Xavier Gold Nuggets 16th and Gold Rush 21st in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS — Back where they were in the preseason. That summarizes the position of the Xavier University of Louisiana basketball teams in the third NAIA Division I coaches polls of 2011-12.

The Gold Nuggets (7-3) climbed from 17th to 16th in the women's poll, and the Gold Rush (6-2) returned to 21st in the men's poll after falling out of the top 25 a week ago.

The new rankings were announced late Monday afternoon. The next polls will be conducted Jan. 9.

It's the first time in Dannton Jackson's nine seasons as head coach that the Gold Rush dropped out of the top 25, then returned in the next poll. Coach Bo Browder's Gold Nuggets made their 21st consecutive appearance in the top 25 — their longest streak since appearing in 34 straight top 25s from Jan. 13, 2003-March 8, 2005.

The XU women, who did not play this past week, will travel to city rival Loyola at 2 p.m. Saturday. Loyola received 32 poll points to rank 28th.

The XU men, a 62-45 winner at home this past week against Mobile, will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., for a 7 p.m. game Tuesday against William Carey. The Gold Rush will visit Loyola at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Xavier is the only Gulf Coast Athletic Conference school in either top 25. Tougaloo's men, tied for 20th a week ago, fell to 26th and missed the top 25 by three points. Tougaloo's women, who have not received a vote this season, beat then-No. 23 Belhaven 64-60 at Tougaloo on Saturday to help knock the Blazers out of the top 25.

Oklahoma City's women are a unanimous No. 1 for the second straight week. In the men's poll Concordia (Calif.) and Robert Morris (Chicago) are 1-2 after sharing the top spot one week ago.

Oklahoma City will be the Gold Nuggets' opponent at 4 p.m. PST on Dec. 20 in the Las Vegas Hoopla. It will be the Nuggets' first game against a top-ranked team since losing 91-53 to Oklahoma City in the opening round of the NAIA Division I National Championship at Jackson, Tenn., on March 21, 2003.

Xavier is one of 12 schools, three more than a week ago, with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Campbellsville, Cumberlands, Freed-Hardeman, Georgetown (Ky.), Lindsey Wilson, Saint Xavier, Shorter, Southern Nazarene, Robert Morris and Rogers State. The women and men of Azusa Pacific and Cumberlands are in the top 15.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Dec. 11)
Rank Team Record Points Last

1 Oklahoma City (11) 7-0 281 1

2 Union (Tenn.) 11-1 272 2

3 Freed-Hardeman 9-2 263 4

4 Lewis-Clark State 9-1 252 5

5 Westmont 10-1 243 6

6 Shawnee State 10-2 233 7

7 Langston 9-0 226 8
8 Vanguard 6-1 215 10

9 Lee (Tenn.) 9-1 207 9

10 Saint Xavier 9-2 195 13

11 Azusa Pacific 5-3 192 3

12 Campbellsville 9-3 188 14

13 Olivet Nazarene 10-2 170 11

14 Cumberlands 10-1 169 15

15 Southern Nazarene 6-3 156 16

16 Xavier 7-3 143 17

17 Lubbock Christian 6-3 136 19
18 Shorter 9-1 128 18
19 Bethel (Tenn.) 6-4 112 12
20 Georgetown (Ky.) 10-3 102 21
21 Robert Morris (Chicago) 9-1 100 22
22 Lindsey Wilson 8-3 89 25
23 Columbia (Mo.) 8-4 86 20
24 Rocky Mountain 10-2 68 24
25 Rogers State 9-3 52 RV

Others receiving votes: William Woods 46, Biola 39, Loyola 32, Avila 22, Belhaven 19, LSU-Shreveport 12, Lyon 6, Park 5, Westminster (Utah) 4, Benedictine (Kan.) 3, St. Gregory's 3, Montana Western 1, The Master's 1, St. Francis (Ill.) 1, St. Catharine 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Dec. 11)

Rank Team Record Points Last

1 Concordia (Calif.) (8) 9-0 309 tie-1

2 Robert Morris (Chicago) (4) 10-0 304 tie-1

3 Oklahoma Baptist 9-0 293 3

4 Shorter 11-0 282 5

5 Rogers State 8-0 265 6

6 Georgetown (Ky.) 11-1 261 4

7 Texas Wesleyan 6-1 258 7
8 Martin Methodist 9-2 236 8
9 Azusa Pacific 7-2 233 10
10 Westminster (Utah) 10-2 215 11
11 Mountain State 9-4 212 9

12 Cumberlands 9-2 198 12

13 Southern Poly 8-2 192 18

14 Evangel 10-3 181 14

15 Biola 7-2 163 15

16 Southern Nazarene 6-2 161 13

17 Freed-Hardeman 9-3 155 19

18 Lindsey Wilson 7-3 136 16

19 Montana State Northern 12-2 130 17

20 John Brown 10-2 116 tie-20

21 Xavier 6-2 112 RV

22 Saint Xavier 8-3 101 23

23 Our Lady of the Lake 7-3 70 24

24 Fresno Pacific 6-3 62 25

25 Campbellsville 8-3 61 NR

Others receiving votes: Tougaloo 58, Southwestern Assemblies of God 50;, Columbia (Mo.) 40, Montana Western 31, Cumberland 19, Oklahoma Christian 17, Shawnee State 14, MidAmerica Nazarene 6, Baker 5, Westmont 5, Great Falls 1, Lee (Tenn.) 1, Spring Hill 1, Hope International 1, Oklahoma City 1; Voorhees 1, Pikeville (Ky.) 1.

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
VISIT: GCACSPORTS 

Upcoming Games at The Barn
Jan. 10 (Tue.) — Women's Basketball vs. SUNO, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 10 (Tue.) — Men's Basketball vs. SUNO, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 (Fri.) — Women's Basketball vs. Edward Waters, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 (Fri.) — Men's Basketball vs. Edward Waters, 7:30 p.m.

SUNO doubleheader: $5 admission for XU students with valid XU identification card
FIRST 300 XU STUDENTS WILL BE ADMITTED FREE TO SUNO DOUBLEHEADER
Free admission for XU students to the Edward Waters doubleheader

Six Knights score in double digits to defeat Johnson & Wales

New Orleans, Louisiana - Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) improved their record to 3-4 on Sunday with a 95-82 victory over Johnson & Wales (Fla.). Six Knights-Clyde Moore, Merlin Walker, Kevin Dukes, Nicholas Washington, Jared Lewis, and Jeremy Montgomery-scored in double digits to guide the Knights to victory in The Castle. After multiple lead changes in the first half, which ended in a 41-41 tie, the Knights outscored the Wildcats 54-41 in the second half to get the win.

In front of a sparse but energetic crowd SUNO shot 52% from the field, made 38% of their three-pointers, and made 71% of their free throws to overcome Johnson & Wales' perimeter attack. In the first half, the Wildcats' 40% three-point shooting threatened the Knights consistently. Johnson & Wales led by as many as seven points but SUNO hung in to keep pace with the Wildcats. Only minutes into the second half, the Knights jumped ahead 45-42 and never looked back. The Knights shot 60% from the field, made 50% of the three-pointers, and made 72% of their free throws in the second half.

Moore led the Knights in scoring with 23 points. He was also one of the team leaders in total rebounds with seven and in steals with two. Dukes also had seven total rebounds while Lewis and Carlos Arango had two steals, each. Dukes also had SUNO's only blocked shot on the afternoon.

The Wildcats had five players in double figures. David Jean Jacques led the way with 19 points, Myles Smith had 15, both Craig Wong and Carlos Montilla had 14, and Joseph Lopez had 11. Montilla led in rebounds with nine and Wong led the team with two steals.

Tougaloo Lady Bulldogs upset #23 Belhaven Lady Blazers

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- The Tougaloo College Women's Basketball team hosted cross town rival #23 Belhaven University. The Lady Bulldogs upset the Lady Blazers 64-60 here in the Dawg Pound to improve to 4-6 on the season.

After losing 64-57 to the Lady Blazers in their first meeting of the season, the Lady Bulldogs were looking to seek revengeon the Lady Blazers. The Lady Bulldogs came out very aggressive, going toe-to-toe with the Lady Blazers. Midway through the half, the Lady Bulldogs run off and take the lead, going into halftime with a 30-25 lead.

In the second half, the Lady Bulldogs would hope to keep up the momentum and maintain the lead. The Lady Blazers would come within 2 several possessions and even tie the game within the one minute mark, but the Lady Bulldogs would score to make the game 62-60 with less than a minute left in regulation. The Lady Blazers would try to score, but the Lady Bulldogs' defense would deny the Lady Blazers and the Lady Bulldogs would take possession of the ball with less than twenty seconds left to play. The Lady Blazers would foul and put Victoria Jones at the line with 0.9 seconds on the clock. Jones would make both free throws to secure the upset for the Lady Bulldogs.

Portia Craft led the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points. Victoria Jones chipped in 13 points and a game-high 20 rebounds. Erin Wells and Kierra Addison tacked in 11 points, respectively.

The Lady Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 as they play host to Concordia College-Selma. Tip-off is set for 5:30 P.M.

Claflin University' Lady Panthers fall to FVSU Lady Wildcats

FORT VALLEY, Georgia - Claflin University's Lady Panthers tangled with the Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State University in a SIAC pre-Christmas basketball game on the campus of Fort Valley State University.

The Lady Wildcats remained undefeated in the conference by easily handling the Lady Panthers 80-57. With a commanding halftime lead of 46-29, the Lady Wildcats quickly put the game out of reach by scoring the first six points of the second half, to build a lead that would become the final margin of victory 23 points, 52-29. From that point on it was a matter of how Claflin would finish the game.

Coach Tucker's troops would not give up playing hard until the final buzzer. 

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A final look at the historic WSSU football season

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina -- In a historic season like the one Winston-Salem State just completed in football there are a lot of little things that have to go right.

I thought that the way the Rams approached each game is something you don’t see too often. Not once when I interviewed coach Connell Maynor or his players during the week did they look ahead to the big picture.

It’s kind of difficult for me to even listen to players and coaches talk about “taking them one game at a time” because it’s a bad cliché. It’s obvious you play the games one at a time but there have been numerous occasions where a team has looked too far ahead. The Rams never did that, and I’m not sure how Maynor and his assistant coaches pulled that off.

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Maynor looks ahead after Rams' loss

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - With their magical ride over, the Winston-Salem State Rams will need time to heal from the sting of just missing a chance to play for the NCAA Division II football championship. Coach Connell Maynor, on the other hand, couldn't help but look ahead. "We don't rebuild," he said, "we reload."

The Rams fell short of Maynor's summer prediction of a national championship with Saturday's 21-14 semifinal loss to Wayne State at Bowman Gray Stadium.

But their 13-1 record is the best in program history, and the 13 victories are the most in a season by a historically black college. Also, the Rams are CIAA champions, and their No. 3 ranking in the AFCA poll is a program best.

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Rams' Cooper faces draft decision 

Nicholas Cooper

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina -- Running back Nic Cooper emerged from the Winston-Salem State locker room Saturday with a large icepack wrapped around his right shin.

About an hour after the Rams' dream season ended with a 21-14 loss to Wayne State, Cooper couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment.

"It does hurt," he said of the Rams falling two wins short of the Division II championship. "You can see the finish line, but you can't get there. It's like you pull a hamstring, and you can't get there. It's a sick feeling."

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Fayetteville State basketball faces challenge in Virginia Union

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina - With the majority of players returning from a team that reached the CIAA tournament semifinals last season, coach Alphonza Kee wanted to challenge the Fayetteville State Broncos early in the 2011-2012 season.

So when the third-year FSU coach started formulating the schedule, he sought out the best opponents he could find. What Kee finally compiled reads like a list of Who's Who in NCAA Division II basketball.

There's region rival UNC-Pembroke, which won the Peach Belt Conference and advanced to the NCAA tournament last season. Kee scheduled a home and away games against Barton, the 2006-2007 NCAA champion.

If those games were enough, Kee also added a nonconference matchup tonight against Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association power, Virginia Union. It won't be a league game, but a test tonight when the Broncos (2-3) face the Panthers (4-4) in a 7 p.m. game at Capel Arena.

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Hampton AD: Rose to return as Pirates' coach in 2012

HAMPTON, Virginia - Donovan Rose is confident Hampton University's football program has improved in his three seasons as head coach. He'll get a chance to continue that progression in Year 4. Rose, 18-15 in his three-year tenure after his Pirates went 7-4 this past season, will return to the HU sideline in 2012.

"Coach Rose will definitely be back next year," Hampton athletic director Keshia Campbell said Tuesday. "I feel confident that he'll take the program in the right direction." Rose will once again work on a one-year contract.

"At this point, there haven't been any further discussions regarding any extensions," Campbell said. Rose, an 18-year Pirates assistant who was promoted to head coach in 2009, went 5-6 in his first season, 6-5 in his second and 7-4 in 2011.



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Jenkins pours in points, assists as Hampton U women beat UMBC

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Other than assist totals that make one wonder if the official scorer has been drinking, the ways Jericka Jenkins wills Hampton University to wins don't always show up in box scores. On Saturday night, though, her value couldn't have been clearer.

Against Maryland-Baltimore County, the Lady Pirates' saw a 17-point lead shrink to 12 early in the second half. There was cause for concern, especially considering HU's first-half scoring drought of nearly six and a half minutes.

That is, until Jenkins, the Lady Pirates' 5-foot-4 senior point guard and floor leader, saw a wide-open lane and headed for the basket. Fouled on the shot attempt, she made two free throws to push Hampton's lead to 44-30 and stem UMBC's momentum.

She was just getting warmed up. Jenkins then scored 11 of her season-high 26 points in a four-minute span, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, a pair of jumpers and another 3 as HU pulled away for a 75-47 victory.

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Tennessee State Tigers Surge Back to Claw Central Michigan, 65-57

Nashville, Tennessee - A 39-point second half helped propel Tennessee State past Central Michigan, 65-57, on Saturday afternoon at the Gentry Center.

The Tigers (4-6) surged back to shoot 42 percent (12-of-29) in the second half. Overall, the Tigers made 22-of-55 baskets from the field for 40 percent. The Tigers forced 19 CMU turnovers and dished out 11 assists in the victory.

CMU (4-4) led by as many as 13 in the first half, before TSU answered with eight points to cut the deficit to two at the break. The Tigers then opened up to an 18-point advantage at the 14:15 mark, staving off a late Chippewas comeback.

For the game, Central Michigan shot 39 percent (23-of-59) from the field and narrowly out-rebounded the Tigers 40-to-37.

Robert Covington inked his 50th career double-digit game, scoring a game-high 19 points and grabbing eight rebounds. He shot 64 percent (7-of-11) from the field. The junior from Bellwood, Ill., dished out two assists and a pair of steals.

Sophomore guard Patrick Miller tallied 11 points, four boards and three assists in 29 minutes of action.

Forward Kellen Thornton anchored his fifth double-figure game with 10 points and a season-high eight rebounds. Thornton was 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of-6 at the charity stripe.



Wil Peters and Jordan Cyphers recorded eight points each and combined for seven total rebounds.

The Tigers opened up to a 6-2 advantage with 16:14 left in the first half. Central Michigan fought back with a 17-to-3 run taking a 19-9 lead.

Chris Conner's made free throw at 6:22 snapped a scoring drought of 8:32 for Tennessee State. The Chips continued to stay hot in the half opening up to a 24-11 lead with 4:33 left in the contest.

The Tigers proceeded on a 9-to-2 run, narrowing CMU's lead to 26-20 with 1:35 left in the contest. Cyphers drained a fade-away jumper to make it 26-22. On the next possession, he added a dunk to pull within two with less than a minute to go.

CMU responded with another basket, but Peters added two freebies to help the Tigers make it a 28-26 contest at the half.

For the first half, TSU made 10-of-26 from the floor (39 percent). CMU out-rebounded the Tigers 21-to-17. Covington led the Tigers with six points.

In the second half, Covington banked a triple to give TSU an early 29-28 lead. The Tigers exploded to a 17-0 run to start the second half. Central Michigan's Finis Craddock snapped the streak with a triple at the 14 minute mark.

Derek Jackson drained a triple for the Chips to pull within 51-38 with 9:48 left in the game. The Chips pulled within eight with six-plus minutes remaining.

Cyphers hit another crucial fade-away to help TSU keep a 10-point cushion. CMU's Jackson once again drained another triple to make it a 53-48 game with 4:12 left.

TSU proceeded on a 7-to-2 run with baskets from Thornton and Miller to stretch their lead to 60-51. The Tigers snapped a two-game losing skid and improved their win streak at the Gentry Center to 13-3 during the last two seasons.

The Tigers take a week hiatus for fall final exams before visiting Delaware State next Saturday, Dec. 17.

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Georgetown basketball jumps out to early lead, holds on to beat Howard, 62-48

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Georgetown men’s basketball team preserved its perfect record against Howard and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. But it wasn’t as easy as expected.

After watching a double-digit lead get whittled to two points, the 18th-ranked Hoyas needed a late surge led by freshman Otto Porter to pull out a 62-48 victory that did not leave Coach John Thompson III impressed with his team’s effort or execution.

“It would be easy to stand here and come up with a bunch of excuses as to what happened,” Thompson said. “But I don’t want to take anything away from Coach [Kevin] Nickelberry and what his team did. They outplayed us.”

When the Hoyas raced out to 17-0 lead at Verizon Center on Saturday, it appeared they were headed toward another easy win. Georgetown (8-1), after all, came into the game with a 6-0 record against the Bison, a 28.8-point average margin of victory against its crosstown rival and a 51-0 all-time mark against the MEAC.

Highlights

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2011 SWAC Championship Battle of the Bands: Grambling State 'World Famed' Marching Band vs. Alabama A&M 'Maroon & White' Marching Band

Videographers: Video 1&2 - TheOProductions1907; Video 3-5 - JGASU08

Close loss tough to take for Alabama A&M in SWAC championship game

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Anthony Jones, a man who unfailingly speaks in measured tones, had a difficult time finding his voice this afternoon while standing near midfield in the fading light of Legion Field.

"Words can't describe," the Alabama A&M football coach, "how disappointing this one is."

All around him, Bulldogs were strewn about in various poses of despair. Some were squatting. Others lay flat on their backs. What seemed possible early and logical as the day went along had morphed into the improbable. And now, tears were falling faster than the setting sun.

Why?

Grambling 16, Alabama A&M 15.

In the SWAC championship game.

Again.

That's why.

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Videographer: AAMUATHLETICS

Grambling wins SWAC title with 16-15 win over Alabama A&M

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Grambling State University knew before the season started that its defense would be tested in light of the team's young offense. And as GSU's defensive did all season, it passed that test Saturday in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Tigers scored on a second-half fumble return before SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Cliff Exama sealed the deal with a late interception to stop a last chance scoring drive by Alabama A&M to take a 16-15 win over the Bulldogs before a crowd of 23,476 at Legion Field.

It was the fourth conference title for SWAC Coach of the Year Doug Williams in his first season returning to lead the Tigers.

GSU trailed 15-0 late in the second quarter before ...

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Photo Gallery: SWAC Football Championship: Dec. 10, 2011 (28 photos)

Grambling rallies to beat Alabama A&M for SWAC championship

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Jacarde Carter's 66-yard fumble return five minutes into the fourth quarter helped rally Grambling to a 16-15 win over Alabama A&M today in the SWAC championship game at Legion Field.

Carter scooped up a Bryan Nelson fumble just two plays after A&M recovered a muffed punt at the Tigers' 30-yard line.

The Bulldogs led 12-0 and 15-3 at various points of the game.They are now 0-4 all time against Grambling in SWAC title games.

A&M led Grambling 15-9 going into the fourth quarter on the strength of a 12-yard touchdown run from Kaderius Lacey, a 36-yard scoring pass from Deaunte Mason to Terrance Pride and a 34-yard field goal by Chance Wilson.

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Road Warriors: Wayne State wins again on road, advances to Div. II title game

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- 'Bama bound. That's the buzz phrase for Wayne State these days. The Warriors' defense held steady when it mattered most in a 21-14 victory over Winston-Salem State in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II football playoffs Saturday.

The win puts Wayne State (12-3) in the national championship game in Florence, Ala., against Pittsburg State (12-1) on Saturday at 11 a.m.

"When I recruited a lot of these guys, I told them that we would compete for a national championship," said coach Paul Winters. "Now they can see that everything has come together. We're going to play for a national championship."

The defense, led by safety Jeremy Jones, put on a stellar display at crucial moments. Winston-Salem State's normally potent offense came up empty on three trips inside the red zone. However, the most crucial stop for WSU came during the closing moments.

The defense, led by safety Jeremy Jones, put on a stellar display at crucial moments. Winston-Salem State's normally potent offense came up empty on three trips inside the red zone. However, the most crucial stop for WSU came during the closing moments.

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WSSU's mole-hill mistakes became mountains

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Winston-Salem State came up empty shortly before a full moon rose over Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday. The ground game ran out of time, and frantic passes hit the ground, and the drive for a national championship died right there on the dormant Bermuda grass surrounded by an asphalt racetrack.

Wayne State, the last seed in the last regional revealed on selection day, won 21-14 and booked a trip to Alabama for the NCAA Division II title game. The Rams altered their season-long plans at the end of the finest season in school history — 13 wins and just one final defeat.

They lamented the slipped tackles and bobbled catches and the molehill mistakes that eventually seemed like mountains. Connell Maynor, their detail-conscious coach, tipped a gracious cap to relentless Wayne State. He also remembered every blown chance, including quarterback Kameron Smith's fumble at his 16-yard line, which teed up the Warriors' third score.

"We had three dropped touchdowns," Maynor said. "The plays were there to be made, but the guys just didn't make the plays when they had to."

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SEE ESPN3 REPLAY OF GAME: CLICK HERE

End Game for WSSU Rams

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina -- Third-ranked Winston-Salem State's historic season ended Saturday with a 21-14 loss to upstart Wayne State in the semifinals of the Division II football playoffs.

The Warriors turned up their defensive pressure and capitalized on key Rams mistakes to win their fourth straight road game in the playoffs. They will play for the national championship next Saturday in Florence, Ala., against Pittsburg State.

After setting the school record for victories with a swashbuckling offense that seemed to score at will, the Rams found things more difficult this time in front of nearly 9,000 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

"We had too many mistakes offensively," coach Connell Maynor of the Rams said. "We were dropping balls, and the turnover on the goal line hurt us, and we were missing tackles.

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GALLERY: WSSU vs. Wayne State, December 10, 2011 

Little things make a big difference in loss to Wayne State

WINTON SALEM, North Carolina - They don’t grow teams like Wayne State in the CIAA. That was the general consensus after watching a team that had a big offensive line that was even bigger than Winston-Salem State's line.

During the season the Rams usually dwarfed their CIAA opponents but that wasn’t the case on Saturday as Wayne State won 21-14 to end the Rams’ unbeaten season. The Rams (13-1) lost in the semifinals of the Division II playoffs and it was the line of scrimmage where they got beat.

Running back Josh Renel isn’t very big, but he’s fast and darted inside his big linemen to gain valuable yardage when it mattered most.

“Those linemen were big but they only had 130 yards rushing on 39 carries,” coach Connell Maynor said. “That’s not good and only about 3.9 yards a carry. We missed tackles and we don’t normally miss tackles and they got the extra yards from those missed tackles.”

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College Baseball: ASU's schedule revamped

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - One of the first things Mervyl Melendez did when he was hired as Alabama State's baseball coach was to take the Hornets' proposed 2012 baseball schedule and tear it up.

There are 24 required Southwestern Athletic Conference games on the 56-game schedule, a home-and-home series with the other five East Division rivals.
Even that was subject to change as Melendez tried to put his signature on the ASU schedule that was released today.

"Conference games were set," said Melendez, the first-year coach." Some of the opponents were set at different venues. But we rearranged the entire schedule, one way or the other. If we had the (right) opponents on the schedule, I didn't like the site.

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ASU welcomes their new Head Baseball Coach, Mervyl Melendez, to Montgomery and Alabama State University, June 22, 2011.

Alabama State Hornets Baseball Releases 2012 Schedule

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - The Alabama State University baseball team released its 2012 baseball schedule, a 54-game regular season slate which includes 22 home contests at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex as the program will play its first full season on campus since 1996.

Highlighting this year's schedule are home-and-home games with Alabama-Birmingham, Georgia State, Mercer, Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State, and a home game against Troy. Alabama State will also travel to Auburn for a two-game series and to Oklahoma for a three-game series against the Sooners in Norman, Oklahoma. The Hornets will open the season at home Saturday, Feb. 18 with a three-game series against Grambling State.

“Our schedule shows our commitment of playing the best Division I teams in the country,” first-year head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez said. “I am most proud of opening our season at home and bringing college baseball back to the ASU campus for a full season for the first time in many years.”

The three-game season opening series against Grambling State is part of a five-game homestand to open the season, as the Hornets will then host UAB and Kennesaw State. Alabama State will end the season's opening month by playing three games in the Nicholls State Tournament, followed by a pair of games at Auburn.

2012 ALABAMA STATE BASEBALL SCHEDULE (.pdf)

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME

Sat. Feb. 18 GRAMBLING STATE (DH) MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Sun. Feb. 19 GRAMBLING STATE MONTGOMERY, ALA. NOON

Tue. Feb. 21 ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM MONTGOMERY, ALA. 4 P.M.

Wed. Feb. 22 KENNESAW STATE MONTGOMERY, ALA. 4 P.M.

Fri. Feb. 24 Stony Brook Thibodaux, La. 2:30 P.M.

Sat. Feb 25 Nicholls State Thibodaux, La. 1 P.M.

Sat. Feb 25 Stony Brook Thibodaux, La. 5 P.M.

Tue. Feb. 28 Auburn Auburn, Ala. 5 P.M.

Wed. Feb. 29 Auburn Auburn, Ala. 5 P.M.

Sat. March 3 ALABAMA A&M (DH)* MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Sun. March 4 ALABAMA A&M* MONTGOMERY, ALA. NOON

Wed. March 7 Alabama-Birmingham Birmingham, Ala. 6 P.M.

Fri. March 9 Jackson State* Jackson, Miss. 6 P.M.

Sat. March 10 Jackson State (DH)* Jackson, Miss. 2:35 P.M.

Tue. March 13 Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 4 P.M.

Wed. March 14 Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 4 P.M.

Fri. March 16 Gardner-Webb Boiling Springs, N.C. 5 P.M.

Sat. March 17 Gardner-Webb (DH) Boiling Springs, N.C. Noon

Sun. March 18 Gardner-Webb Boiling Springs, N.C. Noon

Tue. March 20 GEORGIA STATE MONTGOMERY, ALA. 4:30 P.M.

Sat. March 24 Mississippi Valley State (DH)* Itta Bena, Miss. 1 P.M.

Sun. March 25 Mississippi Valley State* Itta Bena, Miss. 1 P.M.

Wed. March 28 TROY MONTGOMERY, ALA. 6 P.M

Sat. March 31 ALCORN STATE (DH)* MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Sun. April 1 ALCORN STATE* MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Wed. April 4 Georgia State Atlanta, Ga. 4 P.M.

Sat. April 7 Alabama A&M(DH)* Huntsville, Ala. 1 P.M.

Sun. April 8 Alabama A&M* Huntsville, Ala. 1 P.M.

Wed. April 11 Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 4 P.M.

Sat. April 14 JACKSON STATE(DH)* MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Sun. April 15 JACKSON STATE* MONTGOMERY, ALA. NOON

Fri. April 20 Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 6 P.M.

Sat. April 21 Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 1 P.M.

Sun. April 22 Oklahoma Norman, Okla. 1 P.M.

Tue. April 24 MERCER MONTGOMERY, ALA. 6 P.M.

Wed. April 25 MERCER MONTGOMERY, ALA. 6 P.M.

Sat. April 28 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (DH)* MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Sun. April 29 MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE* MONTGOMERY, ALA. 1 P.M.

Tue. May 1 Jacksonville State Jacksonville, Ala. 6:30 P.M.

Wed. May 2 JACKSONVILLE STATE MONTGOMERY, ALA. 6 P.M.

Sat. May 5 Alcorn State (DH)* Alcorn State, Miss. 4:35 P.M

Sun. May 6 Alcorn State* Alcorn State, Miss. 1:35 P.M.

Tue. May 8 Mercer Macon, Ga. 5 P.M.

Wed. May 9 Mercer Macon, Ga. 5 P.M.

Wed. May 16 SWAC Tournament Baton Rouge, La. TBD

Thur. May 17 SWAC Tournament Baton Rouge, La. TBD

Fri. May 18 SWAC Tournament Baton Rouge, La. TBD

Sat. May 19 SWAC Tournament Baton Rouge, La. TBD

Sun. May 20 SWAC Tournament Baton Rouge, La. TBD

Schedule subject to change; Home Games in CAPS; All Times Central

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A candid conversation with B-CU’s Brian Jenkins

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Bethune-Cookman University head coach Brian Jenkins just concluded his second season at the helm of the Wildcat football program. The Wildcats followed up a remarkable 10-2 season in Jenkins’ first year with an 8-3 overall record and a 2nd place finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Through 23 games, Jenkins has won 18, compiling an impressive .783 winning percentage for the Daytona Beach, FL institution. While wins and losses are important to every coach, Jenkins’ real testament has been in the way his players have performed off the field. Since his arrival, graduation rates have improved and players have become a mainstay in the community, forging a strong relationship with the Daytona Beach, FL community and surrounding areas.



Thursday, I had the pleasure of speaking to Coach Jenkins via conference call on everything from his rating of the team’s performance this past season to his prediction of this year’s Liberty Bowl. (Jenkins is a 1993 graduate of U. of Cincinnati and the Bearcats take on Vanderbilt in this year’s game).

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No. 18 Georgetown Hosts Howard on Saturday at Verizon Center

GAME TIME: NOON

TV: MASN, SNY & BRIGHTHOUSE NETWORK (Fla.) 

INTERNET LIVE: ESPN3


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The No. 18/21 Georgetown University men's basketball team hosts D.C. rival Howard on Saturday in a non-league contest at Verizon Center. Tipoff is slated for noon.

The game will be shown live on MASN, with Jason Knapp and Mark Tillmon calling all of the action. Fans can also see the game on SNY in New York and Connecticut and on the Brighthouse Network in Florida. Locally, fans can tune into Rich Chvotkin's radio call on ESPN 980 AM.

The Hoyas improved to 7-1 with an 84-44 win over NJIT last Saturday, the team's fifth-straight win. Georgetown moved into the national rankings after five-straight wins, highlighted by victories over then-No. 8 Memphis (91-88 in overtime) and at then-No. 12 Alabama, 57-55. The Hoyas are ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll and No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Coaches' poll.

The meeting with Howard on Saturday will be the seventh all-time between the schools, with Georgetown leading the head-to-head series, 6-0. The last meeting between the teams was a 79-55 Hoya win during the 2004-05 season.

Junior forward Hollis Thompson (Los Angeles, Calif./Loyola), who was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday, led the team to three wins week, including the thriller at Alabama, when he hit a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left to seal the team's second triumph over a top-15 team this season. Thompson is second on the team in scoring (15.0 points per game) and rebounding (5.5 rpg). He is shooting 56.8 percent from the floor and 58.8 percent from three-point land.

Last week, Thompson averaged 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists to lead the Hoyas to wins over IUPUI, Alabama and NJIT. He recorded his second career double-double in the win over IUPUI, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, and against NJIT, he scored 20 points and set a career-high with six three-point field goals.

Howard enters Saturday's game with a 3-5 overall record following a 72-65 win over Delaware State earlier in the week. Calvin Thompson leads the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game, while Mike Phillips is second on the team with 9.8 points and leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game.

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Maynor: CIAA stronger that its reputation

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - When coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State wants to get something off his chest he does it. Earlier this week, Maynor defended the CIAA and it’s reputation for being a weak conference.

“For all the CIAA haters and naysayers who say the CIAA is weak and we can’t play football and all of that, let me say this,” Maynor said. “I’ve been in the CIAA for two years now as a head coach and we are 21-2, and our only two losses have come against CIAA teams.

“So that tells you something — that the CIAA is stronger than people say.” Those two losses came last season, when Shaw and St. Aug’s beat the Rams.

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DSU Hornets to take on Delaware Hens in First State Rivalry

2011-12 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL
HORNETS (4-4) VS. DELAWARE BLUE HENS (3-4)
SAT., DEC. 10, 2011 (1:00 P.M.)- DOVER, DEL. (MEMORIAL HALL)

THE GAME

Delaware State welcomes the University of Delaware to Memorial Hall for a First State rivalry contest. The Hornets bring a 3-4 overall record (1-1 MEAC) into the contest. DSU is coming off a 72-65 loss to Howard last Tuesday. The Hornets trailed by 22 points midway through the second half of the contest, but could get no closer than the final score the rest of the way. Casey Walker and Kendall Gray led Delaware State with 17 points each in the Howard contest. Delaware is 3-4 this season (1-0 CAA). The Hens are trying to bounce back from a 69-60 loss to Penn at the Palestra on Wednesday. Kyle Andrews led four Delaware players in double figures with 13 points vs. Penn.

DSU VS. DELAWARE SERIES HISTORY (DELAWARE LEADS 9-2)

The Hornets and Hens are meeting for the third straight year and 12th time overall. Delaware holds a 9-2 series lead, highlighted by an eight-game win streak from 1992 to 2000. The Hens won last year's contest 61-50 at UD's Bob Carpenter Center. DSU led by 11 points in the second half, but was scoreless in the last 5:07 of the game. Alphonso Dawson led UD with 16 points, while Jay Threatt was high man for the Hornets with 13. The last time the teams played at Delaware State, the Hornets posted a 75-67 victory in 2009. The state's only Div. I teams did not meet from 2001 to '08.

College hazing rituals come under new fire after death of FAMU marching band student

'The truth needs no defense, and blind ignorance needs no facts'  --
The Famuan Student Newspaper, FAMU.

Anycampus, United States -- In the cult classic, "Animal House," the 1978 iconic coming of age film, young men and women seek acceptance among their peers by doing just about anything to join a select group of inner circle members.

More than three decades later, the issue of hazing on college campuses is hardly new, however with the recent death of a Florida A & M University band member, the ritual has once again taken center stage.

The University has formed an independent task force to examine the sudden death of Robert Champion, a member of the famous A & M Marching Band. According to NewsOne, the panel is trying to “determine if there are patterns of inappropriate behavior within the culture of the band,” said A & M President James Ammons, amid rumors of hazing as a possible factor in Champion’s death.

College students seeking membership into elite fraternities and sororities, or in Champion's case, competitive marching bands, sometimes face rigorous physical work-outs and grueling mental accuity tests that can sometimes challenge their moral and ethical standing. Peer pressure to gain acceptance ...

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A Day in the Life - A Drum Major

FAMU band director re-hired, expelled students back in school

Florida A & M University officials have halted dismissal procedures against “Marching 100” band director Julian White and reinstated four students previously expelled for their connection with the death of band member Robert Champion.

Wednesday’s actions are the latest twist in the ongoing drama since Champion’s Nov. 19 death, which detectives say may have been caused by hazing.

Two weeks ago, FAMU president James Ammons put White on administrative leave with pay and said he intended to fire him. Last week, Ammons told the state university Board of Governors that four students were expelled in relation to Champion’s death.

On Wednesday, university officials said the students have returned to classes because state police ordered that no disciplinary action be taken until criminal investigations are completed. And a university attorney said White will remain on administrative leave with pay but dismissal actions have been dropped.

“This continues to be a sad time for the entire FAMU community, but each day, I see that Robert Champion’s death was not in vain. A dialogue of healing has begun ...

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FAMU's Marching 100: Some local students still want to join

TAMPA, Florida - Despite the death of 26-year-old Florida A & M University student Robert Champion, there are many students from the Tampa Bay area who want to be a part of the world famous marching band.

The Marching 100 dates back to 1946. It started out with just 16 members, but currently has more than 400. The music and the bold moves band members perform on the field mesmerizes crowds. It's why so many schools across the country and in the Tampa Bay area continue to try to duplicate it, like at Tampa Bay Tech High School in Tampa.



Band director Ronal Russell, Jr. and his assistant, Kayraynard Lawrence, were both members of the Marching 100 and there's no question where many of their students want to attend college. Janae Morrow, a senior who's in Tampa Bay Tech's band, says she'll never forget the first time she saw the Marching 100 perform. "It was, like, incredible. I honestly couldn't breathe."

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READ RELATED:
www.stophazing.org,

Ex-WSSU star Davis heading to Lithuania

Paul Davis #24

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Center Paul Davis, the all-time blocks leader in Winston-Salem State history, has signed to play professionally with a team in Lithuania.

Because of the NBA lockout, Davis — who exhausted his eligibility last March — said that the offers from overseas weren't there before. Since the lockout has been settled, he had more options.

"The good thing about the strike was I stayed here in Winston and took more classes toward my degree," said Davis (6-foot-9, 197 pounds), who was a four-year starter for coach Bobby Collins.

Davis said he only needs one class — which he can take online — and an internship to get his degree from WSSU. But today he'll leave for Lithuania to begin his dream of playing pro basketball.

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Alabama A&M going up against tradition in SWAC Championship Game

2011 SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

TEAMS: GRAMBLING STATE TIGERS (7-4) vs. ALABAMA A&M BULLDOGS (8-3)
DATE: SATURDAY, DEC. 10, 2011

TIME: 1:00 PM ET

WHERE: LEGION FIELD, BIRMINGHAM, AL
TV: ESPNU
INTERNET: ESPN3

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- What's in a name?

Forget that.

How about, what's in a letter?

If it's a 'G' and is on the side of a football helmet, there's an abundance of excellence and tradition involved, that's for sure. Not just in the NFL, where the Green Bay Packers are the latest threat to the '72 Dolphins' version of perfection, but in the college ranks as well.

Grambling, with a roll call of legends and Hall of Famers such as Eddie Robinson, Willie Brown, Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis and Charlie Joiner, is the Green Bay of the Southwest Athletic Conference. That's pretty much the way it's been in the past - with 17 league titles under Robinson back in the day - and in the present - with five more since the conference went to a championship game format in 1999.

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GSU, ’Dogs collide for title

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Figure on another close game between Grambling State University and Alabama A&M this weekend, only this time under much more important circumstances.

In a late September regular season duel at Robinson Stadium, the Bulldogs pulled out a 20-14 victory.

Now, the longtime rivals from the West (GSU) and East (A&M) divisions collide in a winner-takes-the-title setting on Saturday (1:00 p.m., ESPNU) at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

“It’s probably going to be close again, I would think,” said Grambling wide receiver Mario Louis. “I’ll kinda be surprised if it isn’t. We’re both pretty evenly matched and have similar records.”

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Steffen: Tiger Pride on the prowl at Savannah State University

Basketball: Georgia Tech vs. Savannah State, SATURDAY 6 PM ET,  SSU Tiger Arena

SAVANNAH, Georgia - As I approach completion of three years of service as legal counsel for Savannah State University and as I prepare to help promote the rare opportunity for our hometown university to host a basketball game against an ACC school Saturday, I find myself reflecting on a new passion which can best be called “Tiger Pride.”

I started to experience it even before coming to work at the university in my interaction with the great number of successful and proud SSU alumni I met in the business, political and faith communities.

The sense of community and place at Savannah State was an attraction to a job that represented a fairly big change of direction for me.

I came to better understand what Tiger Pride was in my interactions with long-time staffers, faculty and administrators who I met at the cafeteria, at functions or just walking around the beautiful marsh view circle.

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WSSU's Hayes feeling 'pure joy'

William "Bill" Hayes
Director of Athletics
Winston Salem State University

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Bill Hayes has a bounce in his step and a smile on his face that could light up a Christmas tree. Hayes, 68, is in his second year as athletics director at Winston-Salem State — and these are some glorious times for the school.

"There have been some long days and I think Saturday I put in 15 hours — but it was 15 hours of pure joy," Hayes said earlier this week. "I'm really happy for these coaches and kids, and I'm happy for the university because it deserves what it's getting right now. "I haven't had a chance to let out a big yell yet but I'm extremely happy for this school."

The third-ranked football team is 13-0 and will play Saturday in the semifinals of the Division II playoffs against Wayne State at Bowman Gray Stadium. The Rams are making noise on the national level, and Hayes is relishing what's going on.

Since he's come aboard ...

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