NCCU Eagles wary of SCSU Bulldogs

DURHAM, North Carolina — The idea was to use the bye week to get guys healed, but just how well N.C. Central’s football players have recovered from their injuries was unknown mid-afternoon Tuesday, NCCU coach Henry Frazier III said.

The coach said he expected to have medical updates sometime Tuesday evening about guys such as wide receiver Geovonie Irvine, who didn’t play Sept. 22 when the Eagles visited Savannah State.

Frazier has said that Irvine is the best player on the team, so NCCU’s solid 45-33 win over Savannah State sent the Eagles flying into their bye week pretty high.

A year ago, the Eagles went into their open date having to mull over how they blew fourth-quarter leads in losses to Savannah State and Elon. 

S.C. State was waiting on NCCU after that bye week and got a 48-38 win.

The Bulldogs will be looking to tear into the Eagles on Saturday during the Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis (2:30 p.m., WNCU 90.7-FM, nccueaglepride.com).

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Spring Hill College sees SIAC as right fit for move to NCAA

MOBILE, Alabama -- Spring Hill College and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference appear to be an odd pairing at first glance. But Jim Hall, SHC's director of athletics, said the more college administrators studied the athletic landscape, the more they realized the Badgers and the SIAC were a good fit.

On Tuesday afternoon, Spring Hill announced it plans to apply for membership in NCAA Division II. The SIAC announced it would accept Spring Hill as a league member if that membership application is approved by the NCAA.

Spring Hill has been an NAIA member since 1959 and plays in the Southern States Athletic Conference.

The SIAC is composed of 13 historically black colleges and universities. Spring Hill will follow Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C., as non-HBCU schools that have joined HBCU conferences. Chowan started playing football in the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2008.

"To us, being a pioneer, breaking some ground is not something we are afraid of," Hall said. "We believe this move is right for the athletic department and for the school, and we're not going to let any negative perceptions that some people may have keep us from doing what we think is right for the school."

SIAC Commissioner Greg Moore formally notified Spring Hill that its application for membership had been accepted after the league members' presidents met on Aug. 20. Hall said the SIAC initiated the conversation about the Badgers joining that conference.

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Bounce TV to Air its First CIAA Football Game of New Package Sat. Oct. 6

ATLANTA, Georgia  -  Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com), the fastest growing African American network in television, will kick-off its' 2012-13 college football coverage of the nation's largest African American athletic conference, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), on Sat. Oct. 6 as Elizabeth City State takes on Virginia State live from Rogers Stadium in Ettrick, VA at 1:00 p.m. (ET).

Bounce TV just announced a sports rights renewal agreement with Urban Sports Entertainment Group (USEG) to televise both CIAA football and basketball games.

Bounce TV will air the CIAA Championship football game and select quarter- and semi- final CIAA tournament basketball games as part of the agreement.

Bounce TV targets African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sports, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-net series, original series and more. Launched just over one year ago,

Bounce TV is already available in 80% of African American households and 65 million homes nationally. Bounce TV airs twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on the digital signals of local television stations. Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young are among the Founding Group and Board of Directors of Bounce TV. Bounce TV is majority African American-owned. Toyota USA is the signature sponsor of the network.

CIAA Notebook: Anderson has big game for J.C. Smith

DEDRICK ANDERSON

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina - Running back Dedrick Anderson ofJohnson C. Smith is coming off one of the best games of his college career and is looking forward to Saturday's game against No. 4 Winston-Salem State on Saturday.

Anderson, who starred at West Forsyth, rushed for 161 yards on 20 carries (8.1 ypc) and scored two touchdowns in last week's 55-53 loss to Lincoln (Pa.). He also returned four kickoffs for 120 yards to finish with 281 all-purpose yards.

Anderson is 5-foot-4 and weighs 150 pounds, and he said that although he hears about his height often, he doesn't let it bother him.

"I guess it's a point of interest," he said, "but that's OK."

Anderson ranks third in the CIAA in rushing (100.6 ypg) and knows the Bulls will have to play well to have a chance against the Rams.

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DEDRICK ANDERSON NAMED CIAA OFFENSIVE BACK OF THE WEEK

 

HAMPTON, Virginia – Johnson C. Smith University senior running back Dedrick Anderson (Winston-Salem, NC) has been recognized by the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) as the Offensive Back of the Week for the week ending September 29, 2012. This is a first time honor for Anderson and the second individual awards for JCSU football this season.

The shortest starting tailback in the CIAA was seven yards away from rushing for a new career high. Anderson ran for 161 yards off 20 attempts with two rushing touchdowns. He is averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Anderson also returned four kickoffs for 120 yards to produce a game-high of 281 all-purpose yards.

Anderson is third in the CIAA and first on the team with 100.6 rushing yards per game average. He has 503 yards rushing on the season and three touchdowns.

The Golden Bulls will face Winston-Salem State University on Saturday, October 6th at 4:00 p.m. inside Charlotte Memorial Stadium. This will be their first divisional conference game of the season.

 

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Maynor says WSSU has room for improvement

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Winston-Salem State moved up in the national rankings this week, but coach Connell Maynor isn't satisfied.

The Rams, who jumped a spot to No. 4 in the American Football Coaches Association's Division II poll, are 5-0 overall (2-0 CIAA) heading into Saturday's game against Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte. Still, Maynor wants better decision-making from his offense and fewer penalties overall.

"There's room for improvement," Maynor said Tuesday. "I don't think we had any dropped balls, but we had some guys run the wrong routes the other day. And we had bad decisions by our quarterbacks where we had three interceptions."

WSSU wasn't at its best Saturday in a 35-3 victory at Bowie State but still generated 500 yards of offense. However, the Rams also were penalized 13 times for 126 yards — both season highs.

"We had some penalties that ...

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TSU Tigers Fall Short of Third Consecutive National Black College Title

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The men's golf team came up short in winning its third consecutive National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc., tournament. The Tigers shot a two-day 10-under 566 on the Par-72, 6,539 yard course at Browns Mill Golf Course in Atlanta, Ga. Alabama State finished ten strokes ahead of TSU to claim the team title with a 20-under 556.

The Tigers were tied for second with ASU after day one with a 10-under 278, trailing Savannah State by four strokes. Day two saw SSU fall from contention after a 297, while ASU equaled their score from the first round. TSU teamed up to card an even par 288 finishing five strokes ahead of third place SSU.

ASU's Jose Rodriguez claimed the individual title edging out James Stepp who posted a 7-under 137 (68-69). Andrew Warner finished just one shot behind Stepp as he recorded a career best 6-under 138 (68-70). Cameron Scitern notched a 1-over 145 (71-74), Dallas Hill registered a 3-over 147 (71-76) and Tyler Hendrickson fired a 6-over 150 (75-75).
TSU will travel to Paris, Tenn. to compete in the Skyhawk Classic on Oct. 7.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

THE SHOW: Alabama A&M University Maroon and White Band

Alabama A&M off to best start in decades

NORMAL, Alabama -- It’s no surprise that Alabama A&M is one of the best teams in HBCU football. The Bulldogs are off to a 5-0 start (4-0 in the SWAC) for the first time since 1966 when Alabama A&M finished 8-1.

Last season, they played for the SWAC championship, losing to Grambling State for the league title. Alabama A&M defeated Grambling State, 38-17, on Sept. 29 in a rematch of the championship game.

The Bulldogs have some great players in quarterback Deaunte Mason and running back Kaderius Lacey. They also have a coach who has been around for a long time. Anthony Jones is in his 11th year as the program’s head coach and has an overall record of 77-45.

Jones has won five division titles. In 2006, he guided Alabama A&M to a 9-3 overall mark and a SWAC championship. He could be headed for another conference title this season. Alabama A&M will visit Mississippi Valley State (1-3 overall, 1-1 SWAC) on Saturday aiming for its sixth consecutive win. Nobody is playing better than the Bulldogs in the SWAC, and there aren’t many teams playing as well as them in the FCS.

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Lane College Jacoby Jones Has Become A Steal For The Baltimore Ravens

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -  Ravens’ fans will forever remember the catch that never happened. In the 2011 AFC Championship game, Lee Evans would fail to secure the go ahead touchdown that would’ve sent Baltimore to its second Super Bowl. The play not only capped the end of the Ravens’ season, but the short career of Evans in Baltimore as well.

The Ravens would release Evans a few months later, leaving a huge void at the slot receiver position. Baltimore would fill that void with the signing of speedy wide receiver Jacoby Jones. And while drops plagued Jones as much as his predecessor, Jones was determined to make the most of his second chance.

Jones came into college with the intention of running track. In 2002, he enrolled in Southeastern Louisiana University with a track scholarship. But like many athletes with his speed, he was seen as a dangerous weapon on the football field. The following year, he transferred to Lane College.
At Lane College, Jones would succeed as one of the fasted receivers in college football. In his senior year, Jones was named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Offensive Player of the Year. He would finish his career with 200 receptions, for 2,750 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Dragons would also use his speed on special teams as he ran in 4 touchdowns on kickoff returns.

The Houston Texans saw enough in Jones that they drafted him in the 3^rd round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Though Jacoby Jones played Division II football in college, he showed he could still contribute early in his career. His most notable play came in his second year when he returned his first punt for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in 2009.

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Spring Hill College to join NCAA; SIAC holding spot for Badgers

MOBILE, Alabama -- Spring Hill College President Rev. Richard P. Salmi, S.J., announced today that Spring Hill College has accepted an invitation to join the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and intends to apply for NCAA Division II membership in spring 2013.

Spring Hill has been a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) since 1959. The decision to switch national and conference affiliations comes after nearly two years of study and planning concerning the future of the Badger athletic program.

“We have enjoyed our relationship with the NAIA and SSAC (Southern States Athletic Conference)," said Salmi. “The SSAC is an excellent conference, and we have been pleased during our time as a member. However, we feel that strategically the NCAA is a better long-term fit for our goals and aspirations for the college and our athletic department.”

“Over the past year and a half, we have engaged in a comprehensive study of how best to ensure that our athletic program reaches its full potential and enjoys the same level of recognition and success that our academic programs have earned for more than 180 years,” said SHC Director of Athletics Jim Hall.

“We believe that being a member of the SIAC and the NCAA is a positive step in making that goal a reality.”

“The NCAA enjoys strong 'brand recognition' nationally and is regarded as being committed to competitive excellence, the welfare of student athletes and the support of its member institutions,” Hall said. “The NCAA also affords its members tremendous access to educational and professional development programs including postgraduate scholarships, athletic internships, conferences, symposiums and programs for women and minorities.”

One of the primary benefits cited in the study for moving to NCAA Division II is the opportunity to connect athletically with some of the best academic institutions in the country, including 26 of 28 Jesuit institutions nationwide. “Spring Hill has always been one of the highest ranked academic schools in the NAIA,” said Hall. “It is important that we continue our academic commitment to excellence as we build a highly regarded athletic program.”

“Spring Hill presently has more than 220 student athletes competing in 15 sports and we believe membership in the NCAA will make us an even more attractive college choice for outstanding student athletes from across the United States who, as studies suggest, are more likely to want to enroll at an NCAA campus,” said Hall.

SIAC commissioner Greg Moore formally communicated the conference’s acceptance of Spring Hill’s application after the SIAC president’s meeting on Aug. 20, 2012.

“We are pleased about the prospect of Spring Hill College becoming a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference,” Moore said. “Not only is Spring Hill College an institution with strong academics and athletics, but they were also cited by Dr. King for its commitment to racial justice and equality in his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail.'”

As a result of the SIAC’s invitation, Spring Hill College will submit its NCAA application prior to the Feb. 1, 2013 deadline and begin what it hopes to be a three-year process toward full membership in NCAA Division II. Spring Hill will continue to hold membership in the NAIA and the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) through the 2013-2014 academic year, but will play a full schedule against SIAC opponents beginning in 2014-2015.

Founded in 1913, SIAC membership spans the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee and is comprised of 13 historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) that compete in 13 sponsored sports. SIAC teams and its athletes are known for being staunch competitors and for excelling on the national level. The conference as a whole has claimed more than 50 team and individual national championships.

“We believe that being a member of the NCAA and the SIAC is in concert with Spring Hill’s academic goals and mission,” Hall said. “It helps the college fulfill its promise of forming leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice and service for life.”

For the latest athletics news, visit www.shcbadgers.com.

It was announced on August 27, 2012, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Council of Presidents unanimously approved the application of Central State University (Ohio) as an associate football member of the SIAC, effective July 1, 2013.

Basketball schedule is released for WSSU men

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -  We interrupt the middle of football season for some basketball news.

There’s not a lot of news coming from the WSSU men’s basketball team other than the schedule is out and it’s a good one. And when I say a good one, I mean it’s a challenging one for coach Bobby Collins.

The Rams, 21-9 last season and the defending CIAA champions, will play an exhibition against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. Then, the Rams will open the regular-season against Division I UNC Greensboro at Greensboro Coliseum on Nov. 12.

Collins had a good quote about playing their opener in Greensboro against a Division I school that’s not N.C. A&T or N.C. Central.

“Since our rivals A&T and Central don’t want to play us we are hoping to start a nice little rivalry with UNCG,” Collins said. “I think it’s a great way for us to open our schedule with Duke and then UNCG because it will prepare us for our tough competition in the CIAA.”

Last season the Rams earned the automatic berth to the Division II tournament thanks to winning the CIAA Tournament title. With just about all of his team back along with several talented newcomers Collins and the Rams will likely contend again.

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Chowan Hawks grab historic victory

MURFREESBORO – Earthquake.

If it hasn’t shaken things up, it’s at least a seismic shift – football-wise – in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

Your usual top dogs don’t live here anymore. Or at least now they’ve got some company.

Chowan’s 27-3 win Saturday at James G. Garrison Stadium over league opponent Fayetteville State - the first in the school’s gridiron history - left the Hawks’ overall record at 3-2 midway through a season for the first time since 1999.

It also put them into a tie for first place in the CIAA Northern division with Elizabeth City State at 2-0; and it marked the first time Chowan’s defense had not allowed an opponent a touchdown since 2005.

How tenacious was the Hawks-D? They allowed just a single field goal from an offense that came in averaging over 23 points per game.

Junior Jason Ampy had 13 tackles while Anthony Joffrion and T.J. Batchelor assisted with 10 each. Batchelor also added two sacks in the contest, upping his season total to nine.

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SIAC Battle Of The Bands: Albany State University vs. Miles College

Alabama State golf team wins Black College Hall of Fame tournament

ATLANTA – The Alabama State men’s golf team shattered both team and individual records, coming from four strokes back to win the Black College Hall of Fame tournament.

The Hornets matched Saturday’s 10-under-par round with another 10-under 278 on Sunday and pulled away from first-day leader Savannah State and Tennessee State, whom they were tied with after the first day. ASU finished 15 strokes ahead of its nearest competitor.

The Hornets’ combined 20-under-par score shattered the former team record for 36 holes which was set two years ago at the James Shannon Invitational when ASU shot a two-day total of 1 over par.
Jose Rodriguez completed the tournament matching his Saturday score with another 6-under 66. He finished 12 under for the tournament and won the all-around individual championship.

Rodriguez’s 12 under was also an individual school record for 36 holes. Former ASU standout John Montgomery previously held the record with a 7-under-par finish at the James Shannon Invitational in 2010.

Branson Ferrier and Francis Berthaime both shot 69s on Sunday and both finished at 5 under par.

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Addison leads Bethune-Cookman to 38-26 win over Hampton

HAMPTON, Virginia  -  While quarterback Quentin Williams was making the first start of his college career, another redshirt freshman from the Tampa area had his coming-out party for Bethune-Cookman on Saturday night.

Nick Addison intercepted two passes -- returning one 90 yards for a touchdown -- and B-CU forced seven Hampton turnovers as the Wildcats held off the Pirates for a 38-26 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory in Hampton, Va.

“Nick has been in place to make those kind of plays the last few weeks,'' B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said. “We told him if he sees it to pull the trigger. He did his job tonight and was able to make the play.''

 

B-CU, which ended a two-game losing streak, improved to 3-2, 2-0 in the MEAC. The Wildcats will host North Carolina A&T in their homecoming game at 4 p.m. Saturday.

 

The Pirates (0-4, 0-2) rolled up 536 yards on offense but could not overcome four interceptions and three lost fumbles.

 

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Langston holds off Southern Nazarene

LANGSTON, Oklahoma — The stakes were considerably less than a year ago. No conference championship was on the line. No playoff berth was up for grabs. 

This time, two oft-successful small college football programs were simply trying move a step closer to .500.

Langston moved within one victory of an even season Saturday night with a 17-14 victory over winless Southern Nazarene before an estimated 3,500 fans at W.E. Anderson Stadium.

Anthony Fernandez kicked a 37-yard field goal with 9:07 left in the game to give Langston (2-3) the lead for good. The field goal came four plays after the Lions kept the drive alive with a fourth-and-1 conversion plunge by quarterback Brendan Crawford. Fernandez, a senior who played soccer in high school in California, said there was no doubt the field goal was good. After that, he said, it was all up to the defense to keep the lead.

“Our team hasn't been down or anything like that,” Fernandez said of the Lions' slow start. “We've played some good teams, and we've lost some tough games. But this is a big confidence boost for us.”





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Tuskegee smothers Fort Valley State in a 49-18 victory

TUSKEGEE, Alabama - Tuskegee defeated Fort Valley State 49-18 on Saturday at Abbott Memorial Stadium.

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup featured the top teams from the East and West Divisions. The Wildcats (3-2), coming off two straight conference victories, strolled into a hostile Golden Tigers (3-1) atmosphere looking to extend their win streak to three games.

On the first possession of the game quarterback Antonio Henton launched a 69-yard pass between two TU defenders to wide receiver Marquavious Trice for the touchdown. Tuskegee quickly responded scoring on a 57-yard run from running back Derrick Washington to tie the game at 7-7.

In the second quarter the Golden Tigers offense began to tear apart the Wildcat defense. TU scored four touchdowns in the second quarter and compiled 407 yards of total offense in the first half alone. Tuskegee's 77-yard touchdown with 14:44 left in the second half and a 66-yard run with 9:52 in the second quarter gave the Golden Tigers a 21-7 lead.

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Norfolk State offense is abysmal at S.C. State

ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Bad offenses struggle to reach the end zone. Norfolk State's barely got past midfield.

The Spartans' offense was so bad that head coach Pete Adrian met with offensive coaches on the field, a back-up quarterback pondered its identity and the unit was outscored by South Carolina State's defense.

With the season just five games old, any significant chance at repeating last year's MEAC championship disappeared with the no-show offense in a 14-0 loss at South Carolina State (2-3, 1-1).

"We'll go back and evaluate film, evaluate very position," Adrian said. "We're not going to sit still. It's not going to be business as usual around here this week. That's what I was talking to them about right there."

The probable end of NSU's reign came early during a fourth consecutive slow start. The Spartans (2-3, 0-2), who have now been outscored 85-17 in the first half, trailed by a touchdown before the game was 2 minutes old. They were down 14-0 after one quarter.

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Reuther earns her 5th GCAC weekly award in 2 seasons

Taylor Reuther

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time this season and the fifth time in two years, Xavier University of Louisiana's Taylor Reuther is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's volleyball.      Reuther, a 5-foot-7 sophomore outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, led Xavier with 31 kills, 21 digs and 10 aces during a 3-0 week which extended the Gold Nuggets' school-record road win streak to 10. Reuther had nine kills, eight digs and two aces to help Xavier win in four sets at SUNO and snap the Lady Knights' school-record nine-match win streak. In a sweep of Fisk she had 14 kills, six digs and three aces — all five of her third-set attacks were kills — and she had eight kills, seven digs and five aces in a sweep of Philander Smith.

Since the start of the 2008 season, only Whitney Knight of former member Mobile has won more GCAC weekly awards (12) than Reuther. No other active GCAC player has won more than twice. Xavier has received three weekly awards this season — sophomore outside hitter Chinedu Echebelem won the other.
    
Xavier's next match will start at 6 p.m. Friday against GCAC opponent Edward Waters at The Barn. It will be the first of three home matches in six days for the Gold Nuggets (10-4 overall, 4-0 GCAC).


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

XU's Erves, Joseph, Simmons are preseason All-GCAC

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Denzell Erves, Wanto Joseph and Anthony Simmons have been selected to the All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference preseason men's basketball team by the GCAC head coaches. The conference announced the 12-player team Monday.      Xavier, 23-9 in 2011-12 and the GCAC regular-season co-champion, was the only school with more than two players chosen.

Denzell Erves

Wanto Joseph

Anthony Simmons

    
Erves, a 6-foot-7 senior forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, averaged 9.5 points this past season and led the Gold Rush with 6.8 rebounds per game and 33 blocked shots. Erves was All-GCAC and a three-time GCAC Player of the Week in 2011-12, and his six double-doubles were the most by a Gold Rush player since the start of 2003-04.

Joseph, a 5-9 senior guard from New Orleans and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School, averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds as a junior. He led the team with 43 steals, 89 free throws and 132 free throws attempted.

Simmons, a 6-8 senior forward from Rochester, N.Y., and a graduate of Allendale Columbia School, averaged 9.7 points and six rebounds and shot a team-best 62.9 percent from the floor a year ago. He's a two-time All-GCAC selection, and he was GCAC Player of the Week twice in 2011-12.

Xavier qualified six times in the past eight seasons for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. The Gold Rush season will begin in early November, and the schedule will be announced soon.

2012-13 Preseason All-GCAC Men's Basketball Team

Name	School	Ht.	Year	Position	Notes (provided by coaches)
Kadon Day	Tougaloo	6-5	Junior	Forward	2010-11 GCAC Freshman of the Year
Javon Demerson	Philander Smith	6-11	Junior	Center	Strong rebounder and scorer
Carlton Downing	Edward Waters	6-7	Junior	Forward	12.9 points, 9.1 rebounds per game
Kevin Dukes	SUNO	6-2	Sophomore	Guard	2011-12 GCAC Freshman of the Year
Denzell Erves	Xavier	6-7	Senior	Forward	9.5 points, 6.8 rebounds per game
Juan Gray	Tougaloo	6-0	Senior	Guard	10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds per game
Wanto Joseph	Xavier	5-9	Senior	Guard	8.6 points, 3.3 assists per game
Cameron Lewis	Fisk	6-3	Sophomore	Guard	Four 20+ point games last year
DeMarkus Lipscomb	Philander Smith	5-9	Senior	Guard	One of top defensive players
Darrell Miller	Fisk	6-7	Junior	Forward	15 double-doubles last season
Clyde Moore	SUNO	6-4	Senior	Forward	16.6 points, 8 rebounds per game
Anthony Simmons	Xavier	6-8	Senior	Forward	9.7 points, 6 rebounds per game

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

Tennessee State Ranked 24th in Coaches Poll

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -  After starting the season 5-0 for the first time since 2001, Tennessee State broke into the Top 25, coming in at No. 24 in the FCS Coaches poll released on Monday.

It marks the first time the Tigers have been ranked since Nov. 17, 2008, when they were 25th in both major polls. TSU was ranked as high as 18th that season when the team started the year 8-2.

TSU is one of just 11 undefeated teams left in the FCS and one of the six teams to have a 5-0 record.

The Tigers opponent this week, Eastern Kentucky, placed 16th in the Coaches poll. It is the highest ranking for the Colonels since they were 16th on Oct. 5, 2009, right before losing to Tennessee State that week.

Kick off is slated for 1 p.m. this Saturday at Hale Stadium.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State bounces back, downs Prairie View

JACKSON, Mississippi  - On an otherwise dark, dreary and damp Saturday inside a partially filled Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson State running back Tommy Gooden flashed a smile that seemed to sum up the Tigers’ joyous mood.

One week removed from an ugly 28-21 loss to previously winless Southern University in their home opener, the Tigers slugged their way to a 34-13 win over winless Prairie View A&M before an announced crowd of 6,566. They did it behind their best rushing performance of the season.

JSU piled up a season-high 256 yards on the ground on 58 attempts — also a season high — to bury the Panthers. And it was Gooden leading the way with 135 yards. He even provided the exclamation point to the victory with a 15-yard touchdown run off the left tackle with 5:25 left.

Gooden’s 18 carries on the night matched his season total of 18 entering the game. Given the heavier workload, it was understandable he was a little slow getting to the interview room afterward.

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Cox-led defense comes up with 4 interceptions to spark Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi  -  Qua Cox and his Jackson State teammates entered Saturday’s game with Prairie View without a turnover to their name. That’s not the case today.

Cox intercepted a pair of passes and teammates Richard Hughes and Caleb Lester each had one pick apiece in the Tigers’ 34-13 victory. It came shortly after coach Rick Comegy challenged the redshirt junior to start making more plays and cause more turnovers.

Cox’s first pick was an acrobatic move that came after he appeared to be beaten. He showed off his closing speed and made a leaping pick in front of the Prairie View sideline. His second led to the eventual go-ahead touchdown for the Tigers.

Cox said he wasn’t surprised to see the Panthers attack his side so often.  “I’m one of the best corners in the SWAC,” Cox said. “So if they want to go at me and try to think I’m not good, it is what it is.”

Prairie View coach Heishma Northern said he recently told one NFL scout Cox could play in the league “right now.”

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AUM beats XU's Howell, Flowers in regional doubles final

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Auburn Montgomery's top-seeded Jade Curtis and Morgane Zowczak rallied Sunday for a 6-4, 6-0 victory against Xavier University of Louisiana's Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers in the women's doubles championship of the USTA/ITA NAIA South Regional.
    

Howell and Flowers led 4-2 in the opening set before Curtis and Zowczak won 10 consecutive games. The victory qualified the AUM pair for the USTA/ITA National Small College Championships next month.
    

AUM denied the Gold Nuggets their first NAIA regional championship. The XU men won singles and doubles championships in this event a year ago.
    

Howell was a runner-up for the second consecutive weekend. She reached the singles consolation final of the Big Easy Classic at the University of New Orleans in Xavier's opening tournament of the fall semester.
    

Howell, a junior, and Flowers, a freshman, are 5-2 as a doubles team.
    

Curtis, No. 1 in the final ITA/NAIA doubles rankings each of the past two seasons, won a regional doubles title for the second consecutive year.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

THE SHOW: 2012 Atlanta Football Classic

Classic a game of two halves

ATLANTA — After a performance against Southern University that demonstrated the good and the bad of the FAMU defense, players insisted they’ll band together to find the consistency needed to get through the season without another loss.

“We are a family and this can’t do nothing but make us stronger,” said cornerback Marvin Ross, who had one of two FAMU interceptions in Saturday’s 21-14 defeat here at the Georgia Dome.

“I’ve got to be a leader on the field and if something goes wrong we’ve got to come back and make a good play.”

Ross and the Rattlers (2-3) return to the road at Howard (3-1) in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. Kickoff is 1 p.m. The Bison blitzed Savannah State 56-9 last Saturday.

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