Tennessee State drop third straight with loss to Florida A&M



Shuler led TSU with 17 points vs. FAMU
Courtesy: Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics

 NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Four Lady Tigers scored in double-digits but it wasn't enough as Tennessee State University dropped its third straight contest in a, 90-75, loss to Florida A&M University Thursday night in the Gentry Center.

Tennessee State (4-8) committed 25 turnovers in the contest while Florida A&M (7-5) recorded 21.

Jasmin Shuler led TSU with 17 points while Kim Haynes tallied 16. Tayla Foster registered 15 points while Alana Morris chipped in 12. Donyeah Mayfield came off the bench to grab a team-high nine rebounds.

After a fairly slow start for both teams, the Rattlers put together a rally that led to them grabbing a 12-4 lead. A couple of buckets by Tayla Foster and Donyeah Mayfield sparked a 9-2 run that pulled TSU to within one, 14-13 before four unanswered points by FAMU put the Rattlers back up, 18-13.

The Lady Tigers managed to cut the deficit down to two, again, following a break-away lay-up by Jasmin Shuler with 9:58 remaining half. The Rattlers, however, used six unanswered points to move ahead, 26-18.

FAMU capitalized on being in the bonus down the stretch and built its advantage up to 32-19 behind a number of free-throws. TSU cut the deficit down to single digits with just over three minutes in the half but FAMU responded with a spurt that made its lead, 42-30.

Alana Morris buried a triple at the buzzer to make the halftime score, 46-35, in favor of the visitors.

TSU opened up the second frame by outscoring FAMU 8-2 and pulled within five, 48-43, before the first media timeout. The deficit went back up to double-digits when the Lady Tigers gave up five unanswered points.

The Lady Tigers continued to fight throughout the half but the Rattlers held off every TSU run attempt. After falling behind, 65-50, Kim Haynes hit a triple from the top of the key to bring TSU within 12 at the 3:51 mark. That, however, would be as close as the Lady Tigers would get.

Tennessee State went 28-of-77 (36.4 percent) from the field, including 8-of-27 (29.6 percent) from three-point range. TSU shot a dismal 55 percent (11-of-20) from the free-throw line and lost the battle of the boards, 54-49.

Lady Tigers return to action on Thursday, Dec. 29 when they host Austin Peay in the OVC opener. Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m. in the Gentry Center.

Box Score

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Bethune-Cookman downs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 61-52

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Texas A&M–Corpus Christi men's basketball team was unable to overcome an early second-half surge by Bethune–Cookman on Thursday afternoon, falling 61-52 at the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena.

The Islanders trailed just 30-28 at halftime, but Bethune-Cookman hit three 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the second half to jump out to a double-digit lead and never look back.

The Islanders (1-9) play Kennesaw State (2-9) at 2 p.m. Friday at Orleans Arena. Kennesaw State lost to Tennessee Tech 81-68 on Thursday.

Bethune-Cookman (4-8), which plays Tennessee Tech at 4 p.m. Friday, had only one win over a Division I opponent before beating the Islanders.

Chris Hawkins-Mast led A&M-Corpus Christi with 15 points to go along with his eight rebounds. James King scored a career-high 10 points, but was the only other Islanders player to reach double digits. King played a career-high 25 minutes, shattering his old mark of five minutes against Missouri State.

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Mount Saint Mary's Drops Hard Fought Game at Savannah State, 45-41

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Mount St. Mary's fell to Savannah State, 45-41, in a hard-fought game on Thursday night. Trailing 44-38, the Mount's Josh Castellanos drained a three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the deficit to 44-41 with 1:50 on the clock. It was the Mount's only three-point basket of the game.

The Mount (1-10) got a stop on the ensuing possession, but then turned the ball over. The Mount got another chance to tie the score after getting another stop on the defensive end, but Julian Norfleet's three-point attempt from the right wing with 8.9 seconds left was off the mark.

Savannah State (5-8) got the rebound and the Mount was forced to foul Deric Rudolph with 3.2 seconds left, and he sealed the win by hitting 1-of-2 at the line.

Danny Thompson led the Mountaineers with eight points and five rebounds while Castellanos chipped in seven points and three assists. Ja'Colby Wells and Kristijan Krajina added six points each in the loss.

Rashad Hassan led all scorers with 14 points while Preston Blackmon added nine in the win for the Tigers. Arnold Louis added eight points, eight rebounds, seven steals and four blocks for Savannah State.

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NCCU Eagles chop down SFA Lumberjack, 65-57

EUGENE, Oregon -- Jereal Scott scored his 1,000th point of his Lumberjack career, but Stephen F. Austin never led in the second half and dropped its second consecutive game, a 65-57 decision to North Carolina Central on the second day of the Global Hoops Showcase at the Matthew Knight Arena.

Scott finished with 12 points and six rebounds to become just the eighth Lumberjack (5-6) in the Division I era to reach 1,000 points for his career, but SFA shot just 37.3 percent as a team on the night and was just 2-for-16 from long distance while the Eagles (5-6) hit 45.1 percent of their shots, including eight three-point buckets.

Desmond Haymon had his best offensive showing since the opening game of the year, pumping in 14 points and pulling down a career-best nine rebounds. He and Antonio Bostic were the only `Jacks to connect from three-point range with Bostic finishing with 11 points on the night.

SFA dominated the glass, outrebounding its opponent for the fifth consecutive game with a 40-23 margin, holding the Eagles to just four offensive rebounds while ripping down 11 of its own. Dominque Sutton led NCCU with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Ebuka Anyaorah rode a 16-point first half to a game-high 18 points and Jeremy Ingram finished with 11 points, all in the final 5:32 of the game.

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APSU Lady Govs close non-conference play with loss to Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee -- Austin Peay State University women's basketball team had few answers for a hot-shooting Alabama A&M squad in an 80-68 non-conference loss, Wednesday night at the Dunn Center.

Austin Peay (3-10) got off to a hot start from the floor, making three three-pointers, and led 9-6 at the 16:51 mark. Senior Whitney Hanley had the first and last three pointers in the group.

Alabama A&M (5-4) called timeout after the third three-pointer and switched to a man-to-man defense. That change had the desired effect as the Lady Govs did not score for the next four minutes. The Bulldogs used that brief lapse to score seven straight points and lead 15-9 with 13:26 left.

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The Bulldogs further extended their lead as the Lady Govs went the final 5:38 without making a shot. Alabama A&M closed the period with an 11-6 run and led by eight points, 37-29, at the break.

Austin Peay attempted to charge back in the second half for the third consecutive game. But as was the case in Tuesday's loss to Florida A&M, the Lady Govs were unable to complete the comeback and could not maintain their intensity on the defensive end of the court.

The Lady Govs closed within two points after junior Kaitlyn Hill made a pair of free throws at the 10:56 mark. But Austin Peay would get no closer as a 10-4 Alabama A&M run later in the half pushed the lead to double digits, 69-59, for the first time with 5:52 remaining and the Lady Govs would not recover.

Senior Jasmine Rayner led the Lady Govs with 21 points, converting 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Hanley added 18 points and her 4-of-4 effort at the free-throw line extended her consecutive free throws made streak to a school-record 25.

Whiquitta Tobar led all scorers with 26 points, making 11-of-12 at the free-throw line. Jasmine Sanders added 19 and NaDra Robertson chipped in 18. Alabama A&M finished the game making 49.1 percent (27-of-55) of its field goals.

Austin Peay, which wrapped up its non-conference slate with Wednesday's loss, returns to action in eight days when it travels to Tennessee State for a 5:30 p.m., Dec. 29 Ohio Valley Conference-opening contest.

Courtesy: Cody Bush, APSU Sports Information

JCSU Golden Bulls use bowl win on recruiting trail

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - Two weeks after winning the Pioneer Bowl, Johnson C. Smith football coach Steve Aycock is using the Golden Bulls’ postseason success in his recruiting pitch.

JCSU, which posted a winning season for the first time since 2006, capped the campaign with a 35-33 upset of SIAC champion Miles (Ala.) in the Pioneer Bowl – the first postseason win in school history. It’s a marketing tool that no Golden Bulls coach has been able to use.

“From a team aspect, it helps,” Aycock said. “We’re excited about the guys we have on our (recruiting) board and that’s been one of the selling points. The Pioneer Bowl win, how much better we’ve gotten statistically, it all helps.”

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Strong Shooting Performance Propels TSU to Victory over AAMU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - - Tennessee State staved off an Alabama A&M comeback and snagged a 78-68 win over the Bulldogs to secure its' best start since 1994.

The Tigers (7-6) led by as many as 17 in the second half, but Alabama A&M (2-6) fought back to tie the game at 47-47 with 9:48 remaining. A 16-7 in the final stretch run helped the Tigers notch the most victories before the winter break since Frankie Allen's squad accomplished the feat during the 1994-95 campaign.

Four Tigers reached double-figures as Robert Covington notched 18 points, a career-high five blocks, four rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes of action. Covington managed his 12th straight double-figure game and is just eight points shy of reaching 1,000 in his three-year career.



For the ninth time this season, Patrick Miller eclipsed double-digits. He posted 17 points, going 4-for-4 from the field, in 25 minutes. The sophomore guard made eight freebies at the charity stripe and dished out three assists.

Jordan Cyphers made two triples and added four total baskets for 15 points and three rebounds. For the second consecutive game, Kellen Thornton totaled 11 points and six boards in 19 minutes.

From the field, TSU banked 21-of-38 attempts for 55 percent. The Tigers made an outstanding 69 percent from the field (11-of-16) in the second half, en route to their second game of 50-plus field goal shooting.

The Tigers were also hot behind the arch, shooting 64 percent (7-of-11) on the evening. Albama A&M was dominated on the boards, being out-rebounded 36-to-26. TSU dished out 15 assists with Wil Peters leading the way with six assists. The senior from Nashville finished with eight points, four rebounds and a steal.

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Loyola Marymount Mauled By Sleuth of Morgan State Bears, 69-45

BALTIMORE, Maryland - The LMU Lions basketball team concluded it's holiday swing of East Coast schools tonight against the Morgan St. Bears, and they were met by an unrelenting sleuth that left the Lions wounded with the final of score 69-45. The game was the final non-conference road game of the season for the Lions, who have just two home games remaining before West Coast Conference play begins. This was LMU's first trip to Hill Field House, though Morgan State has played at LMU twice.

While it's not surprising LMU ran out of gas on their fourth straight game on the other side of the country, it is surprising that it came against the previously 1-7 Bears. After seven straight loses to open the season, the Bears have turned it around with a 13 point defeat of  Maryland - Baltimore County and now the 24 point defeat of the Lions.

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Harmon emerges as leader for Delaware State Hornets

Deanna Harmon
5-7 Guard/Forward
Owings Mills, Maryland.
(Photo Courtesy: Megan Raymond
 & DSU Athletics)

Sophomore is only returning starter on this year's DSU squad

DOVER, Delaware - Deanna Harmon was class salutatorian at St. Francis Academy in Baltimore in 2010 and is a member of the Delaware State Dean's List and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

The sophomore is majoring in mathematics with a minor in accounting. She said the toughest course she's taking right now is chemistry. And in her spare time, Harmon is trying to reverse the fortunes of a college basketball team.

Harmon is the only returning starter on the Delaware State women's team. So along with her myriad academic commitments, Harmon is charged with leading a team that includes seven freshmen, four sophomores and two juniors.

"This is an entirely different group from last year ...

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Maryland Eastern Shore surprise ODU on road, 63-59

Coach Fred Batchelor

UMES Lady Hawks breaks ODU 10-0 streak against MEAC teams

NORFOLK, Virginia - Junior forward Chelsea Sanders (Rochester, N.Y.) tied a career-high with 22 points and four assists as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore took down Old Dominion University with a 63-59 victory on Wednesday afternoon at Ted Constant Convention Center, one of the toughest places to play in women's basketball.

The game proved to be a career-high effort for several Lady Hawks, who used a resilient 2-3 defense to limit the Monarchs to a 3-for-22 performance from three-point range in the first ever meeting between the two programs.

The Lady Hawks defeated the Lady Monarchs in Norfolk, where Old Dominion has nearly an 84% winning percentage in its history. 

A crowd of 4,749 was ODU’s largest home gathering this season. Just fewer than 2,000 students from the Norfolk public-school system attended the game.

"Our kids stepped up and took control of the challenge," said coach Fred Batchelor. "This win is huge for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. This win is probably bigger than we even imagine."

The women trailed in the early stages of the contest as three jumpers by Old Dominion in the first three minutes of the game provided them with a 6-2 lead. A layup by sophomore forward Shanyce Stewart (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) gave UMES its first lead, 14-13, at the 8:38 mark before the squads traded baskets over the next few minutes.

Adobi Agbasi (Columbus, Ga.) found a hot hand as she registered the next five points to give the Maroon and Gray a three point lead, 21-18, with just under six minutes to go in the first. A three-pointer by Mercer upped the lead to six, but ODU used six consecutive points to tie the score. It did not last long as Agbasi went down the court and tallied a layup to send UMES into halftime with a two point lead, 26-24.

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JSU's Comegy contract runs through 2014

Head Coach Rick Comegy

JACKSON, Mississippi - Jackson State coach Rick Comegy's new contract is a year longer than the university announced last month and includes a $50,000 buyout and specific academic terms that must be met.

Comegy's contract, obtained by The Clarion-Ledger through a public records request, begins Jan. 1 and ends Dec. 31, 2014.

JSU announced Nov. 31 that Comegy, in the last year of a current deal, was receiving a two-year extension through 2013. Athletic director Vivian Fuller did not comment Tuesday, after attempts to reach her through a JSU spokesperson. Comegy did not return a call.

The school gave the coach a 3-percent raise in salary to $191,580, something it announced last month after Comegy's sixth JSU squad finished 9-2 and ranked among the top 25 teams in the Football Championship Subdivision

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Xavier beats Sterling 74-60 to gain a split in Vegas Hoopla

LAS VEGAS — Keldra Hall scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds Wednesday, leading NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 74-60 women's basketballl victory against Sterling in the Vegas Hoopla.

SiMon Franklin and Jasmine Grant added 12 points apiece for Xavier (8-5), which snapped a two-game losing streak and earned a split of its two games in this event.

Megan Kelly scored a season-high 24 points and made 6-of-7 3-pointers for Sterling (5-6).

Sterling made 6-of-7 3-pointers in the first half, but the Gold Nuggets made 5-of-6 and shot 62 percent from the floor to take a 45-34 lead at the break. It was Xavier's most first-half points this season — the previous best was 35 — and it was the Nuggets' highest-scoring first half on the road since getting 53 at Mobile on Feb. 21, 2009.

Kayla Eilert's layup in the seventh minute gave Sterling its largest lead, 15-10, but the Nuggets answered with a 22-2 run which gave them the lead to stay. Sterling trimmed Xavier's lead to 57-55 with 10:36 remaining, but the Nuggets closed the game with a 17-5 burst.

Xavier finished at 48.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded Sterling 39-27. Five Gold Nuggets made 3-pointers, with Grant and Dalila Robinson getting two apiece and sophomore Carmen Holcombe making her first as a collegian.

Sterling shot 45.2 percent from the floor and was 8-of-14 on 3-pointers but committed 22 turnovers, seven more than Xavier. The Nuggets collected 15 steals, four apiece by Jazmoné Kelly and Brandi Young.

The Nuggets will break for Christmas, then resume their schedule with three road games the first week of January — against Southern Polytechnic on Jan. 3, 18th-ranked Shorter on Jan. 4 and Philander Smith on Jan. 7 in Xavier's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

HU Extends Win Streak to Five With 81-57 Win Over Buffalo

WASHINGTON, DC – Three players reached double figures as the Howard women’s basketball team convincingly defeated the University at Buffalo, 81-57, on Dec. 20. This marks the widest margin of victory this year for the Lady Bison, and a season-high in points scored. With the win, the Lady Bison extend their win streak to five and improve to 6-5 on the season.

Tamoria Holmes led all scorers with a game-best 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting (47 percent) from the field. Saadia Doyle notched her sixth double-double of the season with 25 points and 11 boards in 37 minutes of action. Zykia Brown tallied 15 points and four rebounds. Cheyenne Curley-Payne chipped in with nine points, six rebounds, and dished out seven assists.

The Lady Bison got off to a fast start – opening up regulation with 11 unanswered points. Three consecutive three-pointers gave UB its first points of the half and cut HU’s lead to 14-9 by the 12:17 mark. The Bison and the Bulls battled over the proceeding seven-plus minutes, with Howard maintaining its advantage. Buffalo got to within four, 24-20, off a pair at the line by Brittney Hedderson at 5:27. A Holmes three sparked a 12-5 run for the Bison to end the first 20 minutes for a 36-25 cushion.

Buffalo opened up scoring in the second stint with a quick three by Hedderson – her first of four in the half. Another shot from behind the arc by Nicki Hopkins cut it to 36-31. HU answered by scoring seven straight unanswered points to push the margin back to double-digits 43-31, and never looked back. The Lady Bison led by as many as 26 (72-46) at the 4:40 mark.

As a team, Howard controlled the glass 40-30, and scored 26 points off 24 UB miscues. The Lady Bison shot 42.6 percent (29-for-68) from the floor, while holding the Bulls to a 39 percent clip (29-for-49).

For the Bulls, Hopkins led her team with 18 points off 6-of-9 shooting (66 percent) from behind the arc. Hedderson had 17, going 5-for-15 (33 percent), including 4-of-8 (50 percent) from three-point land.

By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information

VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY

VISIT: HOWARD-BISON

Virginia Union basketball standout savoring senior season

Coach Barvenia Wooten-Cherry
Virginia Union University

PETERSBURG, Virginia -- Riverdale Baptist High School (Md.) graduate Vicki Collier likes to believe that life situations occur for a reason. But she could not have predicted that she would be playing basketball for her mother — Barvenia Wooten-Cherry — at her mother’s alma mater, Virginia Union University.

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” she said. “I played for her when I was little. That coaching relationship was always there. But being at the school she wanted to coach at and for me, attending there and playing for her, it’s just not something I ever thought would happen.”

Collier is enjoying a strong senior season, and last week she was named Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week. The 6-foot forward is averaging 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. But she has had quite a journey to her final year of college basketball.

Upon graduating from Riverdale Baptist in 2006, Collier was one of the best girls basketball prospects in the ...

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Top-ranked Oklahoma City throttles XU Gold Nuggets, 86-48

LAS VEGAS — Senior guard Dietra Caldwell scored nine of her 16 points during a decisive second-half run Tuesday which powered Oklahoma City to an 86-48 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the Vegas Hoopla.

The Stars (10-0), ranked first in NAIA Division I, gave the 16th-ranked Gold Nuggets (7-5) their biggest defeat since a 91-53 loss to Oklahoma City in the second round of the 2003 NAIA National Championship.

It was business as usual for Oklahoma City, which has outscored opponents by an average of 44.7 points this season. The Stars never trailed, led 37-22 at halftime, then clinched the victory with a 24-1 burst in the first 7½ minutes of the second half. Caldwell closed the run with a 3-pointer and her final two points of the game to give the Stars a 61-23 advantage.

Caldwell is in her first season at Oklahoma City after transferring from NCAA Division I UTEP, where she played three seasons and was Conference USA Freshman of the Year.

Nicollette Smith had 14 points for the Stars. Taylor Booze, a former LSU player, scored 12, and Tiffany Goldwire had 11 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Jazmoné Kelly had 10 points, five rebounds and three steals for Xavier, and SiMon Franklin and Jasmine Grant scored seven points apiece.

The Stars outshot the Gold Nuggets 42.4 to 34 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 48-35. Oklahoma City made 32-of-47 free throws and had a staggering 41-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Xavier committed 29 turnovers, its most in nearly two years, and 29 personal fouls.

Oklahoma City is 5-0 all-time against Xavier and beat the Nuggets for the second time this year. The Stars won 67-51 on March 18 in second round of the national tournament.

Oklahoma City finished 2-0 in this event; the Stars defeated Pikeville 97-39 Monday. Xavier will play its second and final game of the Vegas Hoopla at 4 p.m. PST Wednesday (6 p.m. CST) against Sterling, which is 5-5 after its 60-55 victory Tuesday against Viterbo.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Rally attempt not enough as APSU Lady Govs fall to FAMU by 9

CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee -- Austin Peay erased a huge second half deficit for the second straight game Tuesday night at the Dunn Center.

But this time they couldn't close out the win, and Florida A&M escaped with an 86-77 victory. Coach Carrie Daniels was once again left searching for answers for why her team didn't play its best until the second half.

"We can't continue to do this," Daniels said. "We have to be ready from jump. You can't continue to dig holes and then use all that energy to get back into the ballgame."

The Lady Govs opened the second half by forcing three turnovers and making seven of their first eight shots that helped them reel off a 14-0 run to cut the FAMU lead to five. They eventually took a 65-64 lead on Whitney Hanely's 3-pointer with just under 6:30 left, but the Lady Rattlers immediately responded with tbhree straight 3s of their own to spark a 10-0 run.

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Final Statistics: Lady Govs vs. Florida A&M

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Norfolk State Spartans' O'Quinn last shot a winner at Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio - A lackluster start on the offensive end led to a poor showing on the defensive end, and both ultimately produced a disappointing result for the University of Toledo men’s basketball team Tuesday night against Norfolk State.

The Rockets (7-4) rallied from a 13-point deficit with 8:48 remaining but ultimately came up just short in a 72-70 loss in front of 3,781 at Savage Arena.

Kyle O’Quinn dropped in the game-winning bucket for the Spartans (8-5) with 2.4 seconds to play on an inbounds pass from under the basket after UT sophomore center DeLino Dear stepped on the baseline with 3.7 seconds left.

Toledo’s ensuing inbounds pass to halfcourt was...



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Former NSU Music Department employee admits to embezzlement

NORFOLK, Virginia - A former employee of Norfolk State University's music department pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement Tuesday for misuse of a state credit card issued to the school's director of bands.

Sean Summers, 33, pleaded guilty in Circuit Court and was sentenced to five years with all time suspended pending good behavior. He also agreed to pay the university $6,500 in restitution over the next five years.

Summers, who had been an employee at NSU since 2009, stopped working for the university Aug. 23.

Norfolk State officials said Summers used a credit card that was issued to O'Neill Sanford, who had served as director of bands for 13 years until he was relieved of those duties in September. Sanford retains his position as associate professor of music, and Paul Adams is serving as interim band director.

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No. 17/18 Indiana Defeats Howard Bison, 107-50

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana -- Indiana coach Tom Crean was worried about his players' focus Monday night. Turns out, there was no reason to be concerned.

With the Hoosiers trying to protect a second straight Top 25 ranking and become the first Indiana team to go 11-0 since the unbeaten national champs of 1975-76, Indiana actually did something even Bob Knight's first title team did not --win a game by 57 points.

The 17th-ranked Hoosiers had six players score in double figures, matched a season-high with 11 3-pointers and rolled to the second-most lopsided victory in school history, 107-50 over Howard.



"Our guys were on it," Crean said. "They were ready to play, excited to play and excited to join some elite company. When there are only a few teams in the illustrious history of this program that have done something (like going 11-0), they wanted to join that group."

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Auburn beats FAMU, overcoming poor shooting with tough inside play

AUBURN, Alabama - Rob Chubb tied a career high with 21 points and Frankie Sullivan had 16 points and a career-high nine rebounds as Auburn defeated Florida A&M 76-69 on Monday in Auburn Arena. Chris Denson scored 12 points and Kenny Gabriel tied his career high for the second-straight game with 13 boards.

"We got a win," said head coach Tony Barbee, who won his 100th career game. "I'm disappointed that we played to the level of our competition. Give Florida A&M credit. They played harder than us today, just like North Florida did the other night. When you do that, you are always a step behind.

"When you think you are going to raise your level against a so-called better opponent, you can't sustain it, because you are not used to doing it all the time. That is the point I am trying to get across, and they are not getting it."

Auburn shot 52 percent (12-of-23) in the second half to help the Tigers (7-1) to continue their best start since the 2003-04 season.

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JCSU's Vanessa Taylor: A Path To Follow

Vanessa Taylor

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Longevity can be defined as the long continuance in a particular occupation. Success is defined as the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. Johnson C. Smith University head women's basketball coach Vanessa Taylor is a shining example of longevity and success in coaching. In the midst of her 11th season, Taylor has reached her 200th victory at the helm of the women's basketball program at JCSU. With such as impressive milestone in tow, the opportunity to reflect on the journey is available.

After 10 seasons as head coach at JCSU, Taylor continues to strive for new heights instead of resting on her laurels. Last year, JCSU concluded the 2010-11 season in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 poll at No. 22 after a historic best 26-5 overall record. The Golden Bulls advanced to the championship game in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournaments. The victory over Glenville State (74-69) in the quarterfinals was the first ever regional tournament win for the women's basketball program.

Taylor was elected as the 2011 CIAA Women's Basketball Coach of the Year; her third time winning the honor, but first at JCSU. She has the most wins all-time as the head women's basketball coach at JCSU with a school record of 200-108 and an overall record of 283-203. Taylor has never had a losing season at Johnson C. Smith, including four seasons with 20 plus victories and no season with few than 16 wins.

Despite the success, Taylor remains humble, focused, and energized to accomplish more.

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Commentary: Sometimes It's Necessary to Blame the Victim

By Aaron N. Taylor, assistant professor at Saint Louis University School of Law

The sad and senseless death of Robert Champion has once again raised the issue of college hazing. Champion was a drum major in Florida A&M University's legendary Marching 100, a band known for its ability to merge technical brilliance with innovative showmanship. As a native of Tallahassee, I grew up watching the Marching 100. To this day, its performances give me goose bumps.

Hazing has long been an issue within the band, and Champion's death last month, after he was allegedly punched repeatedly in a hazing ritual, represents only the latest, and most unfortunate, outcome of this barbaric practice. In the wake of that incident, the university's board of trustees has put the band's director, Julian White, on administrative leave and has reprimanded the university's president, James H. Ammons.

But in all the current administrative hand-wringing and public discussion of hazing, an important focus is noticeably absent: the role and culpability of willing victims. And while I am loath to blame victims, they are not always blameless when it comes to hazing. Without them, this pervasive practice could not endure.

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Only students can truly end hazing

READ THE AUTOPSY REPORT ON DEATH OF MR. CHAMPION (PDF)

In November 2010, I watched "HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" and saw a piece on the hazing antics at several historically black colleges and fraternities. I took to Twitter to share my thoughts on the issue.

Much of the report focused on Southern University, and man, did the floodgates open as a number of students from the university angrily tweeted me back, cussing, yelling and screaming, with some defending hazing, while others were angry at the national attention focused on their university.

For hours we went round and round, and were joined in the discussion by members of several black fraternities, including my own Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. A number of these individuals actually supported hazing, or "pledging hard" and not becoming a "paper" member who "skated" into the fraternity.

Despite the anger and vitriol, I refused to back down, making it clear that getting beaten for being in a band or fraternity was absolutely dumb.



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FAMU trustees say no to Rick Scott's request to suspend school president

Dr. James H. Ammons, President
 Florida A&M University

TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University trustees needed just two minutes Monday to dismiss Gov. Rick Scott's call to suspend President James Ammons as authorities investigate a student's hazing death and allegations of financial fraud.

"We will stand firm against outside influence regardless of how well intended," said Board of Trustees chairman Solomon Badger.

Meeting via conference call, the 12-member board barely discussed a recommendation that Ammons be removed until the investigations are complete.  Badger suggested the board wait for a final report before taking further disciplinary action against Ammons, the university's president since 2007.

"Dealing with a sensitive matter, such as a student's death, allegations of hazing and the well-founded concerns of the students' safety, requires that we operate on facts," he said.

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Howard University upsets Wake Forest in OT

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- (12/18/2011) -- The Howard women’s basketball team upset Wake Forest 63-59 in Winston Salem, N.C. This marks the third time in Howard Women’s basketball history that the Lady Bison have defeated an Atlantic-Coast Conference opponent. Previously, HU women’s basketball knocked off Maryland and N.C. State under legendary MEAC Hall of Fame coach Sandra Tyler.

“Anytime you can make history and follow in the foot-steps of a hall of famer, feels great,” says fourth-year head coach Niki G. “It is great for the team and the program.”


Saadia Doyle, 5-11 R-Junior Forward
 Atlanta, Georgia (Columbia H.S.)

With the victory, Howard (5-5, 2-0 MEAC) improves its win streak to four, while Wake Forest drops to 7-3 on the season.

Saadia Doyle finished with a season-best, 28 points – shooting 10-19 from the field, and 8-9 from the charity stripe. Tamoria Holmes tallied 14 points and seven boards. Cheyenne Curley-Payne chipped in with 10 points, five rebounds, and six steals.

In the second period, the Demon-Deacons threw the first blow pushing the lead to as many as 21 points (46-25) with just under 15 minutes to play. Ignited by a Doyle fast break layup, HU rattled off 15 straight points over a nine-plus span to cut the margin to 46-40 by the 6:13 mark. Sandra Garcia ended the Wake Forest drought with a basket. From there, both teams went toe-to-toe playing to a 52-52 knot by the end of regulation.

To tip-off the extra five-minutes, the Demon-Deacons earned a free-throw from the charity stripe. HU brushed passed Wake Forest and dominated the period by outscoring them 11-7 to a final of 63-59, however.

“Tamoria and Saadia played well,” commented Coach G. “Saadia came up with key back-to-back baskets which gave us the tie to go into overtime. Once overtime began I knew we had the momentum. We gave great defensive effort, especially by holding their leading scorer, Chelsea Douglas, to one point.”

The Deacs were led by Garcia, who finished with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds. Secily Ray contributed 10 points and nine boards.

Game notes: Wake Forest leading scorer Chelsea Douglas came into the game averaging 14 points, but was held to just one point on the night. HU scored 20 points from the Demon-Deacons’ 27 turnovers. The Lady Bison found much success from the free-throw line, shooting 21-23 (91 percent) for the game. Wake Forest dominated the glass, 53-38, and outscored Howard in the paint, 40-16.

NEXT GAME: The Lady Bison are back in action on Tues. Dec. 20 at home against Buffalo beginning at 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

By  Jamilah Corbett, Assistant Director of Sports Information
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
VISIT: HOWARD-BISON