­­Spring Football Update: TSU Takes Day 2 in Shells

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State football concluded its' second day of spring practice on Monday evening as the Tigers dressed in shells.

It was an usually warm 80 degrees on the official last day of winter as TSU Coach Rod Reed saw room for improvement after his squad's 20-plus period practice on Monday.

"I was a little disappointed in the way we came out in our tempo," said Reed. "On the first day, guys came out fired up. We came out today and dragged around a little bit. That generally happens when you go into pads and it is warm."

There was some noticeable improvement from the big guys in the trenches, while others had a few miscues.



"I think we are seeing a lot of improvement in our offensive and defensive line play," Reed noted. "We had a lot of dropped balls by our wide receivers, some misreads from our quarterbacks and dropped coverages from our linebackers. Those are things that we've got to straighten out."

Despite some of the miscues, Reed is optimistic about the team's improvement later this week.

"In some of those positions, especially linebackers, we are extremely young," said Reed. "It's going to take some time to get those guys come around a little bit. They are a work in progress. The good thing about practice is you have it on tape and can take a look at it tomorrow."

The Tigers went full contact on Monday, just one of 12 days TSU is allowed per NCAA rules. TSU dresses in full pads for practice on Wednesday.

TSU hosts its annual pro day Friday, which is closed to the public. A scrimmage is slated for Saturday with a 10 a.m. start time. All practices and scrimmages are free and open to the public.

UPCOMING SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, March 21 - 4 p.m.
Friday, March 23 - Pro Day (closed to the public)
Saturday, March 24 - Scrimmage - 10 a.m.
Monday, March 26 - 4 p.m.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU, LSU baseball game moved to Tuesday at 5 p.m

BATON ROUGE, La. – Due to projected severe storms in the Baton Rouge area, Southern University's baseball game at LSU has been moved from Wednesday night to Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium, LSU announced Monday morning.

The weather forecast on Wednesday calls for significant storm activity prompting LSU officials to move the game to give the teams the best chance to play.

Southern (8-10) avoided consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference series sweeps with a 7-1 victory over Prairie View A&M at Lee-Hines Field Sunday. Southern snapped a 7-game losing streak that dating back to a 9-3 loss to Northwestern State in the 2012 home-opener.

Meanwhile, No. 10 LSU (16-4) opened SEC play taking 2-of-3 from Mississippi State this past weekend but fell 7-1 to the Bulldogs on Sunday. LSU, which is 14-4 at home, has already claimed two wins of SWAC opponents this season, demolishing Alcorn State 19-0 and outscoring Grambling 17-10.

Live Stats for Tuesday's game are also available at lsusports.net.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Grambling State Baseball Upset No. 5 Ranked Rice Owls

HOUSTON, Texas - Grambling State jumped on the scoreboard for three unearned runs in the top of the first inning and hung-on for a 5-4 upset victory over the nationally-ranked Rice baseball team Sunday afternoon at Reckling Park in Houston.

The Tigers took advantage of two Rice fielding errors, and made the most of two free baserunners in their first time up.

Chris Wolfe led off the game and reached on an Owl fielding error and both of the next two batters, Joe Gill Jr. and Darren Farmer were both hit by a pitch on consecutive pitches. Cleanup batter Thomas Brown III reached on another fielding error that allowed Wolfe to score with the bases still loaded. Gill Jr. scored a ground out to the right side and Farmer then came home on a passed ball. Grambling was in front 3-0 without recording a base hit in the inning.

Rice answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Michael Ratterree walked and Michael Fuda reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second base. Ratterree scored on a single to right-center by Jeremy Rathjen. Fuda went to third on a single by Craig Manuel and scored on Shane Hoelscher's sacrifice fly that made it 3-2.

"We had a very poor start that put us behind the eight-ball, but after we got those to runs back I thought we can still get ourselves back on track," said Rice head coach Wayne Graham. "We were able to hit the ball, but it was right at people and they made plays. They made plays because they are a good team. You can't give any team any runs, which is exactly what we did today in the first inning."

Grambling extended its lead in the top of the fifth. Wolfe led off with a single and a one-out walk to Farmer put runners on first and second. Brown III singled-home Wolfe and Farmer later scored on a base hit by Brian Knuckles to stretch the Tiger lead to three, 5-2.

Rice freshman pitcher Jordan Stephens entered the game out of the bullpen in the fifth and kept the Tigers in check while the Owls tried to battle their way back. Stephens finished the day with another 4.1 shutout innings, giving him a total of 18.0-consecutive scoreless innings dating back to a March 4 start against Tennessee in the finale of the annual College Classic held at Minute Maid Park.

The Blue & Gray rallied for a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Christian Stringer hit safely to right and advanced into scoring position on a balk. He hustled home on Ratteree's single through the left side that made the score 5-3.

Rathjen led off the bottom of the eighth with a double into the left field corner. He went to third on a ground out and scored on Hoelscher's second sacrifice fly of the game that cut it to one, 5-4.

Grambling starter Richard Bautista worked eight innings, but the Tigers went to Zach Moreau out of the bullpen for the start of the ninth. Moreau retired the Owls in order to preserve a win for Bautista (2-0) and notch his third save of the season. The Tigers improved to 11-7 on the year. Rice fell to 15-6 overall.

"Their starter went out and threw a lot of strikes," coach Graham added. "We struck out only two times today, but we could have had some better at bats in some specific situations. Some of the other areas where we needed more attention to details were important to the outcome today. We didn't win the game today, but we have a chance to be better now by learning from it. I think we learned something."

The Owls closed-out the weekend series with Grambling, but Rice still has two more games in its current homestand. Rice next hosts state rivals Texas-San Antonio and Lamar on March 20-21 (Tues.-Wed.) respectively. The start times for both home games is set for 6:30 pm at Reckling Park.

BOX SCORE 

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Rice Defeats Grambling State 12-1 Saturday At Reckling Park

HOUSTON, Texas -- Rice senior pitcher Matthew Reckling struck out a career-high 13 batters while his teammates on offense collected 17 hits, including five for extra bases, as the No. 5 ranked Owls baseball team coasted to a 12-1 victory over visiting Grambling State Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park in Houston.

Reckling's 13 strikeouts was the most by an Owl pitcher since Ryan Berry struck out 13 in a home game against Southern Miss in 2008. Reckling struck out the side twice in the game and fanned six-of-eight Grambling hitters in one stretch. The Houston native didn't allow the Tigers a hit in the game until the top of the sixth inning. He left with a 10-1 lead after 6.0 innings having allowed just one run on three singles and two walks to improve to 3-0 on the year.

"Matthew had wonderful stuff today," said Rice head coach Wayne Graham. "He was throwing hard, getting up to 93 (mph), and his curveball is always one of the best in college baseball if not the best. We had a lot of good at bats. Today we did a better of job of paying attention to details in every phase of the game. We have to be on top of our game every pitch."

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COURTESY RICEOWLS.COM

SCSU Track Teams Record 12 Top Tens at Shamrock Invitational

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina – The SC State track and field teams recorded twelve (12) top ten finishes, eight by the men, during the three-day (Mar. 15-17) Shamrock Invitational hosted by Coastal Carolina at Doug Shaw Stadium. Over 50 squads from colleges and universities across the nation participated in the annual event.

The SC State women's 4x100 meter relay team of Yazmin Hicks, Alexandria Jones, Antavia Owens and Keziah Brown recorded the school's only first, completing the course in a time of 46.16, ahead of Liberty, the runner-up. The Lady Bulldogs also got two individual top ten finishes from Jones, who was third in the 400 meters in a time of 54.6, and ninth in the 200 meters in a clocking of 24.3, and a ninth-place finish from Yazmin Hicks in the 100 meters in a time of 12.03.

Recording top ten finishes for the SC State men were Seymour Walter, second in the 800 meters (1:51.64), Donta Young, third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.27), Xavier Molette, fourth in the discus with a throw of 4.35m (158-07 ft.), Noel Facey, fifth in the shot put with a toss of 16.27m (53-04.50 ft.), Lorenzo Johnson, ninth in the pole vault with a leap of 4.00m (13-01.50 t.), Zackary Hasty, tenth in the 100 meters (10.6), and the 4x100 meter relay team (Young, Marcus Stevens, Hasty and Eric Sparkman), third in a time of 41.18, and the 4x400 meter relay squad (Young, Aaron Worthy, Walter and Brandon Lowery), ninth in a clocking of 3:18.25.

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Norfolk State Wins 2012 Bowling Championship

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Norfolk State University defeated Bethune-Cookman University, 4-0, en route to their first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowling Championship title on Sunday afternoon at Gate City Lanes in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The No. 4 Spartans dominated the match winning 177-160, 209-168, 199-185 and 183-171 in Baker play.

No. 6 Bethune-Cookman battled the defending MEAC and NCAA national champion No. 2 Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks during the morning's semifinal match. The Lady Hawks won the first Baker game by one pin to take the 1-0 lead. Bethune-Cookman rallied back and won the next four games to earn their place in the final.

NSU's Thea Aspiras earned Outstanding Tournament Performer honors. "I am so happy I made it this far with my team, said Aspiras. Our hard work paid off." Aspiras led the Spartans with a 201.5 averaged during the five team games.

2011/12 MEAC BOWING CHAMPIONS
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS
ROSTER  

Head Coach Wilhemina Harrison of Norfolk State was named Outstanding Coach for the first time in her career. "We talked before we came to the championship about our game plan, explained Harrison. We didn't have a great day the first day but we came back yesterday and stayed positive. We stuck to our game plan today and were able to win.

Joining Aspiras on the All-Tournament Team is Staci Hilliard of Bethune-Cookman, T'Nia Falbo of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State's Jazmyne Hefflefinger, and Lauren Graupmann of Norfolk State.

The MEAC Bowling championship finale will air in a tape-delayed format on Monday, March 26 at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.

For more information on MEAC Bowling or other sponsored sports, visit www.meacsports.com.

2012 MEAC All-Tournament Team

Jazyme Hefflefinger, Delaware State University

T'Nia Falbo, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Staci Hilliard, Bethune-Cookman University

Lauren Graupmann, Norfolk State University
Thea Aspiras, Norfolk State University

Outstanding Performer: Thea Aspiras, Norfolk State University
Outstanding Coach: Wilhelmenia Harrison, Norfolk State University

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Stillman wins two more games at SIAC Crossover

JASPER, Alabama | The Stillman College women’s softball team got two more wins Friday in the SIAC Crossover — 4-0 over Benedict and 10-2 over Paine.

In the opener, Bailey Braughton opened the Stillman scoring with a home run in the bottom of the first inning. In the fourth, after a Brittney Perry walk and a Chelsea Nix sacrifice bunt, Danielle Hewitt homered for a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Hewitt homered again for the final run.

Stillman’s Ashley Savage earned the complete game victory, throwing 113 pitches, 83 for strikes. She allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out 14 batters, giving her 94 strikeouts thrown on the season. Michelle Gray went 3-for-3 while Gabrielle Quarles and Hewett each had two hits.

Against Paine, the Lady Tigers pushed their win streak to 14 games.

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TSU Tigers Lose to Mercer Bears in Final At Bat

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State rallied on three separate occasions only to see the final game of the 2012 Tiger Classic slip away at the end. The Tigers dropped a 6-5 contest to Mercer on Sunday afternoon and fell to 7-15 in the final weekend of non-conference play.

Jennifer Givens would put TSU on the board early with her legs. The junior beat out a bunt to open the game and then needed only one pitch to cross home plate. Givens stole second base and took third as the throw made its way into centerfield. Mercer's Mackenzie Woody attempted to throw Givens out at third, but the ball arrived late, hit the speedster and ricocheted far enough away to scamper home safely.

The Bears picked up a two-out RBI double in the first and an unearned run in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. The Tigers came right back in the top of the fifth inning, once again Givens would cross the plate for the TSU. Givens reached on a fielder's choice as the Mercer defense forced out Tayler Shimizu at second, after she reached on a walk. Givens once again stole second and advanced to third and home as Mercer pitcher Kassie Bailey had problems holding onto the ball during her delivery.

As soon as the Tigers tied the game, the Bears regained the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Shea Morris surrendered a home run to allow Mercer to take a 3-2 lead into the sixth. But TSU come right back once again in the top of the sixth. With one out, Kate Morris reached base and advanced to second on an errant throw giving the Tigers a runner in scoring position. Savannah Gutierrez took advantage as she drove a ball through the left side of the infield into left center for an RBI double tying the game at 3-3.

Mercer picked up two more unearned runs in the sixth. The Tigers picked up two quick outs before an error gave the Bears some extended life. Mercer recorded back-to-back hits driving in the two runs for a 5-3 lead entering the seventh.

For the third time, TSU came charging back with two runs in the seventh. Kelly Troglin opened the inning with a single and moved to second when Alford was hit by a pitch. After a Jordan Rehl sacrifice bunt, Devin Amar ripped a ball into the left field corner for a double chasing home Troglin and Alford to tie the game at 5-5. A batter latter, Kate Morris singled into left field giving Amar an opportunity to round third and head for home challenging the Mercer defense. The Bears were up to the task and threw out Amar at home.

Mercer put the nail in the coffin in the bottom of the seventh as they took advantage of a hit and two Tiger errors. Tiffany Phillips led off with a single to second and advanced one base on a throwing error. Phillips moved to third on a bunt and set up the final play of the game. Alford backhanded a ball at shortstop and threw home to Amar in time. Phillips slammed on the breaks and headed back to third. Amar chased Phillips, but was not able to connect with Rehl during the run down allowing Phillips to return home for the winning run.

Olivia Gamache fell to 2-3 in a relief appearance where she surrendered just one hit and no earned runs in .2 innings of work. Gamache, who was selected to the All-Tournament team by appearing in all three of TSU's games without allowing an earned run and just one hit, replaced Shea Morris who gave up five runs, two earned, on nine hits with four strike outs.

Troglin and Amar paced the offensive attack with two hits apiece.

The Tigers return to Ohio Valley Conference play on Wednesday, March 21. The doubleheader with Austin Peay is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Tiger Field.

2012 Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team

MVP - McKenzie Woody, Mercer

Kristin Marko, Mercer

Jessica Holsinger, Mercer

Alicia Herron, Ohio State

Taylor Watkins, Ohio State
Vanessa Spears, Ohio State

Jen Sansano, St. Bonaventure

Christine Watson, St. Bonaventure

Olivia Gamache, Tennessee State

Nicole Burr, Mississippi Valley State
Ashley Byers, Belmont

Tournament Champion - Ohio State*
*Run Differential

Tiger Classic - Day 3 Scores
Ohio State 8 St. Bonaventure 2

Belmont 7 Mississippi Valley State 3

Mercer 8 Mississippi Valley State 0 (5)

Mercer 6 Tennessee State 2

Tiger Classic - Day 2 Scores

Mercer 8 St. Bonaventure 0 (5)

Ohio State 15 Belmont 3 (6)
St. Bonaventure 3 Tennessee State 1
Mississippi Valley State 8 Belmont 1
Ohio State vs. Mercer - Cancelled
Tennessee State vs. Mississippi Valley State - Cancelled

Tiger Classic - Day 1 Scores
St. Bonaventure 7 Belmont 1
Ohio State 6 Tennessee State 0

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Defense shines as Southern holds annual spring game

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Fighting off linemen, dropping ballcarriers and bum-rushing quarterbacks, Casey Narcisse had already put in a full day’s work.

Then, toward the end of Saturday’s spring football game at Southern University, Narcisse found himself in just the right spot. He had the chance to make the play of the day.

It hit him right in the face.

Narcisse, a defensive tackle who will be a senior this fall, teamed with Delwin Williams on a stunt. As the 5-foot-9, 286-pound Narcisse came out of his loop, he saw Williams tip the pass near the line of scrimmage, sending the football skyward.

“It hit me all in the face mask,” he said. “It was crazy. It was a blessing. ... But I caught it, and I made it into the end zone.”

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Norfolk State's dream turns into nightmare against scary Florida

OMAHA, Nebraska -- This is why we can't have nice things. Well, Florida is why we can't have nice things. Norfolk State from the MEAC was a nice thing, brazenly beating second-seeded Missouri in its first game and then winning us over with two days of charming press conferences, making us dream that these brazen, charming Spartans might become the first No. 15 seed to make it to the Sweet 16.

It was a nice dream. And Norfolk State was a nice thing. But this NCAA tournament will continue without both of them, because Florida is a scary basketball team when it's playing like it played Sunday in the Round of 32.



Which is to say, better than Florida played on Friday in the Round of 64.  And on Friday, Florida beat Virginia by 26 points.

Two minutes into the second half on Sunday, Florida was beating Norfolk State by 31. The final was 84-50, and it shouldn't be dismissed as a prectable SEC blowout against an outmanned team from the MEAC. That victory Friday by Norfolk State against Missouri was no fluke, no matter how ungraciously Mizzou coach Frank Haith tried to spin it afterward.

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XU has 4 singles players on Campbell's-ITA national list

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has four singles players and two doubles teams on the national list of the Campbell's-Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA rankings of March 12.

Earning recognition in the first regular-season rankings of 2012 were:

• Loic Didavi, 11th nationally and third in the South in men's singles.
• Zach Taylor, 17th nationally and sixth in the South in men's singles.
• Viktor Svoboda, 47th nationally and 16th in the South in men's singles.
• Kourtney Howell, 35th nationally and 15th in the South in women's singles.
• Steffen Giles-Osborn, 18th in the South in men's singles.
• Didavi and Taylor, third nationally and second in the South in men's doubles.
• Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson, 25th nationally and 10th in the South in men's doubles.

Rankings were based on performances through March 4. The next rankings will be announced April 16. The NAIA will announce its next team rankings Tuesday. The XU men were ninth in the most recent coaches poll.

The XU women will play Central Oklahoma, ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II, at 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center. Both XU teams will play at 4 p.m. Saturday at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center against Auburn Montgomery, whose women are No. 1 in the NAIA and men are ranked fifth. AUM has the NAIA's top-ranked women's singles player, Ana Veselinovic.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Livingstone College Releases 2012 Football Schedule

SALISBURY, North Carolina – The Livingstone College Athletic Department has officially released its 2012 football schedule.

The upcoming schedule for the Blue Bears features five home games, four road contests and one neutral site game. Livingstone is coming off a 1-9 season last year with a 0-7 conference mark.

Livingstone will open the season at home on September 1 at 6 p.m. against the Chowan University Hawks. After a one-year hiatus from the Mayor's Cup the Blue Bears will once again face off against the Catawba College Indians. The Blue Bears will head across town to face the Indians on September 8.

Livingstone will then return to Alumni Memorial Stadium for two home contests against Edward Waters College on September 15 and Lincoln (PA) on September 22.

The Blue Bears will head to Richmond, VA on September 29 to take on the Panthers of Virginia Union University. The Blue Bears and Panthers last met in 2007.

St. Augustine's will come to Salisbury on October 6 for Livingstone's Homecoming. Game time for Homecoming is 2 p.m. The Blue Bears will close out their home slate on October 13 against the Bears of Shaw University at 1 p.m.

Livingstone will head to Winston-Salem, NC on October 20 to face the Rams of Winston-Salem State before heading to face Fayetteville State on October 27.

The Blue Bears will finish the 2012 on November 3 in the 4th Annual Commemorative Classic. Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith will meet at 2 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC.



DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME

9/1 Chowan Salisbury, NC 6:00 PM
9/8 at Catawba Salisbury, NC TBA
9/15 Edward Waters Salisbury, NC 6:00 PM
9/22 Lincoln (PA) Salisbury, NC 1:00 PM
9/29 at Virginia Union Richmond, VA TBA
10/6 St. Augustine's (Homecoming) Salisbury, NC 2:00 PM
10/13 Shaw Salisbury, NC 1:00 PM
10/20 at Winston-Salem State Winston-Salem, NC 6:00 PM
10/27 at Fayetteville State Fayetteville , NC 1:00 PM
11/3 at *Johnson C. Smith Charlotte, NC 2:00 PM
*Commemorative Classic ~ Memorial Stadium

COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE
VISIT: BLUEBEARATHLETICS.COM

Paine College Hires Olympic Gold Medalist Latasha Clark

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Latasha Colander Clark joins the Paine College Athletic staff as head coach for men's & women's track and field and women & men's cross country, Director of Athletics Tim Duncan announced.

Clark, who earned an Olympic gold medal and was part of a world-record relay team, comes to Paine from Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, North Carolina, where she was assistant men and women's track and field coach.

“I would like to thank the Paine College Administration for this opportunity to serve as head coach for the track and field and cross country programs,” stated Clark. “I see great potential for a competitive track and field program here at Paine College. I look forward to meeting and working with the local high school coaches, as well as the Lion student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni and the residents of the greater Central Savannah River Area to make Paine College track and field the best it can be.”

“We are extremely proud to have Coach Clark lead our track and field and cross country programs”, said Duncan. “After conducting an extensive national search that included over 100 applicants for the position, Coach Clark's experience, work ethic and passion for helping student-athletes achieve on and off the track made her the obvious choice to lead the Lion running programs. We are certainly fortunate to add her, Kris and their children to the Paine College community.”

Clark anchored the USA 4x400 meter relay team, which took home the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In addition, she competed in the 400 meters at the 2000 Olympics after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials in the event. In 2004, Clark won the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials.



In 2000, Clark ran the second leg of the 4x200 meter relay team at USA vs. The World at the Penn Relays. Her relay team set a world record with a time of 1:27.46. In 2001, Clark won the 100 meters at the USA Outdoor Championship. In 2005, she qualified to be a part of Team USA for the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, Finland, where she made it to the 200-meter finals, placing fifth.

In 2006, Clark retired as a professional athlete.

Originally from Virginia, Clark is a graduate of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Mass Communications. As a student, she was a member of the track team, and she received the MVP award three times, and was an 18 time All-American. After graduating, Clark signed as a Professional Track & Field Athlete with NIKE in 1999.

Clark is a member of the Virginia Hall of Fame Hall of Stars and the UNC Hall of Fame. Clark established the LC Treasures Within Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening kids, families and the world through education sports and spirituality. Clark has appeared on numerous television programs including the 700 Club and the INSP Network, and she is the author of an Autobiography- Fighting for Destiny The Final Destination, and YES I CAN, a children's book.

Clark is married to Kris Clark, a graduate and former football student-athlete at the University of South Carolina. They have three children Krisjon (4), Christian (2), and Kyrsten (1).

COURTESY PAINE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: PAINE COLLEGE
VISIT: PAINEATHLETICS.COM

North Carolina A&T Releases 2012 Football Schedule

GREENSBORO, North Carolina - The North Carolina A&T football team won four of its first six games in 2011 before having to play four straight games away from Aggie Stadium. The Aggies lost all four, bringing to a halt the momentum to a season with so much promise.

A&T does not have to travel consecutive weeks in 2012. The Aggies will play seven home games this upcoming season, including the home opener on Sept. 8 against West Virginia State University at 6 p.m.

The season opens on Labor Day weekend near Myrtle Beach, S.C., as the Aggies face Coastal Carolina for the third time in school history. It will be the Aggies second trip to Coastal Carolina in three years following their 2009 appearance at Brooks Stadium. It will also be the third meeting in five years between the two schools.

Another rematch will take place at 6 p.m., on Sept. 15 when the Aggies face Virginia University of Lynchburg at Aggie Stadium. The Dragons lost to A&T 38-7 last season at Aggie Stadium.

Morgan State will be the Aggies first MEAC opponent when the two teams face each other at 1:30 p.m., on Sept. 29 at Aggie Stadium. Homecoming 2012 is Oct. 27 against defending MEAC Champion Norfolk State at 1:30 p.m.

A&T's other three road games are against Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 6, Delaware State on Oct. 20 and the Aggies head to Durham to face archrival N.C. Central on Nov. 17.

The spring practice dates are March 19, 21, 26, 28 and April 2, 4. The Spring Game is April 7.

In Rod Broadway's first season as the Aggies head man, A&T went 5-6 overall and 4-4 in the MEAC. For the first time in school history, the Aggies produced a 2,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and a 1,000-yard rusher. Linebacker D'Vonte Grant was a Jerry Rice finalist for best freshman in the nation, as he led the Aggies in tackles. After his second straight season where he rushed for 1,000 yards, senior running back Mike Mayhew comes into the 2012 season needing 163 yards to become the school's all-time leading rusher.



NCA&T 2012 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (.pdf)

Date                Opponent                            Location                         Time

Sat, Sep 01 Coastal Carolina at Conway, S.C. TBA Sat, Sep 08 West Virginia State Aggie Stadium 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 15 Virginia University of Lynchburg Aggie Stadium 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 29 Morgan State * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 06 Bethune-Cookman * at Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA Sat, Oct 13 Howard * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 20 Delaware State * at Dover, Del. 1:30 p.m. Sat, Oct 27 Norfolk State (Homecoming) * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 03 Florida A&M * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 10 S.C. State * Aggie Stadium 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 17 N.C. Central * at Durham, N.C. 2 p.m.

* Conference Games

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: NCA&TAGGIES.COM

Saint Augustine's Falcons Releases 2012 Football Schedule

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Saint Augustine's College announced the release of the 2012 football schedule on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. The schedule features five home games including a Nov. 3 date against crosstown rival Shaw University.

The Falcons open the season with two consecutive home games. They host Wingate University on Sept. 1 in the first ever meeting between both teams. Wingate, a member of the South Atlantic Conference, finished 5-6 overall last season. The Falcons are back home Sept. 8 against the University of New Haven, the two-time defending Northeast-10 Conference champion. New Haven reached the NCAA Division II playoffs last season, advancing to the Super Regional One finals where they lost to Winston-Salem State.

The Falcons play four of their next five games away. They hit the road for the first time Sept. 15 at Southern Connecticut State University. This is the Falcons' first matchup against SCSU, which finished 7-3 last season and won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II football team of the year award. The only home contest during the five-game stretch is Sept. 22 against Bowie State University in the CIAA opener. The Falcons and Bulldogs have met only once (2002) in 10 years.

The Sept. 29 contest against Elizabeth City State University starts a string of three straight conference road games for the Falcons. For the third time in seven years, both teams will square off in the Down East Classic in Rocky Mount, N.C. On Oct.6, the Falcons head to Salisbury, N.C., to visit Livingstone College. Last season, the Falcons defeated the Blue Bears 45-14.

A much-anticipated contest against Winston-Salem State University takes place Oct. 13 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Falcons were one of the few teams to give the Rams a close game last season. The Rams are coming off a CIAA title, a Southern Division crown and a NCAA Division II semifinal berth. Two years ago, the visiting Falcons stunned the nationally-ranked Rams 40-35 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Falcons are home in two of their last three CIAA contests. They host Fayetteville State University on Oct. 20 for Homecoming before going to Johnson C. Smith University on Oct. 27. The Falcons downed JCSU 34-15 last season in the first ever football game on campus.

For the third consecutive year, the Falcons face Shaw University in the season finale. The Falcons will host the showdown against their crosstown rival on Nov. 3.

The Falcons are coming off a 4-6 season in 2011. They were 4-1 in home games.

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
SEPT. 1	WINGATE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
SEPT. 8	NEW HAVEN	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
Sept. 15	at Southern Conn. State	New Haven, CT	1:00 p.m.
SEPT. 22	*BOWIE STATE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
Sept. 29	*at Elizabeth City State%	Rocky Mount, NC	4:00 p.m.
Oct. 6	*at Livingstone	Salisbury, NC	2:00 p.m.
Oct. 13	*at Winston-Salem State	Winston-Salem, NC	TBA
OCT. 20	*FAYETTEVILLE STATE#	RALEIGH, NC	2:00 p.m.
Oct. 27	*at Johnson C. Smith	Charlotte, NC	TBA
NOV. 3	*SHAW	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
Nov. 10	CIAA Championship	Durham, NC	1:00 p.m.

*CIAA Games
# - Homecoming
% - Down East Classic
Home Games in BOLD CAPS

DSU Women's Basketball Coach Announces Retirement

HEAD COACH ED DAVIS

DOVER, Delaware  - - Delaware State University Women's Basketball Head Coach Ed Davis announced today that he is retiring from his position, ending a 12-year coaching career at DSU.

Since becoming the Lady Hornets' head coach in the 2000-2001 season, Davis compiled a 178-182 overall record - making him the University's all-time leader in career women's basketball wins. During the recently concluded 2011-12 season, the Lady Hornets were 7-23 overall and 4-12 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The highlight year of Davis' DSU coaching tenure took place during the 2006-07 season, in which he guided the Lady Hornets to the only Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in team's history.

Davis' tenure at Delaware State was also highlighted by five MEAC Tournament championship game appearances and a share of the MEAC regular season title in 2004. He was named MEAC Coach-of-the-Year for the 2003-04 season.

The interim director of athletics said that Ed Davis has served Delaware State University Athletics with dignity and professionalism. "He has been a true competitor and champion of the game and has orchestrated an academically-focused team that has performed admirably throughout his career at DSU," Hart said. "We wish Coach Davis much success and thank him for his dedication to the women's basketball program and Hornet Nation."

Prior to his arrival at DSU in 2000, Davis was the head women's basketball coach at Bowie State (Md.) University for eight years. He has a career record of 349-236 in 20 years as an intercollegiate head coach.

The University will launch a national search for a new women's basketball head coach in the near future.

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton U. can't stop Stanford, Ogwumike

NORFOLK, Virginia - With just less than seven minutes to play in the first half, Choicetta McMillian hit a step-back 3-pointer to pull 16th seed Hampton within a point of Stanford in Saturday's first-round NCAA tournament game.

During the next four minutes, the Cardinal made it clear why – whatever the questions surrounding Hampton's tournament seeding may have been – it is the No. 1 seed in the Fresno regional and the No. 2 team in the nation.

After McMillian's three, Stanford reeled off a 13-0 run and didn't look back on its way to a 73-51 victory.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

The final score marked the first time this season that HU, which came into the game ranked second in the nation by giving up just 46.8 points per game, surrendered 70 points. The Lady Pirates (26-5), outrebounding opponents by seven boards per game, were also outrebounded 44-25 and had just eight assists – eight-tenths of a point more than senior point guard Jericka Jenkins' season average – while shooting 31.7 percent.

"There's no denying that they're good, but that's like a pitcher pitching and not having his best stuff," HU coach David Six said. "We didn't have our best stuff today. Obviously Stanford has something to do with that, but we didn't rebound the ball. We didn't put enough pressure on the ball."


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UConn. Huskies beat Prairie View A&M, march into second round

JUNIOR GUARD LATIA "MOMMA" WILLIAMS
DID ALL SHE COULD AGAINST UCONN
LEADING THE PANTHERS WITH 20 POINTS,
5 REBOUNDS, 3 ASSISTS, AND 1 BLOCK
AGAINST THE #1 DEFENSE IN NCAA
DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL.

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut — As Geno Auriemma began to delve into his postgame comments following Saturday’s NCAA tournament opener, he accidentally referred to the opposing Prairie View A&M team as Mississippi Valley State. Then again, there were times when Auriemma might have had a hard team recognizing his own UConn team.

The top-seeded Huskies came into the NCAA first-round game as one of the most stifling defensive teams in recent memory, yet they allowed the lightly-regarded SWAC tournament champions to hit nine of their last 12 first half.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

After taking 12 of the 15 minutes during halftime to remind his team how he expects them to play, Auriemma watched as UConn rolled to an 83-47 win before a crowd of 4,563 at Webster Bank Arena on Saturday.

The Lady Panthers missed seven straight shots and 11 out f 12 in the second half as the Huskies won their NCAA tournament opener for the 19th straight time and won their 30th game for a record-tying seventh straight season.

BOX SCORE

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How Florida Plans to Beat Norfolk State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Norfolk fans, wherever you are, you need to know what it will be like on Sunday to play the favored Florida Gators. If you do not want to be at a disadvantage from the start then I advise you read this.

While Norfolk carefully executed their game plan against Missouri, Florida’s coach Billy Donovan sat quietly watching. There can be no greater scouting report than a bird’s eye view of the opponent’s talent. Donovan will not say whether he is impressed with Norfolk, but one thing is for sure. He is determined to make sure that what happened to Missouri will not happen to Florida. By Sunday he will know the strengths and weaknesses of every Norfolk player and have a strategy not just to beat them, but to demoralize them.



Here is what we know about Florida. The quest to beat Norfolk will begin well before Florida enters the arena to play. The players will prepare as if they are about to play their rival Florida State. Donovan will make it clear that it would be shameful for Florida to lose a game they are supposed to win. “Just look at what happened to Missouri,” he’ll say.

READ MORE AT SPORTSEDIT.ORG

Norfolk State Win Was Not an Upset

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - When the Norfolk State Spartans defeated the Missouri Tigers on Friday evening it was for a brief period the biggest upset of the NCAA tournament. Then Ohio beat Michigan and Lehigh defeated Duke. While the Michigan and Duke defeats were huge upsets there was something unique about the Norfolk win.

Duke wasn’t its usual self and Michigan played like a team without a game plan. Missouri, on the other hand, played up to their potential shooting 53 percent from the field. No one can say that Missouri “sucked” or even that the referees didn’t favor them. They played the way they did all season to get their 30 wins against some of the top teams in the country. So, why was Norfolk able to beat them?



Frankly, Missouri was outplayed and outcoached in this one. Norfolk came into the game with confidence having played in tournaments at the beginning of the season and coming close to a win against Marquette. It didn’t hurt either that Norfolk did have a win against Drexel or that ...



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TSU Football Completes Day One of Spring Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State football held its’ first practice of the spring season on Friday. The Tigers wore just helmets with no pads to kick off the third season for TSU head coach Rod Reed.

On Friday, the Big Blue focused on fundamentals and participated in 25 limited contact periods. Per NCAA rules, TSU can only participate in 12 contact days during the spring season. The Tigers compete in full pads on Monday afternoon at 4 p.m.

“The tempo was great for opening the year,” said Coach Reed. “We focused on fundamentals, especially with our young guys. There is a lot of work to be done, but I am excited about the way we performed to start the spring.”



The Tigers practice on Monday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. TSU will take Friday off before participating in a scrimmage on Saturday. The time for the scrimmage will be announced later this week.

On Friday, March 23, Tennessee State will host its’ annual pro day with numerous scouts from the NFL and other professional leagues in attendance.

All practice sessions are open to the public with the exception of pro day. For more updates on spring practice, check out TSUTigers.com.

UPCOMING SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Monday, March 19 – 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 21 – 4 p.m.
Friday, March 23 – Pro Day (closed to the public)
Saturday, March 24 – Scrimmage – TBA

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nuggets lose to La. Tech, then both XU teams defeat Loyola

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, playing two women's tennis dual matches on the same day for the first time this season, lost 9-0 to Louisiana Tech and defeated city rival Loyola 9-0 Saturday.

Xavier's men, ranked ninth in the NAIA, defeated Loyola 8-1.

The XU-Tech dual was played in the morning at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, and the XU-Loyola duals were played during the afternoon at the University of New Orleans.

The Gold Nuggets (3-14) suffered their ninth loss of the season to an NCAA Division I opponent, then snapped a five-dual losing streak by winning every set against Loyola (2-4). Freshman Jordyn Goody clinched against the Wolfpack with her 6-0, 6-0 victory against Cristiana Krtalic at No. 5 singles.

Louisiana Tech (8-3), playing for the first time in 13 days, won its third in a row and fifth dual in six tries.

"It was good to see the Nuggets get that win, especially after a tough morning and a tough week," XU coach Alan Green said.

The Gold Rush (10-3) snapped a two-dual losing streak and won every set against Loyola's men (1-4). Amir Rahbar clinched at No. 5 singles with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Eduardo Garcia.

The XU women will play Central Oklahoma, ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II, at 4 p.m. Tuesday at City Park. Both XU teams will play at 4 p.m. Saturday at UNO against Auburn Montgomery, whose women are No. 1 in the NAIA and men are ranked fifth.

Results: Men Women vs. Louisiana Tech and Loyola


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

Tennessee State Earns 20 Top-5 Finishes at Morehouse Relays

ATLANTA, Georgia – Tennessee State University’s men’s and women’s track & field teams used a solid weekend to capture 20 top-5 finishes at the 41st annual Morehouse Relays.

The Tigerbelles captured eight podium finishes and three individual titles, while the Flying Tigers snagged three podium marks.

Brielle Moore won the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 15.05, LaTia Carney finished in third at 15.69 seconds.

In the long jump, freshman Ashontae Jackson leapt 5.62 meters (18-5 ¾) to win the Morehouse Relays title. Jackson earned fifth in the 200-meter dash at a time of 25.04.

Also in the long jump, JaLyn Burr connected with a distance of 5.41 meters (17-9) to tie for second place. Burr also finished fourth in the women’s triple jump with a distance of 11.60 meters (38-0 ¾).

Gabrielle Todd ran 57.28 for fourth overall in the 400-meter dash and placed third in the high jump by clearing 1.57 meters (5-1 ¾).

In the shot put, Brittani Logan tossed the silver ball 11.58 meters (38-0).

The Tigerbelles claimed three podium finishes in the relay events. The 4x200m team won the event at 1:39.03, while the 4x400m finished second at 3:51.78. The 4x400m relay squad earned third at 47.24 seconds.

For the Flying Tigers, Alex Griffin tossed a distance of 13.23 meters (43-5) to claim second place in the men’s shot put.

In the sprint events, Julian Mallory came in fourth with his time of 21.89. Michael Johnson placed fifth in the 400-meter dash (48.94), while Arthur Combest also notched fifth with his sprint of 14.78 in the 110m hurdles. Combest’s time is ranked 14th

Sean Jenkins cleared 1.92m (6-3 ½) in the high jump for fifth in the meet. The 4x800m relay team claimed third with a time of 8:12.21 in the distance relay event. The 4x200m squad was fourth at 1:28.47.

The Tigers track & field programs compete next Saturday, March 24 at the Weems Baskin Invitational hosted by the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

MOREHOUSE RELAYS RESULTS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Georgetown Uses Second-Half Surge to Take Down Southern - New Orleans, 78-52

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- No. 14 Georgetown (Ky.) used a 46-24 second-half scoring burst to eliminate Southern University-New Orleans (La.) ("SUNO"), 78-52, in the final game of the second round in the 2012 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship.

The Tigers head to their eighth quarterfinal since 1998 with the late contest on Saturday at 8 p.m. CDT. They battle No. 11 Mountain State (W.Va.), a team that beat Georgetown last year in the semifinals.

"I am proud of our guys," said Georgetown head coach Chris Briggs. "I really thought Garel Craig stepped up. I thought Jordan Demercy made some plays and Josh Lockett played well in place of Maurice Pearson. We are going to work as hard as we can, and I thought for the most part, we did that."

Both clubs struggled to score points in the first half. Georgetown took a 32-28 lead into the half, but shot just 36 percent (10-of-28) from the field. The Tiger advantage came at the free throw line where they scored six more points (11-5) than Southern-New Orleans.

Clyde Moore made a jumper in the lane to hand the Knights a 16-12 lead at the 14:05 mark. But Georgetown went to work behind nine points from Garel Craig and seven from Jordan Demercy. The Tigers crept ahead late in the half and led 32-28 at the break.

A basket by Jared Lewis and Merlin Walker were the only points scored by the Knights in the first nine minutes of the second half. Conversely, a 34-30 Georgetown lead turned into a 57-32 gap that Southern-New Orleans could not threaten.

SUNO seemed to run out of gas in the second half after a grueling, come-from-behind overtime win last night over No. 2 seed Robert Morris (Ill.). That game ended after 1 a.m. CDT last night.

Garel finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Demercy recorded 13 points and 12 boards. Josh Lockett and Allan Thomas chipped in 10 points each.

Kevin Dukes was the lone SUNO player in double figures with 10 points. One night after scoring 34 and grabbing 21 rebounds, Clyde Moore struggled offensively with just two points and six rebounds.

Thanks to a 61 percent clip in the second half, Georgetown shot 49 percent overall. Southern-New Orleans posted a 36.4 percent shooting total.

Southern will head home with an 18-14 record and a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship.

"It (getting to the second round) was a big accomplishment," said Southern-New Orleans head coach Dale Valdery. "They played hard. There are some things we need to work on, but I was extremely proud of their effort. They didn't give up and they kept hustling even though we were down. They (Georgetown) were well prepared and did what they needed to win. Those are the things we're going to have to work on in the future."

Game Notes: Southern-New Orleans was a second-round participant for the third-straight appearance at the national tournament ... The Knights' all-time national tournament record dropped to 3-7 with the loss ... This is the second appearance in a row the Knights have been knocked out of the tournament by a team from the Mid-South Conference, falling to Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in the 2004 second round ... The loss snapped a season-long six-game winning streak ... The 52 points was a season-low for the Knights and their fewest in their history at the national tournament.

Georgetown - Georgetown will be making its fifth quarterfinal appearance in the last 10 years ... The Tigers will be matched up with Mountain State (W.Va.) for the second-straight season and third time in five years after falling to the Cougars in the semifinal round in both 2008 and 2011 ... Georgetown ran its all-time record at the national tournament to 54-29 ... The 52 points allowed was the fewest given up by a Georgetown team at the national tournament since yielding 49 in a victory over Arkansas Tech in 1996.

COURTESY: NAIA.org

HU sends letter to NCAA selection committee

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton is not taking the perceived slight of being seeded No. 16 in the women's NCAA tournament lying down.

Rodney Smith, HU's vice president for administrative services, sent a letter dated Tuesday to Greg Christopher, chair of the Division I women's basketball committee, expressing the school's disappointment.

The letter said, in part: "In comparison with other teams that were seeded better than Hampton University, we feel that Hampton University as well as its Lady Pirates, coaches, faculty, staff, students, administration, alumni, and all friends and supporters of the University have been deeply disrespected and insulted."

"We didn't want it to go by and not let our voices be heard," HU athletic director Keshia Campbell said Wednesday. "Coach (David) Six has done his due diligence with this in breaking down every team, (and) we just felt the need to come up with a university response to the seeding."

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Top-seeded UConn revved for opener with PVAMU Lady Panthers

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - Geno Auriemma and the Connecticut Huskies are raring to go after being off for 10 days. The top-seeded Huskies open up their NCAA tournament Saturday in Bridgeport, Conn., against No. 16 Prairie View A&M. Eighth-seeded Kansas State will face No. 9 Princeton in the first game of the doubleheader.

After struggling through the latter part of the regular season with losses in their final two home games, UConn rallied to win the Big East tournament. The Huskies topped Notre Dame in the championship game, earning Geno Auriemma his 800th career victory. The Hall of Fame coach became the fastest to reach that milestone.

The time off allowed senior guard Tiffany Hayes to rest a stress reaction in her right foot. She wasn't able to practice the first few days but returned Thursday.

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