Alabama A&M coach Willie Hayes talks SWAC tourney matchup against Grambling State

NORMAL, Alabama  --  Watch Alabama A&M men's basketball coach Willie Hayes discuss the Bulldogs' matchup against Grambling State in the upcoming SWAC basketball tournament in Garland, Texas.

 

A&M, seeded sixth in the tournament, has lost four of its past five but defeated the Tigers 77-47 this past Thursday. The Bulldogs swept Grambling the only winless team in Division I and have reinserted 7-foot junior Justan Banks back into the starting lineup, heading into the postseason.
 

READ MORE

In the FCS Huddle: SWAC spring football notebook

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The West is best in Southwestern Athletic Conference football.
At least until the East champion changes it.

The West Division representative has defeated the East Division champion in five straight SWAC championship games, and in 11 of the 14 meetings since the game was started in 1999 (West champ Texas Southern later vacated its 2010 title).

Arkansas-Pine Bluff is the defending champ after beating Jackson State, 24-21, in last year's title game.

STORY LINES

Having to replenish the offensive and defensive lines in the same season is never easy on a team, but that's the challenge facing the defending SWAC champions at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Jackson State will look for the offense to carry the team as the defense rebuilds its line. Quarterback Clayton Moore is the returning starter, but redshirt freshman LaMontiez Ivy was one of the more touted recruits in the FCS a year ago, and this year coach Rick Comegy has brought in Ivy's go-to wide receiver from high school, Daniel Moore.

Another East Division member, Alabama State, will try to take the next step after tying for the last two titles but losing the tiebreaker for advancing to the SWAC Championship Game. Coach Reggie Barlow's Hornets, who last made the title game in 2010, is playing a full season in its new stadium for the first time and have a new defensive coordinator in Kevin Ramsey.



READ MORE

Bowman Gray among stadiums being considered for CIAA title game

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -  The focus at last week’s CIAA Tournament was on basketball, but there also was talk about football.

The CIAA is in the process of deciding where its 2013 football championship game will be played. Possible locations include Durham County Stadium — the championship-game site the past five years —Memorial Stadium in Charlotte and Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.

Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter said she hopes a decision can be made at the conference’s spring meetings in late May.



BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM
WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

“We were just talking about football and where that game might be going,” Carpenter said. “I like the facility at Durham, and it could continue to grow there, but I’m not sure it’s where the membership or our staff is thinking about at this point.”

Carpenter would like to move the championship game around, to give other schools a chance to be the host. Shaw plays its home games at Durham County Stadium, but the stadium isn’t on the Shaw campus.

Carpenter said she would like to see the game played on campuses, so schools can benefit from the exposure. She attended a Winston-Salem State game at Bowman Gray last season and said she was impressed.

READ MORE

Tuskegee Athletics releases 2013 football schedule

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  --  The Department of Athletics at Tuskegee University released its 2013 football schedule earlier today, after putting together a list of opponents that will challenge the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Champions both mentally and physically when the Fall rolls back around. Non-conference opponents include opposition from both the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in NCAA Division I, and the national runner-up for the NCAA Division II National Championship just one season ago: the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Champions Winston Salem-State University.

Furthermore, as the schedule will reveal, Tuskegee University will not be participating in the Annual Turkey Day Classic this season against Alabama State University in Montgomery. Inspired by the run of Winston Salem State last season, Tuskegee Football feels that the move will allow the Golden Tigers more freedom to play further into the postseason by participating in the NCAA Division II playoffs, if eligible. The Golden Tigers finished 10-2 last season, and had to watch as SIAC opponents Miles College (2011 SIAC Champions) and Fort Valley State University (2012 SIAC East Division Champions) played in the opening rounds of the Division II playoffs last season. Tuskegee went 3-0 against both opponents last season, defeating Miles College at the end of the regular season before defeating FVSU for the second time in the 2012 SIAC Championship Game.

The schedule begins against the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M Sept. 7th in Huntsville, which will be a rematch of the low scoring contest that was played at Legion Field in Birmingham to start the 2012 schedule for the Golden Tigers. Alabama A&M defeated Tuskegee by a final score of 7-6, pushing TU to the only point last season in which they had a losing record before going on a ten-game winning streak. The Bulldogs finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 7-4.

Next up for Tuskegee will be the second annual Inner City Classic, to be played Sept. 14th at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, GA. In the inaugural Inner City Classic last season, Tuskegee and Johnson C. Smith University played in a tight contest through the first 30 minutes, before tailback Derrick Washington was able to power the Golden Tigers to a 35-17 victory. This season, Tuskegee will see a foe that is much more familiar with the play and history of the Golden Tigers, as SIAC rival Albany State University has decided to square up against TU this upcoming season. These two teams did not play against each other in the 2012 or 2011 seasons, but Tuskegee will try to right a wrong against the school that occurred when the Golden Rams last played the Golden Tigers at Cleve L. Abbott Stadium in Sept. 2010, when ASU defeated TU by a score of 34-6. The loss was only one of two for the Golden Tigers in 2010.

Perhaps the biggest game on the schedule is set for Sept. 21st inside Cleveland Brown Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, as a battle of the two defending conference champions in the two HBCU conferences of NCAA Division II is set to take place, as Tuskegee will take on the 2012 CIAA Champion and NCAA Division II National Runner-Up Winston Salem State University. The Rams defeated their first 14 opponents by an average of 26.4 points per game before losing in the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship Game to Valdosta State University by a score of 35-7.

The SIAC schedule begins September 28th, as the Golden Tigers will travel to Jackson, Tenn. to play against the Dragons of Lane College. The Golden Tigers defeated the Dragons 45-17 last season in their first home game at Cleve L. Abbott Stadium. Conference play continues at Fort Valley State University on Oct. 5th, as the defending SIAC East Division Champions will be looking for revenge after suffering two losses to Tuskegee by 31 points in both contests (including the SIAC Championship) last year.

The 78th Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic will take place on Oct. 12th inside A.J. McClung Stadium in Columbus, GA. After suffering a 17-14 loss to the Maroon Tigers just two years ago, the Golden Tigers were able to fix that by earning a hard-fought 21-14 win last season. After spending the first six games on the road, the Golden Tigers will finally get to play inside the friendly confines of Cleve L. Abbott Stadium on Oct. 19, when they play against the Tigers of Stillman College. In the first regionally televised game for Tuskegee last season, the Golden Tigers defeated Stillman in an evening game by a score of 16-0.

After one final road trip during the regular season to Frankfort to play against the Thorobreds of Kentucky State University on Oct. 26th, Tuskegee will travel back to Abbott Stadium for the final two home games of the schedule. The Golden Tigers will hold their 2013 Homecoming Game by welcoming a new member of the SIAC in Central State University of Ohio. The Marauders will be playing their first season within the NCAA after spending their time up until last season as a member of the NAIA. Their record over the last two seasons has been 5-17 overall. The regular season will end at Abbott Stadium on Nov. 9th, in a much more competitive game against the 2011 SIAC Champions in Miles College.

CLICK HERE to view 2013 TU Football Schedule.

2013 Tuskegee University Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time

9/7 @Alabama A&M University Huntsville, Alabama TBA
9/14 @Albany State University Atlanta, Georgia TBA (Inner City Classic ─ Lakewood Stadium)
9/21 @Winston Salem State University Cleveland, Ohio TBA (Cleveland Classic ─ Cleveland Brown Stadium)
9/28 @Lane College* Jackson, Tennessee TBA
10/5 @Fort Valley State University* Fort Valley, Georgia 6 pm
10/12 @Morehouse College* Columbus, Georgia TBA (78th Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic ─ A.J. McClung Stadium)
10/19 Stillman College* Cleve L. Abbott Stadium TBA
10/26 @Kentucky State University* Frankfort, Kentucky TBA
11/ 2 Central State University* Cleve L. Abbott Stadium TBA (Tuskegee University Homecoming)
11/9  Miles College* Cleve L. Abbott Stadium TBA __________________________________________________
*SIAC Conference Games
 Home games are in red.

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

New CIAA commissioner puts stamp on tournament

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --   It wasn’t easy to get Jacqie Carpenter to sit still for an interview during last week’s CIAA basketball tournament. 

Carpenter, in her first year as the conference commissioner, spent time talking with sponsors, posing for pictures with sponsors presenting checks and talking to and meeting with her bosses, the CIAAs 12 chancellors and presidents. Every now and then, she even had time to watch a little basketball.

“It’s all just part of it,” she said Friday night during the men’s semifinals.

The tournament has thrived in eight years at Time Warner Cable Arena, but Carpenter and her staff made many tweaks and made a concerted effort to crack down on illegal use of the CIAA name for parties or the sale of unlicensed merchandise.

Carpenter, a former basketball star at Hampton and a 1991 graduate, worked for the NCAA for nine years and helped run many of its championships.

She’s still a little bothered that she never won a CIAA title as a player, but being back as commissioner brought her full circle.

READ MORE

NSU men clinch regular-season MEAC title

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Regardless of whether Norfolk State wins the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball tournament, the Spartans are headed to postseason play for the second season in a row.

Norfolk State throttled Florida A&M 69-58 on Monday night at Echols Hall to earn the MEAC regular-season title and top seeding in next week’s conference tournament at Scope.

The Spartans hope to defend last season’s MEAC tournament title and bid to the NCAA tournament. If not, the regular-season title guarantees a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.

The victory was the 14th in a row for the Spartans (20-10, 15-0 MEAC), the longest winning streak by a Norfolk State team since 1994-95. Norfolk State is tied with Davidson for the third-longest winning streak in Division I.

Coach Anthony Evans said winning the regular-season championship “was a major accomplishment” for a team that lost four starters from last season, including NBA draft pick Kyle O’Quinn.

READ MORE

NSU clinches top seed in MEAC

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  -  The MEAC basketball tournament comes to Norfolk for the first time in 16 years next week. Big crowds are expected downtown and at Scope, so it is only fitting that the host school Norfolk State gets the number one seed.

Norfolk State, unbeaten in the MEAC and with only two games remaining before the tournament welcomed Florida A&M to Joe Echols Hall Monday night.

Freshman Rashid Gaston had a career game against Florida A&M, adding 20 points to the Spartans' 69-58 victory.

This was the 14th win in a row for the Spartans, who pick up their 20th win of the season. NSU is one of four schools in the country, Memphis, Louisiana Tech and Gonzaga being the others, that have yet to lose a conference game this season

READ MORE

2013 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament

2013 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament:

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 (Session 1)
#10 Alcorn State vs. #7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Women) – 5:30 p.m.
#9 Grambling vs. #8 Alabama State (Women) – 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 (Session 2)
Alcorn State/Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. #2 Southern (Women) – 3:00 p.m.
Grambling/Alabama State vs. #1 Texas Southern (Women) – 5:30 p.m.
#7 Grambling vs. #6 Alabama A&M (Men) – 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 14, 2013 (Session 3)
#6 Alabama A&M vs. #3 Mississippi Valley (Women) – 10:00 a.m.
#5 Alabama State vs. #2 Jackson State (Men) – 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 14, 2013 (Session 4)
#5 Jackson State vs. #4 Prairie View (Women) – 5:30 p.m.
#4 Prairie View vs. #3 Alcorn State (Men) – 8:00 p.m.

Friday, March 15, 2013 (Session 5)
Women’s Semifinals – 12:00 p.m.
Men’s Semifinals – 2:30 p.m.

Friday, March 15, 2013 (Session 6)
Women’s Semifinals – 5:30 p.m.
Men’s Semifinals – 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 16, 2013 (Session 7)
Women’s Finals – 12 Noon (CST) Live on ESPN3 and tape delay on ESPNU on March 17 at 8:00 a.m. CST
Men’s Finals – 3:30 p.m. (CST) Live on ESPN2

Sad trombone: SWAC tournament-bound Grambling finishes regular season 0-27

DALLAS, Texas  -- Grambling State is on the brink of submitting only the eighth winless season in Division I basketball history after an 0-27 regular season, in which they lost no game by fewer than double digits.

The misery isn’t over, however. They get one more shot at basketball redemption in the SWAC tournament, which they miraculously qualified for. I have no idea why the conference’s standards are so low, either.

Working with a fourth head coach in five seasons and a roster consisting of just eight scholarship players and seven walk-ons from the intramural program due to NCAA sanctions over APR scores, the Tigers went 0–27 during the regular season, capped by a 74–62 loss to Alabama State on Saturday.

How bad has this season been? Grambling is at the bottom of the national rankings according to the RPI, KenPom, BPI and Sagarin ratings.

READ MORE

SUNO Lady Knights complete run to GCAC Championship with 74-71 victory over Tougaloo

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas  –  This had already been a very successful season for the SUNO Lady Knights.  They boasted the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player and Co-Coach of the Year and a lineup featuring three All-GCAC performers.  However, SUNO wasn't close to satisfied with the individual accolades that the team had earned.  The brass ring of a conference championship and a berth in the NAIA tournament still were within reach.  The Lady Knights stormed through the first two rounds of the GCAC tournament, defeating Dillard and Talladega by an average of 27.5 points.  All that was standing in their way was the Tougaloo Lady Bulldogs. 

Early on, it looked like another SUNO cakewalk as GCAC Player of the Year April Perry scored 22 first half points in leading the Lady Knights to a 44-29 halftime lead.  SUNO extended the lead to 17 early in the second half before a combination of poor offense and a Tougaloo squad that refused to go away turned a rout into a tense back and forth contest down the stretch.  However, SUNO was able to convert Lady Bulldog turnovers into transition baskets to hold on for a 74-71 win.

"We didn't make it easy on ourselves at all," said Coach Elston King.  "Tougaloo gave us all that we could handle and then some.  That's a quality ball club.  But when we really needed to, these ladies dug down deep and made the plays that it took for us to get the win.  I'm proud of them, the whole SUNO family is proud of them, and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to coach at least one more game with this team.  This is a very special group.  They have sacrificed so much to get to this point."

April Perry, also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, was overcome by the moment.  "All you can say is 'We did it.'  When the game got tight, we just kept fighting and believing in each other.  To be able to climb up that ladder and cut down the net and bring a championship to SUNO when no one gave us a chance is something that we'll never forget.  They can't ever take this away from us.  And now we get to compete for a national championship.  It's just a great feeling."

The NAIA National Tournament begins March 13^th in Frankfort, KY.

COURTESY GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

#2 PSC Panthers Defeat #8 DU Bleu Devils in GCAC Championship Game

*Coach Griffith led his squad of freshmen
and sophomores to huge upsets over
Xavier and SUNO in the 2013 GCAC
Men's Tournament.
(*Photo provided by Nelson Chenault)

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas  --  The number eight seed Dillard University had its Cinderella run come to an abrupt halt in the championship game of the 2013 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament as they fell to  the number two seed Philander Smith College 65-45 at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock.  The game was dubbed "The Battle of the HipHopPrez" since Dillard's president (Dr. Walter Kimbrough, a.k.a. the 'HipHopPrez') spent the last seven years as Philander's president.

The only challenge that he gave Dillard's athletic teams before the year started was to "defeat Philander Smith," but the championship game loss allowed Philander Smith to take a 4-3 lead in the overall head to head match up this season against Dillard (volleyball & basketball combined).

The Bleu Devils got off to a solid start as freshman Tyrone Williams continued his hot shooting streak and finished with 25 points on 10-of-21 shooting, but the Panthers made a key substitution midway through the first half when former Razorback player Andre Clark entered the game.  The 6'9" center immediately made his presence felt finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds in the game.

Despite trailing by just seven points at the half, the Bleu Devils had no answer for Clark throughout the course of the game as Philander Smith pulled away to win the second half by a 15 point margin.  Coach Bernard Griffith and his Bleu Devils used a six man rotation for nearly the entirety of the tourney and the fatigue finally caught up to the young squad.  Out of the eight players on Dillard's tournament roster, all were either freshmen or sophomores.

Freshman Norvel Shelby had a solid game for Dillard with 12 points, four rebounds, two steals and one assist, but freshman Jarrain Jenkins had the worst shooting performance of his stellar season, going 1-for-16 from the field as he finished with just three points but grabbed 14 rebounds and added one steal.
Williams and Jenkins were both named to the 2013 GCAC All-Tournament team.

In the semi-final of the GCAC tournament, Dillard pulled off another astronomical upset with a 58-54 victory over the number five seed Southern University at New Orleans.  Freshman Tyrone Williams finished with 26 points, hitting 10-of 16 shots from the field and nailing 4-of-6 three pointers.  Williams also pulled down six boards, produced two steals, one block and one assist in 40 minutes of action.  GCAC Freshman of the Year Jenkins finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.  Dillard played fantastic defense throughout the game and held SUNO to just 32 percent shooting from the field.

In the first round of the GCAC tourney, the number eight seed Dillard University pulled off the upset of a lifetime with a 59-56 victory over the numer one seed Xavier University.  Thanks to Dillard's stellar zone defense, Xavier shot just 30 percent from the field for the game.

Jenkins scored a game-high 23 points, nailing 10-of-18 shots from the field.  He also pulled down nine rebounds, produced two assists and two steals in just over 37 minutes.

Sophomore Jordan Kilson filled up the stat sheet for the Bleu Devils with 14 points, six boards, five assists and four steals, and Williams had a stellar game as he finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one block in 40 minutes of action for Dillard.

Dillard ends the season with a 5-21 record.

COURTESY GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Bowie State underachievers reach potential with 2013 CIAA men’s basketball championship

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  There was nothing Byron Westmorland couldn’t do in the CIAA championship game.

The Bowie State small forward put on a dazzling display against Livingstone, dropping 36 points in the Bulldogs’ 78-71 win at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday. Bowie State (16-13), which underachieved during the regular season as the fourth seed in the North Division, completed a fabulous run through the tournament, capped by knocking off Livingstone, the South’s top seed.

Westmorland, a senior who was named tournament most valuable player, had a major hand in the Bulldogs’ success. He scored 24 points in the second half to help Bowie State break open a close game, including 11 during a decisive 16-6 run that turned a 53-51 deficit into a 67-57 advantage with 8:04 left.

Westmorland torched the Blue Bears from the perimeter as well as with the drive, and Livingstone’s defenders struggled to keep pace. Blue Bears point guard Mark Thomas, who led Livingstone with 34 points, proved equally tough to stop, but Bowie State’s balance and effectiveness in the paint proved decisive.

Bowie State sizzled on offense in the first half, hitting ...



READ MORE

Southern baseball can’t complete sweep of UAPB

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  — The Southern baseball team came up a few timely hits shy of a sweep to open Southwestern Athletic Conference play, falling 5-4 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday afternoon.

The Jaguars (5-5, 2-1) matched UAPB (3-9, 1-2) with 11 hits but stranded 12 runners, including two apiece in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

“We had multiple opportunities from an offensive standpoint, and we weren’t able to cash in,” coach Roger Cador said. “You have to hit with runners in scoring position, and we just didn’t do it. We left a lot of guys standing out there.”

Southern entered the ninth trailing by two, but Jose DeLa Torre opened the inning with a double, and Darryl Wesley singled him to third. Brian Rowry struck out, but a wild pitch by Pine Bluff’s Redmond Floyd let DeLa Torre score and moved Wesley to second base.

Floyd settled down from there, striking out Brian Ortiz and getting Harley Wiltz to fly out to right field to end it.

READ MORE

Inside the BRD: Hampton University is second MEAC school to offer Warhill's Devonte Dedmon in football

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Warhill High Devonte Dedmon has picked up his second Division I football scholarship offer, and again it comes from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Hampton University is the latest to offer Dedmon, who has received a scholarship offer from the Pirates' biggest rival - Norfolk State.

Dedmon, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior, who runs a 4.4 40, rushed for 1,348 yards and 16 touchdowns in Warhill's six wins last year - the games in which he was most healthy. In those six games he completed 8 of 13 passes for 287 yards and five touchdowns, caught 19 passes for 360 yards and ran for seven 2-point conversions.



READ MORE

HU Lady Pirates Stifle FAMU to Clinch MEAC Regular Season

HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University women’s basketball team picked up its 14th straight win on Saturday evening at the HU Convocation Center, defeating Florida A&M 59-39.

The Lady Pirates (23-5, 14-0 MEAC) are one win shy of tying the program Div. I record for consecutive wins and clinched their third straight MEAC regular season title – and the corresponding No. 1 seed in the MEAC Tournament, which will be held March 11-16 in Norfolk, Va.

Hampton, which has not lost so far in 2013, won 15 straight games in the 1997-98 season.

Senior forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) led the Lady Pirates with 19 points and 15 rebounds, recording her MEAC-high 17th double-double of the season. Senior guard Olivia Allen (Kildeer, Ill.) added 12 points, all in the first half, and junior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) chipped in 11 points.

Bennett also had nine rebounds.

After the Lady Rattlers cut Hampton’s lead to 6-4 at the 17:49 mark on a layup from Andrea Lacy, the Lady Pirates answered with a 9-0 run, taking a 15-4 lead with 15:14 left in the first half following a 3-pointer from junior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.).

Avant hit a layup with 12:12 left in the half to put the Lady Pirates up 17-6.

Keturah Martin hit a jumper at the 10:43 mark to cut Hampton’s lead to 19-11, but the Lady Pirates went on a 12-0 run to take a 31-11 lead after an Allen jumper with 3:09 left in the half.

FAMU did not score after Martin’s jumper until a jumper from Jaleesa Blue at the 2:21 mark.

The Lady Pirates went into the half with a 33-13 lead, thanks mostly to holding the Lady Rattlers to just six first-half field goals.

Florida A&M opened the second half on a 10-3 run, cutting the Lady Pirates’ lead to 36-23 with 14:57 left after a 3-pointer from Jasmine Grice. Hampton then scored six in a row to take a 42-23 lead after sophomore guard Kenia Cole (Burtonsville, Md.) hit a free throw at the 11:59 mark.

From that point on, FAMU would get no closer than within 15, cutting Hampton’s lead to 50-35 with 5:59 to play after a fastbreak layup from Grice. Hampton went on a 9-2 run to take its largest lead of the night, going up 59-37 with 1:19 to play after an Avant jumper.

Hampton has now won seven straight against the Lady Rattlers.

The Lady Pirates shot 34.2 percent (25-for-73) from the floor, hitting five of their 26 3-pointers (19.2 percent) and hitting four of their nine free throws (44.4 percent). Hampton held a 53-42 edge on the glass and turned 17 FAMU turnovers into 15 points.

The Lady Rattlers (10-17, 7-7 MEAC) shot just 29.0 percent (18-for-62) from the floor, hitting just two of their 10 3-pointers and going just 1-for-3 from the free throw line.

Grice led FAMU with 13 points.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Monday, when they take on Bethune-Cookman at the HU Convocation Center at 6 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Box Score

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU Spartans' latest win not one they'll want to remember

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Point guard Jamel Fuentes said it was probably a game Norfolk State didn't deserve to win.

Yet, thanks to a rebound and layup by Fuentes with 47 seconds left, the Spartans claimed their 13th victory in a row.

Norfolk State overcame perhaps its worst performance of 2013 to hold off Bethune-Cookman 62-61 Saturday night at Echols Hall to remain unbeaten in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The Spartans (19-10, 14-0), are two victories from becoming the first MEAC team to go unbeaten during the regular season since Coppin State in 1993-94.



Norfolk State's 13-game winning streak is the fifth longest in Division I.

The game was a rematch of last season's MEAC championship game, won by the Spartans 73-70.
Norfolk State led by nine early in the second half, only to watch Bethune-Cookman take a three-point lead on an Adrien Coleman layup with 4:30 left.

"At times, we played with a sense of complacency," Norfolk State coach Anthony Evans said. "We didn't have the energy we should be playing with."

NSU 14-0 in MEAC

READ MORE

Xavier's Rolland qualifies for nationals in outdoor opener

NEW ORLEANS — Devinn Rolland qualified Saturday for the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and Xavier University of Louisiana had three event winners in the Tulane Team Challenge at Tad Gormley Stadium.

The meet was Xavier's first of the outdoor season.

Rolland, a sophomore, finished second in the women's long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 7 inches to exceed the NAIA's A-qualifying standard by nearly three inches. She was an NAIA All-American in this event in 2012 after placing sixth at the national meet.

Winning events for Xavier were sophomore Zahri Jackson in the women's 1,500-meter run (4 minutes, 48.71 seconds), sophomore Catherine Fakler in the women's 800 (2:26.42) and freshman Christopher Kennie in the men's long jump. Kennie's jump of 22-7 was better than the winning mark at last year's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships.

Earning second-place finishes was the women's 400 relay team of Chelsea James, Chartia Hurt, Tayler Louis and Rolland (49.83), Kennie in the triple jump (41-1¾) and Kwame Jackson in the men's 3,000 (9:29.74).

Xavier's women scored 49 points to finish fourth out of six teams, and the men scored 33 points to finish sixth out of six teams. Tulane won both team titles.

"This was a good start for us," XU coach Joseph Moses said. "We competed well on a very cold day with a long of wind and not much sun. We're going to improve on these marks and qualify some more folks for nationals this season."

Xavier will compete next Saturday in the McNeese Cowboy Relays at Lake Charles, La.

Here are all the Xavier results from the Tulane Team Challenge:

Women

Long Jump: Devinn Rolland, 2nd in 5.66 meters (18 feet, 7 inches)
400-Meter Relay: Chelsea James, Chartia Hurt, Tayler Louis, Devinn Rolland, 2nd in 49.83
1,500: Zahri Jackson, 1st in 4:48.71; Catherine Fakler, 3rd in 4:58.63; Hannah Finnegan, 8th in 5:22.52; Briana Simms, 9th in 5:37.19
400: Chartia Hurt, 9th in 1:02.33; Tramaine Shannon, 10th in 1:03.93
100: Chelsea James, 6th in 13.74
800: Catherine Fakler, 1st in 2:26.42; Briana Simms, 6th in 2:43.96
3,000: Hannah Finnegan, 5th in 11.43.62
Team Scoring: 1, Tulane 242; 2, Southeastern Louisiana 83; 3, Loyola 76; 4, Xavier 49; 5, New Orleans 34; 6, Dillard 22

Men

Long Jump: Christopher Kennie, 1st in 6.88 meters (22 feet, 7 inches)
Triple Jump: Christopher Kennie, 2nd in 12.54 meters (41 feet, 1¾ inches)
1,500: Kwame Jackson, 4th in 4:25.87; David Holobowicz, 6th in 4:33.83
3,000: Kwame Jackson, 2nd in 9:29.74; David Holobowicz, 6th in 9:44.05
Team Scoring: 1, Tulane 124; 2, Dillard 95; 3, Southeastern Louisiana 76; 4, New Orleans 70; 5, Loyola 55; 6, Xavier 33.

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

2013 OVC Women's Basketball Championship Field Set

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  The 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Championship field has been set. Eastern Illinois earned the No. 1 seed after winning the West Division while Tennessee Tech took first place in the East Division and the No. 2 seed. With earning the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, the Panthers and Golden Eagles receive byes into the semifinals.

In its first year in the league, Belmont took the No. 3 spot while UT Martin is No. 4 and will receive first-round byes. Eastern Kentucky earned the No. 5 seed while SIUE is the No. 6 seed. Tennessee State and Murray State rounded out the tournament field.

The four-day event will take place March 6-9 at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. The first rounds and quarterfinals will be available on the OVC Digital Network while the semifinals and finals will be air on ESPN3 and on select channels in OVC markets. Among the local channels are WCTE, WEIU and WJXS.

2013 OVC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND - Wednesday, March 6
Game 1 - #5 Eastern Kentucky vs. #8 Murray State - 12 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Game 2 - #6 SIUE vs. #7 Tennessee State - 2 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

QUARTERFINALS - Thursday, March 7
Game 3 - Game 1 winner vs. #4 UT Martin- 12 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Game 4 - Game 2 winner vs. #3 Belmont - 2 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

SEMIFINALS - Friday, March 8
Game 5 - Game 3 winner vs. #1 Eastern Illinois- 12 p.m. (ESPN3)
Game 6 - Game 4 winner vs. #2 Tennessee Tech- 2 p.m. (ESPN3)

CHAMPIONSHIP - Saturday, March 9
Game 7 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 1:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

Courtesy Ohio Valley Conference

SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket Set

DALLAS, Texas  --  With the regular season complete, the brackets are set for the 2013 SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament which will take place March 12-16 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.

Here is the complete schedule for the Women's Basketball tournament.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013
#10 Alcorn vs. #7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 5:30 p.m.
#9 Grambling vs. #8 Alabama State – 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013Alcorn/Ark.-Pine Bluff vs. #2 Southern – 3:00 p.m.
Grambling/Alabama State vs. #1 Texas Southern – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 14, 2013#6 Alabama A&M vs. #3 Mississippi Valley – 10:00 a.m.
#5 Jackson State vs. #4 Prairie View – 5:30 p.m.

Friday, March 15, 2013Women’s Semifinals – 12:00 p.m.
Women’s Semifinals – 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 16, 2013
Women’s Finals – 12 Noon (CST) Live on ESPN3

Tape delay on ESPNU on March 17 at 8:00 a.m. CST

Sights and Sounds of CIAA Tournament 2013

Corey White finds his home at Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Still wearing the remnants of his childhood dream, Corey White may have looked lost, but he’s sure he is found again.

The former Capitol High School standout moved gracefully up the stairs to the Southern football offices despite his mountainous stature, his burly legs sheathed in baggy gray sweats with a bold “LSU” emblazoned in purple letters on his thigh.

The pants are part of a bygone era, one with an end that White hadn’t envisioned as a touted offensive line recruit coming out of Capitol.

White left LSU without realizing his dream of playing in Tiger Stadium. He spent his redshirt freshman season working toward that goal before leaving the program last year.

Football is only one part of the student-athlete equation, and his grades weren’t up to par with his physical abilities.

“Things didn’t go right, didn’t go the way I wanted to go,” he said. “I got in a bad bind with school. I couldn’t handle it. So I just decided to transfer before I got too far in it.”

READ MORE

SWAC basketball standings 2013: Southern Jaguars head to league tournament as top seed

The Texas Southern Tigers ended their regular season with a 79-66 victory against the Southern University Jaguars on Thursday and finished 16-2 in SWAC play. But with a postseason ban upon Texas Southern, which finished 17-14 on the season, it's the Jaguars who head to the SWAC Tournament as the top seed.

A seven-team bracket because of additional postseason bans to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State gives Southern the No. 1 overall seed in the conference tournament and the only bye. They will face the winner of No. 6 seed Alabama A&M and No. 7 seed Grambling State, who play on Wednesday, March 13.

No. 2 seed Jackson State, which finished fourth in the regular season with a 9-9 conference record, will play Alabama State on Thursday, March 14. The winner of that game will face the victor between the Alcorn State and Prairie View.

READ MORE

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