Lincoln Releases 2013 Football Schedule

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania  — Lincoln University officially released the 2013 football schedule on Thursday, March 21, as the Lions will play four home games at the Lincoln University Football Stadium.

The home dates include contests against Livingstone, Virginia Union, Virginia State and Chowan.

The Lions take to the road against rival Cheyney, West Virginia Wesleyan, Saint Francis (PA), Johnson C. Smith, Elizabeth City State and Bowie State.

The 2013 campaign opens with a short trip to meet rival Cheyney University in the annual Battle of the First game in Cheyney, Pa., on Sept. 7. Lincoln continues its season on the road for the next two games as he Lions battle West Virginia Wesleyan College on Sept. 14 in Buckhannon, W.Va., and conclude their season-opening three-game road trip at NCAA Division I Saint Francis University (PA) on Sept. 21 in Loretto, Pa.

Lincoln finally makes its home debut on Sept. 28 as the Lions open CIAA play against Livingstone College during the Hall of Fame and Military Appreciation Day.

The following week, Lincoln takes to the road on Oct. 5, and travels to Charlotte, N.C., to take on Johnson C. Smith. Last season, the Lions outlasted the Golden Bulls at home, 55-53.

Virginia Union visits Lincoln to begin CIAA Northern Division action in Week 6 during Health and Wellness Day on Oct. 12. The Lions return to the road on Oct. 19 as Lincoln battles with Elizabeth City State.

The Lions close out the month of October with their 2013 Homecoming game as Lincoln plays host to Virginia State on Oct. 26. The final road game comes a week later on Nov. 2 as the Lions make the short trip to Bowie, Md., to face Bowie State.

Lincoln concludes the 2013 season on Nov. 9 with Senior Day & Family and Friends Day as the Lions take on Chowan University.

All Lincoln home game are played at the Lincoln University Football Stadium. For schedule updates and ticket information, continue to visit www.lulions.com.

2013 Lincoln University Football Schedule

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME

SEPTEMBER

7 at Cheyney (Battle of the First) Cheyney, Pa. 2 p.m.

14 at West Virginia Wesleyan Buckhannon, W.Va. Noon

21 at Saint Francis (PA) Loretto, Pa. 2 p.m.

28 LIVINGSTONE^* LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. 2 p.m.

OCTOBER

5 at Johnson C. Smith^ Charlotte, N.C. 1:30 p.m.

12 VIRGINIA UNION^$ LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. 2 p.m.

19 at Elizabeth City State^ Elizabeth City, N.C. 1:30 p.m.

26 VIRGINIA STATE^# (HC) LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. 2 p.m.

NOVEMBER

2 at Bowie State^ Bowie, Md. 1 p.m.

9 CHOWAN^% LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa. 1:30 p.m.

^- CIAA Game

*- Hall of Fame & Military Appreciation Day

$- Health and Wellness Day

#- Homecoming

%- Senior Day & Family and Friends Day

All Home games are played at the Lincoln University Football Stadium

All times Eastern and Subject to ChangeALL HOME GAMES BOLD & IN ALL CAPS

By Brian Howard, Sports Information and Media Specialist

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY (Pa.)

LULions.com 

Tuskegee University athletic director Patric Simon resigns

PATRIC SIMON
(Courtesy: Tuskegee University Athletics)

 TUSKEGEE, Alabama  --  Tuskegee University announced today that Patric Simon has stepped down as athletics director, effective immediately. Mr. Simon has cited the decision was made due to personal matters.

Ayers and Associates, Inc. a national search firm, has been selected to assist the university with a public search for his successor.

“During his tenure as athletics director, our students have experienced a tremendous amount of success in every aspect of their careers at Tuskegee, on the field of play and in the classroom with improved academic performance, said Gilbert Rochon, president of Tuskegee University.” “And we thank him for his service to our program."

Simon’s contributions to TU Athletics include ten consecutive victories for the Golden Tigers' football team to win TU's 26th outright SIAC Championship, and 29th overall; an 8-0 record versus SIAC opponents, including SIAC Championship, SIAC Coach of the Year for Coach Willie Slater and SIAC Player of the Year, for running back Derrick Washington.

With TU Basketball, the Tigerettes finished the 2012-2013 regular season in the SIAC undefeated; 16-0 to finish 1st in regular season; and Tigers player, Calvin “CJ” Thomas made All-Tournament Team, Preseason and Postseason All-SIAC Teams for 2012-2013.

Simon's successor as athletics director will be named as quickly as possible.

Pending the conduct and successful outcome of the search process, Leon Douglas, Head Coach, Men's Basketball and former NBA player, will serve as the interim AD. He will work closely with the Executive Vice President and Provost, who serves as the NCAA-mandated Faculty Athletic Representative.

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Bethune-Cookman Football Hosts Pro Timing Day

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  More than a dozen Bethune-Cookman University athletes will participate Friday at B-CU’s annual Pro Timing Day. Graduating seniors and those declaring for the NFL Draft will work out in front of NFL, AFL and CFL scouts at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach beginning at 10 a.m.

Among the athletes participating Friday are 13 seniors from Bethune-Cookman’s 2012 squad: WR Akeem Dunham, WR David Blackwell, WR KJ Stroud, LB Dawud Lane, P/PK Kory Kowalski, WR/KR Courtney Keith, RB Rodney Scott, RB Andronicus Lovette, DB Rashad Payne, OL Eugene Solomon, OL Lavon McCoy and DL Jerome Culp.



Bethune-Cookman’s Pro Day is closed to fans and is an invitational-only event for participants, their guests and select B-CU staff members. Members of the working media and scouts will be allowed to watch Pro Day.

For performance updates throughout Pro Day, follow @BCUathletics on Twitter. BCUathletics.com will have a complete recap following Pro Day.

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jaguars hope new faces provide help in defensive backfield

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Late in the fourth quarter of last season’s Bayou Classic, the Southern University football team had two chances to ice the game and secure the win.

Grambling was threatening in the red zone with just more than two minutes remaining. Having already racked up more than 300 yards through the air, the Tigers opted to pass the ball on both first and second down.

Southern had a chance to snag both balls out of the air and all but end the contest. Instead, the Jaguars committed pass interference and gave up a touchdown, allowing to the Tigers to pull within five and eventually face a game-winning drive.

Luckily for Southern, the Jaguars held on to secure the 38-33 win the Bayou Classic, but the incident was just one example of a season full of headaches in the secondary for Jaguars coach Dawson Odums.

“If you watch the Grambling game from last year, we had a chance to end the game — we dropped two picks, and they end up scoring seven,” Odums said. “So we were looking for playmakers. We’re looking for guys that will hit people back there, and we’re looking for attitude. We think we got that.”

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Gerald Ensley: FSU-FAMU is a rivalry whose time has come

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Our city’s two college football programs recently released their fall schedules.

There was a rumor Florida State University asked Florida A&M University to be a last-minute replacement for Wofford University, which pulled out of a Sept. 21 game in Tallahassee. Supposedly, FAMU declined because it had already agreed to play at Ohio State on that date.

Fueling the rumor was the fact that FSU filled the date with Bethune-Cookman University, which like FAMU is a historically black university and member of the second-tier NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.

In truth, FSU never contacted FAMU, nor was FAMU miffed it didn’t. Ohio State is paying FAMU $900,000; FSU is paying BCC $450,000.

Still, it seems a good time to suggest — as some of us have suggested before — that FSU and FAMU start playing each other in football. We believe such a game would be good for both schools and good for Tallahassee.

Though that’s not an attitude shared by all — and perhaps flies against previous examples.

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North Carolina A&T Aggies Fall In WNIT to James Madison

HARRISONBURG, Virginia — The end of any season is always bittersweet, especially when everything you have to give just isn’t enough. The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team left Convocation Center on Thursday evening with that feeling.

The Aggies were nine and a half minutes away from ousting James Madison, who played in the 2012 WNIT Championship game. But the Dukes (23-10) made a strong second-half push and broke a late tie, to hand the Aggies a 77-64 loss in the opening round of the 2013 WNIT.

“I felt like me and my teammates came ready to play," said A&T redshirt freshman Amber Calvin, who led the team with 25 points, and set a new career-high with seven 3-pointers. "We just gave it our all."

Calvin led the MEAC this season in 3-point field goal shooting. “We felt like we had the same talent that they did. We just wanted to prove it," she added. 
 
Calvin’s 25 points are the most scored by any Aggies in a WNIT game, besting her previous record of 24 points against Charlotte on March 21, 2010. But her offensive outburst wasn’t enough, as the Aggies were outscored 46-26 in the second half.

“I knew that it was going to be a tough game,” said A&T head coach Tarrell Robinson, adding that JMU’s track record speaks for itself. The 2012-13 season marked the eighth straight season JMU has competed in a national postseason tournament. “The bottom line—they have character and they have swagger. They’re not going to be rattled just by being down in the first half. We talked about us being up, but understanding what a caliber team this is and that they were going to make a run. We didn’t give a good response to that run that they made.”

The Aggies led by as many as 56-47 with 12:29 left in the game, as Calvin’s fifth 3-pointer kept the Aggies in front. But A&T foul trouble allowed the Dukes to get back in the game. JMU went to the line 22 times and made 17 in the second half. Angela Mickens missed her first but got the second free throw to pull JMU within one. A layup by first-team All-CAA guard Kirby Burkholder put JMU in front, 57-56, with 9:28 left. Burkholder led the Dukes with 22 points and 14 rebounds in the contest. 
 
The two teams went scoreless over the next two minutes, trading turnovers and missed jumpers.
JMU pulled in front by three on a jumper by Mickens, but Calvin responded by hitting another shot from downtown to tie the game at 59-59 with 6:05 left. The Dukes went on a 5-0 run to gain the upper hand. Calvin sank her seventh three-pointer to pull A&T to within two, but the Dukes posted a 11-0 run, aided by two key steals by Mickens and 5-for-5 shooting from the free throw line to put the game out of reach. First-team All-MEAC senior JaQuayla Berry collected a jumper as time expired to end her career with 1,433 points—sixth on the all-time career scoring list. She had 12 points in the contest. 

“The bulk of their points came out of transition. They did a good job of forcing us to turn the ball over and scoring out of that versus half court,” said Robinson. “They pressed us early and obviously it took its toll in the second half and started to wear on us.”

The Aggies, who shot 45 percent in the first half, were 9-for-27 from the floor in the second half. Calvin contributed 4-for-6 from beyond the arc for A&T in the second half.

“They just weren’t knocking down the shots as I was,” Calvin said of the team’s second half shooting.

First year head coach Robinson said that this is just one step in the process of making the program an annual competitor in postseason national tournaments. A&T is the only MEAC school to have made three WNIT appearances to date.

“I talked to my ladies about being able to compete against what I consider to be one of the top mid-majors in the country and wanting to make a statement about our program and about our university,” he said. “We didn’t come out with the win, but I think we did make a statement that our program is on the rise and is going to be one to be reckoned with.

“Our 22-10 record I think again says a lot about the direction that we’re heading in. I just want to say how proud I am of my ladies.”

The Aggies will be back in the WNIT this year, as they are slated to open the 2013-14 season by competing in the preseason WNIT.

Box Score

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
 

Southern takes Gonzaga to limit before falling

Salt Lake City, Utah — Facing a Gonzaga team that graduated from Cinderella to national power, Southern embraced the role of giant killer, knowing full well no 16-seed had ever defeated a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Southern nearly became the first team to break that drought as the Jaguars kept the Bulldogs on the ropes for 40 minutes, before falling 64-58 on Thursday afternoon.

“Coming into the game we thought we were going to make history,” senior guard Jameel Grace said. “No one comes into a game expecting to lose. We always expected to come in the game and win the game.”

Kevin Pangos made a pair of big three-pointers to help Gonzaga escape down the stretch as the Jaguars gave the Zags everything they could handle, raining down a flurry of 3-pointers to kept Gonzaga on the ropes.

The Jaguars came up short against the nation’s top-ranked team when shots stopped falling from the perimeter in the final minute.

Derrick Beltran scored 21 points and shot 50 percent from 3-point range to keep Southern (23-10) within striking distance. Kelly Olynyk scored 21 points and collected 10 rebounds, while Pangos added 16 points for the Bulldogs (32-2), who will advance to play ninth-seeded Wichita State in the third round Saturday.

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Box Score

Video2

 

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Chambers' Career Night Leads K-State Past Texas Southern

MANHATAN, Kansas  --   Brittany Chambers scored a school-record 42 points, including a program-best 29 in the first half, to lead Kansas State past Texas Southern, 72-44, in the opening round of the 2013 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) at Bramlage Coliseum. With her 690 points this season, Chambers broke the program’s single-season scoring record, surpassing former Wildcat great Tammie Romstad’s total of 686 points in the 1979-80 season.

Chambers’ school-record 42 points on Thursday night bests the effort of K-State legend Kendra Wecker, who poured in 41 points against Illinois State on November 11, 2004 in the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas. Chambers registered her 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting, including a 9-of-15 effort from beyond the arc. Her 15 made field goals were the most by a Wildcats since Nicole Ohlde made 17 against Wyoming on Nov. 24, 2000. Her 42 points ties for 10th in Big 12 history, while her nine three-point makes is a new career-high and ties for fourth place in the conference. That mark also ties a WNIT record and ranks second in school history.

Sophomore guard Haley Texada chipped in 12 points to join Chambers in double figures. Texada has now scored 10 or more points in 18 games this season, which ranks second on the team. Despite scoring only two points, senior Mariah White was also a major contributor as she added five assists, eight rebounds and five steals on the night.

K-State began the game on a 13-0 run, fueled by a six points from Texada and five from Chambers. The Wildcats’ defensive pressure held Texas Southern without a field goal until the 12:16 mark. K-State’s defense - and Chambers’ red-hot hand - was the difference maker, as Chambers single-handedly outscored the Lady Tigers, 29-19, and K-State held Texas Southern to 26.9% from the field in the first half.

The second half saw more of the same as Chambers, despite missing her first four shots, poured in 10 points within the first 10 minutes of the final half. Behind Chambers, the Wildcats were able to extend their lead to 36 points at the 6:28 mark on the way to their second postseason win in as many years.

In addition to setting career- and school-highs in scoring on Thursday night, Chambers also tallied five assists and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, marking her 14th double-double of her career.

With Thursday night’s win, Kansas State advances to the second round of the WNIT and will face Illinois State on Monday night at 7 p.m., in Bramlage Coliseum. Fans can purchase tickets for Monday’s contest online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets, by calling 1-800-CATS (2287) or in person at the K-State Athletics Ticket office, located inside the southwest entrance of Bramlage Coliseum. The game will be broadcast and available for free on K-StateHD.TV and throughout the K-State Sports Network.

Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery | K-StateHD.TV Highlights

COURTESY KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush win 4-3 at UNO; Soifer delivers when needed

NEW ORLEANS — If the Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team had a LinkedIn profile online, there's no doubt that the Gold Rush would receive multiple endorsements for handling pressure. The first to endorse would be XU coach Alan Green.

On Wednesday, for the fourth time in as many opportunities this season, the Gold Rush delivered the clinching point in the final completed match. Nikita Soifer's 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles against Ricardo Campos gave Xavier a 4-3 victory at the University of New Orleans.

The Xavier women lost 6-1 to UNO.

It was the third time this season that the Gold Rush, 8-5 and ranked eighth in the NAIA, clinched in the final match against an NCAA Division I opponent. Soifer trailed 5-1 in his first-set tiebreaker before winning the next six points, then closed his match and the dual in the second set. Soifer is 3-0 this season in tied-dual-one-match-remaining scenarios; Viktor Svoboda has the other such victory.

Svoboda tied the dual at 3 with his 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 victory against Hossam Meligy at No. 4.

Svoboda led 5-1 in the second set, then won the final three points of the tiebreaker after Meligy had match point at 6-5.

"It was another good match for the guys," Green said. "It was tough, but they pulled it out. We've had matches when one or two guys don't have their best days, but the other guys pick it up for them."

Xavier won the doubles point and got a 6-1, 6-1 victory from Loic Didavi against Rui Silva at No. 1 singles. Didavi has a six-match singles win streak, and Svoboda has won five in a row. Svoboda and Soifer have won six consecutive doubles matches.

The Gold Rush are 5-0 this season when Didavi, Soifer and Svoboda all win in singles and 7-1 when the top two doubles teams — Didavi and Kyle Montrel at No. 1, Soifer and Svoboda at No. 2 — both win.

In the women's dual, Kourtney Howell scored the Gold Nuggets' only point with her 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (17-15) victory against Marta Sans at No. 1 singles. It was the ninth victory in the last 12 singles matches for Howell, with five of the victories coming against NCAA D-I opponents. But Howell and Brion Flowers, the Nuggets' top doubles team, suffered their most lopsided loss of the semester, 8-1 to Kristina Martic and Soledad Calderon.

"Tough day for the Nuggets. That's all I want to say about that," Green said.

The Gold Nuggets, also ranked eighth in the NAIA, are 8-7. All their losses are against NCAA D-I opponents. UNO's women are 5-10, and the men are 6-6.

Xavier will depart New Orleans on Monday for dual matches in Florida during spring break. First for the Rush and Nuggets will be Webber International at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday. Xavier altered its schedule for the final two days of the trip and will play Northwood on March 27 and Embry-Riddle the following day. The next XU home duals will be April 6 against Auburn MontgomeAry.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Louisville stomps North Carolina A&T

LEXINGTON, Kentucky  --   Pay attention, No. 1s. This is how it's done.
  
Russ Smith scored 23 points and set a Louisville NCAA tournament record with a career-high eight steals, and Peyton Siva had eight assists as the Cardinals demolished North Carolina A&T 79-48 on Thursday night. Louisville finished with a season-high 20 steals as it forced the Aggies into 27 turnovers.

It was the 11th straight win for the Cardinals (30-5), and only their sixth victory ever at Rupp Arena. Of course, that's because Louisville is usually facing Kentucky here, but the defending national champions are spectators these days after being bounced out of the first round of the NIT this week. Rick Pitino and his Big East champions will play the winner of Colorado State-Missouri on Saturday. 
  
No 16th seed has ever beaten a No. 1 and, unlike that Southern-Gonzaga squeaker that ended shortly before the Aggies and Cardinals tipped off, this one was never even a contest.
  
Oh, the Cardinals let A&T (20-17) hang around for a few minutes, giving the small handful of Aggies fans enough time to take photos of the scoreboard while the margin was still respectable. (OK, it was 6-4. Considering the Aggies had never even won an NCAA tournament game until Tuesday night, it was as good as a lead.)

BOX SCORE

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N.C. A&T wins ... whatever the Aggies score is tonight

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  --  N.C. A&T’s men’s basketball team gets another moment in the spotlight tonight.

The Aggies took advantage of their first chance with a 73-72 win over Liberty in the opening game of the NCAA tournament Tuesday.

Their reward? A prime-time meeting with the tourney’s top overall seed, No. 1 Louisville.

While coming away with another victory will ask much, simply getting this far is netting the university a healthy consolation prize: national attention.

“This run, two things it will do for our university,” A&T head coach Cy Alexander said Tuesday night. “One, it’s going to be a tremendous boost for our recruiting and two, it’s going to be a tremendous boost as far as overall student applications. ... Hopefully, everybody can benefit from the success that the men’s basketball program is having

Right now, the benefits are difficult to quantify. A&T Athletics Director Earl Hilton isn’t even sure how A&T will benefit financially.

But NBA announcers Marv Albert and Steve Kerr called the Aggies’ game on Tuesday night, Charles Barkley is talking about the team, and A&T’s name has been in front of millions of eyeballs as brackets in office pools across the United States are filled out.

 

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Southern University almost pulls off upset against top seed Gonzaga, losing 64-58

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah  --  Southern University’s men’s basketball team just missed making history. West Region top seed Gonzaga scored the game’s final five points and held off an upset bid by the 16th-seeded Jaguars, 64-58, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday afternoon.

The Jaguars trailed 59-58 with 2:28 left to play after Southern’s Derick Beltran, who scored 21 points, made two free throws. But Gonzaga, the nation’s top ranked team, held the Jaguars scoreless the rest of the way as Southern went 0-for-4 from the field in the final 1:23 of the game.\

Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos hit a 3-pointer with 1:57 to play for a 62-58 lead and added two free throws with 14 seconds left to seal the victory.

“(Southern Coach) Roman Banks has done an unbelievable job,’’ Gonzaga Coach Mark Few said. “They had bigs that could match our bigs. We haven’t seen that before.’’

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Gallery: Gonzaga vs. Southern

Game stats

Gonzaga survives with narrow win over Southern

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah   — Gonzaga barely avoided becoming the first No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament to lose to a 16 seed, using everything it had to scrape past Southern University, 64-58, in the Zags' first game of the tournament.
 
It was a mighty struggle for Gonzaga, which has its first No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Zags had a 34-31 halftime lead, then gained control of the game behind All-America center Kelly Olynyk. But after Southern fought back from a double-digit deficit to tie the game, it was the Gonzaga guards, Gary Bell Jr. and Kevin Pangos, who ultimately made the difference.

Bell broke a 56-all tie with a clutch three-pointer with 3:18 left, and Pangos scored the Zags' last five points, and they held Southern to two points in the last three minutes-plus.

Olynyk scored 21 points to lead Gonzaga and Pangos scored 16.

Gonzaga appeared to be safe with a 52-41 lead, but the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament winners were resilient. They roared back with a 13-2 run and tied the game on two free throws by forward Brandon Moore.

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Scott, Hepburn shine for pro scouts at FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  The minute that former FAMU nose tackle Padric Scott stepped up to the bench holding 225 pounds of weight, the crowd inside the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center began to rumble. He stepped in and proceeded to rapidly lift the bar 39 times.

The large crowd in attendance Tuesday, including some of his former Lincoln High School teammates, showed its appreciation with a loud cheer. Every one of the 21 NFL scouts who were there for FAMU’s Pro Day testing of former FAMU football players took notes.

What they’d seen was years of work, going back to his grade-school years, Scott said.

“That’s just hard work and dedication,” he said. “That was ingrained in me when I was little. The stronger you are, the more you cut down on injuries so I pride myself on being in the weight room and not missing a day. If I miss a day I felt bad.”

The scouts who spent almost three hours keenly watching about 20 players, also were especially interested in linebacker Brandon Hepburn. When most of the others were gone, Hepburn and Scott were among a handful of players who were asked to stick around to display their ball-tracking skills.

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Florida A&M Rattlers Make The Best Of Pro Day Campus Combine

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  FAMU's Pro Day was quite the event as possibly the largest contingent of scouts in FAMU history descended upon the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center and fields to evaluate the talent of players with expired eligibility. The event was hosted by FAMU Campus Recreation director Robert Carroll, as he offered the state-of-the-art facility and resources to allow the athletes their best opportunity to be successful.

The day began inside the Tookes Center as scouts weighed and measured the vitals of the athletes participating in the display. The participants included seniors from this past season, as well as a few players who were trying to re-establish themselves for an opportunity with one of the teams. The first skills tests were the vertical and broad jumps. Marvin Ross pulled an impressive vertical drawing approval from the hundreds in the viewing area. Tyler Bass had one of the best broad jumps on the day and also had the opportunity to show his arm in some specific drills.

Exact scores are not authorized to be shared by the scouts in attendance, so estimations and overhearing scores were the only method of validating where things were. After the jumps, the players moved over to the weight bench to do as many reps as possible with a 225lb. setup. Ellie Hyppolite had an impressive showing, as well as Daniel Lee. But, Padric Scott would own the bench, turning in 39 reps. The most reps for a defensive lineman at this year's NFL combine was 38 by Margus Hunt (SMU) and Brandon Williams (MSU).

The action then moved to the intramural synthetic turf field for sprints and drills. As the mass moved outside and the players warmed up, there was a buzz building around the field. The 40-yard dash is highly regarded as one of the tests that could single-handedly determine if a player is really able to excel on the next level, thus considerable attention is given to the results of the dash. The first casualty of the day was Travis Harvey, who pulled up on his first 40-yard dash with a hamstring injury. it was a disappointing moment for the California native trying to make his mark in the combine.

Brandon Hepburn, who ran one of the best 40-yard dash times for inside linebackers in the 2013 NFL combine, didn't disappoint as he ran what was overheard to be 4.5 seconds. Hepburn is high on several teams' lists and could very well be drafted in an early round.

The most pleasant surprise of the day came from Scott, who fluidly ran down the field in a sub-5.0 sprint. The hundreds in attendance roared as he picked up steam down the stretch. Scott measures six feet even and 315 lbs, so the spectacle of a guy that big, running that fast had scouts comparing times and taking a glance at Scott as he passed. Scott has been working out with Hepburn and was not surprised at his improved speed. "I felt good.  I treated it like it was a game.  It was all about relaxing and focusing.  Since November, this is what I have been doing.  I've been working out in Miami for a while, then I worked out at the rec center where the combine would be taking place," Scott said.

Hepburn has had a whirlwind of a time since playing his last game for the Rattlers. He was invited to the East-West All Star game, where he made a big impression on scouts after making an interception and a big hit on an Auburn player that thrilled the fans at the game. As a reward for making the Allstate Good Werks team, Hepburn was honored at the BCS National Championship game, by being presented on the field. All of this activity pales in comparison to being home, Hepburn said. "It feels good to be back home. It feels good to compete with my brothers one last time on the battlefield. It's a great experience, rooting each other on and I give the glory to God," he said.

Among the former players who also got an opportunity to go through drills were Alvis Graham, Jerry Willis and Isaac West. Graham, who suffered a season-ending injury in 2011 and was denied an eligibility hardship, had his opportunity to display his agility for the scouts. They even worked him in some additional drills to get a feel for his recovery. West, who played arena football last season for the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, gave the scouts an up-close look at his ideal receiver frame. Former running back Lavonte Page also worked out for the scouts, who were interested in seeing how well he would endure the rigorous drills.

Coach Earl Holmes is optimistic that some of the players' performances could help them get drafted or signed come April 28. "I would advise all Rattler fans to pay close attention to the draft. I really feel that you will hear the names called of some of our players. They've put in the work and they represented themselves well today," he said.

FAMU Pro Day 2013

 BRANDON HEPBURN'S NFL COMBINE PROFILE

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern’s 1993 upset of Ga. Tech recalled

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Weeks before Chris Webber’s infamous timeout helped seal the 1992-93 men’s college basketball national championship for North Carolina over Michigan, something happened in the center of the West Regional that rocked office pools across the country.

Georgia Tech, five days removed from a victory over those title-bound Tar Heels in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final, couldn’t keep up with a team from Baton Rouge that, in five previous tries, had never won a game in the NCAA tournament.

No. 13 seed Southern pulled the 93-78 upset, sending the fourth-seeded Yellow Jackets out of the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., with a first-round exit.

“I knew we had made history because I paid attention to past Southern teams,” said former SU guard Aaron Hammond, a freshman backup on the 1992-93 team. “Great players had made it to the tournament and not been able to bring victory back to Baton Rouge. We wanted to do that.”

Twenty years later, Southern returns to the NCAA tournament as an even bigger underdog.

The Jaguars will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga, which finished the regular season ranked atop the national polls, as the No. 16 seed in the West Regional on Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Southern will try to become the first team to win a 1-vs.-16 matchup in NCAA men’s tournament history.

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Historic win propels ECU Pirates over Savannah State

GREENVILLE, North Carolina  --  With 13 minutes remaining, the ECU basketball team was staring at a 15-point deficit and the chance of their season possibly ending against the Savannah State Tigers. The four ECU seniors faced the fact that they may never suit up in a Pirate uniform ever again, but an improbable comeback kept their careers alive, at least for one more game.

Survive and Win.

The Pirates only led for 35 seconds in the entire 40-minute game. Miguel Paul gave ECU the lead on a “less than organized” sequence of plays with 47 seconds left in the game. A tipped pass caused the ball to go bouncing into ECU’s backcourt. In a foot race to the ball, Paul dove and tipped it to teammate Robert Sampson. Akeem Richmond ended up with the ball and threw a 30-foot laser pass back to Paul, who was streaking down the floor. Paul knocked down a three and put the Pirates ahead by one.

Savannah State called a timeout and set up a play to take the lead. After a scrum under the basket, the Tigers’ Rashad Hassan made a layup and was fouled. The “Minges Maniacs” became enraged at the officials and their controversial calls down the stretch. Hassan missed the important free throw and ECU regained possession.

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Big Ten policy worries HBCUs

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina --  Football programs at historically black colleges could be sacked for a huge financial hit if other major conferences adopt the Big Ten’s proposal to stop scheduling football games against schools from lower level conferences.

The Big Ten is one of 11 conferences that make up the NCAA’s Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, the top tier in college football. HBCUs that are members of the SWAC and MEAC, along with Tennessee State and other schools that play at the next level – the Football Championship Subdivision – can earn guarantees well over $500,000 for playing teams from the top level. More often than not the games are blowouts – many of epic proportions – in favor of the FBS schools, which schedule the contests because they give them an additional home game and a sold-out stadium.

Savannah State’s 84-0 loss to Oklahoma State in 2012 is the largest margin of victory for an FBS school against an FCS foe since these matchups began in 1978, the year that the NCAA split Division I into two levels. It eclipsed Arkansas State’s 83-10 victory over Texas Southern in 2008.

FBS schools were 1,838-396-18 for an all-time winning percentage of .820 in games against FCS schools entering the 2012 season, according to FootballGeography.com.

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Clarksville’s Blake Jenkines, former Kenwood Basketball star, to play in NCAA Tournament

HAMPTON, Virginia  --  Former Kenwood High School basketball star Blake Jenkines is living the dream of any college athlete by going to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. She and her Hampton University Lady Pirates, champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, will be a #15 seed playing #2 seed Duke University, Sunday in Cameron Indoor Stadium at 12:05pm ET.

The game will be televised live on ESPN2.

The Lady Pirates (28-5) are the No. 15 seed in the Norfolk Region, while the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Blue Devils (30-2) are the No. 2 seed.

“It wasn’t what we wanted, but it’s what we got,” Hampton head coach David Six said. “I think we’re better than a 15 seed.”

Hampton has won 19 straight games, tied for the seventh-longest winning streak in the nation, and is coming off Saturday’s 59-38 win over Howard in the MEAC Tournament championship game. The Lady Pirates are just the second MEAC team to go undefeated in conference play and win the tournament in the same season.

The Lady Pirates lead the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 47.2 points per game, while also ranking second in field goal percentage defense (.316) and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.238).

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NCAA tournament second round: N.C. A&T vs. Louisville

No. 16 N.C. A&T (20-16) vs. No. 1 Louisville (29-5)

LEXINGTON, Kentucky -- Congratulations, N.C. A&T! You’ve won the first NCAA tournament game in program history.

And, as a prize, you get the chance to play the team that hung a 44-10 run on Syracuse in the Big East tournament finale.

 A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed at the Big Dance, and Louisville is THE No. 1 seed this season.

But the result isn’t really the point today.

Sure, the Aggies would love to win, just like they’d have loved to have won their only other two forays against the Big East this season, a 93-39 loss to Cincinnati and a 77-66 loss to Seton Hall.

This game against the Cardinals is about going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the nation on national television.

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Greg Ruffin to Lead Paine College Football

HEAD COACH GREG RUFFIN
PAINE COLLEGE LIONS
(Photo Courtesy: Paine College Athletics)
Paine College has new football coach

AUGUSTA, Georgia  --  Paine College Director of Athletics, Tim Duncan announced today that Gregory A. Ruffin has been named Head Football Coach.

“We are excited to have Coach Greg Ruffin as the first leader of the Paine College football team in over 50 years. His tremendous experience includes being involved in two start-up programs and working at multiple Division I and Division II institutions. He has a contagious energy, his passion for football is evident and his track record as a recruiter is unmatched. Paine College and the CSRA Community are very fortunate to have Coach Ruffin as the leader of Augusta's football team”, states Director of Athletics, Tim Duncan.

Paine College President, Dr. George C. Bradley states “this is a great day for Paine College. The hiring of Coach Greg Ruffin is the realization of the latest step in our strategic goal of Student Engagement - Strengthening our Athletic Program. Coach Ruffin stood out in the interview process because of his detailed vision of how he plans to start and grow the Paine College football team. He has assured me that the young men he recruits will be great representatives of Paine College and will be model student-athletes. I am pleased to have him lead our football program.”

“My family and I are ecstatic about the opportunity that has been bestowed upon me as your next Head Football Coach at Paine College. Dr. Bradley clearly has a vision for the college, and my staff and I will do everything in our power to make sure that we surround ourselves with quality student athletes who understand the mission and core values of the college as it relates to building a high quality NCAA Division II football program and graduate these young men”, stated Ruffin.

Ruffin comes to Paine College from Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, TX, where he served as the Recruiting Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach during the 2012 season. Prior to TSU, he served six seasons at Jackson State University helping the program win the 2007 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship and a runner-up finish in 2009. In his duties at Jackson State, Ruffin served as the Recruiting Coordinator and Running backs Coach. Coach Ruffin came to JSU from Tuskegee University where he served as running backs coach under Head Coach Rick Comegy.

Before his arrival at Tuskegee in 2005, Ruffin served one season (2004) as defensive assistant coach at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, AR. Prior to Ouachita Baptist, he served one year (2002) as head football coach at Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., where he resurrected the football Shaw program after a 23-year hiatus, propelling the first-year program to a 7-3 record. Ruffin spent one year at Benedict College (2001) as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

During two seasons (1999-2000) at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO, he worked in four different capacities - offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, strength and conditioning coach and recruiting coordinator. He served on the staff of his alma mater for one season (1998) as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.

His first collegiate coaching assignment was in 1997 with Kemper Military Community College in Booneville, MO, as the running backs coach. In 1997, Kemper Military finished 10-2 and was ranked seventh in the country in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

In 1995, Ruffin coached the wide receivers and defensive backs at Northside High School in Jackson, TN; and running backs in 1996 at Jackson Central-Merry High School, Jackson, TN.

Ruffin started as a freshman at quarterback at Wentworth Military Academy, before transferring to Lane College in 1993. At Lane he was the starting fullback who paved the way for the late Fred Lane. Jr., who had a successful NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. In 1995, Lane posted a 9-1 record, the best in the school's history.

During his career he has been a part of two different programs that have resurrected their football programs after lengthy absences (Lincoln University 1999 & Shaw University in 2002).

He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the American Football Coaches Association and the USSSA Baseball Umpires Association. Ruffin is married to Mia B. Ruffin, and they are the parents of three. He is a graduate of Lane College (B.S. Criminal Justice) Jackson, TN, as well as Jackson State University (M.S. Sports Admin).

Coach Ruffin also states, “It is indeed an honor and a privilege to have been chosen to become the Head Football Coach here at Paine College. I believe with the quality of high school football that is being played in the Central Savannah River Area and the state of Georgia in particular, we should be able to build a formidable football program here at Paine College. We will work diligently & thoroughly to make sure that we recruit from this area and increase the awareness of our outstanding College, as well as the Augusta, GA area”.

For more information on Paine College Football, visit www.paineathletics.com.

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Franklin receives NAIA All-America honorable mention

Xavier Gold Nuggets NAIA All-Americans

SiMon Franklin

First Team 1986-87 — Demetria Lang (WBCA/Kodak team) 1988-89 — Henrietta Mitchell (WBCA/Kodak team) 1989-90 — Henrietta Mitchell (WBCA/Kodak team) 1997-98 — Cassee Davis Second Team 1980-81 — Gwendolyn Brule 2003-04 — Jackie Tucker Third Team 1995-96 — Cassee Davis Honorable Mention 1981-82 — Gwendolyn Brule 2001-02 — Alisheian Graham 2006-0 — Jarryn Cleaves 2007-08 — Jarryn Cleaves 2008-09 — Brittany Powell 2009-10 — Brittany Powell 2010-11 — Christina Warren 2011-12 — Keldra Hall 2012-13 — SiMon Franklin

NEW ORLEANS — For the seventh consecutive season, Xavier University of Louisiana has an honorable-mention selection on the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball All-America Team. This time it's SiMon Franklin, the Gold Nuggets' only senior in 2012-13.

Franklin — a 5-foot-7 guard from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of St. Joseph's Academy — led Xavier with 10.7 points, 2.4 steals and 24.9 minutes per game this season. Franklin also averaged three rebounds and two assists.

Franklin is one of nine Gold Nuggets to reach 1,000 points, 300 rebounds and 200 steals in a career. She was a four-year starter and ranks 17th all-time at Xavier with 1,136 points.
    
Also earning recognition from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference were SUNO senior guard April Perry on the second team and Tougaloo junior guard Portia Craft, Tougaloo junior forward Chasity Kearney, SUNO junior center Sabrina Scott and Dillard senior forward Jazzmin Smith with honorable mention.

Coach Bo Browder's Gold Nuggets were 24-6 this season, won the GCAC regular-season championship for the third consecutive year and qualified for the NAIA Division I National Championship for the fourth consecutive season.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS

MEAC commissioner says Scope is the perfect place

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Early losses by the Norfolk State and Hampton men's basketball teams took some steam out of attendance at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.

Shorn of both local teams, Scope's 9,140 seats appeared about half full for Saturday's championship game. Paid attendance was 7,105, said Patricia Porter, director of media relations.

But Dennis Thomas, the MEAC commissioner, said he was pleased with the crowd and thrilled with the reception fans received in Norfolk.

"For Norfolk State to be out of the tournament and Hampton men to be out of the tournament, I was very happy with the crowd," Thomas said. "Our fans still turned out to watch the game."

The tournament has bounced from Richmond to Raleigh and Winston-Salem, N.C., in recent years. Thomas said he thinks the MEAC has found a home in Norfolk.

"This has been a tremendous tournament," he said. "I talked to many fans from out of town, and everything I've heard has been positive.

"Our fans were very pleased with how the city embraced them as visitors."

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All-America: Erves third team, Joseph honorable mention

Xavier Gold Rush NAIA All-Americans First Team 1972-73 — Bruce Seals Third Team 1981-82 — Alvin "Bo" Dukes 2006-07 — Shaun Dumas 2008-09 — Shaun Dumas 2012-13 — Denzell Erves Honorable Mention 1971-72 — Bruce Seals 1971-72 — Don "Slick" Watts 1985-86 — Derrick Collins 1987-88 — Juan Mercier 1990-91 — Merlin Peters 2000-01 — David Egans, Kermit Smith 2004-05 — Timothy Green 2007-08 — Shaun Dumas 2010-11 — Devin Andrew 2011-12 — Chris Iles 2012-13 — Wanto Joseph Denzell Erves Wanto Joseph

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana seniors Denzell Erves and Wanto Joseph were honored Wednesday by the NAIA Men's Basketball Coaches' Association All-America Committee. Erves was named third-team All-America for the 2012-13 season, and Joseph received honorable mention.

Erves is a 6-foot-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School. Joseph is a 5-9 guard from New Orleans and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School.

]Erves is the fourth XU men's basketball player to be chosen to third-team All-America or higher and the first since third-team guard Shaun Dumas in 2009. Erves averaged 13.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game this season and ranked third in NAIA Division I with 17 double-doubles, He became XU's career leader with 132 blocked shots — Louis Williams (1979-82) held the previous mark of 130 — and No. 4 with 762 career rebounds.

Joseph averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, six assists and 1.9 steals per game. He was one of four NAIA Division I players this season to reach 500 points and 175 assists — the others were first-team All-American Dominique Rambo of Southwestern Assemblies of God, second-team Marshawn Norris of Culver-Stockton and third-team David Rawlinson of West Virginia Tech.

Both Erves and Joseph reached 1,000 career points in the regular-season finale against city rival Dillard. Joseph finished with 1,041 career points, and Erves scored 1,031.

Also earning recognition from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference were Philander Smith senior forward Alvin Nance on the second team and Tougaloo senior guard Juan Gray, Fisk junior Darrell Miller and SUNO senior guard/forward Clyde Moore with honorable mention.

Coach Dannton Jackson's Gold Rush were 24-8 this season, earning a share of the GCAC regular-season championship for the second consecutive year and qualifying for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship for the third consecutive season.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

UVA 'Hoos Survive Norfolk State and Advance in NIT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia  --  In the first round of the National Invitation Tournament, the University of Virginia faced a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, a league whose members have never beaten UVa in men's basketball.

In the second round, the Cavaliers will meet a team from the rugged Big East. Moreover, that opponent, St. John's, is 7-0 all-time against UVa in this sport. The Red Storm edged Saint Joseph's in a first-round game Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

Virginia opened its 13th trip to the NIT with a 67-56 victory over Norfolk State before a vocal crowd of 4,790 at John Paul Jones. The Cavaliers' performance thrilled no one associated with their program Tuesday night.

"Obviously we'll probably have to play a little bit better to [beat St. John's]," junior swingman Joe Harris said as midnight approached. The Wahoos (22-11) turned the ball over 17 times and made only 22 of 37 free throws. In the second half, they gave up eight offensive rebounds to the Spartans (21-12). "We got just enough stops, obviously, to be successful,"

Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, "but we had trouble handling the ball, making free throws, keeping them off the glass, and those things kind of cost us. But enough plays were made on the defensive end, and a few buckets here and there, to keep Norfolk State at bay."

The officiating crew called 47 fouls Tuesday night, and at times it seemed the game would never end. Norfolk State, with 18 turnovers, was no more careful with the ball than UVa.



"It was not a pretty game at all," Bennett said. "But at this point, to be able to come away with one not playing well was important." The MEAC's regular-season champion, Norfolk State scored the game's first eight points. By halftime, the `Hoos led 26-16, but their slow start reflected their general lack of concentration Tuesday night.

"That wasn't us," senior point guard Jontel Evans said. "We have to come out with more energy and more focus than that. If we come out like that against St. John's, it will be over."

The `Hoos will host the Red Storm (17-15) in a second-round game Sunday or Monday at JPJ.

Virginia is a No. 1 seed in the 32-team tournament; St. John's, a No. 5 seed. An announcement on the date and starting time is expected late Wednesday night. Tickets for the game, $10 apiece, will go on sale at 10 a..m. Thursday.

The videotape of the Cavaliers' first-round game may give the Red Storm some ideas about how to stymie Bennett's team. UVa, which primarily faced man-to-man defenses during the regular season, appeared perplexed by Norfolk State's 3-2 zone for long stretches Tuesday night.

"We were very stagnant to start out against that zone," Bennett said. "Too many turnovers, guys looked uncomfortable. We haven't had a team play us quite like that most of the year. In the second half I thought we moved a little better. They played some more man-to-man, but even against their zone we had some more movement, and I thought it helped us."

He knew the Spartans "were gonna come in and they were gonna try to beat the state school, just as ODU did [in December]," Anderson said. "That bad taste I got from ODU came back to my memory. I knew they were gonna come in hungry and they were gonna fight. A lot of people look at our school and think we're a bunch of soft guys and all of that, but we're a tough team, and I loved how we battled back. We played through all the jawing that they did, and we stuck to our system, and I think that's why we were successful."

NSU PHOTO GALLERY VS. UVA

|Box Score | Video Highlights | UVa Postgame Notes | Photo Gallery |


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WSSU’s Collins optimistic about next season

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Bobby Collins’ office at the Gaines Center was unusually quiet Tuesday morning.

Collins, who just completed his seventh season as the men’s basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, tried to sum up a season where there were plenty of highs and a few lows. The Rams’ season ended Saturday in yet another first-round loss in the Atlantic Region of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 The Rams let a late lead slip away in a 69-67 loss to Slippery Rock. The Rams were the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Region and were upset by the No. 7 seed.

“It just wasn’t meant to be for us,” Collins said about the loss that ended their season with a 21-7 record.

It was the third straight season that the Rams lost in the first round — and for seven seniors, it was the end of their careers.

There were high expectations at WSSU with such a veteran team coming back. The Rams were the preseason favorite to repeat as CIAA champions but they lost to Bowie State in the semifinals of the conference tournament, and — despite two weeks between games — they never recovered before losing to Slippery Rock.

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