Maynor: Playoff system the only way to go

Winston Salem State University will play Wayne State (MI) on Saturday in the semifinals at Bowman Gray Stadium at 2 p.m. TV: ESPN

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU, who is in his second season as a head coach, says there's nothing like the excitement of a playoff to decide the national championship.

"I use this as an example," Maynor said. "A few years ago, the Indianapolis Colts had records of 15-1, 14-2 and 13-3, and were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but not once did they play in the Super Bowl. None of the years they made it because they had to play to get there.

"The BCS is a bunch of bull jive. It's somebody's opinion who the best two teams are. We were picked to lose the last five weeks and we won because you decide it on the field."

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XU Gold Rush defense takes control in 62-45 home victory

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Cordell Hadnot scored 10 points Tuesday, and Xavier University of Louisiana excelled defensively in a 62-45 men's basketball victory against Mobile.

The Gold Rush shut down Mobile scoring leader Ji Kimbrough and allowed its fewest points in nearly a year.

Kimbrough, who entered the game averaging 19.7 points, scored a season-low four points in 36 minutes. He was 0-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the line.

Xavier used 11 players, and 10 scored. Chris Iles and Wanto Joseph had nine points apiece, and Denzell Erves and Renard Smith scored eight apiece. Erves grabbed 10 rebounds, his most since the season opener, and had two steals and two blocks.

Brock Dockery led Mobile (3-5) with nine points and six rebounds.

Hadnot, a senior forward who led the Gold Rush in scoring for the first time this season, scored eight second-half points on 3-of-3 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line.

Mobile led 7-4 in the fifth minute before Xavier took control during the next 8½ minutes with an 19-2 run which included 11 consecutive points.

Kevin Miller's 3-point play, his only points of the game, put the Gold Rush ahead to stay at 9-7 with 13:09 remaining. Smith and Iles scored five points apiece during the burst, which Smith capped with a 3-pointer to give Xavier a 23-9 lead at at 6:31.

Xavier led 34-18 at halftime and maintained its double-digit lead thereafter. Twice the Rush led by 19 in the second half.

The Gold Rush outshot the Rams 44.9 to 37.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-25. Xavier committed 15 turnovers but gained 20 on a season-best 12 steals.

Xavier allowed its fewest points since a 69-42 victory against Webber International on the road last Dec. 29. Xavier allowed its fewest points at The Barn since a 65-45 victory against Mobile on Feb. 22, 2010.

The Gold Rush defeated the Rams for a school-record fifth consecutive time and swept Mobile for the second straight season. Xavier won 80-71 at Mobile on Nov. 14 with Kimbrough scoring 27 points. Xavier is 41-2 in non-conference home games the past four seasons.

Xavier will break for fall semester exams, then resume its schedule at 7 p.m. next Tuesday at William Carey.

Box score

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

Lincoln women eclipse last season's win total

Head Women's Basketball Coach Jessica Kern
Lincoln University ( Pa.)

 LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania — Want evidence that first-year head coach Jessica Kern and the Lincoln basketball program are making real, tangible progress? The Lady Lions now have more wins this season than a year ago, and they’ve played in 18 fewer games.

Lincoln played solid defense early, and was efficient down the stretch offensively, while turning aside Washington Adventist, 74-59, in nonleague action Monday at Rivero Hall. In just eight games, the Lions already have four victories, which last year’s team failed to reach in 26 outings.

“People can say that wins and losses don’t take a mental toll on a program, but for my returners, they’ve been having a battle in the back of their mind whether they are good enough to move forward,” Kern said. “Our newbies have no idea – it means nothing to them. But for our returnees, it’s an important milestone.

“Now we are over it. There is no question that we are moving forward.”

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SWAC championship game: AAMU Bulldogs aim to seize the day against GSU Tigers

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Willie Fuller, one of eight seniors on Alabama A&M's football team, delivered the message Saturday afternoon. During a team meeting after practice, Fuller and the rest of A&M's seniors told their teammates don't let the opportunity ahead pass them by.

The opportunity is a chance to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. 

A&M (8-3) will take on Grambling (7-4) in the title game Saturday at Birmingham's Legion Field. Kickoff is noon, and the game will be televised on ESPNU and can be heard on 90.9 FM.

"We reminded everybody that this is a great opportunity and not to take it for granted," said Fuller, A&M's leading tackler with 75. "We're in the championship game and we need to take advantage of this opportunity."

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GSU, Alabama State still very similar

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- A college football team from Louisiana will meet a college football team from Alabama for the second time this season with a championship on the line.

The difference is this game will be played in Alabama and is for the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship instead of the national crown.

"I don't know that I can speak to that one (the BCS National Championship Game between LSU and Alabama)," said Grambling coach Doug Williams, whose team faces Alabama A&M on Saturday at noon.  "The rematch here is a championship game and it's the best place for it to be, like the other schools from Louisiana and Alabama. I'd rather take this one than a regular-season matchup."

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XU women 17th in NAIA coaches poll; men drop out of top 25

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women's basketball team dropped from 16th to 17th in the NAIA Division I coaches poll. XU's men missed the top 25 by eight points after ranking 21st in the preseason.

Both polls, which were announced late Monday afternoon, are the first of the regular season.

The Gold Nuggets (7-3) have two victories against teams in the top 25, including a 56-51 home decision Saturday against Shorter, which climbed from 21st to 18th. The other XU victory was 79-76 on Nov. 12 at Georgetown (Ky.), which moved into the rankings at 21st. Two Xavier losses are to unbeaten teams.

The Gold Rush (5-2), ranked in every top 25 this past season, received 54 points to rank 26th. Fresno Pacific is 25th with 62 points.

Xavier's men won their first four games before losing 78-67 at Wiley on Nov. 26 and 66-59 at home to city rival Loyola this past Tuesday. The Gold Rush rebounded by winning 78-61 at home against Concordia (Ala.) on Saturday.

There will be another ranking of the men and women next Monday, followed by the third regular-season polls in early January.

Oklahoma City, Xavier's opponent Dec. 20 in the Vegas Hoopla event at Las Vegas, replaced defending champion Azusa Pacific as the No. 1 women's team.

Robert Morris (Chicago) and Concordia (Calif.) share the No. 1 men's ranking. Pikeville, the defending men's champion and preseason No. 1, dropped to 22nd.  The only Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's team in the top 25 is Tougaloo, which fell from 13th into a tie for 20th with John Brown.

The Gold Rush will play Mobile at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Barn. The Gold Nuggets are idle until a 2 p.m. game Dec. 17 at Loyola.

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Upcoming Games at The Barn

Dec. 6 (Tue.) — Men's Basketball vs. Mobile, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10 (Tue.) — Women's Basketball vs. SUNO, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 10 (Tue.) — Men's Basketball vs. SUNO, 7:30 p.m.

Free admission for XU students with a valid XU identification card

Winston-Salem State Advances To NCAA DII Semifinals

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State University got two long touchdown passes from quarterback Kameron Smith to wide receiver Jameze Massey, while running back Nicholas Cooper, rushed for 132 yards and one score and the Rams' defense stymied the New Haven Charger offense enroute to a 27-7 win in the NCAA DII Quarterfinals at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.

Winston-Salem State moves to 13-0, and under second-year head coach Connell Maynor, now advance to the national semifinals where they will host Wayne State University with a trip to the NCAA Div. II championship game on Dec. 17 in Florence, Alabama on the line.

Offensively for WSSU, Nicholas Cooper rushed for 138 yards on just 14 carries and one touchdown, while Kameron Smith passed for 274 yards and touchdowns with one interception.

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Alabama State Hornets gives Florida International first home loss of season

MIAMI, Florida - -The FIU men's basketball team (2-5) suffered its first home loss of the season, falling to the Alabama State Hornets (1-5), 60-57, on Saturday, Dec. 3, at U.S. Century Bank Arena.

Despite leading by eight points after the first half, the Panthers were out-scored 39-28 in the second stanza to drop their fifth contest of the season.

For the game, FIU committed 19 turnovers, resulting in 20 points for the Hornets. The Panthers shot 45.7 percent (21-of-46) from the floor and were just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc (11.1 percent). Senior DeJuan Wright poured in a career-high 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed five boards on the night, while sophomore Dominique Ferguson registered a game-high 11 rebounds and notched eight points on 3-of-7 shooting.

Senior Jeremy Allen tried to sink his second buzzer-beating shot in the last three games, however, a 3-point heave as time expired failed to fall, as FIU lost by a three-point margin. Allen registered eight points versus the Hornets in 37 minutes of action.


FIU Head Coach Isiah Thomas addresses the media after a 60-57 loss to Alabama State on Saturday, Dec. 3 2011.

ASU converted 41.2 percent of its shots on the night, including 14-of-25 (56.0 percent) during the second half. The Hornets drained eight 3-pointers, shooting 40.0 percent from downtown. Kenderek Washington notched a career-high 19 points for the Hornets, converting 4-of-8 shots from 3-point range.

FIU will next travel to Nacogdoches, Texas, to face Texas Wesleyan in the E-Tech Lumberjack Classic on Saturday, Dec. 10. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

ASU Hornets are off until Friday, Dec. 10, when they play Stephen F. Austin in the first game of the Lumberjack E-Tech Classic hosted by S.F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. That game is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m.

FIU vs. Alabama State Box Score (HTML)


FIU senior DeJuan Wright addresses the media after a 60-57 loss to Alabama State on Saturday, Dec. 3 2011.

Game Notes
- The Hornets had their best shooting half of the season in the second half knocking down 56 percent (14-25) of their field goals and the includes hitting six of their 11 three point attempts.

- Tonight's meeting marked the first-ever between FIU and Alabama State as the Hornets now own a 1-0 advantage for the series. ASU is one of six first-time opponents on FIU's 2011-12 schedule and the Panthers are 1-2 against first-time opponents this season.

- The Hornets did a good job of taking care of the basketball, committing a season-low 12 turnovers and forcing 19.

- For the second time this season, FIU committed a season-high 19 turnovers against Alabama State. The Hornets scored 20 points off turnovers for the contest.

- FIU will return to action on Dec. 10 when the Panthers begin a four-game road swing versus Texas Wesleyan as part of the E-Tech Lumberjack Classic in Nacogdoches, Texas. The following day, FIU will take on tournament host Stephen F. Austin.

Courtesy: FIUSports.com

Coppin State survives NAIA Division I West Virginia Tech, 77-68

Head Coach Ron 'Fang" Mitchell
Coppin State University Eagles

Montgomery, WV –- West Virginia University Institute of Technology Golden Bears had two score in double digits at Coppin State and had their bench chip in 25 points Saturday afternoon to nearly pull off an upset of their Division I hosts. But in the end the difference in the game came down to opportunities at the foul line – and Tech came up short.

Tech and Coppin State played each other even in nearly every aspect of the game. The rebounding favored the Golden Bears by a 40-39 margin. Tech shot better from the field by a 42%-38% margins. Coppin State held the edge from behind the arc with a 38%-31% margin.

But the most telling of all the margins was at the free throw line where Coppin State found 20 points on 20 of 28 attempts compared to WVU Tech’s 8 of 13 from the line.

WVU Tech was led by Donald Robinson’s 17 point, 5 assist performance. Eddie Hayden was the only other Golden Bear to reach double digits with 15 points.

The 77-68 loss drops the NAIA Division I Mid-South Conference Golden Bears to 7-2 on the season.

The CSU Eagles will host Rio Grande in another non-conference game on Monday (Dec. 5) at 7:30 p.m. in the Physical Education Complex.

Courtesy West Virginia Tech Athletics

Big Apple Classic: VUU handles VSU again

NEW YORK, N.Y.  -- Virginia State men's basketball coach Darryl Jacobs put it best: It was not so much what Virginia Union did, but what his team did not do.

The game was tied at halftime, but the Trojans shot only 18.5 percent from the field after the break, while the Panthers remained consistent. The glaringly irregular performance led to a familiar result in this lopsided CIAA rivalry. Virginia Union defeated Virginia State 67-54 in the Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden.

"(We) can't go 5 for 27 in the second half and expect to win a basketball game," Jacobs said while staring down at the statistics sheet. "It's not going to happen." Jacobs said his team lost intensity. VUU, on the other hand, shot 55.6 percent in the first half and 45.5 percent in the second.

Panthers coach Luqman Jaaber said his team remained consistent because it was not intimidated by the bright lights ...

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Big Apple Classic: Hampton Pirates Uses Its Experience To Defeat Howard Bison

New York, NY — Hampton University used its decided edge in experience to pull away to a 71-53 win over Howard University in the Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The Pirates (4-4 overall, 1-1 in the MEAC), who are the defending MEAC tournament champions, start four seniors and have reserves who are game tested and it showed against the young Bison, who have nine new players on the roster, including seven freshmen.

After Howard (2-5 overall, 0-1 in the MEAC) opened the second half with a 17-5 run to erase a 13-point halftime deficit and get to within one at 41-40, the Pirates calmly responded with a run of their own to take a 54-40 lead midway through the second half. The run was led by seniors Darrion Pellum and Christopher Tolson, who combined for 17 second half points.

"It was a game of runs and they happened to make more runs than we did," said Howard second year head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "We started five freshmen in the second half and they helped us get back into the game with their energy. But their coaching staff did a good job of making some adjustments after that by going small and it gave us some problems matching up with them."

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Tennessee State Lady Tigers Knock Off South Alabama

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Nashville, Tenn. --- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team defeated South Alabama, 74-69, Saturday afternoon in the Gentry Center.

With the win, TSU improved to 4-5 while South Alabama fell to 5-3 on the season.

Four Lady Tigers scored in double-figures led by Kim Haynes' 16 points. Destiney Gaston recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds to go with three blocks while Kesi Hess scored 11. Jasmin Shuler finished the game with 10 points and Simone Hopes grabbed nine rebounds.

South Alabama was led in scoring by Mansa El's 23 points while Jennifer Johnson added 14. Sarda Peterson and Camille Reynolds each tallied 11 points apiece.

After falling behind, 5-0, Tennessee State finally got on the on board following a bucket from Tayla Foster.

TSU was trailing 10-5 when a three-pointer by Kesi Hess sparked a 13-0 run that put the Lady Tigers on top 18-10 with 13:24 left in the half.

Both teams suffered through scoring droughts until South Alabama knocked down a three-pointer to pull within five. Kesi Hess answered with another triple on TSU's trip down the floor and made the score, 27-19, in favor of the home team.

USA rallied off eight unanswered points to knot the game at 27-all before TSU went into halftime leading, 32-29.

In the second half, both teams traded buckets until a triple by Jasmin Shuler and a lay-up from Simone Hopes gave TSU a 39-33 advantage. TSU was leading 41-35 when a 7-3 run put the Lady Tigers up by double-digits.



With about eight minutes left in the game, Kim Haynes knocked down a three-pointer to make the TSU lead, 62-50. Over the next couple of minutes, the Jaguars used a short run to cut the deficit down to six but the Lady Tigers climbed back on top, 71-62 when Rachel Allen found Destiney Gaston under the basket.

USA pulled to within six before hitting a three-pointer with 8.1 seconds left in the game to close within four, 73-69. The Jaguars fouled Rachel Allen on the next possession but Allen knocked down 1-of-2 to make the score 74-69. USA's final shot attempt was off the mark.

Tennessee State went 25-of-63 (39.7 percent) from the field including a scorching 50 percent (9-of-18) from three-point range. South Alabama finished the game with a 38.7 field goal percentage (24-of-62) while shooting, 21.6 percent (6-of-23) from beyond the arc.

TSU outrebounded USA, 48-41 and also held the advantage in blocks, 4-1.

The Lady Tigers return to action on Saturday, Dec. 10 at Jackson State.

TSU vs. South Alabama Final Box

By Tennessee State University Sports Information

Alabama A&M football: A&M, Jones talking about contract extension

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M athletics director Betty Austin and football coach Anthony Jones spent some time together during the offseason.

Austin outlined for Jones a few things she would like for him to accomplish this season. Most of all, she wanted Jones to get the Bulldogs back among the Southwestern Conference elite. Mission accomplished.

A&M, despite being picked to finish fourth in the Eastern Division preseason poll, won the Eastern Division title for the fifth time in Jones' 10 seasons and will play Grambling in the SWAC championship game Saturday at Birmingham's Legion Field. Kickoff is noon and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU cruises and is now 13-0

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Sitting here at press row at the Gaines Center and I’m watching the Winston-Salem State women play West Liberty. It’s the second course of a full-course sports day at WSSU.

The day started with the Rams football team keeping the dream alive of winning a national championship when it beat New Haven 27-7 at Bowman Gray Stadium. Later tonight the Rams basketball team (4-0) will play Queens.

It seems like every time WSSU wins in football is ventures into new territory. This time the Rams set the season record for most wins by an HBCU. Fred Whitted, who keeps up with black-college athletics with his Black College Sports Encyclopedia, did some research on most wins in a season.

Whitted’s research shows that 12 wins were the most by HBCU in a season but now that WSSU has 13 it has the record.

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NEXT GAME: WSSU vs. Wayne State (MI) at Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston Salem, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011.

TV: ESPN 

GAME TIME: Noon or 1 PM (to be finalized on Monday)

NCAA Division II Football Championship: Winston-Salem State advances to national semifinals with 27-7 win over New Haven

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Undefeated CIAA champion Winston-Salem State kept its unprecedented run at an NCAA Div. II national championship and undefeated season alive using a prolific offense and quick, stingy defense in knocking off New Haven 27-7 in a national quarterfinal game played at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem Saturday afternoon.

WSSU (13-0) got two long touchdown receptions from quarterback Kameron Smith (19-26-1, 274 yards) to wideout Jameze Massey, running back Nicholas Cooper rambled for 132 yards and one TD and the Rams' defense stymied a New Haven offense that came in averaging 43.0 points, getting three interceptions and a fumble and holding the Chargers (11-2) to just one first-quarter score.



The Rams, under second-year head coach Connell Maynor, now advance to the national semifinals where they will host Wayne State, a 31-25 winner over Minnesota-Duluth in another quarterfinal game. The Rams, who got theirs and the CIAA’s first NCAA playoff win since 1993 in a second round win over California (Pa.), now becomes the first CIAA team to ever advance to the national semifinals. Among HBCU’s, Central State in 1986 under head coach Billy Joe was the last team to make the national semis.

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New Haven Charger Football Suffers Loss in NCAA Quarterfinals, 27-7

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The University of New Haven football team, nationally ranked No. 5/11 fell, 27-7 to No. 3/4 Winston-Salem State University Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Football Championship Quarterfinal Round in North Carolina. With the loss, the Chargers conclude their 2011 season with an 11-2 overall record. The Rams improved to 13-0 overall and advance to the semifinals to take on the winner of Wayne State (Mich.) and Minnesota Duluth.

The Chargers' offense struggled to get started all day. Quarterback Ryan Osiecki (Seymour, Conn./Seymour / Univ. of Louisville) led the squad with 209 yards on 16-of-32 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Mike DeCaro (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay ) added 74 yards on 15 carries, while Anthony Tillman (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) added 40 yards on six carries.

The Chargers won the opening toss and took the ball right out of the gate. After one first down conversion, the Chargers were forced to punt and the Rams took over at their own 31-yard line. WSSU then took the ball 69-yards and capped a nine-play drive with a 48-yard touchdown pass. After a failed extra point, the Chargers trailed 6-0 early in the first half.

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Pioneer Bowl XIII: Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls prevails in tight game against Miles College Golden Bears

COLUMBUS, Georgia -- Johnson C. Smith closed its season with a 35-33 win over Miles College in Pioneer Bowl XIII Saturday at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, but the win sure didn't come easy for the Golden Bulls.

Miles (7-5) had a chance to tie the game at 35 following a 21-yard touchdown pass from David Thomas to Antonio Pitts with two seconds remaining in regulation, but the Golden Bears' two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, allowing Johnson C. Smith (6-5) to escape with the victory.

"To finish our season with a win is really big," said Johnson C. Smith coach Steven Aycock, whose team finished with its best record since 2006 - when the Golden Bulls went 7-4 and received a bid to the Pioneer Bowl. "This is something we've been driving for since we started offseason workouts in January. The kids really believe in what we're trying to do here and the coaching staff has put these kids in situations where we can win."



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Xavier rallies past Shorter in matchup of ranked NAIA teams

NEW ORLEANS -- Brandi Young scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half Saturday to help Xavier University of Louisiana rally for a 56-51 women's basketball victory against Shorter.

The Gold Nuggets (7-3), ranked 16th in NAIA Division I, won their third in a row and gave the 21st-ranked Lady Hawks (8-1) their first loss of the season.

Xavier never led in the first half and trailed 31-28 at halftime, then took the lead for good with a 13-1 run in the first 3½ minutes of the second half. Young, Jazmoné Kelly and Jasmine Grant made two baskets apiece during the burst, with Young's 2-pointer giving Xavier its largest lead, 41-32, with 16:55 remaining.

Grant and SiMon Franklin scored 10 points apiece for Xavier, which defeated a ranked opponent for the first time in three tries this season.

Kelly Ellison, the NAIA leader in assists per game, had 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals for Shorter. Robyn Foster had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Brittney Smith had 10 points, six rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals. Ellison and Foster each made three 3-pointers. Shorter was within one point of Xavier on three occasions in the final 14 minutes, the last at 50-49 when Abbie Daniel made the second of two technical free throws. Young answered with a basket for a 52-49 lead, followed by a Shorter turnover and three XU offensive rebounds before Chelsea Broussard scored for a 54-49 Xavier advantage with 3:01 to play.

Smith scored Shorter's final two points with 2:04 remaining. Ellison committed a turnover and missed the front end of a 1-and-1 in the Lady Hawks' next two possessions before Franklin clinched the game with two free throws with seven seconds remaining.

Xavier outshot Shorter 35.8 to 33.9 percent from the floor and offset the Lady Hawks' eight 3-pointers by outscoring them 15-5 in free throws. Xavier had a 38-33 rebound advantage, with Kelly grabbing eight. Franklin and Kelly had five steals apiece, with Franklin recording a career high and Kelly matching her season best.

The Gold Nuggets will break for fall semester examinations, then resume their schedule Dec. 17 with a 2 p.m. game at city rival Loyola.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Lady Bleu Devils' Jazzmin Smith and Ariel Mitchell lead Dillard to victory over University of New Orleans

Ariel Mitchell
 Point Guard

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Jazzmin Smith scored 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and Ariel Mitchell chipped in with 15 points and 7 rebounds as the Dillard Lady Bleu Devils defeated the UNO Lady Privateers 66-63 on Thursday afternoon on the Battlefield in Dent Hall.

In what was a highly contested and tight game throughout, the Lady Bleu Devils (2-4) held on for the improbable victory.

From the opening tip, the Lady Bleu Devils were determined to pound the Lady Privateers inside with their size advantage. The Lady Bleu Devils grabbed an early 8-3 on the strength of Jazzmin Smith's inside game and Ariel Mitchell's shooting from the outside. The Lady Privateers (0-8) roared back, using a 9-3 run to tie the game at 12-12. The Lady Bleu Devils tightened their defense and reclaimed the lead and went into halftime up 34-27.

In the second half, both teams turned up their defense intensity. The Lady Bleu Devils held on to the lead until a basket by the Lady Privateers' Keri Thomas gave UNO their first lead of the game at 47-46 with just under twelve minutes to play. Scores by Jazzmin Smith and Ariel Mitchell helped the Lady Bleu Devils reclaim the lead, but the Lady Privateers would not give up. The Lady Privateers would reclaim the lead 59-57 until two free throws and a layup by the Lady Bleu Devils' Jazzmin Smith gave Dillard a 61-59 lead. The Lady Privateers would again grab the lead until Ariel Mitchell hit a jumper with 46 seconds left to give the Lady Bleu Devils their final lead and Dillard held on for the victory.

The Lady Bleu Devils shot 50% from the field in the second half. The Lady Bleu Devil defense forced the Lady Privateers into 20 turnovers in the victory.

The Lady Bleu Devils will have a week layoff to prepare for the Loyola Lady Wolfpack on Friday, December 9th at 5:30p.m. The game will be played at the University Sports Complex on the campus of Loyola University.

By Dillard Sports Information

VISIT: DILLARD UNIVERSITY
VISIT: DILLARDBLEUDEVILS

Tougaloo Bulldogs Escape Belhaven 72-70

Tougaloo College Bulldogs
Legendary Head Men's Basketball Coach
Mr. Lafayette Stribling

TOUGALOO, Mississippi - The Tougaloo College Men's Basketball team hosted cross town rival Belhaven University in Day 2 of the Tougaloo College Classic here at the Dawg Pound. The Bulldogs escaped Blazers 72-70 to take the win.

After a tough loss to Freed Hardeman University last night, the Bulldogs were determined to win against Belhaven tonight.

The Bulldogs would struggle early in the first half, as the Blazers would take an early lead. The Bulldogs would try to find some kind of momentum, but they would continue to struggle all the way through the first half and the Blazers would take a 33-26 halftime lead.

In the second half, however, the Bulldogs would find their momentum and take control of the game, fighting their way back to gain the lead. The Bulldogs would maintain the lead for the majority of the half, but the Blazers just would not give up.

With 11.3 seconds left in the game, the score tied at 70, and the Bulldogs possession, Tougaloo's Marquise Mems would fly down the court in hopes of a fast lay up. The ball would hit the side of the rim, Horace Whitehead would get the rebound and put it back up, the ball would pop back out, Mems would get the rebound and put it back up, but it would come out again. With the time winding down, Tougaloo's Erik Burks would get the rebound and quick put back at the buzzer to give the Bulldogs the win over the Blazers.

Marquise Mems led the Bulldogs with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Kadon Day chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds, Horace Whitehead tacked in 15 points, and Donteeno Todd added 10 points for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on December 14, 2011 as the host Concordia College Selma. Tip-off is set for 7:30 P.M.

By Eric Pilcher
VISIT: TOUGALOO COLLEGE BULLDOGS

Union, State meet again in NYC

RICHMOND, Virginia - Virginia State and Virginia Union are 26 miles apart on I-95, a quick 30-minute drive from the north side of Richmond to Ettrick.

But today, the CIAA rivals head more than 300 miles north to New York City, where they will play at 3 p.m. at Madison Square Garden in the annual Big Apple Classic.



For the past few years, VUU and VSU have met every December in New York and every January in the Freedom Classic at the Richmond Coliseum. That means they always face each other on a neutral court. Despite their proximity, Union and State haven't played against each other at either team's home site since Feb. 7, 2004.

VUU has won 21 consecutive games in the ...

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Haywood's scoring burst leads Xavier past Concordia (Ala.)

Nick Haywood

NEW ORLEANS -- Nick Haywood scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half Saturday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana in a 78-61 men's basketball victory against Concordia (Ala.) at The Barn.

The Gold Rush (5-2) produced five double-figure scorers to snap a two-game losing streak.

Haywood was scoreless the first eight minutes, then scored 14 points during a nine-minute stretch to give Xavier a 40-25 lead at 2:28 of the first first half. Haywood capped his burst by making three consecutive 3-pointers. It was Haywood's third consecutive game in double figures after averaging 5.2 points in the first four contests. He finished with four 3-pointers and has made 14 in the past three games.

Denzell Erves

Denzell Erves had 16 points -- his first double-figure game since the season opener -- eight rebounds and two blocked shots for the Gold Rush. Cordell Hadnot had a season-high 14 points, seven rebounds and a career-high-tying four steals. Renard Smith scored a season-high 13 points, and Wanto Joseph had 10 points and a career-high-tying eight assists. 

Travis Rasco scored 22 points for Concordia (3-8), and Wesley Conor scored 11. The Hornets have dropped a season-high three straight decisions and five of their past six.

Xavier never lost the lead after outscoring the Hornets 7-0 in the first 2½ minutes. The Gold Rush led 44-33 at halftime and by 26 points on three occasions in the second half.

Xavier, winning at home for the 24th time in 26 games, shot a season-best 49.1 percent from the floor, limited the Hornets to 40.4 percent and outrebounded them 36-26.

The next Gold Rush game will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home against Mobile.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS 

VISIT: GCACSPORTS

B-CU's win is a Breeze; Wildcat women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman's Anthony Breeze said he felt he might have hurt his team Tuesday when he played for the first time in two weeks after injuring his shoulder. That certainly wasn't the case Saturday.

The 6-foot-5 post player scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore forward Adrien Coleman came off the bench to score 18 points and pull down a game-high nine rebounds as the Wildcats defeated Florida A&M 74-59 at a packed Moore Gymnasium.

It was B-CU's first win over an NCAA team this season. The Wildcats (3-5) improved to 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while FAMU fell to 0-7, 0-1.

"Anthony Breeze just wore us out," FAMU coach Clemon Johnson said. "This is the first time I saw (Rattlers 6-8 center Yannick Crowder) get outplayed against a school our size. But he got outplayed (Saturday)."



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B-CU women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman saw the return of three key starters in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against rival Florida A&M, but the good news for the Wildcats ended there.

FAMU beat B-CU 81-57 on Saturday at Moore Gymnasium, and Demetria Frank's first game back since having knee surgery last year ended with her hopping off the court early in the second half.

Nothing obvious occurred to cause the injury, but the senior guard collapsed in agony behind the bench as team doctors attended to her surgically repaired knee.

Wildcats coach Vanessa Blair said she had no information on Frank's status and didn't want to speculate on her availability for their next game Dec. 11 vs. Stetson. The game against the Rattlers (3-4, 1-0 MEAC) was supposed to be a coming-out party of sorts for the Wildcats (1-5, 0-1).

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NCAA Division II Championship: Winston Salem State Rams 27, University of New Haven Chargers 7

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - If there were any doubts regarding the overall strength of the Winston Salem State University Rams football team, they were put to rest with a dominating 27-7 victory over the University of New Haven Chargers, today.

The 2011 CIAA Champion Rams took the opening kickoff and shredded the New Haven defense with a combination of All-American Nic Cooper runs, and timely passes. The Rams junior quarterback Kameron Smith connected on a 48 yard bomb to receiver Jameze Massey for the game's first score at the 8:21 mark.

Kicker Alejandr Suarez point after missed wide-right for a 6-0 Ram lead in the first quarter.  The Rams scoring drive was for 9 plays, 69 yard consuming 3:40 off the clock.

New Haven came back slinging the ball to their bread and butter receiver, D. Washington.  He scored on a beautifully timed 36 yard pass in the back of the end zone from quarterback Ryan Osiecki to tie the game.  The Chargers took their only lead of the game 7-6, on Chris Scifo extra point kick.

But the Rams showed no panic, and drove the ball from their own 30 yard line to the New Haven 47 before their offense stalled.  For the reminder of the 1st. quarter, the game became a defensive battle for both clubs. 

Then, on a 4th and one at the WSSU 34 yard line, the Chargers made their first critical mistake. 

WSSU  punter Landen Thayer sent a booming kick to the New Haven 44 yard line where the Rams Rodney Taylor forced a fumble by the Chargers Kent Quran, which was recovered by the Rams Rashad Shaw.  The Rams were in business with a short field at the Chargers 21 yard line. 

Quarterback Kameron Smith completed a 9 yard pass to Tyrone Goldston to move the ball to the New Haven 12 yard line.  Then, a hand off to Nicholas Cooper finished the deal as he scampered 12 yards to the end zone to give the Rams a 12-7 lead.  The extra point by Alejandr Suarez was good with 14:49 left in the half for a 13-7 score.

On the first series of the 3rd. quarter the Rams received the ball first.  WSSU hitched their wagon to Nic Cooper and their vaulted running game and ran the ball down the throat of the Chargers for the next 8 minutes and 7 seconds.  The Rams moved the ball from their own 25 yard line to the New Haven 33.  QB Kameron Smith 4th and 8 pass hit Tehvyn Brantley squarely in both hands near the 10 yard line. He dropped the ball like it was a hot potato, ending the Rams 13 play drive.

New Haven immediately showed their half-time adjustments by abandoning their 400 yards per game passing attack, and going to a two-back ground attack.  The Rams defense slammed the door shut on the Chargers limiting them to only 30 yards on a 10 play, 6 minute drive.

On 4th and 29 yard to go, the Rams defensive rush forced New Haven into their second critical mistake.

The Chargers Chris Scifo punt only traveled 29 yards and then out of bounds at the WSSU 8 yard line, where the Ram offense took over with the clock showing only 6:41 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Coach Connell Maynor noticed the New Haven secondary creeping up towards the line of scrimmage before the snaps on the previous series and immediately opened up the Rams playbook.  QB Kameron Smith caught the Chargers defense flat-footed and hit Jameze Massey for 23 yards to the WSSU 31 yard line.  A hand off to Nic Cooper moved the chains another 4 yards to end the 3rd. quarter.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Rams coaching staff surprised New Haven with a five receiver set that they were not prepared to defend.  A streaking Jahuann Butler hauled in a 32 yard pass from Kameron Smith for a 1st down at the New Haven 33 yard line.  The Rams called a timeout to discuss their next play with 14.31 remaining in the game, and to give their huge offensive line a breather with the Rams up by 13-7.

A determined Ram team lined up in a passing formation with 5 receivers and an empty back field.  Before the Chargers pass rushers could get to QB Kameron Smith on the play, he stood tall in the pocket and calmly hit Jameze Massey on a perfectly thrown ball for a 33 yards touchdown and a 19-7 lead.  Kicker Alejandr Suarez kick was good for a 20-7 Ram lead.

The pressure was now squarely on New Haven, down by two scores with only 14:13 left in the game.

The Rams defense got nasty, limiting the Chargers to only a 23 yards on 5 plays.

With 12 minutes remaining in the game, everyone in the stadium knew what was coming next.  The Rams moved the ball methodically, mixing runs with passes keeping the tiring Chargers defense on its heels. The drive ended at the New Haven 7 yard line where New Havens J.D. Chalifoux intercepted Kameron Smith when he unwisely threw into double coverage, ending the Rams 8 play, 36 yard drive.

With time running short, the Chargers were in a do or die situation.

QB Ryan Osiecki cranked up the Chargers high powered offense with 12 minutes remaining in the game.  On the arm and legs of Osiecki, New Haven moved the ball on a 12 play 88 yard drive, consuming  3 minutes and 52 second, but coming up empty with no points.  Winston Salem's LB Carlos Fields dropped back into pass coverage and intercepted Ryan Osiecki pass at the Rams 1 yard line, denying the Chargers of the touchdown.

The Rams took over with 7 minutes and 28 second remaining and the opportunity to play in the Division II football final 4 was finally within their grasp.  With the 7,000 fans on their feet, the Rams first pass dropped incomplete. A Tyrone Goldston rush netted only 5 yards moving the ball to the WSSU 6 yard line.

On 3rd and 8, and with the box stacked with 8 New Haven defensive players, WSSU handed the ball to their All American turbo-charged bulldozer, Nic Cooper. Cooper busted through the Chargers line and then went airborne about 10 yards down field, smacking a New Haven defense back to the turf for a 14 yard drive saving 1st down.

First and Ten, and the crowd started the early celebration.

With the ball at the WSSU 20, Tyrone Goldston made two runs for 7 yards. The Chargers immediately called a timeout with 1:27 remaining, ball on the WSSU 27 yard line.

When play resumed, the Rams on a 3rd and 3 play called Nic Cooper's number.  Cooper took the hand off and galloped through the Chargers tired defense for 72 yards, running out of gas at the New Haven 1 yard line.  A winded Cooper was unable to hit pay dirt on the next play and was replaced by back up fullback Cedric Hickman.

Hickman calmly delivered the mail on second and goal for a 1 yard touchdown with only 39 seconds remaining, as the Ram fans erupted for joy and the Charger fans headed for the parking lots.

Alejandr Suarez extra point extended the WSSU lead to 27-7 and completed the 8 play 99 yard drive.

The win moves Winston Salem State into the national semi-finals for the first time in 33 years.

The New Haven Chargers ends their season with a 11-2 record.  Their other road defeat was at FCS College of William and Mary (13-10) of the strong Colonial Athletic Conference.

The New Haven Chargers band provided a great show for the excited 7,000 fans at Bowman-Gray Stadium including an estimated 500-800 supporters from New Haven.  The Red Sea of Sound Band provided an opening tribute to fallen FAMU Marching 100 Drum Major, Robert Champion, which was well received by the crowd.

Box Score

NEXT GAME: #1 Winston Salem State will host #6 Wayne State Warriors (11-3) (Detroit, Michigan) on December 10 at Bowman Gray Stadium. Wayne State has been designated the Cinderella of the tournament, as they beat the defending national champions, University of Minnesota-Duluth 31-25 on the road in Duluth, Minnesota, today. Minnesota-Duluth ends their season with a 11-3 record.

Wayne State, seeded sixth in Super Region 3, recorded three consecutive road wins (48-38 at #14-St. Cloud State, 38-26 at #4 Nebraska Kearney, and 31-25 at #9 Minnesota Duluth) to advance to next weekend's national semifinal contest at Winston-Salem.

Winston Salem State is the highest seed remaining and only undefeated team left in the tournament. They are only two wins away from taking the national championship title home to Winston Salem, but no one on this team is looking ahead.

The NCAA Division II Football National Championship game will be played on December 17, at Florence, Alabama.

MY GAME NOTES:
The WSSU vs. New Haven game is available for replay at NCAA.com. or the WSSURAMS.com sites.

This game is worth watching again, as Coach Connell Maynor made great adjustments at the half on the offensive and defensive ends to take control of the game in the third and fourth quarters.

Winston Salem had only 3 penalties for 25 yards for the entire game. New Haven was penalized 9 times for 63 yards, mostly for false starts.

The Chargers self-destructed with 4 turnovers --three interceptions and one fumble.

My Take on the Division II Rams:  The Rams are a very disciplined, athletic and well coached team and deserves to be #1 in both Division II  and HBCU Football.  They have speed and Division I type athletes.  That Nic Cooper is a very good 6-0/245 beast of a running back that has speed and power.  He reminds me of a bulldozer with a turbo-charger engine, or an Earl Campbell type runner that has to be tackled by more than three-four players. The Rams are so balanced and can beat you with the pass or run and will not beat themselves with mistakes. They are a great looking championship team. 

I enjoyed this game more than any FCS game I watched this season.  WSSU plays a better brand of football that is fun to watch. Go Rams!!!

By beepbeep

NCCU's Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree to be inducted in George Washington University Athletic Hall of Fame

Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree
Director of Athletics
North Carolina Central University

Washington, D.C. -- The George Washington University Department of Athletics and Recreation proudly announced Dec. 2, 2011, that eight inductees will comprise the GW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2012. Mike Bassett, Tina Brown, Jack Kvancz, Ingrid (Wicker) McCree, Joe McKeown, Chris Monroe, Shawnta Rogers and the late Jim Tarr will be inducted on Saturday, February 18, when the men's basketball team plays host to Saint Joseph's.

Ingrid Wicker-McCree ('89) was a member of the George Washington women's volleyball team from 1985-89. After her career as a student-athlete with the Colonials, Wicker-McCree began her professional career as a two-sport coach before making the transition into athletic administration. Currently, Wicker-McCree serves as North Carolina Central University's Director of Athletics. She began her career at NCCU as the head coach of both the women's volleyball and softball programs, and became the first coach in school history to win conference championships in multiple sports with NCCU's first-ever conference titles in softball (1998) and volleyball (1999, 2004, 2005). Wicker-McCree is a three-time Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Volleyball Coach of the Year and she was inducted into the NCCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Wicker-McCree received the CIAA Leadership Award for Service and was named the CIAA Senior Woman Administrator of the Year in the spring of 2006.

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Miles can make school history in today's Pioneer Bowl

FAIRFIELD, Alabama -- On the night of Nov. 11, the Miles College football team gathered in a conference room in an Atlanta hotel. The Golden Bears were just hours away from kickoff of the inaugural Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship game.

There were no coaches in that room, just players. Miles first-year head coach Reginald Ruffin had agreed to the peculiar request, thinking that the impromptu meeting wouldn't last long.

Ruffin ended up waiting in the hotel lobby for more than three hours. His players finally exited the room around 10:30 p.m., their eyes red and watery.

"One of the kids told me, 'Coach, I learned a lot about my teammates tonight,'" said Ruffin, who adds he still doesn't know exactly what was said in that room.

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Ohio Bobcats Back Home for Clash with Morgan State Bears

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Game Notes     Live Video

GAME TIME: 2:00 PM ET

ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio Men’s Basketball (4-1) returns home after two-consecutive road games to play Morgan State (0-6) on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Convocation Center. With a win, the Bobcats will be off to their best start since the 2005-06 season.

The game will be broadcast live at 2 p.m. with Voice of the Bobcats Russ Eisenstein providing the play-by-play and Rob Cornelius manning color commentary.

Ohio had its best shooting game of the season, connecting on 50 percent of its shots in a 70-68 win at previously-undefeated Marshall earlier this week.



Ohio led by as many as 14 in the second half as Reggie Keely paced the Bobcats with 16 points and added five rebounds. Walter Offutt had 13 points and five boards and Ivo Baltic was just shy of a double-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and the first three-pointer of his career. D.J. Cooper did post a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists to go with four steals.

Marshall, which had dominated its opponents on the boards to a tune of +11.4 per game, only out-rebounded Ohio by one. The Bobcats also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds to match their season average, which currently tops the Mid-American Conference. Ohio scored 45 points in the paint (+15), received 28 points from its bench (+17) and had an 18-9 advantage in points off turnovers.

Ohio has three players averaging double figures with Cooper, a junior guard, leading the way with 14.6 points per game. Offutt, a redshirt junior, leads the squad with 6.6 rebounds per game and is third in scoring at 12.4 points per contest. Keely rounds out the trio averaging a career-best 12.8 points, 5.8rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

Coming into the season, Head Coach John Groce had stressed the importance of being sounder defensively and through four games, the work appears to be paying off. Ohio is limiting opponents to 26.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc and is a +4.4 in turnover margin per outing.



A LOOK AT THE OPPONENT
Morgan State is off to an 0-6 start with a road loss at #14/15 Xavier (63-74), a home loss against Murray State (69-80) and losses at UNLV (55-92), USC (62-65) and versus Tennessee State (64-69). The Bears will attempt to avoid its worst start since 2005 today.

MSU, who led for most of the second half, had a 45-37 advantage with 11:59 left before Tennessee State took over and came away with a 69-64 victory at the Las Vegas Invitational. Kevin Thompson led the Bears with 16 points and five rebounds. DeWayne Jackson had 14 and Ian Chiles had nine points.

Morgan State was selected to win the MEAC Regular Season Title, edging out last year’s MEAC Tournament Champion Hampton. The Bears are trying to rebound from last year’s fourth place MEAC finish and reclaim the conference title for the fourth time in five years. MSU completed the 2010-11 season with a 17-14 mark and posted a 10-6 conference record.

HISTORY VS. THE BEARS

This will be the first meeting between the Bears and Bobcats. Ohio is 5-0 all-time against members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (2-0, Coppin State; 2-0, North Carolina A&T; 1-0, Norfolk State). The Green & White host North Carolina A&T later this month, December 23.

RPI RANKINGS

Ohio’s strong start to the season is evident in many areas, but recently the Bobcats showed up at No. 11 in the CBSSports.com Ratings Percentage Index. They are currently the only team ranked among the top 68 from the Mid-American Conference.

In fact, the Bobcats rank above such college basketball heavyweights as Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan State, Indiana, Kansas, Georgetown, Purdue and Xavier.

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