B-CU gets back to fundamentals for spring football practice

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  Brian Jenkins had to think about it. Is this his most experienced team since he became Bethune-Cookman's head football coach after the 2009 season?

“That's a good question,'' he said. “I'm not sure.''

 

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Wildcats have lost some key players, but the majority of the starters from last year's 9-3 team are back.

 

Still, spring is a time of rebirth, and that's how Jenkins views spring practice, which is scheduled to get under way Saturday at the Wildcats' refurbished practice field on campus.

 

“We're just going to work on fundamentals,” Jenkins said. “This team is untested. It hasn't done anything yet.''

 

The Wildcats are scheduled to have 12 practices before ending with a spring scrimmage April 20 at either New Smyrna Beach Stadium or Municipal Stadium. B-CU athletic spokesman Bryan Harvey said the Wildcats have not set a time or venue for the scrimmage, which will be open to the public. The Wildcats' practices are not open to the public.

 

READ MORE

 

2013 B-CU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

 

 Date                       Opponent                             

Sun, Sep 01	Tennessee State	Nashville, Tenn.	TBA
Sat, Sep 07	Virginia Union	Daytona Beach, Fla.	4:00 p.m.
Sat, Sep 14	Florida International	Miami, Fla.	TBA
Sat, Sep 21	Florida State	Tallahassee, Fla.	TBA
Sat, Oct 05	Delaware State *	Dover, Del.	TBA
Sat, Oct 12	Howard *	Washington, D.C.	1:00 p.m.
Sat, Oct 19	Savannah State *	Daytona Beach, Fla.	4:00 p.m.
Homecoming
Sat, Oct 26	South Carolina State *	Daytona Beach, Fla.	4:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 02	North Carolina Central *	Durham, N.C.	2:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 09	Norfolk State *	Daytona Beach, Fla.	4:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 16	Hampton *	Daytona Beach, Fla.	4:00 p.m.
Sat, Nov 23	Florida A&M *	Orlando, Fla.	TBA

XU Nuggets' sprint medley quartet places third at LSU Relays

Coach Joseph Moses — on the left side of the back row — and some of his
 Xavier track and field athletes posed for a team photo February 14 outside
the  new Convocation Center. Front row, from left: Chelsea James,
Chartia Hurt, Tayler Louis, Devinn Rolland, Tramaine Shannon, Zahri
Jackson  and Hannah Flanagan. Back row, from left: Moses, Kwame Jackson, 
Briana Simms, Chris Kenner, Catherine Fakler and David Holobowicz.
(Click photo to enlarge)

BATON ROUGE, La. — Xavier University of Louisiana's Chelsea James, Devinn Rolland, Chartia Hurt and Zahri Jackson placed third Friday out of 12 teams in the women's 1,600-meter sprint medley relay at the LSU Relays.

The Gold Nuggets, the only non-NCAA Division I team in the relay, finished in 4 minutes, 3.36 seconds — less than 4½ seconds behind LSU, which won in 3:59.11. Louisiana-Monroe was second in 4:01.12, and Jackson State was fourth in 4:08.44. Tulane, Arkansas State and Nicholls State were among the other relay squads that Xavier beat.

The Nuggets' Catherine Fakler ran 1,500 meters in a career-best 4:50.52 to place seventh out of 31 runners. She finished ahead of 17 NCAA D-I runners. Freshman David Holobowicz, competing for the first time as a collegian at 5,000 meters, placed 15th in 16:44.82, the fastest by a Gold Rush runner this season.

There is no team scoring in the two-day meet, which will conclude Saturday. Field events will start at 10 a.m., track events at 1 p.m.

Results (PDF file)

Here are all of Xavier's Friday results from the LSU Relays:

Women
1,600 Sprint Medley Relay: Chelsea James, Devinn Rolland, Chartia Hurt, Zahri Jackson, 3rd in 4:03:36
1,500: Catherine Fakler, 5th in 4:50.52
5,000: Hannah Finnegan, did not finish

Men
5,000: David Holobowicz, 15th in 16:44.82

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

TSU Football Holds Pro Day

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State football conducted its' annual pro day on Friday at the TSU Indoor Practice Facility.
 

Over 20 scouts from the National Football League (NFL) were in attendance as well as a crowd of about 250.

The Tigers had scouts from numerous NFL teams including the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots.

Most of the 2012 TSU seniors participated including Rogers Gaines, Travis James, Sherman Carter and junior Trabis Ward.
 

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube
 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Claflin University Decides to go in Different Directions with their Men's and Women's Basketball Programs

Orangeburg, SC -  Claflin University has decided to move in a different direction in terms of leadership for both its men's and women's basketball programs.

"I personally want to thank Coach Ron Woodard and Coach Tiffany Tucker for their contributions to the University as the men's and women's head coach, respectively. I wish them well in their future endeavors, commented Dr. Jerome Fitch, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, at Claflin University.

The University has named Terrence Jenkins and Dont'e McChester as interim head coaches for the men's and women's basketball programs respectively.

The University will begin a national search for the men's and women's programs. " Our goal is to find coaches with the right fit for Claflin University and we will take deliberate speed to identify them," said Dr. Jerome Fitch.

COURTESY CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Booker T. hires former NSU aide as head coach

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Jim Flowers led Lafayette-Winona Middle School to the city football championship this past fall.

Booker T. Washington hopes he has similar success in high school.

Flowers, a former Norfolk State player and assistant coach, was hired to coach the Bookers on Thursday - his first head-coaching position in high school.

Flowers also was an assistant coach at Hampton University and Maury High.

"I'm old and I've been around a long time," joked Flowers, who didn't want to disclose his age but said he coached under Darnell Moore and the late Dick Price at Norfolk State. "But I appreciate this opportunity and I look forward to the challenge to continue the success that's already been established here."

Flowers replaces Che Jacobs, who was 21-20 in four seasons. He led the Bookers to the playoffs in 2011, the school's first postseason appearance since 2004 and first winning season since 2003.

Flowers had applied for the Booker T. Washington job before.

READ MORE

Southwest Guilford basketball star commits to WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Terrell Leach, a standout point guard at Southwest Guilford, has committed to play basketball at Winston-Salem State, coach Guy Shavers of Southwest said Thursday.

Leach (6-foot, 175) is the second guard to commit for play for coach Bobby Collins next season, joining combination guard Jamison Jeffers of Burlington.

The commitments should help offset the losses of three starters from this season’s 21-7 team, including point guard Marcus Wells, a four-year starter, and leading scorer Justin Glover.

Leach helped the Cowboys to a 27-1 record this past season, with the only loss to Reagan in the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs. He averaged 30 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

 

READ MORE

WSSU Notes: QB position under scrutiny

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  One of the most watched positions this spring at WSSU is quarterback.

Expected starter Anthony Carrothers , who was 2-0 as a starter in the 2012 playoffs, has been sharing time with DeShean Townsend and E.J. Abrams-Ward . The Rams lost Kam Smith , who was 32-4 in three seasons as the starter.

Carrothers hasn’t been 100 percent and will need surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder after spring practice. Townsend is in his third season with the Rams but hasn’t played much, and Abrams-Ward, 22, hasn’t played quarterback since he was at Thomasville High School.

“You have to let them three guys compete,” Coach Connell Maynor said. “So we’ll let them battle, and you have to throw them into the fire to get reps.”

Abrams-Ward (6-5, 230) signed with Tennessee but redshirted there in 2008 and will have four seasons of eligibility at WSSU.

“He just has to get in and work with us a lot more, but he’ll have the summer and the offseason to watch film and study and to shake that rust off,” Maynor said. “He may be a year away, but we’ll see.”

READ MORE

Ram Ramblings: WSSU spring practice "Rome wasn't built in a day"

I certainly didn’t feel out of place at WSSU spring football practice on Wednesday with my bulky sling I was wearing after shoulder surgery last week.

At least six probable starters for the Rams will miss spring practice while recovering from surgeries or other injuries.

The first injured player I ran into was Nate Hartung, who was riding a stationary bike while watching fellow offensive lineman go through drills. Hartung, who is 380 pounds on a good day, had ankle surgery and is taking the spring off so he’ll be ready for practice in the fall.

The injuries aren’t limited to just the players. Assistant coach Daren Hart was on crutches and wearing a bulky knee brace but he continued to coach the defensive backs from the sidelines.

There is certainly a different feel at spring practice this year, mainly because the Rams lost 22 seniors from last season’s 14-1 team. Several of the leaders are no longer there so it’s up to the younger guys to increase their roles.

There will be plenty of reconstruction this spring as Coach Connell Maynor and his staff shuffles around personal trying to find the right players for the right positions.

READ MORE

Search Begins for New PVAMU Athletic Director

FRED WASHINGTON
PVAMU

 PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  --  PVAMU President George C. Wright announced Wednesday that Fred Washington, who serves as vice president auxiliary services as well as athletic director, will step down from the director post to focus on auxiliary operations. He will remain a member of the University’s executive staff.

“It has been my distinct privilege and honor to have served as athletic director for an institution filled with athletes who perform well on and off the field. I cannot express fully how much I have appreciated the opportunity to be a part of this great sports tradition and how much I have learned from the coaches, staff and students,” Washington stated.

According to Wright, the search for the University’s next athletic director will begin immediately. The search will accept qualified candidates from across the country that are experienced and able to lead the program while adhering to National Collegiate Athletic Association, Southwestern Athletic Conference and University regulations.

 “I commend Fred Washington for his leadership and vision in directing our athletic program.
Indeed we have celebrated many accomplishments during his tenure,” said Wright. “We are cultivating our legacy as a school that embodies the spirit of champions. This is due in no small part to Mr. Washington’s leadership and tenacity. We greatly appreciate his efforts.”

Washington became athletic director in 2009 after serving in the role as interim for 11 months. During his tenure the department garnered 11 championships including a football championship in 2009, the first in 45 years. The overall success continued and in 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships by the baseball, women's basketball and bowling teams led to Prairie View sweeping the season ending awards for 2011-12. The Panthers captured the Sadie Magee/Barbara Jacket Award, the C.D. Henry Award and the James Frank Award which were presented at the spring meetings en route to claiming the overall Commissioner's Cup.

The women’s basketball team defeated Mississippi Valley 100-87 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship to earn their third-consecutive SWAC Conference Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They will play number one seed Baylor on Sunday.

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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.”

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

Watch Highlights
Box Score

Video2

 

READ MORE

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

READ MORE

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.

 

READ MORE   

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.’’

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE