2012 MEAC Basketball Tournament

Photo 1: Florida A&M 6'-1" senior guard/forward Antonia Bennett, Lakeland, Florida (Lake Gibson High School) is majoring in Occupational/Physical Therapy. Bennett leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in several statistical categories, with per game averages of 19.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.7 block shots. The FAMU Lady Rattlers leads the conference in scoring offense at 72.1 points per game average and is seventh in scoring defense holding opponents to an average of 63.7 points per contest. In addition to having had a 14 game win streak, the Lady Rattlers have out-of-conference wins over Alabama-Birmingham, Southern Mississippi, Southeastern Louisiana, Jacksonville, Northwestern State, Tennessee State and Austin Peay State.

Any defensive player that has the assignment of guarding Antonia Bennett will be in need of therapy by the end of the game.  Bennett is a very smooth operator that can breakdown any defensive player and drive to the hoop for a score or foul.  And she will kill you with her length on the offensive boards.  A zone defense actually plays to her strength as she is a consistent shooter from 15-18 feet.

The Lady Rattlers are currently 19-6, 12-1 MEAC, tied for first place with the defending MEAC Champions Hampton University Lady Pirates and Howard University Lady Bison (2/20/12).

Photo 2: Howard University's All-American redshirt-junior forward Saadia Doyle has taken the Lady Bison to new heights, with its first 20-win season in twelve years. The explosive 5'-11" scorer is from Atlanta, Georgia, Columbia High School and is a fierce defender and rebounder.  Doyle is second in the MEAC in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and sixth in rebounding at 8.4 caroms per game.

The strength of the Lady Bison team is its scoring defense, holding teams to a league second best 53.7 points per game and forcing the opposition into 19.1 turnovers per game.  Doyle's inside game is unstoppable -- she has forced MEAC defenses into 158 fouls, where she averages 80 percent from the line (6th in MEAC).  The Lady Bison is currently tied for first place in the MEAC at  21-7, 13-2 MEAC.

Howard's signature wins are over Wake Forest, Navy, Detroit, Buffalo, Seton Hall, Fairleigh Dickinson, Mount St. Mary's and New Jersey Tech.  It's most difficult opponents have been Hampton (0-2) and FAMU (1-1).

3. Photo 3:  She beat Cancer! But the burning question is can she beat down Florida A&M and Howard for the 2011-12 MEAC Crown?

Sure she can!

Jericka Jenkins -- all 5'-4" is the best player in the MEAC with the best talented, supporting cast that know how to win the big games.  The honorable mention AP All-American from Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster High School) made a wise decision and chose the Hampton Lady Pirates over University of Oklahoma Sooners.  With Jenkins at point guard, the Lady Pirates have knocked off Pittsburgh, Boston College, Jacksonville, Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, Chicago State, Maryland Baltimore County, Central Michigan and East Carolina this season.

The two-time defending MEAC champion Lady Pirates are 20-4, 12-1 MEAC and have won at least 20 games for the third straight season.  Hampton leads the MEAC in scoring defense at a per game average of 48.5, with an astounding +18.2 scoring margin on all opponents. Jenkins is averaging a conference leading 7.9 assists per game.  She is scoring at a clip of 14.0 points per game, good enough for 9th place in the conference ranking.  The little dynamo has slashed for 105 fouls where she leads the MEAC with a free throw percentage of 87 percent.  Jenkins also ranks 8th in 3-point shooting, 1st in assist/turnover ratio and 1st in minutes played -- averaging 38.3 minutes per game.

No doubt, Jericka Jenkins is a very special player (who won her battle with Cancer as a teenager) that has immense drive, a competitive spirit, but has tremendous personality and smarts.  In other words, this lady got game!

Jenkins also leads the nation in assist per game, 4th in the nation in assist-turnover ration (2.67) and 23rd in free throw percentage (.867).  This is no fluke as she has improved upon her national rankings from last season.
Jenkins will receive her degree in Criminal Justice/Criminology in May 2012, after four-years of college --making the Dean's List every semester at Hampton. I look forward to seeing the Lady Pirates return to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and all three players, Bennett, Doyle and Jenkins being named MEAC Co-Players of the Year.  Pound for pound, it can be fairly augued that Jericka Jenkins has been the best point guard in the MEAC in the past two or three decades. 

Pay attention NCAA! Hampton is having difficulty in scheduling out-of-conference games with the top mid-major and BCS programs.  No one wants to pencil in a home L by scheduling the Lady Pirates.  Expect to see the same towards Howard and FAMU in the next few seasons.  Hampton was seeded 13th in last year's NCAAs and proved worthy of the ranking.

Howard, FAMU and Hampton ALL deserve an invite to the Big Dance, but we know that isn't going to happen this season. MEAC women's basketball is no longer a cupcake league for our top 3-4 teams.  Just ask Wake Forest, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Southern Miss or Alabama-Birmingham.  The MEAC got game!

Photo Courtesy: Florida A&M, Hampton and Howard Sports Information

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MLB Urban Invitational thrives in giving HBCU baseball programs national exposure

HOUSTON -- The 2012 Urban Invitational achieved its primary goal over the weekend at Minute Maid Park by giving several HBCU programs national exposure while promoting the value of education.

Alabama State, Grambling State, Southern, Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern represented the HBCU participants this year. Also, No. 24 UC Irvine played in the tournament.

Although the tournament was scheduled to take place at the Astros MLB Urban Youth Academy at Sylvester Turner Park for two of the days (Friday and Sunday), inclement weather caused the event to take place entirely at Minute Maid Park for the weekend.

The games on Saturday aired on MLB Network and MLB.com, with analysis from Greg Amsinger and two-time All-Star Harold Reynolds.

"I think it's a great opportunity for the HBCU schools to get the exposure," former Astros two-time All-Star Bob Watson said. "I tip my cap to Major League Baseball and the Astros for giving the schools an opportunity to play in a facility like Minute Maid Park.

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NOTE:  It's great to see how HBCU are continually linked by family members...

If you didn't know, Vince Coleman Sr. played college baseball at Florida A&M. His cousin Greg Coleman also played on the Rattlers football team and ran the sprints, and hurdles on the FAMU Track and Field Teams. Greg was drafted into the NFL as a punter in the 14 round in 1976 by the Cincinnati Bengals, but ended up at Cleveland in 1977, and had a nice 12 year career in the NFL -- playing for Cleveland, Minnesota and the Washington Redskins. Greg was noted for his coffin corner kicks, and his fake punts, as he had great speed, like Vince Sr.

Last I read, Greg was a sideline reporter for Minneapolis/St. Paul radio station that covered the Minnesota Vikings, and was working as an ordained minister. He has served as an associate pastor in the Twin Cities for a number of years. Greg is enshrined in the FAMU Football Hall of Fame and the State of Florida Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Vince was also a two-sports star at FAMU in football and baseball.  In 1981 he set the single season stolen base record for the Rattlers, stealing 65 bases in 69 attempts. But, his football kicking abilities--like his cousin Greg, is what made him legendary in Rattlers' lore. Vince is remembered for kicking the game winning 34 yard field goal in Florida A&M's upset of the University of Miami in 1979. The final score, 16-13, giving the Division I-AA Rattlers its first win over one of Florida's Division I-A Big 3. 

The NFL was also interested in drafting Vince as a punter, but he chose to go the baseball route. He was drafted in the 10th round of the '82 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. In a nutshell, Vince had a stellar 12 year career managing to become a two-time all-star and 6th in MLB history in stolen bases (752). The former NL Rookie of the year ('85) was signed by seven teams during his productive career.  He ended with a .264 batting average, 1425 hits, and 752 stolen bases.  Not bad for an athlete that played in the SIAC.

I remember that Vince Sr. and Greg were both products of William Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida -- the same school that Dr. Julian White had built into a musical powerhouse ('61-'71), before returning to FAMU in 1972 as the associate director of bands for the FAMU Marching 100.

Back in those days, Jacksonville high schools  like Raines, Matthew Gilbert, and New Stanton, among others were major feeders to FAMU, SU and TSU; and fueled the Florida A&M rivalry with Southern University and Tennessee State in every competition imaginable, including ping-pong.

Vince Coleman Jr. will have the opportunity to write his own legacy at Southern without looking over his shoulders and being reminded of his dad's record setting accomplishments at FAMU.

It's funny how we are all connected.  Rattlers, and Tigers, and Jaguars. Oh My!

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Southern University Releases 2012 Football Schedule

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern University's 2012 football schedule features a season-opening date at Football Bowl Subdivision member New Mexico on Sept. 1 and seven games away from A.W. Mumford Stadium, the Athletics Department announced Saturday.

For the first time since playing at Louisiana-Lafayette in 2009, the Jaguars open the season against a FBS opponent in the first-ever meeting against New Mexico at University Stadium in Alberquerque, N.M.

One week later, Southern host Mississippi Valley State in its home and SWAC opener on Sept. 15 before reaching the season's first off week.

The Jaguars wrap up the month of September on the road against two rivals on Sept. 22 at Jackson State, followed by a return trip to Atlanta to take on Florida A&M on Sept. 29 in the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic in the Georgia Dome.

Southern travel to Lorman, Miss. to take on Alcorn State on Oct. 6, before hosting Texas Southern for homecoming on Oct. 13 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 20.

Southern embarks upon a two-game road swing when the Jaguars return to Shreveport, La. to meet Prairie View in Independence Stadium, where the two teams met in 2010, on Oct. 27. The following week, Southern visits Alabama A&M for a rare late-season matchup in Louis Crews Stadium.

Southern closes the 2012 campaign looking to snap a four-game losing streak to arch-rival Grambling State in the State Farm Bayou Classic on Nov. 24.

The Jaguars, who will make six television appearances, including three live broadcasts, are slated to make a Thursday night appearance on ESPNU as apart of the sport broadcasting company's agreement with the SWAC.

ESPN will select the Thursday night game that will broadcast from a list of proposed games submitted by Southern, which includes the Jaguars Sept. 15 game against Miss. Valley St.

Southern other two live broadcast will appear courtesy of NBC (Grambling, Nov. 24) and NBC Sports (Florida A&M, Sept. 29) - previously refered to as Versus.

Season book applications are available at the SU Ticket Office.




2012 Southern U. Football Schedule (Printable PDF)

September

1 at New Mexico (Alberquerque, N.M. | University Stadium)
15 Miss. Valley State
22 at Jackson State (Jackson, Miss. | Veterans Memorial)
29 vs. Florida A&M (Atlanta Football Classic | Atlanta, Ga. | Georgia Dome)

October

6 at Alcorn State (Lorman, Miss. | Jack Spinks Stadium)
13 Texas Southern (Homecoming 2012)
20 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
27 at Prairie View A&M (Shreveport, La. | Independence Stadium)

November

Nov. 3 at Alabama A&M (Huntsville, Ala. | Louis Crews Stadium)
Nov. 10 Alabama State (Senior Night)
Nov. 24 vs. Grambling State (State Farm Bayou Classic | New Orleans, La. | Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

Courtesy: Southern University Athletics Media Relations

Former Syracuse University recruit Tyree Smallwood signs with Bethune-Cookman

Syracuse, NY -- Tyree Smallwood, a member of Syracuse University's recruiting class of 2011, is now headed to FCS college Bethune-Cookman, according to a report in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Smallwood, who failed to qualify academically out of Cornwall Central High School in New Windsor, ended up enrolling at Milford Academy prep school in New Berlin. But the 5-11, 180-pound running back never became a part of SU's 2012 class.

Smallwood is still listed on the 2011 Milford Academy football roster, but statistics for him, which had been listed during the season, have been removed.

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B-CU signs ex-Syracuse 3-Star signee  

Former Syracuse signee Tyree Smallwood signed a letter of intent Friday to play football next season at Bethune-Cookman, Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins said Sunday.

Smallwood rushed for more than 2,500 yards as a high school senior at Cornwall, N.Y., in 2010 and signed with Syracuse but did not qualify. He played football for Milford Academy prep school in New Berlin, N.Y., this past season. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound speedster will play wide receiver for B-CU but will likely also see time at running back, Jenkins said.

"I'm real excited about this one," Jenkins said of his 16th signee of the 2012 class. "He has legit 4.3 speed. When you watch him run, it's impressive. You can see it on film. We look at him as a major offensive weapon. I think he'll help us out immediately."

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Tennessee State Tigers Rally to Defeat Miami RedHawks, 68-61

OXFORD, Ohio -- Tennessee State used an 11-0 run late in the game to seal a 68-61 victory over Miami (Ohio) in the annual Sears BracketBusters game on Sunday afternoon at Millett Hall.

Miami (8-17) built a 12 point lead in the second half, but Tennessee State (19-10) started firing back. Wil Peters hit a trey at 9:50 to help the Tigers pull within two. From there, TSU would tie the game on the next possession.

The Tigers took a 53-51 lead after Peters hit another trey with five minutes left. Miami took a brief 54-53 lead, but TSU used part of an 11-0 run in the final 3:44 to take the go-ahead lead.

Tennessee State extended its' win streak to nine games - the longest since the 1994-95 season. TSU forced 14 Miami turnovers, scoring 15 points in the process. TSU out-scored Miami 32-to-11 off the bench. The win also gave TSU a 4-2 all-time record in the BracketBusters.

From the field, the Tigers knocked down 46 percent (21-of-45), including 54 percent (13-of-24) in the second half. Miami was held to 37 percent (7-of-19) in the second half.

Four Big Blue student-athletes reached double-figures in the game. Robert Covington scored 14 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the field. Covington pulled in six rebounds, collected five steals, an assist and a block. Covington's six rebounds on Sunday gave him 662 in his career, moving him in 13th all-time in school history, passing Nico Childs (1987-91).

Patrick Miller scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. Miller grabbed six boards and dished out three assists in 36 minutes.

Also adding 12 points was forward Kellen Thornton. The junior was 6-of-10 with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Jordan Cyphers notched 10 points, while Kenny Moore inked nine for the Tigers.

Tennessee State trailed by nine at the half, giving up 50 percent shooting (12-of-24) to Miami. The RedHawks were 7-of-13 behind the arch. TSU was held to 38 percent (8-of-21) and out-rebounded 18-to-9 in the opening frame.

Miami used five triples in the first eight minutes to open a 19-11 lead with 11:56 left in the first half. TSU rallied back within three after Kenny Moore made a basket and connected on an and-one.

The RedHawks used another triple and two inside baskets to maintain their lead to 30-25 with 3:07 left in the game.

At the halftime buzzer, Miami's Will Sullivan was fouled at the 3-point line. He made two-of-three attempts to extend the RedHawks lead to 35-26 at the break.

The RedHawks opened up to a double-digit lead, but the Tigers started to claw back. Patrick Miller connected on six straight points to help the Tigers pull within 45-41 as 10:29 remained on the clock.

Wil Peters hit a trey at 9:50 to put the Tigers within 46-44. Miami added two more points and TSU again pulled within added a bucket from Thornton.

The Tigers tied the game at 48. Peters' triple at 5:01 gave the Tigers the 53-51 lead. Miami battled to take a brief 54-53 advantage with 3:44 remaining.

Thornton added a basket underneath and Cyphers hit a triple on the next possession to give TSU the 58-54 lead with 2:12 left. From there TSU used a Cyphers dunk and another two-pointer from Thornton to seal a 68-61 win over Miami.

Tennessee State closes out the regular season with No. 14/16 Murray State on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Gentry Center. Tip is slated for 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.

GAME NOTES
BOX SCORE

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Indiana Take On North Carolina Central

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana -- The Indiana Hoosiers are mathematically eliminated from being able to win the Big Ten after starting off so strongly when conference play began, but all is not lost for the boys in crimson. At this point they're more concerned with just upping themselves to a good position in the NCAA Tournament, after all.

They can start with a win over MEAC squad North Carolina Central -- a team that they should absolutely destroy, especially at home -- on Wednesday at 7 PM ET. It won't matter much in the standings, but they can drag momentum from that into their weekend tie against Minnesota.



It took a brilliant comeback and overtime for Notre Dame to beat Villanova last week, but they kept their winning streak alive at eight straight games and all but guaranteed they would keep their spot in the Top 25 rankings, where they placed 25th last week. The Fighting Irish are third in the Big East and can move over Marquette into second place if they can beat the West Virginia Mountaineers on Wednesday at 7 PM ET.

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Howard University Releases 2012 Football Schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Howard University will kick off the 2012 season against Morehouse College in the Second Annual Nation's Football Classic on Saturday, September 1 at 3:30 pm at RFK Stadium. The Bison will then travel to Piscataway, New Jersey to face Rutgers on September 8.

Howard will follow with its first conference game of the season when it travels to Norfolk, VA to take on defending MEAC champion, Norfolk State on September 15 at 4 pm.

Following a bye on September 22, the Bison will play their first "official" home game when they host Savannah State in Greene Stadium at 1 pm on September 29. Florida A&M comes to Greene Stadium on October 6, followed by a road game at rival North Carolina A&T on October 13.



Howard will return home for homecoming the following week to take on the Bears of Morgan State. The schedule then takes the Bison on the road to Orangeburg, SC for a date with the Bulldogs of South Carolina State on October 27.

Howard returns home on November 3 for a conference showdown with Hampton and will then travel to Statesboro, Georgia for a first-ever game against perennial FCS power, Georgia Southern onNovember 10.

The Bison will close out the 2012 regular season with a home game against Delaware State on November 17.



Howard Bison 2012 Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time

9/01/12 Morehouse, Washington, DC RFK Stadium 3:30 p.m. Nation's Football Classic
9/08/12 at Rutgers Piscataway, NJ,TBA
9/15/12 at Norfolk State,Norfolk,VA Dick Price Stadium,4 p.m.
9/22/12 OPEN
9/29/12 Savannah State, Washington, DC, Greene Stadium 1 p.m.
10/06/12 Florida A&M, Washington, DC , Greene Stadium 1 p.m.
10/13/12 at North Carolina A&T, Greensboro, NC, Greensboro, NC TBA
10/20/12 Morgan State (Homecoming) Washington, DC 1 p.m.
10/27/12 at South Carolina State, Orangeburg, SC TBA
11/03/12 Hampton, Washington, DC 1 p.m.
11/10/12 at Georgia Southern, Statesboro, GA TBA
11/17/12 Delaware State, Washington, D.C. 1 p.m., Senior Day


COURTESY: HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Women's golf begins spring season at Ann Rhoads Invitational

Photo Courtesy: TSU Sports Information

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- The Tennessee State University women's golf team will kick-off the spring season at the Ann Rhoads Spring Invitational on Sunday, Feb. 18 in Birmingham, Alabama.

The tournament, hosted by Birmingham Southern, will feature 18 teams, including two from the Ohio Valley Conference: Southern Illinois, Methodist, UT Tyler, Belmont, Anderson, Lipscomb, Montevello, Lenoir-Rhyne, King College, Indianapolis, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State, Jackson State, IUPUFW, Indiana State and host Birmingham Southern.

Play will begin on Sunday with the practice rounds set for Saturday at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley.

Oxmoor Valley is a 54-hole facility in Birmingham built on former mining land owned by U.S. Steel. Sculpted from the peaks and valleys of the Appalachians, the courses offer scenic forests, numerous creeks and challenging elevation changes.

This weekend will mark Tennessee State's first action since participating in the F&M Bank Intercollegiate last October. TSU finished in 10th place led by Jamie Pierce's score of 157. She recorded a low of 77 in the final round.

In a preseason poll that was released earlier this month, Tennessee State was selected to finish the league race in eighth place.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Celestin leads SU men past Alabama A&M

NORMAL, Alabama - For much of this season, sixth man Mike Celestin had given the Southern men’s basketball team the kind of off-the-bench surge it needed, sparkling in his role as a spot-up shooter. So when he hurt his shoulder in a victory at Grambling on Feb. 4 and fell into a deep slump, Celestin’s teammates didn’t ostracize him.

“You know what? The team was pulling for him,” SU coach Roman Banks said. “He’s a big part of what we do.” Saturday night at Alabama A&M, Celestin was back in form. Celestin drained four 3-pointers, and he and Quinton Doggett led the team with 16 points in a 72-65 victory before a crowd of 1,087 fans at T.M. Elmore Gym.

“It’s good to have him back,” Banks said. His re-emergence came at a great time, as Southern (14-13, 10-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak and remained alone in second place.

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NSU Men's Track Team Wins 7th Straight MEAC Indoor Title

LANDOVER, Maryland – Saturday was a record-setting day for a Norfolk State men’s track and field team accustomed to breaking records. The Spartans kept alive their own streak of consecutive MEAC titles Saturday, winning their seventh straight indoor championship at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.

The Spartans finished with 161.5 points. Maryland Eastern Shore was second with 93.5. NSU won six of the seven races that were run on Saturday, and eight of the 10 track events during the meet.

Senior distance runner Josef Tessema earned MEAC Men’s Most Outstanding Runner honors for the second straight year. He repeated his trio of victories from 2011, winning the 5,000 meters on Friday and both the mile and 3,000 meters on Saturday. He set a meet record in the latter, finishing in 8 minutes, 34.21 seconds. That took more than 15 seconds off the previous meet record of David Kimani of Hampton in 2010 (8:49.99).

Tessema, who also ran a leg on the winning distance medley relay team Friday, contributed 32.5 points to NSU’s total.

That was one of five meet records tied or set during the meet by the Spartans, four of which came on Saturday. Senior Sean Holston earned a sweep of the 200 and 400 meters for the third straight year and broke his own meet record in both events Saturday. He clocked a 21.08 in the 200 and 47.24 in the 400. His previous meet records were 21.32 in the 200 from the 2010 championship, and 47.44 in the 400 from last year’s MEAC indoor

FINAL RESULTS

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TSU returns to Hale Stadium to play Austin Peay

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State’s football team will return to William Jasper Hale Stadium for the first time since 1998 to play Austin Peay on Sept. 15. The Tigers are tentatively scheduled to play two other games — Eastern Kentucky (Oct. 6) and Tennessee Tech (Oct. 27) — at the stadium on campus in the 2012 schedule released Thursday.

“As part of the university’s 100-year celebration we wanted to play at least one game at Hale Stadium and we know we are going to be able to do that,” Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. “We’ll know over the next few months if we will have the people investment we’re hoping for and everything in place to play the other two games there as well.”

If the Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech games are not played at Hale, they will be at LP Field, where the Tigers have played since 1999. Hale Stadium is currently being renovated.

The Tigers, 5-6 last season, will play at LP Field for the 14th annual John Merritt Classic vs. Florida A&M (Sept. 1) and homecoming vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Sept. 29).

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VIEW DRAFT STUDY REPORT/PLANS

Scores That Matters!!

February 18, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

CIAA
Livingstone 81, Saint Augustine's 64
Shaw 86, Fayetteville State 74
Winston Salem State 68, Johnson C. Smith 56
Virginia Union 87, Lincoln Pa. 76
Virginia State 67, Bowie State 57

SIAC
Albany State 65, Claflin 63
Benedict 64, Paine 55
Tuskegee 67, Kentucky State 49
Stillman 98, Lane 79
LeMoyne-Owen 91, Miles 73
Clark-Atlanta 85, Fort Valley State 69

GCAC
New Orleans 79, Southern-New Orleans 75
Xavier 68, Edward Waters 57
Philander Smith 101, Talladega 98
Fisk 64, Dillard 54 

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State 60, Prairie View A&M 58
Southern 72, Alabama A&M 65
Jackson State 63, Grambling State 60
Texas Southern 84, Arkansas Pine Bluff 65
Alabama State 78, Alcorn State 63

MEAC
Savannah State 76, Florida A&M 57
North Carolina Central 71, North Carolina A&T 66
Morgan State 81, Liberty 69
Howard 70, Coppin State 66
Bethune-Cookman 70, South Carolina State 59
Gardner-Webb 57, Delaware State 56
Delaware 68, Hampton 64

NAIA
Florida Memorial 77, Embry-Riddle (FL) 74
Morris SC 96, Coastal Georgia 68
Huston-Tillotson TX 72, Bacone OK 65
Texas Wesleyan 79, Texas College 71
William Woods MO 75, Harris-Stowe State MO 71
Jarvis Christian 83, Paul Quinn 76 (Forfeit)
Langston OK 79, Southwest NM 69
Wiley TX 61, St. Thomas TX 57
Wilberforce OH 73, Roberts Wesleyan NY 63
Milligan TN 84, Point University GA 79



WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

CIAA
Johnson C. Smith 78, Winston Salem State 63
Shaw 80, Fayetteville State 70
Bowie State 60, Virginia State 56v (OT)
Virginia Union 85, Lincoln Pa. 76
Saint Augustine's 75, Livingstone 74

SIAC
Miles 89, LeMoyne-Owens
Albany State, Claflin
Benedict 60, Paine 54
Stillman 87, Lane 75
Fort Valley State 73, Clark-Atlanta 53
Tuskegee 59, Kentucky State 52

GCAC
Xavier 60, Edward Waters 53
Talladega 84, Philander Smith 60
Dillard 83, Fisk 61

SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 69, Texas Southern 52
Mississippi Valley State 63, Prairie View A&M 56
Alabama A&M 67, Southern 62
Alabama State 62, Alcorn State 57
Grambling State 64, Jackson State 56

OVC
Tennessee State 61, Jacksonville State 59

MEAC
Florida A&M 58, Savannah State 45
Hampton 47, Maryland Eastern Shore 29
Howard 50, Coppin State 49
North Carolina A&T 66, North Carolina Central 45
Bethune-Cookman 69, South Carolina State 65
Norfolk State 78, Delaware State 73 (OT)

NAIA
Harris-Stowe State MO 50, William Woods MO 46
Lee TN 78, Voorhees SC 51
Jarvis Christian 2, Paul Quinn 0 (Forfeit)
Wiley TX 81, St. Thomas TX 35
Langston OK 115, Southwest NM 80
Coastal Georgia 67, Morris SC 63
Huston-Tillotson TX 67, Bacone OK 65
Texas Wesleyan 60, Texas College 57
Roberts Wesleyan NY 65, Wilberforce OH 47
Southeastern FL 64, Florida Memorial 57 (OT)
Milligan TN 77, Point University GA 47

Xavier Nuggets win to extend streak; Browder ties state record

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Senior guard Jasmine Grant scored 15 points Saturday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 60-53 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Edward Waters.

The Gold Nuggets (20-8 overall, 10-2 GCAC) reached 20 victories for the 11th consecutive season, which extends a school record. Bo Browder tied the Louisiana collegiate record for consecutive 20-win seasons by a women's basketball coach with 11. Leon Barmore established the record at Louisiana Tech from 1991-2002.

Browder is in his 13th season as Xavier's head coach and has reached 20 victories 12 times. He is 318-110 with the Gold Nuggets. This is the 19th time in 20 seasons that the XU women won 20 or more games.

Grant, the Nuggets' only double-figure scorer, also had seven assists to tie her career best for the second straight game.

Edward Waters held a pair of one-point leads in the first 10 minutes, but Grant passed to freshman Jessica Savannah for a pair of baskets, and Carmen Holcombe made two free throws in a 6-0 run which put the Nuggets ahead to stay, 17-12, at 8:24. Xavier led 30-24 at halftime and extended its lead to 51-40 with 5:43 remaining.

Holcombe and SiMon Franklin scored nine points apiece for the Nuggets.

Tiffany Tolbert scored 16 points for Edward Waters (8-22, 4-10). Ebony Presha scored 14 points, and Jessica Georges had her sixth double-double of the season, 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The Gold Nuggets won back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month. They completed a two-game regular-season sweep of Edward Waters and improved to 6-0 all-time against the Lady Tigers.

Xavier will stay on the road and play GCAC opponent Fisk at 5:30 p.m. Monday in Nashville, Tenn.

BOX SCORE

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

JSU baseball opens season with wins over FAMU and EIU

JACKSON, Mississippi - The Jackson State baseball team opened the season with two big wins over Florida A&M and Eastern Illinois Friday night at Robert "Bob" Braddy Field on the opening day of the JSU Tournament. JSU ended the day with a 2-0 record.

In JSU's season opener, the Tigers beat the FAMU Rattlers 15-6. JSU recorded 13 hits and 12 RBI in the win. The Rattlers scored its six runs on 10 hits. Quintavious Drains picked up the win. In six innings of work he recorded nine strikeouts. Heath Blackburn suffered the loss for FAMU.

Charles Epperson and Ethan Bright led JSU's offensive efforts. Epperson went 4-4 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Epperson also recorded the first home run of the season for the Tigers. Bright went 3-5 at the plate with a run scored and three RBI.

In JSU's second game of the season, the Tigers improved to 2-0 by beating Eastern Illinois 2-1. The game was originally scheduled to be played on Saturday, Feb. 18, but was rescheduled to 9:30 pm Friday night due to pending inclement weather on Saturday. The game was a defensive battle as JSU gave up five hits and Eastern Illinois allowed six runs.

JSU scored the first run of the game when Epperson scored on a Frank Solis single. EIU scored its only run of the game in the fourth inning. The Tigers scored the final run of the game when Gabriel Babineaux scored on an error.

Day two of the JSU Tournament should see a 90-plus percent chance of rain on Saturday, Feb. 18

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COURTESY: JSU OFFICE OF SPORTS MEDIA

Stillman men win on barrage of 3s

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama | The Stillman College Tigers didn’t look past the last-place Lane Dragons, defeating them soundly 98-79 and extended their winning streak to three in a row. “At this point, anybody can beat anybody and we can’t overlook anyone,” Stillman coach Michael Grant said. “They beat us earlier this year at Lane.”

The Tigers (14-10, 12-10 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) were led by Damian Ford’s 25 points and 12 rebounds. Ladarius Rhone also had a double-double with 11 points and 15 boards. Jeffery Wherry scored 18, including 5-for-7 shooting from 3-point range, and Torrean Walker added 16 off the bench.

The Tigers started hot, especially from long range. Fifteen of Stillman’s first 18 points came from 3-point range, and seven minutes into the game, Stillman led by 20. The big lead did not last for long, as the Dragons answered right back with 12 unanswered points to cut the lead back to single digits. The Tigers let Lane get as close as five before pushing their lead to 13 going into halftime.

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TSU Lady Tigers snap skid with win over Jacksonville State

Nashville, Tenn. --- In a fiercely contested battle that wasn't decided until the final minute, the Tennessee State University women's basketball team held-off a feisty Jacksonville State team and came away with a, 61-59, win Saturday night in the Gentry Center.

With the victory, Tennessee State (9-18, 5-10 OVC) snapped a five-game skid while Jacksonville State (4-23, 1-13 OVC) dropped its eighth straight.

Chelsea Hudson led TSU and recorded a double-double with 17 points and 18 rebounds while Jasmin Shuler added 14. Alana Morris finished the game with 10 points and six assists for the Lady Tigers.

JSU had two players to register double-doubles as Brianna Morrow tallied 19 points with 10 rebounds followed by Danielle Vaughn's 10 points and 12 boards.

The score was tied when Jacksonville State used six unanswered points to take a 12-6 lead. TSU used a timeout to slow the visitors down and cut the deficit down to two behind buckets from Chelsea Hudson and Donyeah Mayfield out of the break.

After falling behind by four points, TSU fought back to knot the score at 16-all.

The score remained close over the next several possessions. Chelsea Hudson found Donyeah Mayfield under the basket to give the Lady Tigers a, 25-21, lead but the Gamecocks answered right back to close within two.

TSU went into the halftime break leading JSU, 26-23.

In the second frame, JSU used two quick buckets to erase the deficit and capture a, 27-26, lead over TSU. The Lady Tigers regained the advantage when Jasmin Shuler knocked down a triple from the corner for TSU's first points of the half.

The teams traded buckets, until TSU created a little distance behind a small spurt that put the Lady Tigers on top, 37-32. The Gamecocks, however, would not go away and captured the lead following, a 6-0 run of their own.

With 11:16 left in the game, the score was at a, 39-39, deadlock. The Gamecocks hit a free-throw before Destiny Lane nailed a short jumper to put JSU up by three.

The Lady Tigers trailed until back-to-back lay-ups from Alana Morris made the score, 45-44, in favor of the home team. The Gamecocks answered on their trip down the floor and moved ahead, 46-45, with about eight minutes left to play.

The rest of the game was a see-saw battle full of high intensity from both teams.

After playing to another tie, 48-48, with about five minutes left, the score wavered back-and-forth over the next three minutes.

With 2:40 on the clock, Alana Morris connected with Chelsea Hudson to give TSU a slight, 57-55, advantage. TSU moved ahead, 58-55, when Rachel Allen made the first of two free-throw attempts but JSU pulled within one on a drive by Candace Morton.

On TSU's next trip down the floor, Rachel Allen scored to make TSU's lead, 60-57, with 36.1 seconds left in the game. The ensuing possession saw JSU miss its shot attempt and Chelsea Hudson came away with the rebound.

The Gamecocks were forced to foul Hudson and she knocked down one-of-two freebies to give TSU a, 61-57, lead. Following another JSU missed shot, Hudson was fouled again and missed the front end of a one-and-one. Jacksonville State's final shot made the score, 61-59, but it came with only two seconds remaining.

TSU inbounded the ball and the time expired.

Neither team shot particularly well as Tennessee State went 22-of-60 from the field (36.7 percent) and 3-of-19 (15.8 percent) from three-point range. TSU only made 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) from the free-throw line.

Jacksonville State shot 37.7 percent (23-of-61) from the field, including a dismal 10.0 percent (1-10) from long range. JSU went 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) from the free-throw line.

The Lady Tigers will conclude the regular season with a home contest against Murray State on Thursday, Feb. 23. Game time is slated for a 4 p.m. start in the Gentry Center.

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COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA Basketball: Livingstone 81, St. Augustine's 64

SALISBURY, North Carolina — There was no way St. Augustine’s was going to crash Livingstone’s Senior Night party Saturday at Trent Gym. Not if Greg Henry and a couple junior widebodies had anything to say about it — and they had plenty to say in the Blue Bears’ 81-64 victory.

“After all the close ones we’ve lost this year, I think we really needed this,” Henry said after Livingstone (8-15, 4-10 CIAA) won its second conference game of the week. “It’s our time to come together. I think we’re going to peak during the tournament.”

Henry contributed 11 points and six assists as LC finally played the patient, Princeton-style game coach James Stinson has been waiting for. The Blue Bears were composed throughout — a far cry from the heedless, hide-the-women-and-children basketball that characterized the early portion of their schedule.

“We’ve had some discussions with individuals toward the end of the year,” Stinson said. “We challenged people as to what their roles were and what they were capable of doing. And Greg was one who accepted it and decided to pull it all together.”

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Hampton Lady Pirates Win Yet Another MEAC Indoor Crown

LANDOVER, Maryland – The Hampton University women’s track & field team won the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Indoor Track & Field Championship on Saturday at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex.

The Lady Pirates have won back-to-back MEAC indoor titles and nine of the last 10. They finished this year’s meet with 161.5 points – 40.5 points more than second-place Maryland Eastern Shore. Head coach Maurice Pierce was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Coach.

“We came in with the intentions thinking we could win the title,” Pierce said. “It played out in our favor when we scored so many points in the high jump and the pentathlon.”

Senior Claudia Calder (Kingston, Jamaica) shared Outstanding Field Performer honors with Shamire Rothmiller of South Carolina State after both of them scored 18 points for the weekend. Calder won the women’s pentathlon with a MEAC-record 3,636 points.

Sophomore Breana Norman (Virginia Beach, Va.) won three MEAC titles; she took the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.49, ran a 24.54 to win the 200-meter dash and won the 60-meter hurdles with a season-best 8.47.

FINAL RESULTS


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ASU Rams and Lady Rams wrap up final home games with wins

ALBANY, Georgia - In their final home games of the season and the final home game ever for the seniors both Albany State basketball teams delivered wins over Claflin. The ASU men edged Claflin 65-63 on senior night. Rachard Lofton helped the Rams overcome a 7 point halftime deficit and finished with a team high 15 points, Demarcus Blunt added 13 points. The Rams improved to 11-12 in the conference and will play at Stillman on the 23rd.



Meanwhile, the Lady Rams overcame a Claflin run midway through the 2nd half and eventually beat the Lady Panthers 78-65. Senior Symone Wilkerson scored a game high 21 points. Both Breanna Fields and April Thomas added 16 points. The win ended a 3 game skid for Albany State.

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Tennessee State Tigers Travel to Miami (Ohio) for BracketBuster

IAMI, Ohio  -  Tennessee State partakes in the annual Sears BracketBusters when the Tigers visit the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Sunday, Feb. 19. Tipoff is slated for 3 p.m. (ET)/2 p.m. (CT) at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio.

Coming into Sunday's contest, the Big Blue (18-10, 11-4 Ohio Valley) is riding an eight game win streak. TSU's 69-64 overtime win over Jacksonville State kept the team's streak intact. A victory over the RedHawks would tie the team's longest winning streak since 1994-95.

Miami (8-16, 4-8 Mid-American Conference) has won three of its' last five games. The RedHawks dropped a 74-59 decision to league-leading Akron on Feb. 15. Forward Julian Muvanga leads the 'Hawks with 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds in 24 games. Brian Sullivan is also averaging double-figures with 10.6 points and a team-best 66 made triples.

Sunday marks the first time Tennessee State and Miami will meet on the hardwood. It is the fourth time the Tigers have faced a MAC opponent in the ESPN Sears BracketBusters. The Tigers previously played Ball State, Central Michigan and Northern Illinois. However, the Huskies and TSU did not actually play on the BracketBuster weekend due to a campus shooting at NIU. Earlier this season, the Tigers defeated MAC opponent Central Michigan, 65-57 on Dec. 10.

Robert Covington, the reigning OVC Co-Player of the Week and the College Sports Madness Mid-Major National Player of the Week, corralled 28 points and 12 rebounds against the Gamecocks.

The double-double was his league-best eighth of the season and 18^th in his career. The junior forward moved into 19^th all-time scoring at TSU with 1,274 points, passing John Barnhill and Mike Johnson. Covington needs just 27 points to move into 18^th all-time.

Patrick Miller is also boasting double-figures with 11.0 points and a team-best 98 assists in 28 contests. Nationally, the Tigers are ranked No. 25 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll. TSU also ranks No. 2 in the Boxtorow and Dr. Cavil HBCU polls.

Will Brown and Mark Pittman are calling the action on the Big Blue Sports Network (102.1 FM The Light/ 101.9 FM Clarksville). Live stats and video for Sunday's matchup is available online at TSUTigers.com.

Game Notes...

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS: Miami (8-16, 4-8) has won three out of its' last five games. On Wednesday, the RedHawks fell 75-59 at league-leading Akron. This season, Miami is averaging 61.1 points and shooting 43 percent (506x1175) through 24 games. Outside the arch, the RedHawks have knocked down 177 triples and holding opponents to just 125 makes. Miami is rebounding 30.1 per game, giving up 31.5 to opponents. Forward Julian Muvanga is posting 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest. MU's Brian Sullivan is the other double-figure points lead with 10.6 points and a team-best 66 made triples.

IT'S MILLER TIME: Patrick Miller is second on the team with 11.1 ppg and leads the team with 98 assists. He has reached double-digits in 18 games. Miller has multiple assists in 21 straight games. Miller is averaging 9.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the last 8 games.

FEBRUARY - THE MONTH OF GROWTH: February has been a solid month for the Tigers the past three seasons. TSU has not posted a losing record during the span. Last year, the Tigers were 4-4 and in John Cooper's first season Tennessee State managed a 5-3 mark. The Tiger's best record was 6-2 during the 2008-09 campaign. This year's 6-3 January record was the best for TSU since notching a 6-5 record in the 2007-08 season. Four straight wins in the second month has TSU at 4-0 this season.

TIGERS NATIONALLY RANKED: Tennessee State cracked the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll, ranking 25th after a win over Murray State. The Tigers are No. 2 in the Dr. Cavil Top 10 HBCU Division I Poll and the Boxtorow HBCU Division I Poll released on Feb. 14.

CONSISTENTLY COVINGTON: The consistency of Robert Covington has been one of TSU's strongest weapons this season. He has been the leading scorer in 21 of 28 games played this season. He anchored his 18th career double-double and eight this season with 26 points and 12 boards in the OT win over Jacksonville State (Feb. 14). Covington garnered OVC Co-Player of the Week and College Sports Madness Mid-Major National Player of the Week honors after averaging 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in wins over Murray State and TTU. The Chicago product has reached double-figures in 27 straight games. Covington has collected 17 20-plus point performances in his career. With 17 points against UTM (Dec. 29), Covington eclipsed the 1,000 points mark becoming the first TSU player since Gerald Robinson, Jr. in 2009 to reach that milestone. On Feb. 6, Covington was announced as Boxtorow HBCU National Player of the Week. He was named to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament team earlier this season and garnered OVC Player of the Week honors on Nov. 21. This season, Covington ranks second in the OVC (40th NCAA) with 18.0 ppg and second in the OVC (87th NCAA) in rebounding (8.0 per game). TSU is 13-5 this season when Covington scores 17 or more points.

PLAYING IT CLOSE: TSU is 11-6 in single-digit games, having played the last 10 out of 12 contests in single margins. The 2010-11 season saw the Tigers play 18 of their 30 games, including three overtime games, in tight-nit fashion.

SECURING THE NO. 2 SEED: A Murray State win over SEMO on Wednesday secured the Tigers' No. 2 seed in the upcoming OVC Tournament. TSU receives a double-bye into the semi-finals. The Tigers will play on Friday, March 2 versus the winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6/7 seed.

IT'S GREAT TO BE AT THE GENTRY: The Tigers boast a 22-3 record at the Gentry Center during the past two seasons. TSU has won 11 consecutive contests at home and finished with a 4-1 record against non-conference opponents at the Gentry. TSU has a 10 game win streak against OVC opponents dating back to Feb. 5, 2011. The Tigers' only home blemishes were losses to Belmont (2010), Murray State (2011) and MTSU (2011). TSU has a +11.2 average scoring margin at home this season.

WIL POWER: Nashville native and Whites Creek product Wil Peters has been instrumental in the rise of the TSU program. Peters has played in 120 games and 3,390 minutes during his four-year career. The senior has 96 assists in 28 games (3.4 apg). He has totaled 368 assists for 3.1 per game in his tenure. On the season, Peters is averaging 7.8 points with an average of 33 minutes played per game.

TIGERS SETS HISTORIC NIGHT WITH WIN OVER RACERS: Before the Murray State win on Feb. 9, the Big Blue was 0-10 against nationally ranked opponents in the Associated Press poll since 2002. Earlier this season, the Big Blue fell 69-102 at then ranked No. 1 North Carolina. The 72-68 win versus the Racers was the first ever win against a ranked opponent. Here is a list of opponents and results since 2002:

Feb. 9, 2012 - @#9 Murray State - W, 72-68
Nov. 22, 2011 - @#1 North Carolina - L, 69-102
Jan. 2, 2011 - @#21 Memphis - L, 86-91
Dec. 22, 2007 - @#17 Vanderbilt - L, 74-83
Dec. 3, 2007 - @#15 Indiana - L, 72-84
Dec. 2, 2006 - @#6 Alabama - L, 60-78
Nov. 21, 2006 - @#10 Kansas - L, 54-89
Jan. 2, 2005 - @#17 Louisville - L, 64-98
Dec. 18, 2004 - @#17 Alabama - L, 79-87
Dec. 6, 2003 - @#13 Georgia Tech - L, 43-94
Dec. 30, 2002 - @#20 Kentucky - L, 87-115

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS (RPI): During the past two weeks, Tennessee State moved up 68 spots in the RPI rankings. In the rankings released on Feb. 13th, TSU moved to 141st nationally and second in the OVC. TSU has faced four opponents with a top-100 RPI: North Carolina 8, Saint Louis 23, Middle Tennessee 38 and Belmont 79. TSU defeated Murray State (54) once and will play the Racers again on Feb. 23.

GRABBING THE BOARDS: TSU ranks fourth in the OVC and is 110th in the NCAA with a +2.3 rebounding margin. TSU is pulling in 34.6 rebounds per contest, while limiting opponents to 32.3 per game. Robert Covington leads TSU with 8.0 rebounds a contest, ranking second in the conference. The Tigers are 14-4 when grabbing 35+ rebounds.

LIMITING THE OPPOSITION: When TSU limits its' opposition to 45 percent or less shooting, the Tigers are a remarkable 15-1. TSU is also 13-2 when they hold opponents to less than 67 points. The Big Blue has a 9-0 record when opponents bank less than 40 percent of their FGAs. In contrast, the Tigers are 1-7 when giving up 50 percent or more.

TRIPLE THREAT: The Tigers have plenty of options when it comes to 3-point shooting. TSU ranks fifth in the OVC with a 35.8 average (179-of-500). Four players have combined for 341 career made 3-pointers: Robert Covington (133), Wil Peters (123), Kenny Moore (51) and Patrick Miller (40). Covington's four treys versus JSU moved him into a tie with Rico Beasley and Kevin Samuels for seventh all-time. Petes is just one triple shy of moving into 10th all-time.

LINE ME UP: Coach John Cooper has experimented with nine different lineups. The Tigers hold an 10-1 record in the past 11 games with the combination of G Wil Peters, G Patrick Miller, G Jay Harris, F Robert Covington and F M.J. Rhett. The Tiger's only blemish was a 69-63 road loss to Austin Peay.

MARGINALLY TELLING: Tennessee State has played in many closely contested games since the 2008-09 seasons. During that span, the Tigers are 11-22 on the road in games decided by six points or less. In contrast, the Tigers boast a 16-2 record at the Gentry.

YOU GELLIN' KELLEN?: Kellen Thornton has been on fire in the past eight contests. The Illinois State transfer is posting 12.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Thornton has clipped 60 percent (34-of-57) during that stretch, while grabbing 39 rebounds. On Feb. 6, he was named OVC Newcomer of the Week after tallying 15.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg in two wins.

SETTING THE MARK: Robert Covington and Wil Peters are close to reaching some career marks at Tennessee State. Covington moved into 19th all-time with 1,274 career points passing Mike Johnson and John Barnhill. He is just 27 shy of passing Ronnie Cage's (1981-84) mark of 1,300. Covington is three rebounds away from reaching 13th on the all-time list. He has corralled 656 rebounds in 90 career games played. Covington is 12 triples away from moving into sixth all-time. Peters needs 74 points to reach 1,000 points in his career. He is 83 assists shy of becoming the all-time assists leader at Tennessee State.

PLENTY OF KENNY: Senior Kenny Moore is averaging 10.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg in the last eight games. The Philadelphia product is shooting 42 percent (24-of-57) from the field, while grabbing 12 steals and dishing out 16 assists during that span. Moore is tallying 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 21 games this season.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Rush extend state record; Jackson closes in on 200 wins

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Anthony Simmons scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Saturday to help NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana earn a 68-57 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Edward Waters.

The Gold Rush (20-7 overall, 9-3 GCAC) reached 20 victories for the second straight year and the 27th time overall to extend XU's Louisiana men's collegiate record. Dannton Jackson reached 20 victories for the seventh time in his nine seasons as XU's head coach. Jackson is 199-88 at Xavier and can become the third consecutive Gold Rush coach to reach 200 victories when XU visits Fisk at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

ANTHONY SIMMONS

Jamaan Kenner matched his season high of 12 points for the Rush, and Denzell Erves had 10 points and 11 rebounds for his team-leading fifth double-double of the season. It's the first time since Nov. 9, 2007 — when Kelechi Okoroha and current XU assistant coach Alfred Williams did it — that the Gold Rush had two players produce double-doubles in the same game.

Jermonte Bush scored 21 points for Edward Waters (11-15, 6-8), and Dylan Watts had 13.

Xavier scored the first four points and never lost the lead. The Rush led 41-26 at halftime — Kenner scored nine in the first half — and twice by 17 points in the first four minutes of the second half. Bush's two free throws with 8:49 remaining cut Xavier's lead to 55-49, but the Tigers did not draw closer.

The Gold Rush outshot the Tigers 45.9 to 33.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 48-29.

Xavier won for the sixth time in seven games and is 8-0 this season when allowing fewer than 60 points. The Rush completed a two-game regular-season sweep of Edward Waters.

Xavier's women defeated Edward Waters 60-53 prior to the men's game for their 20th victory of the season. It's the 15th time the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets reached 20 victories in the same season and the first time since 2004 that both reached 20 on the same day.

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

Basketball Hall of Fame announces field for 2012 Tip-Off Tournament

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the field of teams and brackets for the 2012 Tip-Off Tournament.

The annual NCAA men’s exempt tournament, sponsored by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, will take place the weekend of Nov. 16-18 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., featuring eight schools in two four-team brackets. All teams will also compete in two campus round games.

Teams scheduled to participate in this year’s Tip-Off tournament are Loyola University Maryland (MAAC), Norfolk State University (MEAC), Ohio State University (Big Ten), Seton Hall University (Big East), University of Albany (America East), University of Missouri-Kansas City (Summit League), University of Rhode Island (Atlantic 10) and University of Washington (Pac-12).

“This year’s Tip-Off Tournament will once again showcase some of the best college basketball programs in the country,” said John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We are looking forward to welcoming each of these teams, as they compete at Mohegan Sun, one of the finest facilities in the country.”

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Southern Jaguars fall 5-1 to UC Irvine Anteaters

HOUSTON, Texas — Southern’s strong pitching continued Saturday afternoon in the MLB Urban Invitational. Unfortunately, the Jaguars offense and defense didn’t follow suit. Three key errors and only three hits on offense were too much for Southern to overcome as the Jaguars fell to UC Irvine 5-1 at Minute Maid Park.

Southern errors in the fourth, sixth and eighth inning led to three of the Anteaters’ runs, while the Jaguars were limited to just five baserunners.

“We made a couple mistakes, and we just didn’t hit the ball today,” Southern coach Roger Cador said. “We just need to concentrate and make better at-bats. Every chance you get, you have to make them work for it, and we didn’t do that today.”

Southern pitchers Jose De Leon, Daniel Garcia and Santos Saldivar did a good job limiting the damage on the mound. After two games, the Jaguars have given up only four earned runs.  “I thought our pitchers threw the ball ...

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