KSU beats Morehouse, 75-68

FRANKFORT, Kentucky - The Kentucky State men’s basketball team wrapped up the regular season Saturday with a home win over Morehouse College, 75-68, in overtime.

“We were more relaxed at the beginning of this game,” KSU’s William Marsh said. “We won two games and we’re trying to keep the train rolling before the conference tournament.”

Missed jumpers and turnovers plagued the Thorobreds in the early going as KSU remained scoreless for the first six minutes of the game. Earl Ruffin Jr. finally put KSU on the board with a jumper and an and-1.

Another scoreless stretch helped Morehouse extend its lead to 16-7 with 7:11 left in the half. Back-to-back threes by Troy Adams and a layup by John Gaston tied the game at 22 with three minutes left till halftime.  Morehouse ended the half on a 7-3 run and took a 29-25 lead into the locker room.

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DSU Hornets Smother Bison For 10th Straight Conference Win

DOVER, Delaware - The Delaware State men's basketball team used a stifling defense to post its school-record 10th straight MEAC win, defeating Howard 63-46 in Memorial Hall this evening.

The Hornets won for the 10th time in the last 11 games to improve to 14-12 overall and 11-3 in MEAC play. The loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Bison, which fell to 9-20 and 6-10.

DSU held Howard to 33.3% shooting from the field (15-for-45), while recording 11 blocks and 11 steals in the contest. Marques Oliver tied a school record for the second time this season with eight blocks. The Hornets were fifth among all NCAA Div. I schools in blocks at 6.6 per game entering the contest.

Howard was 1-for-12 from three-point territory in the game (8.3%).

Jay Threatt contributed to the defensive effort with four steals. Threatt was tied for the Div. I lead in steals (3.0 pg) coming into Saturday's play.

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TSU Men's Hoops Earns No. 2 Seed in OVC Tournament

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University men's basketball locked in the No. 2 seed and will play in the semifinal round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Friday, March 2 at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium.

The Tigers (19-11, 11-5 OVC) will play either the No. 3 seed Morehead State, No. 6 seed Austin Peay or the No. 7 seed Jacksonville State. TSU is a combined 3-2 against those three opponents this season.

Friday's tip time is at 8 p.m. ESPN carries the semifinal round as Bob Wischusen and Fran Fraschilla call the action.

For the first time since 1995-96, the Tigers are the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament. That season, Tennessee State defeated No. 7 Morehead State, 71-60, in the quarterfinals. However, TSU lost 83-62 to No. 3 Austin Peay in the semi-finals.

TSU last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 1994 after upending top-seeded Murray State 73-72 to win the OVC Tournament title. The Big Blue advanced to play the Kentucky Wildcats, falling 83-70 in the NCAA opening round.

Coach John Cooper has lifted the Tigers to a winning season for the first time in 16 years. The Tigers are just a win shy of reaching 20 for the first time since the 1978-79 campaign.

There has been several firsts for the men's basketball program including a 64-63 win over South Carolina (the first over an SEC opponent) and a 72-68 victory at No. 7/9 Murray State (the first over a NCAA D-I ranked team). The Tigers' nine-game win streak was snapped on Feb. 23 with a 80-62 loss to No. 12/14 Murray State.

Junior forward Robert Covington leads the Tigers with 18.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Covington has reached double-figures in 29 straight games. He leads the OVC with nine double-doubles and has 19 in his illustrious three-year career.

Also in double-digits, sophomore guard Patrick Miller boasts 10.9 points and a team-best 103 assists.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Softball Falls to Jackson State in Rematch

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas - Tennessee State fell behind early and could not recover as they drop their semifinal game to Jackson State at the University of Arkansas Tournament. The Tigers fall to 4-4 on the season after an 8-1 loss to JSU (8-6).

JSU jumped on top in the first inning scoring two runs on two hits, two walks and a miscue. Jackson State was looking to add more with one out and runners on second and third, but freshman Savannah Gutierrez stepped up to stop the JSU threat. The leftfielder set up perfectly on a fly ball and, after the catch, threw a strike to catcher Devin Amar who applied the tag on the would-be scorer.

The Tigers responded in the bottom of the first with a two-out rally. Jordan Rehl drove a double just out of the reach of the JSU leftfielder and scored two pitches later when Amar smoked a ball through the right side of the infield. The Tigers lone run of the game cut the lead to 2-1 after the first.

Starting pitcher Olivia Gamache (1-2) ran into more trouble in the second as she issued free passes to the first two batters, before surrendering a three-run home run to make the score 5-1 Jackson State. Kelly Troglin relived Gamache and gave up a single that plated one more run for JSU.

Troglin would settle in as the senior allowed just one earned run in her 5.1 innings of relief.

The Tigers continued their quest of trying to cut into the JSU lead as they put runners on in six of the seven innings. TSU could not find the clutch hit as they left nine runners on base, including bases loaded in the fourth and two runners stranded in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Rehl and Kate Morris led the way at the plate both going 2-for-3 in the game.

Shann'da Hamer delivered a hit in her first collegiate at bat as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.

Tedra Alford picked up a hit in her final at bat of the game to extend her hitting streak to five games.

Amar, Ashley Haynes, Brittany Davis and Tayler Shimizu also registered hits in the Tigers ten hit attack.

The Tigers will face the loser of the Arkansas-Northwestern State semifinal, to be played Saturday evening. Sunday's game time is scheduled for 10 a.m.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Scores That Matter!!

February 25, 2012

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC

Alabama A&M 71, Prairie View A&M 49
Alabama State 52, Texas Southern 51
Jackson State 62, Arkansas Pine Bluff 45
Mississippi Valley State 67, Grambling State 63
Southern University & A&M College 35, Alcorn State 32

Conference Leaders: 2 Games Remaining
1. Mississippi Valley State, SWAC: 12-4, 15-12 Overall
2. Southern University, SWAC: 11-5, 12-11 Overall (1.0 game back)
3. Alabama A&M, SWAC: 10-5, 15-10 Overall (1.5 game back)

MEAC

Bethune-Cookman 83, Norfolk State 73
Hampton 46, Florida A&M 43
Howard 67, Delaware State 52
Maryland Eastern Shore 74, Morgan State 58
North Carolina A&T 101, South Carolina State 61
Savannah State 59, North Carolina Central 43

Conference Leaders: **2 Games Remaining;#Regular Season Completed
1. **Hampton, MEAC: 13-1, 21-4 Overall, Streak: Won 6
2. #Howard, MEAC: 14-2, 22-7 Overall, Streak: Won 9
3. **Florida A&M: 12-2, 19-7 Overall (1 game back), Streak: Lost 1
4. **Coppin State 11-3, 16-11 Overall (2 games back), Streak: Won 1
Hampton holds tie breaker over both Howard and FAMU; Howard holds tie breaker over FAMU.

GCAC

Edward Waters 55, Voorhees SC 53
Talladega 84, Fisk 61
Southern-New Orleans 90, Tougaloo 83
Xavier 59, Dillard 53

1. Xavier wins GCAC Regular Season Championship, 12-2 GCAC, 22-8 Overall

CIAA

Johnson C. Smith 78, Livingstone 55
Winston Salem State 80, Fayetteville State 55

Division Champions going into CIAA Tournament
Northern Division
1. Virginia Union, 7-3 Division, 9-7 Conf., 12-13 Overall

Southern Division
1. Shaw University, 9-1 Division, 15-1 Conf., 20-6 Overall

SIAC

Lane 69, LeMoyne-Owen 67
Paine 64, Claflin 61
Stillman 65, Tuskegee 53

Fort Valley State is regular season champion, 18-4 SIAC, 20-6 Overall

NAIA

Langston OK 83, Our Lady of the Lake, TX 74
Wiley 57, SAGU TX 49
Brewton-Parker 65, Allen SC 59
Columbia MO 84, Harris-Stowe State MO 60


MEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC

Alcorn State 60, Southern University 40
Arkansas Pine Bluff 46, Jackson State 44
Mississippi Valley State 79, Grambling State 60
Prairie View A&M 60, Alabama A&M 52
Texas Southern 67, Alabama State 59

Conference Leaders: 2 Games Remaining

1. Mississippi Valley State -- SWAC Regular Season Champions, 16-0 Conf., 17-11 Overall; Streak: Won 16
2. Southern University, Conf. 11-5, 15-14 Overall: Streak: Lost 1 (5 games back)

MEAC

Delaware State 63, Howard 46
Hampton 74, Florida A&M 59
Maryland Eastern Shore 58, Morgan State 57
Norfolk State 75, Bethune-Cookman 72
North Carolina A&T 79, South Carolina State 75
Savannah State 60, North Carolina Central 47

Conference Leaders: 2 Games Remaining
1. Savannah State, 12-2 MEAC, 19-10 Overall; Streak: Won 11
2. Delaware State, 11-3 MEAC, 14-12 Overall; Streak: Won 2
2. Norfolk State, 11-3 MEAC, 20-9 Overall; Streak: Won 2
Delaware State holds tie breaker over Norfolk State

GCAC

Southern-New Orleans 71, Tougaloo 65
Talladega 84, Fisk 75
Voorhees SC 74, Edward Waters 63
Xavier 67, Dillard 43
 
GCAC Regular Season Co-Champions: Xavier (11-3 GCAC, 22-7 Overall; and Tougaloo (11-3 GCAC, 21-7 Overall.  All eight GCAC Men and Women Teams will compete in the GCAC Tournament in Jacksonville, Florida on March 1-3, 2012.

CIAA

Bowie State 93, Washington Adventist 90
Chowan 61, Virginia State 49
Fayetteville State 64, Winston-Salem State 54
Johnson C. Smith 89, Livingstone 77

Division Champions going into CIAA Tournament
Northern Division:
1. Bowie State, 8-2 Division, 12-4 CIAA., 21-5 Overall

Southern Division
1. Shaw University, 10-0 Division, 16-0 CIAA, 24-2 Overall

SIAC

Kentucky State 75, Morehouse 68
LeMoyne-Owen 71, Lane 66
Paine 72, Claflin 62
Stillman 99, Tuskegee 92

Tuskegee University is SIAC Regular Season Champion, 16-8 SIAC, 16-10 Overall

NAIA

Our Lady of the Lake, TX 98, Langston OK 75 (Saints wins Red River Athletic Conference)
Paul Quinn TX 71, Texas College 68
SAGU TX 91, Wiley TX 87
Mountain State WV 91, Allen SC 58
Lee TN 93, Carver Bible College 76
Daemen NY 76, Wilberforce OH 49 (AMC Tournament Championship)

Alcorn State fires Spears, hires AD

VICKSBURG, Mississippi — Alcorn State University President M. Christopher Brown announced the firing of head football coach Melvin Spears and the hiring of two new athletic employees Friday afternoon.

Patric David Simon will serve as athletic director for Alcorn, and Todd McDaniel will be the coordinator of football operations, Brown said. The announcements came at Alcorn’s National Alumni Association mid-winter conference at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Spears, who had been on administrative leave for more than two months, was 2-8 this past season, including a 51-7 loss to rival Jackson State University. Attendance steadily declined for the Braves in 2011, with just 500 attending Alcorn’s final home game against Prairie View A&M Nov. 12, according to school reports.

Brown said at the end of 2011, interim athletic director Malvin Williams recommender to Brown that Spears be terminated. Spears elected to have a grievance hearing with a panel of his peers in January, Brown said. “They deliberated and wrote a recommendation to me as president, and their recommendation was to terminate him, which I accepted,” Brown said.

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McDaniel continuing to direct Alcorn State football

Alcorn State, Mississippi - Alcorn State is continuing to rely on assistant football coach Todd McDaniel to provide stability in a trouble offseason.

Head coach Melvin Spears Jr. was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 15 and since then the Braves have been led by McDaniels, their defensive line coach.

Over two months later, the Southwestern Athletic Conference school announced Friday it had fired Spears and added the title of coordinator of football operations to McDaniel, with the expectation that he will continue to lead the program through upcoming spring practices.

Alcorn State president M. Christopher Brown praised McDaniel's handling of the program in the offseason. He added McDaniel will later recommend a timetable for hiring a new head coach.

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Shaw men riding 20-game winning streak heading into CIAA tournament in Charlotte

RALEIGH, North Carolina - There's a reason they're called rivalries: The records don't matter but bragging rights do. St. Augustine's gave Shaw all it could handle Thursday night, but in the end, experience prevailed.

The Bears accomplished something no other men's team has done in school history - go undefeated in a conference season. The last CIAA team to go unbeaten was Virginia Union in 1992-93.

Shaw defeated its archrival 64-62 in a game that had more drama than a soap opera. The victory is Shaw's 20th straight, and gives the Bears the No. 1 seed heading into next week's CIAA tournament in Charlotte.

A relieved Cleo Hill, Jr. said he expected a tough battle.

"Oh yeah, we knew we weren't going to come in here and blow them out," the Shaw coach said. St. Aug's coach Ken Spencer "is too good a coach for that. They were prepared and so were we. That's what rivalries are."

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NCCU Announces 2012 Football Schedule

DURHAM, North Carolina - The 2012 North Carolina Central University football schedule features a trip to the home of Super Bowl XLVI for the “Circle City Classic,” a rematch with Duke University, visits to four different states, eight MEAC opponents and four home games.

“I think it’s a good competitive schedule,” said NCCU football head coach Henry Frazier III, who enters his second season on the Eagles’ sideline. “It will be a good experience for our student-athletes in terms of opening the season at home, staying in North Carolina the first three weeks, playing in the Circle City Classic, going to Florida a couple of times, and closing the regular season at home against North Carolina A&T.”

While the Eagles will play in four different states this season, they remain in their home state for the first three contests. “We open the first three weeks in North Carolina against schools that are not too far to travel, so it will help us in terms of recruiting in the state,” Frazier said.

NCCU kicks off the 2012 slate by hosting former CIAA foe Fayetteville State University on Sept. 1 inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The Eagles lead the head-to-head series 23-9, but the Broncos won the last match-up 33-22 on Aug. 31, 2008 in Durham, N.C.

On Sept. 8, NCCU will play Elon University in its first trip to Burlington, N.C., in 16 years and its first game inside Rhodes Stadium. The Eagles last played in Burlington on Sept. 14, 1996, beating Elon 17-14 at an off-campus venue, Memorial Stadium. The Phoenix have won three of the five meetings in Burlington and hold an 8-3 series advantage after a narrow 23-22 victory last season in Durham.



On Sept. 15, the Eagles will make a five-mile journey to Wallace Wade Stadium to face Duke University in a rematch of the first gridiron meeting between the two neighbor institutions on Sept. 26, 2009. The Blue Devils won that contest 49-14.

NCCU’s first trip out of the state will be to Savannah, Ga., on Sept. 22 to open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play against the Tigers of Savannah State University. The Eagles lead the series 4-2-1, but Savannah State has captured the last two victories.

After a week off, NCCU will appear in the “Circle City Classic” inside Lucas Oil Stadium, home of this year’s Super Bowl, in Indianapolis, Ind., against South Carolina State University on Oct. 6. The Bulldogs edged NCCU in a 49-38 shootout last season to take an 11-8 series lead.

Lucas Oil Stadium will be the sixth NFL venue the Eagles have played in since 2000, boasting a 4-1 record in those contests.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Circle City Classic,” Frazier said. “I’ve heard they put on a first-class show. We’re looking forward to playing in the stadium where the Super Bowl was just played. It will provide good publicity for our program and an exciting experience for our student-athletes.”

On Oct. 13, the Eagles travel to Baltimore, Md., to face Morgan State University. The Bears have won five of the last six meetings against NCCU to maintain a 22-12-2 head-to-head advantage.

After five weeks on the road, the Eagles return to their nest on Oct. 20 to host Hampton University. NCCU suffered a heart-breaking overtime setback last season in Virginia, marking the Pirates’ eighth consecutive win over the Eagles. Hampton leads the series 17-5, with NCCU’s last victory against the Pirates coming on Sept. 24, 1983 in Durham, N.C., by a score of 24-20.

NCCU makes its first of two trips to the Sunshine State on Oct. 27 to play Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Eagles’ last trip to Daytona Beach was their lone win in the three-game series, beating the Wildcats 24-5 on Sept. 24, 1994 under coach Larry Little.

Homecoming for NCCU will be celebrated on Nov. 3 when the Eagles host Delaware State. This will be the Hornets’ first game in Durham in nine years. NCCU leads the series 14-6 and has won five of the last six contests.

On Nov. 10, the Eagles will play in Tallahassee, Fla., against Florida A&M University for the first time in 73 years. NCCU has ventured south three times to match-up with FAMU, but those games were contested in Miami (1957, 1951) and Atlanta (1973). The Rattlers lead the series 5-1-1, including last season’s 31-10 win in Durham.

The regular season wraps up on Nov. 17 with the long-time rival Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University arriving on the campus of NCCU for just the second time in the past 20 years. A school record crowd of 15,173 witnessed the Eagles defeat the Aggies 27-16 two seasons ago inside NCCU’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

“Of course, to round out the schedule with A&T at home is special,” Frazier said. “Hopefully the game will have some conference ramifications on the line.”

NCCU football season tickets will be on sale starting March 1. Prices and packages will be announced Feb. 28.



2012 NCCU Football Schedule (PDF)

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME
9/1 Fayetteville State, O'Kelley-Riddick Stadium, Durham NC 6:00 PM
9/8 at Elon University, Rhodes Stadium, Elon, NC TBA
9/15 at Duke University, Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC TBA
9/22 at Savannah State, Ted Wright Stadium, Savannah, GA TBA
10/6 vs. South Carolina State, at "Circle City Classic", Lucas Oil Stadium,
Indianapolis, Indiana, 2:30PM
10/13 at Morgan State, Hughes Stadium, Baltimore, MD TBA
10/20 Hampton University, O'Kelley-Riddick Stadium, Durham, NC 2:00 PM
10/27 at Bethune-Cookman, Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, FL TBA
11/3 Delaware State, (Homecoming), O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, 2 PM
11/10 at Florida A&M, Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, FL TBA
11/17 North Carolina A&T (Senior Day), O'Kelly-Reddick Stadium


By Kyle Serba, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations
VISIT: NCCUEAGLEPRIDE.COM
VISIT: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Southeastern Louisiana defeats Gold Nuggets 7-0

HAMMOND, Louisiana — Southeastern Louisiana won every set but one Friday night in a 7-0 women's tennis victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

Lions (4-2) rebounded from a 7-0 home loss to Houston earlier in the day and kept the Gold Nuggets (0-6) winless.

Audrey Chelini and Marion Courbis clinched the doubles point with an 8-3 victory against Ashley McGill and Kourtney Howell at No. 3. The Lions clinched the dual when Adriana Castillo defeated Amber Brown 6-1, 6-4 at No. 3 singles.

Howell, XU's No. 1 singles player, went to a third-set super-tiebreaker for the sixth time in as many duals this season. She lost 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6) to Chelini.

"We fought hard but fell again," XU coach Alan Green said. "We are improving as a team, which is encouraging."

All six XU losses are against NCAA Division I opponents. Five occurred on the road.

Xavier's men and women will play Saturday at 11 a.m. against William Carey at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. Three of those teams are in the NAIA coaches top 25. Xavier's men are ninth, William Carey's men are 13th, and William Carey's women are 12th. The XU women are receiving votes in the poll and tied for 36th.Results

RESULTS

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Chowan Football Releases 2012 Schedule

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina - The Chowan University Department of Athletics has released the 2012 football schedule.

The 2012 season is marked with five home contests which is the most home games since the 2007 season. The Hawks will also hit the road for five games. Chowan is coming off a 3-7 season with a 5th place CIAA finish (2-5). Chowan garnered home wins against Livingstone and Shaw and ended the season with a huge road victory over Bowie State University. Head Coach Tim Place and his band of Hawks will use that momentum heading into the 2012 playing season.

"We are pleased to have a balanced schedule this season," stated Place on his playing schedule for the 2012 season. "We have the utmost respect for every team on our schedule this year. We are going to take it one game at a time and see where that leads us."



The Hawks will open the season with back-to-back road trips with stops at Livingstone College on September 1st and Virginia Military Institute September 8th. They will open their home playing season with Shorter University (GA) on September 15th. Shorter is transitioning to NCAA DII status after competing as a member of the NAIA's Mid-South Conference in Georgia.

Chowan will travel to Shaw University on September 22nd to open CIAA cross over play. The Hawks picked up a big win over the Bears last season, stunning them with a 34-32 Homecoming victory.

Chowan will turn around to host three consecutive home CIAA match ups. On September 29th the Hawks will host Fayetteville State University out of the South Division, thesecond of the team's cross over match ups. The Hawks will start divisional play on October 6th with a visit from Bowie State University. Homecoming will feature the Hawks against Virginia Union University on October 15th in another divisional match up.

Chowan hits the road for their next two CIAA North Division games with stops at Elizabeth City State on October 20th and Virginia State on October 27th. They will wrap up the regular season on November 3rd wtih a visit from Lincoln University (PA) for the annual Hall of Fame game.

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY 2012 FOOTBALL

DATE    OPPONENT    LOCATION     TIME

9/1 at Livingstone, Salisbury, NC  TBA
9/8 at Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA  TBA
9/15   Shorter, Murfreesboro, NC  TBA
9/22 at Shaw, Raleigh, NC  TBA
9/27   Fayetteville State, Murfreesboro, NC   6:00 PM
10/6   Bowie State, Murfreesboro, NC   6:00 PM
10/13 Virginia Union (Homecoming), Murfreesboro, NC   6:00 PM
10/20 at Elizabeth City State, Elizabeth City, NC   TBA
10/27 at Virginia State, Ettrick, VA   TBA
11/3  Lincoln (Pa.) Hall of Fame, Murfreesboro, NC  12:00 PM

COURTESY: CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Savannah State to play Florida State In football in 2012

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Say what you will about Savannah State football, the program’s not shy about scheduling the big boys. The Tigers announced Wednesday they’ll be playing Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., on Sept. 8 for their second game of the 2012 season.

SSU is opening in Stillwater, Okla., against Oklahoma State on Sept. 1.  “It’s probably the toughest first two games in college football,” Tigers coach Steve Davenport said.

It’s probably the richest two weeks for a Football Championship Subdivision team as well. Savannah State is guaranteed $475,000 for the date with the Seminoles. The Tigers are pocketing $385,000 for the Oklahoma State game. “The infusion of cash will help us build up our (athletic) programs,” SSU athletics director Sterling Steward said.



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The FSU Seminoles will play Savannah State at home in place of West Virginia

Tallahassee, Florida. - Florida State officials announced Wednesday that Savannah State will replace West Virginia on the 2012 home schedule. The Seminoles were contracted to play the Mountaineers on September 8th in Tallahassee, but West Virginia notified FSU on February 3 that they would not honor the commitment leaving Florida State with little time and few options to replace the home game.

"West Virginia's announcement at the 11th hour really put us in a very difficult position," said FSU Director of Athletics Randy Spetman. "We contacted every BCS school that had an opening in hopes of replacing WVU with a BCS opponent, but none of those few schools could make it work either because of our dates or theirs. It is important for our fans to realize that the schools we contacted during the search did not pass on the 2012 game out of concern for the competition, but because of challenges they faced with schedule changes this late in the year.

"We worked with Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Cincinnati, Syracuse and Pitt to name a few along with our current non-conference opponents and television partners, but reached a point where our options simply dried up. We might have been able to play on the road at some BCS schools this season, but that would cost our fans and the university one of just seven chances to play a home game and also would have a negative impact on our local economy."

Florida State will play Savannah State on September 8th and the entire 2012 schedule will be released shortly by the ACC. Savannah State will receive a guarantee of $475,000 to play the game.

"I know our administration was frustrated by West Virginia's decision and I can tell all our fans that we've done everything we could to explore all the options for a home game," said head coach Jimbo Fisher. "I believe the plans are for the ACC to go to a nine-game conference schedule once Pitt and Syracuse begin play. With Florida always on the schedule, it will leave us just two non-conference games every year so scheduling BCS teams will be more challenging from here on out for everybody."

Florida State has previously announced the dates for 2012 non-conference games against Murray State (September 1), South Florida (September 29 in Tampa) and Florida (November 24). Season tickets for 2012 are $321 each, which is a savings of thirteen percent over the purchase price of single game tickets if they are available. The single game ticket price for the Savannah State game will be $40.00.

XU changes sites, dates, times of upcoming dual matches

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana tennis coach Alan Green announced Friday some changes to his teams' schedules.

Due to repairs at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, the XU men's and women's dual matches Saturday against William Carey were moved to the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. Starting time was pushed back to 11 a.m.

XU's men's and women's dual matches against Shorter were moved to Monday, March 5 — two days earlier than originally scheduled — at 2 p.m. at City Park.

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

TSU Lady Tigers drop regular season finale to Murray State

Nashville, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team dropped a tough, 87-83, loss to Murray State, Thursday night in the Gentry Center.

Senior Kim Haynes played her final game as a Lady Tiger in the Gentry Center.

Jasmin Shuler led Tennessee State (9-19, 5-11 OVC) with 21 points while Simone Hopes posted 16. She scored six points and had three assists in the contest.

Erica Burgess led Murray State (12-16, 8-7 OVC) with 27 points while Mariah Robinson and Tessa Elkins each tallied 17.

In the first half, TSU was leading, 11-10, when Murray State used six unanswered points to capture the lead, 16-11. TSU managed to knot the game, 18-18, near the 12-minute mark but the Racers reclaimed the advantage, 27-22, with 8:55 left in the half.

A jumper pulled the Lady Tigers even with the visitors at 32-all before the Racers went back ahead, 41-37 with 3:07 on the clock. Destiney Gaston made one-of-two free throws to pull TSU within one just before the halftime break.

Back-to-back turnovers to open the second stanza led to TSU falling behind, 45-40, with just 54 seconds ticked off the clock.

Destiney Gaston scored in the paint to give TSU its first points of the half before the Lady Tigers fell behind, 47-42. Another, 5-0, spurt by the Racers gave them a double-digit lead.

TSU began to chip away at the deficit and closed to within five after an old fashioned three-point play by Simone Hopes. A few possessions later, Jasmin Shuler drained a long jumper and Simone Hopes scored a lay-up off a steal to cut MSU's lead down to one.

The Lady Tigers briefly took the lead, 60-59, when Jasmin Shuler grabbed the offensive rebound and scored the put back but the Racers answered on their trip down the floor.

The teams traded the lead until MSU went ahead, 70-65. The Lady Tigers, however, responded with five unanswered to tie the game at 70 with 7:03 left to play.

Both teams had played to a 72-72 deadlock when both teams went scoreless for about three minutes.

Murray State ended the skid with a three-pointer before an offensive rebound and lay-up put the visitors up, 77-72.

Alana Morris connected in the paint to pull TSU with three but a triple as the shot clock expired made MSU's lead, 82-76, with 1:44 on the clock.

Jasmin Shuler nailed a long ball to pull TSU within three but a crucial turnover on the Lady Tigers' next trip down the floor allowed MSU to go ahead, 83-79.

With 25.8 seconds remaining, TSU was down, 85-81, when Jasmin Shuler came down the floor and buried a jumper to make the score, 85-83.

After Murray State missed the front end of a one-and-one, TSU had a chance to tie the game but Allen's shot attempt was blocked. MSU knocked down two free-throws with seconds left to seal with win.

The first round of the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference tournament will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 29.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU Hayes would like Gaines Center enlarged

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina - Winston-Salem State will play its final home basketball games of the season Saturday against Fayetteville State, and there's a chance disappointed fans could again be turned away at the door.

The Rams' home gym — the Gaines Center — seats about 2,400 and has been overflowing with the success of the men's and women's teams and because of CIAA rivalries. Nearly all CIAA games have had capacity crowds. Sold-out games are a good problem to have, but athletics director Bill Hayes said he wouldn't mind seeing the Gaines Center enlarged.



"I would love to see the Gaines Center expanded and maybe getting an extension to that back wall to make it bigger," he said. "It's something I would like to see done here."

The Gaines Center was built in the late 1970s, when WSSU's enrollment was about 2,700. The enrollment is now about 6,000, and the gym could use some work to satisfy the students and the general public. Hayes hasn't crunched any numbers about the cost of a renovation, but the project is on his radar.



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TSU Falls to Racers in Front of Record Crowd, 80-62

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- A 14-0 run by Murray State to end the first half helped propel the Racers to a 80-62 victory over Tennessee State on Thursday evening in front of 10,125 at the Gentry Center.

Tennessee State (19-11, 11-5 Ohio Valley) couldn't find a sustainable run, leading by just one point midway through the first half. The Racers clipped 57 percent (26x46) shooting, while holding the Tigers to 23-of-57 for 40 percent.

TSU out-rebounded the Racers 36-to-24, but were limited to six assists and three blocks. The crowd of 10,125 at the Gentry Center was the largest ever for a basketball game and second behind non-graduation events. Stevie Wonder's concert in 1980 had 11,000-plus.


Junior forward Robert Covington notched 24 points and 15 rebounds - his 19^th of his career. Kellen Thornton added 17 points and 10 rebounds, registering his first double-double of the year.

The Racers shot 63 percent in the first half and knocked down 12 triples to take a 45-28 lead at the break. Offensively, the Tigers were held to just 12 made baskets and no treys in the opening frame.

The Tigers struggled to find second half momentum as MSU went on a 12-2 lead to open up the game at 58-38.

Seniors Kenny Moore and Wil Peters closed out their illustrious careers at the Gentry Center on Thursday. Moore added seven points, while Peters made two. Peters logged over 3,400 minutes in his career, as Moore passed the 600-points plateau Thursday evening.

Thursday's loss snapped a nine-game win streak the longest for TSU since 1994-95. However, the Tigers are still the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament. The Big Blue receives a double-bye and plays in the semi-finals on March 3 at 8 p.m.

TSU HEAD COACH JOHN COOPER POST-GAME COMMENTS

(On going forward into the tournament) I told our group that if you told me that we were going to have stretches where we win nine out of 10 games, that's pretty good. Having said that, we have two games to play if we want to realize our dreams.

(on the fan support) It's like I said earlier about awakening some pride. It's been an interesting environment around here over the last couple of days. I've had people come up to me, and say, 'Thanks.' It's hard for me to hear that and take that. I don't play. I know I coach this group and we work and get at it, but I don't feel I deserve the credit. It's the kids in that locker room. That's who it is and that's who the thanks goes to. I have a good staff too, and they work their tails off and make me look good. I enjoy watching our guys like they do and enjoy this environment.

(on going forward into the tournament) I told our group that if you told me that we were going to have stretches where we win nine out of 10 games, that's pretty good. Having said that, we have two games to play if we want to realize our dreams. We have to take care of our business on Friday night, and if we win that game, it'll be the first time we've won 20 games since 1979. That's a long time. So, there are things yet still to accomplish with this group.We'll come back, get together and get better as a group.

BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Hosts OVC Indoor T&F Championships This Weekend

DANIECCE WARD
2012 OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE INDOOR CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
5-11, SENIOR - HURDLES & JUMPS
HOMETOWN: MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
BRADLEY TECHNOLOGY AND TRADE HIGH SCHOOL

 NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Track & Field Indoor Championships starts Friday Feb. 24 and concludes Saturday, Feb. 25 as Tennessee State hosts the annual event at the Gentry Center.

The Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles embark on another quest for a conference title. Events begin on Friday at 1 p.m. with the Long Jump, High Jump and Shot Put. Running prelims will start at 1:30.

Saturday the championship day starts with the weight throws at 9 a.m. and concludes with the one-mile relay at 2:15. Fans can purchase tickets at the door $5 dollars.

Earlier on Thursday, it was announced by the league office that senior Daniecce Ward earned Indoor Co-Field Athlete of the Year with Eastern Illinois' Jade Riebold.

Ward sits in the top five in three events (high jump, long jump and triple jump), and was named Field Athlete of the Week the first week of the season for Tennessee State. Earlier this year, Ward leapt 5.72-meters in the long jump and 11.80-meters in the triple jump.

Ashontae Jackson will also be a Tigerbelle to watch. The freshman has team-bests in the 55-meter dash (7.15 seconds), 60-meter dash (7.75 seconds) and 200-meter dash (24.87 seconds).

Sophomore Royce Dates will look to notch a title in the long jump. Dates registered a distance of 7.36-meters at the UNC Invitational earlier this season.

In the sprint events, LeQuinn Davis has two top-marks for TSU with a time of 6.48 in the 55-meter dash and 7.01 in the 60-meter.

Arthur Combest is the school's leading hurdler, clocking a time of 7.62 in the 55-meter hurdles earlier this year.

TSUTigers.com will have a log blog of the day's events and updates are available online through Twitter (@TSU_Tigers).

2012 OVC Indoor Track & Field Championship Meet Schedule


COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU Jaguars open Spring Practice, Mitchell addresses media

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Head coach Stump Mitchell didn't mince words when he addressed the media at the conclusion of the first spring practice Wednesday. He is excited to be the head coach at Southern.

And when asked if he plan on extended his stay in Baton Rouge until Sept. 1, the date of Southern's 2012 season opener against New Mexico, Mitchell's response offered a touch a humor while reaffirming his commitment to the program.

"No, I won't be here," said Mitchell, who begins his third season at Southern. "I'll be in Albuquerque."

Under clear skies and the watchful eye of a robust media contingent, Mitchell and the Jaguars kicked off the first of 15 practices Wednesday in the shadows of A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The Jaguars initial spring practice lasted roughly an hour and 30 minutes and spanned 17 periods. The team, dressed in shells, participated in several drills, including 7-on-7, one-on-one and special teams before ending with team drills with quarterbacks J.P. Douglas and Dray Joseph splitting reps.

"It was an awesome day. It's been a while since we lost that Bayou Classic," said Mitchell. "We went out and got the players that we think we need to go with the guys we had our first two years. We're excited about it."



Wednesday's practice also provided a first look at a retooled coaching staff. Mitchell confirmed that former defensive coordinator O'neill Gilbert and former offensive coordinator Ricky Diggs are no longer with the program.

Mitchell also introduced a new coach on his staff and announced defensive line coach Dawson Odums as his new defensive coordinator.

"(Manny Martin) was coaching high school in Miami," said Mitchell. "He played at Alabama State, so he's familiar with the SWAC, and we've got some guys coming in from Miami, so I wanted them to have a coach that they could relate to."

"Hopefully, they can relate to all of us, but to have someone from that area, I thought that would benefit those guys immensely."

DAY 1 PHOTO ALBUM

Martin, who will serve as the defensive backs coach, joins wide receivers coach Jorge Baez as coaches with Miami ties, which paid huge dividend in Stump's third recruiting class.

Southern's all-time leading scorer, Breck Ackley, returns as a special teams assistant and the Jaguars administrative assistant. Ackley was a member of Mitchell's 2010 staff before a one-year stint as a member of Southeastern's staff last year.

But Mitchell added that he anticipates some more changes on his staff in the near future.

"There were some coaches here (today) that probably won't be here, before it's all said and done, but that's the way it goes in this business."

As for the business of football, the Jaguars showed no signs that the recent coaching saga distracted in them any way. For Mitchell, there was no more positive sign considering the task the team faces in 2012.

Said Mitchell: "We've got to win a lot of games. I mean a lot of games, and I understand that, and that's what I was brought here to do: to help the APR, to help enrollment, to help put people in the seats. We haven't quite done that, but hopefully, this will be the year."

COURTESY: SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tigers vs. Murray State Rematch Slated for Thursday

COACH JOHN COOPER
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The much anticipated rematch of No. 12/14 Murray State and Tennessee State takes place on Thursday, Feb. 23 when the Racers visit the Gentry Center. MSU and the Tigers are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff in a nationally televised game on ESPNU.

Tennessee State (19-10, 11-4 Ohio Valley) is in the midst of its' longest winning streak since 1994-95. The Tigers are just one win away from reaching 20 wins for the first time since 1978-79.

The Tigers clawed back from a 12 point deficit to defeat Miami (Ohio) 68-61 in the Sears BracketBuster on Feb. 19. Junior Robert Covington led the Tigers with 14 points and six boards. Covington ranks fourth in the OVC with 17.9 points and second with 7.9 rebounds per game.


Kellen Thornton garnered his third OVC Newcomer of the Week honor after averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in wins over Jacksonville State and Miami (Ohio) last week.

For the first time in school history, TSU ranks No. 25 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll. The Big Blue is also No. 1 in the Boxtorow HBCU Top-5 Division I poll. Last week, the Tigers clinched the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament. TSU is scheduled to play on Friday, March 2 at 8 p.m. inside Nashville's Municipal Auditorium.

Murray State's (26-1, 13-1 OVC) only blemish is a 72-68 loss to the Tigers on Feb. 9. TSU won their first regulation game at Murray State since 1996. The Tigers have not swept the Racers since the 1993 season when the Tigers made an NCAA appearance against Seton Hall.

After that loss, the Racers have won three straight and clinched the OVC regular season title. MSU defeated Saint Mary's, 65-61, in the Sears BracketBusters. Point guard Isaiah Canaan leads the Racers with 14 points, 102 assists and 84 triples.

Thursday evening will be Greek Night and Senior Day. The Tigers men's basketball team will honor its' two seniors - Wil Peters and Kenny Moore.

Limited amount of general admission tickets are still available for Thursday evening's game. TSU students with a valid I.D. receive one free ticket. All students are strongly encouraged to pick up their tickets from the TSU Ticket Office inside the Gentry Center. The public may purchase tickets by calling the ticket office at (615) 963-5841.

Anish Shroff and Adrian Branch are calling the action on ESPNU. TSU fans can listen to the game on the Big Blue Sports Network (102.1 FM The Light / 101.9 FM Clarkville) with Albert Dawson and Mark Pittman describing the plays.  

TSU Game Notes

SCOUTING THE RACERS: No. 12/14 Murray State (26-1, 13-1 OVC) has been one of the hottest teams in the country. The Racers' only blemish was a 72-68 loss to the Tigers on Feb. 9 at the CFSB Center. Since that defeat, Murray has reeled off three consecutive victories. Last week, the Racers clinched the OVC regular season championship and defeated No. 21 Saint Mary's, 65-51, in the ESPN Sears BracketBusters. Point guard Isaiah Canaan leads the Racers with 19.3 points. The junior has dished out 102 assists and knocked down 84 triples in 27 games. Donte Poole has posted 14 points, while Ivan Aska has totaled nearly 12 a game this season. Aska and Latreze Mushatt are averaging 5.9 and 5.2 rebounds per game, respectively. The Racers have outscored their opponents 13.3 points per game and shot 41 percent (203x492) behind the arch. MSU is shooting nearly 48 percent (676x1422).

IT'S MILLER TIME: Patrick Miller is second on the team with 11.2 ppg and leads the team with 101 assists. Miller has multiple assists in 22 straight games.  He is averaging 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the last 9 games.

FEBRUARY - CONTINUING TO RISE: TSU has not posted a losing record in February the last three seasons. 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. With a win at Miami (Ohio) on Feb. 19, TSU is 5-0 this month.

TIGERS NATIONALLY RANKED: TSU remained No. 25 in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top-25 poll. The Tigers are No. 1 in the the Boxtorow HBCU Division I poll released on Feb. 21.

CONSISTENTLY COVINGTON: The consistency of Robert Covington has been one of TSU's strongest weapons this season. He has been the leading scorer in 22 of 29 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 28 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 fourth in the OVC (43rd NCAA) with 17.9 ppg and second in the OVC (93rd NCAA) in rebounding (7.9 per game).  TSU is 13-5 this season when Covington scores 17 or more points.

PLAYING IT CLOSE: TSU is 12-6 in single-digit games, having played the last 11 out of 13 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 last week 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.

SENIOR PROFILE - WIL 'POWER' PETERS: Nashville native and Whites Creek product Wil Peters plays his final home game on Thursday. Peters has played in 121 games and 3,427 minutes during his four-year career. The senior has 99 assists in 29 games (3.4 apg). He has totaled 371 assists for 3.1 per game in his tenure.  On the season, Peters is averaging 7.7 points with an average of 34 minutes played per game.

TIGERS SETS HISTORIC NIGHT WITH WIN OVER MURRAY: 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

MOVING ON UP (A LOOK AT THE RPI): During the past three weeks, Tennessee State moved up 82 spots in the RPI rankings. In the rankings released on Feb. 20th, TSU moved to 127th nationally and second in the OVC. TSU has faced four opponents with a top-100 RPI: North Carolina 5, Saint Louis 22, Middle Tennessee 38 and Belmont 68. TSU defeated Murray State (35) once and will play the Racers again Thursday evening.

COACH COOPER STEPPING 'ON THE LINE': The Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA) and ON THE LINE have teamed up during Black History Month to raise awareness of prostate cancer among African American men. Coach John Cooper and over 80 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball head coaches from 30 different conferences, will be wearing bow ties and ON THE LINE buttons during their games to show their support.

LIMITING THE OPPOSITION: When TSU limits its' opposition to 45 percent or less shooting, the Tigers are a remarkable 16-1. TSU is also 14-2 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. Four players have combined for 345 career made 3-pointers: Robert Covington (135), Wil Peters (125), Kenny Moore (51) and Patrick Miller (40). Covington's two treys versus Miami moved him into seventh all-time. Peter's two against the RedHawks moved him into 10th.

LINE ME UP: Coach John Cooper has experimented with nine different lineups. The Tigers hold an 11-1 record in the past 12 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 nine contests. The Illinois State transfer is posting 12.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg. Thornton has clipped 60 percent (40-of-67) during that stretch, while grabbing 42 rebounds. On Feb. 20, he was named OVC Newcomer of the Week after tallying 10.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg in two wins.

SETTING THE MARK: Robert Covington and Wil Peters are close to reaching some career marks at Tennessee State. Covington is 19th all-time at TSU with 1,288 career points passing Mike Johnson and John Barnhill. He is just 13 shy of passing Ronnie Cage's (1981-84) mark of 1,300. Covington reached 13th on the all-time list in rebounds with 662.  Covington is 10 triples away from moving into sixth all-time. Peters needs 68 points to reach 1,000 points in his career. He is 80 assists shy of becoming the all-time assists leader at Tennessee State.

SENIOR PROFILE - PLENTY OF KENNY MOORE: Senior Kenny Moore is averaging 9.9 ppg and 3.8 rpg in the last nine games. The Philadelphia product has dished out 16 assists and 13 steals during that span. Moore is tallying 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 22 games this season.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Postgame Notes - NCCU at Indiana, 56-75

Recap |  Box Score |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery 1  |  Photo Gallery 2  Video Highlights
 
• Indiana finishes its non-conference schedule with a perfect 13-0 record. It marks the first time the Hoosiers have had a perfect non-conference run since the 1989-90 season when IU went a perfect 11-0 against non-Big Ten foes.
 
• The Hoosiers are now 3-0 all-time against North Carolina Central.
 
• IU led NCCU the entire contest, marking the fifth game this season in which the Hoosiers did not relinquish the lead for an entire game.
 
• Indiana outrebounded NCCU, 35-16. The +19 rebounding margin is IU's largest since outrebounding Howard by a season-best +20 margin on Dec. 19.
 
• The Hoosiers allowed the Eagles to grab just 16 rebounds, which is the lowest rebound total by any Indiana opponent this season. It is the fewest total rebounds by an IU opponent since Northwestern grabbed 16 on Jan. 15, 2003.
 
• The Hoosiers won the battle of the offensive glass, 15-3. It marks the fifth time this season that IU has had 15 or more offensive boards in a game.
 
• Indiana shot 51.0 percent (26-of-51) for the game. IU has now shot 50 percent or better in 13 games this season.
 
• IU outscored NCCU in the paint, 36-24.
 
• The Hoosiers outscored the Eagles in second-chance points, 16-4.

• Indiana's topped NCCU in bench points, 23-19.



• Freshman Cody Zeller led Indiana in scoring with 17 points, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and tied for the team high with seven rebounds. Zeller has now led the team in the scoring column in 13 games this season, and tonight marks his fourth-straight game to pace his teammates in that category. He has scored in double figures 25 times this year.
 
• Sophomore Will Sheehey tallied 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and grabbed tied with Zeller for the team lead in rebounds with seven. Sheehey has now scored 10-or-more points in 10 games this season and 13 times in his career. He also had two assists, one block and one steal.
 
• Sophomore Victor Oladipo scored 16 points, marking his 18th game scoring in double figures this season and his fifth-consecutive contest with more than 10 points. Oladipo shot 5-of-8 from the field and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line. He also had six rebounds, two steals and a block.
 
• Junior Derek Elston scored 10 points, marking the first time he has scored in double figures in back-to-back games since Dec. 2010 when he tallied 10-or-more points in three-consecutive contests. Elston shot 3-of-5 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in five games this season and 16 times in his career.
 
• Senior Verdell Jones III scored nine points on the night with two rebounds and an assist.
 
• Freshman Austin Etherington scored two points and grabbed one rebound in five minutes of action.
 
• Freshman Remy Abell scored two points on a baseline jumper and snagged a rebound in seven minutes.

COURTESY: INDIANA HOOSIERS.CSTV.COM

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper: At TSU, John Cooper is restoring pride to one of Nashville's proudest programs

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Basketball minds boggle at the level of coaching talent in Nashville. Rick Byrd's steady hand has guided Belmont through what could have been the tumultuous rapids of transition. His Bruins have evolved from NAIA power to local secret to perennial place-holder on the lists of teams no powerhouse wants to play.

Notwithstanding a lack of postseason success — and a very underwhelming 2011-12 season — Vanderbilt's Kevin Stallings is a well-regarded tactician. He's made the Commodores contenders in the brutal Southeastern Conference. Away from the tree-lined boulevards of the west side, however, a third contender has risen — and he may be doing the best of anyone.

For the first time since 1996, the TSU Tigers have secured a winning season. And for that, they must thank Coach John Cooper.

It's been a tough decade and a half on the north side, a fan base sustained by the faded memories of the glory days when John McClendon had Dick Barnett and teammates regularly scoring in the triple digits. This in the pre-shot clock, pre-3-point line days of the 1950s, back when Truck Robinson belied his huge size with a guard's precision-fingered shooting touch.

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