Shaw Lady Bears Downs #15 Rollins 87-71, to Advance to NCAA D-II Championship Game

THE SHAW UNIVERSITY LADY BEARS AND HEAD
COACH JACQUES CURTIS WILL GO FOR THE
 DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON FRIDAY
AGAINST ASHLAND.  THE GAME WILL BE 
NATIONALLY TELEVISED LIVE ON
CBSSPORTS CHANNEL AND VIDEO STREAMED
AT http://www.ncaa.com/ AT 8 PM EDT. 

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Three Lady Bears had double-doubles to lead Shaw past #15 Rollins 87-71 in a game played at Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of Saint Mary's University. With the win, the Lady Bears advance to play #2 Ashland for the Division II NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship Friday night.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EDT and will be nationally televised live on CBSSports Channel and video screamed at NCAA.com.

Crystal Harris led the Lady Bears with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Kyria Buford had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Aslea Williams scored 12 and pulled in 14 boards.

Rollins had no answer for Shaw's "bigs" and could not find an outside shooting touch, hitting only five of 29 from beyond the arc and only 36.5 percent from the field. In contrast, Shaw sank 40.3 percent of its shots.

"Rollins is a good team," said Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis. "You don't get to the Final Four by being lucky. We had a good start and were able to ride it out. We went with our bigs and they did the job. Now we have the chance to win the national championship."

The Lady Bears broke on top early, then built a 20-point lead before halftime. The Tars fought back in the second, trimming the Shaw lead to as little as 12 early in the half employing a full-court press and sinking key shots.

"We knew they'd make the run. There were just times they played harder than we did," said Curtis. "We beat a good team tonight."

The game started slowly, with neither team hitting the scoreboard for nearly two full minutes. Williams finally broke the ice with a jumper in the lane with 18:05 left in the first half.

It would be another three minutes before the Tars hit the scoreboard, and by then, Shaw had scored eight.

At the 12:52 mark, Shemieka Brown missed a jumper, got her own rebound and hit the layup to give Shaw a 15-5 lead.

Rollins fought back, trimming the Shaw lead to only four when Ashley Jones hit a three pointer for the Tars with 10:20 left on the first half clock.

Shaw then reeled off a 17-2 scoring run, culminating in a Sequoyah Griffin layup on the fast break that gave Shaw a 36-17 lead with 5:47 left in the half. The Lady Bears would build the lead to as many as 22, and led by 18 at the half, 48-30.

Buford hit a layup to open the scoring in the second half, but the Tars responded with an eight-point run punctuated by Jasmine Bradley's layup that cut the Shaw lead to 50-38.

With 12:56 left in the game, Paris Moore hit a jumper in the paint for the Tars, was fouled, and sank a free throw for the old-fashioned three-point play to trim Shaw's lead to 13.

Buford and Harris then combined for six straight points, extending the lead to 19 and effectively putting the game out of reach, even with 11:31 left on the clock. It took five minutes for the Tars to cut the lead to 13 again, and the Lady Bears answered with five straight.

In addition to the three double-doubles, Shaw was led in assists by Brittney Spencer and Allyssa Lane who had three apiece.

For Rollins, Jones and Paris Moore led the way with 13 points apiece. Three players had five rebounds and another three had four apiece. McDaniel had three assists to pace the Tars.

Shaw will now face Ashland, the second-ranked team in the nation, in the title game Friday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern. The Eagles are led by Kari Daugherty who averages 21.2 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

"We're going to pound the ball inside," said Curtis of the upcoming game, "and they're going to pound the ball inside. We hope to have a chance to play a triple-post against them with all three of our bigs (Williams, Buford and Harris) in the game at a time. We haven't had a chance to play our jumbo offense yet, but this might be the game."

VIDEO: Bears oust Tars, off to finals 

 

BOX SCORE

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Rollins women fall 87-71 to Shaw in NCAA Division II semifinals

SAN ANTONIO -- The Rollins women's basketball team made much history during the 2011-12 season but the ride stopped one game short of a shot at the national title.

The Tars fell behind big early and never recovered in an 87-71 loss to Shaw in an NCAA Division II Final Four semifinal game late Wednesday night in San Antonio.

Shaw (27-6) jumped to an 8-0 led in the first four minutes. Rollins battled back to trail only 19-5 when Ashley Jones sank a 3-point basket with 10:20 to play in the first half. That was as close as the Tars could get. Over the next 6 minutes, Shaw ripped off a 22-4 run for a 44-19 lead, and from there coasted into a berth in Thursday's national championship game against Ashland.

It was the first time Rollins played in the Final Four. Rollins (28-5) had ...

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Savannah State Releases 2012 Football Schedule

SAVANNAH, Georgia - The Savannah State 2012 football schedule includes games against Football Championship Subdivision schools and features four home games.

The Tigers will open the season September 1 on the road against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma and the following week, on Sept. 8, SSU will play Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. It will be the first time SSU has met OSU and FSU in football.

After a bye on Sept. 15, Savannah State will play their home opener against North Carolina Central at Theodore A. Wright Stadium. SSU defeated NCCU 33-30 last season.

Other home games include Morgan State on October 6, Edward Waters on Oct. 20 and Bethune-Cookman on November 10. The Tigers have not played Edward Waters since the 2009 season, a 45-24 victory.

Kickoff for the North Carolina Central and Morgan State games will be 7:00 p.m. The contest against Edward Waters is Homecoming and will start- at 2:00 p.m. while the Bethune-Cookman game is slated to begin at 5:00 p.m.

Other road games include Howard (Sept. 29), Florida A&M (Oct. 13), Hampton (Oct. 27), Norfolk State (Nov. 3) and South Carolina State (Nov. 17).

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contests are North Carolina Central, Howard, Morgan State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Norfolk State and South Carolina State.

Coming off a 1-10 season, the Tigers are entering their second season in the MEAC and are looking for their first winning season since 1998.

View Full Schedule (Click Here)



Template for success: SSU's football team sees model in men's hoops squad

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The success of the Savannah State men’s basketball team in winning the MEAC regular-season championship and playing in the NIT could have some unexpected side benefits for other Tiger teams.

“I know we can win in the MEAC because we beat North Carolina Central,” rising junior quarterback Antonio Bostick said following SSU’s first day of spring football practice. “That was the most memorable win I’ve been a part of, and then after going to the arena and watching what the basketball team did, the only thing I can think is, ‘Why not us?’

“What they did was amazing to watch,” Bostick said. “It was great to go with my teammates and the teams from our other sports and support the basketball team.

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Arkansas-Pine Bluff sets 2012 schedule

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -/- Arkansas Pine-Bluff will open its 2012 football season against Langston in the Delta Classic 4 Literarcy and play four home games as part of an 11-game schedule.

The Delta Classic will be played on Sept. 1 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Golden Lions will return home to play Alabama A&M in their SWAC opener on Sept. 8.

They will face Jackson State (Oct. 6), Mississippi Valley State (Oct. 27, Homecoming) and Prairie View A&M (Nov. 17) in their other home games.

UAPB also will go on the road to face Alcorn State (Sept. 15), Alabama State (Sept. 22), Tennessee State (Sept. 29), Southern (Oct. 20), Texas Southern (Nov. 3) and Grambling State (Nov. 10).

Last year, the Golden Lions finished with a 6-5 record, including 5-4 in the SWAC, under coach Monte Coleman.



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Xavier's Iles, Hall earn NAIA All-America honorable mention

KELDRA HALL
Xavier Gold Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana basketball players Chris Iles and Keldra Hall received honorable mention on the NAIA Division I All-America teams announced Wednesday.



Iles, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard from Houston and a graduate of Alief Hastings High School, led the Gold Rush with 9.9 points per game, 4.0 assists per game, 55 made 3-pointers and a .433 3-point field-goal percentage. He ranked 14th in NAIA Division I in 3-point field-goal accuracy, and his percentage is the fifth best in a season in Xavier history.

Hall, a 6-foot senior center from Dallas and a graduate of Angelina College and Molina High School, averaged 9.7 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Gold Nuggets and had a team-leading .504 field-goal percentage and 22 blocked shots. She had three consecutive double-doubles over five days, all on the road in early January, and amassed 54 points and 44 rebounds in just 60 minutes. Her 17 rebounds in a 60-59 victory at then-NAIA No. 18 Shorter were the most in a game by an XU female since the start of the 2003-04 season.


CHRIS ILES
Xavier Gold Rush



The XU men finished 23-9, shared the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship, qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship and ranked 21st in the coaches poll of March 7. The XU women finished 26-9, won GCAC regular-season and tournament championships, reached the national tournament and ranked 18th in the coaches poll.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA





UAPB's Shelton resigns as head women's basketball coach

LONZA HARDY JR.
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
AT PINE BLUFF

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas - The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has announced the resignation of head women's basketball coach Cary Shelton, effective at the conclusion of his contract on June 30, 2012.

Shelton held the position for three years, compiling a cumulative record of 10-79. His best season came in 2008-09, when the Lady Lions were 8-22.

Prior to being tabbed as head women's basketball coach, Shelton served as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program.

“We appreciate the work that Coach Shelton did in attempting to elevate our women's basketball program,” said Lonza Hardy Jr., UAPB's Director of Athletics. “We all wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.

Our plan now is to launch a national search for a replacement who can come in and have an immediate positive impact on our program.”

Hardy said he plans to immediately begin evaluating applications as soon as they begin to come in and to select a new coach at the appropriate time.

COURTESY UAPB SPORTS INFORMATION
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VISIT: UAPBLIONSROAR.COM

Spring Football Update: TSU Picks Up Tempo on Day 3

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The third day of practice was a lot better for Coach Rod Reed and the Tennessee State football team. The Tigers completed 24 periods and went full pads for the first time during the spring.

"Today we wanted to stress high tempo," said Reed in his third year at the helm of TSU football. "We still had a few drops, but I am excited because we made some big plays and moved the ball better today."



Coach Reed was particularly impressed by his wide receiver corps that made some big catches from the arm of redshirt sophomore gun slinger Michael German.

"Our wide receivers caught the ball much better today," Reed noted. "Joshawn Bowens has been a bright spot so far this spring. Our tight ends also did a great job and Michael German was very sharp with his passes."

TSU hosts its annual pro day Friday, which is closed to the public. A scrimmage takes place Saturday with a 9 a.m. start time. All practices and scrimmages are free and open to the public.

UPCOMING SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Friday, March 23 - Pro Day (closed to the public)
Saturday, March 24 - Scrimmage - 9 a.m.
Monday, March 26 - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 28 - 4 p.m.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: TSUTIGERS.COM

XU's Taylor wins GCAC-record fifth award in two seasons

ZACH TAYLOR
XAVIER GOLD RUSH TENNIS

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — For the fifth time in two years — a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference record — and the second time this season, Xavier University of Louisiana's Zach Taylor is the GCAC Player of the Week in the men's tennis.

Taylor, a senior from Monroe, La., and a graduate of St. Frederick High School and Ventura College, earned the award for March 12-18 after being the only XU player to go 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles. The Gold Rush lost 5-4 to NCAA Division I member Nicholls State and defeated city rival Loyola 9-0.

Taylor and Loic Didavi, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's No. 3 NAIA doubles team, won 11 of their past 12 matches. Taylor, ranked 17th in singles, won 10 of his past 12 matches.

Taylor broke a tie with former teammate Hassan Abbas, now an XU student assistant coach, for most conference awards in a career. This is the fourth year that the GCAC has bestowed weekly tennis honors.

The Xavier men and women will play nationally ranked Auburn Montgomery at 4 p.m. Saturday at the University of New Orleans in the final home match for Taylor and three other seniors: Steffen Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson on the men's team and Ashley McGill on the women's.

All four teams are in the NAIA top 25. The Gold Rush are ninth, and the Gold Nuggets are 24th; AUM's men are fifth, and the women are first.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

5 questions the Tigers must answer

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Five quarterbacks are set to battle this spring for the job held by Casey Therriault, the most prolific QB in JSU history.

The Tigers return 16 of 22 starters but without a capable QB JSU might find itself reliving the 3-7 season of 2009. Long-time backup Dedric McDonald, junior Mark Thigpen, sophomore Tevin Chapman and walk-ons Drew Jackson and Termarcus Conner (East Mississippi CC transfer) will vie for the gig. Come fall practice, Lamontiez Ivy, a three-star rated signee from Illinois is expected to join the mix.

Who is the starting QB?

The Air Raid is expected to make its return to JSU for Year 3 but this year it will be without offensive coordinator Earnest Wilson, who brought the offense to Jackson in 2010 but now coaches at Hampton.

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Grambling women's basketball coach Donnita Rogers let go

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State women's basketball coach Donnita Rogers has been let go, which was confirmed by GSU spokeswoman Debra Johnson. Johnson didn't comment when asked about details of Rogers' dismissal.

Rogers coached four years at Grambling, finishing the 2011-12 season with a 15-15 record and 10-8 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (sixth in the league. Grambling had winning records in the SWAC for the last three seasons under Rogers, going 10-8 in both 2010-11 and 2009-10.

Rogers overall record over four seasons was 51-67, 36-36 in the SWAC. In the four previous seasons before Rogers, Grambling posted a 41-75 mark and a 28-43 conference record.

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B-CU's QB Matt Johnson signs with Saskatchewan Roughriders

QB MATT JOHNSON

Regina, Saskatchewan Canada -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today that they have agreed to terms with import quarterbacks Levi Brown and Matt Johnson. Financial details were not released.

Johnson (5’9 – 168 lbs) appeared in 32 games over four seasons at Bethune-Cookman throwing for a total of 3,283 yards on 243 completions as well as 18 TD’s. As a senior, Johnson led the Wildcats to a program-best 10-2 record and a share of the 2010 MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Championship.

The 2010 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference in total offense (2,753 total yards) and completion percentage (65.1%). He also ranked second in the MEAC and FCS in passing efficiency (152.5) and sixth in the MEAC in scoring touchdowns (20). The 24-year-old signed as a free agent with the B.C. Lions in 2011 and went on to attend training camp with the team.

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Wiley on field as S.C. State begins spring practice

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - The start of spring offered plenty of excitement for the South Carolina State football team Tuesday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

It was evident in the eyes and actions of quarterback Derrick Wiley. For the first time since tearing his meniscus five months ago, the rising senior was running, throwing and making plays on the field again.

“I’m happy to be back,” Wiley said. “For the first time, I’m excited. Very excited. Right now, I’m back at Square One. Taking mental reps. Taking it one day at a time with the knee. I’m still rehabbing. So I’m looking to move forward.”

Bulldogs’ head coach Buddy Pough also sensed a high level of enthusiasm despite coming off a 2011 in which his team failed to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and reach the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time in four years.

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Five questions facing the Bulldogs as spring practice begins

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - The arrival of spring today ushers in the return of football in Orangeburg at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

At 8 p.m. tonight, South Carolina State will hold the first of 15 spring practice in preparation for the 2012 season. Coming off a 7-4 season and a second-place finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference behind Norfolk State, the Bulldogs look to rebound from a season marked by inconsistency, injuries and an influx of new talent.

“We want to work hard this spring to get better and smarter,” S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough said. “A big part of this spring will be improving our short-yardage and goal-line offense. We need to figure out how to get our fullbacks and tight ends going, get them more involved in our offense.

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ASU Hornets step up to the Challenge

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Alabama State officials have not finalized the Hornets’ 2012 football schedule, but they have contracted to play the season opener against Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge on Labor Day weekend.

ASU athletic director Stacy Danley and Southwestern Athletic Conference commissioner Duer Sharp had discussed the possibility of the Hornets playing in the Sept. 2 game, but continued to explore options with several Football Bowl Subdivision teams while awaiting a deal.

Now the signed contract with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference power Bethune-Cookman and a nine-game conference schedule leaves only the 11th game open. Alabama State and Tuskegee officials continue to negotiate details of a renewal of the Turkey Day Classic.

While at least four SWAC schools will use their open date to play FBS schools, the Hornets finally opted for...

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VISIT: www.meacswacchallenge.com.

WSSU Announces Restructuring of Athletics Program

March 21, 2012

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) today announced that it was restructuring its athletics program as part of its strategic plan to be more competitive at a national level.

“We are more aggressively striving to elevate our sports programs to a higher level of regional and national success,” said Bill Hayes, athletics director. “We cannot, however, develop and sustain a consistently high caliber program within our current budget. Therefore, we have made the decision to reallocate funds currently supporting three of our athletic teams to provide more financial support for our remaining program.”

Effective August 2012, WSSU will eliminate its men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, and men’s golf teams. The change will impact one coach and 13 scholarship-supported student-athletes.

“The university will request that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) provide a waiver to the effected students that would enable them transfer to other conferences without facing any penalties,” Hayes said. “In addition to supporting students who want to find a new sports home, we have committed to providing financial support to any of the students who stay with us for the next academic year.”

Even with the reduction of the three teams, WSSU athletics will still be above the minimum number of sports required for NCAA Division II and CIAA membership. The elimination of these men’s teams will also improve the gender equity of the overall program.

“We have been trying to support 16 sports when the NCAA only requires that we field 10 teams,” Hayes explained. “If we want to be a DII national contender, then we need to focus our efforts on getting better at the things we do best.”

We believe that we can be successful at a higher level both regionally and nationally if we have fewer teams. Our recent performances have proven that we can compete on a regional basis in women’s track and field, women and men’s tennis, softball, volleyball and baseball. We also have begun to show that we can compete at the national level in DII football and, with additional resources, we believe we can strengthen that position and also improve our standing in women’s and men’s basketball as well as in the other sports.

“While this was a difficult decision because it does affect our students and our staff, the vision for Rams athletics continues to be to create and preserve an elite DII athletics program,” Hayes continued. “The additional resources that this restructuring will provide can make a difference in our ability to recruit the additional talent we need for our football and basketball teams. We also are focusing on additional fundraising efforts to support our efforts to renovate facilities, upgrade equipment and, most importantly, to see that our student-athletes meet our academic goals as well.”

By Kevin Manns

Assistant AD for Media Relations/Communications

Winston-Salem State University

VISIT: WSSURAMS.COM

Shaw downs Pittsburg State to advance

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Shaw battled back from an eight-point deficit in the second half to down Pittsburg State 61-58 and advance to the NCAA Division II semifinals for the second consecutive year in a game played Tuesday night at Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary’s University.

The Lady Bears outscored the Gorillas 9-1 midway through the second half, and battled to build and hold onto a small lead as PSU found a hot shooting touch from beyond the arc.

Shaw (27-6) advances to the national semifinal where they will take on Rollins. Last season, the Lady Bears lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Clayton State 63-46. Pittsburg State finishes its season with a 27-6 mark.

The Lady Bears shot only 29 percent on the evening, but held the Gorillas to 35.1 percent and forced 20 PSU turnovers, compared to only 12 for Shaw. The Lady Bears scored 17 points off the miscues.

“Sometimes you have to win ugly,” said Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis. “This was the type of game we expected. At this level, everyone can play. This was two teams battling it out and not wanting to go home. Our girls just found a way to win.”

Shaw’s defense carried the game, holding the normally high-powered PSU offense – which averages 71.6 points per game – to only 58.

“Defense is our image,” said Shaw senior Kyria Buford. “I’m not the best at defense, but I do what I can. We do well in either 2-3 [zone] or man-to-man.”

The Lady Bears ran the risk of losing the game in the first half, trailing the Gorillas by eight, 27-19, with 2:39 remaining on the first half clock. Sparked both by five points from Aslea Williams and a defensive effort by Shaw substitute Shemieka Brown, the Lady Bears scored nine in a row to close out the half and take a one-point lead into the locker room.

Box Score Highlights

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Bordewick, Gorillas ousted by Shaw Lady Bears

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The best season in Pittsburg State women's history came to a disappointing end Tuesday night.

Despite a team-high 16 points from Topeka native Alexa Bordewick, the Gorillas dropped a 61-58 decision to Shaw in the Elite Eight at Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary's University.

Aslea Williams scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Shaw (27-6) advanced to a national semifinal game against Rollins. Kyria Buford added 13 points for the Bears.

Shaw won despite shooting only 29 percent and trailing by eight with less than 13 minutes to play. The Bears relied on a strong defensive effort that forced 20 Pitt State turnovers and limited the Gorillas to 35 percent shooting.

"Sometimes you have to win ugly," Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said.

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TSU Netters Host Pair of Midweek Matches

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University's men's and women's tennis teams continue a three-match homestand with contests against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday and Western Kentucky on Thursday afternoon at the TSU Tennis Complex.

Tuesday's Ohio Valley Conference match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first serve, while Thursday's non-conference tilt is tabled for 3 p.m.

The netters dropped a season opener to Morehead State, as the men (0-1, 0-1 OVC) fell 5-0 and the women (0-1, 1-0 OVC) 4-0 to the Eagles.

Eastern Kentucky's men enter Tuesday's match with an 11-6 record (1-0 OVC), but fell last weekend to No. 7 Virginia, 7-0. Before that, EKU had won four straight including a 4-3 decision over Jacksonville State.

The Colonels women (8-5, 1-0 OVC) have dropped four of their last seven decisions. On March 11, EKU snagged a 7-0 shutout at Jacksonville State.

The Western Kentucky men are 4-6 this season victories in four out of their last five contests. The Hilltoppers knocked off Alabama A&M 6-1 on March 9 and return to the court for the first time in nearly two weeks.

WKU's women are off to a 7-3 record with wins in seven out of the last eight matches. WKU has won three straight with victories over North Alabama, Alabama-Huntsville and Alabama A&M.

After the conclusion of Thursday's match, the Tigers hit the road for a pair of matches at SIUE and Eastern Illinois. Results of this week's midweek matchups will be posted online at TSUTigers.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets return to top 25, lose to UCO; Rush still 9th

NEW ORLEANS — Central Oklahoma defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 7-2 Tuesday in a women's dual match at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.

The Gold Nuggets (3-15) climbed to 24th in the NAIA coaches poll earlier in the day. Central Oklahoma (8-4) is ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II.

XU sophomores Kourtney Howell and Nicole DeLoach defeated Rose Cabato and Anto Rossini 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, and freshman Amanda Materre — winning for the ninth time in her past 11 singles matches — beat Julia Shviadok 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2.

Howell, despite two match points in the super-tiebreaker, lost 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (11-9) to Elizabeta Abramovic at No. 1 singles.

The Gold Nuggets — aided by a 5-2 road victory against then-No. 21 Belhaven and a 5-4 loss to No. 18 Martin Methodist — are in the top 25 for the first time since March 8, 2011. They dropped out of the ensuing poll to end a streak of 44 consecutive top-25 appearances. Nine of the Nuggets' losses this season are to NCAA Division I opponents.

Both XU teams will play their final home duals of the season at 4 p.m., Saturday against Auburn Montgomery at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. AUM's women are No. 1 in the NAIA, and the men are fifth. Xavier's men (10-3) remained ninth in the poll. It's the sixth straight time and the ninth time in the past 10 polls that the Gold Rush are in the top 10.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 18)

 Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (11) 14-1 281 1

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10-1 272 2

3 Oklahoma Christian 6-2 260 3

4 Azusa Pacific 11-1 256 4

5 Auburn Montgomery 7-6 243 5

6 Vanguard 7-4 238 6

7 Point Loma Nazarene 7-4 227 8

8 Concordia (Calif.) 4-3 214 11

9 Xavier 10-3 210 9
10 Westmont 2-4 197 7

11 William Carey 5-2 192 13

12 Lindsey Wilson 10-4 187 12

13 Aquinas 10-1 169 14

14 Bethany (Kan.) 6-3 161 15

15 Lee (Tenn.) 5-1 158 17

16 Cumberland 5-0 144 RV

17 Belhaven 8-2 121 25

18 Warner 8-2 115 16

19 Campbellsville 4-4 113 22

20 Martin Methodist 4-3 105 24

21 Our Lady of the Lake 3-4 102 RV

22 Shorter 7-8 94 10

23 Webber International 11-5 85 18

24 Lewis-Clark State 5-6 69 19

25 Northwestern Ohio 10-3 59 RV

Others receiving votes: Pikeville 56, McPherson 36, Northwood (Fla.) 34, Spring Arbor 34, Tennessee Wesleyan 22, Roberts Wesleyan 12, Biola 11, Asbury 4, Mobile 3, St. Thomas (Fla.) 3, Cumberlands 1, Missouri Valley 1, Taylor 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 18)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Auburn Montgomery (11) 12-1 281 1

2 Fresno Pacific 12-3 272 2

3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 11-1 263 3

4 Oklahoma Christian 5-0 254 4

5 Azusa Pacific 10-1 245 5

6 Point Loma Nazarene 8-3 236 6

7 Brenau 6-3 227 7

8 Concordia (Calif.) 6-3 218 8

9 William Carey 6-5 204 10

10 Southern Nazarene 1-2 203 9

11 SCAD Savannah 2-2 184 11

12 Lindsey Wilson 8-2 179 14

13 Shorter 14-4 178 15

14 Lewis-Clark State 4-10 164 16

15 Vanguard 4-6 156 12

16 Lee (Tenn.) 5-1 148 13

17 Indiana Wesleyan 14-0 139 17

18 Martin Methodist 4-3 125 18

19 St. Thomas (Fla.) 2-2 110 20

20 Campbellsville 4-3 104 22

21-tie Westmont 3-6 80 RV

21-tie Oklahoma Baptist 4-3 80 RV

23 Marian (Ind.) 18-4 77 25

24 Xavier 3-14 74 RV

25 Davenport 13-5 73 24

Others receiving votes: Belhaven 69, Webber International 57, SCAD Atlanta 38, Indiana Southeast 33, Bethel (Kan.) 27, Taylor 8, Northwood (Fla.) 8;, Northwestern Ohio 5, The Master's 3, Cumberlands 1, Milligan 1, Nebraska Wesleyan 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU alum, presidential appointee to speak at awards banquet

Youshea Berry

Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets by March 26

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will honor its student-athletes next month at its annual awards banquet. XU alum and presidential appointee Youshea Berry will be the guest speaker.

The banquet will start at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 in the University Center ballroom (third floor). Driving directions to the University Center can be found online by using 4915 Drexel Drive and the 70125 zip code as the destination.

A limited number of tickets are available to fans and parents for $25 each. Call (504) 520-7329 by Monday (March 26) to reserve tickets.

Berry was a women's cross country runner and a women's basketball manager/trainer for Xavier before graduating in 1998. She was appointed in 2011 by President Obama to the Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development. A graduate of Emory University School of Law, she started her own law firm in Washington, D.C., and has served as legislative counsel for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. In 2008 she received the American Bar Association's National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, and she completed her first marathon in 2009.


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

Grambling reassigns head coaches for basketball

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — A Grambling State athletics spokeswoman says men’s basketball coach Bobby Washington and women’s coach Donnita Rogers have been “reassigned” within the university and relieved of their coaching duties.

La’Monica Scott says a formal announcement has yet to be made and she could not immediately provide further details on Grambling’s decision.

The men’s team went 4-24 this season, playing under a postseason ban and with a reduction in scholarships because of poor scores on the NCAA’s annual Academic Progress Rates report. Teams have low APR scores when their players have low grades or leave school early in poor academic standing.

The women’s team was 15-15, including a 10-8 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

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NCAA Division II Elite Eight Final: Shaw 61, Pittsburg State 58

SAN ANTONIO, Texas  -  The #2 seed Shaw University Lady Bears moved on to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals with a thrilling three point victory over the #3 seed Pittsburg State University (KS) Gorillas, tonight.  The Lady Bears made enough clutch free throws in the final minute to secure the berth by a score of 61-58.

Shaw will face the winner of tonight's final game between #4 seed Lander University Lady Bearcats (Greenwood,SC) and #1 seed Rollins College Tars (Winter Park, FL). 

The Lady Bears next game is Wednesday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m.  Fans can watch the games live at NCAA.com or Click here.

In the other brackets, #1 seed Bentley University Falcons knocked off Wayne State (NE) by a final score of 72-67.  Bentley will face #1 seed Ashland University Eagles (OH), a 71-51 winner over the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.

The championship game is scheduled for Friday, March 23, at 8:00 p.m. EDT and can be viewed at NCAA.com.

More to follow later...

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Players showcase skills at Pro Day

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Thirty or so former college football players had what amounted to final job interviews Monday morning — various drills in front of scouts from nearly every NFL team during Pro Day at Wake Forest.

"You can't hold back now," said running back Nic Cooper, one of five players from Winston-Salem State who went through the nearly four-hour session. "My main thing is to do my best and hopefully the scouts see what I can do, and if it happens, it happens."



Wake Forest had several players take part, including wide receiver Chris Givens, who didn't go through all of the drills but did catch passes and run routes. "This is another opportunity to showcase my skills," Givens said. "This is the next chapter in my life. I'm ready to take it on and go from here. I want to continue to work hard, put God first, and let the rest take care of itself."

Defensive back C.J. Washington, who played three seasons at Wake Forest and his final season at WSSU, is undersized for the NFL at 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, but he posted one of Monday's fastest 40-yard dash times.

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PSU gears up to play Shaw Lady Bears in the Elite Eight

WATCH ALL DIVISION II ELITE EIGHT GAMES LIVE AT NCAA.COM (CLICK HERE

All Games are played at posted  Eastern Daylight Time at Bill Greehey Arena, San Antonio, Texas.

Bentley University (MA) vs. Wayne State University (NE)  1:00 pm

Ashland University (OH) vs. University of Alaska-Anchorage 3:30 p.m.
Pittsburg State University (KS) vs. Shaw University (NC) 7:00 p.m.
Lander University (SC) vs. Rollins College (FL) 9:30 p.m.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Pittsburg State (Ks.) women’s basketball team started its season in the South Central Regional Challenge hosted by St. Mary’s and now it will end its season on the same floor as eight teams begin their quest for the National Championship Game on Friday.

“We’re excited,” Pitt State head coach Lane Lord said. “I know the community’s excited. We started our season in San Antonio about five months ago when we played St. Mary’s, host school of this national tournament, and Tarleton State. Here we are five months later at the same exact gym.”

Pitt State (27-5) defeated No. 20 Tarleton State and St. Mary’s its opening weekend, 76-64 and 61-56. Brooke Conley scored a game-high 25 points against Tarleton and Lizzy Jeronimus added 15 in her collegiate debut. Larissa Richards paced the Gorillas with 19 points against the Rattlers of St. Mary’s.

Players and coaches discovered Bill Greehey Arena would be hosting the national championship and it became a conversational piece for the Gorillas.

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