Inside Game Powers No. 9 Shaw Past Johnson C. Smith 91-83

Charlotte, N.C. — A marked advantage in rebounds and inside shots allowed #9 Shaw to power past Johnson C. Smith Saturday evening at Brayboy Gymnasium.

Shaw outrebounded Johnson C. Smith 46-28 and outscored them in the paint 42-22. The Lady Golden Bulls were able to pull in only six offensive rebounds on the evening.

"When we were in our pregame, we talked about the fact that our bigs had to get a certain amount of rebounds - even our guards had to get a certain amount of rebounds," said Shaw Assistant Head Coach Ashante Timoll. " They had that in mind that they had to close out the defensive possession or get another offensive chance."

The Lady Bears were led on the boards by Crystal Gordon, who ended a successful career as a volleyball player for Shaw this fall, and picked up a basketball for the first time this winter. The newcomer hauled in 15 rebounds - eight offensive and seven defensive.

"I think the good thing about Crystal is that she's an ...


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Curley-Payne leads HU Lady Bison to 53-41 win over SSU

COACH G

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Nationally ranked assist leader Cheyenne Curley-Payne guided her fellow Howard University Lady Bison to victory on Saturday, Feb. 2 with a 53-41 win over the Savannah State Lady Tigers in Burr Gymnasium.

While senior Saadia Doyle led in points with 16, Curley-Payne distributed a season-high 12 assists, scored 11 points, pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and finished with three steals.

Statistically, HU shot 73 percent from the free-throw line (8-of-11), 32 percent from the field (20-of-62) and 25 percent from the long range (5-of-20).

The Lady Bison opened the contest with two consecutive three pointers to take a 6-0 lead.

SSU brought the lead within one after Jasmine Norman sunk her own three pointer.

Howard quickly suppressed the Lady Tiger's offense on a seven-minute 13-2 run, for a 13-point 20-7 lead at the 9:32 mark.

Savannah State brought the margin to eight points at the 3:57 mark, but for a half high 17-point margin lead. Howard went on a 9-0 run to end the first 20 minutes of action with a score of 33-16.

Following the halftime intermission, the mighty blue and white reached a night high 20-point lead by the 14:54 mark.

SSU broke through the Howard dominance on an 8-0 run.

Nonetheless, SSU efforts were futile, as Howard maintained its double-figure lead to the final buzzer and secured a 53-41 victory.

HU continues the four-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference home stint with South Carolina State University on Monday, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Burr Gymnasium on the Howard University campus.
The Lady Bulldogs are 12-6 overall, 4-2 in the MEAC and 5-4 on the road.

Howard advances to 12-8 overall, 6-2 in the conference and 6-1 in Burr Gymnasium.

For more information on Howard Women's Basketball, visit the official athletics website at www.howard-bison.com.

BOX SCORE




By Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Sports Information Director
HOWARD UNIVERSITY 

Texas Southern Tigers defeat Prairie View in a rout behind Strong's big night from the field

HOUSTON, Texas  --  Omar Strong scored 33 points as Texas Southern rocked Prairie View with a blowout victory at home. With the win, the fourth straight for the Tigers, TSU improved to 9-14 and 8-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In addition to the streak, the Tigers have won eight of the last night games.

 

Strong was 10-of-17 from the field, including a torrid 9-for-13 from 3-point range. He was also good on 4-of-5 free throw attempts.

 

Fred Sturdivant added a double-double for TSU, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Madarious Gibbs came off the bench to contribute 10 points. Ray Penn helped orchestrate the Tiger well balanced offensive attack scoring eight points while dishing out a game high 10 assist.

 

TSU was sizzling from the field in the game, hitting 55.8 percent (29-of-52), including 14-for-26 (53.8%) from downtown. Meanwhile, PVAM had a poor night shooting, converting only 18-of-72 shots for 25 percent.

 

The Tigers controlled the game from the start, leading 38-26 at halftime, then blowing the game wide open in the second half, outscoring the Panthers 46-22.

 

Box Score

 

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

B-CU women break seven years of bad luck with victory over FAMU

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- Chastity Renee Taylor thought Bethune-Cookman's victory over Florida A&M on Saturday was the Wildcats' first in 10 years over their archrivals.

That's what her coach, B-CU's Vanessa Blair, told the team last week.
 

“I should have said it was 20 years,'' Blair told Taylor after the game.
 

In fact, it had been more than seven years since the B-CU women last defeated FAMU on Dec. 3, 2005. The Rattlers had won 14 straight before Saturday's 59-49 B-CU victory at a packed Moore Gymnasium on basketball homecoming weekend.

 

Taylor hit 5 of 10 3-point shots on the way to a team-high 19 points as B-CU won its second straight to improve to 10-10, 5-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

 

“We knew FAMU is our rival,'' said Taylor, a junior college transfer. “Nobody on the team has beaten them. It's a big win. It feels great.''


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Durant FB Jamarlon Hamilton commits to FAMU Rattlers

PLANT CITY,  Florida  --  Durant fullback Jamarlon Hamilton, a Tampa Bay Times first-team all-Suncoast pick, has orally committed to Florida A&M, Cougars head coach Mike Gottman said Saturday morning.

The 5-foot-10, 235-pound senior was the offensive centerpiece of Durant’s first unbeaten regular-season in school history, rushing for 1,340 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had eight games of 100 yards or more, including a season-high 187 yards and five touchdowns in a season-opening win over Freedom, which boasts at least three major-college recruits.

 

Hamilton was also the Cougars’ leading rusher in 2011, totaling 1,117 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 2,963 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns.

 

Ranked No. 77 in the HomeTeam 100, Hamilton is the nephew of former NFL running back and Plant City and Florida A&M alum Derrick Gainer.  Gainer, won two Super Bowl rings while playing with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.

 

Florida A&M now has two commitments from Durant, including senior linebacker Chris Smith.

  

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Nicholls State gives Gold Nuggets their first loss of season

HOUMA, La. -- Eva Castiglioni, Emma Pitre and Marie Aubert won in doubles and singles Saturday to lead Nicholls State in a 4-0 women's tennis victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Colonels (3-2) earned their third consecutive victory. The Gold Nuggets are 1-1.

Aubert and Isla Brock clinched the doubles point with their 8-4 victory against Amanda Materre and Simone-Alyce Ewell at the second flight. Castiglioni clinched the dual by defeating Amber Brown 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.

Three singles matches were not completed, and Xavier won a set in each. Xavier's Kourtney Howell led Natalia Cardiff 7-6 (7-4), 3-4 at No. 1, and Materre led Rachel Howie 3-6, 6-1, 5-0 at No. 3. Ewell split sets with Brock at No. 4 before Brock forged a 4-1 lead in the third.

In the other doubles matches, Cardiff and former XU recruit Parija Maloo beat Howell and Brion Flowers 8-5 at No. 1, and Castiglioni and Pitre defeated Brown and Nicole DeLoach 8-4 at No. 3. Pitre beat DeLoach 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6 singles, and Aubert beat Flowers 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2.

"We almost had a chance for a comeback," XU coach Alan Green said. "We came out tentative in doubles, and I think it set us back a lot. We picked it up in singles, but Nicholls State did just enough to close us out."

Despite Green's disappointment in his doubles teams, the combined XU games won in those three matches were more than the Nuggets achieved in 9-of-10 duals against NCAA Division I teams a year ago. Nicholls State is the first of nine Gold Nuggets opponents from that level this season.

The Gold Nuggets' next match will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 15 at Prairie View A&M. The next home dual will start at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23 against McNeese State.

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

SC State Football Players Presented Superlative Awards

ORANGEBURG, SC – SC State football players were presented their 2012 team and individual superlative awards Saturday (02-02-13) during the 11th annual Orangeburg Touchdown Club (OTC) banquet Monday at The Cinema.

The group also recognized an All-Area high school team as chosen by The Times and Democrat, the local newspaper
.
James Mitchell, the Director of Football Development at Duke University, was guest speaker for the event.

Only three of the team's ten (10) superlative awards went to seniors. RB Chris Merrill of Simpsonville was the recipient of the special teams Big Dog Award; DL Leon Smith of James Island took the Top Defensive Lineman honor; and LB/S Cortney Ingram of Milledgeville, Ga. was named the MVP on defense.

Others earning outstanding team awards were: r-junior QB Richard Cue of Florence, MVP on offense; junior C/OL Tristan Bellamy of Johnston, most valuable offensive lineman; sophomore RB Jalen “Scoot” Simmons of Charlotte, top running back; junior WR Tyler McDonald of Summerville, top wide receiver; junior P/PK Nick Belcher of Sumter, specialist award; sophomore LB Justin Hughes of Virginia Beach, Va., top linebacker; and sophomore defensive back Steven Murphy of Kingsland, GA., top defensive back.

Three Bulldogs were also recognized for post season honors – WR Lennel Elmore and Bellamy for earning All-MEAC honors and freshman DT Javon Hargrave, who made the College Sports Journal freshman All-America squad.

SC State head coach Buddy Pough and his staff also recognized the SC State seniors and presented game balls to an offensive and defensive player for each of the Bulldogs' five wins.

The List of Superlative Award Winners:

Top Running Back: Jalen Simmons, So., Charlotte, NC
Outstanding Receiver: Tyler McDonald, Jr, Summerville, SC
Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Tristan Bellamy, Jr., Johnston, SC
Outstanding Defensive Lineman: Leon Smith, Sr., James Island, SC
Outstanding Linebacker: Justin Hughes, So., Virginia Beach, Va.
Offensive MVP: QB Richard Cue, r-Jr, Florence, SC
Defensive MVP: LB/S Cortney Ingram, Sr., Milledgeville, GA
Outstanding DB: Steven Murphy, So., Kingsland, GA
Special Teams MVP: RB Chris Merrill, Sr., Simpsonville, SC
Specialist Award: K Nick Belcher, Jr., Sumter, SC

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Spartans stop Coppin State after another late scare

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  Norfolk State has made a habit of building a sizeable, second-half lead, only to make things very uncomfortable before escaping with a victory.

The Spartans were at it again Saturday at Coppin State. For much of the contest, they pushed the Eagles around inside and made outside shots. They were on the verge of a blowout at the Physical Education Complex.

Then, the turnover-plagued Spartans wobbled late again. But after nearly blowing an 18-point advantage, Norfolk State regrouped behind its defense and junior guard Pendarvis Williams for an 80-70 victory before an announced crowd of 3,342.

Norfolk State (13-10, 8-0) remained in first place in the MEAC with its seventh consecutive victory, while handing Coppin State (5-18, 2-6) its ninth defeat in 11 games.

After taking a 35-25 lead at halftime, then turning that into a 64-46 bulge with 7:30 left, the Spartans - thanks to a portion of its 24 turnovers - had to hold off late-charging Coppin, which went on a 22-10 run to pull to within 74-68 with 1:20 to go.

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Southern coach Dawson Odums set to hire three coaches

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Six weeks after being named Southern’s new head football coach, Dawson Odums seems to have a handle on who will make up his first coaching staff.

Odums said Tuesday he has offered jobs to three new assistants and is waiting for the university to approve their hiring.

Chennis Berry is in line to coach the offensive line, Lorick Atkinson the linebackers and Chris Coleman the wide receivers.

Those three additions would bring the number of Southern assistants to eight.

Odums, who served as Southern’s interim coach for the final nine games of the 2012 season, said the only other hire he plans to make is a video coordinator.

“Other than that, that’s going to pretty much be it, and we’re going to see if we can’t go win some football games,” Odums said.

Odums said he is undecided on which of the eight assistants would serve as his offensive and defensive coordinators, but indicated both sides of the ball could have co-coordinators. The former Southern defensive coordinator said he will help coach the defense but will not again serve as a coordinator.

Five assistants return from last year’s staff.

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Ram Ramblings: Talking with Earl the Pearl is always worth it

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  It’s not everyday that a living NBA legend calls, but Earl “The Pearl” Monroe returned a phone call on Friday morning.

I find it kind of funny that Monroe can return a phone call but certain football and basketball coaches from other CIAA schools can't seem to do it. But that's a blog for another time.
 Monroe, 68, called from his home in New York where he had just gotten out of the hospital after three days. He had a lung infection and it’s something he said he has battled since he was a child.

“It crops every now and then but it was bad enough to where I had to go to the hospital,” Monroe said in a raspy voice.

Despite not being 100 percent Monroe, a 1967 graduate of WSSU who helped the Rams win the 1966-67 Division II title, talked at length about this weekend. The school will unveil seven new banners tonight at the Livingstone game at the Gaines Center to honor six past players and the 1963 CIAA championship team.

It's all part of ...



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XU will be site of Pink Day/Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser

NEW ORLEANS — There will be coaches in sneakers and players trimmed in pink Saturday when Xavier University of Louisiana plays Talladega in XU's Pink Day/Coaches vs. Cancer basketball doubleheader at the new Convocation Center.

The men's game will start at noon, followed by the women's game at 2 p.m. The Convocation Center, with comfortable chairback seating for nearly 4,000, is at 7910 Stroelitz St., New Orleans LA 70125.

"This is part of college basketball's annual effort to help with awareness in the fight against cancer," XU women's coach Bo Browder said. "We plan to introduce those in the Xavier community who have been affected by cancer."

The XU basketball programs will raise money during the games for cancer research through donations and the sale of commemorative T-shirts.

Both XU teams are ranked in this week's NAIA top-25 coaches polls. The Gold Rush (19-4) are 13th, and the Gold Nuggets (17-4) are 14th. Both teams seek to repeat as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season champions; the XU men are tied for first in the GCAC with Philander Smith, and the women are a game behind co-leaders Talladega and SUNO.

The regular season will end Feb. 23.

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

JSU Releases 2013 Football Schedule

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  The Jackson State University Division of Athletics has released its 2013 football schedule. The Tigers offer JSU fans an exciting 11 game slate of football action, five of which are home games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

JSU (7-5 overall, 7-2 SWAC), which finished the 2012 season with a trip to the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game, opens the season with a trip to New Orleans, LA to take on Tulane on Aug. 31. This meeting will be the first between the two programs.

The Tigers will open their home schedule on Sept. 7 against the Alabama State Hornets. On Sept. 14 JSU will host the Tennessee State Tigers in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, TN.

JSU will welcome the Texas Southern Tigers to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Sept. 21 and the Tigers will close out the month of Sept. in Baton Rouge, LA against the Southern Jaguars on the 28.

The Tigers will open the month of October with its third home game of the season. On Oct. 5 JSU will host the Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions in a rematch of the 2012 SWAC championship game. JSU will then travel to Itta Bena, MS to face the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils.

 

JSU will face Grambling State for the homecoming game on Oct. 19 before traveling to Shreveport, LA to take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers at Independence Stadium. The Tigers have an open date on Nov. 2 and will return to action Nov. 9 to take on the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in Huntsville, AL. The Tigers and the Braves of Alcorn State will square off in the regular season finale on Nov. 16 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

2013 Jackson State Football Schedule

Aug. 31 @Tulane,  New Orleans, LA TBA Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Sept. 7 *Alabama State, Jackson, MS 6 pm (W.C. Gorden Classic)
Sept. 14 Tennessee State, Memphis, TN 6 pm (Southern Heritage Classic)
Sept. 21 Texas Southern, Jackson, MS 6 pm
Sept. 28 @Southern U.,  Baton Rouge, LA 6 pm

Oct. 5 Arkansas Pine Bluff, Jackson, MS 6 pm
Oct. 12 Mississippi Valley State, Itta Bena, MS 2 pm
Oct. 19 Grambling State, Jackson, MS 2 pm (Homecoming)
Oct. 26 Prairie View A&M,  Prairie View, TX 4 pm

Nov. 2 IDLE
Nov. 9 Alabama A&M, Huntsville, AL 1 pm
Nov. 16 Alcorn State, Jackson, MS 2 pm “Senior Day”

Dec. 7 SWAC Championship Game Birmingham, AL 1 pm

Head Coach: Mr. Rick Comegy
Director of Athletics: Dr. Vivian L. Fuller
President: Dr. Carolyn W. Meyers
 

FSU, Ohio State On B-CU's 2013 Softball Schedule



Courtesy B-CU Athletics

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Games with Florida State, Ohio State, and other teams from the ACC, Big East, Big 12, Pac 12 and Ivy League are featured in the Bethune-Cookman University 2013 softball schedule, it was announced today.

The three-time defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Wildcats open the season Feb. 9-10 in a tournament at Florida State and will face the Seminoles on Feb. 10. The following week sees the Wildcats facing Ohio State twice at a Jacksonville University tournament that will also include a game with Louisville .

Other notable non-conference games include a March 7 home doubleheader against Boston College and match-ups with Temple (Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 at Stetson), Utah (March 10 in Long Beach, Calif.); Iowa State (March 22 in Boca Raton), and two games with Dartmouth (Feb. 23 and March 23) and a home doubleheader with Cornell March 18.

The focus is preparing the Wildcats for Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, in which they've compiled a 32-7 (.821) record the past three seasons.

"We hope to see improvement, we hope to win games and we hope the non-conference schedule gets us ready," said B-CU Coach Chris Cochran. "When you play these teams, you know you have to play well."

With 10 Californians on the 2013 roster, B-CU will make a six-game swing through California the week of March 10-14, featuring doubleheaders at Loyola-Marymount and UC-Riverside to give family and friends of the west coast Wildcats a convenient chance to see them play in person.

"The players are always excited about those games," Cochran said. "The last time we played Loyola Marymount, their coach commented that our game was their biggest gate of the year. We're glad we can help."

B-CU, 30-31 last season, will host the MEAC tournament May 9-11, 2013 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. Last year's team went 4-0 in the tournament to receive the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Regionals.

2013 B-CU SOFTBALL SCHEDULE


COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Howard University Announces 2013 Football Schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C. --  Howard University will kick off the 2013 season on August 31 when it travels to Ypsilanti, MI to take on Eastern Michigan University in third meeting between the two schools.  The Bison will then return "home" for the AT&T Nation's Football Classic against Morehouse on September 7 at RFK Stadium.

Howard will then travel to Norfolk, VA to take on FCS powerhouse Old Dominion University on September 14.  It will mark the first meeting between the two schools.

Howard receives a bye the following week before opening MEAC play against rival North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC on September 28.

The Bison will finally get a chance to play before the home crowd at Greene Stadium when they host North Carolina Central University on October 5.  They follow with a big match against MEAC defending champion Bethune Cookman on October 12.

Howard will go back on the road again when they take on Florida A&M University on October 19.

Next comes homecoming and the Bison will face Morgan State University on October 26.

It's back on the road again as the Bison travel to Dover, DE to face the Hornets of Delaware State on November 2.

Howard will play its last home game of the season on November 9 when it takes on Savannah State. The Bison close out the 2013 regular season with games at Texas Southern in Houston, TX on November 16 and at Hampton University on November 23

Below if the complete 12-game schedule for 2013:

August 31: Eastern Michigan at Ypsilanti, MI (TBA)

September 7: Morehouse for the AT&T Nation's Football Classic at R.F.K. Stadium in Washington, DC (3:30pm)

September 14: Old Dominion at Norfolk, VA (TBA)

September 21: BYE

September 28: *NC A&T State at Greensboro, NC (TBA)

October 5: *N. C. Central at Washington, DC (1:00pm)

October 12: *Bethune-Cookman at Washington, DC (1:00pm)

October 19: *Florida A&M at Tallahassee, FL (TBA)

October 26: *Morgan State for Homecoming at Washington, DC (1:00pm)

November 2:  *Delaware State at Dover, DE (TBA)

November 9: *Savannah State for Senior Day at Washington, DC (1:00pm)

November 16: Texas Southern at Houston, TX (TBA)

November 23: *Hampton at Hampton, VA (TBA)

*MEAC Game
Bold: Home Game


COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU's OC Quinn Gray describes his offensive approach

SAU Falcons Start 2013 Baseball Season This Weekend

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  Saint Augustine's University begins the 2013 baseball season this weekend when they travel to Atlanta, Ga., to visit Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University.

The Falcons open against Morehouse at Perkerson Park in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. The first game starts at noon. The next day, the Falcons face Clark Atlanta at Bill Evans Field in a twinbill beginning at noon.

Head Coach Charles Whitaker is anxious for the season to get underway. He has a mix of skilled veterans and newcomers on the roster.

“I am definitely excited,” Whitaker said. “We have a talented freshman class and I am excited to see what the freshmen are capable of doing. I am anticipating great things from our senior group.”

The nine seniors on the roster are pitcher Clarence Ganus (Whiteville, N.C.), pitcher John Hailey (Rockingham, N.C.), first baseman Pat Hall (Virginia Beach, Va.), pitcher Stephen Hamilton (Chicago, Ill.), first baseman Darien Hardaway (Atlanta, Ga.), infielder Ariel Polanco (Harlem, N.Y.), infielder Chris Rogers (Chicago, Ill.), outfielder Daveed Todd (Chicago, Ill.) and infielder/designated hitter Jeremy Wilkins (Smithfield, N.C.). In addition to the new players, Whitaker added Tom Stewart as assistant coach. Stewart joined the coaching staff in October 2012.

“With the addition of our new pitching coach Tom Stewart, we should see some improvement with our pitching staff,” Whitaker said.

Last year, the Falcons reached the CIAA Tournament after finishing fourth in the regular season. They have advanced to the championship round four of the past five seasons.
“We had a great offseason in the fall with practice and weightlifting,” Whitaker said. “When we returned in January, the players followed up with more hard work in practice. Everybody is ready to start.”

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU lands Royal Palm Beach WR JoJo Williams, OL Craig Smith

ROYAL PALM BEACH, Florida -  Florida A&M snapped up a pair of Royal Palm Beach teammates.

The Rattlers received commitments from wide receiver JoJo Williams, who previously committed to Grambling, and offensive lineman Craig Smith.

Williams (6-3, 180) committed to Grambling last month after head coach Doug Williams offered him a scholarship. However, Williams is unable to visit the school’s campus in Louisiana until late February. That was good news for FAMU, who brought Williams to Tallahassee last week. Royal Palm assistant coach Jon Stellman said Williams “loved it,” and changed his mind.

FAMU also picked up Smith (6-5, 320), who played offensive tackle for the Wildcats. Smith had offers from Alcorn State, Stony Brook and Grambling.

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Alcorn State's Driver retires after 14 seasons in Green Bay

Driver showed something special: 'The determination to succeed'

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin  --  Alonzo Highsmith was only a few weeks into his career as an area college scout for the Green Bay Packers when he visited a small campus in southwest Mississippi to look at the NFL prospects from little Alcorn State.

While there, he looked at videotape of and then interviewed an under-the-radar receiver named Donald Driver, who’d caught 88 passes in his three seasons at Alcorn.

After he finished his work, Highsmith presented Driver as a draft-worthy prospect to his boss, former general manager Ron Wolf. Highsmith thought Driver had the same mental makeup as one of his former teammates at the University of Miami, receiver Michael Irvin, who by ’99 was going into the final season of a career that would land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Their physical makeup and pedigree couldn’t have been more different. Irvin was 6-feet-2 and 207 pounds, and a highly regarded prospect coming out of a premier college program. He was the No. 11 pick overall in the ’88 draft.

Driver played a much lower level of Division I college football and was a wiry 5-feet-111/4and 170 pounds. His standout physical trait was his jumping — he was a national-caliber high and long jumper.

PHOTO GALLERY:

Favorite photos of Donald Driver by P-G photojournalist Evan Siegle

Green Bay Packers WR Donald Driver: On and off the field

Hundreds line up for tickets to Driver retirement event

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2012 B-CU Wildcat Football Season In Review .

The Bethune-Cookman Wildcat Football team endured many challenges in the 2012 season, but by pure determination they were able win the 2012 MEAC Championship.

Live Action Highlights Opening of B-CU's 2013 Baseball Practices

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  –  Bethune-Cookman baseball opened spring practice last weekend with three consecutive days of scrimmages at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The pace was high and you could see the hustle as players demonstrated their focus in preparing to make a run at an unprecendented eighth consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title.

“Any time you’re doing individual workouts and you get out here as a team, you kind of get that little extra push and little extra energy,” Head Coach Jason Beverlin noted after the first day. “The start of the season is right around the corner and everybody’s real excited about it, no question.”

With each player showing they had taken to heart their personal accountability for remaining focused after nearly a month off campus during the holiday break, the coaching staff was pleased to find the team ready to get started during individual workouts, and ready to hit the field with live action.

“The guys came back from break in really great shape, and right now it’s just a matter of getting as many repetitions in as possible,” Beverlin said.

That is exactly what the Wildcats have done, opening team practices on Friday, Jan. 25, and simulating game situations in both drills and scrimmages right away, following up with the same efforts on Saturday and Sunday.

“With as little time as we have, it’s something we really have to do in order to get the starting pitchers’ counts up to where they need to be by the first game,” Beverlin said.

Joined by seven newcomers, the 2013 pitching staff has not disappointed, drawing aily praise from the coaching staff after each outing.

“I think our pitchers did a really good job attacking the strike zone, being aggressive, and really pitching off their fastballs,” Beverlin said.

The pitchers aren’t making it easy on the hitters, who are looking to get up to speed in live action, with opening day (Feb. 15) on the horizon in the series at Arizona State.

“The hitters’ timing is a little off right now, but I fully expect them to get in the swing of things as we move on,” Beverlin said. “Defensively, we’re a little rusty, but at the same time, we saw some really nice plays from the guys as well.” 

The Wildcats the 2012 season 34-27, concluding the season in the NCAA [Gainesville] Regional. The Wildcats will have a busy early season with eight games in the first 10 days of the 2013 schedule,  opening with a three-game series at ASU (Feb. 15-17), followed by a pair at home versus North Florida (Feb. 19) and FIU (Feb. 20), then a three-game stint at Mercer (Feb. 22-24).

“What I saw was definitely encouraging, but we still have a lot of work to do before February 15th,” Beverlin concluded.

For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow the official Twitter feed, @BCUathletics, or "Like Us" on Facebook at Bethune-Cookman Athletics.

2013 B-CU Baseball Schedule

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

New Orleans linebacker feels at home on Jackson State's campus

Jackson, Mississippi --  Bobbie Temple, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound linebacker out of New Orleans, isn’t 100 percent sure where he’s going to sign next Wednesday, but it sounds like he’s got a good idea.

Temple has reported offers from Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech and several smaller colleges, but said he is leaning toward signing with Jackson State following a recent visit to the campus.

“I’m leaning that way,” Temple said. “It’s like I fit in more. Jackson just felt like a second home.”

Temple finished with 83 tackles and six tackles for a loss last season at O. Perry Walker High School.

He would be the latest commitment to a 2013 signing class already heavy on defensive players.

Jackson State commitments 

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown/School
Austin Benton	DB	5-11	175	Tucker, Ga.
Devin Fosselman	WR	5-10	182	Woodville/Pearl River CC
Cornelius Henderson	DL/OL	6-3	293	Ducanville, Texas/Duncanville
Trae McKenzie	TE/ATH	6-2	225	Woodville/Wilkinson Co.
Jarius Moore	QB/ATH	5-10	195	Terry
Stacy Noble	LB	5-11	235	Fort Pierce, Fla./Fort Pierce Central
Jose Patterson	CB	6-2	175	Durant/Southwest Mississippi CC
Hector Stanback	DB	6-0	200	Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King

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WSSU to open baseball season today

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  The Winston-Salem State baseball team will open the season today at Armstrong Atlantic State in a matchup of regional powers.

The Rams are two-time defending CIAA champions and were picked to finish first in the conference this season by D2BaseballNews.com. The Pirates are defending champions of the Peach Belt Conference.
 
Today’s first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Savannah, Ga. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.

WSSU will play its home opener on Friday, Feb. 8, against Millersville at BB&T Ballpark.

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Covington Leads TSU in 84-65 Win Over Tennessee Tech

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -  The Tennessee State men's basketball team snapped its three-game losing streak with an 84-65 win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday night.

The win improved the Tigers' home record to 9-0- their best start since going 10-0 during the 1992-93 season.

Five players scored in double-figures for TSU (13-10, 7-3 OVC) for the second time this season including Patrick Miller (17), Robert Covington (17), Kellen Thornton (17), M.J. Rhett (13) and Jordan Cyphers (10).

Thornton also recorded his seventh double-double of the season with a team-high 10 boards.

TSU forced a season-high 24 turnovers, which led to 32 points off of TTU (8-13, 2-7 OVC) miscues- the most by the Tigers this year.

The Tigers came out white hot to start the game, draining five of their first six shots including a jam by Rhett.

Rhett finished the contest with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, six rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.

Final Box

At the 16:15 mark of the first half, Covington entered the game for the first time since injuring his right knee on Dec. 18. He immediately made his first shot on TSU's very next possession to make the score 10-7 in favor of the home team.

Covington's jumper ignited a 16-0 Tiger run that eventually put TSU up 24-7 with 9:45 left in the first half. Strong defense fueled the stretch as TSU forced five turnovers, recorded two blocks and held the Golden Eagles to 0-of-8 shooting.

TTU was able to trim TSU's advantage to 16 before Covington ended the half with an emphatic two-handed throw down with just seconds remaining. His flush made the score 41-23 at the half.

Covington ended the game with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting, three rebounds and three steals.

TSU led by as many as 21 in the first period thanks to 14 TTU turnovers and by shooting 26.1 percent better from the field (48.3 to 22.2).

TTU cut the lead down to 13 during the first five minutes of the second period, but a three pointer by Covington made the score 51-35. The basket by Covington gave him his 1,579^th career point, moving him past Bruce Price for tenth place on the school's all-time scoring list.

Back-to-back slam dunks by Rhett put the Tigers up by 17 with ten minutes to go in the game. The first was assisted by Deshawn Dockery while the second was set up by Miller

Miller ended up with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting, three boards and a team-high four assists.

The teams traded blows for the better part of the half, but TSU would stifle any Tennessee Tech run with hoop of its own or a key steal. TSU finished the game with 12 swipes.

The Tigers finished the game on a 9-3 run that ended with a free throw by Thornton. The freebie made the score 84-65 where it remained until the end of the contest.

TSU had a season-high 24 fouls, but TTU also had 24. The slow-pace of play contributed to 64 combined free throw attempts.

Tennessee State will have a week off before traveling to Austin Peay on Feb. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the matchup can be seen on the OVC Digital Network.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Xavier Gold Nuggets defeat William Carey for 5th straight victory

NEW ORLEANS -- SiMon Franklin and Paige Gauthier scored 12 points apiece Thursday to lead NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana in a 75-51 women's basketball victory against William Carey.

The victory was the fifth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (17-4), all double-digit decisions. The Lady Crusaders (7-13) have an eight-game losing streak.

Franklin was 6-of-9 from the floor -- her best shooting percentage of the season -- and led Xavier with four steals. Gauthier scored in double figures for the first time in eight games and led Xavier with seven rebounds.

Whitney Gaston-Loyd was Xavier's other double-figure scorer. She produced all 10 of her points in the first half.

Erica Moore had 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals for William Carey. Crystal Tucker had 12 points and five rebounds, and Vechatita Bonner had 10 points and six rebounds.

A Lauren Douglas 3-pointer gave William Carey an 11-4 lead at 15:56 of the first half. Then Xavier responded with an 11-0 run and never trailed again.

Franklin passed to Gaston-Loyd for a basket which tied the score at 11 at 12:07, then Gaston-Loyd scored 21 seconds later -- after a turnover -- for a 13-11 Xavier advantage, Gauthier's basket at 3:19 gave Xavier a 29-20 lead, but Bonner made consecutive 3-pointers to help the Lady Crusaders cut the Nuggets' advantage to 33-30 at halftime.

Moore made two free throws at 18:24 of the second half to reduce the margin to 36-34, then Franklin scored six points during a 9-0 run which gave Xavier a double-digit lead for the final 15:50.

Xavier did not make any of its eight 3-point attempts but attempted 36 free throws -- its most in a game in nearly two years -- and made 25. The Gold Nuggets were 20-of-27 from the line in the second half.

William Carey excelled at the line, too, making 25-of-30, but shot 31.4 percent from the floor and committed 33 turnovers. Xavier shot 37.3 percent from the floor, outrebounded the Lady Crusaders 43-33 and had a season-high-tying plus-16 turnover margin.

Xavier completed a two-game season sweep of William Carey and defeated the Lady Crusaders at Xavier for the 20th consecutive time. The Nuggets have won 52 of their last 56 home games.

Xavier's next game will start at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center against Talladega, which shares first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference with SUNO. Xavier is in third place in the GCAC and one game behind the leaders.


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

Phoebus linebacker de-commit from Norfolk State for ODU offer

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Atavius Matthews, a linebacker from Hampton's Phoebus High, has de-committed from Norfolk State to accept a football scholarship at Old Dominion.

Matthews said ODU had earlier offered to "grayshirt" him, meaning he would pay for a semester before going on scholarship. When ODU upgraded to an immediate full ride, he said he jumped.

"It's been my dream to play football at Old Dominion," said Matthews, adding that he attended six games at ODU last fall. "That's where I wanted to go all along."

Matthews, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, said he called coaches at Norfolk State, Hampton and other MEAC that were recruiting him this week. He said he had committed to Norfolk State weeks ago.

"I told them I appreciated everything they've done but that Old Dominion is where I want to go," he said.

Former Phoebus coach Bill Dee is ODU's defensive coordinator, and five former Phantoms are on the roster.

Matthews, expected to play linebacker at ODU, has a 3.2 grade-point average and an 850 on the SAT, according to an online highlights video.

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