WSSU’s Maynor, latest award in hand, already moving past success of 2012

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Saturday night at the Gaines Center, between games of a basketball doubleheader, football coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State was presented with yet another trophy.

The latest award was the Conway Cup, presented to the Heritage Sports Radio Network’s black-college national champion. It was more recognition for the Rams’ 14-1 season, but Maynor’s attention already has turned to spring football, which will start later this month.

“We’ve got a lot of areas we have to shore up,” Maynor said, “so spring ball is very important.”

The areas that need to be addressed most, Maynor said, are quarterback and wide receiver.

Kam Smith, who in three seasons as the starting quarterback set every passing record in school history, exhausted his eligibility. So did starting receivers Jamal Williams, Jameze Massey and Jahuann Butler, who combined for 178 catches and 39 touchdowns last season.

At receiver, rising seniors ...

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Rams Ramblings: A little football news, WSSU to open at UNC Pembroke

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --   Athletics Director Bill Hayes of WSSU says one of the toughest things he has to do is find football opponents.

After talking with him briefly on Sunday afternoon he said that the Rams’ schedule is set for this fall but it wasn’t easy to get a completed schedule. The Rams will open on Sept. 5 (a Thursday night) at UNC Pembroke, and then will play a home game against the University of Virginia of Lynchburg on Sept. 14.

After that, the Rams will once again play in the Cleveland Classic against Tuskegee. The Rams rolled over Morehouse in the Cleveland Classic last year and because the WSSU fans traveled there in droves officials for the Cleveland Classic wanted WSSU back again.

“We tried to get an opponent for that second week of the season and just couldn’t find anybody who would play us,” Hayes said.

It’s not easy to find opponents, mainly because ...



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PVAMU Panthers releases 12-game football slate for 2013

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  --  Eight games inside the state of Texas, including four home games at Blackshear Field, three classics, a Football Bowl Subdivision battle and the renewal of two in-state matchups against Southland Conference foes, highlight the 2013 Prairie View A&M Panther football schedule.  The 12-game schedule announced by Director of Athletics Fred Washington marks the most games the team will play since 1953.

“Eight games in the state of Texas is pretty big for us,” said head coach Heishma Northern.  “Not having to travel and miss class as much compared to last season is big and the schedule allow us to have more support when we go on the road.  This is a pretty good schedule which will be challenging as there are no cupcakes.  We have to come out prepared to both play and win.”

Prairie View A&M's 2013 campaign kicks off in the city of Houston on Saturday, Aug. 31 as they'll travel to battle longtime SWAC rival Texas Southern in the annual Labor Day Classic.  The classic, which enters its 29^th year, will be played in a different venue for the third consecutive year as it's scheduled to take place at BBVA Compass Stadium in Downtown Houston.

On Sept. 7, the Panthers head west to San Marcos, Texas to face Texas State for the second time in three seasons.  A lot has changed for Texas State since its last meeting against the Panthers in 2011 as they were a Football Championship Subdivision Independent before moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks in 2012.  After spending a year as a member of the WAC, the Panthers will face their first-ever opponent from the Sun Belt Conference as Texas State joins the league in July.

On Sept. 21, Prairie View A&M returns home to the friendly confines of Blackshear Stadium for its home opener as they'll host the Alabama A&M Bulldogs.

After two consecutive weekends of squaring off against SWAC foes, the Panthers reopen a chapter from their history books and travel to the Piney Woods of East Texas for a contest at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas at 6 p.m.  The meeting marks the first time since 1988 that PV will face the Lumberjacks.

The month of October begins in a festive mood as Prairie View A&M will face Grambling State on Oct. 5 in the annual State Fair Classic at the historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas at 6 p.m.  The following weekend on Oct. 12, the Panthers head to the state of Alabama as they'll play Alabama State at their brand new stadium in Montgomery, Ala.  Homecoming 2013 is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 versus Mississippi Valley State followed by the fourth annual Shreveport Classic versus Jackson State at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. on Oct. 26.

Unlike previous seasons, Prairie View A&M will spend most of November at home with two games at Blackshear Field for the first time since 2009.  On Nov. 2, the Panthers will renew their series with Abilene Christian University as the teams will meet for the first time since 1996.  Abilene Christian begins its first season as a member of the NCAA Division I and FCS ranks as they'll round out PV's second contest versus a Southland Conference school in 2013 and third in two seasons.

“When I took the job at Prairie View A&M, one of the things I wanted to do was to play a regional schedule,” said Northern.  “I wanted to play a FBS opponent, a Southland Conference or another FCS program in the region along with a good (NCAA) Division II program which in Abilene Christian's case, is now a FCS member.”

The Panthers travel to the state of Mississippi for their road finale on Nov. 9 at Alcorn State.  The team will have a much-needed weekend off on Nov. 16 before wrapping up the 2013 campaign at Blackshear Field versus defending SWAC Champion Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 23.

Season tickets will be on-sale soon so please check back here at www.PVPanthers.com. 

 
PVAMU PANTHERS 2013 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (pdf.schdule)

	Date	Opponent	Location / Stadium				Event
	8/31/2013	*Texas Southern	Houston, Texas - BBVA Compass Stadium	TBA			29th Labor Day Classic
	9/7/2013	Texas State	San Marcos, Texas	TBA
	9/14/2013	*Southern University	Baton Rouge, La.	TBA
	9/21/2013	*Alabama A&M	Prairie View	TBA
	9/28/2013	Stephen F. Austin	Nacogdoches, Texas	6:00 p.m.
	10/5/2013	*Grambling State	Dallas, Texas - The Cotton Bowl	6:00 p.m.			Southwest State Fair Classic
	10/12/2013	*Alabama State	Montgomery, Ala.	TBA
	10/19/2013	*Mississippi Valley State	Prairie View	TBA			Homecoming
	10/26/2013	*Jackson State	Shreveport, La. - Independence Stadium	TBA			Shreveport Classic
	11/2/2013	Abilene Christian	Prairie View	TBA
	11/9/2013	*Alcorn State	Alcorn State, Miss.	TBA
	11/23/2013	*Arkansas-Pine  Bluff	Prairie View	TBA

  12/7/2013   **SWAC Championship   Birmingham, AL                           TBA

* SWAC Games
**SWAC Championship Game (TBD)
BOLD: Home Games

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern women welcome Jackson State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern women’s basketball coach Sandy Pugh wasn’t a big fan of what she saw Saturday afternoon.

After building a 16-point advantage and leading rival Grambling by double digits much of the day, suddenly the Jaguars found themselves in a knock-down drag-out that took two overtimes to decide.

“I don’t like interesting games — games where I have to go earn my money,” Pugh said after the 83-81 win. “We’ve got to stay focused an entire game. It’s very erratic play.”

Pugh hopes her Jaguars will skip the dramatics and handle business Monday when they face Jackson State to close a two-game homestand. Tip-off at the F.G. Clark Activity Center is set for 5:30 p.m.

Having lost 92-76 at Grambling early in the Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule, Southern (10-11, 9-1) nearly allowed the Tigers, who have only two league wins, to complete an improbable sweep of the season series.

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Davis commits to Grambling State

SCOTT, Louisiana — Acadiana High senior offensive lineman Myles Davis didn't really know what to expect during the recruiting process, but what he did know was that he wanted someone to give him an opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing college football.

Davis will receive that opportunity in the SWAC as he has issued a verbal commitment to the Grambling State University Tigers and will sign his national letter of intent on Wednesday.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to not only play college football, but to play at Grambling," Davis said. "It worked out really well because Grambling is close to home, it's not a bad drive and it is a small city just like where I'm from."

Davis, who is a 6-foot-7 348-pound right tackle for the Rams, believes missing out on the majority of his junior season due to injury played a major role in the lack of offers he received to play on the next level.

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Ex-SCSU Bulldog on sidelines for Super Bowl

NEW ORLEANS  --  Christian Thompson had one of the best seats in the Superdome Sunday for the big game.

A fourth round draft selection last April of the Baltimore Ravens, the former South Carolina State safety had his rookie campaign playing primarily on special teams curtailed in November with a knee injury.

He was placed on injured reserve by the team, making him inactive for the rest of the season.

Even though he did not play Sunday, Thompson was still seeking to join an exclusive club of former Bulldogs with Super Bowl rings. Newly-selected S.C. State College Football Hall of Fame inductee safety Donnie Shell was on four championship teams with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-75; 1979-80) and nose tackle Chartic Darby won with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003.

Thompson is one of four former S.C. State players currently on NFL rosters. The others are safety Rafael Bush (New Orleans), defensive back Phillip Adams (Oakland) and linebacker Marshall McFadden (Pittsburgh).

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Banks sees a winner in NCCU's Moton

GENE BANKS
Scout
Washington Wizards

DURHAM, North Carolina  — Thing is, I didn’t recognize Gene Banks the other night when he sat in front of me at the Morgan State-N.C. Central game.

He had a head full of hair the last time I’d seen him on TV.

But once told that the tall, bald brother was Banks, I was like, “Oh, yeah – that bad mammajamma from Duke!”

The 1978 ACC rookie of the year, who played in the NBA, is a scout for the Washington Wizards.

Banks was in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium to put his eyes on a kid from Morgan State, but he left liking what he saw out of three of NCCU coach LeVelle Moton’s guys.

Actually, Banks liked what the Eagles in general were doing.

NCCU’s tallest players are 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-7, while Morgan State had a 7-foot-2 guy in the starting lineup and brought a 6-foot-9 dude off the bench. So Moton spread the floor and dared the Bears to chase his smaller players, and NCCU won 69-61.

Uh, not that Banks was scouting coaches for the struggling Wizards, but he also left the gym thoroughly impressed with Moton.

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Washington notches 23 points as LU Lions roll to eighth road win

 PETERSBURG, Va. – Derrick Washington (Washington, D.C./Coolidge SHS) notched 23 points as the Lincoln University men's basketball team surpassed last season's win total with a 64-55 victory over Virginia State at Daniel Gymnasium on Saturday night in a CIAA Northern Contest.

Washington was 7-of-10 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line to lead the Lions with 23 points. Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) had 17 points, including nine free throws. George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS) finished with nine points as Lincoln shot 40 percent (18-of-45).

The Lions (12-8 overall, 5-6 CIAA, 3-2 CIAA North) opened the game with a 10-4 advantage after a free throw by Washington with 13:04 remaining, but the Trojans battled back and kept the game close throughout the first half as Lincoln took a 24-23 lead into the break.

Lincoln broke open a close game by grabbing a 35-29 lead after a Washington bucket with 14:10 remaining and used a 21-16 run during the next 12 minutes to take a 56-45 advantage after a pair of free throws by George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS).

The Trojans (10-10, 5-6, 3-2) tried to rally during the final two minutes, but the Lions got free throws down the stretch by Sharpe, Washington and George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS) to seal the victory.

John Holleman led the way for Virginia State with 15 points. Kenny Mitchell and James Vann each had 11 points as the Trojans were 22-of-54 shooting for 41 percent.

Lincoln resumes play with a non-conference game 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 6 in Wilmington, Del., against Goldey-Beacom College. To follow the contest through live stats, click here or watch through live video by clicking here.

Lions Notebook: Lincoln improved to 8-3 on the road this season and has two road games remaining on the schedule (Feb. 6 at Goldey-Beacom and Feb. 13 at Elizabeth City State)…The Lions won for the first time at Daniel Gymnasium since becoming a member of NCAA Division II…Derrick Washington (Washington, D.C./Coolidge SHS) finished one point shy of tying his career-high of 24 points, which came against Virginia State on Feb. 2, 2012…The Lions were 7-of-15 from behind the 3-point line (Derrick Washington (Washington, D.C./Coolidge SHS) (3), Kenny Sharpe (Chester, Pa./Elite Academy) (2), Beloved Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Princeton Day Academy) (1) and George Jackson (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor HS) (1))…Lincoln finished with 30 rebounds, five assists, five steals and four blocked shots.

Box Score

By Brian Howard, Sports Information and Media Specialist
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
LULIONS.COM

NCCU rides Kidd's double-double to 7th straight MEAC win, 8th overall

DOVER, Delaware   —  A total team effort was the recipe for success for N.C. Central as Jeremy Ingram’s 20 points and Stanton Kidd’s fourth double-double of the year combined with a stellar defensive performance lifted the Eagles past Delaware State 54-43 Saturday.

The win ties the longest winning streak for the maroon and gray since the 1996-97 campaign when the Eagles won eight straight games to start the season.

Trailing 4-1 just minutes into the game, the first of Ingram’s three three-pointers provided just the boost for the Eagles to go on a 10-2 run to grab the early 11-6 lead with 13:13 to go in the first frame.

Four minutes later, Ingram’s second shot from-the-outside put the maroon and gray up by double-figures for the first time all day at 21-10 with 8:48 remaining.

The biggest blow thrown by NCCU came with 5:19 left in the first half when junior Alfonzo Houston (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) drove to the basket recording the hoop-and-the-harm putting the Eagles up 26-13.

A minute later, an Emanuel Chapman jumper gave NCCU its largest lead of the first half at 28-15 with 4:13 left and the Eagles ended up taking a 34-21 lead into the locker room with the momentum intact.

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Ex-star Johnson honored as SU routs Grambling

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- On the day Southern dedicated its home court in former great Avery Johnson’s honor, the Southwestern Athletic Conference-leading men’s basketball team faced archrival Grambling to begin a two-game homestand.

A season-best crowd of 4,800 had the F.G. Clark Activity Center buzzing long before the opening tip.

So maybe it’s no surprise Southern had some issues with winless Grambling in the early going, needing some time to take in the environment and get adjusted.

The Jaguars eventually found their way, cruising to a 59-31 win.





“I really thought we put some pressure on ourselves to please everybody,” Southern coach Roman Banks said of the slow start. “I didn’t think we were in a relaxed mode.”

Southern (15-7, 9-1) seemed to take over the game with a 15-0 run after falling in an early 4-2 hole. Not yet.

Grambling (0-19, 0-10) came roaring back, going on a 7-0 run of its own to make it 17-11 with 6:12 left in the first half.

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Southern women survive 2OT scare from Grambling

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern women entered the weekend with only one conference loss, a head-scratcher at Grambling in which the Jaguars gave up 92 points.

The Tigers almost got Southern again Saturday afternoon.

Rallying from a game-long deficit that ballooned to 16 points early in the second half, Grambling pushed the Jaguars into a pair of overtime periods before failing to get off a shot on its final possession.

Southern survived for an 83-81 win before 2,912 fans at the F.G. Clark Activity Center, protecting its place atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings.

“We fought for our lives in this game. There’s no excuse for that when get up 15 points,” Southern coach Sandy Pugh said. “We’ve got to close games out. I was very disappointed in our effort.”

Had they completed a season sweep of Southern (9-12, 9-1), the Tigers (4-18, 2-8) would have left Baton Rouge responsible for its rival’s only two conference losses.

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Gold Rush win 20th, regain sole possession of GCAC lead

NEW ORLEANS -- NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana used an 11-minute run covering two halves to earn a 69-61 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Talladega at XU's new Convocation Center.

The victory, coupled with Philander Smith's 77-76 overtime loss at Tougaloo, gave the Gold Rush (20-4 overall 7-1 GCAC) sole possession of first place in the conference. Xavier reached 20 victories for the third consecutive season, the eighth time in Dannton Jackson's 10 seasons as head coach and the 28th time overall. Xavier holds the Louisiana men's collegiate record for 20-win seasons.

Xavier has won three straight and nine of its last 10 games.

Xavier produced five double-figure scorers for the fifth time this season but the first time since mid-December. Anthony Simmons led the Gold Rush with 14 points and nine rebounds. Wanto Joseph had 13 points, five assists and three steals. Nick Haywood scored 12 points -- his first time in 10 games to reach double figures -- and Denzell Erves and Renard Smith scored 11 each.

Phillip Wood scored 13 points for Talladega (12-10, 4-4), and Jantzen Carter and Elijah Jones scored 12 each.

Carter's 3-pointer in the 19th minute gave the Tornadoes their largest lead, 35-28, then Xavier scored 28 of the next 31 points, including the final 17 consecutively. Joseph had seven points and three assists during the burst, and Haywood and Simmons each scored six points.

Erves' basket with 18:26 remaining put the Gold Rush ahead to stay, 39-37. Smith's two free throws capped the run and gave Xavier its largest lead, 56-38, with 9:29 remaining.

Xavier did not make a 3-pointer for the second consecutive game, but the Rush excelled at the line, making 31-of-39 free throws. Haywood, an 86-percent shooter in two XU seasons, made a career-best 8-of-8.

The Gold Rush outshot Talladega 41.3 to 37.5 percent from the floor and had a 39-29 rebound advantage. Both teams committed 15 turnovers.

Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Edward Waters at the Convocation Center.

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

Gold Nuggets win by double figures for sixth straight game

NEW ORLEANS -- Whitney Gaston-Loyd and Paige Gauthier scored 12 points each Saturday to lead NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 64-50 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Talladega at XU's new Convocation Center.

The victory was the sixth in a row, all by double figures, for the Gold Nuggets (18-4 overall, 6-2 GCAC), who snapped the four-game win streak of the Lady Tornadoes (14-8, 6-2). Xavier avenged a 68-65 loss at Talladega from Jan. 7 and knocked the Lady Tornadoes out of a first-place tie in the conference.

SUNO, a 79-46 winner at home against Fisk, leads the GCAC by a game over Xavier and Talladega.

Gaston-Loyd was 5-of-7 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds. Gauthier, a reserve guard, grabbed a career-high-tying 11 rebounds in her second double-double of the season.

Also in double figures for Xavier was Andraquay Quinnine, who made three 3-pointers and had 11 points, three assists and three steals.

Arielle George scored 12 points for Talladega, and Thomesha Smith had 11 points and 14 rebounds for her second double-double in four games.

Gauthier's basket at 8:26 of the first half put Xavier ahead to stay, 14-13. The Gold Nuggets led 25-22 at halftime.

Talladega still was within range midway through the second half at 41-37, but Xavier pulled away with a 10-1 run during the next four minutes. Danielle Tucker's two free throws gave the Nuggets a 51-38 lead with 6:31 remaining.

Xavier outshot the Lady Tornadoes 37.3 to 34.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 39-38 after a 24-16 second half. Xavier committed 23 turnovers but gained 30, 21 on steals. Tucker led the Nuggets with four steals, and Carmen Holcombe and Whitney Gathright had three each.

Xavier will play Edward Waters in a GCAC game at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Convocation Center.

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

TSU Track and Field Teams Capture 11 Victories

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  - The Tennessee State men's and women's track and field teams each had strong showings at the TSU Invite on Saturday. The Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles combined for 11 victories and 24 top-three finishes.

Ashontae Jackson was the first Tigerbelle to finish in first by winning the Long Jump with a final of 5.85 meters. Teammate Clairwin Dameus was not far behind with a leap of 5.73 meters, putting her in third place.

Not to be outdone, Royce Dates won the Long Jump for the Flying Tigers with a hop of 7.19 meters and Daryl Rice picked up a third-place medal with a jump of 6.43 meters.
 

Next came the women's Triple Jump where the Tigerbelles overwhelmed their competition with Ja'Lyn Burr (12.12 meters), Felicia Oladakun (11.62 meters) and Amber Townsend (11.54 meters) finishing first through third.

On the men's side, Kareem Nicholas placed second in the Triple Jump with a best of 14.01 meters.

Britani Logan won the women's shot put (13.68 meters) while Alex Griffin (13.96 meters) and Lester Blanton (12.63 meters) finished second and third, respectively, for the men's team.

In the 55-meter men's hurdles, Jason Griffin and Shawn Harris led all other hurdlers with times of 7.89 and 7.92 seconds.

The Tigerbelles also performed well in the dashes, as Quanisha Sales won the 55-meter and 200-meter with a times of 7.01 and 25.20 seconds while Jackson (56.72) and Gabrielle Todd (57.47) placed second and third in the 400-meter.

Jackson and Todd later teamed with Jasmine Owens and Breanna Adams to capture first-place in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:47.18.

The Flying Tigers also came out victorious in the 4x400, as the team of Lamonte Burton, Osafa Hippolyte, Michael Johnson and Jamill Jackson won the event with a time of 3:20.03.

Jackson also won the men's 800-meter run by nearly three seconds, finishing with a time of 1:56.11.

The squads will travel to Middle Tennessee State on Feb. 9 before wrapping up the Indoor Season with the OVC Tournament on Feb. 22.

 

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU’s ‘Human Jukebox’ headed to the Super Bowl again

Baton Rouge, La — It’s Super Bowl time again for the world famous Southern University Marching Band.

The band, nicknamed the “Human Jukebox,” will perform in New Orleans during pre-game activities of Super Bowl XLVII being held Feb. 3 in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. This will mark the fourth Super Bowl performance for the SU marching band.

It will be fifth time, though, that a segment of SU’s football game halftime show has participated in the Super Bowl entertainment. Just last year, the Dancing Dolls, the 11-member female dance team that accompanies the band, performed with mega-star Madonna during halftime of the Super Bowl held in Indianapolis, Ind.

The nationally acclaimed Dancing Dolls recently captured the Best Overall College Dance Line award from the HBCU Dance Corporation. The Dolls also won in the category of Best Technique and finished in a three-way tie in the Best In Stands category with Albany State and Alabama State universities.

Director of Bands Lawrence Jackson is excited about the Super Bowl invitation from the National Football League. “This is a testament and tribute to the hard work our young men and women put into their practices, performances and their efforts in the classroom,” Jackson said. “I am proud of them and happy for our university.”

WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports

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Locals part of Super Bowl performances this weekend

New Orleans (KPLC) - When Beyonce puts on her big half-time show, a Lake Charles woman will be backing her up.

D'Tara Frank, an alumna of Washington-Marion and Southern University, will be dancing with Beyonce during half-time.

KPLC is told D'Tara is a local engineer.

Also performing separately will be the Southern University Marching Band.

Assistant Band Director Nathan Haymer has an extensive past as a band director at Washington-Marion.

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Southern Marching Band to Perform at Super Bowl

For the first time since 1990 and the fourth time in its history, Southern University’s “Human Jukebox” Marching Band will display its talents before a Super Bowl crowd Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

The nationally renowned band will perform a 6-minute, three-song performance accompanied by the Dancing Dolls dance team during pregame festivities before the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers square off in Super Bowl XLVII.

The band will cap its performance with a second-line parade off the field.

The pregame ceremony will also feature survivors from the Sandy Hook school shooting singing “America The Beautiful” following team introductions and Alicia Keys singing the national anthem.

The Dancing Dolls performed with Madonna for last year’s halftime show, but it has been more than 20 years since the entire band performed in the big game.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students Director of Bands Lawrence Jackson said Wednesday night as the band was rehearsing. He said he’s confident they will rise to the occasion.

“It’s not just good for the university or the city of Baton Rouge, it’s an opportunity to showcase the talent from the state of Louisiana,” Jackson said. “We can showcase to the world that the state of Louisiana has a wealth of talent.”

Jackson boasted that the band can put together a show from scratch in three days. The band has had nearly 21/2 weeks to practice for Sunday’s big game, rigorously working on details that distinguish an exceptional marching band from a great one — such as making sure the lines of the “V” in “XLVII” are crisp and sharp, with no curves.

The NFL requires the band to spell out XLVII, NFL and NOLA in its performance.



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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