Juco standout Huggins joins XU Gold Rush for spring season

COREY HUGGINS
 MEN'S TENNIS TEAM
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

NEW ORLEANS — Corey Huggins, a standout the past two seasons for Seminole State College of Seminole, Okla., has signed a men's tennis scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Huggins, a 6-foot-2, 182-pound right-hander from Brooklyn, N.Y., is an XU junior majoring in marketing and eligible for the 2012 spring season, which the Gold Rush will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Tulane.

Huggins was a semifinalist at No. 5 singles at the 2011 NJCAA Division I National Tournament and, for the second consecutive year, helped the Trojans finish fifth in the team standings. This past season he recorded a doubles victory against Baylor, ranked 13th in NCAA Division I, and a singles victory against Cameron, ranked 19th in NCAA Division II. As a freshman Huggins was a regional runner-up in doubles during the fall and finished fifth in the NJCAA division of the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships.

Huggins was 19-6 in singles as a Seminole sophomore. He was 14-5 in singles and 18-6 in doubles as a freshman. In the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association NJCAA rankings, Huggins was 84th in singles and 18th in doubles as a sophomore and 47th in singles and 19th in doubles as a freshman.

"Corey is a strong doubles player and has a really big forehand," Seminole coach Brian Nelson said. "He's solid at the net with his volleying. He's a mature tennis player. He doesn't get rattled and doesn't get nervous, probably because of all the juniors experience he has."

Huggins is a native of Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and moved to the United States from that Caribbean country in 2004. He graduated from Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant Preparatory High School but did not compete in sports there. TennisRecruiting.net rated him as a four-star recruit.

Huggins is one of four newcomers — the others are Loic Didavi, Nikita Soifer and Viktor Svoboda — on the Gold Rush roster.

NOTES: XU coach Alan Green said fifth-year student Ashley McGill has rejoined the women's roster for 2012. McGill, who played tennis the past two seasons and basketball the past four seasons for the Gold Nuggets, is from Memphis, Tenn., and a graduate of Northside High School. The Gold Nuggets' first match will start at 9 a.m. Sunday at Tulane.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Charleston's West Ashley Football Star Commits to Howard Bison

CHARLESTON, South Carolina - Marvin Harris has shut it down. The West Ashley High senior just recently made his decision as to where he will be suiting up next season. The 6-4, 240 pound OL/DL will be taking his skill set to Howard University, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, also known as the MEAC.

Harris chose Howard over North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, amongst several other small DI programs. Harris, who primarily lined up at right tackle for the Wildcats last season, informed us that the coaching staff at Howard plans to bring him on as a tight end.

Harris took his official visit to Howard University on this past weekend, where he was highly intrigued with what the prestigious MEAC program had to offer.





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Grambling adds trio of commitments

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -  The Grambling State defense helped carry the Tigers to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship this year. On Wednesday, the Tigers got verbal confirmation that reinforcements are on the way as a pair of defensive recruits committed to play at GSU.

The Tigers added size in 6-foot-2, 254-pound Houston defensive lineman Devaughn Madise and speed in Byrd cornerback/return specialist Nicholas Peoples (5-10, 180). Peoples was The Times' All-City Defensive Player of the Year after recording 62 tackles and intercepting four passes for the state semifinalist Yellow Jackets.

Grambling also secured an offensive commitment, landing Dallas Skyline receiver Travondre Raybon, whose build is similar to that of departed big-play receiver Mario Louis. The 6-2, 190-pound Raybon expressed a strong level of commitment to Grambling.

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XU's Rush, Nuggets will face challenging 2012 schedules

COACH ALAN GREEN
MEN'S & WOMEN'S TENNIS HEAD COACH
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA



NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams will get a heavy concentration of ranked NAIA opponents and NCAA Division I opponents in 2012.

Alan Green, in his ninth season as coach of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets, announced Tuesday the spring portion of the schedules.

Approximately 65 percent of both teams' schedules will consist of opponents which were ranked in the final 2011 NAIA coaches top 25 poll or are NCAA D-I members. Xavier competes in the NAIA.

Competition will begin this weekend when the XU men visit Tulane at 2 p.m. Saturday. XU's women will visit Tulane at 9 a.m. Sunday. The first home duals will be Feb. 1 when Xavier's men and women play the University of New Orleans at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, which opened 10 months ago. That facility will play host to most of Xavier's home matches this season.

Ranked 2011 NAIA teams on the schedules of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets include top-10 programs Auburn Montgomery — whose women won the national championship this past season — Point Loma Nazarene and Vanguard. NCAA Division I opponents will include the men and women of Nicholls State and the women of Louisiana Tech and South Alabama.

"This will be our toughest men's and women's schedules ever," Green said. "I'm not looking to play a lot of cream puffs. We want to challenge ourselves with difficult competition and use those challenges to become better and stronger."

For the second straight year the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference will not crown tennis champions — only Xavier, Tougaloo and Fisk sponsor the sport — but both XU teams will compete in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament in the Atlanta area in late April for automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships.

Xavier's men will attempt earn a fourth consecutive berth at the NAIA nationals, and the women will attempt to qualify for the sixth time in eight seasons. The Gold Nuggets missed qualifiying last year after reaching the previous three seasons.

The first NAIA team rankings of the season will be announced next Wednesday.

2012 Xavier Women's Tennis Schedule
January
29 Sunday: at Tulane, 9 a.m.

February
1 Wednesday: NEW ORLEANS, 3 p.m. (1)

4 Saturday: at South Alabama, 11 a.m.

10 Friday: at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m.
12 Sunday: at McNeese State, noon
18 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 10 a.m. (2)
18 Saturday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m. (2)
24 Friday: at Southeastern Louisiana, 6 p.m.
25 Saturday: WILLIAM CAREY, 10 a.m. (1)

March

3 Saturday: at Southern, noon

6 Tuesday: TENNESSEE WESLEYAN, 3 p.m. (1)
7 Wednesday: SHORTER, 3 p.m. (1)
9 Friday-11 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
14 Wednesday: NICHOLLS STATE, 3 p.m. (1)
17 Saturday: LOUISIANA TECH, 11 a.m. (1)
17 Saturday: LOYOLA, 5 p.m. (1)
20 Tuesday: CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, 4 p.m. (1)
24 Saturday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 4 p.m. (2)

April

2 Monday: at Point Loma Nazarene, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)

3 Tuesday: at Westmont, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
4 Wednesday: at Concordia (Calif.), 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
5 Thursday: at Vanguard, noon (10 a.m. PDT)
14 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 9 a.m.
14 Saturday: at Alcorn State, 3 p.m.
27 Friday-28 Saturday: NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Ga.

May
15 Tuesday-19 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Home matches in BOLD TYPE
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
(1) at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center
(2) at University of New Orleans Tennis Center
TBA — to be announced

2012 Xavier Men's Tennis Schedule

January

28 Saturday: at Tulane, 2 p.m.

February
1 Wednesday: NEW ORLEANS, 3 p.m. (1)
10 Friday: at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m.
11 Saturday: Bethany (Kan.), 10 a.m. (3)
18 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 10 a.m. (2)
18 Saturday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m. (2)
25 Saturday: WILLIAM CAREY, 10 a.m. (1)

March
6 Tuesday: TENNESSEE WESLEYAN, 3 p.m. (1)
7 Wednesday: SHORTER, 3 p.m. (1)
9 Friday-11 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
14 Wednesday: NICHOLLS STATE, 3 p.m. (1)
17 Saturday: LOYOLA, 5 p.m. (1)
24 Saturday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 4 p.m. (2)

April
2 Monday: at Point Loma Nazarene, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
3 Tuesday: at Westmont, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
4 Wednesday: at Concordia (Calif.), 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)

5 Thursday: at Vanguard, noon (10 a.m. PDT)

14 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 9 a.m.

14 Saturday: at Alcorn State, 3 p.m.

27 Friday-28 Saturday: NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Ga.

May

15 Tuesday-19 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Home matches in BOLD TYPE

• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match

All times are Central except where noted

(1) at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center

(2) at University of New Orleans Tennis Center

(3) at Prairie View, Texas

TBA — to be announced

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

TSU's Jasmin Shuler named adidas® OVC Player of the Week

JASMIN SHULER
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - JUNIOR CLASS
HOMETOWN: CLARKSVILLE, TN
KENWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University women's basketball junior Jasmin Shuler was named the adidas® OVC Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Shuler, a 5-8 guard, led TSU in scoring last week to help the Lady Tigers go 1-1 in Ohio Valley Conference action. The Clarksville, Tenn. native averaged 30.0 points per game and shot over 50 percent from the field and beyond the arc.

She exploded for a career-high 38 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range in an, 86-80, overtime win against Morehead State. She also tallied five rebounds, four assists and two steals in the victory.

Against Eastern Illinois, she led the Lady Tigers with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting. She knocked down three triples and registered four rebounds in the game.

Shuler leads TSU while ranking sixth in the OVC in scoring with 15.9 points per game. She is also fourth in the league in made three-pointers and ninth in three-point field goal percentage.

This marks the first time that Shuler has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week and the fourth time a Tennessee State player has received a weekly award this season. Destiney Gaston was named Player of the Week on Dec. 6 while Rachel Allen garnered two Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 22 and Jan. 3.

Courtesy: Tennessee State University Sports Information

TSU's Avian Hughes Named BEYA STEM Award Winner

AVIAN HUGHES
6'2" JUMPS
HOMETOWN: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
TOM CLARK HIGH SCHOOL

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University's Avian Hughes was selected as a Black Engineer of the Year Award's STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) student-athlete award winner last week.

Hughes, a member of the TSU track & field program, holds a 3.10 GPA with a major in Electrical Engineering. He has been a three-year letter winner for the Flying Tigers track & field team and a member of the Air Force ROTC program.

"Avian is a great example of what being a college student is all about," noted TSU Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services, Dr. Johnnie Smith. "For a young man to balance academics, athletics and ROTC, and excel in all three, he is truly the epitome of excellence. I am so proud of Avian and I salute him on this national achievement."

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Hughes claimed All-Conference accolades during his freshman campaign in the long jump. Hughes primarily focuses in the long jump and triple jump.

His best triple jump mark this season came with a distance of 13.57-meters at the UNC Dick Taylor Invitational. Hughes also leapt 7.04m in the long jump at the Dick Taylor Invitational.

"First of all congratulations to Avian for being an outstanding student-athlete," said TSU Track & Field Director Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice. "He is really dedicated on what he does on the track and it shows in the classroom as well."

Hughes will be recognized at the Student Leadership Awards Dinner during the 26th annual BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012.

Courtesy: Tennessee State University Sports Information

Scores That Matter!!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

MEAC
Hampton 78, South Carolina State 66
Morehead State 75, Norfolk State 69

CIAA
North Greenville 67, Fayetteville State 65
Virginia State 66, Johnson C. Smith 63
Winston Salem State 100, Washington Adventist 84

SIAC
Lane 64, Stillman 62
LeMoyne-Owen 83, Albany State 65
Tuskegee 65, Kentucky State 60
Clark Atlanta 54, Claflin 51
Paine 60, Benedict 55
Fort Valley State 73, Miles 69



WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

CIAA
Shaw 63, Virginia Union 57
Johnson C. Smith 59, Virginia State 55

SIAC
Stillman 62, Lane 39
Tuskegee 64, Kentucky State 54
LeMoyne-Owen 76, Albany State 66
Paine 55, Benedict 28
Clark Atlanta 75, Claflin 72
Miles 59, Fort Valley State 57

GCAC
Philander Smith 66, Central Baptist AR 61

OTHERS
Voorhees SC 73, Webber International 66

Crosstown Classic returns with free tickets for XU students

NEW ORLEANS — The oldest college basketball rivalry in New Orleans, Xavier vs. Dillard, will heat up again Saturday when the Crosstown Classic returns for what should be the final time at The Barn.

The women's game will start at 5 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7. Tailgating in front of The Barn will start at 3 p.m.

The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium since 1937, will be replaced later this year by a 4,500-seat facility, the Convocation Academic Center, which is under construction.

Xavier students with a valid XU identification card will be admitted free to the doubleheader. A limited number of advance student admission tickets will be available through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Center information desk on the first floor and from 2 to 4 p.m. in the XU Office of Student Services, room 305b on the UC's third floor.

Additional student tickets will be available at the box office at The Barn beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday.

A limited number of $10 general admission tickets will be available in the athletics administration office of The Barn from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Thursday. Tickets also will be sold at the doubleheader.

"Because seating at The Barn is limited, we ask our students to arrive early to the games on Saturday, regardless of when they pick up their tickets," said Dennis Cousin, XU's director of athletics.

Fans unable to attend can watch the doubleheader on the internet via PSBLive.com. The free webcasts can be accessed at www.xula.edu/athletics/stream.

The games will be the 122nd meeting between the men's teams and the 75th between the women's teams. The men's series began in the 1947-48 season, and the women's series started in 1977-78.

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

Panthers Hold Off UAPB In A 76-75 Thriller On ESPNU

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Jourdan DeMuynck hit the go-ahead free throw with 22 seconds remaining as Prairie View A&M held off Arkansas-Pine Bluff 76-75 in conference action on Monday before 4,319 fans in the William Nicks Building.

“Every time we play them (UAPB) the game comes down to one point,” said head coach Byron Rimm II. “Both teams were amped to play each other and it showed both on-and-off the court.”

Holding a one-point halftime lead, Prairie View A&M jumped out to a 45-38 lead less than two minutes in. UAPB closed to within three on two occasions but the Panthers held their ground as they claimed their largest lead (52-44) of the evening at the 15:16 mark following a jumper from DeMuynck.



UAPB refused to go away though as they continued to hang around and closed to within one point on two occasions over the next nine minutes. The Golden Lions regained the lead for the first time since the first half with 6:45 left as Savalance Townsend recorded a three-point play for a 65-64 advantage. Nearly a minute later, DeMuynck hit 1-of-2 free throws to knot the contest at 65.

From that point, the game went back-and-forth as UAPB's Clay Johnson hit a basket followed by two free throws by PV's Marcellus Jackson. Townsend moved the Golden Lions back on top 69-67 with 4:51 left following a driving layup down the lane. However, Jackson kept the Panthers in contention as he tied the contest at 69-all with a huge basket in the paint.

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Mississippi Valley State edges TSU in OT

HOUSTON, Texas - Several fans rushed the court at Texas Southern's H&PE Arena to celebrate when TSU guard Madarious Gibbs made a layup as time expired in regulation against Mississippi Valley State to send the game into overtime tied at 63.

Security officials needed several minutes to clear the court so the contest could continue. Unfortunately for TSU fans, the celebration was premature.

Gibbs hit two layups in the final 12 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime, but TSU fell flat in the extra period en route to dropping a 77-69 decision to the Delta Devils before a crowd of 1,412 on Monday night.

The Tigers, who ended their home winning streak at 14, shot themselves in the foot repeatedly in the final minutes. TSU (6-13, 5-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) made only ...

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Erves earns Xavier's fourth straight GCAC player award

DENZELL ERVES

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Denzell Erves is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball for Jan. 16-22. It's the second time this season that Erves earned the honor and the fourth consecutive week that the Gold Rush received the award.

Erves, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks and shot 73.7 percent from the floor and 90 percent from the line during Xavier's 2-0 week. Erves had career highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds Jan. 16 in an 87-80 home victory against Philander Smith — 17 points and nine rebounds in the second half to help Xavier erase a seven-point halftime deficit — and 14 points in a 77-64 home victory against Talladega on Saturday. He scored five points against Talladega during an 11-2 second-half run which gave Xavier the lead for good.

Erves has started all 20 games this season and is averaging 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 24.8 minutes. He is shooting 56.2 percent from the floor and 78 percent from the line. Erves leads Xavier with 18 blocked shots.

Four XU players — the others are Cordell Hadnot, Nick Haywood and Anthony Simmons — have accounted for six of the GCAC's 11 player awards this season. Simmons won the award the previous two weeks, and Hadnot started the Gold Rush streak with a victory for Dec. 26-Jan. 1.

Xavier, 14-6 and ranked 19th in NAIA Division I, will play Dillard at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at The Barn.

Xavier's 2011-12 GCAC Players of the Week in Men's Basketball

Oct. 31-Nov. 6 Denzell Erves

Nov. 21-27 Nick Haywood

Dec. 26-Jan. 1 Cordell Hadnot

Jan. 2-8 Anthony Simmons

Jan. 9-15 Anthony Simmons

Jan. 16-22 Denzell Erves

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

Tougaloo's 59-51 victory ends XU Nuggets' many streaks

TOUGALOO, Mississippi — Victoria Jones had 13 points and 19 rebounds Monday to lead Tougaloo in a 59-51 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 15 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Lady Bulldogs (10-11 overall, 4-2 GCAC) snapped the nine-game win streak of the Gold Nuggets (16-6, 6-1) and beat Xavier for the first time in 14 tries. The most recent Tougaloo victory had been in 2005.

Also snapped was Xavier's 35-game win streak against GCAC opponents, 30 in the regular season.

Jones, who recorded her fifth career double-double against Xavier, was one of four Lady Bulldogs in double figures. Kierra Addison scored 11 points, and Brittany Patterson and Tangela Rich had 10 apiece.

SiMon Franklin scored 16 points for Xavier — her fifth consecutive game in double figures — and Brandi Young scored 10.

Tougaloo led 27-21 at halftime. Both teams made less than a third of their field-goal attempts — Xavier shot 30 percent, Tougaloo 31.5 — but the Lady Bulldogs dominated at the line, making 21-of-30 free throws to the Nuggets' 9-of-15. Tougaloo outrebounded Xavier 42-33. In the Gold Nuggets' previous seven games they outrebounded each opponent by 10 or more.

It was the third notable home victory of the season for Tougaloo, which beat NAIA No. 18 Belhaven and NCAA Division I Jackson State in December.

Xavier's loss and Dillard's 72-70 home victory against Talladega knocked the Nuggets out of first place. Dillard, 6-0 in the GCAC, will visit Xavier at 5 p.m. Saturday in the opening game of the Crosstown Classic doubleheader at The Barn.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Scores That Matters!!

Monday, January 23, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC
Missississippi Valley State 77, Texas Southern 69 (O.T.)
Prairie View A&M 76,  Arkansas Pine Bluff 75
Alabama A&M 65, Alcorn State 64
Southern University 68, Alabama State 56

MEAC
Savannah State 75, Stetson 45
Delaware State 65, Florida A&M 51
Morgan State 71, North Carolina Central 64
North Carolina A&T 93, Coppin State 92 (O.T.)
Bethune Cookman 67, Maryland Eastern Shore 55

GCAC
Tougaloo 69, Xavier University of Louisiana 64
Southern-New Orleans   Fisk
Talladega 76, Dillard 60
Philander Smith 81, Edward Waters 67

CIAA
Bowie State 89, Elizabeth City State 64
Lincoln Pa. 51, Chowan 48

SIAC
No Games

OVC
No Games Scheduled

OTHERS
Texas College 83, Jarvis Christian TX 74
Cumberland TN 75, Oakwood College 57
Texas Wesleyan 88, Langston OK 64
Wiley TX 60, Paul Quinn TX 58


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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

OVC
Eastern Illinois 88, Tennessee State 73

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State 68, Texas Southern 54
Southern University 71, Alabama State 51
Prairie View A&M 102, Arkansas Pine Bluff 51
Alcorn State 49, Alabama A&M 45

MEAC
Hampton 52, Howard 39
Florida A&M 84, Delaware State 65
Coppin State 85, North Carolina A&T State 63
Maryland Eastern Shore 47, Bethune-Cookman 43
Morgan State 64, North Carolina Central 59

GCAC
Dillard 72, Talladega 70
Edward Waters 74, Philander Smith 71
Tougaloo 59, Xavier University of Louisiana 51
Southern-New Orleans   Fisk

CIAA
Lincoln Pa. 68, Chowan 67
Elizabeth City State 60, Bowie State 50

SIAC
No Games Scheduled

OTHERS
Texas College 74, Jarvis Christian TX 69
Warner FL 65, Voorhees SC 63
Cumberland TN 64, Oakwood College 24
Texas Wesleyan 60, Langston OK 57
Wiley TX 82, Paul Quinn TX 56

DSU women fall to MEAC leader, Florida A&M

DOVER, Delaware - It was far from an ideal scenario for Delaware State's young women's basketball team. The Hornets have not won a game since Dec. 11 and were hosting Florida A&M, which leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, averages a league-best 72.9 points per game and plays tenacious pressure defense.

It all added up to a miserable time for DSU as Tameka McKelton scored 25 points and Antonia Bennett hit for 24 points to lead FAMU to an 84-65 rout of the Hornets at Memorial Hall Monday night, sending them crashing to their eighth-consecutive defeat.  Delaware State (3-15 overall, 0-5 MEAC) fell behind early, wilting in the face of the Rattlers' full-court pressure and failing to convert open baskets.

FAMU (14-5, 7-0) took a 9-2 lead on Qiana Donald's basket underneath and continued to put the defensive squeeze on the Hornets as they pulled out to a 47-20 lead at halftime. The Rattlers made 55.2 percent (16 of 29) of their shots from the field in the opening 20 minutes, while DSU shot 24.2 percent (8-of-33).

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One Bulldog looks to the NFL as another Dog changes colors

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - This past Saturday at Tropicana Field was, in Christian Thompson's words, a "chill day."

The South Carolina State strong safety was excited about the opportunity to increase his NFL draft stock with a strong performance in the East-West Shrine Game. As the game progressed, however, it became clear to Thompson the chance to display his hard-hitting talents before a national television audience would be few and far between.

In the end, Thompson said it was all about staying healthy and enjoying the camaraderie.

"We wanted to win," he said. "Everybody wanted to win. But at the same time, it was an All-Star Game. We were just enjoying the moment. We weren't really focused on ‘we've got to beat them' and this and that. We were just focused on having a good time and just playing with players we've never played with but that we watched on TV."

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Xavier Nuggets move up to 15th, Rush still 19th in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team climbed one place to 15th, its highest position of the season, in the NAIA Division I coaches poll. The XU men are 19th for the second consecutive week.

The polls, the sixth of the season, were announced late Monday afternoon, just before Xavier's doubleheader at Tougaloo.

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 24th consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 17th time in 18 polls.

Both XU teams were unbeaten this past week, recording home victories against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents Philander Smith and Talladega.

Freed-Hardeman's women and Shorter's men are top ranked for the second consecutive week.

The only other ranked GCAC school is Tougaloo, which is 24th in the men's poll and climbed one place.

Xavier is one of 10 schools with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Georgetown (Ky.), Lee (Tenn.), Lindsey Wilson, MidAmerica Nazarene, Union (Tenn.), Shorter, Westmont and Southern Nazarene.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 22)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Freed-Hardeman (12) 18-2 312 1
2 Oklahoma City 17-1 301 2
3 Union (Tenn.) 19-2 293 3
4 Westmont 18-1 281 4
5 Lee (Tenn.) 19-1 269 6
6-tie Lewis-Clark State 18-2 254 7
6-tie Cumberlands 18-1 254 8
8 Langston 17-1 247 5
9 Lubbock Christian 14-3 233 9
10 Vanguard 13-3 223 10
11 Shawnee State 16-4 212 12
12 Azusa Pacific 13-5 199 13
13 Saint Xavier 14-5 196 11
14 Olivet Nazarene 17-3 184 14
15 Xavier 16-5 169 16
16 Southern Nazarene 14-5 156 15
17 Georgetown (Ky.) 14-6 151 tie-18
18 Belhaven 16-5 148 tie-18
19 Campbellsville 14-7 132 17
20 Westminster (Utah) 11-7 113 21
21 MidAmerica Nazarene 15-6 111 24
22 William Woods 13-5 96 25
23 Loyola 15-2 92 23
24 Shorter 14-4 84 RV
25 Lindsey Wilson 14-7 64 20

Others receiving votes: Robert Morris (Chicago) 46, Lyon 45, Columbia (Mo.) 33, LSU-Shreveport 29, Rogers State 28, Avila 20, Biola 6, Texas Wesleyan 3, Oklahoma Baptist 1, Our Lady of the Lake 1, Bethel (Tenn.) 1, Rocky Mountain 1, St. Catharine 1, Rio Grande 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 22)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Shorter (12) 18-0 312 1
2 Robert Morris (Chicago) 19-1 302 3
3 Oklahoma Baptist 16-2 288 2
4 Georgetown (Ky.) 17-3 279 tie-7
5 Southern Poly 15-3 273 4
6 Rogers State 16-3 257 5
7 Our Lady of the Lake 15-3 248 10
8 Lindsey Wilson 15-4 240 11
9 Martin Methodist 15-4 237 9
10 The Master's 14-5 229 RV
11 Texas Wesleyan 14-3 194 13
12 Westmont 14-3 192 16
13 Montana State Northern 18-3 191 12
14 Southern Nazarene 15-4 190 14
15 Mountain State 14-6 187 15
16 Azusa Pacific 15-4 162 tie-7
17 Lee (Tenn.) 13-4 141 18
18 Concordia (Calif.) 15-4 133 6
19 Xavier 14-5 130 19
20 Montana Western 16-5 114 22
21 Columbia (Mo.) 16-5 94 24
22 MidAmerica Nazarene 14-7 84 RV
23 Pikeville 12-7 76 RV
24 Tougaloo 15-5 71 25
25 Union (Tenn.) 13-7 64 RV

Others receiving votes: Saint Xavier 63, John Brown 50, Evangel 43, Freed-Hardeman 29, Science & Arts 28, Point Loma Nazarene 21, Cal State San Marcos 14, Westminster (Utah) 10, St. Catharine 8, Avila 3, LSU-Shreveport 3, Oklahoma Christian 1, Cumberland 1, Southwestern Assemblies of God 1, Voorhees 1.

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

NSU Spartans football team welcomes quartet of newcomers

NORFOLK, Virginia - The Norfolk State football team needs to rebuild on defense - quickly if it hopes to defend its MEAC title. The Spartans put potential building blocks in place this week with four newcomers, including a trio from big-name schools. All four play defense, three play linebacker, and three should be able to help out immediately.

"I was trying to think myself (if we've ever had three) from BCS schools," coach Pete Adrian said. "Obviously, we had (wide receiver) Xavier (Boyce) last year and we had (quarterback) Dennis Brown before that, but three in a year, I'm not sure."

Lynden Trail transferred from Florida and will have three years of eligibility at NSU. Brent Singleton transferred from Minnesota and has two years of eligibility left. Neither played a down last season.

Lamonte Clark, a defensive end, originally committed to Kansas State but never began school. He can redshirt without penalty at Norfolk State if he chooses. The final newcomer, linebacker Justin Gant, played for Atlanta Sports Academy, a prep school in Georgia.

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Bowie State men win fifth straight, women lose at Elizabeth City

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - The 21st -ranked Bowie State University men’s basketball team won its fifth straight game after downing Elizabeth City State University 89-64 Monday in a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association game in Elizabeth City, N.C. The Bowie women, however, were not as fortunate as they fell to the Vikings 60-50 in the first game of Monday night’s double header.

The Bowie men (14-3, 6-2 CIAA) led 50-32 at the half before going on to post the win before a crowd of 1,089. Byron Westmorland (Mergenthaler) led the Bulldog scoring with 21 points (six rebounds) and Darren Clark added 16 points (nine rebounds) and Bryan Wilson 13 points. Marquie Cooke scored 16 points for Elizabeth City (9-9, 3-5) followed by Quintin Spady with 13, Angelo Sharpless with 11 and Omar Jones with 10.

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HU’s Home Winning-Streak Halted by Hampton, 52-39

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The lack of bench production was the deciding factor for the Howard Women’s basketball team as the Hampton Pirates handed the Lady Bison their first loss at Burr Gymnasium, 52-39.

The Pirates outscored the Bison 14-0 from the bench.

With Saadia Doyle playing the entire game in foul trouble, she led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, and 4-for-10 from the field, in just 24 minutes of action. Tamoria Holmes tallied 10 points in 40 minutes of action. Cheyenne Curley-Payne had a solid performance with seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Nicole Deterville finished with a game-high of eight rebounds and two blocks.

HU (13-7, 5-2 MEAC) quickly came out battling, with Doyle hitting a jumper in the first 33 seconds of the match to open up scoring. Hampton’s Jericka Jenkins responded with a traditional three-point play. Alyssa Bennett scored a lay-up just under the 15-minute mark to spread the Pirate lead to 8-3. Kara Smith answered with a wide-open layup closing the gap to 8-5. After a trey from Choicetta McMillian, Howard notched a 7-0 run to capture its first lead of the match, 12-11, from a three-pointer by Holmes at the 10:30 mark. However, with just under seven minutes left in the half, Hampton (15-3, 7-0) picked up its momentum and scored six straight points to end the half for a 23-12 spread.

Howard came out the lockeroom with a quick basket by Doyle within the first 24 seconds. Hampton’s Bennett responded with a jumper inside the paint spreading the lead back to 11, 25-14 by the 19:12 mark. Both teams battled back to back until the Bison closed the lead to seven points (32-25) with 13:44 left in the ball game. Hampton went on a 7-0 run pushing the lead back to double figures (40-25) in just under three minutes of play, however.

The Pirates controlled the rest of the ball game, defeating Howard for the second time this year and handing the Bison their first loss at Burr Gym this season.

After scoring 23 points in the last meeting, Bennett scored another team-high against HU, finishing with 16 points, off 7-of-12 from the field. Jenkins recorded 12 points and nine assists. Hamilton, who was the game changer for Hampton, contributed eight points in 23 minutes of action.

Howard will be back on the road traveling to Georgia to face Savannah St. on Jan 28. The game is slated for 2 p.m.

Follow Coach G’s fan page on Facebook to get a behind the scenes look at the team as they make their push toward the Big Dance: www.facebook.com/NikiGeckeler.

Box Score

Written by Julee O'Neal, W. Basketball, Broadcast Journalism '13

Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
HOWARD-BISON

Tougaloo beats Xavier 69-64 in matchup of ranked teams

TOUGALOO, Mississippi — Marquise Mems scored Tougaloo's final 11 points and finished with 26 Monday in the Bulldogs' 69-64 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Bulldogs (14-5 overall, 5-1 GCAC) snapped the four-game win streak of the Gold Rush (14-6, 5-2) and took over first place in the conference. Tougaloo is ranked 24th in NAIA Division I, and Xavier is 19th.

Mems made two free throws with 42 seconds remaining to put Tougaloo ahead to stay, 64-62. Mems and Juan Gray then had steals which led to baskets and capped a half in which there were 10 ties and seven lead changes.

Wanto Joseph made two free throws with 3:50 remaining to give Xavier its final lead, 56-55. The Gold Rush gained a tie at 62 when Chris Iles made a 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining.

Iles and Joseph scored 10 points apiece.

Donteeno Todd scored 13 points for Tougaloo, and Gray had 10. Mems grabbed 11 rebounds and had four steals.

Xavier outshot Tougaloo 39.6 to 36 percent but the floor, but the Bulldogs had advantages of 9-4 in made 3-pointers, 24-18 in made free throws and 38-30 in rebounds. Mems and Todd each made three 3-pointers.

Tougaloo led 33-32 at halftime and won at home against Xavier for the sixth consecutive season. Overall the Bulldogs won eight of the past 10 meetings.

Xavier will play Dillard at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at The Barn.

Box score

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

Thornton Named OVC Co-Newcomer of the Week

Courtesy TSU Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University's Kellen Thornton was named adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Co-Newcomer of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday.

The redshirt junior forward put together 11.0 points and 6.5 rebounds as TSU went 1-1 last week. The Chicago product led the Tigers with 14 points, grabbing six boards in the victory at Eastern Illinois. Against the Panthers, Thornton shot 5-of-7 from the field for 71 percent.

In the tough loss at Austin Peay, Thornton notched eight points and seven rebounds with a season-best three steals. On the season, Thornton is averaging 8.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.

Thornton, a transfer from Illinois State, is the third Tiger to earn a weekly honor this season. Robert Covington was named OVC Player of the Week on Nov. 21, while Jordan Cyphers garnered Co-Newcomer of the Week accolades on Dec. 26. Thornton shared this week's award with Austin Peay's Jerome Clyburn.

Tennessee State (11-10, 4-4 OVC) returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 26 with a visit to UT Martin. The Tigers then return home for two games in three days with Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 28 and rival Austin Peay on Jan. 30.

By Tennessee State University Sports Information

Alabama State stadium runs over budget: $12 million needed for expanded project

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -  Alabama State University's football stadium project is on pace to be $12 million over budget, and university officials acknowledged this week that they will have to go back to the bond market to secure more funds in order to complete the project.

However, ASU president William Harris said that the overrun was due to changes in the scope of the project and that it is still on track to be completed in time for November's Turkey Day Classic.

"When we originally went to the bond market two years ago, we went with a projected cost for the project using estimated drawings," Harris said. "There have been many changes to those plans. Some of the phases of the project that we bid out, the bids came back higher than we originally anticipated. And there has been some increase in costs over the last two years.

"The final cost is $12 million more than we anticipated," Harris added. The original projected cost for the 22,500-seat stadium was $50 million. That's the amount university officials procured when they went to the bond market two years ago.

PHOTO GALLERY: ASU'S STADIUM CONSTRUCTION

VIEW ASU ONGOING STADIUM CONSTRUCTION 24/7

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NOTE: In my opinion, an exceptionally well written story by Josh Moon, Montgomery Advertiser, but with a misuse of contract management terminology.  Strictly by definition and application, this is not an overrun, as described or scope creep as some believe. 

Anytime the client (ASU) authorizes changes in the scope of the contract by formal contract modification, it is nothing more than a contract change. A Change Order may increase or decrease the estimated costs of a project/contract -- in this case it increased the ASU stadium project estimated costs by 19.35 percent or $12 million.  Therefore, the revised project baseline has been increased from $50 million to $62 million. 

A major project may be re-baselined (revised) at any time the price is increased or decreased.  However, the project baseline (estimated project costs) and the contract baseline (contract award amount) must always be in total alignment (or equal).  Currently, the contract is out of alignment with the estimated project costs, as it is budgeted/funded at 80.65 percent or $50 million.

A cost overrun is simply when a contractor exceeds the estimated project/contract costs without (1) prior written notification to the client; and (2) prior written approval by the client.  Cost overruns are a bad thing for a contractor as the client is not obligated to reimburse the contractor for his overrun of the contract award amount or ceiling. To do so is solely at the contractor's risk and expense or in layman terms -- the contractor eats the costs of any overrun!  No fee or profit is paid on contractor cost overruns.

Scope changes can make a project larger or smaller and can affect the timeline and the cost of the project. In a nutshell, scope creep is the change or growth of project scope.  In this instance, making the design change at the front end of construction may save millions more, as no aspect of the project requires demolition in the later stages of construction to make the modifications and there is minimum impact on the project schedule for completion.  Assuming the project manager completed the apppropriate cost benefit analysis, I see no problem with upgrading a project 1/5 of its initial estimated costs. 

In this case, a more accurate depiction of the situation is:  "The stadium project is presently underfunded by $12 million dollars (19.35%) due to approved change orders and upgrades in project scope initiated by ASU.  The budget shortfall will be addressed soon by procuring additional funding from the bond market, upon approval of the action by the ASU Board of Trustees."  The prime contractor and its subcontractors are currently performing on schedule, at the revised estimated contract costs, and are delivering a quality product as expected."

It appears ASU is doing an exceptionally great job in project management and has all the necessary cost controls and an effective third-party project management team in place. The initial $9 million saved on the bond rate discount nearly covers the costs of the change order upgrades ordered by ASU.  With the contractor spend rate at an average of $3.9 million per month, ASU made a very wise decision to delay acquiring the additional $12 million needed, as market conditions are improving and bond rates are falling slightly.  With $31 million on hand in the stadium construction fund, this will not become a problem until August 2012.

There is no scandal or abnormal business practices going on here; just routine contracting and sound project and budget management by Alabama State's administration. I only wish all institutions and governments would manage their financial  and real property resources in such an effective and efficient manner as ASU is demonstrating on this stadium project. 

 
-beepbeep

Bethune-Cookman search committee to look for President Trudie Kibbe Reed's replacement

DR. TRUDIE KIBBE REED

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- A search committee has been named to start looking for a new president for Bethune-Cookman University.

Larry Handfield, the university's board chairman, said today that he has named a committee of board members, faculty, student government association and other representatives to start looking nationally for a replacement for Trudie Kibbe Reed, who has served as president since August 2004. He said that Reed, 64, currently remains as president but will be retiring.

A transition committee of the board is working out her departure date and the transition plan. An announcement is expected in the next week. Reed is out-of-town and could not be reached for comment.

"She is still the president. More details will be made public as far as when her retirement will go into effect," he said.

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TSU men finding ways to win despite lack of playmakers

HOUSTON, Texas - The Texas Southern men's basketball team sorely lacks dynamic scorers. The Tigers are shooting just under 59 percent from the free-throw line. They don't have a dominant rebounder, feared shot blocker or pure point guard.

Yet Texas Southern is only one game out of first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

TSU (6-12, 5-1) continued its strong start to SWAC play with Saturday's 69-55 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff at the H&PE Arena. The Tigers weren't sharp - shooting only 43.4 percent from the field, committing 19 turnovers and hitting just 16 of 30 free throws - but they managed to turn back a late rally from the SWAC's worst team and win their 14th consecutive home game.

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Prairie View A&M basketball legend Greg Burks is giving back to Flint-area through assistant coaching

FLINT, Michigan — Greg “Toine” Burks is usually even keel about most things in life. He’s never been pompous and he doesn’t like to brag about his past accomplishments in basketball. However, next month will be a memorable one for the 1998 Flint Northern graduate.

Burks will enter The Prairie View A&M Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 4. The ceremony will be held in Prairie View, Texas, at the Willie A. Tempton Memorial Student Ballroom beginning at 11 a.m. The 30-year-old alumnus is eager to return to his college alma mater for such a prestigious award.

“It’s a tremendous honor, and it’s something that I didn’t set out to achieve when I got to college,” said Burks. “I just wanted to go there and play the game the right way and I just felt I always had something to prove as far as basketball was concerned.”

He will be enshrined alongside eight others in the hall’s 18th class. Burks starred for the Panthers from 1998-2003 in men’s basketball. For his career, Burks averaged 17.1 points, 4.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 117 games. In the 1999-00 season, Burks led the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in points per game with 18.4.


Gregory Burks, 5'-7" point guard, played professional basketball in Germany for seven years for the Mitteldeutscher BC (MBC), the highest German Basektball League.  Burks  is #0 in dark jersey with white headband in this 2009 game vs. Koln.

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