loss to Jacksonville State at LP Field. TSU (5-6, 4-4 OVC) posted its third consecutive losing record. Jacksonville State (7-4, 6-2) finished in a thee-way tie for first with Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky.

Tech won the tiebreaker, giving the Golden Eagles the automatic berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. TSU tied for fifth in the OVC with UT Martin. Tigers Coach Rod Reed, who was 3-8 in his first season, said the loss would not take away the momentum the Tigers had picked up.

“Come on now, Jacksonville State was a top-10 football team at the beginning of the season and we went blow-for-blow with them today,” Reed said. “We just happened to have some turnovers. You cannot turn the football over and expect to beat good football teams.

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Photo Gallery: TSU vs. Jacksonville State

TSU Tigers' pressure comes too late

Tennessee State’s inability to apply pressure on Coty Blanchard led to Jacksonville State claiming a 38-16 victory Saturday, Tigers defensive end Lawrence Peterson said.

The Tigers sacked Blanchard twice, but he completed 15 of 19 passes for 213 yards and two TDs. He also carried the ball 11 times for 38 yards and gave Jacksonville State a 14-10 lead on a 27-yard run in the second quarter.

“If we had gotten a better pass rush on some of their play-action passes, we could have had a better chance to win,” said Peterson, who sacked Blanchard once and recorded another tackle for a loss. “Me and Antonio Harper tried to get the pass rush going at the end of the game, but it was just too late.”

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Jackson State blows out Alcorn Braves

Jackson, Mississippi -- The 2011 Capital City Classic turned out to be a completely one-sided game at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium in Jackson Saturday afternoon.

The Alcorn State Braves were on the wrong end of a record-breaking performance by Jackson State quarterback Casey Therriault. Therriault threw for 539 yards and four touchdowns en route to breaking the single-season record for passing yards and total yards at Jackson State. The explosive Tigers’ passing attack and a suffocating defense led to a 51-7 victory over Alcorn State.

“Therriault went to work tonight,” Alcorn State head coach Melvin Spears said. “This is an outstanding team, one of the best in the nation, and we have nothing to hang our heads about.”

Jackson State (9-2, 7-2) ended the game with 687 yards of total offense to Alcorn’s 209.

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Counting Ws and Ls, Braves' Spears is 'in the red'

Following Alcorn State's lopsided 51-7 loss to rival Jackson State on Saturday, Braves coach Melvin Spears didn't take long to answer the question.

"Do you think you'll be back as Alcorn's coach next season?" "Absolutely," said the first-year coach.

Alcorn President Christopher Brown, who said earlier in the week that it was a "50/50" chance Spears would return, didn't sound quite so certain.

"It's too early to say," said Brown. "I'm shocked by the score. But you don't just want to judge a coach just by wins and losses. We will look at the players grades' and look at the revenue for the season. This game definitely helps because Jackson State brought in a big crowd and we share revenue on this one, so that's good. But we had two poor performance games and two poor attendance games this year, so that's going to hurt the bottom line. I have to make sure he's in the black. Wins and losses, he's in the red. You can't change that."



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D'Souza, Kwame Jackson lead Xavier at national meet

VANCOUVER, Washington -- Anna D'Souza and Kwame Jackson were the fastest finishers for Xavier University of Louisiana on Saturday at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

D'Souza, a senior, ran 5,000 meters in 20 minutes, 26 seconds to place 238th out of 323 women. Her time is the Gold Nuggets' fastest at nationals, surpassing Katrina Davis' 20:40.9 in 2003, and D'Souza closed her XU career with her two fastest 5K times. She was fifth in 20:24.93 at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships four weeks earlier.

Jackson, a freshman, ran 8,000 meters in 27:40 to finish 275th out of 312 men. His time is second fastest by a Gold Rush runner at nationals.

Xavier's women finished 30th out of 32 teams, and the men finished 31st out of 32. It's the first time the Gold Nuggets finished ahead of two teams at nationals.

GCAC individual champion Zahri Jackson, Kwame's sister, was 259th in 20:42. Catherine Fakler was 265th in 20:50, Donyé Coleman was 287th in 21:18, Darian Towns was 299th in 21:36, Ashley Taylor was 312th in 21:59, and Hali Yarmush was 315th in 22:09.

In the men's race Xavier's Matt Pieri was 296th in 28:26. Javon Mead was 301st in 28:54, Emmanuel Deteige was 310th in a career-best 30:14, and Jamaal Williams was 312th in 31:37.

Cal State San Marcos won its third consecutive women's championship, and Grand View's Obsie Birru was the individual winner in 17:15. Oklahoma Christian won the men's championship, and Wayland Baptist's Kennedy Kithuka finished in 23:15 to repeat as individual winner.

It was the third time in four seasons that both XU teams competed at nationals.

Women's Individual | Team Results
Men's Individual | Team Results 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Wins Home Finale 42-6 Over Texas Southern

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas – Senior Stephen Jones tallied 92 yards and two rushing touchdowns as Arkansas-Pine Bluff used a solid running game to defeat Texas Southern 42-6 on Saturday in the Golden Lions' regular-season finale.

Benjamin Anderson threw two touchdown passes completing a 27-yarder to Rontrell Bailey in the third quarter, and a 57-yarder to T.J. Shelton in the fourth. Adrian Moore added scoring rushes of 8 and 11 yards as Arkansas-Pine Bluff racked up 262 yards rushing on 48 attempts. With the win the Golden Lions stay alive in the race for a SWAC Championship berth.

“Our players showed a lot of determination out there today,” said UAPB head coach Monte Coleman. “Our running game paved the way on offense and defensively we were able to limit their ability to score. I couldn't be happier for our seniors and our entire team because they truly deserved this victory.”



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Prairie View's SWAC title hopes dashed by Alabama A&M

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M's path to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game was well in sight during the closing seconds against Alabama A&M. The Panthers had possession at their own 7-yard line and trailed by two with 1:23 remaining. A field goal would likely put them ahead for good and provide a dream ending.

But that dream died two plays later.

Freshman quarterback Jerry Lovelocke was sacked and had the ball stripped by Bulldogs defensive end Corey Hart, who recovered it at the Prairie View 7 to send the Panthers to a 17-15 season-ending loss before a homecoming crowd of 10,500 Saturday afternoon at Blackshear Stadium.

Prairie View (5-6, 5-4) fell one win short ...

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Alabama A&M defeats Prairie View to clinch SWAC East title

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - With its Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game hopes on the line, and with its starting quarterback on the bench with a sprained left knee, Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones turned to little-used David Isabelle on Saturday and asked him to lead the Bulldogs to Birmingham.

Isabelle, whose only appearance at quarterback this season was in a mop-up role against Mississippi Valley State on Oct. 8, delivered.

The former Johnson High School star threw two touchdown passes to G'Alonzo Milton, Kaderius Lacey rushed for 163 yards and the Bulldogs' defense forced a turnover with just more than a minute remaining as A&M turned back Prairie View 17-15 before an announced crowd of 10,500 at Blackshear Stadium.

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North Greenville wins first ever NCAA Division II Playoff Game with 63-14 blowout over Albany State (Ga.)

Tigerville, SC – 212 was the number North Greenville University senior linebacker Carl Dukes posted on Facebook the week before NGU’s first ever NCAA Division II football national championship playoff appearance against Albany State of Georgia. “212 is the boiling point of water and we want to be boiling all week,” Dukes said.

His prediction held true as the Crusaders set a school record for points scored for the second consecutive week by blowing out the Albany State Golden Rams (8-4) of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 63-14 at Younts Stadium. NGU (10-2) has outscored its last three opponents 179-21 and tied the school mark with eight straight victories. The Crusaders also amassed a school best 145 unanswered points dating back to the Wingate game three weeks ago. That streak was snapped in the second quarter when Albany scored. North Greenville, which leads the NCAA Division II in time of possession, held onto the ball for 36:25, to only 23:35 for Albany.

NGU advances to the second round of the Division II playoffs to face second seeded Mars Hill College on Saturday, Nov. 26 at noon in North Carolina. The last loss the Crusaders suffered this season was to Mars Hill 38-28 on September 24.

Box Score

The rout started early when the Crusaders’ Isaiah Johnson intercepted Albany’s Stanley Jennings pass on the second play of the Golden Rams’ first series. Idris Anderson put NGU on the board first on a nine yard run with 6:10 left in the first quarter. Justin Gravely’s extra point made it 7-0.

After forcing an Albany punt, senior quarterback Willy Korn guided NGU into the end zone quickly when Teryan Rucker went in from 15 yards out with 13:42 left in the second. Albany started a drive on its next possession, but had it end quickly when senior cornerback Jereme Green picked off the first of his two interceptions. He returned the ball to the Albany 14, and Willy Korn hit Sean Wright on a scrambling play with a 10 yard touchdown pass. Gravely’s point after made it 21-0. After Albany’s Australian punter Luke Jones kicked it away, Isaiah Johnson took the ball into the end zone for a 62 yard punt return touchdown. Albany’s Brandon Hamilton missed a 35 yard field goal attempt on the Rams’ next series, and Korn then marched NGU down the field on an 8 play 80 yard drive, culminated when Marcus Wilson scored on a 22 yard run that make it 35-0.

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Cal Vulcans blank ECSU Vikings in first round, 44-0

California, PA - Junior running back Lamont Smith (Penn Hills, Pa./Central Catholic) and senior wide receiver Thomas Mayo (Reston, Va./South Lakes) each scored three touchdowns and the defense registered a shutout on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 17 Vulcans cruised to a 44-0 victory over Elizabeth City State (N.C.) in the first round of NCAA Playoffs at Adamson Stadium.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania football team improves to 10-2 overall, marking its fifth-straight season with at least 10 victories. The Vulcans will now travel to face No. 3 Winston-Salem State (N.C.), who is undefeated (11-0), in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 26, at 12 p.m. Meanwhile, the Vikings finish the year with an 8-4 record with all four losses coming against nationally-ranked opponents.

Redshirt junior quarterback Peter Lalich (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) posted his third 300-yard game of the season, finishing with 357 passing yards on 26-of-34 attempts with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He became only the third 3,000-yard quarterback in school history and now ranks second with 3,344 yards this season. Lalich is also only one touchdown shy of becoming the third quarterback with 30 touchdown passes in a single-season.

Mayo set a season high with three touchdown receptions (3, 12, 15) on eight catches for 89 yards. He now ranks second in single-season school history with 1,230 receiving yards and his 73 receptions rank as third-highest total in school history. Mayo also is now tied for 12th all-time in NCAA Division II history with 44 receiving touchdowns, including a career-high 16 this year.

Smith finished with 83 rushing yards on 11 attempts (7.5 yards/attempt) and three touchdowns (36, 5, 1) after posting only two rushing scores in the regular season. With his performance, he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark (1,078) and is one of four running backs in school history with 1,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons.

 Box Score

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