Edinboro, Pennsylvania -- Edinboro's 70-56 victory over Indiana (Pa.) Saturday night at McComb Fieldhouse was a statement made by not only the Lady Scots, but also the entire PSAC West.
Shaw's tight 64-59 win over a youthful Gannon club showed that the senior-laden Bears of the CIAA are worthy of claiming a second straight NCAA Elite Eight berth and remain a national title contender.
The Atlantic Regional was perfectly seeded, as top-seed Edinboro (30-1), ranked No. 3 in Division II, meets defending region champion and second-seeded Shaw (25-6) today at 7 p.m. in the title game.
The contest is a rematch of the 2011 first round at Edinboro, with the vastly underrated eighth-seeded Bears crushing the Scots 72-51. Shaw went on to win the regional and advance to the semifinals before falling to Clayton State (Ga.), the 2010-11 champions.
"We're excited because we were left with a bitter taste last year,'' Edinboro coach Stan Swank said. "We're anxious to play them again.''
LIVE AUDIO OF GAME (wfseradion.com) : MONDAY, MARCH 12, 7:00 PM
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Monday, March 12, 2012
Savannah State makes NIT field; pairings announced
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| COACH HORACE BROADNAX SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS MEAC REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS |
INDIANAPOLIS — The 75th edition of the National Invitation Tournament was released Sunday and the 32-team field features 25 teams with 20 or more wins, 11 automatic qualifiers and four teams out of the Atlantic 10 Conference, including the 2010 NIT champion, Dayton.
First-round play kicks off on March 13 and 14, with the second round taking place March 15 through the 19. Quarterfinals follow on March 20 and 21, and for the 75th time, the NIT semifinals and final game will take place in New York’s Madison Square Garden on March 27 and 29.
First-round action on campus sites features number one seeds Washington, Seton Hall, Arizona and Tennessee hosting, respectively, four automatic qualifiers, Texas-Arlington, Stony Brook, Bucknell and Savannah State.
The 8th seed SSU Tigers (21-11) will travel to Knoville and face the #1 seed Tennessee Volunteers (18-14) on Tuesday, March 13 at 8:00 PM ET. The game will be televised live by ESPNU.
Other first-round games include Northwestern hosting Akron, LSU visiting Oregon, Dayton travelling (due to arena unavailability) to Iowa, Middle Tennessee State at home against Marshall, La Salle hosting Minnesota, while Valparaiso visits Miami (Fla.).
Rounding out first-round play is UMass at Mississippi State, UCF at Drexel, UNI visiting Saint Joseph’s, Oral Roberts hosting Nevada, Cleveland State traveling to Stanford and Ole Miss at home against Illinois State.
“Once again, the committee has come up with an outstanding field, filled with strong teams with outstanding credentials. In addition to the at-large bids we handed out, we rewarded 11 regular season conference champions with an opportunity to play in the NIT,” commented C.M. Newton, now in his seventh year as chair of the NIT Selection Committee.
The seven remaining automatic qualifiers, regular season conference champions include: Washington, Akron, Middle Tennessee, Valparaiso, Drexel, Oral Roberts and Nevada.
VISIT: NCCA.COM FOR MORE INFO
# 7 Shaw Downs Wheeling Jesuit 92-68 To Advance to Regional Finals
With the win, the seventh-ranked Bears improve to 27-3 on the season while Wheeling Jesuit finishes their season 22-10.
Shaw dominated in all aspects of the game, shooting over 54 percent, pulling in 39 rebounds to WJU's 31, and forcing 20 turnovers while committing only ten.
"We executed our game plan," said Shaw head coach Cleo Hill, Jr. "We wanted to get the ball inside and I think we did that well. We thought we might wear them down, and I think we did."
The Bears played a smothering defense that held the Cardinals 20 points below their 88.4 points per game average, and holding their leading scorer, Steve Catlich, nine points below his average on the season.
"We've been spurt-y on the defensive side of the ball," said Hill. "We've had about four really strong defensive halves this season, and the first half of tonight's game was one of them."
Midway through the first half, no one could have anticipated the eventual blowout. With 10:10 left in the first, Josh Valentic gave Wheeling Jesuit a three-point, 15-12, lead. The Cardinals would not score again for five minutes and 15 seconds.
In that timeframe, Shaw scored 19 points, ending with Devon Mclendon's jumper off an assist from Tony Smith that gave Shaw a 31-15 lead with 5:33 to go.
Shaw closed out the half outscoring the Cardinals 9-5 to take a 20-point lead into the locker room.
It took Wheeling Jesuit less than five minutes of the second half to trim that 20-point lead down to nine. With 15:22 showing on the clock, WJU's Obi Ukwuoma hit a jumper off an assist from Ben Siefert made the score 45-36 and brought the large Cardinal contingent to their feet.
"We got lax," said Hill. "They came out ready to play. When you have only 64 teams in a tournament, they're all going to be good and they all will have had to battle through adversity. They were no different. They played hard."
Still up nine with 14:16 left, the Bears went on another run and again took control of the game. Karron Johnson started the streak with a jumper off a feed from Malik Alvin that started a 20-3 streak. When Mclendon hit a three from the right wing, he extended the Shaw lead to 26 at 67-41.
With 5:04 left in the game, Alvin hit a pair of free throws to give the Bears a 78-46 lead. In the next minute, Colin Barth hit four three-point shots. By the time he hit the fourth, Shaw led by only 20, 80-60.
Smith again found Johnson to rebuild the Shaw lead to 20.
"Both of these guys are NBA-level players," Hill said. "Karron is sacrificing part of his game by moving inside and he's handled that well. And Tony runs our offense, it's as simple as that."
The two teams would all but exchange buckets the rest of the way, with Shaw coming away with the 92-68 victory.
Johnson finished the game with 22 points and six rebounds. Hines, who averages 6.6 points per game, finished the contest with 18. Smith finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double with 13 points, ten assists and seven boards, which led the Bears. Alvin finished the contest with 13 points.
Barth finished the game with 17 points while Catich had 12 and Recardo Gaddy and Marquis Moore had ten apiece.
Shaw now advances to the Atlantic Regional Final where they will take on host and top seeded West Liberty who defeated West Virginia Wesleyan 99-69. The Hilltoppers, ranked third in the nation, knocked Shaw out of last year's NCAA Tournament in what locals call one of the best games ever played at the West Liberty gym. The Regional Final is Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m.
BOX SCORE
Sherri Fillingham , Director of Sports Information
VISIT: SHAW UNIVERSITY
VISIT: SHAWBEARS.COM
Sunday, March 11, 2012
PVAMU Lady Panthers Win Second Straight SWAC Tournament Championship
GARLAND, Texas - Prairie View A&M junior guard Latia "Momma" Williams carried her team in the second half of the 2012 SWAC Tournament Championship Game on Saturday evening, scoring 20-of-her-24 points in the final 20 minutes as the Lady Panthers beat Alcorn State 63-50 to cut the down the nets for their second-consecutive conference championship at the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas.Prairie View A&M coach Toyelle Wilson had some choice words to describe Williams after the win.
“Leadership. Veteran,” WIlson said. “The most consistent player all year. She should have been SWAC Player of the year.”
Williams, the SWAC Tournament MVP, scored over half of her team's second-half points as Prairie View went on to outscore Alcorn State 38-18 in the second half. The Lady Panthers used stifling defense to fuel their second half run and limited the Lady Braves to 24.1 percent shooting from the field, forcing 17 turnovers in the game.
Prairie View A&M went on a 19-3 run in the second half, which was capped off by a three-point play the old fashioned way by Williams with 4:58 left. This turned a 40-34 deficit into a 53-45 lead. Williams scored nine points during that stretch, and junior guard JaQuandria Williams added five of her seven points, also in that run.
“We played a really bad first half,” Wilson said. “We weren't playing as physical or aggressive as we normally do. But we made some half-time adjustments and obviously went to Latia Williams in the second half. I went to our bread and butter. I went to what got us here.”
Freshman center Larissa Scott saw her game of consecutive double-doubles end at four games, but she played a huge role in Prairie View A&M's SWAC Championship victory, scoring seven points and grabbing 10 boards.
“I had to pick up my performance,” Scott said. “Coach Wilson told us that only we can win the game, because we are the players on the floor. For me, I thought if I wasn't producing offensively, at least I could do it defensively.”
Scott had six defensive rebounds and three blocks.
Junior guard Kiara Etienne was doubtful for Saturday's game with a knee injury, but fought through the pain and proved to be the Prairie View A&M offense in the first half. She scored 10 first-half points, keeping her struggling team in the game. Etienne went 4-for-11 from the field, but the rest of the team shot a dismal 8-for-28 in the first half and entered the locker room trailing 32-25.
Wilson was overjoyed and at the same time relieved to win her second conference championship in just her second season as a head coach. Under her helm, the Lady Panthers have never lost a SWAC Tournament game (6-0). She has also tied former Prairie View A&M coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke for the most NCAA Tournament Appearances in school history with two.
“I don't like losing,” Wilson said. “You have to earn success. You can't take the elevator. You have to take the stairs. I told the girls the first flight was Alcorn State. The second flight was Mississippi Valley. I asked them if they were going to leave the legacy on the court as a champion or just another team. They responded.”
The Lady Panthers will find out their fate at 6 p.m. on Monday after watching the 2012 NCAA Women's Tournament Selection Show.BOX SCORE
Box Score
COURTESY: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Hampton hangs on for third straight MEAC women's title
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| JERICKA JENKINS MEAC TOURNAMENT MVP HAMPTON UNIVERSITY LADY PIRATES |
Avant, Hampton University’s junior forward, secured the game’s final possession when Howard’s Tamoria Holmes missed a last-second runner as the top-seeded Lady Pirates held off No. 2 Howard 54-53 to win their third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship on Saturday.
The Lady Pirates (26-4), the first Hampton team to win three consecutive women’s tournament titles and the first MEAC team to do so since Howard in 1998, will learn their NCAA tournament destination in Monday’s selection show.
“It means a lot to me and to my team, and it means a lot to my university,” said Hampton senior point guard Jericka Jenkins, named the tournament MVP. “It was great for us. We did a wonderful thing. We just made history.”
Saturday’s history was hard-fought. After Holmes’ miss, Avant wrapped both arms around the ball as Howard players tried in vain to wrest it away for the game’s final two seconds. Then she sank to the court, where she lay until celebrating teammates pulled her to her feet.
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Bethune-Cookman topped 73-70 by Norfolk for MEAC title
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Bethune-Cookman battled back from a 14-point deficit with 7 1/2 minutes left to have a chance to tie in the final seconds, but the Wildcats fell short Saturday afternoon in their first MEAC tournament championship game appearance.Norfolk State survived two game-tying 3-point attempts in the final 17 seconds to win 73-70 and claim its first MEAC title and NCAA tournament bid.
"We feel we gave it out best shot," said B-CU guard Kevin Dukes, who led the Wildcats with 18 points. "We've got a good group. We came together as a team. We're proud of each other. We just have to come back and work as hard next year."
The fourth-seeded Wildcats (18-17) needed most of the second half to get a 13-point halftime deficit below double digits, and they didn't do that until Javoris Bryant's layup off a feed from Garrius Holloman made it 59-51 with 5:17 to play.
No. 2 seed Norfolk State (25-9) stretched the lead to 69-60 on two Kyle O'Quinn free throws with 1:28 to play, but the Wildcats made one more push.
PHOTOS: 2012 Conference Champions
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Mississippi Vally Delta Devils earn a trip to the Big Dance
GARLAND, TEXAS — Mississippi Valley State built an 18-point lead and then withstood a furious Texas Southern comeback to beat the Tigers 71-69 tonight and win the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Valley (21-12), the regular-season SWAC champion, won three games in four days here to claim the league’s automatic bid into the Big Dance, but none of the wins came easily.
Not even this one, in which the Delta Devils led by 18 midway through the second half and still led by 16, 63-47, with 4:35 left. That’s when the Panthers started their furious rally.
Led by Omar Strong, who led all scorers with 30 points, TSU cut it to three, 67-64, with 54 seconds left. That’s when MVSU freshman Brent Arrington made his biggest shot of the season, a 3-pointer from the corner with the shot-clock winding down, to give Valley a six-point cushion with 24 seconds left. A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Strong made the final margin two, but that’s as close as the Tigers could get.
PHOTO GALLERY: MVSU - Texas Southern
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Valley (21-12), the regular-season SWAC champion, won three games in four days here to claim the league’s automatic bid into the Big Dance, but none of the wins came easily.
Not even this one, in which the Delta Devils led by 18 midway through the second half and still led by 16, 63-47, with 4:35 left. That’s when the Panthers started their furious rally.
Led by Omar Strong, who led all scorers with 30 points, TSU cut it to three, 67-64, with 54 seconds left. That’s when MVSU freshman Brent Arrington made his biggest shot of the season, a 3-pointer from the corner with the shot-clock winding down, to give Valley a six-point cushion with 24 seconds left. A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Strong made the final margin two, but that’s as close as the Tigers could get.
PHOTO GALLERY: MVSU - Texas Southern
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Shaw Downs #22 Gannon 64-59 To Advance to NCAA Regional Final
The win improves the second seeded Shaw's record to 25-6 while the Lady Knights fall to 22-7 as their season comes to an end.
The Lady Bears outshot Gannon, but only slightly, hitting 27 of their 60 shot attempts (45 percent). The Lady Knights hit 22 of 53 attempts (41.5 percent). Shaw held the advantage in rebounds, as well, pulling in 39 boards compared to Gannon's 34.
Shaw managed only one made shot from beyond the arc on six attempts while Gannon sank six of the 22 threes they attempted.
Early on, the game was close with two ties in the first six minutes of play. With 14:08 left in the first, Victoria Tanner found Crystal Harris under the basket for a short jumper that gave Shaw a 7-5 lead.
Gannon answered with a three from Brittany Batts to give the Lady Knights the only lead they would hold on the night.
Shaw scored ten straight , punctuated by a layup by Williams off a pass from Sequoyah Griffin to give the Lady Bears a 17-8 lead with 8:55 left in the first.
Ninety seconds later, the Bears extended the lead to 12, but the Lady Knights battled back, eventually trimming the lead to two when Kelsey McCoy hit a three to make the score 24-22 in favor of Shaw.
The Lady Bears scored the final four points in the half to take a 30-24 lead into the half.
Box Score
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Hampton Uses Defense To Pull out Win Over Howard
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| SAADIA DOYLE ALL-MEAC FIRST TEAM |
Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Jericka Jenkins converted two free throws and then Hampton held Howard scoreless over the last 1:19 to eke out a 54-53 win over the Lady Bison in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship at the LJVM.
Both teams came into the game ranked nationally in defense and that was what dictated the tempo. Howard took the early lead out of the blocks at 9-2 only to have Hampton rally to take a 29-21 advantage at the half. Jenkins, a senior guard and a first team All-MEAC selection, put her team on her shoulders by tallying 10 points.
The Lady Pirates, who won their third straight tournament title, upped the margin 10 to start the second half, but that is when Howard began to methodically work its way back in the game despite Hampton's attempts to keep them at bay by holding an 8 to 10-point bulge.
"We didn't rebound the ball well in the first half," said Hampton Coach David Six. "We did a better job in the second half. We also had some foul trouble which created matchups that were different than when we play them. But give Howard credit. It was a great game for a championship. I think I aged 10 years."
After the Lady Pirates took their last double digit lead at 47-37 at the 9:30 mark, the Lady Bison went on a 16-5 run over an eight-minute span to take their first lead of the second half at 53-52 on a jump shot by Tamoria Holmes with 1:19 remaining.
Jenkins, who was named the tournament outstanding performer, was fouled six seconds later and the senior, a career 80 percent free throw shooter, calmly sank two free throws as Hampton regained the lead at 54-53 with 1:19 left on the clock.
The Lady Bison had two more attempts to take the lead, but the Lady Pirates defense thwarted both attempts by Holmes to close out the game.
"I thought the last shot that I took had a chance," said Holmes, who led all scorers with 20 points and was named to the all-tournament team. "We battled back, we played hard, but we came up short."
Neither team shot the ball well, but the Lady Pirates used a 40-28 rebounding advantage to offset that and the 17 turnovers they committed.
"We are usually a good rebounding team, but we lost the battle on the boards this game," said Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler.
Jenkins led her team with and 5 assists, Alyssa Bennett with 13 and Kiera Avant with a double double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
"In the past three years I have played, it has been a battle," said Jenkins. "Doyle is a tough player who plays hard all the time. She gets loose balls and does other things to help her team."
She continued. "Holmes is a great offensive player. She scores well and she is very difficult to defend."
The Lady Bison, who tied a school record for most victories in a season, got a game-high 20 from Holmes and 16 from Saadia Doyle, who was also named to the all tournament team.
"We are excited that we will be in post-season play,' said Geckeler. "We have all of our starters returning and lose only two seniors, so the future is bright for Howard women's basketball."
The All tournament team included Doyle and Holmes of Howard, Antonia Bennett from Florida A&M and Jeanine Manley from Coppin State. Jenkins was named tournament outstanding performer and David Six was named tournament outstanding coach.
Box Score
Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
VISIT: HOWARD-BISON.COM
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Gold Rush, Howell continue their success at AUM Invitational
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team rolled to its ninth consecutive victory Saturday, and the Gold Nuggets' Kourtney Howell recorded her second singles victory in as many days against a ranked opponent in the AUM Invitational.
The Gold Rush, ranked ninth in the NAIA, defeated 22nd-ranked Campbellsville 9-0. The win streak of the XU men (9-1) is their longest since the start of the 2001-02 season.
The Gold Nuggets lost 7-2 to No. 15 Shorter, but Howell beat 22nd-ranked Candice Laurent 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8) at the No. 1 flight. Howell has four consecutive singles victories since losing six straight. It was Howell's second super-tiebreaker victory of the spring semester in eight attempts.
Winning her sixth consecutive No. 2 singles match -- she began the streak this past Sunday -- was XU freshman Amanda Materre, who beat Margot Vetter 6-3, 6-2. Aurelie Gaborit clinched for Shorter (13-3) with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Jordyn Goody at No. 4.
Shorter defeated the Gold Nuggets (2-11) for the second time in six days. /*-The XU men won every set but one against Campbellsville (4-1). Viktor Svoboda clinched the dual with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Pablo Numbela at No. 3 singles.
Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson improved their singles win streaks to six. Giles-Osborn defeated Pontus Blom 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4, and Richardson beat Alberto Diaz 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6.
The Gold Rush have six victories in the past seven duals against ranked opponents. The Gold Nuggets are 1-4 this season against ranked opponents.
"Our men got off to a good start in the doubles today," XU coach Alan Green said. "We're trying to clean up some things so we don't have to rely as much on our singles.
"Our women played tough in singles but came up short. We need to play much better doubles just to give ourselves a chance in these matches."
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
The Gold Rush, ranked ninth in the NAIA, defeated 22nd-ranked Campbellsville 9-0. The win streak of the XU men (9-1) is their longest since the start of the 2001-02 season.
The Gold Nuggets lost 7-2 to No. 15 Shorter, but Howell beat 22nd-ranked Candice Laurent 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-8) at the No. 1 flight. Howell has four consecutive singles victories since losing six straight. It was Howell's second super-tiebreaker victory of the spring semester in eight attempts.
Winning her sixth consecutive No. 2 singles match -- she began the streak this past Sunday -- was XU freshman Amanda Materre, who beat Margot Vetter 6-3, 6-2. Aurelie Gaborit clinched for Shorter (13-3) with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Jordyn Goody at No. 4.
Shorter defeated the Gold Nuggets (2-11) for the second time in six days. /*-The XU men won every set but one against Campbellsville (4-1). Viktor Svoboda clinched the dual with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Pablo Numbela at No. 3 singles.
Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson improved their singles win streaks to six. Giles-Osborn defeated Pontus Blom 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4, and Richardson beat Alberto Diaz 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6.
The Gold Rush have six victories in the past seven duals against ranked opponents. The Gold Nuggets are 1-4 this season against ranked opponents.
"Our men got off to a good start in the doubles today," XU coach Alan Green said. "We're trying to clean up some things so we don't have to rely as much on our singles.
"Our women played tough in singles but came up short. We need to play much better doubles just to give ourselves a chance in these matches."
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
WSSU's season comes to an end
WEST LIBERTY, West Virginia - Winston-Salem State's basketball season came to a crashing halt Saturday night in the first round of the Division II Atlantic Regional. A 25-foot 3-pointer by Raymont McElroy with 21.5 seconds left lifted West Virginia Wesleyan to a 57-54 win. The Rams failed to respond after the deep 3 and will take the six-hour ride back to Winston-Salem this morning."Throughout the game, we got out of character a little bit," coach Bobby Collins of the Rams said. "We needed to make one more stop, and we couldn't do it."
The Rams were clinging to a 54-52 lead when the Bobcats got the ball with 42.3 seconds left. Wesleyan failed to find any room at first, but on an out-of-bounds play, McElroy worked himself free on the right wing, then buried his only 3-point shot of the game. It was the most open McElroy, who averages 21 points, had been all night.
On their next possession, the Rams got a good look from point guard Marcus Wells, who worked inside but missed a short jumper. Mike Williams of the Bobcats was there for the rebound and was fouled. He made both shots for a three-point lead with 4.2 seconds left.
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IUP Men's basketball loses to Shaw in Atlantic Region quarterfinals
WEST LIBERTY, WEST VIRGINIA -- For the first time since 2009, the No. 7 IUP men's basketball team will not make a trip to the Atlantic Regional final as it fell to the No. 2 seed Shaw of the CIAA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 62-54. The game also marked the last time seniors Ashton Smith and Julian Sanders will suit up in an IUP uniform."We found a way to win a lot of games all year long," IUP Head Coach Joe Lombardi said after the game. "In no way were we a dominating team and we just had some great leadership from our three terrific seniors. They had a lot of heart and they passed it along to the rest of the team. I certainly feel it was a gritty bunch and bunch that played together and cared about each other. Those intangibles helped us have the success that we did."
IUP's successful season was halted by a bigger, stronger Shaw team (26-3) that will move on to face Wheeling Jesuit in the Atlantic Region semifinals.
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TSU's rally falls short in SWAC tournament final
With a shot at an NCAA Tournament bid on the line, TSU's failure to take care of the ball during the first 30 minutes put the Tigers in a hole that not even a late 22-8 run could overcome, falling to the Delta Devils 71-69 at the Special Events Center.
TSU received a game-high 30 points from junior guard Omar Strong, who went 8-of-15 from 3-point range, and 10 from reserve guard Dexter Ellington.
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# 7 Shaw Downs #10 Indiana (PA) 62-54 To Advance to Second Round of NCAA Tournament
WEST LIBERTY, West Virginia – Karron Johnson had 17 points as Shaw downed Indiana (PA) 62-54 in the opening round of the Division II Men's Basketball Tournament held at West Liberty University.With the win, the seventh-ranked Bears improve to 26-3 on the season. They are the second seed in the Atlantic Region. Indiana (PA), the seventh seed in the region and the tenth-ranked team in the country, falls to 23-6.
The Bears led throughout most of the game, but allowed the Crimson Hawks to tie the game with just under two minutes left in the game. Junius Chaney hit a pair of free throws, then Johnson sank a three from the top of the key to give the Bears a five-point lead.
"Karron can shoot the basketball," said Shaw head coach Cleo Hill, Jr. "We've asked him to move inside and he's sacrificed and done that, but today he was able to do a bit of both." "We put up shots like that in practice," Johnson said. "That's what practice is for. After we fell short in the CIAA Tournament, I looked to find my stroke and get more involved."
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Rush drop to 21st, earn at-large berth in national tourney
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana is 21st in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced Wednesday afternoon. About two hours later the NAIA announced that the Gold Rush (23-8) received an at-large bid to next week's national tournament.
Xavier was 1-1 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Jacksonville, Fla., this past week and lost 66-65 to SUNO in the semifinals Friday. SUNO then beat Tougaloo 79-58 in the championship game Saturday to earn the GCAC's automatic bid to the tournament.
Xavier is in the top 25 for the 10th consecutive time and the 23rd time in 24 polls dating to the start of the 2010-11 season. The Gold Rush were 17th in the final poll before the 2011 national tournament.
Tougaloo remained 24th in the poll and also received an at-large bid. The NAIA will announce the bracket and game times by 6 p.m today.
The 75th-anniversary Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship will begin next Wednesday at Kansas City, Mo., with eight first-round games. The other eight first-round games will be played the following day.
NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Tuesday, March 6)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Shorter (11) 31-2 312 2
2 Oklahoma Baptist (1) 28-4 301 1
3 Robert Morris (Chicago) 27-4 293 tie-4
4 Concordia (Calif.) 26-6 279 tie-4
5 Martin Methodist 27-6 269 6
6 Southern Poly 24-6 266 3
7 Our Lady of the Lake 26-7 246 7
8 Lindsey Wilson 21-9 230 9
9 Rogers State 22-8 217 10
10 Biola 24-8 216 19
11 Mountain State 23-8 215 8
12 LSU-Shreveport 25-7 205 14
13 John Brown 24-8 194 13 14 Georgetown (Ky.) 24-8 189 12
15 Columbia (Mo.) 26-6 167 16
16 Point Loma Nazarene 20-9 146 11
17 Lee (Tenn.) 20-8 142 15
18 Montana State Northern 27-6 132 21
19 Texas Wesleyan 25-7 131 20
20 Montana Western 24-9 122 17
21 Xavier 23-8 109 18
22 MidAmerica Nazarene 24-8 88 25
23 Campbellsville 21-11 73 RV
24 Tougaloo 23-8 72 24
25 Southern Nazarene 22-10 70 23
Others receiving votes: Azusa Pacific 59, Olivet Nazarene 50, Cumberlands 50, Freed-Hardeman 48, Cumberland 42, Saint Xavier 14, Westminster (Utah) 10, Evangel 8, Cal State San Marcos 7, Southwestern Assemblies of God 5, Westmont 3, Voorhees 1, Baker 1.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICSVISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Howard Parlays the Scoring of Doyle and Holmes and Team Defense to Advance
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Saadia Doyle scored 16 of her game-high 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Tamoria Holmes tallied 13 of her 19 after intermission to lead Howard University to a 51-43 win over Florida A&M University in the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament at the LJVMC.
The Lady Bison (24-7), the Number 2 seed, advance to the tournament championship for the second straight year against Hampton, the 2011-12 regular season and 2011 defending tournament champion on Saturday. That game will be televised live on ESPNU at 4 pm.
It was Doyle and the Howard defense that set the tone for the game early. The Lady Bison jumped out to an early 24-8 lead on the strength of some strong team defense and Doyle, a first team All-MEAC selection.
The Howard defense was stifling, holding the Lady Rattlers to 15 percent on 5 of 33 shooting. The 5-11 junior from Atlanta, GA, led all scorers with 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
"We hang out hats on our defense," said Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler, of the defense which has held 25 of the last 26 opponents to under 60 points. "We were able to execute our game plan. Saadia did a great job on the boards and Tamoria picked up things offensively for us in the second half. And the twins (Portia and Nicole Deterville) are our unsung heroes." The Deterville twins grabbed 14 rebounds between them.
The Lady Rattlers (22-8), the Number 3 seed, made a run in the second half and used a 10-1 run to get within two at 36-34 at the 6:43 mark.
Following a timeout, Howard responded with a 10-2 spurt to take a 46-36 lead with 1:49 left that all but sealed the deal. Holmes, a first team All-MEAC selection, scored four of her 13 second points during the run.
"The outside game wasn't working in the first half, so coach told me to start going to the hole," said Holmes, who connected on 8 of 16 from the field and grabbed a season-high 6 rebounds.
After establishing herself as an offensive threat in the first half, Doyle concentrated more of defense and rebounding the second half, along with an occasional timely basket or free throws to keep FAMU at arm's length.
"I came out much more aggressive today than I did in our regular season game against them," said Doyle, who recorded her 39th double double of her career.
The Lady Rattlers appeared to be a step slow to start the game. Florida A&M had pulled out a hard-fought win over Maryland Eastern Shore less than 24 hours before this game. Their problems were further compounded by the absence of Antonia Bennett, the MEAC Player of the Year and Qiana Donald, the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, due to foul problems.
"We started the game slow and sluggish," said FAMU head coach LaDawn Gibson, the MEAC Coach of the Year. "We dug ourselves in a hole that we were not able to get out of. And when Antonia and Qiana got into foul trouble, it changed the game."
Jasmine Grice led the Lady Rattlers with 14 points while Donald and Bennett each added 13 in a losing effort. Jamie Foreman grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for Florida A&M.
Hampton swept Howard this season and has won six a row in the series, including last year's championship. It matches the Number 1 and 2 seeds.
"It is Number 1 and 2 matching up,"said Coach Geckeler. "They are very tough team."
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COURTESY: HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: HOWARD-BISON.COM
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
The Lady Bison (24-7), the Number 2 seed, advance to the tournament championship for the second straight year against Hampton, the 2011-12 regular season and 2011 defending tournament champion on Saturday. That game will be televised live on ESPNU at 4 pm.
It was Doyle and the Howard defense that set the tone for the game early. The Lady Bison jumped out to an early 24-8 lead on the strength of some strong team defense and Doyle, a first team All-MEAC selection.
The Howard defense was stifling, holding the Lady Rattlers to 15 percent on 5 of 33 shooting. The 5-11 junior from Atlanta, GA, led all scorers with 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
"We hang out hats on our defense," said Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler, of the defense which has held 25 of the last 26 opponents to under 60 points. "We were able to execute our game plan. Saadia did a great job on the boards and Tamoria picked up things offensively for us in the second half. And the twins (Portia and Nicole Deterville) are our unsung heroes." The Deterville twins grabbed 14 rebounds between them.
The Lady Rattlers (22-8), the Number 3 seed, made a run in the second half and used a 10-1 run to get within two at 36-34 at the 6:43 mark.
Following a timeout, Howard responded with a 10-2 spurt to take a 46-36 lead with 1:49 left that all but sealed the deal. Holmes, a first team All-MEAC selection, scored four of her 13 second points during the run.
"The outside game wasn't working in the first half, so coach told me to start going to the hole," said Holmes, who connected on 8 of 16 from the field and grabbed a season-high 6 rebounds.
After establishing herself as an offensive threat in the first half, Doyle concentrated more of defense and rebounding the second half, along with an occasional timely basket or free throws to keep FAMU at arm's length.
"I came out much more aggressive today than I did in our regular season game against them," said Doyle, who recorded her 39th double double of her career.
The Lady Rattlers appeared to be a step slow to start the game. Florida A&M had pulled out a hard-fought win over Maryland Eastern Shore less than 24 hours before this game. Their problems were further compounded by the absence of Antonia Bennett, the MEAC Player of the Year and Qiana Donald, the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, due to foul problems.
"We started the game slow and sluggish," said FAMU head coach LaDawn Gibson, the MEAC Coach of the Year. "We dug ourselves in a hole that we were not able to get out of. And when Antonia and Qiana got into foul trouble, it changed the game."
Jasmine Grice led the Lady Rattlers with 14 points while Donald and Bennett each added 13 in a losing effort. Jamie Foreman grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for Florida A&M.
Hampton swept Howard this season and has won six a row in the series, including last year's championship. It matches the Number 1 and 2 seeds.
"It is Number 1 and 2 matching up,"said Coach Geckeler. "They are very tough team."
BOX SCORE
COURTESY: HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: HOWARD-BISON.COM
VISIT: HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Mississippi Valley earns spot in SWAC title game
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GARLAND, TEXAS — Cor-J Cox and Paul Crosby combined for 37 points tonight, helping Mississippi Valley State beat Arkansas Pine Bluff 71-64 to earn a spot in Saturday’s championship game of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament.The Delta Devils (20-12) will play Texas Southern at 7 p.m. Saturday for the championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Cox scored 19 points and Crosby had 18 as Valley turned back APBU (11-22) in a game that was close throughout.
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SWAC title on the line, as Tigers take on Delta Devils
The Tigers, the second seed in the tourney, enters the championship round two games under .500 at 15-17 as the team shoots for a fifth title in this event and the first since 2003. Texas Southern began the road to this game by first defeating Alabama A&M in the quarterfinals on Wednesday and then taking out sixth-seeded Alcorn State on Friday, 60-55.
As for the top-seeded Delta Devils, they were expected to be here considering than crushed the rest of the SWAC with a record of 17-1 this season. They've won this event a total of four times, the last trophy being taken home in 2008 after slipping by Jackson State, 59-58.
This year the top team in the SWAC defeated that same Jackson State squad in the quarterfinals three days ago, 63-60, and then topped fifth-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff last night, 71-64.
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“Momma” lifts Prairie View to the SWAC Tournament Finals
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| LATIA "MOMMA" WILLIAMS 5'-10" REDSHIRT JUNIOR FORWARD HOMETOWN: RIVERDALE, GEORGIA NORTH CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL |
GARLAND, Texas - As the only fourth-year player for Prairie View A&M, Latia Williams likes for her teammates to call her “Momma.” In Friday’s 58-55 semifinal upset of No. 1 seed Mississippi Valley State, Momma made it all better.
Williams rebounded a teammate’s missed free throw with 29 seconds left and scored to give Prairie View a one-point lead. She then hit two free throws with 10 seconds left for a three-point cushion.
On the final possession, MVSU got 3-point shots from Alia Frank and Lenise Stallings, but both failed to find the bottom of the net.
“My heart is still beating fast,” said Williams, who had 23 points and eight rebounds.
Larissa Scott added 13 points and eight rebounds for Prairie View, the defending tournament champion. Prairie View meets Alcorn State in the final at 5 p.m. Saturday.
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Williams Carries Prairie View A&M Back To SWAC Tournament Finals
GARLAND, Texas - She couldn't contain herself. As soon as the final buzzer sounded and the ball took its last bounce, rolling to a stop, Prairie View A&M junior forward Latia Williams collapsed on the hardwood and started pounding her fists in a moment of pure exitement.
Williams didn't want her season to end without getting a chance to repeat as a SWAC Tournament Champion. So she took the game into her own hands in the closing moments of the Lady Panthers' 58-55 win over top-seeded Mississippi Valley State, which propelled them to the SWAC Tournament Championship game on Saturday.
"I'm the oldest player on the team," Williams said. "So I call myself 'Momma'. I told them to 'get on my back and Momma is going to bring us home.'"
Prairie View A&M trailed 55-52 with 1:28 left in the game following a layup by the Devilettes' Alia Frank. Williams scored on a driving layup with 1:07 left to cut her team's deficit to 55-54. She then came away with a momentous block with 35 seconds remaining. Her teammate, Michaela Burton, came down with the rebound to give her team a shot at taking the lead.
Texas Southern achieves goal that was a year in the making
GARLAND, Texas — Texas Southern achieved a goal that was a year in the making with Friday’s semifinal win over Alcorn State, 60-55, in the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament. It was last year on the same Garland Special Events Center court that a then-No. 1 seed Texas Southern was upset by Alabama State, which went on to win the tournament as the No. 4 seed.
This time, as the No. 2 seed, Texas Southern got past the semifinal hurdle and is a win away from the securing the SWAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time; we’re here now,” Texas Southern coach Tony Harvey said. “We’ve got one more.”
Texas Southern (15-17) trailed at halftime, 32-29, after Alcorn State shot 52.2 percent (12-of-23) in the opening period. Alcorn State (10-22) cooled to 28.6 percent shooting in the second half as Texas Southern’s trademark 2-3 zone began to take effect.
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TSU Tigers Begin 14-Game Home Stand With Murray State
NASHVILLE, Tennessee.-- The Tennessee State softball team return home for a 14-game home stand after being on the road for the first month of the season.
The Tigers will open Ohio Valley Conference play as Murray State comes to Tiger Field for a three-game series. Start time for both Saturday and Sunday are set for 1 p.m. Day one will consist of a double header.
Murray State is in its third season of existence and won both games in Kentucky last season. In 2010, the two teams split a twin bill in Nashville. Both seasons saw rain extinguish the second day of play.
Last Week: The Tigers are coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Lipton Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida. The Tigers defeated Campbell twice, 6-1 and 3-2, while dropping a pair to Gardner-Webb, 8-6 and 6-4, and a single game to #3 Florida 8-0.
Jordan Rehl led the team going 7-for-15 (.467) at the plate with a double, a stolen base, four runs scored and four RBI. She was followed by Brittany Davis who hit .429 (6-for-14) with a double two runs and three RBI. Shea Morris and Kelly Troglin eached picked up wins from the circle. Morris record 22 strikeouts, including a career best ten versus Campbell, in 15.1 innings of work.
Murray State (5-6)
2011 Record: 24-28
Conference: Ohio Valley
2011 Finish: 13-15
Series Record: 1-3
Last Time Played: 2011, L 0-19
Last Win: 2010, 7-5
GAME NOTES: TSU vs. MSU
Murray State is coming off a 1-2 weekend at the University of Tennessee tournament. The Racers dropped games to Boston (3-1) and Tennessee (8-0), before beating middle Tennessee 6-4 in the final game of the tournament.
Megan Glosser is off to a hot start for the Racers with a .533 (16-for-30) batting average. She has two doubles, along with ten stolen bases and 11 runs scored. Glosser leads a team who is hitting .317 with 15 doubles and two home runs. In the circle, Shelby Kosmecki and Chelsey Sullivan each sport 2-2 records. Kosmecki leads the Racers staff with a 2.62 ERA in 24 innings and has recorded 21 strikeouts. Sullivan has thrown a shutout this season to go with 24 strike outs in 18.1 innings.
COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
The Tigers will open Ohio Valley Conference play as Murray State comes to Tiger Field for a three-game series. Start time for both Saturday and Sunday are set for 1 p.m. Day one will consist of a double header.
Murray State is in its third season of existence and won both games in Kentucky last season. In 2010, the two teams split a twin bill in Nashville. Both seasons saw rain extinguish the second day of play.
Last Week: The Tigers are coming off a 2-3 weekend at the Lipton Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida. The Tigers defeated Campbell twice, 6-1 and 3-2, while dropping a pair to Gardner-Webb, 8-6 and 6-4, and a single game to #3 Florida 8-0.
Jordan Rehl led the team going 7-for-15 (.467) at the plate with a double, a stolen base, four runs scored and four RBI. She was followed by Brittany Davis who hit .429 (6-for-14) with a double two runs and three RBI. Shea Morris and Kelly Troglin eached picked up wins from the circle. Morris record 22 strikeouts, including a career best ten versus Campbell, in 15.1 innings of work.
Murray State (5-6)
2011 Record: 24-28
Conference: Ohio Valley
2011 Finish: 13-15
Series Record: 1-3
Last Time Played: 2011, L 0-19
Last Win: 2010, 7-5
GAME NOTES: TSU vs. MSU
Murray State is coming off a 1-2 weekend at the University of Tennessee tournament. The Racers dropped games to Boston (3-1) and Tennessee (8-0), before beating middle Tennessee 6-4 in the final game of the tournament.
Megan Glosser is off to a hot start for the Racers with a .533 (16-for-30) batting average. She has two doubles, along with ten stolen bases and 11 runs scored. Glosser leads a team who is hitting .317 with 15 doubles and two home runs. In the circle, Shelby Kosmecki and Chelsey Sullivan each sport 2-2 records. Kosmecki leads the Racers staff with a 2.62 ERA in 24 innings and has recorded 21 strikeouts. Sullivan has thrown a shutout this season to go with 24 strike outs in 18.1 innings.
COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
XU Gold Rush reach eight straight wins for 1st time since '08
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — NAIA No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Pikeville 7-2 Friday in the opening round of the AUM Invitational. That gives the Gold Rush eight consecutive men's tennis victories for the first time since 2008.
"Martin Methodist is the same team that won our unaffiliated group tournament last season and qualified for nationals," Green said. "We fought them hard, and it would have been nice to beat them. We may see them next month at the qualifying tournament with a berth to nationals on the line. We have a great scouting report on them now."
Howell's victory gave Xavier a 4-3 lead, but the RedHawks closed with a pair of three-set victories. Maria Charrys clinched with her 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 decision against Amber Brown at No. 3.
Pikeville — in its first season of men's tennis after a four-year absence —is 1-3, and Martin Methodist is 3-1.
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XU's women lost 5-4 to 18th-ranked Martin Methodist.
The 8-1 start of the Gold Rush is the best in Alan Green's nine seasons as head coach.
"Our guys just hung tough and beat them in singles," Green said. "Right now we are winning ugly. Pikeville has a very underrated team. They're good from top to bottom. Those guys play extremely hard and together."
Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson won in doubles and singles for the XU men, who for the first time in Green's tenure won every singles match after losing two or more doubles matches. Giles-Osborn clinched the dual with his 7-5, 6-1 victory over Connor Smith at No. 4.
The Gold Nuggets (2-10) lost for the first time in three duals and narrowly missed a chance to upset a ranked opponent on the road for the second time in as many days.
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| The 2011-12 Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis team (Click Photo to enlarge) ROSTER |
Kourtney Howell won in doubles and singles for the Nuggets, and she and Amanda Materre both beat ranked singles opponents at the top two flights. Howell beat Paloma Cortina — rated 38th in NAIA singles in the preseason by the ITA, the reigning TranSouth Athletic Conference Player of the Week and the 2011 TranSouth Player of the Year — 6-0, 6-3. Materre beat 42nd-ranked Anastasia Aleshcheva 6-0, 6-1.
Howell's victory gave Xavier a 4-3 lead, but the RedHawks closed with a pair of three-set victories. Maria Charrys clinched with her 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 decision against Amber Brown at No. 3.
Pikeville — in its first season of men's tennis after a four-year absence —is 1-3, and Martin Methodist is 3-1.
Both XU teams will play ranked NAIA opponents in this event at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The Rush will play No. 22 Campbellsville, and the Nuggets will play No. 15 Shorter. It will be the sixth time in seven matches that the Rush played a ranked opponent and the fifth time in seven matches for the women. The XU women will play Shorter for the second time in six days.
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By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
FAMU's run at MEAC Tournament comes to end
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina — For 33 minutes Friday night it seemed the magical run by the Florida A&M men's basketball team would continue. Then, the Rattlers went cold.The slide that ended the most impressive postseason run by a FAMU team since 2007 lasted through the final 8 minutes and left the Rattlers beaten 58-46 by Norfolk State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference semifinal game. The Spartans will face Bethune-Cookman today for the conference title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
FAMU reached the final four by pulling off two upsets. Until its shooting went south, it seemed the Rattlers were on the verge of scoring what would have been their biggest victory of the season.
"Unfortunately we lost a good one, and to be honest with you we lost to a better team," FAMU's first-year coach Clemon Johnson said. "They seemed to have to put the ball in the hole when they needed one. We came up short."
Gold Nuggets climb 2 places to 18th in NAIA coaches poll
The Gold Nuggets (25-8) — winner of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and the GCAC's automatic berth to the NAIA Division I National Championship — earned their highest rank since Jan. 30, when they were 17th. It's the highest rank for the XU women entering the national tourney since 2005, when they were 15th.
Xavier is in the top 25 for the 30th consecutive time dating to January 2010. It's the longest top-25 streak for the Nuggets since 34 straight polls from Jan. 13, 2003-March 8, 2005.
Talladega, the GCAC regular-season and tournament runner-up, received four points to rank 33rd.
The national tournament will begin next Wednesday at Frankfort, Ky., with eight first-round games. The other eight first-round games will be played the following day.
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Tuesday, March 6)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Oklahoma City (12) 30-1 312 1
2 Union (Tenn.) 31-2 302 2
3 Freed-Hardemsn 28-5 290 3
4 Westmont 29-3 284 tie-5
5 Lubbock Christian 25-5 266 4
6 Cumberlands 28-3 264 8
7 Lee (Tenn.) 30-3 253 tie-5
8 Shawnee State 27-5 244 7
9 Azusa Pacific 24-7 226 12
10 Langston 29-3 216 9
11 Olivet Nazarene 27-4 210 10
12 Lewis-Clark State 28-4 205 13
13 Vanguard 23-6 203 11
14 Saint Xavier 24-8 178 15
15 Westminster (Utah) 22-8 171 14
16 Southern Nazarene 24-9 160 16
17 Belhaven 26-6 159 18
18 Xavier 25-8 137 20
19 Georgetown (Ky.) 21-9 134 17
20 Shorter 27-6 116 19
21 MidAmerica Nazarene 24-8 111 22
22 Campbellsville 20-12 107 21
23 Columbia (Mo.) 24-9 86 24
24 Loyola 23-5 82 23
25 William Woods 23-9 68 RV
Others receiving votes: Biola 66, Rogers State 52, LSU-Shreveport 33, Lyon 18, Avila 17, Lindsey Wilson 14, St. Gregory's 6, Talladega 4, Robert Morris (Chicago) 1, Montana State Northern 1.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
FVSU women roll into playoffs
FORT VALLEY, Georgia - Lonnie Bartley was almost ready than to panic. “I really thought we had a good basketball team,” the longtime women’s basketball head coach at Fort Valley State said. “I really thought we had a basketball team that might lose two games all year.” FVSU opened the season with a 17-point loss at home. A week later, in a chance to make statement against a team from a stronger conference, the Lady Wildcats went down 84-51 at Columbus State. Bartley was worried.
A day later, the Lady Wildcats handed 6-0 Georgia Southwestern its first loss of the season. And then, as it has done nearly every year since Bartley took over, FVSU got rolling.
“That gave us the confidence we needed,” Bartley said of the Georgia Southwestern win. “We do have a good team, but I had to convince them that we’ve got a good team.”
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