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NATCHEZ, Mississippi — As Jackson State’s No. 83 made it to the end zone after an 87-yard reception late in the first half against Alcorn State to give the Tigers a 31-0 lead the excitement of the moment took over, and he hurled the ball deep into the stadium seats at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium.
A 15-yard penalty was the immediate result, but the touchdown, and the celebration, actually served as the culmination of a brilliant junior season for Jackson State wide receiver, and Natchez native, Rico Richardson.
“I want to say (the touchdown) in the Alcorn game (was the highlight of the season),” Richardson said. “Being in front of the home crowd where everybody knows me and going 87-yards, and then I threw the ball in the stands. That was the biggest play for me.”
Richardson’s 37 catches for 896 yards and 11 touchdowns earned him ...
TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Yannick Crowder scored a career-high 28 points as the Florida A&M Men's Basketball team picked up their second win of the season with a 82-64 win over Southeastern University (Fla.), here Thursday night at the Alfred Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.
Crowder finished with a double-double as he scored 14 of his 28 points in the second half, while pulling down 13 rebounds. Both Reggie Lewis and Brandon Hosely finished with 11 points each to round out the cast of Rattlers scoring in double figures.
Southeastern was led by Chris Carlyle as he scored 12 points from the bench, while Arthur Jackson led the Fire on the boards with seven.
FAMU (2-7) took a 21-10 lead on a Crowder put back with 11:22 to go in the first.
The Rattlers would then extend their lead to 31-16 on a Jeffrey Kennings jumper with 5:33 to go in the first half as they would take a 31-20 lead into the break.
FAMU would finish the first half shooting 37.1 percent (13-of-35) from the floor, while Southeastern shot 25.0 percent (7-of-28) from the floor.
Southeastern (9-5) would outscore FAMU 6-5 in the first two minutes of the second half, as they cut the Rattlers' lead to 36-27 on a Tim Jickell field goal with 17:54 to go in the game.
The Rattlers would return the favor with a 16-9 run as they took a 54-38 lead on a Lewis layup with 10:41 to go in the game.
FAMU took a 69-46 lead on a Markee Teal field goal with 7:33 go in the game capping a 15-8 run.
Southeastern would outscore FAMU 18-13 down the stretch, as the Rattlers would hold on for the 82-64 win.
The Rattlers will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 11 as they will travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on the University of South Florida in a 2 p.m. tip.
DATE: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2011 GAME TIME: 2:00 PM EST VENUE: BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM, WINSTON SALEM, N.C. (18,000) TV: NONE INTERNET LIVE STREAMING VIDEO/AUDIO: ESPN3
DETROIT, Michigan - The Wayne State University football team (11-3) continued an unprecedented road streak with its third consecutive road playoff win last Saturday, 31-25, at defending national champion Minnesota Duluth.
This week the Warriors travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face the unbeaten Rams of Winston-Salem State. This Saturday’s contest will start at 2 p.m. and is available online atESPN3.COM. This will be the first meeting between the schools.
WSU has won five straight road games and has been victorious in eight of its last nine contests away from Detroit with the only setback coming on a last second fi eld goal at Ashland on Oct. 15. Wayne State is 20-5 in its last 25 contests and has an 11-2 mark in its last 13 road games. After recording their best start (6-0) since 1974, the Warriors are 5-3 in their last eight games.
WSSU began and ended the regular season with wins over NCAA qualifier Elizabeth City State, the second coming in the CIAA Championship game. After receiving a first round bye as Super Region 1 top seed, the Rams edged California (Pa.), 35-28, then disposed of New Haven, 27-7, last Saturday in the regional championship contest.
MINNESOTA DULUTH RECAP
Wayne State’s Cinderella story continued last Saturday as the Warriors claimed a 31-25 triumph at Minnesota Duluth. WSU, seeded sixth in Super Region 3, has 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 reach the national semifinals.
In a defensive fi rst half that saw teams combine for 190 yards of total off ense (UMD - 126; WSU - 64), it was the Warrior special teams that set up the lone touchdown. After the Bulldogs tallied the only points of the opening stanza on a 39-yard fi eld goal by David Nadeau, Wayne State’s Matt Maus blocked a UMD punt that was recovered at the UMD 11. On WSU’s third play, Mickey Mohner found Troy Burrell just inside the pylon for an 11-yard score.
The Warriors marched down the fi eld with the second half kickoff , with Chet Privett scoring on a fourth-and-goal on the 14th play of the drive. Bulldog D.J. Winfield returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards and a two-point conversion pass was successful, cutting the Wayne State lead to 14-11.
Following a 21-yard kickoff return by Josh Renel, the Warriors went 60 yards in six plays with Burrell making a great adjustment to haul in a 38-yard scoring toss. Burrell fi nished the contest with 11 receptions for 163 yards and two scores.
Head coach Paul Winters, the reigning AFCA Region Coach of the Year, is in his eighth season at the helm of the Wayne State football program and guided the Warriors to their first NCAA Division II playoff appearance and victories in school history. Winters (47-42) passed Joseph G. Gembis (1932-45) for first on the WSU career wins all-time list with the Oct. 22 victory over Hillsdale.
Coach Winters guided Wayne State to its winningest team in school history last year. The 2010 squad set school records for overall wins (9), conference wins (8), points in a season (347), passing completion percentage (59.9%), and yards per passattempt (7.67), while tying the institutional mark for touchdowns in a season (45). All these accomplishments plus a 12th-place ranking in the final regular-season AFCA national poll earned Winters the AFCA Division II Regional Coach of the Year honors.
Connell Maynor has a 21-2 record in his second year with the WSSU Rams. He previously spent 10 seasons as a member of the Fayetteville State coaching staff, where he helped to lead FSU to four CIAA title game appearances and three CIAA Championships (2002-03-09).
HAMPTON, Virginia – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and its Chairman – Dr. Mickey Burnim announced the appointment of Peggy Davis as Interim Commissioner for the Conference.
Davis, whose role is effective December 10, has been a part of the CIAA family since 1997 where she held the titles of Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Virginia State University (VSU) in Petersburg, Virginia. In July of 2003, Davis was named Athletic Director at VSU.
“The CIAA Board of Directors is very pleased that Ms. Davis has agreed to accept this assignment and serve this great Conference in that capacity”, stated Chairman of the CIAA, Dr. Mickey Burnim. “Her accomplishments are exemplary and well respected across the Conference and beyond.” Davis plays a vital role as a member of the CIAA 100th Anniversary Planning Committee.
Davis’s accomplishments are vast. She is a two-time Hall of Fame recipient at VSU and Howard Payne University. Davis has been named Athletic Director of the Year of the CIAA four of the last five years 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10 and again in 2010-11. Davis was also recognized this year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) as the 2010-11 Under Armour SE Region for Division II Athletics Director of the Year. She was also honored with the Jannette A. Lee Administration Achievement Award in 2005 and 2010.
Davis is past President of the CIAA Executive Committee, as well as the CIAA Athletic Director’s Association. She is also a member of the CIAA Tournament Committee. She holds memberships in the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA), National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Davis also sits on the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Tennis Committee representing the Atlantic Region. In June 2010, Davis was elected to the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), Board of Directors.
“I would like to thank the CIAA Board of Directors for this opportunity to serve as the Interim Commissioner of the CIAA. I’ve been a part of the CIAA family for over 14 years and nothing brings me more honor”, stated Peggy Davis, Interim Commissioner of the CIAA. “This Conference has a strong tradition and rich legacy and I’ve excited to lead the CIAA into the biggest year of its history; celebrating 100 years is a great accomplishment.”
Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator Monique Smith served on a short-term base during the transition in leadership and will remain on board to assist through this adjustment period.
A national search has begun for a permanent Commissioner for the CIAA. The Board of Directors is expected to complete the search by July 1, 2012.
ABOUT THE CIAA
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was founded in 1912 and is based in Hampton, Virginia. The CIAA is America’s oldest historically black college and university conference and is made up of 12 colleges and universities situated along the Eastern Seaboard. For more information about the CIAA Basketball Tournament, visit http://www.ciaatournament.org/. For more information about the CIAA Conference, visit theciaa.com.
Bryan Nelson Sophomore, Starting Fullback #42 From Jess Lanier High School Bessemer, Alabama
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - When Alabama A&M fullback Bryan Nelson takes the field Saturday, he'll be trying to help the Bulldogs win the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. He'll also be playing for his brother.
Nelson's older brother, Tavoris Mitchell, passed away more than a year ago due to complications from open heart surgery. He had had open heart surgery six years ago. Mitchell was just 34 years old and his birthday is Saturday.
"I broke down after we beat Prairie View because I knew we would be playing on his birthday," Nelson said. "He was like my father. He never missed a game. My mom and dad worked two jobs and my brother had me with him all the time."
PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - Say "University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletics" to the man (or woman) on the street on Delmarva and it will likely bring to mind one of two things: the two-time national championship-winning bowling team or the sorry men's basketball program.
So when the Hawks volleyball team dropped its opening-round match in the NCAA tournament Friday night, not a lot of people probably noticed here.
Sure the match against UCLA didn't start until 11 p.m. in Los Angeles and was only televised on the Internet, but the fact is that many people here -- even those who have an interest in volleyball -- don't know what coach Don Metil and his staff are building in Princess Anne.
WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - It’s hard to catch up with Bill Hayes these days. Even at age 68 Hayes, the athletics director at WSSU, doesn’t stay in places too long so you better move fast if you want to talk to him.
One thing for sure is when you see Hayes chances are there is a smile on his face. I caught up with Hayes just outside his office this afternoon during Connell Maynor’s weekly press conference at the Bowman Gray Stadium field house.
Hayes, as you could imagine, is relishing what the Rams are doing in football (13-0) and basketball (5-0). In fact WSSU might be the only athletics program in the country in all divisions that still has an unbeaten football and basketball team.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - More former Washington Redskins might turn their attention on Birmingham, Ala., this weekend than they have in some time.
Anthony Jones and Doug Williams, teammates for the Super Bowl XXII champions, will lead Alabama A&M and Grambling, respectively, into Saturday's SWAC title game.
The meeting will be the coaches' first at Legion Field since Williams' Tigers' 31-19 defeat of Jones in his first season with the Bulldogs. GSU also defeated Alabama A&M, 45-6, for the 2005 crown during the break between Williams' coaching tenures.
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."
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.
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.”
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."
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."
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 ...
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
