15-seeds - MEAC's Norfolk State, Lehigh steal show at NCAAs

OMAHA, Nebraska -- The NCAA Tournament belongs to Lehigh and Norfolk State, at least for a day, after they made Ohio's upset of No. 4-seed Michigan ho-hum news and pushed Virginia Commonwealth's postseason show to the back burner.

Only four times had a No. 15 seed beaten a No. 2 seed in the tournament, and not at all since 2001. Then it happened twice within three hours Friday.

It is noteworthy that the three biggest upset losers - Michigan, Duke and Missouri - are perimeter teams that lack size and rely on guards making outside shots. They can look great some days, and then other days, this happens.

Norfolk State introduced us to the personality of the event - lovable, quotable Kyle O'Quinn - while eliminating Missouri 86-84, and Lehigh used the "organic" approach to stun Duke 75-70.

Lehigh forward Jordan Hamilton had told reporters on Thursday, "I think we're able to approach this from a more organic perspective."

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Norfolk State's historic win resonates

OMAHA, Nebraska -- Moments after the most stunning NCAA tournament upset of the past decade, the Norfolk State Spartans reacted like typical college students. They hurried into the locker room -- and pulled out their cellphones.

"We're trending on Twitter right now -- nationally," one player said. A teammate spoke up from across the room. "I just got a text. People are jumping into the fountain back on campus."  Soon it was revealed that the website for Norfolk State's student newspaper had crashed because of an overload of traffic.

Then came the announcement that only two of the 6.45 million participants in ESPN.com's bracket challenge still had perfect records -- mainly because of No. 15 seed Norfolk State's 86-84 victory over Missouri on Friday at the CenturyLink Center. Even U.S. President Barack Obama had No. 2 seed Missouri going to the Final Four.



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No. 15 Norfolk State shoots lights out, stuns 2-seed Missouri

OMAHA, Nebraska -- Welcome to the NCAA tournament, Norfolk State.

Might as well stick around a while.

Kyle O'Quinn had 26 points and 14 rebounds, making several key plays in the closing minutes, and the gritty No. 15 seed Spartans held on through a tense final minute to topple second-seeded Missouri 86-84 on Friday in the West Regional.

Pendarvis Williams and Chris McEachin each added 20 points for the MEAC champion Spartans (26-9), who made their first trip to the NCAA tournament a memorable one. They became the fifth No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 and the first since fellow conference member Hampton in 2001.

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Florida A&M players impress on Pro Day

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Based on the reactions of Florida A&M football fans who packed into the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center, the 18 former Rattlers who went through a battery of strength tests were impressive.

But ultimately the biggest impression they want to make is on the throng of professional football scouts who showed up with stopwatches and legal pads. For about two and a half hours they clicked times and made notes as the players leaped, lifted and sprint outdoors on an artificial turf field adjacent to the recreation center.

They got plenty of advice from former FAMU cornerback Curtis Holcomb, who was impressive enough during last season to be drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. "I've been telling these guys to just calm down," Holcomb said. "This is your day. This is for you; calm down and be yourself."

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Jerry Eaves Out As NC A&T Men's Basketball Coach

GREENSBORO, North Carolina (4/13/12) -- Jerry Eaves has been relieved of his duties as the head men's basketball coach at North Carolina A&T, Director of Athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced today. Scott Bollwage will serve as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is hired.

Eaves' contract with the school expires May 30, 2013. Eaves finishes his tenure at A&T with a 99-180 record over nine seasons. He is third on the program's all-time wins list. In 2003, Eaves took over a one-win program. During his stint, he led the Aggies to wins over SMU, DePaul, Middle Tennessee State and was 2-0 against cross-town rival UNC Greensboro.



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A&T fires basketball coach

EXCERPT:
GREENSBORO — Jerry Eaves has been fired as the men's basketball coach at N.C. A&T, athletics director Earl M. Hilton III announced in a news release. Scott Bollwage will serve as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is hired.

Eaves finishes his tenure at A&T with a 99-180 record over nine seasons. Eaves' contract runs through May 30, 2013, and the university said he will be paid in full. Eaves' contract is worth $135,000 per year plus benefits.

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2012 Prairie View A&M Panther Football Schedule Unveiled

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington today announced the 2012 Panther football schedule. The Panthers will play an action-packed 11-game slate in 2012 highlighted by a contest at the defending FCS National Champions, nine Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) games, four football classics, two on-campus contests and the return to the Golden Triangle area of Texas for the first time since 1998.

The Panthers kickoff the 2012 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 against state and conference rival Texas Southern in the 28th edition of the State Farm Labor Day Classic as it returns to Reliant Stadium in Houston after a one-year hiatus at 7 p.m. For the second straight season, the rivalry will feature a new but familiar face as second-year head coach Heishma Northern will square off against longtime friend and new TSU head coach Darrell Asberry.

On Sept. 8, the Panthers will make the short trek down the highway to the Golden Triangle as they'll meet Lamar University of the Southland Conference for the first time since 1985 in Beaumont, Texas. In addition to the first meeting between both teams in nearly 27 years, the Panthers will return to the city of Beaumont and Provost Umphrey Stadium for the first time since 1998.

One week later on Sept. 15, Prairie View A&M travels to Huntsville, Ala. for a 6 p.m. match-up at Alabama A&M in the third annual Lewis Crews Classic before closing out non-conference play with a game at defending 2011 FCS National Champion North Dakota State on Sept. 22 in Fargo, N.D. The month of September concludes on Sept. 29 as the Panthers step back into SWAC play with a trip to Jackson, Miss. for a meeting at Jackson State.

The annual State Fair Classic in the Cotton Bowl kicks off the month of October as PV will square off against Grambling State in Dallas on Oct. 6. After a much-deserved weekend off on Oct. 13, the Panthers make their Blackshear Field debut on Oct. 20 as Alcorn State comes to town in a homecoming showdown at 2 p.m. One weekend later on Oct. 27, Prairie View will participate in the third annual Shreveport Classic at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. against divisional foe Southern University.

The schedule's homestretch begins on Saturday, Nov. 3 as the Panthers return home to Blackshear Field to face Alabama State. The Panthers will honor their 2012 senior class during the contest in addition to the third annual PV Marching Storm Band Appreciation Day. The season concludes on the road for consecutive weekends as the Panthers will travel to Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Nov. 10 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, Nov. 17.

“This is one of our most competitive schedules we've had in quite some time,” said Northern. “From the opening week to the final week, we're going to have to bring our 'A' game to the field as we have two solid non-conference teams plus our league foes. I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

Panther fans will have an opportunity to get an early jump on the action for next season as season tickets for the 2012 season will go on sale April 15. For more information and to see finalized game times once they're available, log on to the department's official athletic website at http://www.pvpanthers.com/.

2012 Prairie View A&M Football Schedule (.pdf)

Day Date Opponent Location/Stadium Times

9/1/2012 *Texas Southern Houston,Tx - Reliant Stadium 7:00 p.m. State Farm Labor Day Classic XXVIII 
9/8/2012 Lamar Beaumont, Texas TBA
9/15/2012 *Alabama A&M Huntsville, Ala. 6:00 p.m. Lewis Crews Classic 
.9/22/2012 North Dakota State Fargo, N.D. TBA 
 9/29/2012 *Jackson State Jackson, Miss. TBA
 10/6/2012 *Grambling State Dallas, Texas - Cotton Bowl 6:00 p.m. State Fair Classic
 10/20/2012 *Alcorn State Prairie View 2:00 p.m. Homecoming 2012
 10/27/2012 *Southern Shreveport, La. - Independence 4:00 p.m. Shreveport Classic
 11/3/2012 *Alabama State Prairie View 1:00 p.m.
 11/10/2012 *Mississippi Valley Itta Bena, Miss. 1:00 p.m.
 11/17/2012 *Arkansas-Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, Ark. TBA

COURTESY PVAMU SPORTS INFORMATION

North Dakota State completes 2012 Football Schedule with PVAMU

FARGO, N.D., North Dakota State University issued the following news release on March 13:

North Dakota State University director of athletics Gene Taylor announced the completion of the 2012 schedule with Prairie View A&M University on Sept. 22 at the Fargodome.

Prairie View A&M, located in Prairie, Texas, compiled a 5-6 record in 2011 including a 5-4 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). This will be the first meeting with the Panthers, coached by Heishma Northern. The Bison have a 3-0 record against the SWAC, 2-0 vs. Mississippi Valley State and 1-0 vs. Grambling State.

Prairie View A&M is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in Texas, second only to Texas A&M University. The Panthers have won 11 SWAC championships, the last coming in 2009, and have claimed five Black College National Championships in its football history.

North Dakota State opens the season Sept. 1 against Robert Morris, a rematch of the 2010 NCAA FCS first-round playoff game. The Bison then travel to Fort Collins to face Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference on Sept. 8.

NDSU is scheduled to open Missouri Valley Football Conference action Sept. 29 at Northern Iowa. The Bison have home conference games with Youngstown State on Oct. 6, the annual homecoming game vs. Indiana State on Oct. 13, the Harvest Bowl on Oct. 27 with Southern Illinois and the annual Dakota Marker game with South Dakota State on Nov. 10.

Valley Football road games include stops at South Dakota on Oct. 20, Missouri State on Nov. 3 and Illinois State on Nov. 17

The Bison do not play Western Illinois in 2012.

North Dakota State won the program's first NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State on Jan. 7 and also claimed the program's first Missouri Valley Football Conference title. Head coach Craig Bohl led the Bison to a 14-1 overall record and 7-1 record in MVFC.

NDSU is scheduled to start spring football drills on March 24 and culminate with the annual Green-Gold Spring Game at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Fargodome.

Friday's NCAA Tournament Preview: (15) Norfolk State vs.(2) Missouri

• WHEN/WHERE: About 3:40 p.m. Friday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.

• TV/RADIO: TNT (Ch. 203 and 1203 on Time Warner, Ch. 51 and 204 on Comcast in Missouri, Ch. 69 and 204 on Comcast in Kansas, Ch. 48 and 600 on Surewest, Ch. 108 on AT&T U-Verse, Ch. 245 on DirecTV and Ch. 138 on Dish Network); KMBZ (980 AM and 98.1 FM).

•  WHEN/WHERE: About 3:40 p.m. Friday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb.
•  TV/RADIO: TNT (Ch. 203 and 1203 on Time Warner, Ch. 51 and 204 on Comcast in Missouri, Ch. 69 and 204 on Comcast in Kansas, Ch. 48 and 600 on Surewest, Ch. 108 on AT&T U-Verse, Ch. 245 on DirecTV and Ch. 138 on Dish Network); KMBZ (980 AM and 98.1 FM)

P	No.	Norfolk State	Ht.	Yr.	PPG
F	32	Marcos Tamares	6-7	Sr.	6.8
C	10	Kyle O’Quinn	6-10	Sr.	15.9
G	15	Rodney McCauley	6-5	Sr.	3.4
G	35	Chris McEachin	6-6	Sr.	12.8
G	11	Pendarvis Williams	6-6	So.	11.8

•  ABOUT NORFOLK STATE (25-9): The Spartans finished 13-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, good for second place. They qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history by winning the league tournament. … Norfolk State is a relative newcomer to this level of basketball, as it made the leap to Division I in 1997. … Senior center Kyle O’Quinn said several teams in the MEAC play similar styles as Missouri, which spreads the floor with four shooters and a single post player. “This is not the type of game that we haven’t seen a game plan (for),” he said. “Yes, we are going against better players from a different conference, but the style of play is what we see a lot (of) in the conference.”

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Stillman Tigers extend softball win streak to 12 games

JASPER, Alabama | The Stillman College Lady Tigers softball team picked up two wins Thursday at the SIAC Crossover at Memorial Park. Stillman (15-6 overall, 10-0 SIAC) shut out the Fort Valley State Wildcats, 9-0, then beat the Claflin Panthers, 10-4.

In the opener, Stillman’s Bailey Braughton, Gabrielle Quarles and Ashley Savage each had two hits as the Lady Tigers won their 11th consecutive game. Danielle Hewitt hit her first home run of the season in the top of the third inning.

Savage pitched all five innings for Stillman, surrendering one hit, a game-opening single by FVSU’s Tawana Barker. Savage threw 49 pitches, 32 for strikes, while striking out six.

The Tigers trailed Claflin 2-1 in the top of the second inning, but Braughton hit a three-run home run to give Stillman a 4-2 lead. Stillman scored four more runs in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 10-2 lead. Claflin scored a run in the top of the fifth and seventh innings for the final score.

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Benedict Tigers Announce 2012 Football Schedule

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Benedict College will play four home football games this season, including its second home Thursday night contest in two consecutive years when new rival, Bowie State University, comes to Charlie W. Johnson Stadium. This match up will also be televised nationally on Comcast Sports South (CSS).

The 2012 football schedule also includes two Classics - the Palmetto Capital City Classic against Virginia State University and the Augusta City Classic against conference foe Albany State University.

The Tigers play all three of their non-conference opponents in the opening month of the season, facing Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opponents Virginia Union in the opening game, Sept. 1 on the road; Bowie State the following Thursday night which will be televised on CSS, and on Sept. 15 the Tigers will host new opponent Virginia State University which will finish their non-conference schedule.

“The 2012 schedule is very competitive. As a matter of fact, it's a great schedule with good non-conference opponent teams,” said interim head football coach James Woody. “We feel we will be competitive and will definitely be up for the challenge.”

From that point onward, it's all SIAC foes: Sept. 22 at Fort Valley State University; Sept. 29 Miles College in Birmingham; Oct. 6Stillman College; Oct. 13 at Clark Atlanta; Oct. 20 homecoming in Columbia against Morehouse College; Oct. 27 Albany State University in Augusta featuring the Augusta City Classic; Nov. 3 Lane College in Jackson, TN.

The Tigers will be tested early in their first three contests against Bowie State, Virginia Union, and Virginia State. During the 2011 season the Tigers recorded losses to Bowie and Virginia Union while their new opponent Virginia State defeated both teams by a significant margin. However, the Tigers are rebounding under new interim head coach James Woody, as he boasts the largest recruiting class ever in Tiger history with 37 2012 signees.

“I am very, very excited about the class. This is probably the best class I've put together in my years of doing this,” Woody said. “We filled a lot of needs. We think we have some talented young men, but we won't know for sure until we see them in training camp. We were able to bring in young men with great character and athletic ability.”

2012 Benedict Football Schedule

DATE TEAM LOCATION TIME
Sept. 1 Virginia Union Richmond, Va. 2:00 PM
Sept. 6 Bowie State (CSS Television) Columbia, S.C. 8:00 PM

Sept. 15 Virginia State (Capital City Classic) Columbia, S.C. 4:00 PM

Sept. 22 Fort Valley State * Fort Valley, Ga. 2:00 PM

Sept. 29 Miles * Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 PM CST
Oct. 6 Stillman * (High School Day) Columbia, S.C. 2:00 PM

Oct. 13 Clark Atlanta * Atlanta, Ga. 2:00 PM

Oct. 20 Morehouse * (Homecoming) Columbia, S.C. 2:00 PM

Oct. 27 Albany State *(Augusta City Classic) Augusta, Ga. 2:00 PM

Nov. 3 Lane * Jackson, Tenn. 2:00 PM CST

Nov. 10 SIAC Championship TBA
* SIAC game

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: BENEDICTTIGERS.COM
VISIT: BENEDICT COLLEGE

Stanford Begins NCAA Tournament Saturday Against Hampton

Game #33
NCAA Tournament First Round
No. 2/2 Stanford Cardinal (31-1) - vs. - Hampton Lady Pirates (26-4)

Saturday, March 17, 2012 - 10:30 a.m. PT
Ted Constant Convocation Center (8,600) - Norfolk, Va.
Seeds: Stanford (1); Hampton (16)
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
TV: ESPN2 (P-x-P: Mark Jones, Analyst: Mary Murphy)
Webcast: ESPN3 (www.espn3.com)
Radio: 90.1 KZSU (P-x-P: Sam Fisher)




Hampton women prepare for first round matchup versus Stanford

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Hampton University women’s basketball team won a school Division-I record 26 wins this year, finishing with a 26-4 overall record. The Lady Pirates were 15-1 in the MEAC conference and won the MEAC Tournament title for the third straight year. The team is top ten in the nation in a variety of categories - leading the nation in 3-point field goal defense (20.3%), second in scoring defense (46.8 ppg), third in field goal defense (32.3%), and ninth in turnover margin (+6.4).

However, the Hampton Lady Pirates enter the NCAA Women’s Tournament as the 16th-seed in the Fresno region. In the first round, the Lady Pirates will face the top-seeded Stanford Cardinal. While Hampton is the “visiting” team, the game will be played in Norfolk and will essentially be a home game for the Lady Pirates. The game will be played on Saturday, March 17 at 1:30 pm and will be preceded by Texas versus West Virginia, playing in the 8/9 matchup, tipping off at 11:10 am.

Hampton enters the game having won 11 straight games and are led by All-MEAC First-Team selection Jericka Jenkins. Jenkins was second in the nation in assists (7.2 apg) and also led the team in scoring (14.0 ppg). After finishing last season with a 25-7 record and winning the MEAC Tournament, Hampton earned a 13-seed from the Tournament Committee, which was the highest seed ever earned by a MEAC team.

The Lady Pirates and their head coach, David Six, feel disrespected by their 16th-seed this year and hope to use the perceived slight as motivation to overcome the 31-1 Stanford team.

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Frahm, Maryland Eastern Shore bowling team begin MEAC today

KRISTINA FRAHM
INTERIM HEAD BOWLING COACH
UMES LADY HAWKS

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- When she graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore last spring, Kristina Frahm wanted to eventually get into coaching. What the former Hawk bowling standout didn't count on was how fast the opportunity came.

In January, Frahm's coach, Sharon Brummell -- who built the school's bowling program and captured three national titles during her tenure -- called her former player to say she'd be leaving mid-season to become an administrator at Georgetown University.

Brumell also floated this idea to the 22-year-old Illinois native, who is a first-year graduate student at Salisbury University: come back and serve as interim head coach. "She called me up one day, asking my thoughts about it and seeing if I wanted to do it," Brummell said. "And I thought about it for a few days and I chose to start coaching."

Brummell said she approached Frahm because Frahm always wanted to see how the program operated -- helping to fill out paperwork, going on recruiting trips.

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HAWKS STAY FIFTH IN CURRENT NTCA POLL

HACKENSACK, N.J. - The latest National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) poll has come out and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) has stayed put in the fifth position. The Hawks, as well as the top-ranked Knights of Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) are, however, the only teams in the top ten not to reposition in the March poll.

UMES amassed 526 points and sport a 94-29 overall record. They trailed the new No. 4 team Vanderbilt by 66 points. The Commodores are up three spots from seventh in the last poll. Arkansas State is the new number two team in the nation with 700 points and seven first place votes. They are up three spots as well, previously being No. 4. The Red Wolves trial FDU by 46 points. The Knights had 19 first place votes.

Nebraska is the new No. 3 team, sporting 602 first place votes; they are up five spots from eighth. They have bowled only 74 matches total this season and are 57-17.

Valparaiso, Central Missouri, Sacred Heart and Sam Houston State round out the top nine teams while Norfolk State and Stephen F. Austin tied for tenth. Valpo dropped three spots, UCM one spot and Sacred Heart seven spots. The Pioneers were the biggest mover in the latest poll. NSU was up one spot.

Delaware State and Morgan State are both ranked in the latest poll from the MEAC, giving them four teams in the top 20 in the nation. The Bears return to the poll for the first time in a few months to 20th while DSU dropped one spot to 14th.

The Hawks are currently ranked in four polls, standing at 15th in the BWAA poll, 12th in the NCBCA tally and fifth in the NTCA Media poll.

UMES is coming off of a second place finish in the USBC ITC Allentown sectional where they qualified for the Intercollegiate Team Championships. They are hoping to defend their National Championship at that event. This weekend the Hawks are off to Greensboro, N.C. where they are looking for their sixth MEAC Championship and second straight title. Play starts Friday the 16th and continues through Sunday.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

UMES T'nia Falbo named MEAC Bowler of the Year

T'NIA FALBO
MEAC BOWLER OF THE YEAR

NORFOLK, Va. - University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) junior T'nia Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.) has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Bowling Player of the Year, the league announced today. Falbo had a brilliant season, coming on strong in the second half of the year to boast three MEAC Player of the Week honors and three All-Tournament Team selections.

She averaged a 203.8 over 49 games with a pinfall of 9,989, helping UMES clinch its third MEAC Northern Division Title with a 29-1 conference mark. The Hawks sport a 94-29 overall record and are currently ranked fifth in the latest NTCA Coaches' and Media polls.

Falbo is the second Hawk to earn the accolade, following three-time MEAC Player of the Year Maria Rodriguez (Ibague Tolima, Colombia). Rodriguez won the inaugural award in 2009 and UMES has never let another school take it home since. Falbo has the highest game in the league this season, sporting a 280 at the Prairie View Invitational with an average of 235.2 over five games in Texas.

Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Guanajuanto, Mexico) earned the schools second ever bowling MEAC Rookie of the Year. She recorded a 7,826 total pinfall and notched a high game of a 242 at a MEAC North meet. She averaged a 185 or above in nine of 10 events this season and finished sporting a 190.8 average.

Norfolk State's Wilhelmenia Harrison earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season.

Also earning conference accolades is Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia) who was the pre-season player of the year for the MEAC and also the only other MEAC Rookie of the Year from UMES back in 2009. Ramirez also had a solid season that earned her inclusion on the First-Team All-MEAC squad. Ramirez had the highest average on the team this season, a 206.81, thanks to a sensational first half of the year. She tallied a pinfall of 8,686 over 42 games and rolled a 277 high game this season at the first MEAC North match-up. She was a four-time MEAC Bowler of the Week and her 277 was the third highest game this season and the best recorded in MEAC only play.

Filling out the First-Team was Tiffany Lebahn of Delaware State, Thea Aspiras of Norfolk State and Keisheena Waldon of Morgan State.

UMES didn't stop there however, getting two more nods on the MEAC Second-Team. Despite holding higher averages than other members of the First-Team, Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) and Paula Vilas (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) were both tabbed for that accolade. They joined Jazmyne Hefflefinger of DSU, Laverne Jones of North Carolina Central, Chelsea Krall of Norfolk State and Staci Hillard of Bethune-Cookman.

Buja carried a 197.07 average over 44 games with a pin count of 8,671. Her high game on the season came at Prairie View with a 264 where she joined Falbo on the All-Tournament Team. That game was the sixth best in the league this year. She was also an All-Star at the N.J. Jamboree to open the season

Vilas, the lone senior on the squad, earned All-MEAC honors for the second straight year. She averaged a 192.63 over 40 games and tallied a pin fall of 7,705. Her high game, a 256 came at the first MEAC North meet of the season. That was the ninth best game in the league this season.

UMES is coming off of a second place finish in the USBC ITC Allentown sectional where they qualified for the Intercollegiate Team Championships. They are hoping to defend their National Championship at that event. This weekend the Hawks are off to Greensboro, N.C. where they are looking for their sixth MEAC Championship and second straight title. Play starts Friday the 16th with qualifying rounds and continues through Sunday.

On Saturday the teams compete in a best-of-seven Baker series. The championship concludes on Sunday, March 18 beginning with the semifinal round at 9:50 a.m. and concluding with the championship final at 11:45 a.m. The championship finale will air tape-delayed on ESPNU on March 26 at 10 p.m.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

Tulane Downs Mississippi Valley In WNIT Opener, 68-61

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - For five minutes, it looked like it was going to be a runaway. Midway through the game, it looked like it was going to be an upset. When the clock finally hit zero, it was the Green Wave who came out on top as the Tulane University women's basketball team defeated Mississippi Valley State, 68-61, in the 2012 WNIT opener on Thursday evening in Fogelman Arena.

Freshman guard Danielle Blagg had a game-high 18 points and the Green Wave duo of senior center Brett Benzio and junior guard Olivia Grayson both posted double-doubles to help spearhead the victory. After going ahead 17-5 to start the game, Tulane trailed 38-35 at the break and were down by four at 40-36 just over two minutes into the second half. From there, the Green Wave went on a 13-7 run over the next five minutes to take a 49-47 it would not relinquish.

With the win, Tulane improves to 23-10 on the year and advances to take on Texas Tech on Sunday in Lubbock, Texas. Tipoff for the game is slated for 2 p.m. Mississippi Valley State, meanwhile, concludes its 2011-12 season with an 18-14 record.

"I thought it was a hard-fought game on both ends," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "Defensively, we did a much better job in the second half. In the first half, we gave up way too many points in transition. Only giving up 23 points in the second half was a much better effort.

"I thought at times we played really fatigued. Whether that's energy, whether that's mental or whatever, there were times after that first five minutes that we just didn't have that same energy out there and that's something that we have to make sure we're ready for on Sunday."

Blagg, who hit four 3-pointers on the night, was one of four Tulane players to finish in double figures as Grayson had 13 and both Benzio and freshman forward Tiffany Dale tallied 12 each. Benzio and Grayson completed their double-doubles with 10 rebounds apiece and Benzio headlined the team with a game-high five blocks. Rookie guard Jamie Kaplan came off the bench to lead the Wave with a career-high seven assists, and Dale posted a team-best three steals.

As a team, Tulane hit 43.1 percent of its shots from the field (25-of-58), including a .471 clip from beyond the 3-point arc (8-of-17). After allowing the Delta Devilettes to hit 16-of-34 field goals (.471) - including a .714 clip from 3-point land - over the first 20 minutes of play, the Green Wave defense held Mississippi Valley State to just eight buckets in the second half.

"We definitely got out on them early and we kind of let off the gas a little bit," Grayson said. "They continued to fight, so I give them props for that. We just gutted it out and got the win."

Tulane got off to a red-hot start, jumping out to a 17-5 lead 4:14 into the ballgame. The Delta Devilettes, however, refused to go away quietly and used a 5-of-7 performance from 3-point distance to outscore the Green Wave 33-18 the rest of the half and go into the locker room at the break on top by three.

After the two teams trading buckets early in the second half, Tulane reclaimed the lead on a Grayson jumper with 11:59 to play. Valley answered with a Brittney Lakes bucket on the ensuing possession to go back up 44-43, but a Benzio layup the next time down the floor to put the home team back on top momentarily. Lenise Stallings drained a 3-pointer to give the Delta Devilettes a 47-45 edge with 9:36 on the clock, but a Dale layup tied things up at 47-all and sparked a 12-0 Tulane run.

The Green Wave led by as many as 11 at 62-51 courtesy of a Blagg trey with 4:35 to go and Mississippi Valley whittled the deficit down to as few as six three times down the stretch. Tulane's run midway through the final frame, however, proved to be the difference in the ballgame.

"In the beginning of the game I definitely missed a lot more than I made, so I'm really happy that I was able to come out and made some in the second half," Blagg said of her three 3-pointers after the break. "You can't get down on the missed shots."

De'Kisha Fondon led the Delta Devilettes with 15 points while Alia Frank and Ka'Neshia Smith had 12 each. Smith led the team with nine rebounds and six assists. Fondon led all players with four steals.

Final Stats | Quotes

Tulane/Mississippi Valley State Game Book In PDF Format

COURTESY TULANE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Xavier Gold Nuggets feeling OK after beating Southern Nazarene

FRANKFORT, Kentucky — For the second year in a row, the Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team ended a losing streak in the NAIA Division I National Championship.

The Gold Nuggets got 16 points from SiMon Franklin and defeated Southern Nazarene 74-67 Thursday to earn their first victory at nationals in eight attempts against an Oklahoma opponent.

Xavier (26-8), ranked 18th and winner of eight in a row, will play second-ranked Union (Tenn.) in the second round at 8:45 p.m. Friday. Southern Nazarene, in its final NAIA season before beginning a transition to NCAA Division II, finished 24-10.

A year ago Xavier ended a five-game first-round losing streak by defeating Lee (Tenn.), then was eliminated in the next round.

The Gold Nuggets trailed Southern Nazarene 26-16 after 10 minutes and 39-35 at halftime but took the lead for good, 42-41, on Keldra Hall's basket with 16:03 remaining. Xavier led 58-49 with 8:18 remaining after freshman Jessica Savannah's second consecutive basket.

The Crimson Storm twice cut the Nuggets' lead to one point in the final six minutes, but the Nuggets survived. Franklin, a junior guard and the MVP of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament two weeks ago, converted a frontcourt steal into a layup to give Xavier a 72-67 lead with 29 seconds remaining. Brandi Young made two free throws with 22 seconds remaining for the Nuggets' final points.

Young scored 11 points, and Hall and Jasmine Grant had nine apiece. Grant's 3-pointer with 12:53 remaining was the 200th of her career. Her final 3-pointer, which followed Carmen Holcombe's offensive rebound, gave the Nuggets a 69-63 lead at 2:19.

Southern Nazarene missed a third opportunity to cut the lead to one when Ashley Mantooth scored a basket and Franklin fouled her. But Mantooth missed the free throw with 1:22 remaining — leaving Xavier with a 69-67 advantage — and Southern Nazarene didn't score again. In the final minute the Crimson Storm missed a pair of 3-pointers and committed three turnovers.

"Southern Nazarene shot lights-out early," XU coach Bo Browder said. "I guarantee you the first 12 or 15 minutes were the best basketball they've played all season. They were making contested shots. But we withstood that early punch and came back."

Southern Nazarene had five double-figure scorers, led by Mantooth with 16 points and Logan Martin and Oumoul Thiam with 14 apiece. The Crimson Storm outshot the Nuggets 43.9 to 39.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 47-31. But Xavier offset that with a season-high-tying eight 3-pointers, a season-best plus-14 turnover margin and 31 points from its bench.

"I told our bench before the game if they played well, we'd win," Browder said. "I thought our starters and their starters were an even match, but our bench made the difference."

In addition's to Hall, reserves Danielle Kennebrew and Dalila Robinson provided a spark with eight points apiece. Kennebrew, who entered the game 5-for-37 in her career from 3-point range, and Robinson each made a pair of treys. Robinson made hers on consecutive possessions midway through the first half and produced her most points in nearly eight weeks. Kennebrew scored her second-most points of the season.

Union (32-2) advanced with a 63-50 victory against Lindsey Wilson in the game immediately preceding Xavier-Southern Nazarene.

"Great program, great talent, great coaching, great tradition," Browder said of Union. "Southern Nazarene had a bigger team than we did, and Union's a little bigger than Southern Nazarene. So we'll have another difficult challenge to deal with."

There will be another streak to overcome, too. The Nuggets are 0-6 in the second round at nationals.

Box score

NOTES: The victory was Xavier's first against Southern Nazarene, which beat the Nuggets twice in the regular season during Browder's first two years as head coach (1998-99 and 1999-2000) . . . The Nuggets' seven straight losses at nationals against Oklahoma teams were by an average of 20.9 points . . . Grant is the third Gold Nugget to make 200 career 3-pointers. Jarryn Cleaves (2003-08) made 283, and Courtney Simon (1992-96) made 204 . . . It's the first time since 1998, when Browder was an XU assistant, that the Nuggets won first-round games at nationals in consecutive years . . . The Nuggets scored their most points at nationals since a 77-52 first-round victory against LeTourneau in 1997.

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

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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