Gold Nuggets outlast Tougaloo to reach another GCAC title game

Jasmine Grant
5'-8" Guard, Junior
Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana
Southwood High School

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Jasmine Grant, one of five double-figure scorers for NAIA No. 20 Xavier University of Louisiana, had 18 points Friday in a 78-67 women's basketball victory against Tougaloo in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Tournament.

The Gold Nuggets (24-8) won their sixth in a row and advanced to Saturday's noon EST championship game against second-seeded Talladega or sixth-seeded Edward Waters, who met later Friday. It's the sixth time in seven seasons the XU women are in the final.

Keldra Hall scored 14 points, Carmen Holcombe 13, SiMon Franklin 11 and Brandi Young 10 for Xavier, the tournament's top seed.

Portia Craft scored 18 points, Victoria Jones 16 and Kierra Addison 14 for fifth-seeded Tougaloo (15-14), which was eliminated by Xavier for the fourth consecutive year. The Nuggets beat the Lady Bulldogs 71-44 in the 2011 final.

Tougaloo's Kierra Addison scored a 3-point play on the game's opening possession, but her team never led again after Xavier responded with a 13-1 run. Tougaloo rallied for three ties in the final six minutes of the first half, but Young scored the final five points, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer, to give Xavier a 36-31 advantage.

Xavier twice led by 18 in the second half -- the last time at 62-44 on Franklin's basket with 9:20 remaining -- but didn't clinch the victory until it outscored the Tougaloo 8-2 in the final 3:45.

"Tougaloo played strong," said Bo Browder, who reached the championship game for the ninth time in 13 seasons as Xavier's coach. "So we had to be strong too. We did a great job contesting every rebound and had a great six- or- seven-minute stretch in the second half to give us some cushion."

Grant, who missed the final 26 games of 2010-11 because of a knee injury, was 4-of-8 from 3-point range and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds. She and Holcombe were one point from season highs. Hall didn't start but was 6-of-7 from the floor, and Young and Franklin each had five assists, with Franklin matching her career best.

Jones, the GCAC Player of the Year, grabbed 16 rebounds, eight offensive. But Xavier had a 48-36 rebound advantage, 27-16 in the second half.

"I told our team before the game and I told them throughout the game that it was all about rebounding," Browder said. "That's a big reason why we'll be playing tomorrow."

Xavier outshot Tougaloo 42.6 to 34.5 percent from the floor, and both teams made six 3-pointers. The Nuggets excelled at the line, making 20-of-23 free throws to Tougaloo's 21-of-33. The Lady Bulldogs missed nine second-half free throws.

NOTES: XU sophomore Angelica Alexander scored a season-high six points . . . The Jones double-double was her seventh against Xavier and her third in as many meetings this season, but she finished her career with a 1-11 record against the Nuggets . . . Xavier scored its most points in a GCAC semifinal since 2002.

Box Score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

TSU Snatches 59-52 Win to Advance to OVC Title Game

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State grinded out a 59-52 victory over Morehead State on Friday evening to advance to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Tigers will face Murray State in a nationally televised contest on ESPN2.

The Tigers (20-11) overcame 20 turnovers and shot 53 percent (20-of-28) to pick up their 20th win of the season - the first time a TSU squad reached that plateau since the 1978-79 campaign. For the evening, Morehead State (18-15) was held to 36 percent (20-of-56) shooting.

TSU inked 12 steals and staved off a second half rally by the Eagles to ensure the rubber match with nationally ranked Murray State on Saturday afternoon.

A trifecta of Tigers reached double-figures as Robert Covington led TSU with 14 points. The junior was 5-of-8 from the field, while grabbing four rebounds.

Jordan Cyphers came off the bench to knock down three triples and score 13 points. Guard Patrick Miller reached double-digits notching 13 points with six assists. Redshirt freshman M.J. Rhett inked eight points with four rebounds. Meanwhile, senior Wil Peters led all players with seven assists.

Tennessee State opened up the first half with a strong shooting performance, notching 56 percent (10-of-18) from the floor. The Tigers hit four makes beyond the arch, including three from Cyphers. Cyphers led TSU with 11 points at the break.

With 17:03 on the clock, Covington went down after making a hard fall. He would later return about five minutes later.

The Tigers' 8-2 run opened the game to 20-9, but Morehead State fought back with a triple late in the game to pull within 26-21 at the break.

Morehead State went on a brief run to take a one point lead at the 18:44 mark. The Tigers proceeded on a 6-0 run to lead 34-29. From there, the Tigers never surrendered the advantage.

The Eagles cut the deficit to within two on several occasions, but couldn't get the go-ahead points. TSU stretched its' largest lead to seven at the end of the game to pick up their second win over Morehead State this season.

Saturday's matchup with Murray State will be the third for the two teams in just three weeks. TSU won 72-68 at Murray State on Feb. 9 before the Racers clinched an 80-62 victory at the Gentry Center on Feb. 23.

Fans can watch the contest on ESPN2 with Bob Wischusen and Fran Franschilla calling the action. Tickets are still available for purchase at the Municipal Auditorium Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.

TSU vs. Morehead State Box

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Savannah State Clinches Top Seed in 2012 MEAC Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its men's pairings for the 2012 MEAC Basketball Tournament, March 5-10, at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Savannah State, who entered the conference just one year ago, earned the top seed after closing out the regular season with a 14-2 mark in MEAC play and an overall record of 21-10.

The Tigers earned the first-round bye and will open up play on Wednesday, March 7 beginning at 6 p.m. They will face the winner of the No. 8 Hampton/No. 9 Morgan State matchup set for Tuesday, March 6 at 11 a.m.

A four-team tie which resulted in the 2011 Tournament Champion Hampton Pirates securing the No. 8 seed also revealed Morgan State at No. 9, Howard finishing at No. 10 and Florida A&M with the No. 11 spot.

Men's action continues on Tuesday with No. 7 North Carolina A&T facing off against No. 10 Howard beginning at 1:30 p.m. North Carolina Central earned a No. 5 seed following the tiebreaker against Coppin State and will take on No. 12 Maryland Eastern Shore at 4 p.m.

Last year's regular season champion Bethune-Cookman (No. 4) will matchup against S.C. State (No. 13) beginning at 6:30 p.m. No. 6 Coppin State and No. 11 Florida A&M wraps up the first day's competition with a matchup slated at 9 p.m.

Norfolk State earned the runners-up trophy with a 13-3 record and will face the winners of the No. 7 N.C. A&T/No. 10 Howard matchup on Wednesday, March 7 beginning at 8 p.m. Delaware State secured the No. 3 seed to receive a two-day bye and will take on the winners of the No. 6 Coppin State/No. 11 Florida A&M game on Thursday, March 8 slated for 6 p.m.

The 2012 regular season champion, regular season runners-up, first-team members and top honorees including Player, Rookie, Defensive and Coach of the Year selections, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to the honorees first games in tournament play.

The 2012 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips-off Monday, March 5, and will conclude on Saturday, March 10 with the men's and women's championship games. The men's finale will begin at 1 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN2, followed by the women's game at 4 p.m. live on ESPNU. The preliminary games will also be streamed live on www.MEACsports.com. Live statistics of all games will be available on the conferences' official website and the tournament's official website, http://www.meachoops.com./

Click here to download the 2012 Men's Tournament Bracket.

COURTESY: MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Bowie State men lose in CIAA semifinal

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - For the second year in a row, the Bowie State University men's basketball team lost its opening game in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament. Elizabeth City State (15-13) outscored the Bullodgs 33-28 in the second half and 9-6 in overtime to earn a 66-33 victory in a CIAA semifinal in Charlotte, N.C.

Bowie State led by five points at halftime and by as much as seven in the early minutes of the second half. But a 13-2 run put Elizabeth City State in the lead, 44-40 midway through the second half.

Bowie State (22-6) trailed by seven with 3:58 to play in the second half, but rallied on 3-pointers by Byron Westmorland and Largo High graduate Darren Clark and a dunk by Travis Hyman. Clark's 3-pointer gave Bowie State a 57-56 lead with 1:24 to play, but an Angelo Sharpless free throw allowed Elizabeth City State to tie the game with eight seconds left.

Another 3-pointer by Clark gave Bowie State a 63-62 lead with 1:09 to play in overtime, but the Bulldogs committed a turnover and missed two foul shots in the final 28 seconds, and Elizabeth City State won the game on a jumper by Sharpless and a pair of foul shots by Marquie Cooke.

READ MORE

SUNO holds on to beat XU Rush by 1 in GCAC semifinals

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Freshman guard Kevin Dukes scored a career-high 27 points Friday to lead SUNO to a 66-65 men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

The third-seeded Knights (16-13) advanced to the championship game for the first time since 2004. They'll play defending champion and top-seeded Tougaloo, a 94-88 winner against fourth-seeded Philander Smith in Friday's other semifinal.

Xavier (23-8) — seeded second, ranked 18th nationally and the regular-season co-champion with Tougaloo — will await an at-large berth to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Kansas City, Mo. Bids will be announced Wednesday, and the tournament will begin March 14. Xavier qualified for nationals five of the past seasons, including 2011.

Clyde Moore and Devin White scored 10 points apiece for SUNO, which led 30-27 at halftime.

Chris Iles and Jamaan Kenner scored 11 points each for Xavier, and Kevin Miller scored 10. Denzell Erves scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Except for a tie at 36 which lasted less than half a minute, SUNO led for the final 28:16. Dukes' 3-pointer with 14:17 remaining put the Knights ahead to stay, 39-36.

Xavier faced its largest deficit of the game, 54-43, after Dukes scored with 7:22 remaining but twice closed to within a point in the final 2:40. The Gold Rush missed a chance to take the lead when Cordell Hadnot's shot hit the side of the backboard with 1:15 remaining. Moore grabbed the rebound for SUNO and drove the length of the court for a 3-point play and a 63-59 advantage at 1:11.

With the Rush trailing 66-63, Wanto Joseph missed on a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining. SUNO controlled the rebound out-of-bounds with half a second remaining, and Xavier scored the final points at the buzzer after Gil Mathieu stole the inbounds pass under the Rush basket.

Xavier outshot SUNO 43.8 to 42.6 percent from the floor. Both teams grabbed 32 rebounds and committed 13 turnovers. SUNO made 22-of-34 free throws, including 6-of-7 in the final 2:23. Xavier was 20-of-26 from the line, including 13-of-14 in the final 14 minutes.

SUNO beat Xavier for the second time in three tries this season. The Knights' earlier victory was 67-64 in overtime at The Barn on Jan. 10. That game knocked Xavier out of first place in the GCAC, but SUNO helped Xavier this past weekend when it defeated Tougaloo to force the Bulldogs to share the regular-season title with the Rush.

Returning to the GCAC title game for the first time since 1996 will be SUNO coach Dale Valdery, an XU alum who was 2-2 in the championship round in his first six seasons as coach of the Gold Rush. This is Valdery's fourth season at SUNO, where he has led the Knights to their first winning season since 2004-05.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Shea Morris Strikes Out Career High 10 in TSU Tiger Win

Gainesville, Florida - The Tigers used early run support and an efficient pitching performance to upend Campbell University in the opening game of the Lipton Invitational at the University of Florida. TSU scored in each of the first four innings on its way to a 6-1 victory over the Big South opponent.

Tennessee State improved to 5-5 on the season as the Camels drop to 7-9. The two squads will face off again on Saturday afternoon.

Jennifer Givens opened the game with an inside the park home run. It was the first homer of any kind this season for the Big Blue. Givens shot a ball down the left field line passed the out stretched glove of the Camels left fielder and found its way into the corner. The junior outfielder never broke stride and slid into home to give TSU an 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, the Tigers took advantage of a two-out throwing error that kept the inning alive. Freshman Savannah Gutierrez drove a ball into centerfield allowing Brittany Davis and Tayler Shimizu to score and extend the lead to 3-0.

TSU continued the attack in the third inning as Kate Morris led off with a double. (Kate) Morris would get thrown out at home trying to score on Tedra Alford's second of three hits on the day. After a walk to Jordan Rehl, Ashley Haynes and Davis were each hit by a pitch in back-to-back at bats to force Alford home. Two pitches later Rehl would cross home plate on a wild pitch giving TSU a 5-0 lead.

Givens would close out the scoring for the Tigers in the fifth by once again using her speed. After a one out single up the middle, Givens stole second and third, reaching home after the catcher's throw to third sailed into left field.

Shea Morris (4-2) would make the runs count as she threw 62 strikes in 83 pitches for a rate of 75%. Stephanie Jones broke up a no-hit bid in the fourth inning with a solo blast to left field. The freshman pitcher finished the game allowing just three hits and one walk, while fanning a career high ten batters.

Alford went 3-for-3 with a run, a double and a walk, while Davis was 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, one RBI and a hit by pitch.

TSU will play Gardner-Webb at 1:30 p.m. ET as they continue play in the three-day event.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA has perfected tournament atmosphere after 100 years

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - The CIAA Tournament always brings folks from all over the world and this year, the party started Monday.

On the court, Raleigh-area teams are the favorites for both the women's and men's brackets. The Shaw University men's team, ranked No. 5 in the nation in Division II, plays their first game Thursday against Fayetteville State. The Shaw women have already made it to the semifinal on Friday where they will play Bowie State.



Off the court, there are non-stop events to occupy your time in Charlotte; you couldn't possibly do everything in a weekend. Honestly, basketball is the last thing on many people's minds at the tournament who are seen socializing with old classmates, teammates and rivals.

Clothes, jewelry and memorabilia are just a few of the crafted items for sale at the shops that fill Time Warner Cable Arena. It is a fashion show.

READ MORE

Savannah State men win MEAC regular-season title

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland. — Savannah State’s first season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference keeps getting better. The Tigers clinched the regular-season title and assured themselves a date in the NIT by defeating Maryland Eastern Shore, 73-54, on Thursday night.

SSU (21-10, 14-2 MEAC) extended its winning streak to 13 games — its longest winning streak since the school began keeping records after the 1981-82 season.

“When we started the year, we were thinking maybe we could be among the top four and have a shot at winning (the conference tournament),” SSU coach Horace Broadnax had said Tuesday. “Playing in a league gives you those stepping stones.”

It was a big leap for the Tigers, who had been playing as an NCAA Division I Independent before this year. It’s the first Division I national tournament appearance ever for the men’s basketball team, which had been mired at the bottom only six years ago.

READ MORE

Eubanks leads Stillman women in SIAC tourney; men fall in OT

ATLANTA | Phyllice Eubanks scored 25 points and had 13 rebounds as the second-seeded Stillman College women’s basketball team defeated seventh-seeded Albany State 91-73 Thursday in the SIAC basketball tournament at Morehouse College.

Eubanks was also 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Jamila McKinnis added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Ashley Kidd scored 12 and had 11 rebounds for Stillman.

Stillman Men fall by 1 in OT

Damian Ford missed the second of his two free throws with one second left in the second overtime period as Stillman fell to Benedict, 86-85.

Benedict had a two-point lead with six seconds left in the second overtime after Tydran Beaty hit a jump shot and made a free throw after being fouled by Lee Riley. Beaty fouled Ford with only one second left and Ford made his first free throw, but his second shot missed the mark, giving Benedict the win.

READ MORE 

WSSU is still standing in CIAA Tournament

What Collins has done with nearly a whole new team can't be overlooked

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- It was by no means a thing of beauty but Winston-Salem State’s gritty 56-55 win over Virginia Union is a significant moment for the program and particularly coach Bobby Collins.

Collins, who has one more season left on his contract, has stressed all season about the importance of performing well “in those three days in March.” He’s referring, of course, to the CIAA Tournament, the crown jewel of the conference.

With around 10,000 fans at Thursday night’s game the Rams turned to their defense in the closing seconds to turn back the Panthers. It shouldn’t be overlooked what Collins and the Rams have accomplished, even if the road ends tonight against defending champion Shaw, who is riding a 21-game win streak. Shaw, who I think could give the woeful Charlotte Bobcats a good game, will be tough to beat in tonight’s 9:30 semifinal game.

READ MORE

VUU's season ends in CIAA Quarters

CHARLOTTE, NC - Virginia Union made a furious rally, but it came one point short in the CIAA quarterfinals. Winston-Salem hung on to hold off Virginia Union, 56-55, on Thursday in the Time Warner Cable Arena, ending the Panthers season.

Winston-Salem State advances to Friday's semifinal game where it will meet the winner of Shaw/Fayetteville at 9 p.m. The Rams were swept by Shaw (76-60 on Feb. 11 and 80-59 on Feb. 20) and split the season series with Fayetteville State with a 58-54 victory on Jan. 21 and dropped a 64-54 decision nearly a week ago.

Justin Glover led the Rams (19-8) with 14 points, four rebounds and one assist. Chris Witherspoon added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting as Winston-Salem State, which defeated Virginia Union, 67-66, on Jan. 7, shot 47 percent (22-of-47) from the floor.

READ MORE

Gold Rush hold off Fisk 68-61, reach GCAC semifinals

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Anthony Simmons scored a season-high 19 points Thursday to help NAIA No. 18 Xavier University of Louisiana defeat Fisk 68-61 in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

Simmons and Denzell Erves, both All-GCAC players, scored 11 points apiece in the second half to move the second-seeded Gold Rush (23-7) into an 8 p.m. Friday semifinal against third-seeded SUNO or sixth-seeded Edward Waters. SUNO and EWC were scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. Thursday.

"We've depended a lot on our inside game, mainly Anthony and Denzell, down the stretch this season," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "They came through for us again. When they continue to be active around the basket, make shots and play defense, they'll cause problems for other teams."

Erves scored all 11 of his points and grabbed all eight of his rebounds in the second half. Jamaan Kenner, Cordell Hadnot and Wanto Joseph scored eight points apiece for Xavier, which has won five straight, 9-of-10 and 16-of-19.

Cameron Lewis scored 21 points -- 15 in the first half -- Jewaun Wynn 16 and Bradley Grayson 12 for seventh-seeded Fisk (6-23), which lost by 24 points at home to the Rush 10 days ago. But the Bulldogs had some bite Thursday, making five 3-pointers in each half and blocking seven XU shots.

"My hat's off to Fisk," Jackson said. "They played hard, they played us tough. They did a good job."

Xavier led for the final 26:50 but needed an 16-1 run to erase Fisk's largest lead, 19-12. Hadnot's basket put the Rush ahead to stay at 20-19, and Xavier led 30-25 at halftime.

Kenner's two free throws with 9:41 remaining gave Xavier its largest lead, 51-39. Fisk closed to 53-49 on Wynn's 3-pointer at 5:11 but didn't get closer.

Xavier outshot the Bulldogs 44.6 to 32.1 percent from the the floor and outrebounded them 45-34. It was the fourth game in a row and the 14th time this season that the Rush had a double-digit rebound advantage. It was the fifth straight game an XU opponent shot 33.3 percent or worse from the floor.

"That's been the way we've won lately," Jackson said. "Do a good job on the boards, keep teams to the low 30s from the field and the low 60s on the scoreboard.

"It wasn't a pretty game for us, but we survived and advanced, which everybody's trying to do this time of the year."

NOTES: Xavier is 50-13 since the start of the 2010-11 season. It's the first time since 1980-82 that the Gold Rush won that many times over two consecutive seasons.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Gold Nuggets use fast start to foil Fisk in GCAC quarters

SiMon Franklin
All-GCAC

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — SiMon Franklin scored 12 points Thursday, and NAIA No. 20 Xavier University of Louisiana used two first-half runs to roll to a 73-49 women's basketball victory against Fisk in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Gold Nuggets (23-8), the tournament's No. 1 seed and two-time defending champion, won their fifth in a row and for the 16th time in 19 games. They'll play fifth-seeded Tougaloo in the semifinals at 2 p.m. EST Friday.

Xavier outscored the Lady Bulldogs 13-2 in the first four minutes — Franklin opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and Jasmine Grant made two more — then the Nuggets used a 21-0 burst which covered nearly nine minutes to take a 36-6 lead at 5:05.

"That was a great start for us," said 13th-year XU coach Browder, who won in the quarterfinals for the 10th straight time. "Hopefully we can start fast every game the rest of the season."

The Nuggets' 39-15 halftime lead was their largest at the break since a 39-11 advantage at home against Concordia (Ala.) on Jan. 6, 2011.

Franklin, an All-GCAC guard, led the Nuggets in scoring for the eighth time this season and reached double figures for the 17th time to tie Keldra Hall for the team lead. She was 5-of-7 from the floor with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and zero turnovers in 18 minutes. She was Xavier's only double-figure scorer, but 14 Nuggets scored.

Grant scored nine points — she made 3-of-9 3-pointers, giving her 69 made for the season and 189 in four years — and Carmen Holcombe and Brandi Young scored eight apiece. Xavier made five 3-pointers in the first 13 minutes and finished with seven, one less than its season best.

Reserve point guard Paige Gauthier led Xavier with six assists and five rebounds.

Lynette Waters scored 15 points, 10 in the second half, and Tiffany Wynn 10 for eighth-seeded Fisk (4-25), which finished the season with a 10-game losing streak.

Fisk outshot Xavier 41.3 to 39.1 percent from the floor, but the Nuggets were plus-11 in turnovers — Fisk committed 25, Xavier 14 — and had a 39-34 rebound advantage. Fisk dressed just seven players, and Xavier had a 36-4 advantage in bench scoring. The Nuggets committed a season-low 11 fouls and produced 17 steals.

Tougaloo, a 69-53 winner against fourth-seeded Dillard, and Xavier split their two regular-season meetings.

NOTES: Xavier is 13-1 all-time in GCAC quarterfinal games. The Nuggets had a bye in the 2011 quarterfinals, when the conference had six members . . . Grant, an All-GCAC guard, and Young led the Nuggets with three steals apiece. Grant became the 20th XU female to reach 200 steals in a career, and Young improved her career total to 197. Jazmoné Kelly had two steals and is ninth all-time with 236.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Scores That Matters!!

March 1, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC
Arkansas Pine Bluff 78, Mississippi Valley State 67
Southern 64, Prairie View A&M 63
Alabama State 63, Grambling State 61
Texas Southern 54, Alcorn State 51
Alabama A&M 73, Jackson State 53

* Regular Season Conference Champions: MVSU, 17-1 SWAC, 18-12 Overall

MEAC
Savannah State 73, Maryland Eastern Shore 54
Norfolk State 72, North Carolina A&T 65
Delaware State 82, South Carolina State 71
Bethune-Cookman 88, Coppin State 80
North Carolina Central 60, Hampton 45
Morgan State 74, Florida A&M 68

*Regular Season Conference Champions: SSU, 14-2 MEAC, 21-10 Overall

GCAC Tournament
Xavier 68, Fisk 61
Philander Smith 77, Talladega 73
Tougaloo 67, Dillard 45

* GCAC Regular Season Co-Champions: Xavier University, 11-3 GCAC, 23-7 Overall and Tougaloo College, 11-3 GCAC, 21-7 Overall

CIAA Tournament Quarter-Finals
Elizabeth City State 64, Johnson C. Smith 56
Bowie State 72, Livingstone 68
Winston-Salem State 56, Virginia Union 55
Shaw University 90, Fayetteville State 77

SIAC Tournament Quarter-Finals
Benedict 86, Stillman 85 (2OT)
LeMoyne-Owen 55, Albany State 51

NAIA
AMC Tournament - Quarter-Finals
Hannibal-LaGrange MO 59, Harris-Stowe State MO 56

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

SWAC
Mississippi Valley State 65,  Arkansas Pine Bluff 47
Alabama A&M 65, Jackson State 43
Alabama State 55, Grambling State 48
Alcorn State 52, Texas Southern 31
Prairie View A&M 73, Southern 53

*SWAC Regualr Season Champion: MVSU, 14-4 SWAC, 17-12 Overall

MEAC
Hampton 86, North Carolina Central 35
Florida A&M 88, Morgan State 57
Coppin State 58, Bethune-Cookman 55
Norfolk State 54, North Carolina A&T 51
Maryland Eastern Shore 47, Savannah State 42
Delaware State 55, South Carolina State 53

* MEAC Regular Season Champion: Hampton, 15-1 MEAC, 23-4 Overall

GCAC Tournament
Xavier 73, Fisk 49
Tougaloo 69, Dillard 53
Talladega 64, Philander Smith 53

* Regular Season GCAC Champions: Xavier University,  12-2 GCAC, 24-8 Overall

SIAC Tourament Quarter-Finals
Tuskegee 59, Miles 58
Stillman 91, Albany State 73
Paine 76, Clark Atlanta 74

Savannah State University goes for MEAC clincher tonight

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - Horace Broadnax knows what it’s like to climb ladders and cut down basketball nets. But this time, it’s different. Instead of playing, he’s coaching.

“It’s very rewarding to take 12-13 guys and point them in the direction they can be successful in,” said the seventh-year coach, who has Savannah State a win away from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season championship in its first season in the league.



That victory could come tonight at 7:30 in Princess Anne, Md., when the Tigers (20-10, 13-2 MEAC) meet Maryland Eastern Shore (7-21, 4-11 MEAC) in the regular-season finale for both teams.

SSU set up the potential clincher by defeating North Carolina A&T, 62-50, on Monday night at Tiger Arena. The Tigers have won 12 games in a row, a school-best streak that goes back at least 31 years. Win No. 13 would put them in a national postseason basketball .

READ MORE

Lofland's shot a buzzer sends FVSU Wildcats to SIAC Semi-finals

ATLANTA, Georgia  -  In second round action of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Basketball Tournament, the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University utilized a three point shot at the buzzer by guard Desmond Lofland to defeat the number one seed Golden Tigers of Tuskegee University 80-77 and to advance to the semi-final round of the tournament.

Details to follow.........

COURTESY: FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU's Jackson earns 1st GCAC honor; Simmons a repeat choice

COACH DANNTON JACKSON
2011-12 GCAC COACH OF THE YEAR

NEW ORLEANS — The excellent resumé of Xavier University of Louisiana's Dannton Jackson got a boost late Tuesday when he was announced as 2011-12 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year — chosen by his men's basketball peers.

It's the first conference coaching honor for Jackson, who is 201-88 in nine seasons with the Gold Rush. He's the third Xavier men's coach to win the award and the first since Dale Valdery in 2000-01.

Xavier, ranked 18th in NAIA Division I and the regular-season co-champion with Tougaloo, had three of the 10 All-GCAC players. Junior Anthony Simmons made the team for the second straight year, and senior Chris Iles and junior Denzell Erves also were chosen.

Jackson's award is the latest in a stellar career which includes seven 20-victory seasons, five appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship, two GCAC regular-season titles, two GCAC Tournament runner-up finishes and the conference's only victory since 2004 against a top-five seed at nationals.

"I am grateful and humbled to receive this award," Jackson said, "but also thankful for and appreciative of my assistant coach, Alfred Williams, and the young men on our team who have worked hard every day this season to continue the excellence that Gold Rush basketball is known for. We still have a lot we can accomplish this season, and our guys are mindful of that mission."

By winning the award, Jackson denied Tougaloo's Lafayette Stribling a chance to become the second men's basketball coach to win the GCAC award four times. Stribling, whose team is ranked 24th in the NAIA and seeded first in the GCAC Tournament — which begins Thursday at Jacksonville, Fla. — won the award three of the previous five seasons, including 2010-11.

William Carey's Steve Knight won the award five times.

Jackson's award also means that all five current XU head coaches — including Bo Browder (women's basketball), Joseph Moses (men's and women's cross country), Alan Green (men's and women's tennis) and Christabell Hamilton (women's volleyball) — have been GCAC Coach of the Year at least once.

"We have an outstanding coaching staff," XU athletics director Dennis Cousin said. "That includes our assistants. All our coaches are capable of excelling at a higher level, but we're blessed to have them at Xavier."

Simmons, a 6-foot-8 forward from Rochester, N.Y., and a graduate of Allendale Columbia School, averaged 9.5 points and six rebounds and shot a team-best 63.2 percent from the floor in 29 regular-season games. He was GCAC Player of the Week twice this season.

Iles, a 5-11 guard from Houston and a graduate of Alief Hastings High School, averaged 9.8 points, four assists and made 50 3-pointers, all team bests, in 29 games. He made 44.6 percent of his 3-pointers to rank second in the GCAC and eighth in NAIA Division I.

Erves, a 6-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss. and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, averaged 9.4 points in 29 games and leads the team with 6.6 rebounds per game and 29 blocked shots. Erves is a three-time GCAC Player of the Week this season, and his six double-doubles are the most by a Gold Rush player since the start of 2003-04.

Xavier (22-7) will play Fisk (4-24) at 4 p.m. EST Thursday in the GCAC quarterfinals.

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

CAU Lady Panthers Fall to Benedict in Quarterfinals

Atlanta, Georgia -- With only four second-half field goals, the fifth-seeded Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers were eliminated from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) women's basketball tournament with a 65-39 loss to No. 4 Benedict College in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Morehouse College's Forbes Arena.

"We could not get on track offensively in the second half," said CAU Head Coach Vanessa Moore.

Benedict pulled away from a close first half with a 10-0 run to close out the first half to take a 32-22 lead into the locker room.

After CAU senior guard Shantress Thrash opened the second half with a layup to cut the lead to eight points, the Lady Tigers scored the next seven points and never saw their lead drop below double digits the rest of the way.

READ MORE

CIAA Tournament: Livingstone 60, Virginia State 58: Thomas wins it for Blue Bears

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — After losing an 11-point lead in the final three minutes Wednesday, the Livingstone men’s basketball won a thriller 60-58 over Virginia State to advance to the quarterfinals of the CIAA Tournament hosted at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Down 58-57 in the final seconds, Mark Thomas’ steal and eventual 3-point play was the difference. Junior Nasir Austin led the Blue Bears with 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Trone Jackson finished with 10 points and also had seven boards.

With the victory, the Blue Bears will now face the Bowie State Bulldogs at 3 p.m. today. The Bulldogs are the top seed out of the Northern Division and are yet to play in the tournament.

The Blue Bears held a 55-44 lead with 3:15 to play after Jackson converted two free throws. Virginia State started its comeback with an old-fashioned 3-point- play and Livingstone aided the Trojan run by converting only 2-of-6 free-throw attempts in the final two minutes.

READ MORE

Fayetteville State men beat Saint Augustine's 65-53 in second round of CIAA tournament

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -  The Fayetteville State Broncos had to span two days to do it, but they managed to fight their way into the third round of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament.

The Broncos used a burst in the final five minutes to pull away from Saint Augustine's for a 65-53 second-round victory that began Wednesday evening but wasn't complete until Thursday morning.

Fayetteville State (10-16) outscored the Falcons (14-14) 14-1 over the final 4:42 to advance to today's third round where they'll meet top-seeded Shaw at 9 p.m. in Time Warner Cable Arena.

Playing in the last of six games on day two of the CIAA Tournament, the Broncos didn't take the floor for their scheduled 9 p.m. tap off Wednesday until almost 10:45. The final buzzer didn't sound until 12:38 a.m. Thursday.

READ MORE

VSU falls to Bowie State in double OT in CIAA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The double overtime women's game between Virginia State University and Bowie State University Wednesday exemplifies what the CIAA Tournament is all about. Clutch shots, big plays, thrilling action.

In the end, Bowie State prevailed 72-67 at Time Warner Cable Arena to reach the semifinals on Friday. The Lady Bulldogs (9-15 overall) will meet the Shaw University-Saint Augustine's College winner at 1 p.m.

For most of the game, the contest was intense. Neither team gave an inch as lead switched back and forth. The seven-point final margin was the largest lead of the game. The lead changed 17 times and the score was tied 14 times.

The Lady Bulldogs, seeded second in the Northern Division, finally finished off the Lady Trojans (17-13) with a 10-5 run in the final 2:14 of the second overtime.

READ MORE

Bowie women need two OTs to down Virginia State  in CIAA tourney

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -  After a pair of overtime periods, the Bowie State University women’s basketball team defeated Virginia State 72-67 in the quarterfinals of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte.

Bowie will play defending conference champion Shaw on Friday, March 2, in a semifinal game at 1 p.m. Shaw defeated St. Augustine 80-73 Wednesday in another quarterfinal matchup. Chowan will play Johnson C. Smith at 3 p.m. Friday in the other semifinal.

Neither Bowie (9-15) or Virginia State (17-13) could pull away in what was a tight battle from start to finish.

The Trojans held the biggest lead during regulation when they took a five-point, 8-3 advantage early in the first half. But Bowie quickly wiped that advantage out with a jumper by Kim Jones (10 points) and a three-pointer from Baynard Cortney (four points) to tie the score 8-8.

READ MORE 

TSU's Covington and Thornton Pick Up OVC Honors

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University's Robert Covington and Kellen Thornton garnered Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball All-Conference accolades as announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.

Covington, a junior forward from Bellwood, Ill., was a first team All-OVC selection, while Chicago native Kellen Thornton earned All-Newcomer status.

Covington showed his all-around game by ranking in the Top-10 in seven different OVC stat categories. The junior ranked second in the OVC in rebounding (8.1/game), third in scoring (18.1/game), third in 3-point percentage (45.0%), fourth in blocks (1.3/game), fifth in steals (1.6/game), sixth in field goal percentage (52.6%) and eighth in 3-pointers made (2.0/game). Covington also led the OVC with nine double-doubles in 30 total games and helped Tennessee State to its first winning season since 1995-96.

He was named OVC Player of the Week twice during the season, including on Feb. 13 after helping the Tigers to a victory at No. 7 Murray State in which he scored 17 points and had eight rebounds including hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer late in the contest. That game was the only blemish an opponent put on Murray State record during the regular season.

A year ago, Covington earned second team All-OVC honors. He also earned All-Newcomer status as a freshman. Prior to the regular season, Covington was a preseason All-OVC selection.

In his first year on the court for the Tigers, Thornton came off the bench to average 9.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. The Illinois State transfer garnered Newcomer of the Week honors on three occasions this season. He averaged a double-double, notching a season-high 17 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Murray State last Thursday.

With one more victory the Tigers will reach the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 1978-79 season. TSU is the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament - the first since the 1995-96 season.

Tennessee State will play in the OVC Tournament semifinal on Friday, March 2. The Tigers will face either No. 3 Morehead State, No. 6 Austin Peay or No. 7 Jacksonville State. Friday's tip time is at 8 p.m. ESPN carries the semifinal round as Bob Wischusen and Fran Fraschilla call the action.

Robert Covington and Kellen Thornton
Courtesy: Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics

ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM

Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Robert Covington, Tennessee State
Kevin Murphy, Tennessee Tech
Donte Poole, Murray State
Jud Dillard, Tennessee Tech

ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM

Jaron Jones, Eastern Kentucky

Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri

John Fraley, Austin Peay

Jeremy Granger, Eastern Illinois

Ivan Aska, Murray State

Mark Yelovich, SIUE

ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Tyler Stone, Southeast Missouri
Myles Taylor, UT Martin
Mike DiNunno, Eastern Kentucky
Kellen Thornton, Tennessee State
Jerome Jones, SIUE

OVC Player of the Year: Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
OVC Defensive Player of the Year: Jewuan Long, Murray State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Myles Taylor, UT Martin
OVC Coach of the Year: Steve Prohm, Murray State

OVC Men's Basketball Release

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: TSUTIGERS.COM

Lady Tigers fall to EKU in first round of OVC tournament

Nashville, Tennessee --- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team fell to Eastern Kentucky, 70-55, in the first round of the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Wednesday afternoon in the Municipal Auditorium.

Tennessee State finishes the season with an overall record of 9-20.

Jasmin Shuler was the only Lady Tiger to score in double-digits. She finished the game with 13 points while Simone Hopes and Rachel Allen each scored nine points. Kim Haynes registered a team-best nine rebounds.

Raechele Gray and Jade Barber led EKU with 16 points while Alex Jones added 15. Marie Carpenter notched 11.

At the first media timeout, TSU was trailing EKU, 7-4. Out of the break buckets by Chelsea Hudson and Kim Haynes gave the Lady Tigers an, 8-7 lead. 

At the 10:23 mark, TSU went on top 12-7 following a lay-up by Rachel Allen but six straight points from Jade Barber gave the lead right back to EKU, 13-12. The Lady Colonels moved ahead, 16-12, after nailing a triple from the corner and later stretched their advantage to double-digits.

TSU pulled within four before going into the halftime break trailing, 26-20.

In the second stanza, TSU was outscored 8-2 in the opening four and a half minutes and fell behind, 34-22.

The Lady Tigers saw the deficit increase to 13 before forcing a turnover and scoring a lay-up to cut the deficit down to single digits. EKU, however, scored on the next possession to go back up, 39-29.

TSU continued to fight and began to chip away at EKU's lead behind its defensive pressure.

A couple of free-throws by Jasmin Shuler chopped the EKU lead down to four before another freebie by Shuler pulled TSU within three with about five minutes left to play.

The Lady Colonels, however, answered with an 8-1 run that put them back on top by double-digits, 57-47, one minute later. TSU called a timeout in an effort to slow EKU down.

On TSU's next possession, Jasmin Shuler nailed a triple from the top of the key to make the score, 57-50.

Five consecutive free-throws by EKU gave the Lady Colonels, a 62-50, lead with 1:54 left on the clock.

The Lady Tigers were unable to forge a comeback.

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Scores That Matters!!

February 29, 2012

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

SIAC Tournament (2/28)
Miles College 60, Paine 53
Clark Atlanta 62, Lane 47
Albany State 57, Claflin 51
(2/29)
Benedict 60, Clark Atlanta 38
Fort Valley State 99, LeMoyne-Owen 64

OVC Tournament
Eastern Kentucky 70, Tennessee State 55

CIAA TOURNAMENT (2/28)
Virginia State 72, Livingstone 54
Saint Augustine's 49, Elizabeth City State 46
Chowan 51, Fayetteville State 50
Winston Salem State 79, Lincoln (Pa.)
(2/29)
Bowie State 72, Virginia State 67 (2OT)
Chowan 52, Virginia Union 38
Shaw 80, Saint Augustine's 73
Johnson C. Smith 75, Winston Salem State 70

MEN'S BASKETBALL

SIAC Tournament (2/28)
Claflin 73, Lane 57
Fort Valley State 86, Miles 80
(2/29)
Stillman 93, Claflin 69
Albany State 63, Kentucky State 60
Paine 63, Morehouse 60
Fort Valley State 80, Tuskegee 77

CIAA Tournament (2/28)
Livingstone 67, Chowan 52
Saint Augustine's 50, Lincoln (Pa.) 49
(2/29)
Livingstone 60, Virginia State 58
Fayetteville State 65, Saint Augustine's 53

2012 CIAA Tournament History

TSU Lady Tigers begin OVC quest with Eastern Kentucky

BRACKET | GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | TWITTER | LIVE VIDEO 2

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University women's basketball team will face Eastern Kentucky in the opening round of the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. in Municipal Auditorium.

The Lady Tigers enter the tournament as the seventh seed and will face the sixth seeded Colonels in the second game of Wednesday's daytime doubleheader.

The first rounds and quarterfinals will be available on OVCSports.TV for free. The semifinals and final will be broadcast on ESPN 3, ESPN Full Court and select stations in OVC markets. Among the select stations are WEIU, WLJT-DT and WCTE.

TSU dropped both contests against EKU this season, falling to the Colonels, 79-59, on the road before suffering a disappointing, 73-66, loss in the Gentry Center.

In the first meeting between the two teams, Tayla Foster led TSU with 21 points while Destiney Gaston finished with 13. Alana Morris grabbed a team-best eight rebounds.

TSU shot 30.6 percent (22-of-72) from the field, including 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from three-point range while knocking down 66.7 percent (10-of-15) from the free-throw line. EKU shot 50.8 percent (30-of- 59) from the field, 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from long range and 68.8 percent (11-of-16) from the charity stripe.

In the second match-up of the season, Tennessee State was led in scoring by Kim Haynes' 19 points while Simone Hopes added 16. Rachel Allen (12) and Chelsea Hudson (10) also recorded double figures as TSU's leading scorer Jasmin Shuler was held to only three points.

Although Tennessee State only committed 10 turnovers, the Lady Tigers seemed out of sync the entire game. TSU shot 32.1 percent (25-of-78) from the field and 29.2 percent (7-of-24) from three-point range.

Eastern Kentucky knocked down 43.1 percent (25-of-58) of its shots, including 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from long range.

This season, TSU averaged 62.5 points per game vs. Eastern Kentucky while shooting 31.3 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from long range. Tayla Foster led the Lady Tigers in scoring with an average of 10.5 ppg while TSU's leading scorer Jasmin Shuler was held to a combined 12 points through both games of the season series.

EKU averaged 76.0 ppg behind a .470 field goal percentage, including .429 from three-point range. The Colonels also shot 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.

FIRST ROUND - Wednesday, Feb. 29

Game 1 - #5 Morehead State vs. #8 Austin Peay - 12 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Game 2 - #6 Eastern Kentucky vs. #7 Tennessee State - 2 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)  Watch Replay of TSU Game at OVCSports.TV

QUARTERFINALS - Thursday, March 1
Game 3 - #4 Murray State vs. Game 1 winner - 12 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)
Game 4 - #3 Tennessee Tech vs. Game 2 winner - 2 p.m. (OVCSports.TV)

SEMIFINALS - Friday, March 2
Game 5 - #1 UT Martin vs. Game 3 winner - 12 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 6 - #2 Eastern Illinois vs. Game 2 winner - 2 p.m. (ESPN3)

CHAMPIONSHIP - Saturday, March 3
Game 7 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 4:30 p.m. (ESPN3) All Times Central

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION