Texas Southern claims SWAC Regular Season Championship

2012-13 SWAC Regular Season Champions
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY MEN BASKETBALL
(Courtesy Texas Southern University Athletics) 

HOUSTON, Texas --  History was made on Saturday night at the H&PE Arena as Texas Southern clinched the 2013 Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship and said goodbye to four seniors on the Tigers basketball team.

Dexter Ellington, Kyrie Sutton, Fred Sturdivant and Omar Strong concluded their collegiate careers in grand fashion helping Texas Southern to its first SWAC regular season title since the 1997-98 season. The Tigers dominated from start to finish as they led 39-27 at halftime before going on to outscore Alcorn State 39-32 in the second half of play.

Texas Southern built their largest lead of the second half at the 16:15 mark on a Sturdivant jumper that brought the score to 49-28. Alcorn State cut the lead to twelve points at 67-55 with 4:18 left to play but the Tigers pushed their advantage back to 21 points with 1:30 remaining on a Sturdivant dunk (76-55).

Sturdivant led all Texas Southern point contributors with 24 points on a 9-of-13 shooting night of the floor. He also grabbed 6 rebounds while blocking 5 shot attempts and set the tone early in the contest with his energy level.

Strong finished the game with 18 points going 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Strong became the All-time leader in school history with 222 successful three point attempts in his two year career as a member of the Tigers program.

“Our fans have been great all season so we owed them this championship,” said TSU head coach Mike Davis. “I’m excited about where we are as a program after getting off to a rough start. Our goal going into the season was to win twenty games. We came up short of that goal but we still have the opportunity to finish with one of the longest winning streaks in the country. I’m really proud of our guys and the way that they battled all season. It means a lot for us to be able to send our seniors out like this.”

Inside the Numbers
Texas Southern outrebounded Alcorn State 37-to-33 while scoring 29 points inside the paint to the Braves 26 points. TSU held the Braves to no points in transition and forced ASU into shooting just 39 percent from the field (23-59).

Season to remember
The Tigers have concluded their season with a 17-14 overall record and a 16-2 mark in league play. Texas Southern ended the season on a twelve game winning streak. The Tigers led the SWAC in league play in several statistical categories including scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three point field goal percentage, rebounding defense, assists, and blocked shots.

Strong finished third in points per game in the conference (17.1 ppg), while fellow teammate Sturdivant finished first in blocked shots (3.4 bpg), and second in rebounds (3.4 rpg). Ray Penn led the conference in assists per game (5.9 apg) and also ranked first in assists to turnover ratio.

Tiger Notables

• Texas Southern concluded SWAC regular season play with a 7-2 record on the road.
• Texas Southern went undefeated at home in conference play at 9-0.
• Fred Sturdivant tallied six blocked shots against Southern and five versus Alcorn State.
• The Tigers had two players score in double figures against Alcorn State.
• Texas Southern led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in points scored per game this season.
• Omar Strong became the school's All-Time leader in three point field goals made (222).

By Andrew Roberts, TSU Sports Information Director
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

2013 SIAC Men's Basketball Championship: Second half ralley helps Benedict claim consecutive title

MARCUS GOODE

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  Marcus Goode was named 2013 SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament MVP as the 6-10 senior All-American recorded a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead Benedict College to its second consecutive SIAC Men's Basketball Championship with a 68-60 victory over Morehouse College Saturday evening at Forbes Arena.

Lamar Adkins added 15 points off the bench for the Tigers, who won their fourth tournament title since 2004 under head coach Fred Watson.

"We knew that they [Morehouse] were going to come out aggressive," Watson said. "They are very well coach and know us very well and really challenged us in all phases of the game. I am happy to have a group of seniors that are self motivated and know how to get the job done."

Andrae Nelson had 20 points to lead the Maroon Tigers, and was named to the All-Tournament team, as was Darrius Williams, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

While Morehouse applied pressure on SIAC Men's Player of the Year Xavier Collier, the point guard managed to get his teammates involved by dishing a game-high nine assists to match his 10 points he scored. Rickie Jackson, who was named to the All-Conference team along with Goode, scored six points, but hit his 12th and 13th 3-point basket in the second half to help spark Benedict's comeback.

Morehouse opened up the second half with a 9-3 run to take a 41-33 lead, getting the large home Morehouse crowd excited and forcing Watson to burn a quick time out. Senior Cassius Bell hit a jumper on the ensuing play, but Morehouse's Shawn Allen responded with a jumper. Goode converted on a layup that would spark a 18-4 run by the Tigers.

A 3-pointer by Jackson cut the lead to three as Brenan Reynard hit back-to-back baskets to give Benedict the 46-45 lead with 11:01 to play. An Adkins jumper gave Benedict the lead for good, 48-47, with 10:17 to play, and he followed by hitting a 3-pointer on the next possession.

Benedict had a 61-53 lead with 2:27 left, but Morehouse got a 3-pointer from Austin Anderson and a jumper from Nelson to make it 61-58 with 1:43 left to play. Over the next minute, Benedict missed one field goal and two free throws, while Morehouse missed two field goals. Adkins snapped the scoring drought by sinking two critical free throws with .38 second remaining in the game to put the Tigers ahead 63-58.

Morehouse cut the lead to 65-60 with .18 seconds left on a jumper by Williams, but Adkins sank two more free throws with .16 seconds left to secure the victory.

Joining Goode, Jackson, Nelson, and Williams on the All-Tournament team was Tuskegee guard Calvin Thomas, who averaged 16 points in two tournament games for the Golden Tigers.

2013 SIAC Basketball Champions: Benedict College Tigers
2013 SIAC Basketball Tournament Runners Up: Morehouse College Maroon Tigers

2013 SIAC All-Tournament Team

Name	Position	Class	School
Darrius Williams	Forward	Junior	Morehouse
Ricky Jackson	Forward	Senior	Benedict
Andrae Nelson	Forward/Center	Senior	Morehouse
Marcus Goode	Forward	Senior	Benedict
Calvin Thomas	Guard	Senior	Tuskegee

2013 SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player
Marcus Goode

2013 SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Coach
Fred Watson, Benedict
 

Benedict College Pep Band -- "Purple and Gold"

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

2013 SIAC Women's Championship Game: Clark Atlanta uses a dominate second half to defeat Benedict

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- Conisha Hicks was named MVP of the 2013 SIAC Women’s Basketball Tournament, as she had game highs of 20 points, seven assists, and five steals to lead #2E Clark Atlanta over #1E Benedict College 75-58 Saturday evening in the SIAC Women's Championship Game played at Morehouse College's Frank L. Forbes Arena.

The win secured Clark Atlanta's first SIAC Tournament Championship since 1999 and fifth in school history. Lady Panther's head coach Vanessa Moore said afterwards that she knew her team was special.

“They’ve been talking about it for a long time,” Moore said. “They’ve been talking about the possibilities of winning a championship. It’s always one of our three goals: academic goals, championships, and community service off the floor. But, I think that we really put it all together this year. The team was mature. I knew it would be tough, and we went through hard knocks throughout the season. But, in the way that we played some of our non-conference games, I knew that we had a good team. There was never a doubt. Every time we walked off the floor, we earned a little bit more respect.”

Tag-teaming Hick's performance was La’Quisha Lewis, who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Ten of those rebounds were on the defensive end, and were a contributing cause to the Lady Tigers shooting just 17 percent from the field in the opening half (5-of-28). Lewis, along with her teammate Hicks were named to the all-tournament team.

For Benedict, London Richardson led the team with highs of 18 points and eight rebounds. Monique Weathers also had 13 points, and both players were also named to the all-tournament team.

Both teams traded baskets to start the game, but Clark Atlanta exploded on a 20-6 run to take a commanding 22-8 lead with 11:53 remaining before halftime. Momentarily, the Lady Tigers roared back into the contest with an 11-0 run of their own, and CAU’s lead was trimmed down to 22-19 with under seven minute to play in the opening half.


Courtesy Paul Brown

For a minute, it looked as if the momentum was going to shift in favor of Benedict, until Hicks took matters into her own hands. Against Benedict full-court pressure defense, the 5-foot-4 junior guard used her speed and fearless demeanor to score several transition baskets, while setting her teammates up with layups as the double-teams cavorted her. In result, Clark Atlanta opened up a massive lead that they would refuse to relinquish.

“Well, I knew that they were going to put pressure on me, and I was prepared for it,” Hicks said.
“So, I just knew that my teammates needed me. I stepped to the ball. I took control, and we came out with a victory. I learned through the playoffs I played in my freshman year and my sophomore year. After watching these other teams celebrate, we have a great team, and I just wanted to feel that win. Feel it! That’s all I wanted.”

After a strong defensive showing in the first half, where CAU held the Lady Tigers to just 17.9 percent shooting, the Lady Panthers switched up the routine by shooting lights out in the second half, as they shot 68.2 percent from the floor.

In addition to the four players from tonight’s game making the SIAC All-Tournament team, Ashley Watts from Paine College was the fifth member added to the squad. She scored a tournament high 29 points during her second game inside Frank Forbes Arena.

2013 SIAC Basketball Champions: Clark Atlanta Lady Panthers
2013 SIAC Basketball Tournament Runners Up: Benedict College Lady Tigers

2013 SIAC All-Tournament Team

Name	Position	Class	School
Conisha Hicks	Guard	Junior	Clark Atlanta
La'Quisha Lewis	Forward	Senior	Clark Atlanta
London Richardson	Guard	Sophomore	Benedict
Monique Weathers	Guard	Senior	Benedict
Ashley Watts	Guard	Sophomore	Paine

2013 SIAC Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player
Conisha Hicks, Clark Atlanta

2013 SIAC Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Coach
Vanessa Moore, Clark Atlanta

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

 

Shaw Lady Bears Win Third Straight CIAA Championship With 72-53 Win over Fayetteville State

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Shaw University Lady Bears won their third straight CIAA Championship following a 72-53 victory over Fayetteville State in the title game on Saturday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Lady Bears outscored the Lady Broncos 42-27 in the second half to win their eighth CIAA Championship in the last 11 years. The win improves Shaw, the No. 2 seed from the Southern Division, to 25-4 overall while Fayetteville State, the No. 1 seed from the Southern Division, drops to 24-6 overall.

Shaw was led by three players in double figures with Crystal Wilson and Crystal Harris leading the way with 18 points apiece. Taylor Dalrymple chimed in with 16 points and eight rebounds and was named the Most Valuable Player for the Tournament.

"We knew it was going to be a battle of rebounds and free throws," said Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis. "When we lost to them the first time, they outrebounded us and shot more free throws than we did. When we played them the second time, we out rebounded them and shot more free throws. So we knew the key to the game had nothing to do with putting the ball in the basket, it had to do with us not putting them on the line as much."


Courtesy CIAA SIDA

The Lady Bears pulled down 48 rebounds compared to 41 for Fayetteville State. From the charity stripe, the Lady Bears were 18-of-22 while the Lady Broncos were 10-of-11.

Fayetteville State was led by Akysia Resper, who finished with a team-high 16 points. Alicia Person added 11 points in the loss. The reigning CIAA Player of the Year Kristen Hanzer was limited to just eight points and was held scoreless until midway through the second half.

"What we got from Shaw is what we expected," said Fayetteville State head coach Eva Patterson-Heath. "I'd like to congratulate them for winning a third CIAA Championship. I put the word 'relentless' on the board at the start of the game. I feel like at times it did not apply. We just did not attack, as was demonstrated in 11 attempts at the free throw line."

After a three-pointer from Akysia Resper gave the Lady Broncos the early 3-0 lead, the Lady Bears responded with a 6-0 run to take a three-point lead thanks to a layup from Crystal Wilson at the 15:19 mark of the first half.

An off balance jumper from Dalrymple tied the game up at 8, sparking a 10-0 run that helped propel the Lady Bears to an eight-point lead. Kearah Jeffreys buried back-to-back jumpers, with the last one coming with 9:06 left to give Shaw the 16-8 lead.


Courtesy CIAA SIDA

Resper buried another three-pointer to bring FSU within five at 16-11 with 8:33 left in the period. Dalrymple pushed Shaw's lead back to seven when she drained a jumper.

The Lady Broncos cut it back down to five when Shuanda Ashford drilled a shot from the post to make it 18-13. The Lady Bears answered with a 6-0 run to build a 24-13 lead with 6:01 remaining in the period.

The Lady Broncos responded with a 13-3 over the next five minutes run to get back within one thanks to a layup from Je'Lena Robertson, which made it 27-26 at the 1:09 mark.
Harris scored the final three points of the half on a layup and a free throw to give the Lady Bears a 30-26 advantage at halftime.

The Lady Bears opened the second half on a 10-2 run to go up nine. A three-point play the old fashioned way from Crystal Gordon gave the Lady Bears a 37-28 cushion with 16:28 remaining in the game.

After FSU's Tierra Coleman sank a pair of free throws to bring the Lady Broncos within seven, Harris and Wilson scored the next four points for the Lady Bears to increase their lead back to double digits. Wilson snagged down an offensive rebound and hit a jumper with 14:35 remaining to give Shaw a 41-30 lead.

A pair of free throws from Dalrymple gave Shaw another 13-point lead before Shuanda Ashford responded with a layup on the other end to bring the Lady Broncos within 11.

After a three-point play by Wilson and a layup from Harris extended Shaw's lead to 16 at 48-32, the Lady Broncos scored the next four points to get back within 10 after a layup from Kristen Hanzer for her first points of the game, which came at the 10:09 mark.

The Lady Bears answered with an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 18. A steal from Jeffreys and a layup from Diamond Mitchell gave Shaw a 56-38 with 8:04 left in the contest.

Person ended a three minute stretch without a field goal when she buried a jumper to bring the Lady Broncos within 16 with 7:05 remaining.

After a layup from Harris increased the Lady Bears' lead to 18 at 58-40, Hanzer brought it back down to 15 with a three-pointer at the 6:19 mark. Thirteen seconds later, David converted a layup to push it back to 17 at 60-43.

The Lady Bears went on a 9-5 run over the next three minutes to build a 21-point lead. Dalrymple's layup at the 2:23 mark made it 69-48.

A three-pointer by Hanzer made it an 18-point game before Harris made it a 20-point margin with a layup with 58 seconds left. Gordon sank 1-of-2 free throws to extend Shaw's lead to 21 with 11 seconds left.

A late bucket from Robertson brought it back down to 19 with one tick left. When the buzzer rang, the Lady Bears celebrated the victory.

Box Score

COURTESY CIAA.COM AND CIAA SIDA

Westmoreland leads Bowie State to second CIAA Men's Basketball Title in School History

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Byron Westmorland had a huge night in leading Bowie State to the CIAA championship.

The senior forward scored a career-high 38 points including 26 points in the second half to outduel Livingstone's Mark Thomas and help Bowie State break open a tight game for an 85-74 victory over Livingstone in the CIAA finals at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday. The Bulldogs (16-13 overall) won their second championship, including the first under Head Coach Darrell Brooks, after entering the tournament as the No. 4 Northern Division seed. The latest title comes 10 years after the Bulldogs claimed their first CIAA crown in 2003.

With the victory, the Bulldogs received the conference's automatic bid in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Blue Bears (22-6 overall) are anticipating an at-large bid after reaching the title game as the No. 6 ranked team in the Atlantic Region. The top eight teams in the region will advance to the tournament.

"I'm so proud of my team, especially my five seniors," Brooks said. "They've worked hard. We've had a lot of adversity this year and all through it, they stuck together and we got a great reward for it."
However, the Blue Bears missed out on that elusive first league championship after winning their first Southern Division title and coming into the tournament as the division's top seed. The Blue Bears can blame Westmoreland, the tournament MVP, for that.


Courtesy CIAA SIDA

The Bulldogs' star sparked a late run which clinched the title for the Bulldogs. Down 53-51 with 14:42 left, the Bulldogs outscored the Blue Bears 34-21 with Westmoreland scoring 18 points during the spurt. The Bulldogs' finish was similar to Friday's semifinal against Winston-Salem State when they went on a late surge to reach the championship game.

The Bulldogs withstood an outstanding effort by Thomas of the Blue Bears, a talented guard who scored a career-high 34 points before fouling out late. Thomas kept the Blue Bears in the game by scoring 18 points in the second half. His layup on a drive cut the Blue Bears' deficit to 75-67. But Westmoreland completed a three-point play of his own for a 78-67 lead with 2:05 left that wrapped up the game for the Bulldogs, who outscored the Blue Bears 42-33 in the second half.

Westmorland finished the night making 13 of 19 shots which ranged from jumpers to layups in transition which resulted in three-point plays at times. He also made 10 of 15 free throws in addition to getting six rebounds and four steals.

Westmorland got support from his inside players. Forward Carlos Smith had 11 points and seven rebounds and forward Najee White contributed 10 points. Forward Dameatric Scott had seven rebounds and five assists. Guard Bryan Wilson also helped out on the boards, grabbing six to go along with eight points. The inside play complemented Westmoreland as the Bulldogs scored 46 points in the paint and 16 second-chance points.

"[The] game was kind of what we expected," Brooks said. "It was a war. We thought it was going to be a very physical game. We thought that the team that did the best job defending and on the backboards would be the team that would probably win the game and fortunately, it was us."

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 56 percent. Meanwhile, the Blue Bears shot 38 percent.

"Bowie came out and scored points," Livingstone coach James Stinson said. "That was the biggest fear. We knew they would score. We knew that Westmoreland was a tough person to stop, but we left some points out there ourselves, by not making free throws, by missing a few layups here and there, and I think we were a little anxious at certain points in time. We've been down this road once before and we just didn't take advantage of the opportunity that was presented to us. I take my hat off to Bowie State and congratulate them for doing such a good job."

Other than Thomas, the Blue Bears struggled from the floor. Thomas was 11 of 21 from the floor and 9 of 13 from the free-throw line in addition to three steals. Darnell Turner added 11 points but he was the only other double figure scorer. Anthony Welch scored nine points on 3 of 4 three-point shooting.
The Bowie State big men impact the contest from the start by limiting the Blue Bears to one shot and getting inside for easy baskets. A dunk by Carlos Smith off a missed layup lifted the Bulldogs to an early 15-7 lead.

Led by Thomas, the Blue Bears came back to pull within 22-19. The Blue Bears led 26-24 on his three-point play.

The Bulldogs reclaimed momentum when Wilson swished a three pointer for a 40-36 Bulldogs lead with under a minute remaining in the half. A three-pointer by Westmorland made the score 43-38 Bowie State, but Thomas answered with a three before halftime to cut the Bulldogs lead to 43-41 at the break.

Thomas scored 16 points in the first half for the Blue Bears. Westmorland scored 12 and Smith with 10 for the Bulldogs. White added eight points for the Bulldogs.

Thomas gave the Blue Bears a 46-44 lead in the second half on a three-pointer, but Bowie State reclaimed the lead at 51-46 on a free throw and layup by Westmorland.

Once again, it was Thomas who brought back the Blue Bears. His free throw and three from the deep corner put the Blue Bears back ahead 53-51. Westmoreland scored five straight points as the Bulldogs regained the lead at 56-53. A dunk by White and a layup by Westmoreland extended their lead to 65-56, giving the Bulldogs the cushion they needed to hold off the Blue Bears. When Scott scored on a tip-in, the lead reached 13 points at 75-62.

The All-CIAA Tournament team featured Westmorland and Scott of Bowie State, and Thomas, Jody Hill and Ethan Anderson of Livingstone. The other All-CIAA Tourney members are Quinton McDuffie of Chowan, Christopher Grier of Virginia State, Justin Glover of Winston-Salem State, Derrick Washington of Lincoln (Pa.), and Angelo Sharpless of Elizabeth City State. Johnson C. Smith won the John B. McLendon Team Sportsmanship Award.

Box Score


BSU Pep Band at Harding University H.S., Charlotte, N.C.

COURTESY CIAA.COM AND CIAA SIDA

Davis has TSU men's hoops program back on track

Men: Davis refuses to let NCAA sanctions stand in the way of getting program back on track

HOUSTON, Texas  --  In the middle stages of what was to become an 11-game losing streak, Texas Southern University offered then-interim men's basketball coach Mike Davis a four-year contract extension. Dr. Charles McClelland, the athletic director, explains it was clear to him Davis was the right man for a tough job.

For Davis, the fit felt right as well, never mind where he had been or the obstacles that lay ahead. Less than half a year after he walked on to the TSU campus for the first time, having never met any of his players - or superiors - face to face, he signed on for the long haul.

 

"I got the job so late I couldn't immediately change the mindset of how I wanted them to play," said the former Indiana and Alabama-Birmingham coach, whose record with the Tigers fell to 1-13 on Jan. 2 after a 15-point lead didn't hold up in a 63-57 loss in TSU's Southwestern Athletic Conference opener against Southern at Baton Rouge, La. "It took some time for them to buy into everything, from how we were going to play to how we were going to work.

"There was a lot that had to be changed. They went from playing zone (defense) for a couple of years to a man-to-man, and I don't like quick shots, which had been their style. I like that extra pass. I like sharing the basketball and rebounding hard. Everything was totally different for them. It wasn't until January that we started playing like should have been playing in November."

So you can imagine how ...

READ MORE 

Texas Southern's Rivera Starts the Spring Season Ranked 6th in the Nation

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY 2012-13 WOMEN'S GOLF TEAM

Briana Trevino, Kassandra Rivera, Carmen Gonzales, Angela Rafac, Adriana Trevino,
Georgette Rolle (asst. coach)
(Courtesy Texas Southern Athletics)
 

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana  --  The Texas Southern golf teams will kick-off the spring golf season by hosting the Texas SWAC Invitational Golf Tournament at Oakwing Golf Course in Alexandria, LA.

The two-day tournament runs March 4 & 5^th.

This will be Kassandra Rivera’s first tournament since her national ranking from the Fall Season. Rivera is currently ranked 6^th in the nation among NCAA Division I players with a 71.63 average. She is the highest ranked college player in Texas and among student-athletes from an HBCU.

Rivera’s low round of the season was 66 at the Prairie View A&M Invitational.

William Wells leads the Tigers’ men’s team with a 76.63 average. His low game was 74 in the Black College Hall of Fame tournament in Atlanta, GA.


COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

In matchups of ranked teams, XU beats Belhaven twice

NEW ORLEANS -- Both Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams defeated ranked NAIA opponents Thursday at the XU Tennis Center. The Gold Nuggets, ranked 11th, beat No. 22 Belhaven 9-0. The Gold Rush, ranked 10th, rallied to defeat No. 12 Belhaven 5-4.

Both XU teams snapped two-dual losing streaks. The women are 4-3, and the men are 4-4. Both Belhaven teams are 3-1.

The XU women did not drop a set against Belhaven. Kourtney Howell, Brion Flowers, Amanda Materre and Simone-Alyse Ewell won in singles and doubles for the Gold Nuggets, and Materre clinched the dual with her 6-2, 6-1 victory against Natalia Krier at No. 3 singles.

"The Nuggets come out and took care of business from start to finish," XU coach Alan Green said. "it was a good match played today."

The victory was the Gold Nuggets' second of the season against a ranked opponent.

The Gold Rush trailed 3-2 before getting singles victories from Loic Didavi, Nikita Soifer and Kyle Montrel, who clinched the dual with his 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision against Daniel Prado at No. 3. The No. 1 doubles team of Soifer and Montrel improved to 7-0 this semester after an 8-3 decision against David Mejia and Daniel Duarte.

"The Rush had another tough opponent which came out and was really intense against us," Green said. "We fought back from three match points at No. 2 doubles, which ended up being the deciding factor in the match. I have a bunch of mentally tough guys playing for us."

Soifer and Viktor Svoboda won that No. 2 doubles match 9-8 against Prado and Jefferson Nino.

It was the first Gold Rush victory this season against a ranked opponent. The XU men defeated a school-record 10 ranked opponents a year ago.

Both XU teams will travel to Jackson, Miss., for Saturday duals against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents Tougaloo and Fisk. But the Gold Nuggets' schedule is a little busier, with a 3 p.m. home dual Friday against Southern and a 4 p.m. Sunday dual at Southeastern Louisiana. The SLU dual was pushed back two hours due to expected cold weather. Both XU teams will play Shorter at 2 p.m. Monday at the XU Tennis Center, which will result in six duals in five days for the Gold Nuggets.

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

Southern beats Gold Nuggets for fourth consecutive year

NEW ORLEANS -- Lois Alexis defeated Simone-Alyse Ewell 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles Friday to clinch Southern's 6-3 women's tennis victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at the XU Tennis Center.

The Lady Jaguars (5-4) won their fifth dual match in a row and defeated the Gold Nuggets (4-4) for the fourth consecutive year. Xavier is ranked 11th in the NAIA.

Southern won 2-of-3 doubles matches and 4-of-6 in singles. Xavier's Kourtney Howell defeated Demetria Woods 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Camara Davis put Southern ahead to stay with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Vashni Balleste at No. 6 singles.

Amanda Materre won at No. 3 singles for Xavier, as did Amber Brown and Nicole DeLoach at No. 3 doubles.

Materre, winning for the sixth time in seven singles matches this semester, beat Danielle Dixon 6-3, 6-4. Brown and DeLoach won in doubles for the second straight day and gave Xavier a 1-0 lead after their 9-7 defeat of Dixon and Kendall Bunch.

Howell and Materre have three singles victories each this semester against NCAA Division I opponents.

Xavier lost the other doubles matches 9-7 and 9-8. Davis and Morgan Taylor saved six match points at No. 2 in a 9-8 (7-4) victory against Ewell and Materre. Another close match was Gabrielle Moore's 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 decision against XU's Brion Flowers at No. 2 singles.

All four Xavier losses this season are to NCAA Division I opponents.

The Gold Nuggets' next dual will start at 4 p.m. Sunday at Southeastern Louisiana. The XU men's and women's duals against Fisk and Tougaloo, scheduled for Saturday in Jackson, Miss., were postponed and may be rescheduled. Also postponed were Monday men's and women's home duals against Shorter due to a death in the family of Shorter coach Orville Adams. Those matches will be rescheduled for April.

Added to the schedule were men's and women's duals against Northwood (Fla.) In Orlando, Fla., on March 28.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Lady Broncos use inside strength to advance to Championship Game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fayetteville State has its own version of "Shaq", and she led them to a CIAA Tournament women's semifinal win at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday.

Shuanda Ashford, whose is nicknamed after former NBA great Shaquille O'Neal, poured in 23 points and snatched 10 rebounds in a 71-57 victory over Virginia Union. The Lady Broncos (24-4 overall), the Southern Division champs and top division seed, reached their seventh CIAA finals in school history and the second under Head Coach Eva Patterson-Heath. Her squad won it all in 2010. The

Lady Broncos are shooting for their fourth league crown.

The Lady Broncos reached the CIAA championship game, which is Saturday at 5 p.m., on their inside power and transition game. The Lady Panthers (13-14), the No. 2 seed in the Northern Division, could not stop Ashford, a wide-bodied 6-1 All-CIAA center, despite doubling down on her in a zone defense. Despite the defensive focus on her, Ashford still muscled her way to the basket for easy layups. She was 10 of 16 from the floor.

"In the paint, it's always a battle," Ashford said. "My teammates kept finding the will to get me the ball and I was trying to find the will to put the ball in the basket."

Meanwhile, her frontcourt teammate Tierra Coleman took advantage of attention on Ashford on the weak side of the basket to produce a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. Coleman, the Food Lion MVP of the game, was perfect offensively, making 7 of 7 field-goal attempts and 2 of 2 free-throw attempts. Together, the frontcourt duo combined for 39 points and 22 rebounds. Coleman carried the Lady Broncos when Ashford went out briefly after falling out of bounds under the basket in the second half.



Box Score

READ MORE

Bowie State derails WSSU's hope for CIAA repeat

CHARLOTTE - Bowie State stonewalled Winston-Salem State’s bid to win consecutive CIAA basketball titles during Friday night’s semifinals of the conference tournament.

The fourth-seeded Bulldogs threw up a brick wall of a defense inside and came away with an 83-66 victory. Taking most everything away from WSSU on the inside, Bowie advanced to play Livingstone in tonight’s championship game at Time Warner Cable Arena.For the 10th-ranked Rams, poor free-throw shooting also hurt, but the biggest problem was finding any room inside.

The Bulldogs won their sixth straight and improved to 15-13. They can secure a berth in the Division II Tournament with a win tonight.

The Rams (21-6) will have more basketball to play in the Division II Tournament but that didn’t make the loss sting any less. The Rams were trying to match the 1999 and 2000 WSSU teams that won consecutive CIAA titles.

The Rams (21-6) will have more basketball to play in the Division II Tournament but that didn’t makREe the loss sting any less. The Rams were trying to match the 1999 and 2000 WSSU teams that won consecutive CIAA titles.

Guard Byron Westmorland the Bulldogs with 27 points. and Dameatric Scott added 21. Branden Doughty chipped in nine points. and the Bulldogs shot 83 percent at the foul line (24 of 29).

READ MORE

Shaw women shoot for third straight CIAA title

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- A rubber match in the CIAA championship Saturday night will settle the season series between Shaw and Fayetteville State.

Fayetteville State took the first game on Friday against Virginia Union 71-57 while Shaw came from behind in the final 12 minutes to top Elizabeth City State 76-61.

After splitting the season series with the visitors winning one apiece, the top two seeds in the tournament will meet at 5 p.m. Saturday for the title.

“They got size and we have size,” Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said. “It’s bigs going against bigs where some other teams don’t have the size we have, so we can really pound them on the glass, and they have really good guard play. We know that’s going to be a battle with them tomorrow.”

Fayetteville State won the first meeting 66-64 on Jan. 30 while Shaw took the second meeting 75-65 on Feb. 20.

VIDEO: Friday's action

 

READ MORE

Livingstone men return to CIAA finals for 2nd time in 3 seasons

Courtesy CIAA SIDA

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  Livingstone is a game away from its first CIAA men’s championship.

The Blue Bears (22-5) rolled by Elizabeth City State 68-53 Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena to secure their second berth in the title game in three seasons.

Livingstone, the No. 1 seed in the South Division, is playing with the confidence of a team on a mission.

“I feel good with this group but we still have to play a game,” Blue Bears coach James Stinson said. “That’s why you have to play, no matter who it is we have to match up and play LC basketball.”

That meant exploiting its size advantage against the smaller Vikings (17-11), the North’s No. 2 seed, especially on defense.

 The Blue Bears rotated a big lineup that included 6-foot-8 guard Eladio Espinoza to slow down Elizabeth City State guard Angelo Sharpless, the CIAA’s player of the year. Sharpless led all scorers with 20 points, but scored only four in the first half when Livingstone sprinted away. The Blue Bears never trailed and led by as many as 24 points.

Video:  Friday's CIAA action

Video: CIAA fan experience 03.01.13

 Photo Gallery: Livingston 68, ECSU 53

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/03/01/3888091/livingstone-men-return-to-ciaa.html#storylink=cpy

Courtesy CIAA SIDA

READ MORE 

North Carolina A&T Aggies Release 2013 Football Schedule

GREENSBORO -- North Carolina A&T released an interesting and challenging 2013 football schedule on Wednesday.

The Southern Conference, which is widely regarded as one of the best conference in the Division I-Football Championship Subdivision, will have both of its North Carolina schools on the Aggies 2013 schedule. A&T is scheduled to open against Appalachian State on Sept. 7 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, N.C., at 6 p.m.

A week later A&T will host Elon at Aggie Stadium for the first time in seven seasons. The two Piedmont schools played one another for seven consecutive seasons starting in 2000. When the Aggies and Phoenix play in September, it will be their ninth meeting. They split the previous eight with each team winning four.

The Greatest Homecoming On Earth will take place on Nov. 2 against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. It will be the latest A&T's Homecoming has occurred since the Aggies defeated Bethune-Cookman 73-7 on Nov. 2, 1996. It will also mark the first time the Aggies have played a non-conference opponent for Homecoming since beating Johnson C. Smith 19-8 on Oct. 10, 1987.

After a two-year absence, conference foe Hampton returns to the Aggies schedule as well. A&T's last meeting against Hampton resulted in a 35-21 loss at Hampton on Sept. 18, 2010. The two teams will get together again at

  Hampton on Oct. 12. While Hampton is an old rival rotating back onto the schedule, Savannah State will be completely new to Aggie fans.

The Tigers, who joined the conference three seasons ago, has never played A&T on the gridiron. That will no longer be the case on Nov. 16 when the Tigers come to Aggie Stadium for a 1 p.m., kickoff. A&T's other three home games include a Sept. 28 game against Howard, an Oct. 19 game against Delaware State and archrival N.C. Central comes to Aggieland on Nov. 23 for the regular-season finale.

A&T will also play road games against S.C. State (Oct. 5), Florida A&M (Oct. 26) and Morgan State (Nov. 9).

Ticket information for the 2013 season will be announced soon.



2013 Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time (ET)   Sat, Sep 07 Appalachian State at Boone, N.C. 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 14 Elon Aggie Stadium 6 p.m. Sat, Sep 28 Howard * Aggie Stadium 6 p.m. Sat, Oct 05 S.C. State * at Orangeburg, S.C. TBA Sat, Oct 12 Hampton * at Hampton, Va. 2 p.m. Sat, Oct 19 Delaware State * Aggie Stadium 1 p.m. Sat, Oct 26 Florida A&M * at Tallahassee, Fla. TBA Sat, Nov 02 Virginia University of Lynchburg (Homecoming) Aggie Stadium 1 p.m. Sat, Nov 09 Morgan State * at Baltimore, Md. TBA Sat, Nov 16 Savannah State * Aggie Stadium 1 p.m. Sat, Nov 23 N.C. Central * Aggie Stadium 1 p.m.

* Conference Games

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA commissioner: Tournament could move

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  It's a slam dunk for Charlotte!

The CIAA tournament brings hundreds of thousands of fans to the Queen City and they leave behind about $50 million.

“It's always really good to come and mingle with people we know from different schools and different cities, have a good time talk about the old days and enjoy the games," said Jay Asbury.

He and his wife come from Raleigh for the long weekend of basketball.

"I like the bigness of the city...lots of restaurants and hotels," Jay’s wife Delores said.

But the CIAA commissioner says there aren't enough hotels, and that could cost Charlotte the tournament the Queen City has hosted for the last eight years.
 "We still haven't been able to take care of our teams the way that I'd like to; they are spread out all over the city and I would like to figure out a way to get teams closer to the venue. That’s part of their experience as well," Commissioner Jacque Carpenter said.  READ MORE

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/03/01/3886510/ciaa-commissioner-tournament-could.html#storylink=cpy

8 seed Fisk outworks XU, wins 64-52 in GCAC tourney

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- For most of the past 10 seasons, Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball teams had few problems winning in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

But eighth-seeded Fisk caused plenty of problems for the top-seeded Gold Nuggets on Thursday, attacking the basket with ease and shooting 43 free throws in a 64-52 quarterfinal upset at Barton Coliseum.

It's the first time since 2000 that Xavier (24-5) lost in the quarterfinals. The Gold Nuggets entered the tournament with a 12-game win streak, their longest in three years, and a No. 10 ranking in NAIA Division I.

Raona Stowers scored 14 of her 19 points in the second half, including 10-of-14 free throws, for Fisk (9-20). The Lady Bulldogs had lost all five previous meetings against Xavier by an average of 28.6 points during the last two seasons.

"We didn't really focus for this game," said guard SiMon Franklin, Xavier's only senior. "We were looking past this game and not looking at getting through this game first."

Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored 12 points, and Franklin and Danielle Tucker scored 10 each fo Xavier.

Janine Davis scored 17 points and Rasheda Ademosu 11 for Fisk.

Xavier had won its previous 10 quarterfinal games by an average of 20 points, including a 73-49 decision against Fisk a year ago.

But this time Fisk outshot Xavier 46.3 to 28.6 percent from the floor -- 50 to 26.5 percent in the second half -- and made 23-of-43 free throws to the Gold Nuggets' 10-of-15. Although Xavier led 26-24 at halftime, the Lady Bulldogs spent nearly 15 minutes of the first half with the lead. Ademosu made the front end of a 1-and-1 with 12:17 remaining to put Fisk ahead to stay, 33-32. That was the second point of an 11-0 run which gave Fisk a 42-32 lead with 9:11 remaining. The Gold Nuggets never got closer than eight points in the final seven minutes.

"If you don't play with a passion and a determination to win, you can get beat on any given night," said Bo Browder, who lost for just the second time in 13 quarterfinals as XU's head coach. "We did not play Xavier basketball today.

"I am very disappointed in our team, but you have to give a lot of credit to Fisk. Their guards did a great job penetrating to the basket. We didn't do a good job defending them. You get to the line 43 times, and you've got a shot to win."

Fisk will play fifth-seeded Philander Smith, a 65-58 winner against fourth-seeded Tougaloo, in the semifinals at noon Friday. Xavier will wait and hope for an at-large bid Wednesday to the 32-team NAIA Division I National Championship, which will begin March 13 in Frankfort, Ky. The Gold Nuggets reached nationals 16 of the previous 18 seasons, including each of the last three. Xavier defeated higher-ranked teams iin the first round at nationals in 2011 and 2012.

"I think we'll get a bid because of our body of work," Browder said.

But Franklin, after an eye-opening upset, was more cautious. "I can just hope for the best at this point," she said. "We held a high ranking throughout the year. I hope that would be enough to get us there. But we did not perform well today, so there's no guarantee."

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS

City rival Dillard stuns XU Gold Rush in GCAC quarterfinals

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Don't let the calendar confuse you. March Madness was alive and well Thursday, the final day of February, at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

And for the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team -- the GCAC's regular-season co-champion for the second straight year and No. 13 in the NAIA Division I coaches poll -- it was maddening.

City rival Dillard, the tournament's No. 8 seed and beaten decisively by the Gold Rush twice during the regular season, eliminated top-seeded Xavier. The Blue Devils overcame a seven-point deficit in the final 3½ minutes and won 59-56 at Barton Coliseum.

Dillard defeated Xavier after eight consecutive losses -- including 54-34 on Jan. 26 and 70-46 on Saturday -- and won for the first time since 2009 in this series, which dates to the late 1940s.

"We took Dillard lightly," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "Dillard hit shots, had a game plan and played very well. We did not play well and did not follow the game plan."

Jarrain Jenkins, named GCAC Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, led Dillard (4-20) with 23 points and nine rebounds. Tyrone Williams had 16 points and seven rebounds, and Jordan Kilson had 14 points -- including 9-of-10 free throws -- six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

All-GCAC guard Wanto Joseph had 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and no turnovers. But Joseph was an uncharacteristic 6-of-20 from the floor on a day the Gold Rush (24-7) shot a season-worst 29.6 percent.

Xavier's All-GCAC forwards, Denzell Erves and Anthony Simmons, combined for 14 points, nine rebounds and six of their team's 15 turnovers. Simmons missed 6-of-8 free throws.

Joseph's steal and layup with 3:37 remaining capped a 16-5 run and gave the Gold Rush a 52-47 advantage, but Dillard regained its composure and outscored Xavier 12-4 the rest of the way. Williams' 14-footer on the left baseline with 56 seconds remaining put Dillard ahead to stay, 54-52.

Xavier missed 1-of-5 3-pointers in the final 1:37, and Nick Haywood's 25-footer from the right side at the buzzer prevented Xavier from moving to overtime for the fourth time this season.

Haywood finished with 16 points -- his highest total since Dec. 18 -- and made 3-of-7 3-pointers. But his teammates were a collective 1-of-11 from behind the arc.

Dillard, which shot 39.7 percent from the floor against Xavier in the regular season, shot 50 percent Thursday. The Bleu Devils used just six players; Williams, Kilson and Norvel Shelby played all 40 minutes.

The Gold Rush loss followed Fisk's 64-52 women's upset of Xavier, where another No. 8 seed outplayed and prevailed over a No. 1.

Xavier, which hasn't won this tournament since 1996, will wait for an at-large berth to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Kansas City, Mo. The 32-team field will be announced Wednesday, and the tournament will begin March 13.

"We're right there on the bubble probably," Jackson said. "But I think we'll get in because of our body of work the entire season. One game in one tournament doesn't reflect on your season."

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

Texas Southern Tigers surge past Southern behind a Strong night from the field

HOUSTON,  Texas  --  Texas Southern’s Omar Strong scored 34 points, highlighted by seven 3-pointers as TSU won its 11th straight game, 79-66 over Southern on Thursday night effectively taking control of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championship race.

Strong was 9 of 15 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range as Texas Southern surged ahead of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern into sole possession of the SWAC lead with just one regular season game remaining. TSU will have the opportunity to clinch the outright title against Alcorn State on Saturday.

“This is what you play for all season long,” said TSU’s Mike Davis. “You play for a chance to win a championship. We never doubted that we could get to this point, we just knew that we needed to continue to get better each day in our practices and games.”

Ray Penn contributed 14 points for Texas Southern, and fellow teammate Fred Sturdivant tallied nine points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots. With the victory the Tigers snapped Southern’s four-game winning streak.

Texas Southern never trailed after the opening minutes and built as much as a 24 point lead in the second half. After a slow night offensively against Alabama State on Monday Strong wasted no time in getting back to his high-scoring ways. Tonight he notched his fourth game in which he has scored at least thirty points this season. TSU clinched at least a share of the regular-season championship with the win tonight over the Jaguars.

"Since we can't go to the tournament, every game we play is like a national championship game," Strong said. "Because of that, we have to play hard and give it our all every single night."

Strong’s outing against SU on Thursday ranks behind only his 39-point scoring outburst against Colorado in November. TSU set the tempo for the game in the first half as Strong made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to stretch the Tigers advantage to 37-21 with two minutes remaining in the half.
The Tigers pushed their lead to 20 points with 13 minutes left in the second half, and Southern never got back into the game from that point as Texas Southern closed out the victory in front of an enthusiastic home crowd of 4,108.

"There's nothing like winning at home in front of your fans," Strong said. "You hit a shot, and they're screaming your name. It's a great feeling."

Inside the Numbers
Texas Southern outrebounded the Southern Jaguars 43-29 while also edging SU in transistion points 8-6. TSU's Sturdivant nearly captured a double-double as he scored nine points to go along with nine rebounds. Texas Southern shot 43 percent from the field (23-of-53) highlighted by an impressive 52 percent showing from beyond the arc (11-of- 21).

Up Next
The Texas Southern Tigers will host their season finale on Saturday as they get set to host the Alcorn State Braves. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 pm at the H&PE Arena.

Tiger Notables

• Texas Southern concluded SWAC regular season play with a 7-2 record on the road.
• Texas Southern is undefeated at home at 8-0.
• Fred Sturdivant tallied six blocked shots against Southern.
• The Tigers had two players score in double figures against Southern.
• Texas Southern leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference in points scored per game.
• Omar Strong tallied his second highest point total of the season (34).
• Texas Southern has the sixth longest current winning streak in the NCAA (11).

Box Score

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Athletics Announces 2013 Football Schedule

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU Athletics announced the much-anticipated 2013 football schedule to the public today. The schedule features five home games, the team's second appearance in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge presented by Walt Disney, a visit to "The Horseshoe" to take on the Buckeyes of Ohio State and culminates in Florida Blue Florida Classic XXXIV. This will be the inaugural full schedule of FAMU's newly hired head football coach Earl Holmes and the first time since 2006 that FAMU has had five home games.

FAMU Athletic Director Derek Horne and his staff have been doing a lot of maneuvering to pull off this schedule.

"We had to make some hard decisions," Horne said. "I am tasked with making sure this department is diligent in pursuing opportunities to be fiscally responsible, as well as improving our brand. We determined that it was best for us to capitalize on our local fan base and build our brand at home in Bragg Stadium and in Florida, as opposed to competing in the Atlanta Football Classic this year. We wish the 100 Black Men of Atlanta much success with their weekend that is vital to the community of Atlanta. We will now have seven games in Florida for our fans to enjoy!"

The Rattlers are coming off a disappointing 4-7 campaign (4-4 MEAC), but are stocked with experience. The Rattlers return All-MEAC (2nd team) quarterback Damien Fleming, who is regarded as the league's top returning quarterback. The junior signal caller should help the Rattlers improve on last season's record. Defensively, the Rattlers will have veterans Brandon Denmark, Terry Johnson and Jonathan Pillow to rely on. Sheridan Broadcasting Network All-American kicker Chase Varnadore represents a dependable weapon in Holmes' arsenal on special teams.

"After careful consideration, we have decided to add more home football games for the upcoming season to minimize travel costs and enhance the opportunity for our student athletes to excel academically," said Larry Robinson, interim president of FAMU. "We believe, the home game that we are playing in lieu of the Atlanta Classic will net comparable revenue to our most recent game in Atlanta. It has been an honor to play in the Atlanta Classic over the years and we look forward to an opportunity to compete in this great series again in the future. These additional home games also give us an opportunity to reinvest in the Tallahassee community and our FAMU fan base."

Season Ticket Brochure and Order Form



The orange and green will open the season the same place they end their regular season, in Orlando.

They will face the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge presented by Walt Disney World on Sept.1 at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Sunday matchup on Labor Day weekend allows the game to have center stage of college football and a national viewing audience on ESPN.

This will be the Rattlers' second appearance at the MEAC-SWAC Challenge, and it is the first since it moved to Orlando. FAMU and B-CU held a pact not to play in the event when it moved to Orlando, but B-CU broke from that and played in the event the past two seasons. The Rattlers played in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge in 2007 against Southern University in Birmingham, Ala. The 30,000 fans it drew are nearly 10,000 more than it drew before or has drawn since. Last season, the Delta Devils struggled to a 5-6 record (5-4 SWAC) and look to rebuild in 2013.

Sept. 7 will bring the "Big Blue" Tigers of Tennessee State to Bragg Memorial Stadium for the Hall of Fame Game and the 2013 home opener. The Tigers bested the Rattlers 17-14 in the 2012 John Merritt Classic at LP Field in Nashville,Tenn as the Rattlers failed to punch in a touchdown from the one-yard line. The Tigers are said to have one of the best recruiting classes in the country and head coach Rod Reed feels his team will have the maturity to have a successful season. The loss to the Tigers last season was one of five losses by seven points or less the Rattlers had on the 2012 slate. The Tigers compiled an 8-3 record, playing out of the Ohio Valley conference.

On Sept.14, the Rattlers will play the front end of a home-and-home series with the Samford Bulldogs, with this season's game being played in Bragg Memorial Stadium and a future game to be played in Birmingham, AL. The game has been designated as Youth Day. This will be the first meeting between the Rattlers and the Bulldogs, who are members of the Southern Conference. Last season they complied a 7-4 record, while head coach Pat Sullivan was awarded Co-Coach of the Year in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs will field a veteran bunch as Quarterback Andy Summerlin and defensive lineman Jeremy Towns were granted sixth years of eligibility by the NCAA. The Bulldogs are known to travel well and should make for a competitive and testy third game of the season.

On Sept. 21, the Rattlers take the show to Columbus, OH to take on Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes of Ohio State. The Buckeyes were undefeated in 2012, but were not bowl-eligible, serving NCAA sanctions for previous infractions. That will make Ohio State hungry to repeat and provide a formidable opponent for the Rattlers. The teams have never met before, though their former head coach Jim Tressel had tangled with the Rattlers as head coach of Youngstown State. The game will net the Rattlers $850,000 and provide a historic national stage.

The Rattlers will enjoy an open week on Sept.28, just before the start of MEAC play.

The Rattlers play their first MEAC game on Oct.5 as they take on the Morgan State Bears in Baltimore, MD. The Bears limped to a 3-8 record (2-6 MEAC) and should get the best of coach Don Hill-Ely who is in the last year of his contract. The Rattlers last traveled to MSU in 2009 as FAMU quarterback and MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, Curtis Pulley, led the Rattlers to a 31-28 win on ESPNU.

The Rattlers travel up the road to Savannah, Georgia to take on the Tigers in the second MEAC contest of the season on Oct.12. The Rattlers were not kind the last time they visited T.A. Wright Stadium, compounding a 47-7 win behind the 200-yards rushing of Al-Terek McBurse. Tiger head coach Steve Davenport is looking to rebuild the squad after a grueling 2012 slate which saw them face two solid defeats against Oklahoma State and Florida State, losing by a margin of 139-0 to open the season. The Rattlers pulled off a 44-3 win last season, which turned out to be the last win in the career of FAMU head coach Joe Taylor.

The Rattlers play homecoming on Oct.19, against the Howard University Bison. The Bison are on a two-game winning streak against the Rattlers, after an emotional 17-10 victory in the nation's capital last year. Coach Gary "Flea" Harrell will have to do one of his best coaching jobs to date, as the senior-led team of last year gives way to rebuilding with a host of new players. The Bison finished with a 7-4 mark (6-2 MEAC) and it's highest MEAC finish in years. The Rattlers will look to get revenge for two years of close games, resulting in defeats.

The Rattlers will welcome the N.C. A&T Aggies to Bragg Memorial Stadium on Oct.26 for Parent's Weekend. The Aggies held the Rattlers to a 16-3 defeat in Greensboro, N.C. on Nov.13, which was the final game of the Joe Taylor era. It was the morning of the NC A&T game that Taylor announced his intentions to retire. In addition, starting quarterback Damien Fleming was sidelined, putting backup Tyler Bass in to start his first game as a Rattler quarterback. The offense did not respond and the Rattlers were left reeling with little offensive production.

FAMU will visit Norfolk, VA. on Nov.2 to face the Spartans of Norfolk State University. The Rattlers and Spartans did not meet in 2011 or 2012, but in 2010, Philip Sylvester sealed a tight contest with 136 yards rushing and a final 10-yard touchdown run. The Spartans went on to win the 2011 MEAC crown, but fell to 4-7 last season (2-6 MEAC). Head coach Pete Adrian has reloaded the squad in exerting revenge on the Rattlers and making another run at the MEAC title.

The Rattlers will face the South Carolina State Bulldogs on Nov.9. The last time the Rattlers went to Orangeburg, S.C., they broke a streak of over a decade of not beating the Bulldogs at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The game annually features the two best-traveled teams in all the MEAC. Last season, the Rattlers lost to the Bulldogs 27-20 in overtime. The game featured the winningest active coach in HBCU football in Joe Taylor, and the most successful in recent history in Buddy Pugh. The game will feature two rebuilt teams, with the Bulldogs coming off an uncharacteristic 5-6 (3-4 MEAC) season.

The Delaware State Hornets will come to Tallahassee on Nov.16, for the fifth and final home game of the season. The game has been designated as Community/Senior Day. The Hornets are emerging as a solid team under Kermit Blount. In 2012, the Rattlers escaped Dover, DE., on the signature drive of quarterback Damien Fleming's career. In an offense-dominated game, the Rattlers held a two point lead going late into the game and ended up starting their final possession with 6:33 remaining.

Fleming would lead the offense to five first downs, allowing the Rattlers to run out the clock and preserve the victory for the Rattlers. The Rattlers, however, got a glimpse of what they will have to face this season as rookie running back Dae-Hon Cheung made his debut with 135 yards rushing. The Rattlers will be able to plan on the fact that Fleming surgically carved up their defense for 399 yards passing.

The regular-season finale will take the Rattlers back to central Florida on Nov.23. FAMU vs. B-CU in the Florida Blue Florida Classic, which remains the biggest HBCU football rivalry in the country. Along with the proximities of the schools, the well-connected family and alumni bases and pure competitiveness of the teams, records never matter. It's always a fight to the finish.

B-CU head coach Brian Jenkins, who recently signed an extension with the Wildcats, will look to make it three in a row, while the Rattlers will look to break the streak. The Rattlers put on a valiant effort amid the turmoil of the sudden retirement of head coach Joe Taylor, but fought to a respectable 21-16 loss last season. James Owens, one of the Rattlers' top returnees, thrilled the crowd with a 41-yard scamper for a touchdown. FAMU will come to Orlando with revenge on their minds and an end to the two-game winning streak of B-CU.

Vaughn Wilson 
Interim Sports Information Director 
Florida A&M University 
(850)599-3200 
www.FAMUAthletics.com.



FLORIDA A&M 2013 12 GAME FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION MEAC EVENT TIME 

9/01 @Mississippi Vally State, Orlando, FL, (MEAC/SWAC Challenge)

9/07 Tennessee State, Tallahassee, FL, (Hall of Fame Weekend)

9/14  Samford U., Tallahassee, FL (Youth Day)&
9/21 @Ohio State, Columbus, Ohio, Ohio Stadium
9/28  OPEN
10/05 @*Morgan State, Baltimore, MD, Hughes Stadium
10/12 @*Savannah State, Savannah, GA, Ted Wright Stadium, 6 pm 
10/19    *Howard U., Tallahassee, FL, (FAMU Homecoming 2013) 

10/26     *North Carolina A&T, Tallahassee, FL, (Parent's Weekend)
11/02  @*Norfolk State, Norfolk, VA, Dick Price Stadium, (NSU homecoming) 2 pm
11/09  @*South Carolina State, Orangeburg, SC, Oliver C. Dawson Stadium
11/16      *Delaware State, Tallahassee, FL
11/23   @*Bethune-Cookman, Orlando, FL (Florida Classic)

& The Samford game will be part of a two-game series between the two programs. Florida A&M will travel to Seibert Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama for a game on Sept. 12, 2015.

*MEAC Game
BOLD: Home Game
GREEN: Florida Game