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SALISBURY, North Carolina — It’s way too soon to panic, but all of a sudden the Livingstone men’s basketball team looks very ordinary. At least it did Saturday night at Trent Gym, where the Blue Bears dropped their second consecutive CIAA decision and fell 85-74 to Virginia State.
“This game does not break our season,” coach James Stinson said after sequestering his team in the locker room for more than 30 minutes after the loss. “I just told them we need to stop ourselves from falling. We have to correct all the things we’re doing wrong.”
Livingstone (11-3, 3-2) barely resembled the team that recently enjoyed an eight-game winning streak, but hey, even Sinatra had to clear his throat now and then.
“We’re still the same team that went on the road and beat all those teams,” senior forward Tyler Johnson insisted. “And normally we’re able to overcome deficits and shortcomings, but tonight it just didn’t happen.”
What happened was a bit surprising. Visiting VSU (7-7, 2-3) seemed overmatched in the early going and LC — behind a trio of Jody Hill 3-pointers — jumped to a 17-6 lead in the first seven minutes.
“Then we locked in on defense,” said winning coach Darryl Jacobs. “And brought in James Vann. Right away we had more energy and he started hitting big shots.”
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Weeks before he was named head football coach at FAMU on Friday, Earl Holmes began evaluating the other assistants who worked with him under retired Joe Taylor to see who might be retained.
While he spent Saturday with a group of visiting recruits, Holmes said he will move expeditiously to fill any opening that might be created through his evaluations. His hire makes him he 16th head football coach.
Holmes, 39, is in his first head-coaching job and will earn $200,000 annually after his contract is approved by FAMU’s Board of Trustees next month.
He already knows that he will have to find an offensive coordinator to replace Lawrence Kershaw. He has taken a head-coaching job at Fayetteville State, a Division II program in North Carolina.
Holmes, whose fearless style as a 10-year linebacker in the NFL earned him the nickname “Hit Man,” said he’d like to have a staff that can teach his players how to play aggressively. During his introduction speech, Holmes said he intends to have a staff made up of assistants with high school and NFL coaching experience.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Friday was a big day. Only the day that FAMU gets a new football stadium will be bigger.
It was big for FAMU. It was big for Earl Holmes. Big for Athletic Director Derek Horne.
Even bigger for FAMU football.
Just listen to interim president Larry Robinson as he puts his spin on what it means to have Holmes as the new FAMU head coach.
“We thought in the end coach Holmes was the best choice for us at this time in the illustrious history of this institution,” Robinson said.
Not that John Eason or John Hendrick, the other two finalists for the job, weren’t good enough, mind you.
Maybe Eason, who is approaching 70, might have had his best day as a coach. It could have been that Hendrick just didn’t stay long enough at any of the jobs on his resume that showed he might have been some issues with his style.
Holmes takes over at FAMU Emotional Holmes thrilled, thankful: 'I owe this university my life.'
Earl Holmes’ tenure as head football coach at Florida A&M University was just a few minutes old when he lost his first matchup.
He had no shot at winning, really. Not even with this sort of home-field advantage.
After looking at all the familiar faces packed into the fourth-floor meeting room at the Lawson Center, Holmes followed his scripted game plan by acknowledging the people who helped him become the 16th head coach in FAMU’s storied history.
But after thanking his mom and wife and son, who were all sitting just a few feet in front of him, Holmes suffered his first setback as head coach.
His voice cracked. He ducked his head to hide the tears in his eyes. And he briefly backed away from the podium as his emotions took over.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Holmes said, hoping a laugh would stave off the tears. “My wife’s going to kill me.”
New coach off to busy start, welcomes 12 recruits to campus
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- A handful of FAMU football players were milling around in the parking lot outside of Bragg Stadium on Friday afternoon. They’d gathered a few minutes earlier so that Earl Holmes could tell them that he’d be their next head coach.
None of them had a wider grin than tight end Michael Morris. “I’m ecstatic,” he yelled to a passerby.
Seemingly so was the overflow crowd that had flocked into a conference room on the top level of the Lawson Center, where Holmes was introduced as successor to Joe Taylor. He retired with a few weeks remaining on his contract.
Holmes promised to turn the program around. Boosters and alumni in the room pledged to support him.
The announcement was two months coming. The wait was becoming a little unbearable to some of the players who took their plea to interim president Larry Robinson while the search was going on to find a coach.
“I was thinking about the future of FAMU, the recruiting process and trying to see how not having a coach would affect our recruiting process,” said safety John Ojo, who will get an extra year to play next season after an injury sidelined him last season. “I was wondering if there was any way to speed the process up.”
NEW ORLEANS -- Renard Smith scored a career-high 26 points and made a
Convocation Center-record-tying six 3-point field goals Saturday in NAIA No. 16
Xavier University of Louisiana's 85-75 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's
basketball victory against Tougaloo.
The Gold Rush (15-3 overall, 3-0
GCAC) have won four in a row and remained in a first-place tie in the conference
with Philander Smith, a 75-72 winner at Edward Waters.
Smith made three
consecutive 3-pointers during a 14-0 run in the final five minutes of the first
half to erase Tougaloo's largest lead, 26-23. Xavier led 40-34 at halftime and
61-43 after a Denzell Erves basket with 12:07 remaining.
Erves, the
reigning GCAC Player of the Week, had 15 points and 10 rebounds. It was his
fourth double-double in five games, his 11th of the season and the 18th of his
career. Wanto Joseph had his second double-double of the season, 14 points and a
career-best 13 assists. Anthony Simmons scored 11 points and grabbed seven
rebounds.
Juan Gray had 21 points, six assists and five steals for
Tougaloo (3-10, 1-2). Cordaryl Campbell scored 20 points, and Denzel Hardy had
15 points and five assists.
Smith made 6-of-9 3-pointers to tie the
Convocation Center men's record set by Jarvis Christian's Chris Davis against
Spring Hill in the Big Easy Classic on Nov. 10.
Joseph produced the most
assists in a game by a Gold Rush player since Shaun Dumas had 13 on New Year's
Eve against Wiley in 2006.
Xavier shot 51.9 percent from the floor --
65.2 percent in the second half -- and limited the Bulldogs to 41.9 percent. The
Gold Rush outrebounded Tougaloo 41-25.
Xavier will continue a four-game
GCAC home stand at 7:30 p.m. Monday against SUNO, which is tied for third place
in the conference with Talladega and a game behind the leaders.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State men's basketball team held on to defeat Southeast Missouri
State, 81-69, on Saturday night.
The victory kept two streaks alive by winning
the game as the Tigers improved to 5-0 in conference play and 6-0 inside the
Gentry Center. TSU has now won 17 of its last 18 home games dating back to last
season.
Kellen Thornton had a career-high 28 points in
the victory (10-of-15) and tied a career-high with 16 boards.
Patrick Miller also had a strong game with 20
points (7-of-13) and five assists. Miller has now scored over 10 points in every
game of TSU's six-game winning streak.
TSU (11-7, 5-0 OVC) started the game on an 11-4
run that featured three threes from Miller, Tashan Fredrick and Jordan Cyphers. The strong outside shooting
helped the home squad drill nine of its first 12 field goals in the game (75
percent).
The Tigers eventually stretched the lead to 20-7
when Jordan Gaither poured in a contested jumper from
the elbow. The score prompted SEMO head coach Dickey Nutt to call the team's
first timeout of the contest.
The stoppage in play did little to slow down the
Tigers, as Thornton put TSU up by 12 with a slam at the 5:10 mark.
Thornton finished the first period with 19
points on 8-of-12 shooting (67 percent). The senior also had a half-high five
rebounds.
Thornton added another jam with 40 seconds
remaining in the half, and the Tigers went to the locker room with a 43-29
lead.
TSU shot a season-high 64 percent (13-20) from
the field during the first half and drained a season-best five
triples.
SEMO (10-9, 2-3) was able to cut TSU's lead down
to nine during the first eight minutes of the second stanza, but Cyphers nailed
his third three of the game to put the Tigers up 61-49.
Again the Redhawks made a charge, and got within
three of TSU when SEMO's Nick Niemczyk nailed a three with three-and-a-half
minutes to play. The shot was part of a 15-6 Redhawk run.
TSU head
coach Travis Williams called a timeout after the triple
and drew up a play for Cyphers. The guard was open from beyond the arc and
drained another three to make the score 73-67 in favor of the home
squad.
TSU only allowed SEMO to make one more basket
during the game's last three minutes and the Redhawks were forced to foul TSU
for the remainder of the contest. The Tigers were a perfect 6-for-6 from beyond
the charity stripe during the last minute of the game, and hung on for an 81-69
victory.
TSU was 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the
free-throw line while SEMO was just 6-of-16 (37.5 percent).
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NEW ORLEANS -- Danielle Tucker scored a season-high 16 points Saturday to lead
NAIA No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana in a wire-to-wire 80-41 Gulf Coast
Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Tougaloo.
The Gold
Nuggets (12-3 overall, 2-1 GCAC), playing their first conference game in their
new Convocation Center, knocked the Lady Bulldogs (10-4, 2-1) out of a
first-place tie in the GCAC. Xavier bounced back strongly from a 68-65 Monday
loss at Talladega, the only unbeaten team in conference.
SiMon Franklin
scored six points during a 13-1 run in the first 5½ minutes. Whitney
Gaston-Loyd, Paige Rochelle and Jessica Savannah scored four points each during
a 14-0 burst which gave Xavier a 37-9 lead at 4:03. The Nuggets led 46-12 at
halftime.
Tucker, a junior forward in her first XU season after
transferring from NCAA Division II Mars Hill, scored 13 second-half points.
Gaston-Loyd matched her career high of 13 points for the second consecutive
game, and Savannah scored a season-high 10 points. Chelsea Broussard grabbed a
season-best eight rebounds and matched her career high of three
steals.
Tucker's basket with 4:44 remaining gave Xavier its biggest lead,
80-33.
Erin Wells led Tougaloo with eight points. The Lady Bulldogs'
Portia Craft, a junior guard who entered the game No. 2 in NAIA Division I with
20.7 points per game, scored two points in 24 minutes. She was 1-of-9 from the
floor and scored her only points on a steal and layup with 7:29
remaining.
Xavier shot a season-high 48.6 percent from the floor and
limited Tougaloo to 29.6 percent. Xavier committed a season-low 11 fouls and
outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 45-34. Xavier committed 16 turnovers and gained
28.
The winning margin was Xavier's largest against Tougaloo in 12 years.
The Nuggets extended their GCAC home win streak to 23 and defeated Tougaloo at
home for the 32nd consecutive time. Xavier has won 13 straight GCAC home
openers.
Xavier will continue a four-game GCAC home stand at 5:30 p.m.
Monday against SUNO, which is tied for second place in the conference with
Xavier and Tougaloo.
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State’s record-setting defensive back, Wetumpka High graduate Kejuan Riley has been invited and plans to play in the 88th East-West Shrine Game Jan. 19 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Riley finished the 2012 season with four interceptions giving him 21 total for his career and making the school’s most prolific defensive back. He also set a school record with 348 interception return yards. This season he had 110 with a long return of 58.
“The East-West Shrine Game has always fielded players amongst college football’s best,” said Harold Richardson, executive director of the East-West Shrine Game. “With all 32 NFL teams represented by GMs, coach and scouts during game week, our players have the terrific opportunity to showcase their talents and get their first glimpse of life in the NFL.”
Riley finished the 2012 season, in which the Hornets finished tied for first in the SWAC East, with 55 total tackles and 163 all purpose yards. He also had 12 passes defensed and one caused fumble.
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Alabama A&M has one former player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a current alum who has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times.
However, until now, it has never had a player invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, the showcase for potential draft picks.
Jamaal Johnson-Webb, the Bulldogs' 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle, will be going to the Combine in Indianapolis Feb. 20-26.
"Four years of hard work and I got better every year," Johnson-Webb said Thursday afternoon at Louis Crews Stadium. "And now the opportunity is in front of me. It was great news I got when I was invited to the combine. I'm going to go from here and keep working hard and take advantage of my opportunities."
Johnson-Webb, an Atlanta native, will also have his chance to audition for NFL scouts at the Raycom All-Star Game at Montgomery's Crampton Bowl on Jan. 19.
"That's very important, too," he said. "The scouts will be there to evaluate you in a playing environment with pads on against the other best players in college football. That's a huge step also."
Johnson-Webb will continue to attend classes at Alabama A&M and is only five hours from graduation after this semester.
NORMAL, Alabama – Known to his fellow teammates as a leader Joaquenssi Eugene has been named to the 2013 National Football League Players Association Collegiate Bowl.
“I feel great with this opportunity to play against premier competition,” said Eugene. “Playing against a different level of competition will give me an opportunity to showcase my skills.”
Eugene has anchored an offensive line that saw the all-time leading rusher in Division I history and help lead the team to two Eastern division crowns in four years in the Maroon and White.
“Congratulations to Joaquenssi on being selected for individual post season play,” said head football coach Anthony Jones. “It’s a blessing and an honor for him to be selected to participate in an event where he can showcase his talents for the next level.”
NFL prospects will be placed into two NFLPA Collegiate Bowl teams. ESPN analyst and former NFL player/coach Herm Edwards will coach the American Team, while Super Bowl-winning coach Dick Vermeil will coach the National Team.
For one week preceding the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, participating draft-eligible seniors will receive an in-depth introduction to the union – the primary resource for information on the business of football and how to succeed in the NFL and in post-football careers.
Pro-football players and coaching legends will work with the game’s future stars, giving them first-hand insight on what it takes to win on and off of the field. Player Ambassadors for the game include former NFL standouts Terrell Davis, Lorenzo Neal and Andre Reed.
The game will be played on Saturday, January 19th at the home Depot Center in Los Angeles, California.
The annual contest will be broadcasted live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN at 5 p.m. CT.
COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Connell Maynor, who guided Winston-Salem State to a school-best 14-1 record, was named the All Super Region One coach of the year Friday by the Don Hansen Football Gazette.
Maynor, who is 35-4 in three seasons, led the Rams to their second straight CIAA title and their first appearance in the Division II national championship game.
The Don Hansen teams carry on the legacy of Dan Hansen, a small-college football advocate who died in August 2010, at 75.
Hansen published his national weekly football gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988. Don Hansen’s Football Gazette began selecting Division II All-Region teams in 2003.
The Rams had nine players make the first, second and third teams in Super Region One.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -The Florida A&M University Department of Athletics announced today that Earl
Holmes has been selected as the new head football coach. Holmes, a FAMU graduate
and All-American in his playing days with the Rattlers, has served as defensive
coordinator the last two years and acting head coach for the final two games of
the 2012 season, guiding the program's day-to-day operations thereafter.
Holmes' proposed multi-year contract, which offers him an annual salary of
$200,000 over the next four years, must be approved by the FAMU Board of
Trustees.
FAMU director of athletics, Derek Horne, is very pleased that the process was
done in an expeditious manner, resulting in a thorough vetting of the candidates
by a cross-section of constituents.
"We are excited about the new era of FAMU football under the leadership of
Earl. He has done an awesome job of transitioning immediately to acting coach
and maintaining the program through this crucial recruiting period," Horne said.
"We look forward to his dedicated efforts in this next level of leadership."
FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson said, "I believe we have selected the
right coach to lead Rattler football. I am impressed with his plan to develop
the whole person, not just the student's athletic ability. Coach Holmes is a
solid choice when you consider his vision for the program, 10-year- career in
the NFL as a linebacker and experience gained at FAMU as a defensive coordinator
and linebackers coach. I look forward to the launch and achievements of the Earl
Holmes era. I look forward to presenting this appointment to the Board of
Trustees for consideration."
Holmes is overwhelmed with the reality of leading the Rattlers. " I am truly
humbled," said Holmes. "First, I would like to thank God, because he continues
to prove that he is able to make dreams come true. I want to thank Coach Joe
Taylor for his mentorship and having the confidence in me to bring me back to
FAMU as a part of the coaching staff. I also want to thank everyone from
President Robinson, athletic director Horne, the entire athletic staff, the
search committee and everyone who has offered encouragement to me in the pursuit
of me being in this position today. There is no one you could have selected that
will work harder to return FAMU football to the prominence it deserves than I am
dedicated to doing."
Holmes, affectionately known as "The Hitman" in his playing days at FAMU,
played from 1992-1995, leaving with several school records including most career
tackles. He captured NCAA DI-AA and Sheridan Broadcasting All-American honors in
1994 and 1995. He was named Sheridan Broadcasting Network and Mid-Eastern
Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1995.
A three-time first team All-MEAC selection, Holmes was a devastating tackler
while at FAMU, completing his career with 509 total tackles, 309 solo take downs
and 200 assisted tackles - all Rattler career records. His 1995 senior season
totals shattered all existing school marks for season solo tackles (103) and
total tackles (171), highlighted by a spectacular one-man demolition derby
performance against Southern University in Atlanta on November 4, when he
totaled 30 tackles against the Jaguars.
Following his collegiate career, Holmes was drafted in the fourth round of
the 1996 National Football League drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played
10 seasons in the NFL as linebacker, six with Pittsburgh (1996- 2001), one
season with the Cleveland Browns (2002) and three with the Detroit Lions
(2003-2005) before retiring.
Holmes is married to the former Tiffany Bell and they have one child, Earl
Jr.
"I would like to thank the head football coach selection committee that
worked through the holidays to maintain the strict timeline I charged them
with," said Horne. "We appreciate each one of them and commend committee
chairman, Dr. Ebenezer Oriaku, and the entire committee for their service this
effort."
"With our football program in place, it's now time for our Rattler fans to
put 100-percent support behind Coach Holmes, the athletic department and the
university to bring the environment back to the great days past and even better
days ahead," Horne concluded.
Florida A&M is expected to introduce Earl Holmes as its next head football coach at a 6 p.m. press conference today at the Lawson Center.
Holmes emerged from a field of 23 other applicants to land his first job as a college head coach at his alma mater. He spent the last two weeks of this past season as acting head coach and has been running the day-to-day operations since.
Holmes, 39, was a finalist along with John Hendrick and John Eason.
Multiple sources had told the Democrat that Holmes and Hendrick were the two frontrunners before Holmes won the job. Holmes spent the past five seasons as defensive coordinator under former coach Joe Taylor, who retired with two games left in the 2012 season.
JACKSON, Mississippi -- When Hector Stanback verbally comitted to Jackson State last October, it wasn’t based solely on the fact that the Tigers had just come off a SWAC Championship game appearance.
As is usually the case, there were many factors for the linebacker from Martin Luther King High in Lithonia, Ga.
Along with feeling comfortable with the coaching staff, Stanback pointed to the school’s criminal justice program as a major selling point. Stanback, who laughed as he recalled playing “cops and robbers” as a kid, has hopes of one day following in the footsteps of an uncle and becoming an FBI agent.
He thinks JSU could help make that dream a reality.
“A lot of alums that came from Jackson State are FBI agents,” Stanback said. “I just think I could make a difference.”
JSU thinks Stanback can be a difference maker on the field as well. At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Stanback is listed as a two-star athlete by Rivals.com.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State men's basketball team improved to 6-0 at home this season
with an 80-48 win over UT Martin on Thursday night.
TSU
(10-7, 4-0 OVC) was paced by Kellen Thornton who had a team-high 13 points and
added seven rebounds.
Patrick Miller also had a strong game, scoring 12
points, dishing out three assists and securing four boards.
The
Tigers also shot 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from downtown and 87 percent (20-of-23)
from the line.
TSU
fell behind, 7-12, in the game's first six minutes as UT Martin (4-13, 1-4 OVC)
made six of the squad's first eight shots (75 percent). The Tigers also
committed four turnovers during the stretch which further limited their
offensive opportunities.
After the Skyhawks strong opening surge, TSU
fought back with a 17-2 run that included a three-pointer by Jay Harris. The run made the score 24-14 in favor
of the home team with eight minutes remaining in the first half.
The
Tigers continued to roll and eventually stretched their lead to 22 when Jordan Gaither sunk a pair of free throws. The
buckets allowed TSU to take a 46-24 lead going into the break.
Tennessee State made 14-of-26 during the opening
stanza for a 53.8 shooting percentage, and held the Skyhawks to a 32.4 line
(11-for-34). TSU also made 13 out of 15 free throws in the first half, and UT
Martin only got to the line once.
UT
Martin started the second half on a 10-4 run before TSU head coach Travis Williams called a timeout to stop the flow
of Skyhawk points.
Williams's pep-talk worked as Gaither sunk
a layup immediately following the stoppage and Cyphers drained a three on TSU's
next possession. The flurry was part of a 10-2 run that culminated in a Miller
jumper from outside the arc.
The
Tigers maintained their 20-plus points lead for the remainder of the contest
thanks to a suffocating defensive effort that forced 16 turnovers and only
allowed an 8.3 three-point percentage (1-of-12).
TSU
was able to rest some of its starters for the last eight minutes of the game,
and the squad actually raised the lead to 32 before the final horn sounded and
the Tigers walked away with an 80-48 victory.
Eleven Tigers scored in the contest and TSU's
bench outscored UT Martin's 36-8.
TSU
will defend its spotless OVC record on Saturday when the team takes on Southeast
Missouri at 7 p.m.
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- One week and four days after the Southern Jaguars unveil it's 2013
football signing class, head coach Dawson Odums will be honored during "Meet
Coach Odums" night at the SU basketball game against Alabama A&M Feb.
18.
Odums and his wife, Audrey, and their daughter, Jasmine, 9 and
son, Jaiden, 1, will be introduced to the Jaguar Nation. Members of Odums newly
minted coaching staff will be present as well.
Southern will also offer the 2013 football schedule posters autographed by Odums to the
first 200 fans to arrive for the Jaguars
home game at the FG Clark Activity Center.
Tipoff for the Alabama A&M game is slated for 2 p.m. and
will be televised live on Cox Sports Television (Ch. 37, HD Ch. 1037).
COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Howard Sports Network will again broadcast live women's and men's Saturday home basketball games from Burr Gymnasium on www.whbc963hd3.com beginning this Saturday, January 12, 2013 with a doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m. versus MEAC rival Hampton University.
Join the Howard Sports Network broadcast team of Nakia McFarlane, Wesley Rimpson and Jasmine Bailey as they call the action for the Lady Bison. The men's broadcast team will be led by veteran commentators Charles Walton and Otha Navels and newcomer Glynn Hill.
In studio reporters and field reporters include Shayna Calandro, Israel Alao, Sarafina Hamer, Kyleah Starling and Krystyna Braxton.
The weekly "Coach's Segment" will be hosted by Jourhan Henry and Khari Arnold on Mondays and Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Guests will include Coach Niki Reid Geckeler and Coach Kevin Nickelberry.
Ricky Clemons will serve as executive producer and Courtney Zellars, general manager WHBC as producer of each broadcast in conjunction with the Howard Sports Network, WHBC and the Howard University Athletic Department.
The Howard Sports Network will broadcast the games listed below live on www.whbc963hd3.com:
January 12, 2013 vs Hampton – 2:00p women/4:00p men
February 2 vs Savannah State - 2:00p women /4:00p men
February 9 vs UMES – 2:00p women/4:00p men
February 23 vs Coppin State – 2:00p women/4:00p men
March 2, vs Delaware State – 2:00p women/4:00p men
The women's and men's Monday night games including Norfolk State (Jan. 14); South Carolina State (Feb. 4) and Morgan State (Feb. 11) will be covered by the Howard Sports Network via live updates and podcasts posted on the station's website www.hbc963hd3.com.
ALBANY, Georgia -- Led by Damian Ford, the Stillman College men's basketball team downed Albany State 81-79 in overtime in Thursday's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game.
Ford had 22 points and 12 rebounds to help the Tigers improve to 6-6 overall, 2-2 in the SIAC.
Jeffrey Wherry had 20 points, six rebounds and three assists. Torrean Walker had 11 points and blocked four shots. Ladarius Rhone had 11 points and 12 rebounds. Markeith Madison had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Albany State's Jaren Harris had 21 points and seven assists.
In overtime, Stillman built a six-point lead when Wherry made a foul shot with 27 seconds.
Albany State forced overtime by scoring four points in the final 90 seconds of the second half to tie the score at 68.
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- No. 17 Winston-Salem State rolled to its 10th straight victory Thursday night with a 72-58 victory against Virginia State at the Gaines Center.
Behind 17 points from Justin Glover and 15 from Wakefield Ellison, the Rams took control early in the second half. The Rams were clinging to a four-point lead at halftime, but the Trojans (6-7, 1-3 CIAA) scored on their first three possessions of the second half to take their first lead of the game.
As he did in the first half, Coach Bobby Collins of Winston-Salem State turned to his bench and needed a spark. He got one in the form of Maurice Nash, a junior-college transfer making his Gaines Center debut.
Nash helped lead the Rams during a crucial stretch, and after that it was clear sailing.
“I was a little nervous, but I was OK,” said Nash, who sat out the first semester to get his grades in order after coming from Davidson County Community College, where he was a scoring machine the last two seasons. “They were a real scrappy team, and sometimes it’s not going to be the starting five so the guys coming off the bench just tried to be effective.”
RICHMOND, Virginia -- J.C. Smith was more than up to the task of playing two games and a 300-mile bus ride over a 24-hour stretch.
The Golden Bulls made the most of their return home after traveling six hours from Richmond, Va., with an 88-69 win against CIAA foe Chowan Thursday at Brayboy Gym. J.C. Smith, which beat Virginia Union on Wednesday, trailed 3-0 after Chowan’s opening possession but immediately went to work on its second straight win.
“That’s a part of that maturity development,” Golden Bulls coach Steve Joyner said. “How to play teams with strong reputations, teams with not so strong reputations and how to mature regardless of the circumstances or situation.”
J.C. Smith (9-5, 2-2 CIAA) showed plenty of maturity, connecting on 54 percent of its shots and outscoring Chowan 52-32 in the paint. Four Golden Bulls reached double-digits, led by point guard Trevin Parks’ 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and forward Emilio Parks’ 19 on 6-of-9 accuracy. Forwards Robert Williams and Terrance Washington combined for 18 and 15 points respectively on 14-of-17 shooting as J.C. Smith balanced its inside scoring with perimeter punch when needed.
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The scene has changed. But little else is different in the Alabama A&M-Alabama State basketball rivalry since the days when Willie Hayes was playing for the Bulldogs.
"It's THE game. Your rival," said Hayes, now in his second year as A&M's head coach. "It's the Alabama-Auburn game to us."
And, like the Alabama-Auburn football game, it was once waged annually at a neutral site in Birmingham. Time moves on. Circumstances are different.
Both Alabama A&M (6-9, 2-2) and Alabama State (5-11, 3-1) are Division I programs now, both in the SWAC. They play twice a year, sometimes three times depending upon postseason.
Edition One of this season's rivalry renewal comes Saturday at A&M's Elmore Gym. Scheduled tip is 6 p.m. The women's game will be at 3 p.m. Tickets still remain but are expected to be scarce at the door. Alabama A&M is asking fans to wear white, to create a "White-Out" atmosphere.
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State University Athletics Director Marty L. Miller announced Wednesday that the Spartans' remaining two-game football series with Virginia State has been cancelled and replaced with a home-and-home series with the University of Maine.
Virginia State recently made NSU aware of an NCAA Division II bylaw which will prohibit the Trojans from playing the Spartans in the teams' customary Labor Day Classic game. The bylaw sets the first date of competition for Division II football teams as the Thursday preceding Sept. 6. NSU and VSU were to play on Aug. 31, 2013 and Aug. 30, 2014.
“It is unfortunate that we will not be able to continue playing Virginia State University in the Virginia Lottery Labor Day Classic in 2013 and 2014. As a result of the notification from Virginia State concerning the NCAA bylaw, we had to find another opponent to play to complete the 2013 and 2014 football schedules,” Miller said. “Due to the timing of the cancellation, it was extremely difficult to find another opponent to play during the Labor Day weekend, but the officials at the University of Maine worked with us to complete a home-and-home series. It is my desire that a date becomes available in the near future for us to continue the series with Virginia State.”
NSU and VSU have met every year since 1963, including 21 of the last 22 seasons on the Saturday prior to Labor Day.
The Spartans will welcome the Black Bears of Maine to Dick Price Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, to kick off the 2013 season. NSU will make a return trip to Orono, Maine, on Aug. 30, 2014. The teams have never met before on the gridiron. Maine went 5-6 overall, 4-4 in the CAA last season.
“We're very grateful to the University of Maine for working with us to complete this series,” Miller said. “We are fortunate to have another quality CAA team on our schedule, and we hope that our fans will support what should be an exciting contest to begin the 2013 season.”
Miller added that the entire 2013 schedule will be released in the coming days.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- With the last interview of three finalists completed Wednesday, FAMU administrators would like to wrap up the hiring of their next jead football coach by the end of this week.
Interim president Larry Robinson said Wednesday night that contract negotiations might be the only sticking point in the process.
John Hendrick was the last of the three candidates to interview Wednesday. John Eason interviewed on Tuesday, and Earl Holmes interviewed last Friday. Holmes, an assistant under former coach Joe Taylor, has been running the program since Taylor retired in November.
“I’m trying to get it done this week; that’s the part of picking the person and then negotiating the deal,” Robinson told the Democrat. “We are going to do everything in the next few days to get all that done.”
A search committee recommended the three finalists to Athletic Director Derek Horne and Robinson two weeks ago.
NEW ORLEANS — A new campus venue and plenty of matches against NAIA National
Championship qualifiers and NCAA Division I opponents await the Xavier
University of Louisiana tennis teams in 2013.
Alan Green, in his 10th
season as coach of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets, announced Wedesday the spring
portion of the schedules.
Both XU teams will open their dual-match
seasons at 2 p.m. on Jan. 25 against city rival Loyola at the XU Tennis Center,
a $2.5 million facility which was dedicated Oct. 26. Both teams will play seven
duals at the facility. It will be the first time since the 1959-60 academic year
that Xavier regularly plays host to outdoor intercollegiate competition on its
campus.
The other teams to visit XU will be the men of William Carey
(Feb. 8) and Jackson State (April 13), the women of McNeese State (Feb. 23) and
Southern (March 1) and the men and women of Belhaven (Feb. 28), Shorter (March
4), Alcorn State (March 15) and Auburn Montgomery (April 6).
Approximate address
of the XU Tennis Center is 3619 Pine St., zip code 70125.
McNeese and
Southern are NCAA D-I opponents. Others from that level to play Xavier will be
the men of Tulane (Jan. 26), the men and women of Nicholls State (Feb. 2),
Prairie View A&M (Feb. 15), Louisiana-Lafayette (Feb. 19) and New Orleans
(March 20) and the women of Southeastern Louisiana (March 3).
William
Carey's and Belhaven's men and Shorter's women were NAIA National Championship
qualifiers in 2012. Others from that group playing Xavier will be the men of
Bethany (Kan.) (Feb. 16) and Lindsey Wilson (March 13) and the men and women of
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (March 27) and Auburn Montgomery (April 6). The Gold Nuggets
and Rush will travel to William Carey on April 5.
Green expects to play
additional high-level NAIA opponents in the AUM Invitational at Montgomery,
Ala., from March 8-10. Pairings have not been announced for that event.
The XU women will face the top two finishers — Auburn Montgomery and
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) — from last year's NAIA tournament. When AUM's women visit,
it will be the first time since Nov. 22, 1980, that a defending NAIA champion
plays Xavier on the XU campus. Cameron was the opponent that day, and the Gold
Rush won 63-59 in basketball at The Barn.
"Once again I have tried to
put together the toughest schedules possible for my teams," Green said. "I think
these schedules will help us prepare for nationals. If we play well and stay
healthy, the schedules will pay off for us in the long run."
The Gulf
Coast Athletic Conference will not crown tennis champions for the third
consecutive year — only Xavier, Tougaloo and Fisk sponsor the sport — but both
XU teams will compete in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament in the Atlanta
area April 19-20 for automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships.
Xavier's men will attempt earn a fifth consecutive berth at the NAIA nationals,
and the women will attempt to qualify for the second consecutive year and the
seventh time in nine seasons. The Gold Rush in 2012 became the first XU team in
39 years to reach the national quarterfinals in any sport.
The first
NAIA team rankings of the season will be announced Jan. 29.
The October opening of the XU Tennis Center makes it the first time since the 1959-60 academic year that Xavier can regularly play host to outdoor intercollegiate competition on campus. The first home duals will be Jan. 25.
2013 Xavier Women's Tennis
Schedule click here for schedule with site
details January 25 Friday:
LOYOLA, 2 p.m. February 2 Saturday:
at Nicholls State, 4 p.m. (1) 15 Friday: at Prairie View A&M, 3
p.m. 16 Saturday: Bethany (Kan.), 1 p.m. (2) 17 Sunday: Oklahoma Baptist,
10 a.m. (2) 19 Tuesday: at Louisiana-Lafayette, 5 p.m. 23 Saturday:
McNEESE STATE, 2 p.m. 28 Thursday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m. March 1 Friday:
SOUTHERN, 3 p.m. 2 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 10 a.m. 2 Saturday: •
Fisk, 2 p.m. (3) 3 Sunday: at Southeastern Louisiana, 6 p.m. 4 Monday:
SHORTER, 2 p.m. 8 Friday-10 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery,
Ala. 15 Friday: ALCORN STATE, 3 p.m. 20 Wednesday: at New Orleans,
3 p.m. 26 Tuesday: at Webber International, 1 p.m. EDT 27 Wednesday: at
Embry-Riddle (Fla.), 3:30 p.m. EDT April 5 Friday: at
William Carey, 3 p.m. 6 Saturday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 2 p.m. 19
Friday-20 Saturday: NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Jonesboro,
Ga. May 14 Tuesday-18
Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala. Home matches in BOLD TYPE •
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match All times are Central except where
noted (1) at Houma, La. (2) at Prairie View, Texas (3) at Jackson,
Miss. TBA — to be announced
2013 Xavier Men's Tennis
Schedule click here for schedule with site
details January 25 Friday:
LOYOLA, 2 p.m. 26 Saturday: at Tulane, 1 p.m. February 2 Saturday:
at Nicholls State, 4 p.m. (1) 8 Friday: WILLIAM CAREY, 2 p.m. 15
Friday: at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. 16 Saturday: Bethany (Kan.), 1 p.m.
(2) 17 Sunday: Oklahoma Baptist, 10 a.m. (2) 19 Tuesday: at
Louisiana-Lafayette, 6 p.m. 28 Thursday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m. March 2 Saturday: •
at Tougaloo, 10 a.m. 2 Saturday: • Fisk, 2 p.m. (3) 4 Monday: SHORTER,
2 p.m. 8 Friday-10 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala. 13
Wednesday: Lindsey Wilson, 3 p.m. (4) 15 Friday: ALCORN STATE, 3
p.m. 20 Wednesday: at New Orleans, 3 p.m. 26 Tuesday: at Webber
International, 1 p.m. EDT 27 Wednesday: at Embry-Riddle (Fla.), 3:30 p.m.
EDT April 5 Friday: at
William Carey, 3 p.m. 6 Saturday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 2 p.m. 13
Saturday: JACKSON STATE, 10 a.m. 19 Friday-20 Saturday: NAIA unaffiliated
group tournament at Jonesboro, Ga. May 14 Tuesday-18
Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala. Home matches in BOLD TYPE •
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match All times are Central except where
noted (1) at Houma, La. (2) at Prairie View, Texas (3) at Jackson,
Miss. (4) at Hattiesburg, Miss. TBA — to be announced
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University department of athletics has released a tentative schedule of the program football games for the 2013 season. The Tigers have commitments to three classics -- The John Merritt Classic (vs. Bethune-Cookman), Southern Heritage Classic (vs.Jackson State) and the Gateway Classic (vs. Central State, OH), along with their Ohio Valley Conference schedule.
A total of eleven games are on the schedule for the Tigers that ended the 2012 season with an 8-3 record.
SALISBURY, North Carolina — It’s way too soon to panic, but all of a sudden the Livingstone men’s basketball team looks very ordinary. At least it did Saturday night at Trent Gym, where the Blue Bears dropped their second consecutive CIAA decision and fell 85-74 to Virginia State.
