TSU Softball to Host Tiger Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - - Tennessee State softball will host five teams in the Tiger Classic Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17. Ohio State, Mercer, Saint Bonaventure, Mississippi Valley State and Belmont will all participate in the three day event. TSU opens on Friday evening at 7:15 p.m. against Big Ten opponent, Ohio State.

The match-up between the Tigers and the Buckeyes is the second, and final, game of the first day. St. Bonaventure and Belmont will start the tournament at 5 p.m. Friday evening. Day two will feature six games, including TSU versus St. Bonaventure at 1:30 p.m. and, in the last game of the day, the Tigers against MVSU at 8:15 p.m. The final day of the classic boasts four games, with the Big Blue and Mercer closing out play at 3:45 p.m.

Get full schedule and updates on the Tiger Classic Central page at tsutigers.com.

Ohio State (11-8)
2011 Record: 14-37
Conference: Big Ten
2011 Finish: 3-17
Series Record: 0-1
Last Time Played: 2001, Lost 13-0
Last Win: NA

Shortstop Alicia Herron leads the Buckeyes at the plate hitting .420 (21-for-50) with three doubles, four triples and six home runs. The senior has reached 12 times by walk, scored 17 times and has driven in 21 runs. Four other Buckeye hitters are above .300, helping set the team average of .290. In the circle, Mikayla Endicott has posted team highs at 7-6, a 1.86 ERA, two shutouts, one save, 82.2 innings pitched and 86 strike outs. Melanie Nichols is 4-2 with a 4.47 ERA.

Saint Bonaventure (8-8)
2011 Record: 13-20
Conference: Atlantic-10
2011 Finish: 8-12
Series Record: 1-0
Last Time Played: 2009, Won 2-1
Last Win: 2009, 2-1

Snider and Rohan pace the Bonnies offensively. Snider tops the stat page at .356 with two doubles, a triple, and two home runs. She is second on the team with eight runs scored and seven RBI. Rohan is 15-for-44 for a .341 average and leads the speed attack with nine of the Bonnies 15 total stolen bases. Phalon and Sansano share 97% of the pitching duties. Phalon is 4-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 51.2 innings of work. Sansano has hurled 46.2 innings and is 4-3 with a save and sports a 3.15 ERA. Both pychers have fanned 29 batters this season.

Mississippi Valley State (11-12)
2011 Record: 26-25
Conference: SWAC
2011 Finish: 15-2
Series Record: 1-1
Last Time Played: 2004, Won 2-1
Last Win: 2004, 2-1

Junior pitcher Kimberly Spivey leads MVSU in the circle and is a two-time SWAC Pitcher of the Year. Last season, Spivey finished 14-16 with an ERA of 4.49. She had four shutouts with 175 strikeouts. The Devilettes' also rely on infielder Alexandria Robertson, Nicole Burr, Diana Parade and Ashley Hobbs to drive the offense.

Mercer (12-13)
2011 Record: 32-24
Conference: Atlantic Sun
2011 Finish: 10-10
Series Record: 1-4
Last Time Played: 2011, Lost 1-6
Last Win: 1995, 4-3

McKenzie Woody sets the table for Mercer with a .425 average, 14 stolen bases and crossing home plate 20 times. The Bears are averaging just over five runs a game and boasts a lineup with six players with either double-digit runs scored or double digit runs batted in. Jessica Holsinger tops the Mercer pitching staff at 6-2 with a 2.24 ERA. She is holding opponents to a .200 batting average, while striking out 54 in 65.2 innings.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU Athletics Committee unanimously approves Broussard as A.D.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - After nearly eleven months without an athletics director, the Athletics Committee of the Southern University Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Dr. William Broussard as Southern's future director of athletics during a special session Thursday on the Baton Rouge campus.

Before Broussard's appointment becomes official, a final vote of the board is pending and will be conducted at a March 30 meeting in Shreveport, La. The former Northwestern State student-athlete was presented to the athletics committee at the recommendation of SUBR Chancellor Dr. James Llorens.



"I'm thrilled about the opportunity (to serve as Athletics Director at Southern)," said Broussard.

"I am incredibly encouraged by the (Board of Supervisors) support today. Obviously, to be approved by the committee unanimously is a tremendous show of support. I am really excited about the opportunity to come down to Baton Rouge and Southern University and to get to work."

Highly regarded as a visionary with superb fundraising capabilities, Dr. William Broussard delivers a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new post as Southern University's Director of Athletics.

Broussard's versatility is derived from a variety of administrative, athletic, and academic experiences garnered throughout his career and will be instrumental in his supervision of five men's and eight women's Division I programs at Southern.

"Similar to a new athletic director coming in, even if (a school) has been without an athletic director for a month, I am a new person," said Broussard.

"I am going to need to cultivate relationships, learn about the student-athletes who are here, the coaches who are here and their concerns, spend some time reviewing policies and procedure and ensuring that those are properly lined up so that the program performs adequately and excellently."

Broussard, 33, recently served as athletics director at Centenary College in Shreveport and cited NCAA rules compliance, academic performance and "institutional advancement" as areas he deemed vital to the success of the athletics department during his tenure.

But Broussard acknowledged that his accessibility will be a critical component as well.

"(The alumni base) needs to get to know me as well," said Broussard. "It's going to be a lot of time spent relationship building, making myself accessible. Probably will be a lot of time on the road visiting people but that's one of the best parts."

According to Broussard's bio, he is a 2000 graduate of the Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern State University and earned a master's and doctorate in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of the English Language in 2007 from the University of Arizona. While in graduate school, he served as an undergraduate instructor, research supervisor, and held positions in athletics and student life. He also gained academic experienced as a faculty member at Pima Community College in Tuscon.

Originally from Crowley, Broussard returned to his home state and alma mater to serve as Associate Athletic Director for External Relations as well as the Executive Director of the NSU Athletic Association.

In these roles, he oversaw all areas of athletic fundraising and external relations, breaking university records for attainment, annual fund, and corporate sponsorships. He garnered the largest gifts in the history of the department as well as the university as a whole. In addition, he worked closely with several sports, managing football game operations and coordinating schedules and contracts. He also served as the department's ambassador at campus events and on a wide variety of committees and working groups.

Concurrently with his work in the athletic department, Broussard worked closely with students on an academic level. He served as an assistant professor first in the journalism department and later in the language and communication department, teaching several traditional and online courses. In this role, he volunteered as a faculty advisory for the National Association of Black Journalists as well as NSU's Student Alumni Association.

Broussard has also been an active leader in the community. He has served on the Executive Board of the Boys and Girls Club and is a past president of the Natchitoches Lions Club. He also represented the NSU Athletic Department at regional and national conferences and the Southland Conference at the National Association of Athletic Development Directors conference.

As an undergraduate, Broussard was a varsity letter winner for NSU's Division I football team from 1997-2000. A two-time All-American center, Broussard was a member of the All-Conference, All-Louisiana, All-District teams and received several notable awards for his success both in the classroom and on the playing field.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Nicholls State defeats Gold Rush 5-4, Gold Nuggets 9-0

NEW ORLEANS — Shayann Vaezzadeh defeated Viktor Svoboda 6-2, 7-5 at No. 3 singles Wednesday to clinch Nicholls State's 5-4 men's tennis victory against NAIA No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.

Nicholls defeated Xavier 9-0 in the women's dual.

The Gold Rush (9-3) got singles victories from Zach Taylor, Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson, but Taylor and Giles-Osborn won after the Colonels (6-6) clinched. Taylor and Loic Didavi saved three match points to defeat Sidharth Sivakumar and Palash Tiwari 9-8 (8-6) at No. 1 doubles.

Nicholls won each of the other two doubles matches by the minimum two games. Damjan Despotovski and Roy Knight rallied from a 7-6 deficit to defeat Svoboda and Corey Huggins 9-7 at No. 3.

"Today was a good loss, if there's such a thing, for our men," XU coach Alan Green said. "Our guys played extremely hard and almost came away with a win against a Division I (NCAA) opponent that's been ranked in the top 75 this season.

"I was proud of the effort, especially after a long week when we played six times in seven days."

It was the second consecutive 5-4 loss for the Gold Rush since a nine-dual win streak, the program's longest since the start of the 2001-02 season. It also was the XU men's first home loss of the season.

The Gold Nuggets (2-13) did not win a set and lost their fourth in a row. Former XU recruit Parija Maloo, a junior at Nicholls (4-7), defeated the Nuggets' Kourtney Howell 7-5, 6-4 at No. 1 singles and snapped Howell's five-match win streak. Marie Aubert defeated Amanda Materre 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2 to end Materre's seven-match win streak and extend Aubert's streak to nine.

"Nicholls' women are pretty good from top to bottom," Green said. "We were overmatched. However, I did think Kourtney played pretty well against Maloo."

Both Xavier teams will play Saturday at City Park. The Gold Nuggets will play Louisiana Tech at 11 a.m., and both teams will meet city rival Loyola at 5 p.m.

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

Howard Lady Bison Drop 59-56 Overtime Decision to UVA in WNIT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia – The Howard women's basketball team dropped a 59-56 decision to the University of Virginia in first round action of the WNIT. The Lady Bison will end the 2011-12 campaign with a 24-9 mark – tying the program's record for most wins in a single season. The game also marks the first post-season bid for HU since 2001.

Saadia Doyle tallied her 15th double-double of the season with 16 points and a season-best 14 rebounds in 45 minutes of action. Tamoria Holmes tallied her 31st consecutive double-digit performance with 17 points. Kara Smith chipped in with eight points, while Cheyenne Curley-Payne recorded seven.

The first half was a tightly contested affair as both teams struggled offensively. HU gained a slim 13-12 advantage at the 7:03 mark off a Smith shot from behind the arc. UVA went on an 8-3 run the close the period for a 21-16 margin at the half – the largest deficit for either team.

In the second period, the Cavs were leading 34-26 at the 13:05 mark, before a Holmes triple ignited a 13-4 run over a six-plus span to take a 39-38 lead with just under seven minutes remaining. From there, both team exchanged baskets. A free throw by the Cavs Lexie Gerson tied it at 50-50 with 20 seconds on the clock. The Lady Bison had three opportunities within the last six seconds of regulation to win the contest, but was unable to convert on those attempts.

In the extra period, Zykia Brown hit a three-pointer at the four minute mark to open up scoring for a slim 53-50 edge. UVA took the lead with two consecutive baskets for a 54-53 score at 2:35. The Cavaliers pushed the lead to four, 57-53, but a Holmes three cut it down to one with just over a minute left. Two at the stripe by Gerson put UVA back up by three. Holmes shot a three as time expired, but it missed as Virginia gave the Lady Bison their ninth loss of the season.

Both teams struggled from the field as the Lady Bison were held to 29 percent shooting (20-for-29), and the Cavs a 33.3 clip (19-for-57). HU scored 13 points off 12 Cavalier miscues. Howard also won the battle of the boards 52-44.

For UVA, Gerson recorded 18 points. Ariana Moorer and Ataira Franklin tallied 14 and 13 points, respectively.

BOX SCORE

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

TSU Football Opens Spring Practice Friday

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Anticipation for the new season is in full swing as the Tennessee State University football team opens up spring practice on Friday, March 16.

Coach Rod Reed and his staff conduct their third year of spring practice this Friday and participate in drills until the annual Blue and White Game on Saturday, April 14. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. kickoff.

Last season, the Tigers finished the season 5-6 overall and 4-4 overall - placing fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference, which was three spots higher than the projected eighth place in the preseason.

The Tigers return a lot of offensive weapons including OVC Freshman of the Year Michael German. The quarterback completed 140 passes for 1,899 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Tailback Trabis Ward returns as the leading rusher, notching 978 yards and 11 TDs.

Defensively, the Tigers are looking to fill gaps to replace OVC Defensive Player of the Year Rico Council along with HBCU All-American Joseph Wylie.

Daniel Fitzpatrick returns as the Tigers' leading tackler, grabbing 69 tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss in 11 contests last season. Defensive end Antonio Harper returns with a team-best 9.0 TFLs and 6.5 sacks.

For special teams, Jamin Godfrey is expected to make extensive strides as the team's placekicker. The junior was 37-of-39 in point after attempts, while making 16 field goals.

On Friday, April 13, TSU alum Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie hosts his annual celebrity basketball tournament. In conjunction with TSU's Centennial Celebration, the Tigers close out spring practice with the annual Blue & White game at Hale Stadium affectionately known as 'The Hole.' All the practice sessions are open to the public.

Weekly Football Practice Schedule:
Friday, March 16 - 4 p.m.
Monday, March 19 - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 21 - 4 p.m.
* - Only first three practices are listed. Other dates/times will be posted later at TSUTigers.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Track & Field Turns Focus to Morehouse Relays

NASHVILE, Tennessee - The Tennessee State men's and women's track & field teams compete in the 41st annual Morehouse Relays on Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 at B.T. Harvey Stadium in Atlanta.

The Tigerbelles and Flying Tigers are coming off 15 podium finishes at the 62nd annual Florida A&M Relays. This weekend, TSU competes against several HBCUs including Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M and Tuskegee.

The Tigers compete in the men's Steeplechase on Friday at 4:30 p.m. (CT). The field events kick off Saturday at 8 a.m. (CT) with the men's javelin, while the running events also start at 9 a.m. with the 10,000-meter run. The running events continue on a rolling schedule with the college field events concluding around 2 p.m. (CT).

Two Flying Tigers are ranked nationally after the first weekend of outdoor meets. Sophomore Royce Dates' mark of 7.22m (23-8 ¼) in the long jump is good for fifth nationally. Arthur Combest's time of14.72 in the 110-meter hurdles is 12th best as of this week.

For the Tigerbelles, there are three athletes with top-30 marks. Ashontae Jackson is 21st in the long jump (18-2 ½, 5.55m) and 23rd in the 100m dash (12.15).

Junior Gabrielle Todd has the 25th best time in the 400-meter dash (57.16) and the 30th national mark in the high jump (5-3 ¼, 1.61m). In the triple jump, Ja'Lyn Burr's leap of 11.43m (37-6) is rated as 18th in the NCAA.

The women's 4x400-meter relay team of Breanna Adams, Jackson, Kya Riley and Todd ranks 13th with a time of 3:51.72.

Results of this weekend's meet will be available online at TSUTigers.com after the conclusion of the meet.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

LSU-Shreveport blocks Xavier's path at NAIA tournament

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Derrick Parker, the NAIA Division I leader in blocked shots, rejected Jamaan Kenner's 3-point attempt with five seconds remaining Thursday to preserve LSU-Shreveport's 66-63 men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.

The Pilots (26-7), ranked 12th, advanced to a 12:30 p.m. Friday game against fifth-ranked Southern Poly, a 66-60 winner against Cumberlands. The Gold Rush, ranked 21st and in the tournament for the second consecutive year and the sixth time in eight seasons, finished 23-9.

Xavier missed four field goals on the same possession in the final 17 seconds, including two blocked 3-pointers, to cap a roller-coaster game in which the Gold Rush led 10-1 through six minutes, trailed 36-25 at halftime, rallied for a 47-42 lead with 9:52 remaining, then lost the lead for good in the 33rd minute.

Greg Shyne scored 18 points, Parker 13, Cody Walker 12 and Mark Politte 11 for LSUS, which won its seventh in a row and for the 18th time in 19 games. Parker, a first-team NAIA All-American two years ago, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked six shots.

Isiah Bazile, who had eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, blocked Xavier's other late 3-pointer, by Kevin Miller with 17 seconds remaining. Miller and Denzell Erves also missed 2-pointers during the final Gold Rush possession.

Chris Iles scored 20 points, and Erves had 12 points and seven rebounds for Xavier. Wanto Joseph, an XU junior who entered the game with four career 3-pointers, was 3-of-4 from behind to arc and finished with nine points, five assists and no turnovers in 19 reserve minutes.

Xavier played its best in the first 12 minutes of each half, when it outscored LSUS by a combined 36-18. But the Pilots outscored the Gold Rush by a combined 48-27 in the final eight minutes of those periods.

Two shooting streaks moved the Pilots into contention in the first half and into control of the game in the second. LSUS made six consecutive shots from the floor, including four 3-pointers, to turn a 14-9 deficit into a 25-20 lead at 4:51 of the first half. After Xavier made 5-of-6 3-pointers to open the second period with a 22-6 run, the Pilots answered again by hitting five in a row from the floor. Politte's 3-pointer, the only one he made in seven tries, put LSUS ahead to stay at 52-51 with 7:09 remaining and started an 8-0 burst.

Shyne's two free throws with 1:15 remaining gave LSUS a 63-55 lead, but Xavier didn't fold. The Pilots missed 6-of-9 free throws in the final 64 seconds, and 3-pointers by Joseph with 36 seconds remaining and Erves nine seconds later — his first in three seasons at Xavier — trimmed the LSUS lead to three. When Bazile missed a pair of free throws with 25 seconds remaining and Miller rebounded the second, Xavier still had a shot.

Yet free-throw shooting was equally troubling for the XU men, who were 6-of-15, including five consecutive misses in the final 10 minutes. The Gold Rush were fouled three times in the final eight minutes while making baskets — Iles twice and Anthony Simmons once — but Xavier failed to make all three free throws.

Both teams shot less than 40 percent from the floor — LSUS 36.1 percent, Xavier 35.4 — and the Pilots had a 46-42 rebound advantage. The Rush made 11 3-
pointers, equaling its most ever at nationals.

NOTES: It was the final XU game for seniors Iles, Kenner (six points, four rebounds), Cordell Hadnot (no points but a team-high nine rebounds) and Jeremy Lee (no points) . . . Kenner will attend medical school this fall . . . LSUS was a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival of Xavier from 2003-10. The Pilots, now a member of the Red River Athletic Conference, lead the series 12-3 (3-0 postseason) . . . Xavier made its most 3-pointers since hitting 13-of-18 in a victory at William Carey on Feb. 2, 2008 . . . Since its second-round upset of unbeaten and top-ranked Sam Houston State in 1973, Xavier is 1-12 at nationals. The lone victory was in 2007 . . . It's the first time since the mid-1980s that Xavier finished with single-digit losses in consecutive seasons.

BOX SCORE

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

Links to follow Xavier men's and women's basketball at NAIA national tournaments

Men: Xavier Gold Rush (23-8) vs. LSU-Shreveport Pilots (25-7)

9 a.m. CDT Thursday at Kansas City, Mo.

• Live stats
• Game notes (PDF, four pages)
• Quick facts on national tournament
• Tournament scores
• www.naiahoops.com
• Watch live webcasts (for a fee)
• Tournament bracket (PDF)

Women: Xavier Gold Nuggets (25-8) vs. Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm (24-9)

8:45 p.m. CDT Thursday at Frankfort, Ky.

• Live stats
• Game notes (PDF, four pages)
• Quick facts on national tournament
• Tournament home page
• Tournament scores
• Watch live webcasts (for a fee)
• Tournament bracket (PDF)

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

Howard, Mississippi Valley named to Postseason WNIT Field Announced

FORT COLLINS, Colorado -- The Women’s National Invitation Tournament Selection Committee announced the 64-team field for the 2012 Postseason WNIT on Monday. The WNIT is celebrating its 15th season and has selected one of its most competitive fields in tournament history featuring 36 teams with 20 or more wins this season.

First-round action tips off on Wednesday, March 14 and concludes on Friday, March 16. Second-round games begin March 17-19, Round Three March 21-23, Quarterfinals March 24-26, and Semifinals March 28-29. The championship game will be played on Saturday, March 31. All games are hosted by participating schools.

Among teams receiving automatic berths are Howard University and Mississippi Valley State, the MEAC and SWAC representatives. Howard will open play at University of Virginia on March 15 at 7 p.m. ET. Mississippi Valley State gets the ball rolling at 8 p.m. ET, with Tulane in New Orleans on March 15.

The Pac-12, Colonial and Atlantic 10 led all conferences with five teams represented in this year’s field. The Big East, Big West, Mid-American and Missouri Valley each added 4. Other conferences represented in the field include: Atlantic Coast (3), Southern (3), Summit (3), America East (2), Big 12 (2), Conference USA (2), Sun Belt (2), West Coast (2), Atlantic Sun (1), Big Sky (1), Big South (1), Horizon (1), Ivy (1), MAAC (1), MEAC (1), Mountain West (1), Northeast (1), Ohio Valley (1), Patriot (1), Southland (1), SWAC (1) and WAC (1).

The Postseason WNIT is owned and produced by Fort Collins, Colo.-based Triple Crown Sports, which also organizes men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments in Cancun, and the Preseason WNIT. Triple Crown is the leader in grassroots sports and manages over 300 amateur sporting events across the country in volleyball, fastpitch, baseball, and basketball. With 28 years of experience in the event business, Triple Crown is nationally-recognized as a premier tournament organization.

MVSU's collapse and WKU's comeback get tournament off to rousing start

DAYTON, Ohio – The first word out of the mouths of Ray Harper and Sean Woods after their First Four game ended was the same. And it fit perfectly.

Wow.

That's the only way to describe what had just happened in the final five minutes of the First Four game between Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley State. The Delta Devils took a 16-point lead with 5:07 remaining, and it looked like President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron were getting ready to watch the SWAC champions put on a dunk contest.




Then -- like it has so many times this season for Western Kentucky -- the light suddenly switched on for Harper's Hilltoppers. They erased Mississippi Valley State's lead in fewer than three minutes, going on a 21-1 run to complete a miraculous comeback win over the Delta Devils, 59-58.

“The one thing we never did was quit,” Harper said. “You could see that look in their eyes, that we're going to win this.”

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Tennessee State Drops 68-60 Contest to Mercer in CIT

MACON, Georgia - A run midway in the second half was too much to overcome as the Tigers dropped a 68-60 contest to Mercer in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Mercer (23-11) used 14 points from Justin Cecil in the second half to take over the game and advance to the second round of the CIT. TSU (20-13) fell to 0-3 in postseason play since joining NCAA Division I.

The Bears held the Tigers scoreless for a stretch of four minutes and took the go ahead advantage. TSU was held at 35 percent shooting, knocking down 22-of-62 field goal attempts. Mercer connected on 41 percent (20-of-49) and knocked down eight triples.

Robert Covington extended his double-figure scoring streak to 32 straight games with 18 points and eight rebounds in the loss. The junior also notched two blocks, two steals and dished out an assist.

Senior Kenny Moore tallied 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Jordan Cyphers connected on three triples and a free throw for 10 points. Guards Wil Peters and Patrick Miller each had eight points with a combined six assists.

At the half, Tennessee State held a 21-19 advantage, scoring 10 points off Mercer turnovers. Cyphers led the Tigers with seven points, while Covington had five points and five rebounds.

Mercer opened up to a to a six point lead with 10:19 left before the Tigers came firing back. TSU used a couple of solid runs and a great play from Cyphers.

The junior connected on a long range triple to put the Tigers up 14-13. From there, TSU went on a 7-to-6 run, taking a 21-19 lead into the locker room.

Mercer took a run to start the second half, before TSU opened up on a 42-38 lead with 12:23 remaining in the contest.

Langston Hall buried two consecutive treys for the Bears to put MU up 47-44 with 7:54 left in the contest. The Bears extended their advantage to seven with less than five minutes remaining.

Tennessee State could not find a long run to cut down the Bears' deficit as Mercer took the 68-60 victory.

Tennessee State concluded a season that saw the school's first winning season since 1996 and first 20-win campaign since 1979. The Tigers also defeated an SEC opponent (South Carolina) and a ranked opponent (No. 7 Murray State) for the first time in the program's history.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Howard to Face UVA in WNIT First Round

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Howard University women's basketball team will travel to Charlottesville, Va. to face the University of Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament on Thurs. March 15 at John Paul Jones Arena. Both teams earned an automatic berth to the 64-team postseason tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The winner of Thursday's contest will face the winner of Richmond vs. Miami (Ohio) in the second round.

For more information on the 2012 WNIT, please visit http://www.womensnit.com/.

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Virginia to host WNIT game Thursday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Virginia coach Joanne Boyle gathered with her players in their locker room Monday night to watch the NCAA women's basketball tournament selection show on ESPN.

They were greatly disappointed.

UVa (22-10) was not one of the four ACC teams that made the NCAA field and has instead been relegated to the WNIT.

"We lost our point guard [China Crosby to a torn ACL in December]. We had no bad losses. We had 22 wins. We finished 9-7 in the conference. They're always talking about having a great resume. My question is: What didn't we do for you?" Boyle said Tuesday.

"Our body of work and resume stacks up."

UVa was one of the first four teams left out of ...
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West Liberty Runs Shaw Out of Regional Final

WORCESTER, Massachusetts - Atlantic Region and CIAA Player-of-the-Year Malik Alvin scored 28 points but Shaw just couldn't keep up with West Liberty's run-and-gun offense, falling 89-78, in the Atlantic Region final of the men's Division II tournament in Worcester, Massachusetts Tuesday.

The Hilltoppers (32-2), ranked no. 3 in the nation, advanced to the Elite 8 for the second straight year and will take on unranked Stonehill March 21 in Highland Heights, Kentucky.

For seventh-ranked Shaw (27-4), it was a disappointing end to a chance for the Bears to join the Lady Bears in the Elite 8.

The Bears led 43-42 at the half, not just with offense but with defense, limiting the Hilltoppers, who lead Division II with 102.8 points per game.

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Tennessee Holds Off Savannah State In NIT Opener

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee almost followed up its latest flop in the Southeastern Conference tournament with another early exit from the 75th NIT.

Almost.

The No. 1 seeded Vols (19-14) stormed out to a 22-5 lead, but had to hold off the scrappy Savannah State Tigers (21-12) in the second half before escaping with a 65-51 first-round victory before a meager crowd of 6,289 at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night.

The Vols will host the No. 4 seed Middle Tennessee State, an 86-78 winner over No. 5 Marshall, in the second round at a date and time to be determined.

Jarnell Stokes led Tennessee with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Trae Golden scored 11 and Yemi Makanjoula, who was starting for junior Jeronne Maymon, sidelined with a bruised right knee, and Josh Richardson each had 10 points. Makanjuola also had eight rebounds.

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MEAC/SWAC men’s hoops teams must make improvements

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - There was a good reason, aside from the “Bubble teams” selected for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, why Dennis Thomas and Duer Sharp were sporting big smiles while watching the festivities on television.

The commissioners of the Mid-Eastern Athletic and Southwestern Athletic conferences, respectively, could somewhat gloat about sending their best representatives into the field of 68. In the case of Sharp, Mississippi Valley State (21-12) dominated the SWAC in the regular-season and winning the conference tournament only confirmed their top status.

As for Thomas, his giddiness was justified by the fact that while MEAC representative Norfolk State (25-9) did not win the regular-season title, it owned the conference’s best RPI ranking (133rd) and earned a higher seed (15th) for a small major. He could also crow about having two men’s basketball teams in the postseason for the second straight year with regular-season champion Savannah State headed to the National Invitational Tournament.

What a difference from 48 hours earlier when ...

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TSU Tigers golf finishes 10th at Grover Page Classic

Jackson, Tenn. --- The Tennessee State University men's golf team notched a 10th place finish at the sixth annual Grover Page Classic on Tuesday.

At the conclusion of the tournament, TSU remained in 10th place after posting an overall score of 942 (315-313-314).

Ryan Pierson (T10) picked up a top ten finish and led the Tigers with a total of 222 for the tournament. He shot a two-under-par 70 in the first round before posting (+2) 74 and (+6) 78 in the final two rounds.

James Stepp (T40) was the second highest scorer for TSU behind a score of 234 (81-77-76) as Dallas Hill tied for 57th with 242 (81-83-78).

Two strokes behind Hill was Codie Welborn (T60) with a score 244. Welborn carded rounds of 83, 79 and 82. Matthew Campbell (T71) rounded out the scorers for TSU with 253 (84-84-85).

The tournament host, UT Martin, captured the title with a score of 881 (303-286-292) while Southern Illinois (896) grabbed second. Tennessee Tech (899) finished three strokes behind SIU to claim third place.

The 2012 Grover Page Classic, a 54-hole tournament, was held at the Jackson Country Club in Jackson, Tenn. The classic featured a 75-player field made up of 12 teams and 15 participants competing as individuals. The par-72 course plays at a length of 6,783.

Tennessee State returns to action on Monday, March 26 at the Alabama A&M Golf Classic.

FINAL RESULTS

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Svoboda, Howell selected GCAC Players of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana tennis players Viktor Svoboda and Kourtney Howell are the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for March 5-11.

Viktor Svoboda

Kourtney Howell

Svoboda, a sophomore from Kamenice, Czech Republic, was 5-1 in singles matches and 5-1 in doubles to help the Gold Rush win 5-of-6 duals, four against NAIA top-25 opponents. Svoboda won all his matches against top-10 opponents Auburn Montgomery and Shorter, and three times he won in singles in super-tiebreakers.

Howell, a sophomore from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of

Cypress Woods High School, was 5-1 in singles and 4-2 in doubles. Howell defeated ITA-NAIA ranked singles players on consecutive days — in straight sets against Martin Methodist's 38th-ranked Paloma Cortina, the 2011 TranSouth Conference Player of the Year, and in a super-tiebreaker against Shorter's 22nd-ranked Candice Laurent. Howell also beat the No. 1 singles players of top-25 teams Belhaven and Campbellsville.

Both XU teams will play NCAA Division I member Nicholls State at 3 p.m. Wednesday at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center. Xavier's men are 9-2 and ranked ninth in the NAIA; the women are 2-12 and receiving votes in the national poll. Nicholls' men were 5-5 entering a home dual Tuesday with Texas-Pan American, and the women are 3-6.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

Tuskegee announces 2012 football schedule

TUSKEGEE, Alabama — The Tuskegee University Department of Athletics announced its 2012 football schedule today, which includes a 10-game slate for head coach Willie Slater and the Golden Tigers.

The Golden Tigers, 4-6 in 2011, will play four home games, including a neutral site home date at Legion Field, Birmingham, Ala. Homecoming 2012 will be celebrated October 20, when the Golden Tigers tangle with the Thorobreds of Kentucky State University. Seven games make up the required SIAC conference slate.

Two out-of-conference games are booked with Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponent Alabama A&M University and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opponent Johnson C. Smith University.

The Golden Tigers open the 2012 season on Sept. 1 against the Alabama A&M University Bulldogs at the 70,000-seat Legion Field and then travel to Atlanta, Ga., for a neutral site game against the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith on Sept. 8.

In its home opener, Tuskegee will face the Lane College Dragons at Abbott Stadium on Sept. 15. After an open date, the Golden Tigers will host the Wildcats of Fort Valley State at Abbott Stadium on Sept. 29.

The 77th Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic will be staged at A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium Oct. 6 in Columbus, Ga. This is the longest-running HBCU rivalry and the 2012 game will be the 102nd overall meeting between Tuskegee and Morehouse.

After an in-state road conference matchup with the Tigers of Stillman College on Oct. 13 in Tuscaloosa, the Golden Tigers will entertain Kentucky State for Homecoming 2012 on Oct. 20.

The Golden Tigers travel to Clark Atlanta University on Oct. 27 and Miles College on Nov. 3.

Under negotiation is a tenth game against the Hornets of Alabama State University.


2012 TUSKEGEE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DATE   OPPONENT     LOCATION     TIME

9/1 at ALABAMA A&M, Birmingham, AL, Legion Field, 6:00PM

9/8 at Johnson C. Smith, Atlanta, GA 7:30PM  Lakewood Stadium (Inter-City Classic)

9/15 Lane, Abbott Stadium+, Tuskegee, AL 1:00PM

9/22 OPEN

9/29  Fort Valley State+, Abbott Stadium, Tuskegee, AL 1:00PM

10/6  at Morehouse College+ (77th Annual Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic), Columbus, GA  3:00 PM 

10/13 at Stillman College+, Tuscaloosa, AL  5:00 PM

10/20  Kentucky State+ (Homecoming), Tuskegee, AL, Abbott Stadium, 1:00 PM

10/27  at Clark Atlanta+, Atlanta, GA, Panther Stadium, TBA

11/3  at Miles College+, Birmingham, AL, Sloan-Alumni Stadium, 1:00 PM

11/10 SIAC Championship, Atlanta, GA  TBA

TBA   Alabama State University, TBA  

+ SIAC Conference Games
 
COURTESY: TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

President Barack Obama, British Prime Minster David Cameron to attend NCAA March Madness basketball tournament in Dayton -- Mississippi Valley vs. Western Kentucky

DAYTON, Ohio -- President Barack Obama and British Prime Minster David Cameron will attend Tuesday night's NCAA play-in game in Dayton, Ohio, between Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley State. The two leaders will take part in a live halftime interview with analyst Clark Kellogg.

The White House said the trip will showcase the tight relationship between the two allies. Ohio also is considered a swing state for the upcoming election. Republicans criticized the trip.

"While showing off our amazing college basketball teams is great, many Americans struggling to find jobs, dealing with soaring gas prices, or concerned with our rising deficit and debt would probably like the president spend at least as much time dealing with those issues," said Sean Spicer, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

The president made his NCAA tournament picks for ESPN, and they will be unveiled Wednesday. He has not revealed whether he predicted Harvard -- where he attended law school -- to pull off an upset of Vanderbilt on Thursday.

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2012 NCAA Tournament: With native New Yorkers Kyle O'Quinn, Marcos Tamares on roster, Norfolk State has ties to NYC

Kyle O'Quinn leads city contigent into March Madness

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The NBA wasn’t even an afterthought for Kyle O’Quinn four years ago when he was finishing at Campus Magnet High School in Queens. He had only one scholarship offer. Today there are scouts at most every game he plays as the starting center for NCAA Tournament-bound Norfolk State.

“I was very fortunate to get some accolades this year,” said the 6-10 senior, who was named MEAC Player of the Year, “but really the buzz comes when the team wins and wins championships.”

O’Quinn is the centerpiece of a great New York story. The Spartans (25-9) are in the tournament for the first time and have real city flavor with head coach Anthony Evans from Brooklyn, top assistant Robert Jones from Queens, eight players on the roster from the five boroughs and three more who attended high school in the surrounding area.

“I think you play a little harder when you play with people from your hometown,” said O’Quinn, who averages 15.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots.

The Spartans are the No. 15 seed in the West Region and got dealt a matchup against No. 2 Missouri (30-4) on Friday in Omaha, Nebraska.

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ECSU Release 2012 Football Schedule

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- The Elizabeth City State University Athletic Department has released their 10-game football slate for the 2012 season.

The Vikings will open up the season on September 1st when they travel to take on Newberry College in Newberry, SC. ECSU's only meeting with the Indians was during their record setting 2006 season where Newbery captured a 49-33 victory. Afterwards the Vikings reeled off six straight wins in route to an appearance in the CIAA Championship game and a NCAA Playoff Berth.

The following week ECSU will host the first of four games at Roebuck Stadium, beginning with a rematch of last year's season opener, with Delta State University. This will be the Statesmen's second appearance at Roebuck Stadium, their last coming during the aforementioned Playoff game from 2006 in the first post season contest hosted by ECSU. DSU (2-0 vs. the Vikings) has rallied from behind in both meetings; in the 2006 playoff game, they erased a 10-0 halftime deficit for a 17-10 victory and toppled the upset minded Vikings last season in overtime 28-21 in Cleveland, MS.

The following week (September 15th) ECSU will welcome Albany State University for a first time meeting with the Golden Rams of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC). Like the Vikings, the Golden Rams, who have won 14 SIAC titles, finished 2011 with an 8-4 record and lost in their conference Championship Game, dropping a 20-17 decision to Miles College.

ECSU will host Homecoming 2012 on October 20th versus Chowan and will close out their home slate on October 27th when they play host to Virginia Union University.

The Vikings' cross division games will be versus Fayetteville State in Fayetteville on September 22nd and vs. the Falcons of St. Augustine's College at the 15th Annual Down East Viking Football Classic on September 29th in Rocky Mount.

ECSU will play three of their five Northern Division opponents on the road against Virginia State (October 6th), Lincoln University of Pa (October 13th) and the regular season finale on November 3rd at Bowie State University.

The 2012 CIAA Football Championship will take place on November 10th. For more information on ECSU Athletics, visit www.ecsuvikings.com and follow on Twitter @ECSUVikings.

2012 ECSU VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

09/01/12 at Newberry Newberry, SC 6:30 p.m. ET

09/08/12 vs. Delta State Elizabeth City, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET
09/15/12 vs. Albany State Elizabeth City, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET
09/22/12 at Fayetteville State * Fayetteville, NC 6:00 p.m. ET
09/29/12 vs. Saint Augustine's (15th Annual Down East Viking Football Classic) * Rocky Mount, NC 4:00 p.m. ET
10/06/12 at Virginia State * Petersburg, VA 1:00 p.m. ET
10/13/12 at Lincoln (Pa.) * Lincoln, PA 1:00 p.m. ET
10/20/12 vs. Chowan (HOMECOMING) * Elizabeth City, N.C. 1:30 p.m. ET
10/27/12 vs. Virginia Union * Elizabeth City, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET
11/03/12 at Bowie State * Bowie, MD 1:30 p.m. ET
11/10/12 2012 CIAA Football Championship * Durham, NC 1:00 p.m. ET

 Home Event: BOLD   *Conference Event

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COURTESY: ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Collins praises WSSU Rams effort

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- In the end, coach Bobby Collins coaxed about all he could out of his Winston-Salem State men's basketball team.

Not expected to do much coming into the season, the Rams overachieved. They won at least 20 games for the second straight season, finishing 21-9. They won the CIAA tournament title. And they made a return trip to the NCAA Division II tournament.

Their season ended Saturday night in West Liberty, W.Va., with a three-point loss to West Virginia Wesleyan in the first round of the Atlantic Regional.  After losing six seniors from last season's team, then losing starter Lamar Monger after 11 games to a torn ACL, Collins still had the Rams one defensive stop away from extending their season on Saturday.

"We had won so many close games, so I thought we would get it done again," Collins said. "But I'm proud of my guys for all the adversity we faced and the fact that we did win the CIAA title."

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NCCU basketball player facing drug charges

DURHAM, North Carolina  (WTVD) --  A standout North Carolina Central University basketball player has been charged with drug possession.

Durham County deputies arrested 23-year-old Landon Clement Thursday after allegedly finding 84 grams of marijuana and over $12,000 in cash inside his apartment. The NCCU senior graduated from Raleigh's Sanderson High School.



He and 20-year-old Kalifa Fletcher, who was also arrested, are both charged with possession with intent to sale and maintaining a dwelling for drug distribution. They are both ....

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NCCU AD backs Moton despite arrest of 2nd player in 4 months

DURHAM, N.C. — After the second drug-related arrest this season of an N.C. Central basketball player, NCCU athletics director Ingrid Wicker-McCree is expressing confidence in NCCU basketball coach LeVelle Moton.

“I have a lot of respect for Coach Moton and for every individual who has chosen coaching as a career,” Wicker-McCree said. “Their jobs are extremely difficult, and every day they are teaching and instilling discipline in their students.”

Durham County Sheriff’s Office investigators on Thursday arrested Landon Clement at his apartment on Penrith Drive and charged him with offenses related to marijuana possession. Deputies seized 84 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a 2000 BMW and $12,008 in cash.  Kalifa Fletcher, who is not on NCCU’s basketball team but shared the apartment with Clement, was also charged. Both Clement and Fletcher were released the day of their arrests after posting $5,000 bonds.

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Joli Robinson out as NCCU women's basketball coach

DURHAM, North Carolina — N.C. Central has parted ways with 16-year women's basketball coach Joli Robinson after a 3-27 season, her fifth straight losing campaign.

NCCU won just one conference game in its return to full NCAA Division I and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference status. That left the Lady Eagles in last place at 1-16, 3-27 overall.

NCCU athletics director Ingrid Wicker-McCree announced Monday that Robinson's contract, which expires June 30, will not be renewed.

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NCCU ATHLETICS OPTS NOT TO RENEW CONTRACT OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH

DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University Director of Athletics Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree announced Monday that the contract of women’s basketball coach Joli Robinson will not be renewed. Robinson’s contract expires June 30, 2012.

“Coach Robinson has operated our women's basketball program with integrity and high standards throughout her tenure at NCCU,” Wicker-McCree said. “She has always put student welfare and NCCU first. I appreciate Coach Robinson's service to NCCU and her dedication to producing leaders during the past 16 years.”

In 16 seasons at NCCU, Robinson’s overall record is 216-242 (.472), including a 3-27 record this past season. Her 216 victories are the most in NCCU women’s basketball history.

A national search to find the next head coach will begin immediately, according to Wicker-McCree.

COURTESY: NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Track & Field Claims 15 Podium Finishes at FAMU Relays

Tallahassee, Florida -- In the first outdoor meet of the season, Tennessee State had 15 podium finishes at the 62nd Florida A&M Relays last Saturday.

The Tigerbelles picked up nine top-3 finishes, while the men grabbed six in the prestigious one day meet.

In the sprint events, Brielle Moore snatched a first place victory with a time of 15.36 in the women's 100-meter dash. Teammate LaTia Carney followed just a tenth behind (15.56) to snatch a third place mark. The freshman from Murfreesboro also placed second in the 400-meter dash with her time of 1:05.68.

TSU's Tigerbelles snagged a pair of second place finishes in the relay events. Brittany Betters, Ja'Lyn Burr, Ashontae Jackson and Diera Taylor combined for a time of 47.29 seconds in the 4x100-meter relay.

In the 4x400-meter race, Jackson, Breanna Adams, Kya Riley and Gabrielle Todd put together a time of 3:51.72.

Todd, a sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, leapt 5-3 ¼ (1.61m) to win the women's high jump title. Jackson used a leap of 18-2 ½ (5.55m) to win the long jump.

Burr recorded her first triple jump title in her career with a distance of 37-6 (11.43m). Brittani Logan earned a third place finish after tossing the shot put 40-2 feet (12.24m).

For the Flying Tigers, Arthur Combest won the men's 110-meter hurdles with his time of 14.72 seconds. In the distance relay (4x-800-meters), Christopher Hobbs, Jamill Jackson, Donnie Johnson and Theodore Nicholson paced a time of 8:11.50 to earn third in the event.

Sean Jenkins won the men's high jump with his clearing distance of six feet and six inches (1.98m).

Sophomore Royce Dates continued where he left off from the indoor season with a leapt of 23-8 ¼ (7.22m) in the long jump.

In the triple jump, Avian Hughes logged a distance of 45-4 ¼ (13.82m) for a third place finish. Alex Griffin earned third in the shot put as he threw the silver marker 42-8 ¼ (13.01m).

Tennessee State competes in the Morehouse College Relays in Atlanta this upcoming weekend (March 16-17).

62nd FAMU RELAYS RESULTS

COURTESY: TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION