B-CU starts spring football practice with new faces

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman began spring practice Monday with several new faces on the field and one on the sideline.

B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said about eight transfers and early enrollees joined the Wildcats' returning players for the first day of spring practice. It was also the first chance for new offensive coordinator Jim Pry to see the players participate in football drills.

"The main thing is you want to get some rhythm back, and you want to get back to swarming the football," Jenkins said. "We didn't do an exceptional job with that (last year)." The Wildcats led the nation with 41 takeaways in Jenkins' first season in 2010. Last year, despite defensive end Ryan Davis leading the nation with eight forced fumbles, their total number takeaways slipped to 30.

"When you have that kind of dropoff, you need to get back to teaching the basics," Jenkins said.

The new players in spring camp will have a jump on the rest of the 2012 recruiting class when preseason practice begins in August, the coach said.

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As spring drills open, ECSU has holes to fill on offense

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Elizabeth City State’s football team opened spring practice on Monday with as many questions as it has had in many years.

Coming off an eight-win season, a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game appearance and an NCAA Division II playoff berth, the Vikings should be flying high. But Tillar is having to fill many holes left by graduation, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Tillar’s biggest task is finding a starting quarterback for the first time since 2009 after the graduation of three-year starter Creven Powell. For now, Tillar says that senior Namon Jones is the starter.

“Going into this spring, Namon Jones, it’s his job to lose,” Tillar said.

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Shaw’s national champs

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Yes, they sure can play some college basketball in these parts. And this spring it’s the Lady Bears of Shaw University who have the honor of bringing home to the Triangle a national title – the first in Shaw’s long history.

“We came. We saw. We conquered,” said Athletics Director Al Carter as the team was welcomed back to its downtown Raleigh campus Saturday afternoon. No apologies to Julius Caesar were needed.

The Shaw team’s final push to glory came Friday in San Antonio, in the finals of the NCAA Division II women’s tournament. The Lady Bears played the Eagles of Ashland (Ohio) College – a No. 1 seed in the 64-team field. The Eagles had won 33 straight games. Until they tangled with the Bears.

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Gold Rush in final top 25 for the second consecutive year

NEW ORLEANS — Despite slipping six places over two polls, the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team is in the top 25 of the final NAIA Division I coaches poll for the second straight season. It's the first time the Gold Rush have appeared in consecutive final top-25s during Dannton Jackson's nine seasons as head coach.

The Gold Rush (23-9) were 24th in the final poll announced Monday. Xavier dropped three places since the March 7 poll.

Xavier was 17th in the final poll of 2011, which was conducted before the national tournament.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 11th consecutive time and the 24th time in 25 polls dating to the start of the 2010-11 season. The Gold Rush were 21st in the preseason poll of Oct. 24 and climbed as high as 18th on Jan. 9 and Feb, 27.

The Gold Rush lost 66-63 to LSU-Shreveport on March 15 in the opening round of the national tournament at Kansas City, Mo. Xavier earned a share of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship for the third time during Jackson's tenure but lost in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

National champion Concordia (Calif.) was unanimously chosen No. 1.

Athletics Awards Banquet

6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 at University Center Ballroom Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Tuesday, March 20)

 Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Concordia (Calif.) (10) 31-7 250 4
2 Oklahoma Baptist 32-5 242 2
3 Shorter 34-3 234 1
4 Mountain State 26-9 223 11
5 Georgetown (Ky.) 26-9 202 14
6 Biola 27-9 201 10
7 LSU-Shreveport 27-8 197 12
8 Rogers State 24-9 196 9
9 Martin Methodist 28-7 193 5
10 Robert Morris (Chicago) 27-5 186 3
11 Southern Poly 24-7 178 6
12 Our Lady of the Lake 27-8 163 7
13 Columbia (Mo.) 27-7 145 15
14 Lindsey Wilson 21-10 141 8
15 Point Loma Nazarene 21-10 139 16
16 Montana Western 25-10 134 20
17 John Brown 24-9 130 13
18 Lee (Tenn.) 20-9 107 17
19 MidAmerica Nazarene 25-9 105 22
20 SUNO 18-14 89 NR
21 Montana State Northern 27-7 86 18
22 Evangel 24-10 83 RV
23 Texas Wesleyan 25-8 75 19
24 Xavier 23-9 63 21
25 Southern Nazarene 23-10 53 25

Others receiving votes: Campbellsville 52, Azusa Pacific 40, Olivet Nazarene 27, Tougaloo 21, Cumberlands 20, Freed-Hardeman 15, Cumberland 10, Life 6, Westmont 3, Pikeville 1, Baker 1, Saint Xavier 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Nuggets earn highest rank in final NAIA poll since 2005

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed two places to 16th in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll announced Monday. It's the Gold Nuggets' best position in the final poll of a season since ranking 15th in 2005.

Xavier (26-9) earned its second consecutive two-place climb after beating then-16th-ranked Southern Nazarene 74-67 in the opening round of the national tournament March 15 at Frankfort, Ky. Second-ranked Union (Tenn.), the tournament runner-up, eliminated the Gold Nuggets the following night with a 58-43 decision.

Xavier is in the top 25 for the 31st consecutive time dating to January 2010. It's the Nuggets' longest top-25 streak since 34 straight polls from Jan. 13, 2003-March 8, 2005.

The Gold Nuggets were 16th in the preseason poll on Oct. 24. Their highest position was 15th on Jan. 23, and their lowest was 21st on Feb. 13.

National champion Oklahoma City was No. 1 for the seventh consecutive poll and the 10th time in 13 polls this season.

NOTES: Xavier was the only school to win a first-round game against a higher-ranked opponent at nationals in 2011 and 2012 .Tourbeau Sports Group is selling videos of the Gold Nuggets' two games at the national

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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Roberts wants to be FAMU's next LeRoy Vann

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Devan Roberts came to Florida A&M two years ago with the intention of proving he could be a return specialist as good as school record-setter LeRoy Vann.

Roberts brought back a lot of memories of Vann during Saturday's first spring football scrimmage. He took a punt return 50 yards for a touchdown — just like Vann did during the spring scrimmage that preceded his breakout season.

Roberts, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound sophomore from Ocala Forest High School, said he expects the comparisons to begin.

"Vann was a great return man," he said. "It's going to be very hard to fill the shoes of Vann, but all I can do is keep trying hard. I've put in the work. Coach (Joe) Taylor also says success is an inconvenience but I have to show it out here on the field.

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Prairie View coach issues challenge, players respond

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M baseball coach Waskyla Cullivan has been challenging his players to carry the same intensity from beginning to end during each weekend series.

The Panthers met that challenge against Arkansas-Pine Bluff over the weekend.

Prairie View beat visiting Arkansas-Pine Bluff 9-6 on Sunday afternoon to complete its first three-game sweep of the season and record its 10th victory in the last 13 games. The Panthers (14-9) improved to 7-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and held on to first place in the Western Division, maintaining a half-game lead on Grambling State.

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Panthers Earn Series Sweep On Sunday Over UAPB

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M completed the series sweep over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon with a 9-6 win at home, improving to 14-8 and taking first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division at 7-1.

Panthers head coach Waskyla Cullivan acknowledged how important a sweep in conference play can be for their overall goal of winning a SWAC championship.

“It was great to sweep Arkansas-Pine Bluff today,” Cullivan said. “Next week, we play Grambling, and we're going to be playing for the first half championship. We're in first place right now, and we're excited about the opportunity to and win to stay in first place. Last year we were in the same situation, and we went to Grambling and got swept. We don't want that to happen again.”

Grambling (13-8, 7-2 SWAC) is a game behind Prairie View in the West, and winning the weekend series for the Panthers would mean separation from the pack and moving one step closer to a top seeding in the SWAC Tournament.

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Delaware State Hornets Begin Spring Football Drills

DOVER, Delaware – The Delaware State University football team will begin its annual spring drills this week. The camp will include 15 practice sessions at Alumni Stadium, culminating in the Red/White scrimmage on Apr. 14.

Delaware State second-year head coach Kermit Blount expects more than 60 players to participate in this year’s camp. Blount was hired less than six weeks prior to the Hornets’ 2011 spring drills.

“Last year’s spring camp was a challenge because the staff wasn’t as familiar with our personnel and we had to spend a great deal of time teaching new offensive and defensive systems,” he said. “Now that we have a year under our belts, we can spend more time on player development and execution.”

The Hornets expect to return eight offensive starters this season. Quarterback Nick Elko (r-sr.) returns after completing 207 of 362 passes (57.2%) for 2,064 yards in his first season as a starter in 2011. Elko threw for 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions; and was second in the MEAC in passing average (206.4 ypg) and sixth in total offense (193.5 ypg) last season.

The Hornets also return wide receiver Travis Tarpley (r-sr.), who was tops among all MEAC players in all-purpose yards at 144.2 per game in 2011. Tarpley set a DSU single-season record with 66 receptions last year. He was tops on the Hornets with 736 receiving yards and second on the team with 148 rushing yards last season.

Fellow receiver Justin Wilson (sr.) also returns after catching 54 passes for 563 yards and six touchdowns in eight games in 2011. Wilson, the 2011 MEAC Preseason Player-of- the-Year missed three games last season due to an ankle injury.

On defense, the Hornets must replace their two leading tacklers from last season, linebackers Quentin Ferguson and Brandon Harvey.

The top returning tacklers from 2011 are inside linebacker Ernest Adjei (sr.) and defensive back Joe Boyd (so.). Adjei had total 59 tackles, including 35 solo stops, while Boyd tallied 53 tackles (38 unassisted) last season

Blount also expects returning defensive end Quinton Fortes (sr.) and linebacker Olusegun Ayanbiola (r-sr.) to play major roles on the defense this season.

“I’m extremely pleased with our players’ response to our off-season conditioning program, and we’re confident the commitment will carry into spring camp,” said Blount.

Delaware State University 2012 spring football schedule (all practices at Alumni Stadium)

Mon., Mar. 26 3:30 p.m.
Tue., Mar. 27 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 28 3:30 p.m.
Thu., Mar. 29 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Mar. 30 3:30 p.m.

Sat., Mar. 31 9:00 a.m.

Mon., Apr. 2 3:30 p.m.

Tue., Apr. 3 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Apr. 4 3:30 p.m.

Thu., Apr. 5 7:30 p.m.

Tue., Apr. 10 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Apr. 11 3:30 p.m.

Thu., Apr. 12 7:30 p.m.

Fri., Apr. 13 3:30 p.m.

Sat., Apr. 14 4:00 p.m. (Red/White scrimmage)

DSU Hornets' 2012 Football Schedule

Date Opponent Site Time
Sep. 1 VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 2:00 pm
Sep. 8 at U of Delaware, Newark, Delaware TBA
Sep. 15 at U of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio TBA
Sep. 22 *FLORIDA A&M, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 6:00 pm

Oct. 6 at *Norfolk State Norfolk, VA TBA
Oct. 13 *SC STATE, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 1:30 pm
Oct. 20 *NCA&T, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE, (HOMECOMING) 1:30 pm
Oct. 27 at *Morgan State Baltimore, MD TBA

Nov. 3 at *NC Central, Durham, NC TBA
Nov. 10 *HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE 1:00 pm
Nov. 17 at *Howard University, Washington, D.C. TBA
Nov. 24 NCAA FCS (1-AA) Playoffs  TBA

*MEAC Games
Bold: Home Contests

SCSU Cooper’s ‘one shining moment’

Dr. GEORGE E. COOPER
President, S.C. State University

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - There was no NCAA Tournament for the South Carolina State men’s basketball team this year.

Yet some would say with all the recent administrative controversies, the school is going through its own form of “March Madness.”

One of the fallouts is the pending retirement this Friday of S.C. State School President George Cooper. It’s probably too early to give a true, honest assessment of Cooper’s tenure and accomplishments during his four years with the university. Because of the polarizing nature of Cooper’s departure, it’s difficult right now to compromise the strong opinions which exists on both sides of the debate.

From a sports’ standpoint, however, Cooper truly experienced “one shining moment.”

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WSSU Sheets grateful for opportunity

ZACHARY SHEETS
WSSU Rams Golf
Sophomore

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Zach Sheets could be bitter, but that isn't his style. Sheets, a junior on the Winston-Salem State golf team, won't have a place to play next fall because the school is shutting down the program to funnel its scholarship dollars to the football and basketball programs.

"We kind of knew this was coming, because it was rumored they were going to shut the program down," said Sheets, a 27-year-old Kernersville native and WSSU's No. 1 golfer this season. "At the meeting, the track team came in, so we thought maybe we were safe, but it didn't turn out that way."

WSSU will cut men's indoor and outdoor track and field and men's golf from its athletics program starting with the next school year.

"I could be mad, but then I think about the great opportunity I've had here to come to Winston-Salem State, play golf, and to be back in college," said Sheets, a physical-education major who has a 3.9 grade-point average. Sheets — who works at UPS three days a week, starting at 3 a.m. — said that without golf at WSSU, he wouldn't have returned to school.

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Hampton Pirates Opens 2012 Football Season at OVC Champs TTU

COOKEVILLE, Tennessee -- Still riding the crest of winning the Ohio Valley Conference championship and making its first appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs, the Tennessee Tech football team has turned its attention to the 2012 season.

And, what a season it will be. Tech faces three tough non-conference opponents who combined for a 30-9 record last year including Rose Bowl champion Oregon, six home games in Tucker Stadium plus an OVC schedule destined to present challenges every single week.



The 11-game Golden Eagle football schedule was announced this week by head coach Watson Brown and TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson.

Tech opens with back-to-back Thursday home games against Hampton and North Greenville University, then faces three consecutive road games at Oregon, Southeast Missouri and Murray State.

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Gold Rush rallies, earns steak dinner for spring win in Albany State Rams' annual Blue & Gold scrimmage

ALBANY, Georgia — Luther Edwards pleaded for his fellow seniors to set the tone for the 2012 season. He also wanted that steak dinner. Albany State’s senior running back got both.

After a shaky start for the Albany State offense Friday, the Gold Rush came back to win the 4th annual Blue and Gold scrimmage, 43-32, and they were awarded the traditional steak dinner for the winners in the process.

“With us being seniors, I wanted us to step up and set the tone early so everybody can fall in line,” said Edwards, who was held out of the end zone but broke away for several long runs, including a 50-yarder in second quarter.

Edwards’ backfield mate and fellow senior Nathan Hoyte scored on a 38-yard run, and quarterback Keenan Grissett, who is battling for the starting job with Blaize Schaeffer, threw a pair of touchdowns to senior wideout Ronnie Tubbs.

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Will Harris: ECSU gets a glimpse of what could be

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Congratulations to the Shaw Lady Bears for winning the NCAA Division II national championship on Friday.

Now, when ECSU coach Alico Dunk talks about the competitive nature of the CIAA, you’ll know he means it. And to think, ECSU had a shot at the buzzer that could have beaten the Lady Bears in Elizabeth City on Jan. 16. Shaw won 25 of its last 26 games, including the final 15, and outside of the one loss to Johnson C. Smith, the 74-72 win over ECSU game was the Lady Bears’ closest one down the stretch.

Then there are the men, basking in he glow of Norfolk State’s tournament upset of Missouri last week. ECSU took it to the Spartans on Nov. 30, winning handily 69-57 in Norfolk.

So, even though other teams are ...

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TSU Flying Tigers & Tigerbelles Compete Strong at USC

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - Tennessee State University track & field placed 15 in the top-15 at the Weems Baskin Invitational held at the campus of the University of South Carolina on Friday and Saturday.

The Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles had outstanding performers across the board, most notably from Arthur Combest and Daniecce Ward - who combined for top-10 performances.

20-plus schools participated in the annual meet, giving the Tigers the most competitive field to date so far this season.

Ward cleared a distance of 5-3 (1.60m) in the women's high jump for seventh, while leaping 17-8 ¾ (5.40m) for an eighth place finish in the long jump. In the triple jump, the senior scampered 37-3 ¾ (11.37m) to place seventh out of 18 competitors.

Ja'Lyn Burr earned sixth in the triple jump, clearing 37-4 ½ to notch sixth. Felicia Oladkun was right behind her teammate with a distance of 37-5 (11.50m) for fifth.

Bur also earned a pair of 15th place finishes, clearing 5-1 (1.55m) in the high jump and 16-1 ¾ (4.92m) in the long jump event.

In short distance contests, freshman Ashontae Jackson collected a fourth place mark with her run of 24.25 in the 200-meter dash. Gabrielle Todd clocked a time of 56.41 for seven in the 400-meter dash.

Brielle Moore placed 12th with her pace of 15.10 in the women's 100-meter hurdles. The Tigerbelles 4x100 relay team of Carolyn Petway, Diera Taylor, Todd and Jackson recorded a run of 47.78 for seventh.

Sophomore Royce Dates made a strong leap of 23-10 (7.26m) for second overall in the men's long jump. The jump surpassed his previous jump of 23-8 ¼ (7.22m) and was tied for 21st nationally as of Saturday evening.

In the men's 110-meter hurdles, Combest managed a sixth place mark with his time of 14.94. Combest cleared the 400-meter hurdles in 56.33 for seventh. In the high jump, Combest cleared 6-4 ¾ (1.95m) for sixth.

Due to poor weather conditions in the Columbia area, the final three running events (women's 5K, M/W 4x4 relays) and field events (shot put, discus and high jump) were all cancelled.

Tennessee State takes a two-week hiatus before hosting the annual Boston-Moon Classic on Friday April 13 and Saturday, April 14.

Weems-Baskin Invitational Results (PDF)

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Top-5 Auburn Montgomery teams defeat Rush, Nuggets

Athletics Awards Banquet

6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 at University Center Ballroom Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets

NEW ORLEANS -- Auburn Montgomery overcame a doubles deficit and defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 6-3 Saturday in a matchup of ranked NAIA men's teams at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center.

AUM's top-ranked women defeated 24th-ranked Xavier 7-2.

AUM's men (9-6), ranked fifth, lost 2-of-3 doubles matches but reeled off five consecutive singles victories against ninth-ranked Xavier (10-4). Bence Toth clinched for the Warhawks with his 6-3, 6-3 victory against Viktor Svoboda at No. 2.

The Warhawks are 8-0 against NAIA opponents this season. The Gold Rush lost for the third time in four duals and to AUM for the second time in 14 days.

XU got doubles victories from Loic Didavi and Zach Taylor at No. 1 and Sean Richardson and Steffen Giles-Osborn at No. 3. Richardson scored the lone Gold Rush singles victory with a 6-4, 7-5 decision against Matias Dasso.

AUM's other victory against the Rush was 5-4 in the championship match of the AUM Invitational on March 11.

Auburn Montgomery's women (14-1) forfeited matches at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles because of five available players. But the Warhawks dropped a combined three games in winning six other matches. The Gold Nuggets' only close match was at No. 2 singles, where XU freshman Amanda Materre retired because of injury after trailing Jade Curtis, the reigning NAIA Player of ther Week, 7-5, 3-4.

Ana Veselinovic, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's top-ranked NAIA singles player, defeated XU's Kourtney Howell (XU) 6-2, 6-0 at the top flight.

The Gold Nuggets (3-16) have dropped seven of their past eight duals.

It was the final home appearance for seniors Taylor, Richardson and Giles-Osborn of the Rush and Ashley McGill of the Nuggets. McGill, who plays No. 3 doubles with Jordyn Goody and No. 6 singles, didn't have to play because of the forfeits.

Both Xavier teams will travel next weekend to California for four duals apiece against ranked NAIA opponents during spring break. The Rush and Nuggets will play Point Loma Nazarene (men ranked seventh, women ranked sixth) on April 2, Westmont (men 10th, women tied for 21st) on April 3, Concordia (both teams eighth) on April 4 and Vanguard (men sixth, women 15th) on April 5.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Scrimmage Concludes First Week of TSU Spring Practice

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Big Blue took to the field at Hale Stadium on Saturday for a scrimmage to conclude the first week of spring practice. The Tigers worked both 7-on-7 and full team drills during the early morning workout.

"I liked the intensity of the scrimmage, but we turned the ball over too much today on offense," said Coach Rod Reed. "I think we had 3 fumbles and 2 interceptions, and it doesn't matter which team you do it with. You can't turn the ball over and expect to be successful in football. But I saw some good things defensively."

"The defensive line did not get a good pass rush but they played the run well," Reed continued. "We have to do a better job with the pass rush. On the flip side, I thought our offensive line protected well, even when we threw a few stunts and blitzes."

Coach Reed seemed pleased with the outing by sophomore quarterback Mike German. "Mike was sharp," Reed commented. "He stood in the pocket and made some throws with pressure coming and that's what we want from him."

TSU ran 15 plays in 7-on-7 before finishing with 88 plays with both units in full 11-on-11. Coach Reed also used the first scrimmage to take a look at the running game.

"I thought in some instances we ran it well," said Coach Reed. "In coming out situations, we didn't do very well running the ball. We gave up a safety and you can't do that coming out. So we need to go back to the drawing board. The main thing is you got to block up front in those situations. I thought the defense did a good job in those situations when they had them down tight."

The Tigers will continue spring practice and will take to field again next Saturday trying to improve on their first week of preparation.

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"Never ranked" Shaw Bears come home to welcoming rally

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The Shaw Bears’ flight back home from the NCAA Division II championships was delayed by over 30 minutes Saturday, which pushed the women’s basketball team’s arrival an hour past the scheduled campus celebration.

But nobody was complaining, as students, faculty and fans patiently waited with open arms for the new national champions to walk through the doors of Spaulding Gymnasium.

At 3:40 p.m. they did just that to roaring applause and high-stepping music by the pep band. For the first time since 1947, Shaw University has a national champion.

The Bears (29-6) rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 2 ranked Ashland 88-82 in overtime. Shaw is just the third CIAA women’s program in conference history to win it all.

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Finally, Shaw's Williams can celebrate



ASLEA WILLIAMS

 Senior post helps achieve goal that goes back to recruitment

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Aslea Williams celebrated another championship Friday and this time, her coach, Jacques Curtis was right along with her. This was the big one. This one was why this senior post was recruited to Shaw. And this one was for the ages.

Williams’ oh-so-timely baskets late and stellar guard play throughout helped the Lady Bears beat Ashland in overtime 88-82 to win the Division II women’s championship.

Finally, Williams can express her unbridled glee at a team accomplishment without drawing the ire of Curtis. You see, last year after Shaw won the CIAA championship, Williams was beside herself with joy — until she got in the locker room afterward.

“The comment I made to them then was I didn’t bring you here to win the CIAA,” Curtis said. “I brought you here to win the national championship. [Williams] was like, this is my first championship that I’ve won, so I’m going to be happy we won the championship. Now, we’ve got what I brought her here to do. That was the goal.”

SHAW PHOTO GALLERY

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HIGHLIGHTS

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WSSU: Cutting sports means more scholarships and hopefully more victories

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - It was a rough couple of days last week for the Winston-Salem State athletics department and it had nothing to do with wins and losses.

Making a move toward enhancing its revenue sports (football and basketball) the athletics department decided to disband men’s golf and the men’s track programs. That means by next fall the school will no longer offer golf or indoor or outdoor track.

The money saved will go toward scholarships that could possible fully fund the football team.

Last season with just 28 scholarships the WSSU football team had its best season in school history going 13-1 and advancing to the Division II semifinals. With the extra scholarship money the football team could have 36 scholarships, the most allowed in Division II, by 2013.

Even though having a full 36 scholarships isn’t a guarantee of championships and national glory, it certainly helps if your depth is better.

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FAMU's Bennett looking at pro career

ANTONIA BENNETT

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Antonia Bennett wasn't even sure she'd complete her high school career, much less finish a collegiate career at Florida A&M as the best offensive player in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Now she is preparing to take the next step in hopes of catching on with a professional team, either in the WNBA or playing professionally overseas. Bennett was invited to participate in two free-agent camps, beginning March 30 in Denver.

The invitations came despite having mixed feelings after the Rattlers were bounced from the MEAC tournament in the semifinals round three weeks ago. The loss ended a remarkable season for FAMU that culminated with the school's best record (22-8) in 15 years.

"I was real hurt after the loss, but in my mind I was thinking what's next," Bennett said. "I knew I wanted (to play professionally) real badly."

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Sequoyah stands tall as Shaw reigns

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Sequoyah Griffin scored 24 points and Shaw rallied to win its first national title, beating Ashland 88-82 in overtime on Friday night in the national championship game.

Aslea Williams added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Kyria Buford had 10 points for the Lady Bears (29-6), who erased an 11-point halftime deficit.

Jena Stutzman scored 32 points, and Kari Daugherty had 24 points and 15 rebounds for the Eagles (33-2). Alyssa Miller added 12 points for Ashland.

Shaw opened overtime with a 13-2 run and held on to snap Ashland’s 33-game winning streak following its loss in the season opener.

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VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: CLICK HERE

BOX SCORE

Sequoyah stands tall as Shaw reigns

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Shaw (N.C.) coach Jacques Curtis predicted the NCAA Women's Division II championship game against Ashland (Ohio) would go down to the wire. His evaluation was spot on, and he got to celebrate a happy ending. Sequoyah Griffin scored 24 points as Shaw claimed its first national title with an 88-82 come-from-behind overtime victory Friday night at Greehey Arena.

Defense was a main reason the Lady Bears (29-6) were in the Elite Eight, and that was their key against Ashland in overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit.  “I'm a good predictor,” Curtis said with a laugh. “We wanted it to be a close game, because that is to our advantage. We knew in a close game we would be fresher. We knew we would have a good chance to win.”

In addition to forcing 11 of Ashland's 21 turnovers in the second half, the offense picked up. Aslea Williams finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Brittany Ransom added 12, and tournament MVP Kyria Buford tacked on 10.

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Lady Bears Claim D-II National Championship With OT Win

SAN ANTONIO, Texes – "We are going to give them a game worthy of television." Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis had said those words in a press conference prior to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.

Tonight, his players made him a prophet as Shaw came from an 11-point halftime deficit to claim an 88-82 overtime victory over #2 ranked Ashland to claim Shaw's first national championship in any sport.

"This is what Coach recruited us for," said Shaw senior center Aslea Williams. "I wasn't going to finish my senior year with a loss. Even when I didn't play well, my teammates had my back." Senior guard Brittney Spencer echoed her sentiment. "This feels awesome. This is what I dreamt about. This is what I play basketball for."

"It's a surreal feeling right now," said senior forward Kyria Buford. "After all we've gone through, it just feels unreal."

The Lady Bears got off to a quick start, but soon fell behind Ashland and trailed by 11 at the half.

"We weren't that concerned that we were down by 11 at the half," said Curtis. "We knew we hadn't played our best, but we felt good and had a lot of energy. We felt we could wear them down."

He continued, "We had to make sure we could still see them. They had a chance to put us away in the first, but didn't take advantage of it. We felt a close ballgame was to our advantage."

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Pro Day a Success for Tennessee State Tigers Football

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State football conducted its' annual pro day on Friday at the TSU Indoor Practice Facility.

Several professional scouts from the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) were in attendance. Over 300 spectators were at the facility on Friday.

The Tigers had scouts from numerous NFL teams including the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans.

Most of the 2011 TSU seniors participated including Rico Council, John Jones, Jr., Calvin McNairl, Dante' Thomas and Joseph Wylie.

TSU continues spring practice on Saturday with a scrimmage at 10 a.m. All scrimmages and practice are open to the public.

UPCOMING SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Saturday, March 24 - Scrimmage - 9 a.m.
Monday, March 26 - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 28 - 4 p.m.
Friday, April 6 - 4 p.m.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Giants GM, NFL scouts observe Jaguars at Pro Day

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern University welcomed several officials from around the NFL, including New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese, to Doug Williams Field at the Louisiana Leadership Institute for Pro Day Thursday.

Eleven Jaguars worked out for NFL scouts after being measured and weighed. The players were put through a series of combine drills, including the broad jump, 225-pound bench press, 40-yard dash, the shuttle run and the three-cone drill before conducting individual position workouts.



"What really impressed me were some of the guys that are in the stands, our underclassmen, that had an opportunity to see these guys and see the pro scouts," said Southern head coach Stump Mitchell.

"It will assist them in getting serious about their (own) workouts."

Wide receiver Laquinton "Smoke" Evans ran the fastest 40-yard dash on Thursday with a 4.46 time. Wide receiver Jared Green recorded a 10'9" broad jump. Dexter James (23), Kedy Enabulale (21), and Lee Almanza (20) each surpassed the 20-rep plateau in the 225-pound bench press.

Over seven NFL team were represented at Pro Day, including the New Orleans Saint, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, and Dallas Cowboys.



Former Southern standout wide receiver Juamorris Stewart, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was on hand to watch some of his former teammates at Pro Day. Last year, former defensive tackle Jordan Miller used his Pro Day workout to fuel his campaign to reach the NFL and was eventually signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears.

"When you're at an HBCU, if you don't (perform) well its a slap in the face," said Mitchell.

"You usually have to go the Canadian (Football League) route or something like that. When you do (perform) well from an HBCU, usually it gets you an opportunity to get in the door a lot sooner than if you were at a major school."



COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Shaw Lady Bears win Division II National Championship 88-82 OT

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Shaw University Lady Bears are Division II Women's National Basketball Champions for 2011/12, ending  powerful Ashland University's 33 game win streak in the process. The Lady Bears bigs got the job done on the inside, as Ashland put on a shooting clinic, hitting NBA range 3-point shots to take the game into overtime. But momentum stayed with the Lady Bears as they hit clutch shots and free throws to wrap up the victory.
The CIAA and NCAA National Champions ends the season with a 29-6 record  and the schoo'ls first national championship in women's basketball.

Ashland ends the season with a 33-2 record and the national runner-up trophy.

More to be posted later...

‘Big Three’ leads Shaw into Div. II National Final Tonight

NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012,

TIME: 8:00 PM EDT

TV: CBSSPORTS CHANNEL (check your local listing)

INTERNET: NCAA.COM VIDEO STREAM - CLICK HERE

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Jacques Curtis wearied of the sameness in college basketball. He was going to do something about it to not only shake things up, but give his Shaw team a better chance to win.

It was last season and he knew he had a star in 6-foot-1 forward Demaria Liles, but his team was struggling. Why, Curtis reasoned, was because his team was using the style of basketball everyone else was playing. Shaw would play with three guards and two big people in the front court, their opponents would do likewise. With the strength of the offense being with the three guards, the team with the better trio, Curtis said, wins. That wasn’t a good thing for Shaw.

“We didn’t think we could put three guards out there better than theirs,” Curtis said. “But if we could put three bigs out there, we’re better than anybody. That’s when we created our triple post offense.”

2011/12 SHAW UNIVERSITY LADY BEARS ROSTER

It helped Shaw make it to the Elite Eight last season and it has been the primary reason Shaw (28-6) is in Friday night’s championship game against Ashland (33-1).

Shaw advanced to the title game with a textbook night from its “Big Three” – Kyria Buford, Aslea Williams and Chrystal Harris, all 6-1. Each had a double-double and dominated Rollins in an 87-71 win.

Shaw had 48 points in the paint, 37 off of second chances and outrebounded Rollins 61-38.

READ MORE AT NCCA.COM 

Ashland's Daugherty ready to cap run

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Ashland (Ohio) junior forward Kari Daugherty is having a memorable year. She leads the nation in rebounding (13.8) and double-doubles (26) while pacing the Eagles to a 33-1 record.

Now, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Region Player of the Year is trying to add another memory by leading her team past Shaw (N.C.) for the NCAA Division II championship. Tipoff is set for 7 tonight in Greehey Arena.

“I was hoping we would have a great season,” Daugherty said. “Going into every season you always want to be playing in the last game, but only two teams get to do it. You have to have a good team and a bit of luck. I'm so grateful to be here.”

Daugherty has made her presence felt during Ashland's first Elite Eight appearance. She scored 13 points with 13 rebounds as the Eagles knocked off Alaska-Anchorage 71-51 in the opening round. In a 77-62 semifinal win over Bentley (Mass.), she poured in 31 points and grabbed 22 rebounds.

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Eagles, Lady Bears to Play for First National Titles

SAN ANTONIO – It has been a wild ride in San Antonio for the AU women's basketball team thus far in San Antonio.  Between seeing the Alamo, attending a banquet, handling media requests from across the state, signing autographs for kids at a basketball clinic and attending a pep rally at a local elementary school, the Eagles have managed to squeeze in some basketball.

And those have been some big basketball games. The Eagles toppled No. 8 Alaska-Anchorage on Tuesday and No. 5 Bentley to advance to Friday (March 23) night's NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship Game.

The Eagles will play Shaw (N.C.) University in a matchup of two schools looking for their first national titles in a team sport. The game will tip off at 8 p.m. EDT and will air on CBS Sports Network, Mansfield's WMFD and NCAA.com. Fans can attend watch parties on AU's campus at the student center and Kates Gymnasium. Fans at Kates Gymnasium are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

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