MEAC Announces Men's Basketball All-Conference Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Norfolk State junior guard Pendarvis Williams was named the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year as announced by the conference on Sunday. Hampton's Deron Powers was selected as Rookie of the Year and North Carolina A&T State's Austin Witter garnered the Defensive Player of the Year honor. Norfolk State Head Coach Anthony Evans was named the MEAC Coach of the Year. All awards are voted on by the conference's head men's basketball coaches and sports information directors.
 
Williams averaged 14.1 points and 4.6 rebounds to lead the defending MEAC champion Spartans to an unblemished 16-0 mark in MEAC play and 21-10 record overall. He was among the top five in the MEAC in several categories including scoring, free throw percentage (.814), and 3-point field goals percentage (.407). Williams tallied 132 rebounds, 47 assists, 17 blocks and 33 steals this season.
 
Powers finished second in the MEAC in free-throw percentage shooting 83-percent from the floor. The rookie was fourth in the conference with 4.8 assists per game, and was fifth in assist/turnover ratio at 1.3 per game. Powers led the Pirates in scoring (11.9 ppg), free-throw percentage and assists to help the team tally an 11-5 mark in conference play and 14-16 record overall.
 
Witter led the MEAC and his team in rebounds with 7.2 per game and blocks, averaging 3.0 for the season. The senior recorded 10 or more rebounds six times to help the Aggies to a 15-16 overall record and an 8-8 mark in MEAC play. A three-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, Witter totaled 27 steals during this year's campaign.
 
Evans earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Norfolk State Spartans to a perfect 16-0 record in conference play and 21-10 mark overall. The Spartans became the first team to post an undefeated record in conference play since Coppin State in 1993-94. Under his tutelage, Norfolk State also recorded a unblemished mark at home with 11 victories and ended the season on a 15-game win streak. The team was third in the MEAC in scoring (66.6 ppg.) and third in field goal percentage (.423).
 
Williams is joined on the 2013 All-MEAC First Team by North Carolina Central's Jeremy Ingram and Stanton Kidd, Bethune-Cookman's Adrien Coleman and Morgan State's DeWayne Jackson.

Norfolk State clinched the MEAC regular-season title with a 55-48 win over North Carolina A&T. The Spartans will enter the tournament as the number one seed and will face the winner of the No. 8/No. 9 matchup on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m.
 
The 2013 regular season champion, regular-season runners-up, first-team members and top honorees including Player, Rookie, Defensive and Coach of the Year selections, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to their first games of the 2013 MEAC Basketball Tournament.

Tournament play tips-off March 11-16 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
 
2013 MBB

 

Coach of the Year: Anthony Evans, Norfolk State University
 
Player of the Year:
 Pendarvis Williams, Norfolk State University
 
Rookie of the Year:
 Deron Powers, Hampton University
 
Defensive Player of the Year:
 Austin Witter, North Carolina A&T State University
 
FIRST TEAM
Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown
Jeremy Ingram N.C. Central G 6-3 Jr. Charlotte, N.C. Pendarvis Williams Norfolk State G 6-6 Jr. Philadelphia, Pa.
DeWayne Jackson Morgan State F 6-8 Sr. Bowie, Md. Stanton Kidd N.C. Central F 6-7 Jr. Baltimore, Md.
Adrien Coleman Bethune-Cookman F 6-5 Jr. Atlanta, Ga.

SECOND TEAM
Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown Tahj Tate Delaware State G 6-4 So. Easley, S.C. Ray Willis N.C. Central G 6-6 Sr. Atlanta, Ga. Preston Blackman Savannah State G 6-0 Sr. Hopkins, S.C. Rashad Hassan Savannah State F 6-7 Sr. Riverdale, Ga. Matthew Hezekiah South Carolina State F 6-11 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla.

THIRD TEAM
Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown
Adrian Powell North Carolina A&T F 6-6 Sr. Conover, N.C. Justin Black Morgan State G/F 6-2 Jr. St. Louis, Mo. Jamie Adams Florida A&M G 5-10 Jr. Chicago,Ill. Rob Johnson Norfolk State F 6-8 Sr. Roswell, Ga. Austin Witter North Carolina A&T G/F 6-8 Sr. Princeton Junction, N.J.
 
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown
Rashid Gaston Norfolk State F 6-8 Fr. Warren,Ohio Patrick Cole Coppin State G 6-5 Fr. Newark,N.J. Bruce Beckford North Carolina A&T F 6-7 Fr. Silver Spring, Md. Deron Powers Hampton G 5-11 Fr. Williamsburg, Va. Darryl Palmer South Carolina State F 6-7 Fr. Summerville, S.C.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Announces Women's Basketball All-Conference Honors

NORFOLK, Va. -  Hampton senior forward Keiara Avant was named the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year as announced by the conference on Sunday. North Carolina A&T's Eboni Ross was selected as Rookie of the Year and Hampton's Alyssa Bennett garnered the Defensive Player of the Year honor. Hampton Head Coach David Six was named the MEAC Coach of the Year.

 

All awards are voted on by the conference's head women's basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Avant averaged a double-double of 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds to aid her team to an unblemished 16-0 mark in MEAC play and 25-5 mark overall. She led the MEAC in rebounding and was fifth in the conference in scoring and field goal percentage (.470). Avant shot 75-percent from the charity stripe (143-190) and tallied eight blocks and 75 steals during the regular season. Nationally, Avant ranked ninth in the nation with 19 double-doubles.

Ross led the MEAC with a .512 field goal percentage (87-of-170) and was second in the conference with 1.7 blocks per game. The rookie led her team in offensive rebounds (62) and blocks (50) while averaging 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. Ross shot 51-percent in free-throws, grabbed 29 steals and had two double-doubles to help the Lady Aggies to a 13-3 conference record and 21-8 overall record.

Bennett recorded four double-doubles this season, averaging 6.6 rebounds and 9.9 points per game. Her defensive efforts totaled 35 blocks and 49 steals in 28 games for the Lady Pirates. The junior tallied 10 or more rebounds six times during the season as Hampton went 16-0 in conference play and 25-5 overall.

Six earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Hampton Lady Pirates to a unblemished 16-0 record in conference play and 25-5 record overall. It was the fifth time in conference history that a women's basketball team has gone undefeated in MEAC play and the first time since Coppin State went 18-0 in the 2006-07 season. Under his helm, Lady Pirates closed out their season with a 16-game win streak. Hampton led the conference in scoring (64.3), rebounding (38.3), blocked shots (4.7) and assists (13.1).

Avant is joined on the 2013 All-MEAC First Team by teammate Nicole Hamilton, Florida A&M's Jasmine Grice, North Carolina A&T's JaQuayla Berry and Howard's Saadia Doyle.

The three-time defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates clinched the MEAC regular-season title with an 51-30 win over North Carolina Central. The Lady Pirates will enter the tournament as the number one seed and will face the winner of the No. 8/No. 9 matchup on Wednesday, March 13 at Noon.

The 2013 regular season champion, regular-season runners-up, first-team members and top honorees including Player, Rookie, Defensive and Coach of the Year selections, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to their first games of the 2013 MEAC Basketball Tournament.

 

Tournament play tips-off March 11-16 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

Coach of the Year: David Six, Hampton University
Player of the Year: Keiara Avant, Hampton University
Rookie of the Year: Eboni Ross, North Carolina A&T State University
Defensive Player of the Year: Alyssa Bennett, Hampton University

 

 

2013 All-MEAC Women's Basketball Honors

 

 

FIRST TEAM

Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown

Jasmine Grice Florida A&M G 5-9 Jr. Quincy, Fla.

Nicole Hamilton Hampton G 5-8 Jr. Hampton, Va.

JaQuayla Berry North Carolina A&T G/F 5-11 Sr. Douglas, Ga.

Saadia Doyle Howard F 5-10 Sr. Atlanta, Ga.

Keiara Avant Hampton F 5-11 Sr. Chesapeake, Va.

 

SECOND TEAM

Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown

Bianca Jarrett Morgan State G 5-5 Sr. Kenosha, Wis.

Tiarra Knotts South Carolina State G 5-4 Sr. Columbia, S.C.

Alyssa Bennett Hampton F 6-2 Jr. Hampton, Va.

Tierra Hawkins Delaware State G/F 6-2 r-So. Clinton, Md.

Rachel Gordon Norfolk State F Jr. Woodbridge,Va.

THIRD TEAM

Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown

Leola Spotwood Coppin State F 6-0 Sr. Trenton, NJ

Cheyenne Curley-Payne Howard G 5-4 Sr. San Diego, Calif.

Amber Calvin North Carolina A&T G 5-8 r-Jr. Fayetteville, N.C.

Erin Hogue Savannah State F 5-11 Sr. Birmingham, Ala.

Trinese Fox South Carolina State G 5-9 Sr. Suffolk, Va.

 

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Name School Pos Ht. Cl. Hometown

Ashley Claybrooks Maryland E. Shore F 6-0 Fr. Manassas,Va.

Alexis Udoji Maryland E. Shore F/C 6-4 Fr. Randolph, Mass.

Eboni Ross North Carolina A&T F/C 6-2 r-Fr. Columbia, S.C.

Tisha Dixon N.C. Central F 5-11 Fr. Kinston, N.C.

Amber Neely N.C. Central G 5-5 Fr. Charlotte, N.C.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Tuskegee women tabbed for NCAA Division II hoops tourney

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  --  The Tuskegee Golden Tigerettes, who once won 16 consecutive games in the regular season before losing in the quarterfinals of the SIAC tournament to Fort Valley State, have been selected to participate in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, beginning Friday afternoon on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

As the No. 2 seed in the South region, Tuskegee (19-7 overall) will square off against the University of Alabama-Huntsville in the opening round, which will be played Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m.).

The No. 7 Lady Chargers is a team the Tigerettes are familiar with. Tuskegee earned its second win of the season over UAH by a 73-49 margin on the road inside Spragins Hall on Nov. 11. Even though it currently only has an overall record of 15-16, Alabama-Huntsville played its' way into the NCAA Tournament by winning the Gulf South Conference Tournament.

The two teams UAH defeated in the Gulf South tournament await the winner of Tuskegee's first game.

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Livingstone earns first NCAA berth

SALIBURY, North Carolina  --  Livingstone has earned a chance at the NCAA Division II basketball championship.

The Blue Bears, who've advanced to the postseason for the first time in school history, will face fourth seed Fairmont State in the Atlantic Regional on March 16. Livingstone, which is seeded fifth, is a school-best 22-6 and advanced to the final of the CIAA tournament in addition to winning the South Division.

No. 2 seed Winston-Salem State takes on seventh-ranked Slippery Rock and CIAA tournament champion Bowie State, the No. 8 seed, will play No. 1 West Liberty (W.Va.) on March 16 in the first meeting between the schools.

At least two CIAA squads have earned tournament berths each season since 1991.

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XU's Howell sets GCAC career record; Svoboda also wins

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Kourtney Howell set a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's tennis record with her sixth career Player of the Week award, and XU's Viktor Svoboda is the men's winner for March 4-10. Both players were 3-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles at the AUM Invitational, which concluded Sunday at Montgomery, Ala.      Howell, a junior from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of Cypress Woods High School, is the GCAC women's winner for the second consecutive week. She broke the GCAC career mark held by Anastesia Opata, whose XU career concluded in 2010.

Kourtney Howell

Viktor Svoboda

Howell led the Gold Nuggets at AUM to victories against NAIA No. 13 Campbellsville, 16th-ranked Coastal Georgia and 22nd-ranked Cumberland. Xavier's women are ranked 10th.

Svoboda, a junior from Kamenice, Czech Republic, and a graduate of Vitezna Plan High School, won the GCAC award for the first time this season and the second time in his career. The highlight of his week was a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 singles victory against Cumberland's Sebastian Nava on Saturday. Svoboda trailed 4-2 in the second set and 3-2 in the third. He saved two match points in the 10th game of the second set, then won the tiebreaker after trailing 5-3.
    
Svoboda helped the XU men, who are ranked 10th, defeat No. 11 Cumberland and No. 22 Coastal Georgia. The Gold Rush lost 5-4 Sunday at second-ranked Auburn Montgomery, but Svoboda won both his matches.
    
Xavier's women will play NCAA Division I's Idaho at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the new XU Tennis Center, and both XU teams will play another D-I opponent, Alcorn State, at 3 p.m. Friday at XU. Admission is free to all XU home matches.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISANA

Field of 64 teams released for NCAA Division II Women's tourney

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  — The NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Committee announced Sunday the field of 64 teams for the 2013 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship.

Twenty-two conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The committee selected the remaining 42 teams at-large.

All eight teams within the region will travel to one site for first-round, semifinal and final competition at the regional level. First-round games will be played March 15, semifinal games March 16 and the regional championship will be played March 18. The regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals March 26, 27 and 29 at Bill Greely Arena in San Antonio, hosted by Texas. St. Mary’s (Texas) and San Antonio Sports.

Interactive Printable Bracket

AUTOMATIC QUALIFYING CONFERENCES AND SCHOOLS
 

Conference
California Collegiate Athletic Association	UC San Diego
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference	Holy Family
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association	Shaw
Conference Carolinas	Mount Olive
East Coast Conference	Dowling
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Ashland
Great Lakes Valley Conference	Lewis
Great Northwest Athletic Conference	Western Washington
Gulf South Conference	Alabama-Huntsville
Heartland Conference	St. Mary’s (Texas)
Lone Star Conference	Midwestern State
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association	Emporia State
Northeast-10 Conference	Bentley
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference	Augustana (S.D.)
Pacific West Conference	Academy of Art
Peach Belt Conference	Clayton State
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference	Bloomsburg
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Colorado Mesa
South Atlantic Conference	Anderson (S.C.)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Clark Atlanta
Sunshine State Conference	Rollins
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Fairmont State..............................

SCHOOLS RECEIVING AT-LARGE BERTHS
 

SCHOOLS	SCHOOLS
Abilene Christian	Limestone
Arkansas Tech	LIU Post
Assumption	Lynn
Barton	Metro State
California (Pa.)	Michigan Tech
Chico State	Minnesota State-Mankato
Cal State Monterey Bay	New York Institute of Technology
Central Missouri	North Alabama
Concordia-St. Paul	Northwest Nazarene
Delta State	Pfeiffer
Edinboro	Simon Fraser
Findlay	South Carolina Aiken
Fort Lewis	Southwestern Oklahoma State
Franklin Pierce	Stonehill
Gannon	Tarleton State
Glenville State	Texas Permian Basin
Grand Canyon	Tuskegee (SIAC)
Indiana (Pa.)	Washburn
Indianapolis	Wayne State (Mich.)
Kentucky Wesleyan	Western Washington
Lenoir-Rhyne	Wisconsin-Parkside

Courtesy NCAA.com

Fayetteville State women fail to get NCAA invitation

FAYETTEVILLE,  North Carolina  --  Despite finishing high enough in the final regional rankings, the Fayetteville State women's basketball team was left out of the 64-team NCAA Division II tournament field Sunday, due in large part to the failure of other teams.

The Broncos (24-5) were runners-up to defending national champion Shaw in the CIAA tournament, which earned the Bears an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. But FSU was still hopeful of receiving one of the 42 at-large bids to the NCAA field, especially after being ranked eighth in the final NCAA Atlantic Region poll last week. The top eight teams in that poll would advance to the NCAA field under normal circumstances.

But Bloomsburg's upset of favored Gannon in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament finals, and an early ouster from the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament by Glenville State spoiled those plans. Tournament champs Bloomsburg and Fairmont State received automatic bids for those leagues, while Gannon and Glenville State were regulated to at-large invites. Both Gannon, which earned the region's top seed, and sixth-seeded Glenville State are ranked in the region and nationally ahead of Fayetteville State.

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Shaw women earn bid to defend NCAA title

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  The Shaw women will begin the defense of their Division II national title on a new stage.

The No. 3 seed Bears (25-4) will travel to Gannon University in Erie, Pa., on Friday to take on No. 6 seed Glenville State (26-3) in the Atlantic Region. This is Shaw’s third straight NCAA tournament appearance. Despite the new venue, the state of Pennsylvania has been good to the Bears.

Shaw had a 6-0 record at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pa., the past two years. Coach Jacques Curtis said he preferred playing on the road.

“We were the only conference team with a 7-1 road record,” Curtis said at the CIAA tournament. “There are less distractions, less pressure than home so we actually prefer going on the road.”

The road back to the NCAA tournament was a little rougher than expected. Heading into the CIAA tournament, Shaw was ranked No. 8 in the first NCAA regional poll. Only the top eight teams earn a postseason berth. READ MORE

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/10/2740788/shaw-earns-bid-to-defend-ncaa.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/10/2740788/shaw-earns-bid-to-defend-ncaa.html#storylink=cpy

Coleman hopes to drive Bethune-Cookman to the MEAC title

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  After transferring to Bethune-Cookman from the University of Nebraska two years ago, Adrien Coleman's confidence was at an all-time low.

He knew he would have to sit out his first year at B-CU in 2010-11 after not playing as a freshman at Nebraska. As an attempt at self-motivation, the 6-foot-5 forward scribbled down some goals on a blue sheet of paper, stuck it in a drawer and eventually forgot about it.

 

Recently, Coleman ran across that note and read the brief list: 17 points a game, 6 rebounds a game, make the NCAA tournament.

 

The redshirt junior won this season's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference scoring title with an average of 17.6 points. He also averaged 7.1 rebounds, fifth in the conference.

 

Now there's just one more item left to accomplish on the list.

 

Although winning this week's MEAC tournament to gain an NCAA bid seems like a tall task for the eighth-seeded Wildcats (12-19, 7-9), Coleman sees no reason why he can't go 3 for 3 in his predictions.

 

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2013 MEAC Tournament Preview

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Quietly, Norfolk State has picked up where it left off last year.

The Spartans shocked Missouri with a second-round (ahem, first round) victory in the NCAA Tournament as a two seed last season. This year, they’re 21-10 with perfect 16-0 conference record.

Now it’s time for someone to earn the automatic bid. Norfolk State has a full roster of players who know how to do it, with eleven returnees on the roster from last year’s MEAC tournament championship team. And when you look at the number of teams that came close to handing the Spartans their first conference loss earlier this season, it’s easy to see that it won’t be easy.

North Carolina Central only suffered one conference loss. Three other teams have double-digit conference wins and the top three teams will finish the season with winning records, overall. There isn’t a shortage of talent in the MEAC Tournament, and it could prove to be one of the most parody-filled tournaments of the second week.

(CLICK HERE to browse through all of our conference tournament previews)

THE BRACKET/SCHEDULE

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Field of 64 teams released for NCAA Division II tourney

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Committee announced Sunday the field of 64 teams that will compete in the 2013 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship.

Twenty-two conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining 42 teams were selected at large by the committee.

Regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each, will be conducted March 16, 17 and 19 at regional sites. The eight regional champions will advance to the quarterfinals in conjunction with the quarterfinals at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. The NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship will be conducted April 7 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.

Brackets: Interactive Printable

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
CONFERENCE	SCHOOL
California Collegiate Athletic Association	Cal Poly Pomona
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference	Bloomfield
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association	Bowie State
Conference Carolinas	Belmont Abbey
East Coast Conference	Bridgeport
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Findlay
Great Lakes Valley Conference	Drury
Great Northwest Athletic Conference	Seattle Pacific
Gulf South Conference	Christian Brothers
Heartland Conference	St. Mary’s (Texas)
Lone Star Conference	Tarleton State
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association	Central Missouri
Northeast-10 Conference	Southern New Hampshire
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference	Minn. St. Mankato
Pacific West Conference	Dixie State
Peach Belt Conference	South Carolina Aiken
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference	Indiana (Pennsylvania)
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference	Metro State
South Atlantic Conference	Wingate
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	Benedict
Sunshine State Conference	Florida Southern
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference	West Liberty....................................

SCHOOLS RECEIVING AT-LARGE BERTHS
Adams State	Lincoln Memorial
Alabama-Huntsville	Livingstone (CIAA)
Arkansas Tech	Michigan Tech
Assumption	Midwestern State
Augustana (S.D.)	Montevallo
Barton	New Haven
Bellarmine	Newman
Chico State	North Alabama
Cal State San Bernardino	UNC Pembroke
Cameron	Northeastern State
Chaminade	Rollins
Dominican (N.Y.)	Saint Anselm
East Stroudsburg	Saint Leo
Eckerd	Slippery Rock
Fairmont State	Southern Indiana
Fort Lewis	Upper Iowa
Franklin Pierce	Wayne State (Mich.)
Grand Canyon	Western Washington
Harding	Winona State
Indianapolis	Winston-Salem State (CIAA)
Limestone	Wisconsin-Parkside

COURTESY NCAA.COM

Texas Southern notches doubleheader sweep of Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  With the winning run at  second base and Southern down to its final out, Texas Southern sophomore Robert Pearson froze Caleb Hatcher for strike three and bounced off the mound pumping his fists.

That completed a doubleheader sweep of the Jaguars on Saturday at Lee-Hines Field in which TSU starting pitchers Pearson and Felix Gomez led the way.

In the first game, Gomez threw six shutout innings before leaving with one out in the seventh, settling for a no-decision as TSU took a wild 9-7 victory behind Marquis Curry’s eighth-inning grand slam.
In the second, Pearson outlasted Southern junior Jose De Leon for a 2-1 win.

“They really shut us down,” Southern coach Roger Cador said of Gomez and Pearson, who gave up only two runs between them. “The only runs we were really able to mount came when they went to the bullpen.”

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Trio competing to be starting RB for Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Igniting the Southern ground game with his play late last season, running back Sylvester Nzekwe had three 100-yard games in the team’s last four games, this after the Jaguars had gone the first seven games of 2012 without a 100-yard rusher.

Nonetheless, the Jaguars still finished last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in rushing offense, managing only 79.5 yards per outing.

Nzekwe and Jerry Joseph, who battled injuries during parts of their senior seasons, have moved on.
That leaves senior Darrius Coleman, junior Terence Clayton and redshirt freshman Lenard Tillery likely to share the workload in the backfield. Their mission: give the SU offense, led by Dray Joseph and the passing game, enough balance to keep defenses honest.

“We’re all competing to be the guy,” said Tillery, a former McKinley High standout, “but we know it’s not a one-back system. We know we’re all going to get playing time.”

Coleman is a bruising back whose ...

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Soifer clinches for Gold Rush; Nuggets roll past Mariners

MONTOMGERY, Ala. -- Xavier University of Louisiana sophomore Nikita Soifer rallied for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 decision over Cumberland's Pablo Borrero that clinched XU's 5-4 dual-match victory in the AUM Invitational on Saturday.

Xavier's women defeated Coastal Georgia 8-1.

It was the second consecutive day and the third time this season that the Gold Rush (6-4) and Gold Nuggets (6-5) defeated ranked NAIA opponents on the same day. Both XU teams are ranked 10th; Cumberland (3-1) is 11th, and Coastal Georgia (3-5) is 16th.

The XU men trailed 3-1 and 4-3. Viktor Svoboda tied the dual at 4 with his 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory against Sebastian Nava at No. 4 singles, then Soifer -- improving to 4-0 this semester in three-set matches -- beat Borrero at No. 2. It was the second consecutive day that Soifer won after losing the first set.

Svoboda trailed 4-2 in the second set and 3-2 in the third. He saved two match points in the 10th game of the second set, then won the tiebreaker after trailing 5-3.

Soifer closed his match after trailing love-40 on his serve in the final game.

"This was one of the most gut-wrenching, drama-filled matches I've been involved with as a coach," said Xavier's Alan Green. "I still don't know how we won. I do know that I have a group of guys who never quit, even when it seems like they have no chance to win."

Losing for the first time in nine matches this season was Xavier's No. 1 doubles team of Loic Didavi and Kyle Montrel. Antonio Manuel Marcelo and Pedro Rodrigues, ranked 10th by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, won the final four games and beat them 8-6. But Didavi and Montrel both won in singles in straight sets.

The Gold Rush have won three straight and are two victories above .500 for the first time this season.

The Gold Nuggets got singles victories from freshmen Brion Flowers, Simone-Alyse Ewell and Vashni Balleste in their fourth victory this season against a ranked team. Sophomore Amanda Materre improved to 8-0 at No. 3 singles with her 6-4, 6-2 decision against Nicole Faas. Kourtney Howell clinched the dual at No. 1 with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Elektra Hunter.

"The Nuggets played well," Green said. "We took care of business in singles."

Xavier's men will play second-ranked Auburn Montgomery at 9 a.m. Sunday at Lagoon Park Tennis Center. The Gold Nuggets will play 13th-ranked Campbellsville at 12:30 p.m. at the AUM Tennis Complex.

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

KSU Thorobreds Take Pair From Tuskegee in SIAC Opener

FRANKFORT, Kentucky –  The Kentucky State University Thorobreds won their first two games of SIAC play against the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers on Saturday afternoon. KSU used consistent offense and pitching to win game one, 8-2, and game two, 7-2.

GAME 1
In game one, Kentucky State used bursts of offense and another solid pitching performance from Joe Dotson to defeat Tuskegee.

Senior first baseman Jacob Brackett had an excellent offensive game for the Thorobreds going 3-for-3 and driving in two RBI. Sophomore third baseman Kyle Clark went 2-for-2 from the plate with two RBI.

Dotson (3-1) was credited with the victory after pitching a seven inning complete game. Dotson gave up six hits in the game but limited damage throughout the game, only allowing two runs.

Tuskegee's Cameron Summers (3-1) was given the loss after pitching 4.1 innings. Summers gave up five hits and allowed five runs, four of them earned.

The Thorobreds got their first run in the bottom of the first inning when catcher Marshall Howard IV hit a single through the left side that plated Clark.

Tuskegee responded in the top of the second inning when right-fielder Bradley Thomas smashed a double to left center that scored Samuel Rodney.

Things fell apart for the Golden Tigers in the bottom of the third inning.

KSU center fielder Cornell Brown reached first after being hit by Summer's first pitch of the inning. The next batter, Marcus Jackson, laid down a bunt and was able to reach on an error by Tuskegee catcher Rodney. After Ben Schroder grounded out, Alexander Davie was intentionally walked which loaded the bases for the Thorobreds. With one out, Clark came to the plate and became the second Thorobreds batter to be hit by a pitch in the inning. That plated Brown giving KSU a 2-1 lead.

Later in the innings Jackson scored on a wild pitch, making the score 3-1 in favor of the Thorobreds. The next batter, Brackett, hit a single through the right side that scored Clark and Davie to push the Kentucky State lead to 5-1.

Tuskegee was able to respond again in the top of the fourth inning when center fielder Alex Henderson laid down an excellent bunt that plated Thomas.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kentucky State scored three more runs to put game one out of reach for the Golden Tigers.

Jackson started things off with an RBI single that scored right fielder Justin Cain. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Davie was hit by a pitch that allowed Brown to score. Clark then grounded out but Jackson was able to score a run pushing the score to the final of 8-2.

Game 2
Kentucky State had all the momentum after game one and used that momentum to strike early and often, earning a 7-2 victory in game two of Saturdays doubleheader.

Starting pitcher Arefes Everette (2-2) earned the victory for the Thorobreds after pitching a seven inning complete game. Everette allowed just four hits and two runs, one earned, in game two.

Tuskegee's Tevin Worthy (2-2) was saddled with the loss after lasting just 1.1 innings, giving up four hits and six earned runs.

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Career Calling: Whitehurst gives up basketball to teach

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina  --  To be sure, Jasmine Whitehurst has nothing against playing basketball at Elizabeth City State.

In fact, the 5-foot-9 forward said the recently concluded season — when the Lady Vikings went 24-4 and won the CIAA Northern Division title — was the highlight of her athletic career.

“I love the coaches, I love my teammates and I think they feel the same way about me,” said Whitehurst, who started for the past two seasons after sitting out her freshman and sophomore years. “We bonded and we all combined our talents and got the job done. It was a great experience.”

If that is the case, why has Whitehurst, who was listed as a junior on the ECSU roster, decided to call it a career?

“It’s time to move on,” said the former Pasquotank High star, who has another year of eligibility remaining. “I’m going to graduate in May, and I want to get started in my career teaching physical education.

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2013 SWAC Baseball Tournament Moves to Texas

LaGrave Field, Fort Worth, Texas
(Courtesy SWAC.org)

Birmingham, Ala. – The 2013 Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Championship is headed to Fort Worth, Texas. The tournament, which is slated for May 15-19, will be held at the historic 5,100-seat LaGrave Field.

LaGrave Field opened in 1926. During its existence, LaGrave Field has hosted nearly 50 members of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. That list includes Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Sparky Anderson, Yogi Bera, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Larry Doby, Willie Mayes, Willie McCovey, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams, just to name a few.

LaGrave Field is the present-day home of the Fort Worth Cats minor league baseball team. The Cats are members of the United Baseball League.

The Fort Worth area is home to over 758,000 residents. The nation’s 16th-largest city recorded the 12th-largest numeric increase in new residents adding over 16,000 between April 2010 and July 2011 according to new population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

For more information about the 2013 SWAC Baseball Tournament, visit www.SWAC.org.

2013 SWAC Baseball Tournament Schedule

Wednesday, May 15
Game 1 – 9:00 a.m. – West #3 vs. East #2
Game 2 – 12:00 p.m. – East #3 vs. West #2
Game 3 – 3:00 p.m. – East #4 vs. West #1
Game 4 – 6:00 p.m. – West #4 vs. East #1

Thursday, May 16
Game 5 – 9:00 a.m. – Loser G1 vs. Loser G3
Game 6 – 12:00 p.m. – Loser G2 vs. Loser G4
Game 7 – 3:00 p.m. – Winner G1 vs. Winner G3
Game 8 – 6:00 p.m. – Winner G2 vs. Winner G4

Friday, May 17
Game 9 – 9:00 a.m. – Loser G7 vs. Winner G5
Game 10 – 12:00 p.m. – Winner G6 vs. Loser G8
Game 11 – 3:00 p.m. – Winner G7 vs. Winner G9
Game 12 – 6:00 p.m. – Winner G10 vs. Winner G8

Saturday, May 18
Game 11a (If Necessary) – 12:00 p.m.
Winner G11 vs. Loser G11
Game 12a (If Necessary) – 12:00 p.m. or 3 p.m.
Loser G12 vs. Winner G12

Sunday, May 19
Game 15 – SWAC Championship - 2:00 p.m.
Bracket A Winner vs. Bracket B Winner

Marshall assistant Seider (FAMU) returns to WVU

COACH JAJUAN SEIDER
(Photo Courtesy: WVU Athletics)

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia  --  One day after interviewing at his alma mater, JaJuan Seider has been hired as the new running backs coach at West Virginia, Charleston Daily Mail sources said Friday.

 

The addition was later confirmed by WVU Coach Dana Holgorsen's Twitter page, not long after wrapping up an interview with another candidate for the job.

 

Seider, who has his B.S. and master's degrees from WVU, arrives after three seasons at Marshall. Seider is an original member of Doc Holliday's Herd staff and has been running backs coach and recruiting coordinator since January 2010.

Before working as a graduate assistant at WVU, he served on the staffs at Lake Worth (2006-08), Palm Beach Lakes (2003-05) and Glades Central (2001-02) high schools.

 

Seider was a quarterback at WVU from 1996-98 and finished his career at Florida A&M, where he won the Doug Williams Award for National Offensive Player of the Year at the Division I-AA level and the Jake Gaither Award, which is considered the Heisman Trophy for black colleges.

 

As a senior at FAMU, Seider passed for 2,512 yards and 27 touchdowns.

 

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Country roads take JaJuan Seider north … so now what?

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia  --  What looked like a possibility became a certainty Friday night when JaJuan Seider left Marshall’s football staff to become running backs coach at WVU.
 
But was it really much of a surprise?

Seider has two degrees from WVU, began his collegiate career there before transferring to Florida A&M and was a graduate assistant there. And then there’s the money. Reports had former WVU RB Coach Robert Gillespie making $300,000 annually before he left for Tennessee. If Seider gets anywhere near that, that’s exponentially more than the shade above $90,000 he was making at Marshall.

So what does this mean for the Thundering Herd? It means Head Coach Doc Holliday has less than three weeks before spring practice begins on March 26 to fill the void. Will he cut it as close as Dana Holgorsen did in hiring Seider? WVU’s spring practice begins Sunday.

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Hampton men, women confidently approach MEAC tournament

HAMPTON,  Virginia —  Ignore the scoreboard and play. That might be the best strategy for Hampton University's men and women to achieve their goal of cutting down the nets at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.

The HU women (25-5, 16-0 MEAC) blew through the last six weeks of the regular season on the way to being the first team to go unbeaten in conference play in six years.

The Pirates' men (14-16, 11-5 MEAC), on the other hand, walked a tightrope all season. That they made it to the opposite platform two of every three trips without falling in league play speaks to their improvement and reliance on intensity.

"It's all about mental focus," forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell said. "It's scary to watch us when we're locked in. When we're not locked in, we're not ourselves. Even to be on the same team, it's scary to watch us lock in, to see how focused we are and how great we play defense when we're locked in. But when we're not, we're not a good team at all. When we are, we're the best team in the MEAC."

Others may take issue, notably regular-season champ Norfolk State and No. 2 seed North Carolina Central, both of which defeated the Pirates in tight games. Perhaps Savannah State, which tied the Pirates for third place, but lost to them in overtime, thus elevating HU to the No. 3 seed and an all-important early bye.

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MEAC tourney could boost local economy

NORFOLK, Virginia (WAVY) -- The City of Norfolk is gearing up to host the MEAC tournament for the first time in 15 years.

Men's and women's basketball teams will compete at the Norfolk Scope in the coming week. Local favorites Norfolk State University and Hampton University are among them.

And with the teams comes family, friends and fans - thousands of them. They are expected to energize the local economy, on what would typically be a slow winter weekend.

"We're literally two minutes in walking distance from the Scope, so we would love for everyone to come see us," said Sidney Evans, an employee at Buffalo Wild Wings in downtown Norfolk.



The restaurant is hoping to fill seats before, during and after the games. Buffalo Wild Wings will extend its hours during the week to cater to MEAC tournament fans.

"One hundred percent of the store is going to be working. Everybody. No days off," said Evans, "The expectation is through the roof for it."

Some of the players and coaches are already in downtown Norfolk. A handful spent last night at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel.

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SSU Basketball To Compete In MEAC Championship

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State men's and women's basketball teams will travel to Norfolk, Virginia next week for the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Tournament in Scope Arena.

The Tigers enter the contest as the number four seed and are set to play the 11 seeded University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m.

SSU finished the regular season in Tiger Arena on Thursday night with a 71-54 win over Maryland Eastern Shore, to close out the season with an 18-13 overall record and an 11-5 conference mark.

The Tigers are led by seniors Rashad Hassan, Preston Blackman, and Arnold Louis. Hassan is averaging 12.8 points per game and 5.9 rebounds. He leads the team in points with 398. Blackman is averaging 12.0 points per game with 371 total points. Louis leads the team in rebounds with 238.

In the 2012 MEAC Tournament, Savannah State's first appearance, the Tigers were upset by Hampton University, 59-46, in the opening round after entering the tournament as the number one seed.

The Lady Tigers are set to play the number four seed South Carolina State on Monday, March 11 at 11 a.m. as the 13th seed of the tournament.

SSU ended the regular season Thursday night in Tiger Arena with a 44-55 loss to Maryland Eastern Shore, to close out the season with a 7-22 overall record and a 2-14 conference record.

The Lady Tigers are led by senior Erin Hogue in points (328) and in rebounds (278). She recorded her 12^th double-double of the season in Thursday's loss to UMES with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Hogue holds the school's Division I record for double-doubles in a single season.

Sophomore guard Jasmine Norman has increasingly become a pivotal part of the Lady Tigers after the team suffered several key injuries earlier in the season. Norman is averaging 7.5 points per game with 217 overall.

Savannah State fell in the quarterfinals of the 2012 MEAC Tournament with a 28-51 loss to Maryland Eastern Shore.

For tickets and information concerning the MEAC Basketball Tournament visit www.meachoops.com. Follow the Tigers on twitter @savstatetigers for live updates.

Men's Bracket | Women's Bracket


COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hilltoppers dealing with a nasty bug

WEST LIBERTY, WEST Virginia  --  Jim Crutchfield and his No. 1-ranked West Liberty team have found some unique ways to await Selection Sunday, and ultimately, the beginning of next weekend's Atlantic Regional Tournament.

By coughing. And sneezing. And drinking plenty of fluids.

In that respect, it's a good thing the West Virginia Conference Tournament took place a week earlier than some of the others in Division II for the Hilltoppers.

''The bug's kinda been going around this week,'' said a raspy-voiced Crutchfield, himself unable to avoid it.

Outside of that, they're practicing and waiting for the NCAA to tell them the obvious Sunday night (10:30 p.m. (EDT), live webcast at www.NCAA.com). They'll play host to a third straight Atlantic Regional Tournament, set for March 16, 17 and 19.

Crutchfield is sure the ASRC will be the home base for it, and he's got a pretty good idea his team will be playing against unranked Bowie State (16-13), which rattled off four straight victories to pull out a monumental upset in the CIAA Tournament after entering it with a losing record.

''I don't see any way we don't play them,'' the coach said.

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WSSU Rams await D-II pairings announcement

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  No. 14 Winston-Salem State was back at work this week, preparing for the Division II national tournament.

The Rams (21-6) will find out who they’ll play late Sunday night when the field of 64 is announced, and they most likely will play at West Liberty (W.Va.) in the South Atlantic Regional, which will start March 16.
 “We’ve spent this week trying to get their morale back up and just working on a lot of things we need to sharpen up,” said Coach Bobby Collins, who gave his players three days off after last week’s loss to Bowie State in the CIAA Tournament semifinals.

“We are back full bore at practice now, and it’s just a matter of knowing that we want to make a run, and it’s not a CIAA run this time, but a run at the national title.”

WSSU has lost its regional opener each of the past two seasons, but with seven seniors and good depth, Collins is hoping for better results. Those two regionals also started the week after the CIAA Tournament, rather than two weeks after, and Collins now has extra time to prepare.

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Gold Nuggets, Rush win against ranked opponents again

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — For the second time this season, both Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams defeated ranked NAIA opponents on the same day.

It happened Friday in the AUM Invitational. The Gold Nuggets defeated Cumberland 9-0 in the morning at the AUM Tennis Complex, then the Gold Rush beat Coastal Georgia 6-3 in the afternoon at Lagoon Park Tennis Center. Both XU teams are ranked 10th, and both opponents are 22nd.

The Gold Nuggets' victory was their third of the season against a ranked team. They also snapped a nine-dual losing streak in this event dating to 2010. The XU men won their second consecutive dual, both against ranked opponents.

The Gold Nuggets did not lose a set, and Kourtney Howell, Brion Flowers, Amanda Materre and Simone-Alyse Ewell won in doubles and singles. Ewell clinched the dual with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Sandra Munoz Poletti at No. 4 singles, and Materre won for a team-leading seventh time in nine singles matches this semester in a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 decision against Anita Racz at No. 3.

Loic Didavi, Nikita Soifer, Kyle Montrel and Viktor Svoboda won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush. Svoboda defeated Malhar Mali 6-0, 6-3 at No. 4 singles to put Xavier ahead to stay, 3-2, and Didavi clinched with his 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 victory against Louis Volclair at No. 1. Didavi and Montrel, XU's No. 1 doubles team, improved to 8-0 for the semester with an 8-4 victory against Volclair and Jose Zaatini.

Soifer lost his first set 6-0 to Zaatini at No. 2 singles, then roared back with 6-4, 6-4 victories.

The XU women are 5-5 — they had dropped four of their previous five duals — and the men, climbing above .500 for the first time in nearly three weeks, are 5-4. Cumberland is 0-2, and Coastal Georgia is 4-3.

The Gold Nuggets will play 16th-ranked Coastal Georgia at 9 a.m. Saturday at AUM, and the Rush will 11th-ranked Cumberland at 12:30 p.m. at Lagoon Park.

Results: Men Women

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

TSU Tigers Split on Day One of Tiger Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State used a run-rule victory over Alabama State to earn a split on the first day of the Tiger Invitational. The Tigers defeated the Hornets 10-0 in six innings after getting shutout by Saint Louis, 6-0. TSU is now 6-12 on the season, while SLU improved to 5-7 and ASU dropped to 1-17.

 

In game two, the Tigers jumped out quickly as Jennifer Givens and Kiarra Freeman picked up singles and moved around to score on a sacrifice fly by Audrey Sensing and a wild pitch, respectively. TSU added to their 2-0 lead with a run in the second inning. After Lindsey Burgess collected her sixth double of the season, Ashley Haynes singled to right field to allow Burgess to cross home plate.

 

TSU put some distance between themselves and ASU in the fourth inning with four runs. Burgess started the scoring with a triple to right center to plate Brianna Roberts. The Tigers then followed with a single run on three consecutive batters. Kacie Daughtery started the run with an RBI single to center and was followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Shann'da Hamer. Kate Morris closed out the sequence with an RBI single to centerfield to extend the lead to 7-0.

 

Kate Morris put an end to the night in the bottom of the sixth with a towering three-run home run to centerfield for the 10-0 victory. The blast was the second dinger of the season for Morris.

 

Shea Morris (4-6) picked up the win as she recorded her second shutout of the season. Morris was masterful as she threw 59 strikes in 73 total pitches on her way to 11 strikeouts. The Hornets could only manage two hits off of the sophomore pitcher.

 

In the first game, Olivia Gamache (2-6) went the distance scattering seven hits allowing just one earned run. TSU ran into trouble with three errors in the first inning giving up two runs. The lone SLU earned run came in the top of the seventh inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Another Tigers miscue allowed the Billikens to add three more runs for the final score. Gamache tied her career high of six strikeouts.

 

Freeman finished the day with four hits in six at bats and a walk. Kate Morris was 3-for-7 with four RBI, while Burgess stroked a double and a triple.

 

Day two of the tournament begins at 9:30 am. The Tigers will faceoff with Nebraska-Omaha at 3:30 and Indiana at 7:30 pm. All of the Tigers games can be heard on tsutigers.com.

TSU-Saint Louis Boxscore TSU-Alabama State Boxscore Day 1 Results Nebraska-Omaha-5, Indiana-0 Nebraska-Omaha-9, Saint Louis-0 (5 inn) Indiana-8, Alabama State-0 (5 inn) Saint Louis-6, TSU 0 TSU-10, Alabama State-0 (6 inn)   COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION