Bryant Ties School Career Scoring Mark In St. Aug Win

Keyona Bryant
6'-0" Center, Senior
Hometown: Springdale, MD
Flowers High School
Major: Communications

RALEIGH, North Carolina – Senior center Keyona Bryant (Springdale, Md.) tied the modern school career scoring mark in Saint Augustine’s College’s 58-55 CIAA women’s basketball win over Fayetteville State University Monday (Feb. 13) at Emery Gymnasium.

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Lady Falcons, now 12-11 overall, 7-6 CIAA and 2-5 in the Southern Division. The Lady Broncos are 10-12, 4-9 CIAA and 3-4 in the Southern Division with the loss.

The two schools split the season series. The Lady Falcons lost the first meeting 64-62 Feb. 4 in Fayetteville, N.C.

Bryant scored 12 points to tie former standout Valicia Brown with 1,522 career points. She needs one point to become the school’s modern career scoring leader, which she is sure to get Saturday (Feb. 18) at Livingstone in Salisbury, N.C. The starting time for that contest is 5:30 p.m.

Sophomore forward Umeka Benson (Charlotte, N.C.) added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Falcons. DaQuondra Cuthbertson paced the Lady Broncos with 13 points.

The victory margin would have been much larger had the Lady Falcons made their free throws. They were 19-for-42 for 45.2 percent.

Still, St. Aug led by 13 with 8:50 in the second half. Despite shooting 27 percent in the second half, the Lady Broncos rallied by forcing 24 of the Lady Falcons’ 40 turnovers in the half. The Lady Falcons’ lead was whittled to 56-55, but junior guard Jolisa Williams (Charles City, Va.) hit two clutch free throws with 24 seconds left in the game for a 58-55 Lady Falcons’ lead. FSU committed a turnover with 15 seconds left to ice the contest for the Lady Falcons.

COURTESY: THECIAA.COM

CIAA changes men's basketball-tournament format

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - The CIAA men's basketball tournament will have a change in its format when it begins later this month.

The tournament, which will be held in Charlotte from Feb. 28 through March 3, will have six of the 12 teams receive byes into the quarterfinals. In past years, the tournament's top two seeds in each division received byes.

"The (CIAA board of directors) wanted to keep the week a little shorter, so that's why the men's tournament changed a little bit," said Shera White, the director of communications for the CIAA. "There are 24 teams, counting both men and women, and that's a lot of games, so that's why the board voted to change the format a little bit."

The women's tournament, which will also begin Feb. 28, will retain the old format, with the top two teams in each division receiving byes.

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Southern University women rally, stand alone in first

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Everything felt wrong. Late in the first half Monday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center, in a showdown for first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Southern women’s basketball team had more turnovers than points.

Mississippi Valley State pressed, trapped and scored with ease, and the Jaguars looked lost. But their coach didn’t blow a fuse. Before they wiped out a 15-point deficit and pulled away late for a crucial 63-59 victory, Sandy Pugh simply told her players to calm down.

“She never lost her patience. She told us we just needed to breathe,” junior center Laneisha Stephens said. “Just breathe, and take care of the ball. She told our guards that we just needed to handle it and get through it. And we did.”

Indeed. As a result, Southern — on a quest for its third consecutive regular-season SWAC title — controls its own fate in the conference standings as the backstretch approaches.

Photos: Southern men and women battle MVSU

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Shaw Bears, CIAA Southern Division Champs

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Tony Smith had a triple-double and three other Bears scored in double figures as Shaw downed Johnson C. Smith 94-74 in a game played at C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium Monday night.

With the win - Shaw's 17th straight - the Bears improve to 21-2 on the season, 13-0 in the conference and 7-0 in the CIAA's Southern Division. The win, coupled with Winston-Salem State's loss to Livingstone, means that the Bears have clinched the division title with three games to play.

The fans left the gym buzzing about a variety of things Monday night. From Karron Johnson's dunks early in the game (one television station had a four-dunk highlight clip posted on their website before the game was over), to the dominating inside game. Much more subtle had been Smith's achievement - 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

"Tony's very good," said Shaw head coach Cleo Hill, Jr. "He could play at the highest level."

Between Smith and fellow point guard Malik Alvin, the Bears fired on all cylinders for much of the game, but after building a 12-point lead early, Shaw allowed Johnson C. Smith to trim that lead to only three.

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Gold Rush close The Barn with 67-61 comeback victory

Anthony Simmons
6'-8" 245 Forward, Junior
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Allendale Columbia High School

NEW ORLEANS -- Jamaan Kenner's 3-pointer with 42.6 seconds remaining sparked a late burst which rallied Xavier University of Louisiana to a 67-61 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

It was the final game at The Barn, a 1,300-seat gymnasium which opened in 1937, for the Gold Rush (19-7 overall, 8-3 GCAC). Xavier will play next season in a 4,500-seat facility which still is under construction.

Xavier, ranked 25th in NAIA Division I, snapped the 11-game win streak of the 18th-ranked Bulldogs (19-6, 10-2) and prevented them from clinching the GCAC regular-season championship. Tougaloo leads the conference by 1½ games with two games remaining. Xavier is in second place.

Kenner's 3-pointer, his third of the game, put Xavier ahead to stay at 60-58. Tougaloo then missed two shots and committed a turnover before Kevin Miller scored to give Xavier a 62-58 lead with 19 seconds remaining. After a Tougaloo personal foul and technical foul, Chris Iles and Wanto Joseph each made 2-of-2 free throws for a 66-58 Xavier lead with 10 seconds remaining.

Anthony Simmons scored 13 points for the Gold Rush, and Iles had 11, including three 3-pointers. Kenner and Denzell Erves scored nine points apiece, and Erves grabbed 10 rebounds,

Marquise Mems scored 21 points, Juan Gray 12 and Kadon Day 10 for Tougaloo, which had won eight of its past 10 meetings with Xavier. James Carter grabbed 10 rebounds.

Mems scored 13 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 37-24 halftime advantage, and they stretched the margin to 40-24 when Mems hit a 3-pointer with 18:28 remaining. But Simmons scored nine points during a 22-3 run which gave Xavier its first lead 14 minutes, and he capped the burst with two free throws for a 46-43 XU advantage at 9:44.

Xavier shot 52 percent from the floor and made 14-of-16 free throws in the second half. For the game the Rush outshot the Bulldogs 44.4 to 30.9 percent from the floor. At the line Xavier made 21-of-24, and Tougaloo made 9-of-14. Three Bulldogs -- including Mems, the GCAC's Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year this past season -- fouled out.

It was the final home game for Iles, Kenner, Cordell Hadnot and Jeremy Lee, who were honored in a pregame senior-night ceremony. Xavier will close the regular season with three conference road games, then travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the GCAC Tournament on March March 1-3. The tournament will receive the GCAC's automatic bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.

The XU men won their final eight games at The Barn and 33 of their final 36.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Covington Named adidas® OVC Co-Player of the Week

Courtesy: Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State forward Robert Covington was named adidas® OVC Co-Player of the Week for Feb. 13 as announced by the league office on Monday.

Covington, a junior from Bellwood, Ill., averaged 16.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in TSU's victories over No. 7/9 Murray State and Tennessee Tech. From the field, Covington shot 52 percent (12-of-23) and hit 63 percent (5-of-8) outside the arch. He also notched three blocks, two assists and three steals.

Against Murray State, Covington scored 17 points and grabbed eight boards as TSU upset the nation's lone unbeaten. It also marked the first time TSU had defeated a nationally ranked opponent in the NCAA Division I era.

Covington followed up with 16 points and two rebounds in the win over Tennessee Tech. The victory over the Golden Eagles extended TSU's win streak to seven games, the longest since the 1994-95 season. Covington is averaging 17.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in 27 games.

The Player of the Week honor is the second of the season for Covington, who garnered the achievement on Nov. 21. Covington shared this week's award with Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan.

TSU (17-10, 10-4 OVC) hosts Jacksonville State (11-16, 6-7 OVC) in a 7 p.m. tip on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets end tenure at The Barn with 52-46 victory

Jazmoné Kelly
5'-9" Senior G/F
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Ursuline Academy
XAVIER UNIVERSITY 

NEW ORLEANS -- Jazmoné Kelly had 13 points and nine rebounds Monday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 52-46 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

It was the final game at The Barn for the Gold Nuggets (19-8, 9-2), who will move into a new 4,500-seat facility next season. The Barn seats 1,300.

Jasmine Grant had 12 points, a career-high-tying seven assists, two blocks and two steals for Xavier.

Portia Craft scored 21 points for Tougaloo (13-12, 8-4), and Victoria Jones had 10 points and 13 rebounds for her 11th consecutive double-double. Jones leads NAIA Division I in rebounds per game.

Tougaloo led by four points during the 11th minute before Carmen Holcombe's basket at 4:45 gave Xavier the lead for good at 19-18. The Gold Nuggets led 28-24 at halftime and three times led by 10 points in the second half.

Xavier outshot the Lady Bulldogs 33.9 to 27.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 43-37.

Xavier remained in a first-place tie in the GCAC with Talladega, which won 78-77 at home against SUNO. Tougaloo remained in third place, a half-game ahead of Dillard, following its second straight conference loss.

It was the final home game for Grant, Kelly, Keldra Hall, Danielle Kennebrew and Brandi Young, who were honored in a halftime senior-night ceremony. Xavier will close the regular season with three conference road games, then travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the GCAC Tournament on March 1-3. The tournament winner will receive the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I National Championship. Xavier won the GCAC Tournament the past two seasons.

The Nuggets concluded their tenure at The Barn with 10 consecutive victories and 122 victories in their final 129 games there. XU is 246-20 at The Barn since the start of the 1992-93 season. In conference games at The Barn, XU has won 22 straight, 34 of its last 35 and 66 of its last 68. Coach Bo Browder’s XU teams are 170-16 at The Barn in 13 seasons.

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

Howard Extends Win-Streak to Six with 58-50 Win Over B-CU

HEAD COACH NIKI REID GECKELER

FOLLOW THE LADY BISON AND
COACH 'G'
TO THE MEAC CHAMPIONSHIP AT
www.facebook.com/NikiGeckeler

Washington, D.C. -- The Howard Women's basketball team defeated Bethune Cookman 58-50 on Feb. 13, in Burr Gymnasium. With a record of 19-7 overall and 11-2 in MEAC play, HU advances its streak to six and improves home record to 9-1.

Tamoria Holmes and Saadia Doyle each tallied a game-high 18 points. Doyle added 13 rebounds to her stat line, achieving her 12th double-double of the season. Cheyenne Curley-Payne finished the contest with a solid performance of six points, four rebounds, and a game-best eight assists.

Before regulation began, Howard was called for an administrative technical foul. BCU converted on 1-of-2 free throw attempts.

With the one point advantage, HU opened regulation with a jumper from inside the paint by Holmes at 18:19. BCU's Jalisa Isaac answered with a three-ball from downtown, 4-2.

From there, both teams struggled to score over a three-minute span. Demetria Frank ended the drout with a basket, spreading the Wildcats lead to 6-2.

By the second media timeout, the score was knotted 9-9 from a shot behind the arc by HU's Zykia Brown. Doyle's bucket halfway through the period gave the Bison an 11-9 lead.

With 8:06 left in the first 20, the score was tied 13-13. BCU found some energy and proceeded to go on a 9-0 run for a 21-13 spread. Howard ended the run with a trey by Holmes at 3:55.

BCU scored the next two baskets which pushed the margin to 26-16.

Howard decreased the lead to 27-21 before breaking into halftime.

To jump into a more competitive second half, Kara Smith scored the first basket at 19:46 for a 27-23 score.

Both teams went back and forth until the 8:32 mark, which initiated an 8-0 run for HU. Howard achieved its largest lead of the game, 50-39 with just over five minutes left in regulation.

The Bison held on as they defeated the Wildcats 54-46 for their sixth straight victory.

Frank led BCU with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Cleniece Roberts chipped in with eight points and six rebounds.

HU will look to extend its streak to seven as it faces Coppin State on the road Sat Feb. 18 in Baltimore, Md. The match is set for 2 pm.

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.

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

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

Colts Sign Former Hampton Pirates LB Brandon Peguese To A 3-Year 'Future/Reserves' Contract

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana - The Indianapolis Colts have signed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Peguese.

Undersized at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, Peguese was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Eagles on July 26, 2011. He was released prior to the start of the regular season on Aug. 26.

A former Hampton University player, Peguese earned Sports Network FCS All-America and first-team All-MEAC honors in 2010 as he finished third on the team in tackles with 85.

He also ranked third in the conference with eight sacks while ranking second in the MEAC in tackles for loss with 23 1/2.

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Xavier takes on Tougaloo in basketball finales at The Barn

NEW ORLEANS — Monday at The Barn should be filled with people and emotion.

Not only will Xavier University of Louisiana play its final basketball games in its 75-year-old gymnasium, but it also will be senior night with five honorees from the Gold Nuggets and four from the Gold Rush.

But on a night of goodbyes and looking toward the future, will the Nuggets and Rush say goodbye to their chances of winning Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships?

There's urgency for the XU women, who will play Tougaloo at 5:30 p.m. The Nuggets are 8-2 in the GCAC and tied for first place with Talladega with three conference games remaining for each after Monday. Tougaloo is third at 8-3 and already has a victory against the Nuggets. The Lady Bulldogs will try for their first regular-season sweep of Xavier since the 1977-78 season.

The urgency is greater in the men's game, when the Rush meet Tougaloo at 7:30 p.m., Xavier must win to prevent the Bulldogs from clinching their third GCAC regular-season title in six seasons. The Rush are 7-3 in the conference and in second place but trail Tougaloo (10-1) by 2½ games.

A packed house of 1,300 is expected. Longtime XU president Dr. Norman Francis will briefly address the crowd, as will others. Souvenir T-shirts will be given to the first 100 XU students through the door; more shirts will be sold for $10 each.

Senior Nuggets Jasmine Grant, Keldra Hall, Jazmoné Kelly, Danielle
Kennebrew, Brandi Young will be honored at halftime of their game. The men's senior night will precede tip-off of the second game, with Cordell Hadnot, Chris Iles, Jeremy Lee and medical-school-bound Jamaan Kenner receiving their curtain calls.

Then the curtain finally will fall on The Barn, which was dedicated on Nov. 2, 1937, by Archbishop Joseph Rummel of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and played host to its first basketball game on Dec. 29 of that year — a 32-19 Xavier men's victory against Alabama State. Regarded for decades as a difficult environment for visiting teams, The Barn will be razed after the completion of the 4,500-seat Convocation Academic Center later this year.

The Barn is expected to play host to most, if not all, XU home women's volleyball matches this fall, but the CAC is expected to be ready in November for the start of the 2012-13 basketball season.

Not surprisingly, both the Rush and the Nuggets are leaving The Barn on a high note. The XU men won 32 of their past 35 home games, and the women won 121 of their past 129, including a current streak of 21 straight in conference. No GCAC opponent has swept a doubleheader at Xavier since SUNO on Feb. 7, 2002. Since that double defeat, Xavier has swept 31 GCAC doubleheaders on the road.

The Barn acquired its name in the 1960s because of a then-wood exterior and cavernous interior. But the facility no longer resembles a barn. The interior was enlarged and air-conditioned, and 1987 renovations — inspired by Pope John Paul II’s visit to New Orleans and his celebration of Mass in the nearby XU quadrangle — replaced the wooden exterior with brick.

The Barn underwent additional renovations during 2005-06 because of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Xavier suspended its athletics program for that entire year after the university endured considerable storm damages, which included two feet of flood water in the gym. But by July '06 the facility had been renovated — including Jackson State University’s generous loan of a wooden basketball court — and The Barn was ready for the return of the athletics department’s staff, coaches and teams.

Since that hurricane, the Rush and Nuggets have combined to win 87 percent of their games at The Barn in six seasons (78-17 men, 85-8 women). The volleyball Nuggets, in their fourth season, finally stepped up in 2011, winning eight of nine home matches and their first GCAC regular-season and tournament championships.

"That's the interesting question," said Bo Browder, in his 13th season as head coach of the Nuggets and the proud owner of a 169-16 record at The Barn. "What will it be like for Xavier in the new arena? It'll definitely be nice, a major upgrade — something we've needed for a long time. The Barn has been a great home-court advantage for our teams, but I've always thought the players have had the greatest influence on our success. I think it'll stay that way in the new arena."

The Convocation Academic Center will be across Washington Avenue and near the main campus on a site bounded by Short, Palm and Stroelitz streets — one block from South Carrollton Avenue.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Upcoming Games at The Barn

Feb. 13 (Mon.) — Women's Basketball vs. Tougaloo, 5:30 p.m. live webcast
Feb. 13 (Mon.) — Men's Basketball vs. Tougaloo, 7:30 p.m. live webcast

Bid farewell to The Barn on Feb. 13 — the new Convocation Academic Center will become the new home of XU basketball for the 2012-13 season. 

XU students with valid XU identification card admitted are free at The Barn.

Nicholls State Colonels Men's Tennis Edged by Florida A&M, 4-3

THIBODAUX, Louisiana – The Nicholls State University men’s tennis team hosted Florida A&M on Saturday at the Colonel Tennis Complex and came up short, falling 4-3 to the Rattlers.

With the loss, Nicholls drops to 1-2 while Florida A&M improves to 4-4.

The duos of Dmitry Kozionov/Shayann Vaezzadeh and Damjan Despotovski/Roy Knight picked up wins for the Colonels in doubles action, giving Nicholls a 1-0 lead. Kozionov/Vaezzadeh earned an 8-3 win at the No. 2 slot against Fabrice Myrtil/Temuera Asafu-Adjaye, while Despotovski/Knight clinched the point with an 8-6 victory at No. 3 versus Levan Clark/Takura Happy. At the No. 1 position, Sidharth Sivakumar/Palash Tiwari fell 8-3 to Salif Kante/Chidi Gabriel, preventing the sweep for the Colonels.

In singles action, Despotovski (No. 2) and Sivakumar (No. 5) were victorious in straight-sets, winning 6-4, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-4, respectively; however, FAMU went on to claim the remaining four points to take the match.

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Virginia State Lady Trojans Crowned 2012 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Champions

HAMPTON, Virginia - The Lady Trojans won their first ever CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on February 12, 2012 with an overall team score of 105 points at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, VA. Samantha Edwards (senior/ Elmont, NY) and Taylor-Ashley Bean (freshman/ Sandys, Bermuda) were both named CIAA Women’s Track MVPs.

Samantha Edwards won the women’s 400m dash with the fastest time in the Nation (53.95) and placed second in the women’s 200 meter dash event (24.85), also a NCAA qualifier.

Taylor-Ashley Bean won the women’s 1 mile run (5:21.50) and won the women’s 3000 meter run (11:35.87).

WATCH ALL RACES - CLICK HERE




Sierra Clayton (senior/ Chesapeake, VA) won the women’s 800m run (2:19.72),placed sixth in the women’s high jump (1.56m),and placed third in the women’s 1 mile run (5:25.93).

The Lady Trojans team of Sierra Clayton, Cherish Richardson (junior/ New Haven, CT), Jourdan Johnson, and Taylor-Ashley Bean won the women’s distance medley event (12:33.66).

In the women’s 800 meter run, the Lady Trojans finished with twenty-six points with runners placing first (Sierra Clayton 2:17.33), second (Samantha Edwards 2:17.36), third (Taylor-Ashley Bean 2:19.07), and fifth (Jourdan Johnson 2:20.63).

Shaundra Cook competed in the women’s pentathlon and placed second overall with 3,181 points. She placed fourth in both the women’s long jump event (5.51m) and women’s high jump event (1.59m), while placing fifth in the women’s triple jump event (11.16m)

Alicia Terry (freshman/Ronoake, VA ) placed third in the women’s triple jump event with a NCAA provisional mark of (11.66m) adding six points of her own. Milicent Barber (sophomore/ Virginia Beach, VA) placed sixth in the women’s shot put adding one point to the team’s overall total of 105.



COMPLETE RESULTS

BY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Saint Augustine's College Falcons wins 14th Straight CIAA Men's Indoor Track Crown

HAMPTON, Virginia – Saint Augustine's College easily won its 14th straight CIAA men's indoor track and field crown at Boo Williams Sportsplex Sunday (Feb. 12), scoring 135 points to outdistance second-place Virginia State (86) and third-place Winston-Salem State (67). The Lady Falcons finished third in the women's division, scoring 83 points to finish behind Johnson C. Smith (93) and women's champion Virginia State (105).

Aaron Dudley (Jr./Suffolk, Va.) of the Falcons was named men's track MVP. He won the 800 run, placed second in the one-mile run and third in the 5000 run. Josh Edmonds (Soph./Jacksonville, Fla.) swept the 200 and 400 dashes.

Overall, the Falcons won five men's events. Other winners were Christopher Copeland (Sr./Suffolk, Va.) in the high jump, the 4x400 relay team of Kelly Fisher (Sr./Tinton Falls, N.J.), Jason Boyd (Sr./Waycross, Ga.), James Quarles (Soph./Washington, D.C.) and Edmonds.

The Falcons, ranked third in the latest USTFCCCA Division II men's poll, dominated the competition with their depth. DeJon Wilkinson (Soph./Summerville, S.C.) was second in the triple jump, and the men's distance medley of Jameel Walcott, Karym Greaves (Sr./Miami Gardens, Fla.), Anthony Boone (Jr./Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Dudley was second. Ty'reak Murray (Soph./Portsmouth, Va.) was second in the heptathlon.

WATCH ALL RACES - CLICK HERE



Boyd and Quarles were second and third, respectively, in the 400 dash. Alexander Louden and Eddie Shelton (Soph./Daltona, Fla.) tied for third in the high jump and Ramaan Ansley was third in the 60 dash.

Andrea Powell (Sr./Richmond, Va.) paced the Lady Falcons by winning the long jump and finishing second in the triple jump. Kelly Shaw (Jr./Winona, Minn.) was second in the 400 dash, third in the 200 dash and helped the 4x400 team consisting of Cherrisse Lynch (Fr./Barbados), Nicketa Bernard (Soph./Westmoreland, Jamaica) and Sherri-Ann Ashman (Fr./Brooklyn, N.Y.) cross the finish line first. Javairia Bacote (Soph./Patterson, N.J.) was the winner in the pentathlon.

The women's distance relay team of Monica Greene (Fr./Cary, N.C.), April London (Sr./Hampstead, N.C.), Jasmine Cobbs (Jr./Newport News, Va.) and Unique Connor (Jr./North Las Vegas, Nev.) was third. Bernard finished third in the 400 dash.



RESULTS

BY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION

HEAT Signs Former AAMU's Gladness To 10-Day Contract

MICKELL GLADNESS
6'-11" 220 CENTER
MIAMI HEAT

MIAMI, Florida – The Miami HEAT announced Sunday that they have signed center Mickell Gladness to a 10-day contract. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Gladness appeared in six games with the HEAT this season, after previously being signed by Miami on December 10, 2011, totaling two points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 21 minutes of action while connecting on his only shot from the field before being waived on February 7, 2012. Prior to that stint, Gladness was signed by the HEAT on September 27, 2010, playing in two games on the HEAT’s 2010 summer league squad, totaling eight points, five rebounds, two steals and a block in 28:53 minutes of action while shooting 2-of-4 from the field and 4-of-5 from the foul line before being waived on October 11, 2010.

Gladness, a member of the 2010 NBA Development League Champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers, has appeared in 81 career NBA D-League games (20 starts) and averaged 4.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.41 blocks and 13.9 minutes while shooting 57 percent from the field and 60.7 percent from the foul line.

During his collegiate career, Gladness appeared in 85 games (83 starts) at Alabama A&M and averaged 7.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.66 blocks and 26.8 minutes. He was named as the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year while also earning All-SWAC First Team honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He finished his junior season with 188 total blocks, the third most in NCAA history, including a game in which he set a new NCAA single-game record after blocking 16 shots vs. Texas Southern on Feb. 24, 2007.

The Miami HEAT is proud to have ASSIST-CARD as the Presenting Sponsor for the 2011-12 season.

From Miami Heat Press Release

The Scoop: The Heat waived Gladness last Tuesday to prevent his contract from becoming fully guaranteed. NBA teams can sign players for up to two 10-day deals. The Heat are officially one roster slot below the NBA limit of 15, which provides the team with the option of signing a higher profile player in the coming weeks, if any come available.  Worst case for Gladness -- he goes back to his NBA Developmental League team Rio Grande Valley and continues to work hard on becoming a better-stronger player. Best case scenario, (a) he is signed for the remainder of season by Heat; or (b) is signed to an active roster slot by another NBA team.

(beepbeep)

Southern women, MVSU Devilettes meet for first place in SWAC

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -Nate Kilbert saw this one coming.

In 11 seasons as the women’s basketball coach at Mississippi Valley State, Kilbert has fielded one aggressive, scrappy team after another. The Devilettes trap. They press. They force turnovers, slash through the lane and score.

Several times, Kilbert has come close to winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship, only to fall a little short. This season might represent the Devilettes’ best chance yet.

At 5:30 p.m. Monday in the F.G. Clark Activity Center, Valley (12-11, 9-3) and Southern (10-9, 9-3) meet in a showdown between two teams who are tied atop the SWAC standings.

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Gold Nuggets still winless after 7-0 defeat at McNeese

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana — The McNeese State women's tennis team got what Xavier University of Louisiana is still searching for: the first dual-match victory of the season.

The Cowgirls captured every set but one Sunday and cruised to a 7-0 decision against the Gold Nuggets.

McNeese, an NCAA Division I member, is 1-5. NAIA member Xavier is 0-5. All the Nuggets' losses this season came against NCAA D-Is.

Xavier's most positive vibe again came from sophomore Kourtney Howell, who split sets with Tea Tvrtkovic at No. 1 singles before Tvrtkovic won in a super-tiebreaker. The scores were 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8).

XU freshman Amanda Materre, a three-set winner Friday against Prairie View A&M at No. 3 singles, moved up to No. 2 but lost 6-3, 6-1 to Lara Pujol. McNeese clinched the dual when Diana Pirciu defeated Jordyn Goody — a freshman playing in her hometown for the first time as a collegian — 6-0, 6-1.

Xavier's men and women will play Saturday at 10 a.m. against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponent Tougaloo and 3 p.m. against Belhaven at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. Both Belhaven teams are ranked in the NAIA top 25, as are Xavier's men.

RESULTS

By Ed Cassiere, SID 
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Hampton Lady Pirates dominate Norfolk State Spartans, 68-46

NORFOLK, Viriginia - The Hampton University women’s basketball team used a hot first half to roll to a 68-46 win over rival Norfolk State at Echols Hall on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Pirates (18-4, 10-1 MEAC) picked up their third straight win overall, their fifth straight road win and their 12th straight win over the Spartans.

Senior guard Choicetta McMillian led the Lady Pirates with 28 points behind a career-high eight 3-pointers, while senior forward Melanie Warner added 21 points and a r third double-double of the season. Senior guard Jericka Jenkins added 11 assists for her 13h straight game with at least six assists. She is now averaging 8.0 assists per game.



After Tyisha Bridges cut Hampton’s early lead to 8-6 with 17:05 left in the first half, the Lady Pirates went on a 15-5 run to take a 23-11 lead at the 11:08 mark after McMillian drained one of her five first-half treys.

Batavia Owens answered with a layup at the 10:32 mark to cut Hampton’s lead to 10, but the Lady Pirates answered with 10 unanswered points, going up 33-13 with 7:15 left in the first half when McMillian hit another 3-pointer.  Hampton led 37-23 at the half...

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Contracts frustrate Alabama State's Barlow

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Reggie Barlow and the Hornets had just battled Texas Southern to the wire in the 2010 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game, a fairly remarkable accomplishment for an Alabama State football program still under NCAA probation.

ASU was just two years removed from crippling sanctions that came in the wake of allegations of academic fraud and improper aid and financial benefits for student-athletes against the former coaching staff.

Yet here was Barlow, moments after the most remarkable accomplishment of his young coaching career, fending off questions from the media and recruits about his contract, which was expiring at the end of the year.




A little more than 12 months later, Barlow is answering some of the same questions and feels the need to have his contract addressed again, in part because only the first two years of his four-year contract are guaranteed and because recent coach hires in the Hornet's athletic department have elevated the salaries of other assistant coaches above those on the football staff.

ASU COACHING CONTRACTS(.pdf)

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Tennessee State Ground Cleveland St. for Second Straight Win

Columbia, South Carolina  -  Tennessee State remained perfect on the early season by holding off Cleveland State on day two of the Palmetto Classic. The Tigers improved to 2-0 as they defeated CSU 5-3 on a chilly Saturday evening.

With the sun going down and the temperatures dropping to a wind chilled 32 degrees, sophomore Olivia Gamache (1-0) toed the rubber and fanned the first three batters of the game. The Exeter, R.I., native would finish with six strike outs in five innings of work, as she picked up her first career win.

Dara Toman led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run to centerfield to give Cleveland State a 1-0 lead that held through the third. The Tigers would take advantage of two Viking errors and added timely hitting to explode for five runs in the top half of the fourth.

After a leadoff walk by Jordan Rehl, senior Kelly Troglin hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop Cynthia Woodard that looked to be a potential double play. Woodards throw was off line and ended up in right field. Rehl would advance to third, while Troglin was able to reach second. Ashley Haynes would walk to load the bases, and with one out, Brittany Davis stepped up and drove a ball to left center plating Rehl and Troglin for a 2-1 lead.

Two batters later, the Tigers took advantage on another Viking miscue as Jennifer Givens lifted a ball to deep left center. CSU's, Alicia Nichols was able to get settled for the catch, but the ball bounced out and allowed Givens to reach third. Davis and Savannah Gutierrez were able to score on the play and give TSU a 4-1 lead.


TSU Coach Jeff Dabney on 2012 Season (Feb. 8, 2012)


Tedra Alford would close out the scoring in the fourth with a triple off the fence in left center, allowing Givens to touch home. The triple was Alford's third hit in a 3-for-4 effort.

Cleveland State would score a run in the fifth and threatened in the sixth inning with a lead-off walk followed by a double to put runners on second and third. Freshman Shea Morris would relieve Gamache and enticed Cynthia Woodard into a fly ball to Givens in center. Toman tagged at third and tested the Tigers defense. Givens would throw a one-hopper to catcher Devin Amar who swept a tag on the Viking runner for a double play. CSU would pick up a run off a hit one batter later to close the score to 5-3 after six innings of play.

Morris came back out in the seventh and struck out the first two batters before Gutierrez caught a fly ball in left field to secure the win. Morris notched her first save of her career.

Davis finished 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBI, while Amar, 1-for-3, picked up a hit in her second consecutive game.

Haynes was 1-for-3 with a walk and Kate Morris, 1-for-2, collected her first collegiate hit with a double to left center.

TSU sits atop of the Palmetto Classic standings at 2-0. Western Kentucky and host South Carolina are each 2-1. Winthrop is 1-2 and Cleveland State is 0-3.

Due to early morning temperatures, the TSU-Western Kentucky game has been moved back an hour and will now start at 11 a.m. ET. The morning game is the first of two for the Tigers on the final day of the three-day tournament. Tennessee State closes out play with a 4 p.m. game against Winthrop. Live stats for all games this weekend can be found on tsutigers.com.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Talladega beats Gold Nuggets for first-place tie in GCAC

MEGAN IlOFF
5-7 GUARD, JUNIOR
HOMETOWN: LOS ANGELES, CA
GAME HIGH SCORER: 18 POINTS,
7 Reb., 4 Assists

TALLADEGA, Alabama -- Megan Iloff scored 18 points Saturday to rally Talladega to a 68-62 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Lady Tornadoes (17-6 overall, 8-2 GCAC) moved into a first-place tie in the conference with the Gold Nuggets (18-8, 8-2), who lost for the third time in five games since winning nine in a row. Tougaloo (13-11, 8-3) missed a chance to take sole possession of first place when it lost 69-64 at Dillard.

Keldra Hall had 13 points and 11 rebounds -- her fourth double-double of the season and eighth in two years -- for Xavier, which led 34-33 at halftime. SiMon Franklin scored 12 points, and Jazmoné Kelly scored 10.

The Nuggets limited Iloff, Talladega's season scoring leader, to zero points and five turnovers in a 66-48 Xavier victory at The Barn on Jan. 21. But this time Iloff was 7-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the line with with seven rebounds and four assists.

Bianca Thomas scored a season-high 17 points and was 7-of-9 from the floor for Talladega, and Ebony Richardson scored 10 in her ninth consecutive game in double figures.

"We should've been up 12 at halftime," XU coach Bo Browder said. "We didn't take care of business. We've been down this road before. It's really frustrating."

Talladega outshot Xavier 44.4 to 36.1 percent from the floor and limited the Nuggets to 1-of-12 on 3-pointers. Both teams made 17 free throws.

Tougaloo will visit Xavier at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Gold Nuggets' final game at The Barn, which opened in 1937. It will be senior night for Hall, Kelly, Jasmine Grant, Danielle Kennebrew and Brandi Young, who will be honored during a halftime ceremony.

BY ED CASSIERE, SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

FAMU should offer Taylor contract extension

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Joe Taylor could be so succinct sometimes. One of those times occurred when the matter of his contract came up. Like most of us, when the conversation turns to salaries – or as in Taylor's case, his contract that is up for renewal as head coach at Florida A&M, he didn't have much to say.

Actually, he couldn't because of the ongoing negotiations to get a new deal hammered out before his current contract expires in 10 months. But what he did say only goes to show how confident the man is about completing the job of returning FAMU's football team around.



"We are going to be around for as long as we want to," Taylor said. That's a bit bold, coach, but what if you don't get all that you want in a new deal? "I've never been too concerned about it," he said. "You just continue working."

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Jazzmin Smith Scores 1,000th Career Point and Grabs 500th Career Rebound as the Lady Bleu Devils End Four-Game Losing Streak

JAZZMIN SMITH
5'-11" FORWARD, JUNIOR
HOMETOWN: LAKE CHARLES, LA

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Lady Bleu Devil junior forward Jazzmin Smith scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Dillard to a 69-64 victory over the Tougaloo Lady Bulldogs on Saturday night on the Battlefield in Dent Hall.

The win ends a four-game losing streak for the Lady Bleu Devils (7-4, 10-10) and keeps them in race for the GCAC Conference Championship.

Smith, who received a standing ovation from the crowd, became just the 6th player in Dillard Women's Basketball surpass the 1,000 point barrier. She has now scored 1,035 career points and grabbed 507 career rebounds in 78 career games.

The Lady Bleu Devils shot a solid 47% percent from the field in the victory while holding the Lady Bulldogs (8-3, 13-11) to an ice-cold 31% from the field, including 3-for-17 from behind the three-point arc.

Ariel Mitchell added 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists in the victory for the Lady Bleu Devils. Lady Bleu Devil Lauren Daniel contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds.

The Lady Bleu Devils will now travel to Mobile, Alabama to take on Spring Hill on Monday, February 13th. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30p.m.

BY DILLARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: DILLARD UNIVERSITY
VISIT: DILLARD BLEU DEVILS

TSU Tigers Clinch Seven Straight with Win over TTU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - There was no emotional letdown for Tennessee State as the Tigers defeated Tennessee Tech 68-53 in front of 3,650 fans at the Gentry Center Saturday evening.

The Tigers (17-10, 10-4 Ohio Valley) used a pair of second half runs to open up to an 18 point lead late in the game. The win split the season series with the Golden Eagles. Saturday's victory also extended TSU's win streak to seven games, the longest since 1994-95.

In the past two seasons, the Big Blue is 21-3 in the Gentry Center and has captured nine straight over OVC opponents.

Tennessee Tech held a seven point lead early in the first half, but was unable to sustain any momentum. The Tigers forced 25 turnovers, despite being outrebounded 42-to-29. TSU shot 43 percent (23-of-53) from the field and knocked down five triples. Defensively, the Tigers had seven steals and four blocks.

Three TSU student-athletes reached double-figures with Robert Covington leading the way with 16 points. The junior extended his double-digit streak to 26 games, while blocking two shots and dishing out an assist.

Forward Kellen Thornton managed 12 points and seven rebounds in the win. Thornton was 4-of-7 from the field and picked up two steals in 23 minutes.

For the fourth time out of five games, Kenny Moore had double-digits with 11 points and six rebounds. Moore dished out two assists and was 4-of-8 shooting.

Patrick Miller had a spread out stat line - scoring nine points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out five assists, notching two steals and blocking a shot in 28 minutes.

Jordan Cyphers and Wil Peters added eight and six points, respectively.

At the half, the Big Blue held a one point lead, 28-27. The Tigers were 11-of-32 from the field. TTU out-rebounded TSU 24-to-14. The Tigers forced 15 turnovers in the first half. Covington and Miller each had six points.

Tennessee Tech jumped out to a 9-2 lead to stat the contest. The Tigers fought back and used a Kellen Thornton triple at 12:46 to a 15-14 advantage.

In the final minutes, Tennessee Tech used a tip-in from Javon McKay to take cut the lead to 28-27 at the break.

TSU led 47-41 in the second half, but reeled off an 11-0 run to extend its' lead to 17. The Tigers never trailed in the final frame and sealed their ninth straight home victory over an OVC opponent.

On Tuesday, Tennessee State looks to split with Jacksonville State after dropping a road contest earlier this year. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Gentry Center.

BOX SCORE 

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush beat Swedes in matchup of ranked NAIA teams

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson remained unbeaten in doubles in the spring semester, and Viktor Svoboda overcame a first-set singles shutout Saturday to clinch Xavier Univetsity of Louisiana's 7-2 men's tennis victory against Bethany (Kan.) in the Prairie View A&M Invitational.

The Gold Rush (3-1), ranked ninth in the NAIA, finished 2-0 in the event and extended its win streak to three straight. Bethany, ranked 16th, is 1-2.

Giles-Osborn and Richardson scored the first point of the dual and improved to 4-0 for the semester with an 8-6 victory against Michael Van Den Bogaert and Alex Sandri at No. 3 doubles. Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor put the Rush ahead to stay, 2-1, with an 8-4 victory against Marcelo Alecio and Kane Olsen at No. 1.

Taylor and Didavi won in straight sets at the top two singles flights to make it 4-1, then Svoboda clinched with his 0-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory against Olsen at No. 3. Amir Rahbar won in a super-tiebreaker at No. 5 after dropping the first set, and Richardson won in straight sets at No. 6.

Bethany's Shane Huggins, a first cousin of XU newcomer Corey Huggins, was responsible for both of the Swedes' points. He and Jack Schoeman beat Corey Huggins and Svoboda 9-7 at No. 2 doubles, and he defeated Giles-Osborn 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4 singles.

The victory was Xavier's first against a ranked opponent since beating Martin Methodist in the title match of an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament this past April, and it was the second straight year the Rush beat Bethany 7-2.

"This was a tough match," XU coach Alan Green said. "Bethany is much improved from last year and is definitely deserving of their ranking. Our guys are really coming together and playing like they are hungry for something. I hope it continues."

The Gold Rush are 25-2 in February duals dating to 2008.

Next Saturday the Gold Rush will play Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponent Tougaloo at 9 a.m. and NAIA No. 22 Belhaven at 3 p.m. at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. Meanwhile, this current trip will conclude after the XU women visit McNeese State at noon Sunday.

BY ED CASSIERE, SID

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Southern beats winless Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 62-48

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -  Leave it to Sandy Pugh to put it plainly. Saturday afternoon in the F.G. Clark Activity Center, her Southern Unversity women’s basketball team won for the fifth time in six games, pulling away for a 62-48 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. That part was good.

The Jaguars’ play, however, was hardly crisp. “Was I worried? No,” she said. “Was I upset? Yes.” It was easy to understand why.

Facing a persistent-but-winless team in UAPB, the Jaguars held the Lady Lions without a field goal over the first 6 minutes, 17 seconds. Southern committed only nine turnovers and had a 52-41 advantage in rebounds. But the Jaguars shot only 32 percent from the field and rarely looked sharp on either end of the floor.

Only two players, Kendra Coleman (11 points) and Laneisha Stephens (10 points), scored in double figures. Adrian Sanders added eight points, but the three players combined to go 6-for-31 from the floor.

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Southern University Dancing Dolls at 2012 Super Bowl Half-Time Performance with Madonna.

The Dancing Dolls are a unit of the Southern University Marching Band also known as "The Human JukeBox" from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lawrence Jackson, Southern University's band director, said Madonna discovered the Dancing Dolls after watching a video of one of their performances on the popular streaming video website. "It goes to show the power of YouTube," Jackson said with a laugh.

After three trips to New York to practice with Madonna, the Dancing Dolls finally got their chance to show the world their talents at halftime of a game that has drawn more than 100 million viewers the past two years."