Southern men set to begin SWAC play against TSU

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Last season, the Southern men’s basketball team finished with its best record in Southwestern Athletic Conference play since 2005.

The 13-5 mark was good enough for second in the conference, but the Jaguars couldn’t reap any of the benefits of their success because of academic-related penalties.

The NCAA had handed down a postseason ban on SU, thanks to substandard scores in its Academic Progress Rate.

It was Roman Banks’ first season in Baton Rouge, and the newly hired coach didn’t limit his accomplishments to the court in his inaugural campaign. In the past year, Southern ranked in the top three percentiles in Division I APR turnaround, making the Jaguars eligible for postseason play this year.

“We took the job in a very tough situation, and our penalty was practice time, no postseason play and scholarships,” Banks said. “We came in and turned academics around and wrote a waiver to the NCAA allowing us to go to postseason play. We can go to postseason play, but then there’s still a three-year period of this probation that we’re on. That means that we can’t falter.”


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Savannah State Brings in the New Year at Western Illinois

MACOMB, Illinois  --  The Fighting Leathernecks have won seven straight games and look to continue their winning ways with a pair of home games this week. Western (10-3, 4-0) concludes a home-and-home series with the Savannah State Tigers (5-7) on Wednesday (Jan. 2), and then plays host to the IUPUI Jaguars (6-11, 1-3) on Saturday (Jan. 5). Both games will be played at 7 p.m. inside Western Hall.

A LOOK AT THE TIGERS: Savannah State is a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and enters Wednesday’s game with a 5-7 record...The Tigers most recently lost their fourth straight game to Marshall, 64-48...SSU is led by Rashad Hassan who averages 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game... Preston Blackman sits second on the team with 9.9 points per game, and leads the team with 41 assists on the season.

COACHING SAVANNAH STATE: The Tigers are coached by Horace Broadnax (Georgetown ‘86) who is in his seventh season at the helm.

THE SERIES: Western owns a 2-3 record versus Savannah State all-time...All of Western’s games versus Savannah State occurred while Leatherneck head coach Jim Molinari was at the helm...The first came on November 24, 2009 when the Leathernecks lost, 52-48...Western beat the Tigers later that season at home on January 4th, 55-51...The two teams again played a home-and-home series the following season with Western downing the Tigers, 83-47, on the road before dropping a home game to SSU on March 1st, 51-47...Earlier this season Western lost in Georgia, 39-38.

MID-MAJOR TOP 25: Western Illinois just missed the CollegeInsider.com’s Mid-Major Top 25 poll, receiving 73 votes...The 25th ranked team in the poll earned 86 votes.

UNDEFEATED DECEMBER: The Leathernecks finished the month of December with a 6-0 record...It was the first time Western has went unbeaten in the December in its Division I history, and the first time since the Leathernecks went 8-0 in December during the 1957-58 season.

BEST START SINCE: Western is off to its best start in its NCAA Division I history...No other team has started a season 10-3 or better since the 1980-81 season (WIU’s final season as a NCAA Division II team)...The last time a Western Illinois team started 11-3 was the 1979-80 season.

STREAKING: The Leathernecks picked up their seventh straight victory last Saturday evening against Fort Wayne, a winning streak that started over a month ago on November 29th at South Dakota...The last time the Leathernecks earned seven or more straight wins was during the 1998-99 season when they earned seven straight wins...In the 1997-98 season, Western won nine straight games.

UNDEFEATED CONFERENCE RECORD: The last time the Leathernecks started conference play 4-0 or better was the 1997-98 team which kicked-off conference play 6-0...The 1997-98 team’s 6-0 conference start is Western’s best start in league play The 1997-98 team’s 6-0 conference start is Western’s best start in league play since it became a division I program.

WHAT’S IN A WESTERN WIN?: A win would mark the 1,213th victory in program history...A win would mark head coach Jim Molinari’s 58th victory at Western, and his 281st victory all-time as a head coach...A win would be Western’s third over Savannah State and even the series at 3-3...A win would mark the Leathernecks’ eighth straight.

IN THE NATION (As of 12/31/12): Western ranks in the top 10 of two national categories...Fourth in defensive scoring, having held its opponents to 52.2 points per game, and fifth in personal fouls per game, having committed only 13.1 per game...The Leathernecks also rank in the top 100 of six other categories... 36th in field goal percentage defense (38.3), 40th in field goal percentage (46.8), 52nd in winning percentage (76.9), 59th in turnovers per game (12.2), 61st in blocked shots per game (4.8), 85th in scoring margin (8.4), and 85th in three-point feild goal percentage defense (30.7).

CLARK AND PARKS NATION (As of 12/31/12): Seniors Ceola Clark III and Terell Parks rank in the top 100 of six national categories...Parks ranks 27th in blocked shots per game (2.54), 47th in rebounds per game (9.1), 72nd in field goal percentage (53.2), and 84th in double doubles (3.0)...Clark ranks 42nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.92).

LAST TIME OUT: The Western Illinois men’s basketball team accomplished something the program hasn’t seen in its 32-year NCAA Division I history, starting a season with a 10-3 overall record.

The Leathernecks (10-3, 4-0) picked up their seventh straight victory Saturday evening (Dec. 29) inside Western Hall with a 62-50 conference win over the Fort Wayne Mastodons (6-9, 0-2). The last time Western had won seven consecutive games was the 1998-99 season.

Jack Houpt and Adam Link led Western with 16 points a piece, while Ceola Clark III scored 14. Terell Parks pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds in the win and two blocks to go along with his seven points.

Clark also had a team-high six assists and one steal.

The Leathernecks shot 48.7% from the floor, and held the Mastodons to 31.6% shooting.

Fort Wayne won the turnover battle, committing just five to Western’s 15. It also had 11 steals to Western’s two.

IPFW hit only 4-of-21 from three, and the Mastodons also struggled from the free throw line, knocking down only 10-of-23 from the charity stripe.

IPFW took the lead, 8-6, early in the first half, but the Leathernecks went on a 12-2 run to close out the opening 10 minutes of the contest with a 18-10 lead.

With eight minutes left in the first, Clark had nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, the Leathernecks were shooting just under 70%, and IPFW had connected on only three of its 13 shots (23.1%).

The Leathernecks were up by as many as 14 points in the first, and went into the locker room at halftime with a 12-point advantage, 31-19.

The second half started much like the first half finished, with the Leathernecks building their lead to as large as 17 points. IPFW, however, battled back and made it a six-point game with just just over 10 minutes to play in regulation.

Western wouldn’t allow the Mastodons to get any closer, and after holding off a small Fort Wayne run, the Leathernecks would roll to victory.

WHO: Savannah State Tigers (5-7) at Western Illinois Leathernecks (10-3, 4-0)
WHERE: Macomb, Ill. • Western Hall (5,139)
WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY: Savannah State leads 3-2

FOLLOW THE ACTION

Radio/Live Audio:
The Dog (88.3 FM) & Classic 103 (102.7 FM)
Talent: Beau Spencer (play-by-play) & Josh Gleason (color)
Live Video:Rocky Vision (Single-Camera)

Live Stats:GoLeathernecks.com

 Twitter: @WIUAthletics

Facebook: 
WIU Athletics 
Preseason Information: 2012-13 Information Guide/Record Book

2012-13 Quick Facts

2012-13 Schedule

2012-13 Outlook

2012-13 Season Preview2011-12 Highlights

COURTESY WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

FIU vs. Florida A&M - Game Day Central

Teams - FIU Panthers (4-7 overall, 1-2 home); Florida A&M Rattlers (4-9 overall, 0-8 away)
Date - Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013
Time - 7:00 PM ET
Location - Miami, Fla.
Arena - U.S. Century Bank Arena (5,000)
Television - N/A
Twitter - @FIUMensBBall
Facebook - FIU-Mens-Basketball
Live Video Streaming - PantherVision (www.FIUSports.com) (also available via the Official FIU Sports app)
Live Stats - www.FIUSports.com
Records - FIU enters Wednesday’s game with a 4-7 record following a 69-52 loss at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 29. Florida A&M enters Wednesday’s game with a 4-9 record following a 70-56 loss at Texas Tech on Monday, Dec. 31.
Rankings - FIU is not ranked in either poll. Florida A&M is not ranked in either poll.
FIU Head Coach Richard Pitino (@CoachPitinoFIU) - Coach Pitino (Providence ‘05) enters Wednesday’s contest with a career record of 4-7 (.364 - first season).
FAMU Head Coach Clemon Johnson - Coach Johnson (Florida A&M ‘78) enters Wednesday’s contest with a career record at FAMU of 14-32 (.304 - second season). Coach Johnson has never faced the Panthers.
Series History -Wednesday’s contest will mark the 10th meeting all-time between FIU and Florida A&M with the Panthers trailing the series history, 3-5 (4-5 actual on-court - FIU vacated one game due to NCAA sanctions). The last meeting between the two squads resulted in an 87-82 win for the Panthers on Dec. 22, 2010, in Miami, Fla.
Officials - Announced on Game Day.
FIU Game Notes (PDF)
FIU Media Guide
Purchase Tickets

MIAMI, Florida  --  The FIU men’s basketball team (4-7) kicks off 2013 with a non-conference matchup versus the Florida A&M Rattlers (4-9) on Wednesday, Jan. 2. Game time is set for 7 p.m. from U.S. Century Bank Arena. The game will mark the eighth non-conference contest for the Panthers this season and first at home since the home opener versus Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 17.

FIU is coming off a 69-52 loss at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 29, where the Panthers shot just 38.8 percent from the floor and committed 23 turnovers. Defensively, FIU forced 25 Blue Raider turnovers and registered 13 steals, but Middle Tennessee shot 43.4 percent from the floor and out-rebounded FIU, 43-27. Freshman Jerome Frink notched his third double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds versus the Blue Raiders. The loss marked the seventh-straight for the Panthers versus Middle Tennessee and was the team’s third-straight conference loss.

FIU enters this week’s action averaging 67.1 points-per-game (No. 8 in the conference) on 42.0 percent shooting from the floor (No. 4 in the conference). The Panthers have converted 34.5 percent of their shots from 3-point range (No. 4 in the conference) and 68.1 percent of their shots from the free-throw line (No. 7 in the conference). FIU is averaging 8.5 steals-per-game (No. 2 in the conference) and 11.7 assists-per-contest (No. 7 in the conference). The Panthers are allowing 72.2 points-per-game (No. 10 in the conference) as the opposition is shooting 47.2 percent from the floor.

Leading the Panthers in scoring is junior Mailk Smith, who comes into Wednesday’s game averaging 14.5 points-per-game (tied for No. 6 in the conference), shooting 37.2 percent from the floor. The Boston, Mass., native has converted 75.7 percent of his attempts from the free-throw line (No. 8 in the conference) and leads the Sun Belt Conference in 3-point field goals made (3.2 – No. 16 nationally). Junior Tymell Murphy led the Panthers in scoring with 13 points at Middle Tennessee bringing his season average to 13.0 points-per-game (No. 12 in the conference). The Brooklyn, N.Y., native leads the conference and ranks No. 37 nationally in shooting percentage (.570), having made 61-of-107 shot attempts this season. Frink comes into this week’s contest, averaging 10.6 points-per-game (No. 25 in the conference) and 6.8 rebounds-per-contest (No. 7 in the conference). The Jersey City, N.J., native’s team-leading three double-doubles ranks No. 84 nationally. Frink, along with Smith and sophomore Deric Hill, ranks among the conference leaders in steals. Frink and Hill rank tied for 10 in the conference, averaging 1.5 steals-per-game, while Smith ranks No. 14 recording 1.4 steals-per-contest.

Home Sweet Home
After spending nearly the entire month of December on the road, the Panthers return home for a three-game home stand beginning with tonight’s contest with the Florida A&M Rattlers. Entering the 12th game of the season, FIU has tipped off only three times at U.S. Century Bank Arena. With a 1-2 record at home, FIU is averaging more points-per-game (69.3), fewer points allowed (69.7) and a better shooting percentage (.437) than what the Panthers have recorded on the road this season (67.9 ppg, 72.7 ppg allowed, .404 FG PCT).

Versus the MEAC
Tonight’s contest versus the Florida A&M Rattlers will mark the 20th meeting all-time between FIU and a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Panthers enter Wednesday’s game with a 10-9 record versus teams from the MEAC. Tonight’s game will mark the 10th meeting all-time between FIU and FAMU with the Rattlers leading the series history, 5-4.

FIU – Florida A&M Series History
Wednesday’s game between FIU and Florida A&M will mark the 10th meeting between the two teams.

- FAMU holds a 5-4 advantage in the series history.
- The last meeting between FIU and Florida A&M resulted in an 87-82 win for the Panthers on Dec., 22, 2010, in Miami, Fla.
- FIU owns a 3-1 mark versus the Rattlers at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
- The Panthers have won three-straight over the Rattlers at U.S. Century Bank Arena.
- FIU is looking to win its third-straight versus FAMU.
- FIU owns a 10-9 mark versus teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
- Wednesday’s contest will be the first of two for the Panthers this season versus members of the MEAC. FIU will face Bethune-Cookman on Monday, Jan. 7. 


COURTESY FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Hampton Pirates at USC Upstate Spartans tonight

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The USC Upstate men's basketball team opens the New Year at home Wednesday evening, welcoming Hampton University to the Hodge Center for the final non-conference game of the regular season.

 

The matchup between the Spartans and Pirates is the second meeting between the two programs with Upstate holding a 1-0 edge in the all-time series with a win in 1982. The 7:30 p.m. tip-off will mark the first action for both teams in the 2013 calendar year.

 

Fans can follow the contest through a live video broadcast on A-Sun.TV by clicking here and live in-game statistics by clicking here. ESPN Spartanburg 97.1 FM and 1400 AM will broadcast the game that can also be heard online by clicking here. Fans can follow on twitter @UPSTMBB and can join the conversation with the hashtag #UpstateHoops.

 

GAMEDAY CENTRAL | GAME NOTES

 

Audio | Video | Live stats |    

 

Story Lines

• Upstate's current 11-game winning streak is tied for the 16th longest in the country with Northern Iowa and Mississippi Valley. Syracuse holds the national mark at 30 consecutive home wins, followed by Kansas with 28.

• After opening the season with nine of 11 games on the road, the Spartans play the second of two straight home games before opening conference play on the road.

• Upstate has won its past three conference openers - the longest streak in the A-Sun. The Spartans open conference play with back-to-back road games, traveling to league newcomer Northern Kentucky Friday and Lipscomb Monday.

• Hampton opened the season with six straight losses, but have gone 2-3 since, picking up wins at home over Howard and American.

• The Pirates have played several familiar schools to Upstate, dropping games to Wofford, UNC Wilmington and Northern Kentucky. The loss to the Norse marked the first-ever Division I win for Northern Kentucky.

• Hampton features one of the most balanced scoring attacks the Spartans have faced all year, with Deron Powers (11.5) as the only player in double figures. Seven players average at least five points per contest, while nine different players have been inserted into the starting lineup.

• Torrey Craig continues to put up double-digit scoring efforts for the Spartans, having scored at least 10 points in all 11 games this season. Dating back to a 20-point performance at South Carolina last season, the Great Falls, S.C., native has reached double figures in 30 of his last 32 games.

• Ricardo Glenn's three straight double-doubles has the big man for the Spartans as one of the most efficient players in the league. The Augusta, Ga. native is second in the A-Sun with a .614 field goal percentage, while his 8.4 rebounds per game also ranks second in the league.

• The Spartans have reached the 40-rebound mark in each of the last two games, pulling down 40 boards at Tennessee State and a season-high 47 against Coastal Georgia. Upstate is 2-1 on the season when recording at least 40 rebounds.

• Jodd Maxey was reinserted into the starting lineup against Coastal Georgia and delivered one of his best games of the year, tying his season-high for points with 13 and finishing just two rebounds shy of his first collegiate double-double. His game-high five assists was also a career-high.

GLENN'S DOUBLE-DOUBLE MADNESS
Following his third straight double-double with an impressive performance against Coastal Georgia on Dec. 30, Ricardo Glenn was named the College Sports Madness A-Sun Player of the Week. He tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds against the Mariners and over a three-game stretch he has shot 79 percent from the field, going 19-for-24 from the floor.

AT HOME IN THE HODGE
The Spartans have seen plenty of recent success in the Hodge Center, winning 11 straight and 16 of their last 17 games for a .941 winning percentage. The last time Upstate dropped a game at home was Jan. 9 against Mercer. The nine-point loss to the Bears came over 350 days ago.

ROAD TRIP
The Spartans opened the season with nine of their first 11 games on the road, spanning coast-to-coast in November and December. Over those nine games, Upstate touched down or took off in 13 different cities and played in seven different states.

 

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: (Baylor's Scott Drew) "This is a game that as a coach, you know that your opponent is a lot better than people might realize. You can see them in the NCAA tournament winning a game."

(Kansas State's Bruce Weber) "They have a really good ball club. When we looked at it going into all these non-conference games they had 21 wins last year and the best turn-around in the country."

(Saint Louis' Jim Crews) "I thought they were good coming in, and I know they're good coming out. Every time we made a mistake, they drilled us every single time. It was uncanny. If we made a defensive slip, we got burned."

Follow Upstate men's basketball all season long on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

 

COURTESY USC UPSTATE PRESS RELEASE

 

Ball State Cardinals Prep For MAC Play with Norfolk State on Wednesday

MUNCIE, Indiana  --  The Ball State men's basketball team returns to action from a nine-day holiday break, hosting Norfolk State for a 7 p.m. tipoff Wednesday at Worthen Arena.

It will be the final tuneup before conference play for the Cardinals (5-6), which are looking to bounce back from a 77-68 loss to IUPUI in their most recent action. Norfolk State (6-9) dropped a 74-63 decision at East Carolina its last time out.

Live Coverage
• Radio (Flagship): Ball State Radio Network (104.1 FM WLBC); Play-by-play: Joel Godett; Analyst: David Eha
• Radio (Student): Sports Link Radio (91.3 FM WCRD); Play-by-play: Sean Stewart; Analyst: Donnie Kolakowski, Tyler Bradfield
• Internet: Live video, live audio and live stats at ballstatesports.com

The Matchup
• Wednesday's meeting will be the first ever between Ball State and Norfolk State in men's basketball.
• Norfolk State will be Ball State's third first-time opponent in the past six games.
• The Cardinals also played Holy Cross (Ind.) and South Dakota for the first time earlier this year.
• Wednesday's game is the final contest for Ball State before opening Mid-American Conference play next Wednesday at Eastern Michigan.

A Quick Look at the Cardinals • Ball State has been off since a Dec. 23 loss to IUPUI that dropped the Cardinals to 5-6 on the year.
• Senior guard Jauwan Scaife scored a season-high 21 points for Ball State, but the Cardinals could not put the clamps on a hot-shooting IUPUI team.
• Ball State shot a season-high 48 percent from the floor, but IUPUI connected on 51.9 percent, including 11 of 22 from 3-point range against a Cardinals team that had held its previous six opponents to a combined 25 percent from beyond the arc.
• The Cardinals out-scored IUPUI in the paint, 40-20, and held a 33-24 advantage on the boards.
• Junior forward Chris Bond scored 10 points and pulled down eight rebounds against IUPUI, while Tyler Koch added 10 points and grabbed seven boards in his most extensive action since returning to the lineup from injury.
• Junior guard Jesse Berry -- a preseason All-Mid-American Conference selection -- leads the Cardinals with 13.6 points per game, while junior forward Majok Majok is one of 19 players in the nation averaging a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
• Majok, who leads the MAC and ranks in the 11th in the country in rebounding, had a streak of five straight double-figure rebounding games snapped against IUPUI.

Scouting Norfolk State • Norfolk State is 6-9 on the season and comes to Muncie looking to snap a four-game losing skid.
• All four of those losses have come on the road, and two of them came at ranked opponents -- then-No. 10 Illinois and then-No. 25 NC State.
• The Spartans then lost at Iona and most recently at East Carolina, 74-63, on Saturday.
• Junior guard Pendarvis Williams leads Norfolk State in scoring at 11.8 points per game, while backcourt mate Malcolm Hawkins is adding 11.5 points per game.
• Freshman forward Rashid Gaston, the current MEAC Rookie of the Week, is scoring 8.9 points and grabbing a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game.
• Williams is the only returning starter from last year's Norfolk State team that finished 26-10 and upset No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA Tournament round of 64.

RELATED LINKS

Live Audio (WLBC)

Live Video

Live Stats

Game Notes

The Non-Conference Schedule • Wednesday's game with Norfolk State is Ball State's final tuneup for the MAC schedule.
• The Dec. 15 game at South Dakota marked Ball State's only trip outside the state of Indiana before conference play. The Cardinals will play eight of their first 12 games at home and have made three trips to in-state opponents -- Indiana (Nov. 25), Butler (Dec. 1) and Purdue (Dec. 18).
• Two of Ball State's home games have come against Indiana State (Nov. 20) and IUPUI (Dec. 23), giving the Cardinals five games against in-state Division I programs.
• Ball State had never before faced Big 10 opponents Indiana and Purdue in the same season.

COURTESY BALL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Marshall Thundering Herd welcomes Delaware State today

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Marshall's basketball team springs back to action tonight, beginning the new calendar year against another team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Delaware State will be the third MEAC member to visit Cam Henderson Center in a row, visiting for a 7 p.m. contest. Marshall (7-6) has defeated the previous two such foes, Coppin State (69-63) and Savannah State (64-48).

Like their conference brethren, the Hornets (5-8) have taken on all comers, almost always on the road. After their trip to Huntington, they travel to Arkansas on Saturday to finish their non-conference schedule.

Other Delaware State foes include Pittsburgh (79-50 loss), Maryland (71-43), Penn State (80-76 in overtime), Northwestern (69-50), Eastern Kentucky (84-51) and Illinois State (87-48). The Hornets' biggest wins have come in overtime, over Wagner (73-69) and rival Delaware (73-67).

Marshall's record is a little better, but the win/loss divide is similar. Using an unofficial Rating Percentage Index simulation (CBS Sports), all of MU's wins have come against teams in the 150-285 range, and all but one of the losses have been to teams 106 or higher.

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Rose Bowl: Pep Hamilton using his Washington ties to Stanford’s advantage

PEP HAMILTON
Andrew Luck Director of Offense/Offensive Coordinator/QB
Alma Mater: Howard University (1997)

STANFORD, California  --  Somewhere in the Washington area, there’s a Bank of America still waiting for Pep Hamilton.

These days, Hamilton is the offensive coordinator of Rose Bowl-bound Stanford, the man who helped steer the program to its second Bowl Championship Series game in as many seasons despite losing one of the most decorated college quarterbacks ever in Andrew Luck.

But in the spring of 1997, Hamilton was a new Howard University graduate with a business degree and a job at Bank of America waiting for him come Sept. 1.

Fresh off his senior season, in which he was the quarterback for the Bison, Hamilton was asked by then-Howard Coach Steve Wilson to help out with the team’s signal-callers during spring practice. When an assistant retired, Hamilton was a natural choice to take over, and the Bison offered him a graduate assistant position.

He said he had not considered coaching, but Hamilton was intrigued. He brought the idea to his father — who wasn’t as enthusiastic.  He wasn’t “going to allow me to pass up a ‘real job’ to take a job as a GA,” Hamilton said recently. He turned down the offer.

But Wilson saw a natural teacher with a football mind, and a week later came back with a full-time offer. Bank of America agreed to push Hamilton’s start date back four months — to Jan. 1, 1998 — to let him give coaching a try.

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New uniform, same look for Magic's Kyle O'Quinn

Kyle O'Quinn
(Photo Courtesy Orlando Magic)

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --   Kyle O'Quinn's locker was sandwiched between a pair of Orlando Magic rookie teammates, giving him some sitting targets for his traditional comedic potshots.

After more than 100 Norfolk State fans came to see O'Quinn and the Magic play the Wizards last Friday in Washington, he explained to teammate Moe Harkless that it was because he stuck around for four years, unlike the one-year player from St. John's.

"Loyalty," O'Quinn said, nodding. "They like that. Unlike this guy."
Harkless guffawed.

For his next barb, O'Quinn took aim at St. Bonaventure grad and post player Andrew Nicholson. O'Quinn says with a little practice and polish, his jump hook will soon outshine his neighbors'. Nicholson chuckled.

"Yeah, it's the pros and we're rookies, so maybe we're not quite as out there," O'Quinn said. "But we're also human beings. You have to enjoy yourself. You have to keep it fun."

O'Quinn did just that for four years at Norfolk State - charming fans with an engaging personality, as good a comedian as he was a ballplayer.

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Davis' Season High Helps A&T Defeat Elon

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  Head coach Tarrell Robinson and the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team was not calling today New Year's Eve. They called it "Bounce Back Monday."

After a tough loss on Dec. 28 at Virginia Tech, the Aggies were looking to close out the 2012 year with a strong performance, and they succeeded with a 75-65 victory against Elon at Corbett Sports Center. The Aggies (7-5) shot 48 percent from the floor against the Phoenix (4-7), and had four players reach double-figures, including a season-high 13 points from DeAndra Davis. Redshirt junior Amber Calvin added 16 points, four assists and two steals.
 
"It feels great," said Robinson. "My hat goes off to DeAndra Davis for coming in and giving us a spark. She gave us nine points in the first half, hit two back-to-back big threes. I just thought we got effort from everybody. I thought Nikia Gorham gave us an inside presence. I thought Eboni Ross did a good job with (Elon center) Kelsey Evans. We did a good job with Ali Ford, their point guard. I thought Adriana Nazario did a good job containing her."

Defense helped seal the victory for the Aggies, who forced nine turnovers and posted 15 defensive rebounds in the second half. The Aggies were also 15-for-18 from the free throw line, and overcame a halftime deficit for the second time this season.

Trailing 37-36 coming out of the breakt, the Aggies outscored the Phoenix 12-4 in the first four minutes of the second half. But the Phoenix did not let the game get away. A steal and a layup by Ford tied the game at 48. But Elon's offensive attack lost its leader when Ford picked up her fourth foul with 14:11 remaining. Despite Ford's foul trouble, the Phoenix battled back as Evans hit a jumper to make it a 57-55 game with 5:52 left.

But Aggies guard Ariel Bursey scored on a put back to give A&T a four-point lead, and seconds later Nazario made it a 61-55 game on a fastbreak layup with five minutes to play. Ford returned to put the Phoenix down 65-62 a minute later. But a 6-1 Aggies run that was capped off by two Nazario free throws helped the Aggies clinch the victory.
  
The Aggies were aided by taking care of the basketball. They only had six turnovers in the final 20 minutes of the game.

"I just got on them about how we do a good job defensively, we hold them and then we go down and turn the ball over," Robinson said. "I told them we're working too hard to just waste away possessions. We've still got to get better with that."

A&T stayed out front for the first 12 minutes of the game. Elon took its first lead at 23-22 on back-to-back jumpers by Shannen Cochraham. Davis put A&T back ahead with a 3-pointer at 25-23 with7:42 remaining. Davis hit another 3-pointer to put A&T ahead, 30-26. A layup from Gorham helped the Aggies maintain a four-point lead at 36-32, but the Phoenix scored the final five points of the first half thanks to a 3-pointer by Zora Stephenson and a layup from Evans.

The Aggies will open up 2013 with an 11:30 a.m. game at UNC Wilmington on Thursday, Jan. 3. They will then host George Washington on Jan. 6 before starting their conference slate on Jan. 12 at Bethune-Cookman.
 
Robinson said the Aggies will use these final two non-conference matches to tune up their execution before heading into MEAC play.

"Looking at what we displayed against Virginia Tech, we definitely wanted to come home and have a good showing," said Robinson. "That's how we said we wanted to finish the year. I think it was a valiant team effort. We did a good job of contesting shots, making them shoot tough shots, and then getting the boards. We had a good scoring day."

A&T 75, Elon 65

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

HU women among Division I defensive leaders

HAMPTON, Virginia  --  Hampton University boasts one of the nation’s top defenses, according to the latest Division I rankings released on Monday.

The Lady Pirates (9-5), who lost 55-45 at Virginia Tech Sunday, are holding opponents to 48.3 points per game, the eighth-best average in the country.

Hampton has held six of its last seven opponents under 50 points, and only one opponent (Florida Gulf Coast) has reached the 70-point mark.

The Lady Pirates also are 14th in the nation in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 32.3 percent shooting, and are 15th in turnover margin at 7.14.

In the individual rankings, senior forward and Chesapeake native Keiara Avant is 14th in the nation with seven double-doubles. Avant had 12 points and 14 rebounds against the Hokies Sunday. Monday, Avant was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week. ...

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11 to Watch: Daryl Williams

Daryl Williams
Interim Head Football Coach
Livingstone College

SALISBURY, North Carolina — It’s been more than a decade since Livingstone College had a winning football season, but officials are hoping to change that with the promotion of Daryl Williams to interim head coach.

 

Williams, 39, replaces Elvin Williams, who was ousted at the end of this season after a 3-28 record during his three-year tenure.

 

The Blue Bears haven’t had a successful season since 1998, when they went 7-3 and won their second straight CIAA conference title.

 

Athletic Director Andre Springs has said Williams, who landed the job at the beginning of December, is the right person to get the team back on track.

 

Williams, who has been an assistant coach at Livingstone for about a year, served as associate head coach and quarterbacks coach at Texas Southern University from 2007 to 2011. The college won the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship during the 2010 season.

 

Prior to that, he was the director of football operations at Alabama State University.

 

Will he be able to lead the Blue Bears to victory?

 

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Erves leads Rush past Belhaven in another road victory

JACKSON, Miss. -- Denzell Erves scored a career-high-tying 23 points and grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds Monday to lead NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 73-63 men's basketball victory against Belhaven.

Erves became the first Gold Rush player of the past nine seasons to record 20 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in consecutive games. He led Xavier (12-3) to its sixth victory in seven road games this season.

Wanto Joseph had 16 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Xavier, and Renard Smith scored a season-high 12 points.

Jordan Butts scored 19 points for Belhaven (6-9), which lost for the sixth time in eight games. Curt Hall had 14 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, and Jerrial Dawson matched his season best of 12 points. Butts and Dawson each made three first-half 3-pointers.

Erves scored five of Xavier's first eight points in a 10-0 run to open the game. But the Blazers made seven 3-pointers and gained the lead three times before Anthony Boswell's layup with 20 seconds remaining -- his first points of the season -- gave the Gold Rush a 40-38 halftime lead.

Xavier never trailed in the second half, but Belhaven tied the score at 51 and 53. Erves' basket after his offensive rebound put Xavier ahead to stay, 55-53, with 7:34 remaining.

Xavier, playing on New Year's Eve for the first time since 2008, outshot the Blazers 52 to 35 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 42-36. In the second half, the Gold Rush limited Belhaven to 1-of-13 3-pointers and outrebounded the Blazers 30-20. Erves grabbed 13 second-half rebounds in his ninth double-double of the season and 16th of his career.

Both teams struggled with free throws -- Xavier made 15-of-29, and Belhaven was 13-of-24. The Gold Rush made 6-of-15 in the second half.

No XU player has grabbed more than 15 rebounds in the past nine seasons. Erves is the fourth during that time to reach 15, joining Cordell Hadnot (2011), Kelechi Okoroha (2009) and Alfred Williams (2008). Williams is in his fourth season as an XU assistant coach.

It's the fifth time in Dannton Jackson's 10 seasons as head coach that the Gold Rush are 12-3 or better through the first 15 games.

Xavier, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season co-champion a year ago, will play its GCAC opener at 5 p.m. EST Saturday against Edward Waters in Jacksonville, Fla. The next XU men's home game will start at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12 against Tougaloo in the new Convocation Center.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

UAH scores season-high in 107-63 win against Tuskegee

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  --  UAH coach Lennie Acuff summed up his team's performance in a 107-63 defeat of Tuskegee at Spragins Hall Sunday afternoon in one line.

"It was a good day for us," Acuff said. "When the ball goes in, everything looks good."

And boy did it ever for the Chargers, ranked No. 3 in the nation in the most recent NCAA Division II poll.

UAH (9-1) shot a blistering 64.8 percent from the field for the game, knocking down 35 of its 54 attempts on the night. And it didn't matter whether the Chargers fired it up from near or far. They were 14-for-24 from 3-point range and connected on 23 of 31 free-throw attempts.

Senior guard Jaime Smith led the way for the Chargers, who picked up their seventh straight win, with team-high 19 points, including 12 in the second half.

Five other Chargers finished in double-figures in scoring, a group that included forward Conner Blasi (13), Zane Campbell (11), Ronnie Mack, Dedrick Wayne (10), Brett Wester (10) and Andrew Dononvan (10) in the their highest offensive output of the season.

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Ram Ramblings: One more look at WSSU's Kameron Smith

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  It’s not everyday that a positive e-mail comes in, but it was very nice to hear from one of quarterback Kam Smith’s older brothers.

Smith, the record-setting quarterback who played his final game for the Rams on Dec. 15 in the 35-7 loss to Valdosta State in the Division II national championship, is somebody I will remember for a long time. And I’m sure WSSU fans will also remember him for his greatness, his humility and his ability to run Connell Maynor’s offense.

Smith’s brother, Kerry, who lives in Riverview, Florida e-mailed me about my kind comments I had to their mother after the game in Florence, Alabama. Smith comes from a large family and I told his mother what a pleasure it was to cover her son for the last three years.

Kerry Smith said that he and his family have closely followed my coverage of the Rams since Kam arrived before the 2010 season. Kerry Smith said that his brother enjoyed his time at WSSU and he said the Smith family will be “Rams for life.”

Here are some of the final statistics for one of the most productive quarterbacks in WSSU and CIAA history. All Smith did was go 31-4 as a starter and throw for 7,540 yards with an incredible 96 touchdown passes.

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Late TCU Rally Edges MVSU, 67-64

FORT WORTH, Texas — TCU led by double digits early before having to force a late rally on its way to a 67-64 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Sunday at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Horned Frogs scored seven of the game’s final nine points in the comeback win.

TCU improved to 9-4 with the victory, including 7-2 at home. The Frogs finished their non-conference schedule with the best winning percentage (.692) for the program since going 10-4 (.714) in regular-season non-league games in 2004-05. The loss dropped the Delta Devils’ season record to 0-10.

The Frogs led by as many as 12 points Sunday but saw their advantage evaporate late as MVSU cranked its game up to another level in the second half. A 6-0 run gave TCU a 56-47 edge with 9:34 remaining, but MVSU scored 15 of the game’s next 19 points to take the lead inside the final three minutes. The Frogs went cold from the floor during the stretch, as the Devils held the squad without a field goal and to only four foul throws for nearly eight full minutes.

A Darryl Marshall layup gave MVSU its first lead of the game at 62-60 with 2:24 to play, but TCU responded with its late surge. Senior forward Adrick McKinney came up with two huge plays down low on back-to-back TCU possessions, first tying the game with a layup off an assist from sophomore guard Kyan Anderson. McKinney then gave the Frogs the lead for good with a tip-in off a missed layup by fellow senior Garlon Green with 35 seconds left.

TCU closed the game out at the line late, with Green hitting two shots to give the Frogs a four-point lead and Anderson adding another in the final seconds following another Marshall basket. MVSU did have one final opportunity to tie, but Marshall’s desperation 3-point try was far off the mark at the buzzer.

Stats (.html) | Stats (.pdf) | Quotes | Notes | Highlights

Anderson led TCU in the scorebook for the fourth time this season with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting and added five assists. Green totaled 15 and seven rebounds, and McKinney had 13 points and a game-high nine boards. Senior forward Connell Crossland chipped in nine points and five boards, and senior guard Nate Butler Lind, who totaled only six points in 40 minutes, provided a lockdown defensive effort on MVSU leading scorer Davon Usher, managing only six points.

Two Delta Devils scored in double figures, including guard Matt Smith, who totaled a game-high 17 points to go with nine rebounds, and guard Darius Tomlin, who totaled 13 points. Marshall gave the Frogs fits all afternoon with his dribble penetration at the point, dishing out a game-high seven assists.

MVSU found success inside thanks to Marshall’s ability to break down the TCU defense. The squad scored 40 of its 64 points in the paint, even though the vast majority of its production came from guards. The Delta Devils also recorded a 36-34 edge on the glass, although the Frogs were able to find their way to the charity stripe, where they posted a 12-4 scoring edge.

Despite the close result, the contest did feature one of the TCU’s strongest starts to a contest this season, as the squad scored 13 of the game’s first 17 points while building an early nine-point advantage. Green and Anderson helped push the Frogs to a 12-point edge with just over seven minutes left in the half with back-to-back treys.

MVSU crept back into the game with some easy baskets inside. The squad grabbed five offensive boards rebounds in the opening stanza that resulted in seven points. Smith got hot late in the period, totaling eight points in the final five minutes, and MVSU scored six of the final eight points of the half to cut the TCU edge to only four points at t he break, 37-33.

TCU opens its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference next Saturday when it plays host to Texas Tech at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. The Frogs and Red Raiders tip off at 5 p.m. with television coverage provided by FOX Sports Southwest.

COURTESY TCU ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Mississippi State Falls At Home To Alabama A&M

Courtesy AAMU Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State surrendered a 15-point lead Sunday afternoon as the Bulldogs dropped a 59-57 decision to Alabama A&M in a men’s basketball game played at Humphrey Coliseum.

Playing for the first time since Christmas break, the Bulldogs fell to 4-7 and 3-1 home. Not even a return to the lineup by junior guard Jalen Steele could provide enough of a lift for the Maroon and White.

Steele played 27 minutes in his first action since fracturing a wrist on Nov. 13 against Florida Atlantic. Steele hit his first two shots from the field and finished with 10 points.

“Obviously, it is a disappointing loss because it is a home loss,” MSU head coach Rick Ray said. “You want to protect your home court. You need to win your games at home. We had been good at home this year.”

MSU (4-7) built the early lead by dominating inside. Reigning Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week Gavin Ware went to work early as the Maroon and White built a quick 14-3 advantage.

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Alabama A&M defeats Mississippi State 59-57

STARKVILLE, Mississippi --  It is the biggest victory in head coach Willie Hayes young career at the helm of the Bulldog basketball program.

“This was a major victory for not only A&M men’s basketball but the University and the conference,” said Hayes. 

Juniors Jeremy Crutcher and Demarquelle Tabb led the Bulldogs with 14 each while Tabb posted seven boards and Crutcher collected five assists. Brandon Ellis finished with his season high 13 points and three steals.

Although G. A. Hill totaled seven points, those were the difference makers as he scored the final points to helped A&M claim their first victory over Mississippi State.

The game did not start off well for the Bulldogs as MSU jumped out to a 27-12 lead which was their largest of the contest.

The 5:21 mark rolled around and saw State holding a 30-15 advantage when the tables started to turn in A&M’s favor.

Hayes and company then went on a 10-3 run to end the first half and cut the lead to eight. Justan Banks got a dunk to give the Maroon & White a momentum bucket going into half-time down 33-25.

“The main thing we wanted to do is keep the ball out of the interior,” Hayes mentioned. “State hit some jumpers early but my thing was to pressure the guards and keep the ball out of the paint.”

“The players stayed poised throughout the contest. They never quit even when we lost the lead a few times they continued to fight,” Hayes quoted.

The run continued in the second half as AAMU scored the first eight points before State hit their first two. From there the lead changed hands on seven different occasions as the home crowd started chanting for the Dogs but the A&M faithful, which was sitting behind the bench, gave the Bulldogs the motivation they needed.

Box Score

Photogallery

A&M claimed their first lead of the game at the 11:25 mark 39-38.

Mississippi State grabbed a four point lead at the 10:04 mark 43-39 but two free throws by Crutcher, then a lay-up by Ellis tied the score. Once again State grabbed a four point lead 47-43 but a three pointer by Ellis cut that lead to one.

Alabama A&M then grabbed their second lead at the 4:16 mark by one 52-51 but MSU was able to regain the lead and push it to five with 2:18 remaining 57-52.

That’s when Hill took over the game and rebounded a Crutcher miss and was fouled. The best free-throw shooter on the team then hit two straight from the charity stripe. He then stole the ball and laid it up to cut the lead to one.

Another Hill steal and layup put AAMU up by one 58-57. Hill then hit the first of two shots to give A&M a 59-57 lead. On the second free-throw the Boise State transfer rebounded his lone miss and held it to run out the clock and give Alabama A&M their fourth win of the year.

“This was one of those games we knew we could win. Mississippi State had a lot of injuries and we knew we could take advantage of that,” Hayes continued.

“We came out in the second half and got out to a fast start something we always try to do,” Hayes said. “Ball pressure created the opportunities we needed due to their lack of available players.”

On G. A. Hill’s play coach Hayes was quoted saying, “G. A’s tenacity is what gave us the lead and was crucial to the victory.”

The win is a first in five tries for A&M and a first versus a team from the Southeastern Conference.
Craig Sword scored 14 points to lead the Dogs while Gavin Ware scored 12 points and totaled 11 rebounds.

The Bulldogs will look to continue the win streak when they open SWAC play versus Grambling State on Wednesday, January 2^nd. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. in Elmore Gymnasium.

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

San DiegoToreros hold off Morgan State 66-63

SAN DIEGO, California  --  The USD Toreros earned a 66-63 home win over Morgan State to close out their nonconference slate with a much needed victory heading into WCC play next week. Johnny Dee scored a game-high 24 points, Chris Manresa notched his second consecutive double-double with 10 points and career-high 13 rebounds, and Cameron Miles gave the team a huge spark with a season-high 12 points. Miles' play was huge with sophomore guard Christopher Anderson sitting out his first collegiate game with a bout with the flu.

"Going into the game without Chris (Anderson), certainly I was concerned on how our team would respond without him," said head coach Bill Grier. "I can't tell you how proud I am of Cameron Miles. He gave us such great minutes to go with 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists with just one turnover. We really needed that. And him being a senior leader, I think he really relished in the moment."

Morgan State (3-7) held the early lead against the Toreros (7-8) until Dee connected on his third basket of the game and second three-pointer for a 10-8 edge at the 13:13 mark. The Bears inched ahead by four at 14-10, but USD rallied back right away and eventually knot it up at 27-all on a free throw by Simi Fajemisin. A Dee trey and Miles old fashion three-point play gave the Toreros a 33-27 intermission lead.

In the second half it was again Miles who hit a jumper with 16:39 to go that put the Toreros ahead 41-34. USD would not relinquish their lead the rest of the way, however, twice the Bears pulled to within one point, the last time coming with eight seconds left on a three-pointer by DeWayne Jackson.

Morgan State immediately fouled Dee who cashed in on back-to-back charities for the second time in a span of five seconds for the 66-63 lead. Justin Black's long 3-point attempt glanced off the rim at the buzzer.

Manresa matched his point and rebound totals (10 points, 13 rebounds) for the second straight game. It marked the 12th time in Dee's two-year career that he reached 22 or more points. Morgan State was paced by Black (16 points) and forward Anthony Hubbard (12 points).

USD returns after the New Year to host the Portland Pilots in both teams West Coast Conference opener. The game is scheduled for Thursday, January 3rd, at 8:00 pm.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama State 73, AUM 50: Hornets sting Warhawks at Acadome

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Saturday’s Alabama State-AUM contest was interesting early, but the Hornets cruised in the second half to earn their second win of the season. The 73-50 win couldn’t have come at a better time with the Hornets preparing for their conference opener against Jackson State on Wednesday.

“Going in to your conference with your last game being a win,” Alabama State coach Lewis Jackson said, “It gives you that boost to come to practice and work hard. It doesn’t take much to get the guys fired up. So hopefully they’ll come out and play with a lot of intensity and work hard these next few days.”

By NAIA rules, a game against a Division I opponent counts as an exhibition for AUM. The Warhawks (4-6) hung tough early, trailing 28-27 after a first half that featured seven ties and eight lead changes. But in the second half, the Hornets (2-11) pulled away.

“We played pretty good in the first half,” AUM coach Larry Chapman said. “The second half, we couldn’t sustain it. We missed some great opportunities and turned the ball over. A lot of those turned into easy baskets. That hurt us.”

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Thomas, House Push Men's Basketball Past Prairie View A&M

HOUSTON, Texas   --   Forwards TaShawn Thomas and Danuel House posted 22 points apiece to lead the University of Houston Men's Basketball team to an 80-75 win against Prairie View A&M on Saturday afternoon inside Hofheinz Pavilion.

Thomas, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, connected on 7-of-15 shots from the field and 8-of-10 attempts from the free throw line and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, including six off the offensive glass. House, competing in his first collegiate season out of Hightower High, nailed all seven of his free throw attempts - including four in the final 24.1 seconds - and added seven boards of his own.

With the win, the Cougars improved to 10-2 overall and became only the 15th team in school history to start 10-2 or better through their first 12 games. Houston also avenged an 81-80 loss to the Panthers on Nov. 28 in Prairie View, Texas, a setback that snapped the Cougars' five-game winning streak to open the season.

Prairie View A&M dropped to 5-8 overall.

The game was close early before the Cougars used an 18-2 run during a near 6-minute stretch to build a 25-12 advantage. The team eventually took a 46-32 lead into the locker room at the break.

The Cougars built as much as a 17-point lead early in the second half and led 74-58 when Thomas put a basket back up and in after his own missed shot with just under seven minutes remaining.  However, Prairie View A&M took off on a 14-2- run during the next five-and-a-half minutes to move to within 76-72 on Rasi Jenkins' jumper with 1:29 to go.

The Panthers had a chance to move even closer after a Cougar turnover, but House forced a Prairie View A&M giveaway on a fast break. On the ensuing possession, Thomas snared the offensive rebound on a missed Houston 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in the game, forcing the Panthers to foul.

House converted all four of his free throw attempts in the final 21 seconds to seal the victory for the Cougars.

Competing on the same day as his grandfather's funeral, sophomore guard Joseph Young added 17 points with three 3-pointers., while senior forward Leon Gibson came off the bench to pour in 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting with a pair of treys and seven rebounds.

Prairie View A&M guard Jourdan DeMuynck led all players with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting, while guard Carl Blair finished with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Demondre Chapman came off the bench to record 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting with a team-high eight rebounds.

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NOTES
• Houston improved to 7-1 inside the friendly confines of Hofheinz Pavilion this season.
• Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas posted his sixth 20-point game of the season and his second straight... Was the sixth 20-point game of his career.
• Freshman forward Danuel House posted the third 20-point game of his season/career.
• Sophomore guard Joseph Young saw his streak of consecutive 20-point games snapped at three.
• Thomas made the 43rd consecutive start of his collegiate career... He has started every game of his career.

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Game Book | Quotes | Photos |

UP NEXT
Following Saturday's game, the Cougars continue their season-long homestand inside Hofheinz Pavilion when they play host to Texas-Pan American at 7 p.m., Jan. 3.

From there, the stand wraps up when the Cougars open Conference USA play vs. SMU at 7 p.m., Jan. 9.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS