Sean Woods makes Unforgettable run as MVSU coach

ITTA BENA, Mississippi - Even now, at age 41, Sean Woods wonders about what might have been.

On March 28, it will have been exactly two decades since the Kentucky point guard hit that running, 10-foot bank shot over the fully extended arms of Christian Laettner that put UK 2.1 seconds from upsetting mighty Duke in the 1992 NCAA Tournament round of eight.



What Woods still allows himself to ponder is how famous he would be if Laettner had not trumped the UK guard's runner with a stone-cold clutch shot of his own? "You tell me," Woods says. "How famous do you think I would be?"

Well, not Kardashian famous, but ahead of Bryce Drew. On the 20-year anniversary of his shot that almost decided the greatest college basketball game ever, Woods and the Mississippi Valley State University men's basketball team he coaches are creating a story that may produce an even more improbable ending.

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Bowie State football: Doing more with less

DAMON WILSON
HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY

BOWIE, Maryland  -  The annual ritual of National Signing Day arrived on February 1, complete with a deluge of coverage on the Internet and ESPN, and school assemblies where the future stars of college football announced their choices.

Beyond the ESPN spotlight and under the radar, Bowie State University football coach Damon Wilson and his staff quietly went about their business last week, putting the finishing touches on the NCAA Division II school’s latest recruiting class. For small colleges like Bowie State, signing day is a low-profile event. Like a struggling business trying to navigate a difficult economy, Bowie State’s football program seeks to do more with less as it competes for players in a region that has increasingly become a recruiting hotbed.

Football fans are quick to rank high school players by a simplistic conventional wisdom: All-state players go the BCS schools, all-county players go the mid-majors and to I-AA programs, and the rest are left to Division II coaches such as Wilson. But the Bowie State coach doesn’t subscribe to that mentality.

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BULLDOGS FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES 2012 SIGNEES

BOWIE, Maryland  -  Bowie State University head football coach Damon Wilson announced the signing of 13 recruits to the program with the arrival of National Signing Day.

• Jared Johnston – QB, 6-2, 190, ASA Junior College Team – Team Record: 4-4.



• Reuben Harris, Jr. – DL, 5-9, 245, Friendship HS, Washington, DC - Team Record: 9-1.  VIDEO

• Jordan Davis – DL/OL, 6-3, 250, Friendship HS, Washington, DC - Team Record: 9-1.  VIDEO

• Keith Davis – DB, 6-3, 190, Friendship HS, Washington, DC - Team Record: 9-1, Top 10 DB's in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV), 3 year varsity letterman, 35 tackles senior year,  VIDEO

• Andrew Thompson – DB, 6-3, 190, Wise HS, Upper Marlboro, MD - Team Record: 9-2. 



• Andreas Antone-Ford – DL, 6-3, 310, Wise HS, Upper Marlboro, MD - Team Record: 9-2, 1st Team All-State Lineman, 1st Team All-County Coaches Team, All-State Honorable Mention, Prince Georges County All-Star Team, Three-year Varsity Starter, Three-time Varsity Letterman, 31 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

• Brandon McDowell – OL, 6-4, 300, Quince Orchard HS, Gaithersburg, MD - Team Record: 13-1. VIDEO

• Jamal Chappell – WR, 5-9, 180, Poly HS, Baltimore, MD - Team Record: 11-1, Top 100 players in the State, No. 11 WR in the State, Three-year varsity starter, Two-time City Championships, More than 1,000 All-Purpose Yards and 15 TD's.



• Jordan Garrison – WR, 6-2, 205, Poly HS, Baltimore, MD - Team Record: 11-1, 2009 Rookie of the Year, 2010 Best Athlete Award, 2011 Team MVP, Two-time City Championships.



• Nyema Washington – QB, 6-2, 185, Suitland HS, Forestville, MD - Team Record: 10-2, 2010 Co-pgsportsfan.com Player of the Year, 2010-2nd team All-Gazette, 2010-2nd team All-County, 2010 All-Met Honorable Mention, 2010 All-State Third Team, 2011 All-County First Team, 2011 All-Gazette First Team, 2011 ESPN High School All-State Honorable Mention, 2,046 yards (school single season record), No. 1 Passer (Yards) in Prince George's County, No. 11 Passer in DMV, No. 8 Passer (Yards) in State of Maryland with least amount of passing attempts 179, 2011 PG vs. SMAC All-Star Game participant, 2011 Maryland Crab Bowl participant, 2011 Sempter Fidelis U.S. Marine Bowl Invitee.



• Britton Savoy – DB, 5-10, 180, McNamara HS, Forestville, MD - Team Record: 3-6, 2 Td's, 4 INT's, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 86 solo tackles, 113 total tackles.



• Christopher Palmer – K, 6-2, 245, Chopticon HS, St. Mary's, MD - Team Record: 7-4, All Conference (SMAC) Special Teams (Kicker), Punter/Kicker Representing SMAC in the SMAC/PG Chick-Fil-A Senior Bowl Held December 10, 2011 at Bowie State University First Team All-County Kicker, Air Force Player of the Game (10/28/2011 vs. Lackey), Maryland “Minds in Motion” Recipient (Athletes with a Minimum of 3.25 GPA), First Team All-County Kicker (2010), 39 Punts (38 Yard Average / 54 Yard Long), 13 Punts Inside 20, 44 Kickoffs (53 Yard Average) / 7 Touchbacks, 25/25 PAT.



• Garry Cropper - WR, 5-10, 165, Arundel HS, Arundel, MD - Team Record 9-2.



COURTESY: BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

The SWAC dunk you have to see

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  - The Southwestern Athletic Conference is not a place from which viral videos frequently emanate. Frankly, it's not a place from which news of any sort frequently emanates. Until the play-in game (now games) roll(s) around in March, the SWAC -- frequently the worst conference in college hoops, for reasons often outside its own control -- is out of sight and out of mind.

But every so often, lightning strikes, brilliance ensues, and someone has the foresight to record it on video and get it on the Internet. Today, we have that video.



It's been four days since Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Grambling squared off (a 60-55 Grambling win Saturday), but video of of Savalace Townsend's absolutely ridiculous dunk over a Grambling State defender has officially made its way to YouTube (via the online repository that is World Star Hip-Hop.) And oh, is it ever so good.

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2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Preview

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Mervyl Melendez takes over as the head coach at Alabama State, bringing an impressive resume from fellow HBCU Bethune-Cookman. Melendez's Wildcats won 11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles in 12 seasons; he replaces Larry Watkins, the dean of SWAC coaches after a 30-year tenure and .399 winning percentage.

Alabama State's last winning season was in 2000.

Melendez already has turned over the roster, with 22 freshmen and just six holdover players. The top returnees are speedy Sr. OF Ryan Epperson (pictured at left, .324/.378/.441, 10 SB), who got just 68 at-bats a year ago; and Sr. 3B Darrion Pedro (pictured at right, .268/.341/.389, 12 SB). Pedro slides from shortstop to third to make room for Fr. Emmanuel Marrero, who originally signed with B-CU but followed Melendez to Alabama State. He's a switch-hitter who plays with energy and is a slick fielder. He will play next to 2B Leo Rojas, a transfer from St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC who is the son of ex-big leaguer Alvaro Espinosa.

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Tennessee State Alumnus John Moon To Serve As Men's Head Coach For USA At 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships

LEGENDARY HEAD COACH JOHN MOON (bio)
36TH YEAR
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
 Courtesy: Seton Hall Athletic Communications

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -  USA Track and Field has announced that former Tennessee State Univeristy Flying Tiger 100 yards co-world record holder and national champion John Moon has been selected as the head coach of the USA men's track and field team at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey on March 9-11, 2012. Also, Moon will serve as the men's throws coach.

Currently, Moon is the head cross country coach at Seton Hall University.

Moon's distinguished coaching career spans over 40 years, has taken him to over 50 countries and has garnered him many coaching appointments, awards, and inductions. He started as a high school coach for Kilmer Job Center and Rahway High School in New Jersey. With Rahway, Moon earned 33 championships and a 99-11 dual meet record.

Moon became Seton Hall's head coach in 1972 and in his first year, coached the men's mile relay team to first place at the NCAA Indoor Championships. He has coached 71 All-Americans and seven NCAA Champions, including 400 meters specialist Andrew Valmon, an Olympic relay gold medalist and BIG EAST record holder. Moon guided the Lady Pirates to 3rd place at the 1994 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Moon's appointments, awards and inductions include: first assistant coach, men's Track Team, 2000 Summer Olympics; head track coach, 1995 Pan American Games; head coach, 2001 U.S. vs. Great Britain dual meet; assistant coach, 1991 Goodwill Games; head coach, 1983 U.S. Olympic Festival East Team; head coach, 1975 U.S. Junior National Team; 2002 Mid-Atlantic Region Women's Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year; NCAA Women's Indoor Track Coach of the Year; Big East Coach of the Year seven times; Collegiate Track Conference Coach of the Year six times; Newark YMWCA Legendary Coaches Award; Seton Hall Athletic Hall Fame; and New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Moon was equally impressive as a track star. At Linden High School, he ran the 100 yards in 9.7 seconds and the 220 yards in 21.0 seconds, earning All-State and All-American honors. At Tennessee State and with Wilma Rudolph as a teammate, Moon again earned All-American honors and tied the 100 yards world record at 9.3 seconds. Also, he won the 100 yards at the NAIA and placed third in the NCAA Championships. After graduating from TSU, Moon finished second in the 100 yards at the 1963 National AAU Championships and ran 20.3 seconds in the 220 and 46.2 in the 440.

In 1964, he became the last man to beat Bob "Bullet" Hayes (Florida A&M University), the Olympic legend who had established a new level of speed in track and field.

Moon's appointment as the head coach of the U.S. indoor team to the World Indoors is somewhat remarkable and ironic because Seton Hall cancelled its indoor and outdoor track and field teams at the end of the 2010 season to reallocate over $1 million to other areas. However, Seton Hall retained men's and women's cross country, and Moon continues as the head coach of both teams.

John Moon To Serve As Men's Head Coach For USA At 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships

SOUTH ORANGE, New Jersey - Seton Hall University head cross country coach John Moon will soon be able to add another prestigious accomplishment to his international coaching resume as he has been selected to serve as the men's head coach for team USA at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

The 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships will take place from March 9-11, in Istanbul, Turkey. This year's meet is on course to be the largest in the championship's history, with more than 160 IAAF member nations preparing to send a squad to Istanbul.

"I am excited and honored for my track & field colleagues to select me as the head coach for the U.S. international team," Moon said. "It's rewarding for the track & field community to hold me as one of the elite coaches in the country. To represent Team U.S.A. is a great honor, one of the biggest of my career, and I am excited to represent Seton Hall University as well."

Moon will serve as the USA men's head coach and also work with the team's throwers. He will be joined by New Mexico State University head coach Orin Richburg, Rowan University assistant coach Norm Tate, and USA Track & Field's Dave Schrock.

The post as the U.S. men's head coach at the World Indoor Championships is the latest in a long list of international coaching experiences Moon as accrued over his 40-year career in track and field.

He served as the top men's assistant coach for Team USA at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Moon was also the head coach for the United States at the 1995 Pan American Games, and in 2001 he guided the United State in the prestigious U.S. vs. Great Britain dual meet in Glasgow, Scotland.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION AND SETON HALL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS.

TSU Golf Coach Chris Seibel - Tigers Update

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University head golf coach Chris Seibel talks about the golf team's recent workouts and outlook for the upcoming season.



COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATON

MEAC Play Is Better in the North

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Though the Florida A&M University Lady Rattlers are undefeated in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play and atop of the standings, they may not be the team to beat. The same can be said of the Norfolk State Spartans Mens basketball team as they perch atop the conference standings with two losses. Both teams have been competitive during their tough non-conference schedule, but as Norfolk has already found out their real threat will come from the teams in the northern sector of the conference.

On the women’s side Hampton and Coppin State are presently the teams to beat. This is no slight to FAMU. Hampton is an experienced team with consistent play from game to game. They have already spanked conference top contender Howard University twice this season with one conference lost to guess who? The Coppin State women are quietly making themselves known in the conference and may well be the sleeper. They are the only team to overcome Hampton’s defense and beat them this season. They will not play FAMU during the regular season.

With wins over South Carolina State, Savannah State, Norfolk, North Carolina Central and the North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies, Morgan State is proof ...

VIEW WOMEN'S MEAC STANDINGS 2011-12

VIEW MEN'S MEAC STANDINGS 2011-12

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT SPORTS EDIT.ORG 

XU Gold Nuggets drop to 19th, Rush still 25th in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team dropped two places to 19th in the NAIA Division I coaches poll. The XU men are 25th for the second consecutive week.

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

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 26th consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 19th time in 20 polls.

Xavier, a 62-59 loser at William Carey in its only game of the past week, fell two spots for the second consecutive week. The Gold Rush, a 63-47 winner against William Carey and a 75-69 winner against New Orleans this past week, share 25th place with The Master's, which fell from 13th.

Oklahoma City's women and the men of Robert Morris (Chicago) are the top-ranked teams.

The only other ranked GCAC school is Tougaloo, which is 19th in the men's poll and climbed two places.

Xavier is one of nine 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, Shorter, Westmont and Southern Nazarene.

Xavier swept SUNO — the Nuggets won 67-55, the Rush won 73-62 — and will play a GCAC doubleheader at Talladega starting at 5 p.m. Saturday. Both Xavier teams will play Tougaloo next Monday in their final competition at The Barn, XU's 75-year-old gymnasium. A 4,500-seat facility, which is still under construction, will become the home of XU basketball and women's volleyball next season.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Feb. 5)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Oklahoma City (12) 21-1 312 1
2 Freed-Hardeman 21-3 302 2
3 Union (Tenn.) 22-2 292 3
4 Lee (Tenn.) 23-1 282 5
5 Cumberlands 21-1 269 6
6 Westmont 21-2 262 4
7 Lubbock Christian 18-3 253 7
8 Lewis-Clark State 21-3 241 8

9 Langston 21-2 226 10

10 Shawnee State 21-4 224 11

11 Olivet Nazarene 21-3 210 13

12 Vanguard 15-5 209 9

13 Azusa Pacific 16-6 194 12

Saint Xavier 17-6 181 14

15 Belhaven 19-5 171 tie-16

16 Georgetown (Ky.) 17-7 154 18  

17 Southern Nazarene 17-7 147 tie-16
18 Westminster (Utah) 15-7 142 19
19 Xavier 17-7 134 17
20 Loyola 19-2 123 21
21 Campbellsville 16-9 116 22
22 MidAmerica Nazarene 17-7 102 20
23 Shorter 18-5 76 RV
24 Lindsey Wilson 16-8 72 25
25 Lyon 18-6 71 24

Others receiving votes: William Woods 66, LSU-Shreveport 48, Rogers State 38, Avila 36, Columbia 15, San Diego Christian 10, Rocky Mountain 9, St. Gregory's 3, Central Methodist 1, Rio Grande 1, Montana State Northern 1, Robert Morris (Chicago) 1, Martin Methodist 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Feb. 5)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Robert Morris (Chicago) (7) 22-1 308 2
2 Shorter (5) 23-1 305 1
3 Oklahoma Baptist 20-3 293 4
4 Southern Poly 18-4 271 3
5 Our Lady of the Lake 18-4 269 5
6 Rogers State 18-4 264 6
7 Martin Methodist 18-5 241 9
8 Georgetown (Ky.) 19-5 240 12
9 Westmont 17-4 237 22
10 Mountain State 19-6 220 11
11 Azusa Pacific 19-5 219 7
12 Lindsey Wilson 15-7 179 8
13-tie Montana State Northern 20-4 176 10
13-tie Texas Wesleyan 17-4 176 14
15 John Brown 19-5 175 23
16 Concordia (Calif.) 18-5 170 16
17 Lee (Tenn.) 16-5 159 17
18 LSU-Shreveport 16-6 143 RV
19 Tougaloo 17-5 126 21
20 MidAmerica Nazarene 17-7 112 24
21 Columbia (Mo.) 19-6 106 18
22 Pikeville 15-8 97 20
23 Southern Nazarene 17-7 96 15
24 Montana Western 18-7 75 19
25-tie Xavier 17-6 70 25
25-tie The Master's 16-7 70 13

Others receiving votes: Saint Xavier 46, Evangel 28, Union (Tenn.) 23, Cal State San Marcos 22, Point Loma Nazarene 15, Oklahoma Christian 8, Cumberlands 7, Westminster (Utah) 7, Science & Arts 1, St. Thomas (Texas) 1, Baker 1, Harris-Stowe 1, Freed-Hardeman 1, Cumberland 1, Voorhees 1, Campbellsville 1, St. Catharine 1, Biola

DSU will play Delaware,VMI and Cincinnati in 2012

DOVER, Delaware -- Five home games and visits to Bowl Championship Series power University of Cincinnati and Football Championship Subdivision University of Delaware highlight the 2012 Delaware State University football schedule, announced today by Eric Hart, DSU's Interim Director of Athletics.

The 11-game slate begins at home in Alumni Stadium against Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on Sep. 1. This will be the second meeting between the Hornets and Keydets. Delaware State won the first meeting 24-21 in Lexington, Va., in head coach Kermit Blount's Hornet debut last season.

DSU will travel to the University of Delaware and the University of Cincinnati for the next two games.

The Hornets and Hens will play for the fourth time on Sep. 8 at Delaware Stadium in Newark. Delaware State is seeking its first win in the series between the state's two Division I football programs.

On Sep. 15, the Hornets will take on Cincinnati for the first time at UC's Nippert Stadium. The Big East Conference Bearcats were 10-3 last season, which ended with a 31-24 victory over Vanderbilt at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. Cincinnati was ranked 21st in the final USA Today poll and 25th in the Associated Press poll of major college teams in 2011.

The Hornets are 1-1 all-time vs. Div. I-A/FBS opponents, winning at Akron in 1987 and falling to Michigan in 2009.

DSU returns home the following Saturday (Sep. 22) to take on Florida A&M. The Rattlers have won the last three meetings between the teams.

After an open week, the Hornets travel to Norfolk State on Oct. 6 to take on the reigning MEAC champion Spartans.

Delaware State is home for the next two Saturdays to take on South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T. The Hornets welcome SC State to Alumni Stadium on Oct. 13, while NCA&T will be the homecoming opponent on Oct. 20.

DSU is on the road the next two weekends, visiting Morgan State on Oct. 27 and North Carolina Central on Nov. 3.

The Hornets will wrap up the home schedule on Nov. 10 against Hampton and close out the regular season on Nov. 17 at Howard in Washington, D.C.

"I'm very excited about the 2012 DSU football schedule," said Hart. "It's a very challenging schedule that will put the Hornets to the test each week."

Hart says the 2012 slate should also appeal to Hornet fans.

"We have attractive home games against our long-time MEAC opponents and new rival VMI, in addition to exciting opportunities to cheer on the team in nearby conference road games, along with trips to Cincinnati and Delaware."

Delaware State will release game times, along with ticket plans and promotional dates this spring.

2012 DSU Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time (ET)

Sep 01 VMI Dover, Del.

Sep 08 Delaware at Newark, Del.

Sep 15 Cincinnati at Cincinnati, Ohio

Sep 22 FLORIDA A&M * Dover, Del.

Oct 06 Norfolk State * at Norfolk, Va.

Oct 13 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE * Dover, Del.

Oct 20 NORTH CAROLINA A&T * Dover, Del.

Oct 27 Morgan State * at Baltimore, Md.

Nov 03 North Carolna Central * at Durham, N.C.

Nov 10 HAMPTON * Dover, Del.
Nov 17 Howard * at Washington, D.C.

* Conference Games

COURTESY: DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

South Carolina State Announces 2012 Football Schedule

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - South Carolina State announced its 2012 football schedule, which includes two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams -- both first-time opponents, and four home games, on Tuesday.

The two FBS opponents are the University of Arizona of the PAC 12 and Texas A&M University, one of the newest members of the Southeastern Conference. Both contests will be on the road and will be mark the first meeting between the two teams and the Bulldogs. SC State travels to Tucson Sept. 15 to meet the Wildcats and journeys to College Station Sept. 22 for an encounter with the Aggies.

Coach Buddy Pough's team opens the 2012 campaign Aug. 30 in a Thursday night contest against Georgia State at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, before hosting Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Bethune-Cookman in its home opener Sept. 8.

Additional home games are Norfolk State (Sept. 29), Howard (Oct. 27), the Homecoming contest, and Savannah State (Nov. 17).

Other road games include North Carolina Central (Oct. 6), Florida A&M (Oct. 20) and North Carolina A&T (Nov. 10).

The entire schedule is listed below. Starting times for all games will be available later.

2012 Bulldog Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time#

8/30 at Georgia State Atlanta, GA TBD

9/8 Bethune-Cookman* Orangeburg, SC TBD  (Hall of Fame Game)

9/15 at Arizona Tucson, AZ TBD

9/22 at Texas A&M College Station, TX TBD

9/29 Norfolk State* Orangeburg, SC TBD  (Youth/ROTC Day)

10/6 at North Carolina Central* Away TBD

10/13 at Delaware State* Dover, DE TBD

10/20 at Florida A&M* Tallahassee, FL TBD

10/27 Howard* Orangeburg, SC TBD  (Homecoming)

11/03 Open

11/10 at North Carolina A&T* Greensboro, NC TDB

11/17 Savannah State* Orangeburg, SC TBD  (Senior/Faculty-Staff Appreciation Day)

*MEAC Contest – Home games in Bold – Dates, times and locations subject to change


SCSU Marching 101 Band at 2012 Honda Battle of the Bands, Atlanta, GA.

COURTESY: SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Lincoln women tough out victory

LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania – Not long ago, an upper echelon opponent from the CIAA Northern Division would come into Lincoln’s Rivero Hall expecting to cruise to an easy women’s basketball victory. But visiting Elizabeth City State discovered on Tuesday that the Lions are no longer an automatic ‘W.’

Despite more struggles at the free-throw line, Lincoln connected on six straight freebies in the final 22 seconds to hold off the Vikings, who entered the contest in a second-place tie, 55-48. It was the program’s second straight win and evens the Lions’ division record at 3-3 (7-17 overall).

“I don’t think the ladies understand what an ugly win means, but that’s what this was,” Lincoln head coach Jessica Kern said. “When the chips are down, you have to find a way to fight. It’s breaking the mold. In the past we were down and stayed down.”

Following a lackluster first half, LU outscored ECSU by a dozen the rest of the way. And even though the Vikings (3-3, 12-10) were dominant on the boards, and shot the ball a bit better from the floor, the Lions forced 31 turnovers and had a more than 2-to-1 advantage in free throw attempts.

Box Score

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Ragsdale senior Eroncia Berry signs with Jackson State;

JAMESTOWN, North Carolina -- Soccer forward Eroncia Berry took the first step toward a new athletic and academic career last Wednesday, Feb. 1, when they signed their letter of intent to their respective colleges.  Berry will be joining one of the elite women's soccer programs in the nation. Jackson State has won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title six years in a row and been invited into the NCAA tournament each time.

"I'm hoping to ease into some playing time immediately,” said the petite forward, adding, “I don't expect anything to be handed to me, though. I'll just go down there and work hard and see what happens.”



Berry's strengths are her speed, agility and overall athletic ability. She played basketball for Ragsdale three years (two varsity and one jayvee) and ran AAU track, but concentrated on soccer her senior year. “They (Jackson State) actually gave me the option to run track also,” she said, “but soccer and academics are my main focus.”

Ah yes, academics. Berry carries a 4.1 grade point average, and plans to major in business management and then go to law school. “I want to go into corporate law,” she said.

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Too Many Black Males Have Given Up

by Dwight Floyd, Editor of SportsEdit.Org

I can only look back to a period in Tallahassee, Florida’s history when the all black Lincoln High School sat in the heart of an economically poor community called French Town, just down the road from an area called Good Bread Lane. Across town there was the all black FAMU High School where kids from the poor neighborhood known as Bond community frequently attended.  Kids from middle class neighborhoods attended these schools too. Growing up in that environment you knew people cared about you and you had many reasons to care about yourself.

Today, too many black males have given up on life and too many others have given up on them.

For the black male the environment is not too encouraging. Fourteen percent of Florida’s population is black, yet forty-eight percent of prison inmates are black. There are over 102,000 inmates in state prison alone and less than 8,000 of them are female. Do the math. More than a majority of that 48 percent are black males. From a criminal justice perspective, logic would require then that if you are a black male you are guilty until proven innocent—a catch 22 known as profiling.

In the 1990’s researcher and Harvard Professor William Julius Wilson wrote a book called When Work Disappears. Wilson noted how individuals turned to crime as an alternative when resourceful ways were not as available.  Economist Jawanza Kunjufu in a book of his own noted that in 1910 ninety percent of black families were two parent households. Compare that to today when more than half of black households are single parent and in the scheme of things an accepted occurrence in American culture.

Things I got in trouble for as a youth would likely today end with some type of detention. Then, it was like the days of Opie on the Andy Griffith show. Opie would innocently and sometimes not so innocently get in trouble in the neighborhood. In my youthful days, adults, including those in authority, would use common sense and work together to redirect a lost kid. Now, kids are too delinquent or the rules too strict to let such a thing occur.

These are just reflecting thoughts, not excuses.

The black male does not need excuses, but much like the team that has become used to loosing he does need encouraging and adequate coaching. If you are a fan of a sport like football or basketball, perhaps you have seen a team struggle to win so much so that they begin to give up. The referee appears to call the game against them and as much as they try, they cannot get a fair whistle. In their frustration they just stop trying and pretend to be injured just to get a spot on the bench. A good coach will speak up for his players when he thinks the referees are calling it against his team and say just the right things to get his players to persevere and play a little harder.

At both Lincoln and FAMU High Schools there were confident black male teachers, more than a few, and an institution that was connected to both the church and the community. Of all those students only a handful ended up in prison and even the least literate turned out to be good citizens and able themselves to raise decent families. As for today where are the coaches, the family of adults that will encourage and guide the black male in face of adversity? For it is not the adversity that has changed, but the will to overcome.

Dwight Floyd is currently Editor of SportsEdit.Org and a careerist in the law enforcement field. He is a gifted writer that publishes a widely read Blog at www.sportsedit.org, which focuses on three of his five primary interests: Sports (FAMU sports in particular), his children (his son Ashanti, aka "The Mad Violinist" is occasionally featured on his site) and quality of life issues. 

Please bookmark www.sportsedit.org and visit daily to view  original articles on SPORTS, MUSIC, HUMOR, AND ENTERTAINMENT and other thought provoking editorials.   (beepbeep)

TSU Tigers Home Game with Murray State Selected for ESPNU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The February 23 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball contest between Murray State and Tennessee State has been selected for telecast by ESPNU as part of the league's television package.

When the OVC announced its ESPN basketball schedule on Oct. 5, there were three dates on the schedule designated as "wild card" dates where the game to be aired was not selected until 21 days before the contest, making sure an attractive matchup was televised, instead of having to determine the full schedule a month before the season began.

The televised contest will mark the third ESPN broadcast for the Big Blue this year. TSU played in an ESPN3 contest at then-ranked No. 1 North Carolina in November and will play Murray State in an ESPN3 broadcast this Thursday, Feb. 9.

Tennessee State (15-10, 8-4 OVC) has climbed to a tie for second in the OVC standings after winning five-straight games. The Tigers are just one win away from guaranteeing itself its first winning season since 1995-96.

Head coach John Cooper set a new career single-season win total by eclipsing his 14 wins set a year ago.

Entering this week's action Murray State (23-0, 11-0 OVC) is the only undefeated team in Division I and are ranked No. 7 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 and No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25.

The wild card game at the Gentry Center will air at 7:00 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

Courtesy: Tennessee State University Sports Information

Xavier to conduct volleyball tryouts for the 2012 season

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will offer free tryouts for the 2012 women's volleyball season from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at The Barn.

Junior college players, 2012 high school graduates and current Xavier students are welcome to try out. Prospects must bring documentation from a physician of a physical examination which cleared them for participation in interscholastic or intercollegiate athletics during the 2011-12 academic year.

Prospects also are encouraged to bring a player profile or resumé, DVDs of volleyball skills and competition, and copies of academic transcripts and ACT and/or SAT scores.

Free water will be provided. Contact XU coach Christabell Hamilton at chamilt5@xula.edu for additional information.

Driving directions to The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium, can be found online by using 3999 Short St. and the 70125 zip code as the destination.

Xavier's Gold Nuggets were 23-7 in 2011, won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Scores That Matters!!

Tuesday/Wednesday, January 6-7, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC
Southern 49, Jackson State 44 O.T.
Alcorn State 57, Grambling State 55
Mississippi Valley 78, Alabama A&M 64
Arkansas Pine Bluff 62, Alabama State 61

GCAC

Tougaloo 92, Fisk 69

Xavier 73, Southern-New Orleans 62
Talladega 72, Dillard 68

MEAC

Delaware State 77, Hampton 69

Savannah State 55, Texas A&M-CC 49
South Carolina State 74, Longwood 58
North Carolina Central 81, Bethune Cookman 79
Florida A&M 87, North Carolina A&T 77
Norfolk State 72, Maryland Eastern Shore 60
Howard 54, Morgan State 46

NAIA

Texas College 74, Southwest New Mexico 71 O.T.

Our Lady of the Lake TX 106, Huston-Tillotson TX 84

LSU Shreveport 74, Langley OK 45

Wiley TX 76, Bacone OK 74 O.T.

SAGU Tx 80, Paul Quinn 72

Florida Memorial 72, Embry-Riddle 71

Xavier basketball and volleyball contests in 2012-13 will be played at the 4,500-seat Convocation Academic Center, which is still under construction. Read about the new facility here:  NEW FACILITY

DID YOU KNOW?  XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA ATHLETIC PROGRAM HAS HAD  A  GRADUATION RATE OF 95 PERCENT SINCE 2004. 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

OVC

Murray State 66, Tennessee State 56

SWAC

Southern 65, Jackson State 60

Alabama State 68, Arkansas Pine Bluff 57

Grambling State 66, Alcorn State 58

Mississippi Valley State 73, Alabama A&M 44

MEAC

Florida A&M 68, North Carolina A&T 63
Howard 64, Morgan State 55
Maryland Eastern Shore 62, Norfolk State 58 OT

Bethune Cookman 63, North Carolina Central 61

Hampton 72, Delaware State 33

Savannah State 53, Longwood 41

SIAC

Albany State 63, Clark Atlanta 61

Tuskegee 76, Claflin 54

Kentucky State 73, Lane 56

Benedict 59, Miles 46

CIAA

Winston Salem State 75, St. Augustine's 63
Lincoln Pa.55, Elizabeth City State 48
Bowie State 63, Chowan 51

Shaw 82, Livingstone 61

Fayetteville State 59, Johnson C. Smith 58

SIAC

Albany State 63, Clark Atlanta 61

Benedict 59, Miles 46

Kentucky State 73, Lane 56

Tuskegee 76, Claflin 54

NAIA

Our Lady of the Lake TX 105, Huston-Tillotson TX 69

Langston OK 72, LSU Shreveport 54
Texas College 92, Southwest New Mexico 90 O.T.
SAGU TX 45, Paul Quinn TX 37
Wiley TX 74, Bacone OK 58

Montreat NC 85, Allen SC 56

FAMU Lady Rattlers Swish 14th Straight Win

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The FAMU Women's basketball team scored their 14th straight victory Monday night in a 5-point game against North Carolina A&T.

FAMU's "Think Pink" game featured a sluggish start by the MEAC leading Lady Rattlers. Coach LeDawn Gibson's squad led by 4 at intermission and then held on for the 68-65 victory Monday at the Al Lawson Center. The 68-point total was 34 points fewer than the Orange & Green total from Saturday's 102-66 beatdown of North Carolina Central.

Monday's game featured Antonio Bennett scoring her 1500th career point for FAMU. It also featured 3 players in double digit scoring (Bennett, 17 Points; Kimberly Sparkman, 19 Points; Tameka McKelton, 13 Points).

The Lady Rattlers improve to (17-5) overall, (10-0) versus the MEAC.

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NSU ends skid, holds lead in MEAC with road win

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - Losing three of their last four games, the Norfolk State Spartans entered Monday night's game against Maryland Eastern Shore with winning on their minds.

A victory against the Hawks would end a two-game losing streak and keep Savannah State and Bethune-Cookman at bay in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings.

After seeing an 18-point lead dwindle to four, Norfork State held on for a 72-60 win. The Spartans set a new season record for victories at the Division I level.

"It's great to get the record," said Spartans coach Anthony Evans. "I know we tied it a while ago, but it was good to break it. We had a couple of bumps in the road but we rather it have it happen now than later in the season. We just need to rebound a little bit better and play team basketball."

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FSU men and women upset CIAA rival Johnson C. Smith

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Monday turned out to be a night of clutch moments for the Fayetteville State Broncos.

The FSU women delivered a key defensive steal and game-winning free throw with 2.54 seconds left to stun Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southern Division leader Johnson C. Smith, 59-58, in the opening game of the evening.

The men followed that dramatic finish with a decisive burst of their own in the final five minutes at Capel Arena to knock off the Golden Bulls, 71-57, and end a seven-game losing streak.

"I can't even explain the feeling right now. I'm just overwhelmed,'' sophomore Je'Lena Robertson said moments after sinking the first of two fouls shots that provided the game-winning point in a second straight triumph for the Fayetteville State women (9-10 overall, 3-7 CIAA).

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Iles on target again; Xavier wins at SUNO

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior point guard Chris Iles continued his torrid shooting and scored a career-high 18 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 25 Xavier University to a 73-62 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against SUNO at The Castle.

The Gold Rush (18-6 overall, 7-2 GCAC) climbed to second place in the conference and dropped the Knights (12-10, 8-3) to third.

Iles was 7-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Xavier made all seven of its shots from the floor -- including a trio of Iles 3-pointers and another by Kevin Miller -- during a five-minute burst which increased the Gold Rush lead from 48-39 to 66-45 with 3:02 remaining.

Iles is 16-of-24 on 3-pointers during Xavier's four-game win streak. The Gold Rush have won 8-of-9 games -- the loss was at GCAC leader Tougaloo a week ago -- and 11-of-13.

Denzell Erves had 14 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high-tying three blocked shots for Xavier in his fourth double-double of the season. Wanto Joseph had 12 points, three assists and a career-best seven rebounds.

Clyde Moore had 18 points and seven rebounds for SUNO, and Devin White had 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots.

The Knights' only lead was at 6-5 in the third minute. Cordell Hadnot's basket at 17:03 of the half put Xavier ahead to stay. The Gold Rush led 36-29 at halftime.

Xavier outshot the Knights 53.8 to 40 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 40-28. Xavier gained a season split with its city rival after losing 67-64 in overtime on Jan. 10.

The Gold Rush will visit Talladega in a 7 p.m. GCAC game Saturday.

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By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

The Official List of 2012 AAMU Football Signees

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- On Feb. 1, 2012, aamusports.com posted the official list of prospective student-athletes who have signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Alabama A&M in 2012.

Updated Alabama A&M Football Signing List

• Rashad Anderson DB 5-10 160 Hazel Green, AL Hazel Green HS

• Reginald Bailey DE 6-2 230 Picayune, MS Pearl River JC

• Corey Cockrell DB 5-9 170 Bessemer, AL Bessemer HS

• Jonathan Dorsey TE 6-6 205 Tuskegee, AL Booker T. Washington HS

• Jeremy Ford WR 6-2 185 Irvington, AL Alma Bryant HS

• Winston Hunt OL 6-7 310 Wetumpka, AL New Mexico Mil. JC

• Chauncey Hunter RB 6-1 210 Mobile, AL Williamson HS



• Austin Jones DB 6-0 175 Riverwoods, IL Deerfield HS

• Grallen Jones OL 6-1 265 Mobile, AL Blount HS



• Greg Jones DB 6-4 205 Mobile, AL Murphy HS

• Travis Lockhart OL 6-4 325 Mobile, AL Blount HS



• Tevin McKenzie WR 5-10 185 Mobile, AL Murphy HS



• Robert Nelson LB 5-11 205 Cordele, GA Univ. of Tennessee

• Cedric Poole DB 5-10 175 Birmingham, AL Center Point HS



• Nick Richardson WR 6-1 180 Madison, AL Bob Jones HS



• Shaq Scott OL 6-4 350 Jackson, AL Jackson HS

• Embrel Vaughn LB 5-11 220 Jackson, AL Jackson HS



• Chris Walker LB 6-2 245 Mobile, AL Davidson HS

• O’Darius Williams WR 6-0 170 Montgomery, AL Jeff Davis HS

HU Extends Win Streak to Four With Win Over Morgan State

NICOLE DETERVILLE
6'-1" F/C, JUNIOR
HOMETOWN: TORONTO, CANADA
WESTON HIGH SCHOOL

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Howard Women's Basketball team (17-7 overall, 9-2 MEAC) finished the game shooting 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) from the charity-stripe to take down the Morgan State Bears, 64-55. HU changed its offense to an inside-outside game after going an entire first-half without touching the free-throw line and shooting 2-of-10 (20 percent) from behind the arc.

Howard was paced by Saadia Doyle, who tallied a game-high 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Tamoria Holmes recorded 20 points, dished out four assists, and recorded three swipes.

Howard's floor general, Cheyenne Curley-Payne finished with a team-best 10 assists, while Zykia Brown contributed 10 points, five boards, three assists and just one turnover in 31 minutes of action. Inside the paint, Nicole Deterville pulled down seven off the glass for the night.

HU started the game with a 17-8 run over a seven-plus span. At the 9:12 mark, Howard took its largest advantage of the first period at 11 points (24-13) from a three-pointer by Brown.

PORTIA DETERVILLE
6'-1" F/C, JUNIOR
HOMETOWN: TORONTO, CANADA
WESTON HIGH SCHOOL

MSU scored five straight points to cut the spread to three, 24-21 at the 5:11 mark.

From there, both teams battled back and forth, exchanging baskets. HU took a 30-26 advantage into the half.

The Bison turned up their energy in the second half, outscoring the Bears a 11-7. At the 12:40 mark, MSU decreased the margin to three points after a jumper from inside the paint by Omara Parker (41-38).

HU responded with a 12-4 run to achieve its widest margin of the game at 13 points, 53-40.

The Bison held steady, and cruised to the nine-point victory against MSU.

For the game, Morgan State's Parker finished with team-high 21 points (shooting 8-13 from the field) while Amarah Williams had a solid night adding 12 points and seven rebounds to the stat sheet.

Howard will return to Burr Gymnasium to take on the Florida A&M Rattlers at 2pm on Sat. Feb 11.

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.

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

Jamilah Corbitt, Asst. Director of Sports Information
VISIT: HOWARD-BISON
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY