XU Nuggets set more records in GCAC Tournament victory

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Xavier University of Louisiana extended a school record, set four more and tied one Thursday during a 25-6, 25-5, 25-8 women's volleyball victory against Voorhees in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
      
Xavier (24-7), the two-time defending champion of this event, will play Philander Smith or Talladega in the semifinals at noon Friday. The championship match will start at 11 a.m. Saturday.
      
The Gold Nuggets extended a record with their 18th consecutive victory — they haven't lost a match since Sept. 7 — and set or tied XU marks for:

     •  Victories in a season. The previous record was 23 in 2012.
     •  Fewest points allowed in a match, 19. The previous record was 22 against Tougaloo in 2010.
     •  Highest individual hitting percentage in a postseason match: .700 by Kerris Crier. The previous mark was .692 by Erin Vincent against Edward Waters in 2010.
     •  Highest team hitting percentage in a postseason match: .485, which shattered the previous mark of .429 against Tougaloo in 2010.
     •  Most individual aces in a postseason match: six by Emily Reuther, matching Eva Bobkova's mark against Tougaloo in 2010.
      
Crier, the lone XU senior, produced eight kills and one error in 10 attacks and was one of four Nuggets to hit higher than .500. Moira Kirk hit .667 with 11 kills and one error in 15 attacks, Jodi Hill hit .600 with nine kills in 15 attacks, and Taylor Reuther, Emily's older sister, hit .533 with eight kills in 15 attacks.
     
The Gold Nuggets scored the final eight points of the first set, the final 18 points of the second set and produced a 12-0 run in the third.
     
Xavier served 14 aces, one less than its season high. Jodi Chatters and Darian Harris served two apiece.
      
Xavier has won 41 matches in a row, nine in the tournament, against GCAC opponents since the start of the 2011 season.

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

3 Gold Nuggets repeat as All-GCAC first-team selections

Moira Kirk      Taylor Reuther      Franziska Pirkl NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Moira Kirk, Taylor Reuther and Franziska Pirkl are repeat All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference first-team selections in women's volleyball.        Kirk and Reuther are on the first team for third consecutive year, and Pirkl made it for the second time.         Kirk, a junior middle blocker from Dallas and a graduate of Bishop Lynch High School, leads the GCAC this season with a .343 hitting percentage. She has 276 kills, 76 blocks and 14 aces in 30 matches.        Reuther, a junior outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School, leads the GCAC with 362 kills and 3.6 kills per set. She is hitting .262 with 39 aces and 16 blocks in 30 matches and has recorded 18 kill-dig doubles.      Pirkl, a sophomore setter from Munich, Germany, and a graduate of Theodolinden Gymnasium, is No. 2 in the conference with 741 kills and 8.3 assists per set. She is hitting .328 with 46 kills, 18 aces and 24 blocks and has six assist-dig double-doubles.      Xavier won its third consecutive GCAC regular-season championship last week and extended its three-year win streak against GCAC teams to 40 matches, but the Gold Nuggets were shut out in voting for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. Those awards went to Zipporah Washington and Naomi Washington, respectively, of second-place SUNO. SUNO's Delores Tyler was named Freshman of the Year. Xavier did not have a nominee for that award.              Reuther was the 2012 GCAC Player of the Year.         Conference awards were announced Wednesday night at a banquet in Little Rock, Ark., prior to the start of the GCAC Tournament. Xavier (23-7) will play Voorhees (2-19) in the quarterfinals at noon Thursday at Philander Smith's Mims Gym. By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAATHLETICS XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

LSU Tigers roar past XU Gold Rush, 80-45, in exhibition game

BATON ROUGE, La. — Senior guard Andre Stringer made six 3-pointers and scored 22 points Wednesday to lead LSU to an 80-45 men's basketball exhibition victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Tigers, projected as an NCAA Tournament No. 9 seed by CBSSports.com, scored 16 unanswered points to erase the 6-4 lead of the Gold Rush, ranked 19th in NAIA Division I.

Stringer had 11 points and three 3-pointers in each half.

Jordan Mickey scored 12 points and blocked eight shots, Jarell Martin scored 11 and Malik Morgan scored 10 for LSU. Johnny O'Bryant had nine points — he was 3-of-3 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the line — and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Sydney Coleman scored Xavier's first six points and finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Wesley Pluviose-Philip and Morris Wright scored nine apiece. Pluviose was 4-of-4 from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds.

LSU outshot Xavier 46.8 to 25 percent from the floor and had advantages of 13-1 in 3-pointers made, 24-2 in assists, 12-1 in blocked shots and 6-0 in dunks. The Tigers and Gold Rush had 16 turnovers apiece and 21 personal fouls apiece.

LSU led 42-11 at halftime and took its biggest lead, 66-25, on Martin's dunk with 9:51 remaining.

"LSU is just long," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "Their length caused us a lot of problems, and their athleticism caused us a lot of problems. They got a chance to go out there and transition, and they did a great job on the boards."

It was the first-ever meeting between LSU and Xavier in men's basketball and the only exhibition this season for either team. Xavier won its regular-season opener Friday.

"This was a great game for us at our state's flagship school," Jackson said. "Great atmosphere, great fan base and we enjoyed every minute of it."

Xavier will play at 2 p.m. Saturday against Albany State at the Convocation Center. It'll be a doubleheader that day; the XU women will play their home opener at 4 p.m. against Spring Hill.

BOX SCORE

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

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats’ defensive line clicking

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- A year ago, Rony Barrow was selling clothes and accessories at a Fashion To Figure women’s plus-size store in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Not a bad job for a plus-sized man. But Barrow has found a better fit for his 6-foot-2, 285-pound body this year — a spot on Bethune-Cookman’s defensive line. The junior has three sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. And last Saturday, he became the second B-CU lineman this season to intercept a pass.

While the defensive tackle might have stood out as a clerk in a women’s clothing store, he blends in on a defensive line that has helped the Wildcats rank second in the nation among FCS teams in total defense, averaging 249.3 yards heading into Saturday’s home game against Norfolk State. B-CU is third in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 87.1 yards per game.

Barrow is just one chess piece on a unit that has piled up 70 tackles for losses and 24 sacks, which is more than the Wildcats had all of last season in both categories.

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MEAC fines, reprimands B-CU coach Brian Jenkins for criticizing officials

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins received a letter of reprimand and was fined by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Wednesday for criticizing officials after Saturday's game at North Carolina Central.

After the Wildcats were penalized 25 times for 232 yards in a 38-14 victory, Jenkins told the Durham, N.C., Herald Sun, “Terrible officiating crew. Simple as that. I'm going to be point-blank, that's the worse I have ever seen. I've never seen nothing like it. Don't get me wrong, we didn't play disciplined like we should have. But come on now, over 20-plus penalties at halftime.''

The Wildcats were flagged four times for unsportsmanlike conduct, including one against Jenkins. North Carolina Central was penalized nine times overall for 110 yards.

In a release published on its website Wednesday, the MEAC said Jenkins violated a conference bylaw “which states that members of the coaching staffs, student-athletes or other representatives of participating institutions shall not make public statements critical of officiating in any MEAC contests or events.''

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ASU's Barlow Elected To SWAC Hall Of Fame

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University head football coach Reggie Barlow was elected to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, the conference announced today.

Barlow will be officially inducted on Thursday, December 5 in Houston, Texas at the Westin Hotel Galleria and take part in festivities during SWAC Football Championship Weekend. Joining Barlow in the SWAC Class of 2013 is James 'Jimmy' Jones (Grambling State), Charles Ruth (Mississippi Valley State), James 'Jim' Osborne (Southern), Carol V. Cummings (Prairie View A&M), Bob Hopkins (Grambling State) and Richard P. Myles Sr. (Alcorn State).

The official announcement was made Wednesday as Barlow joins some of the greatest players to ever compete in the legendary conference, such as track and field Olympians Rodney Milburn and Willie Davenport, pro football Hall of Famers Mel Blount, Kenny Houston, Walter Payton, Jackie Slater, Jerry Rice and Deacon Jones, and baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock.



"It's a blessing," said a very reflective Barlow, the former Hornet wide receiver who is currently in his seventh season as head coach at his alma mater. "There are a lot of great names who have laid the foundation for the Southwestern Athletic Conference. I'm honored to represent Alabama State as an inductee. All the people who've helped me become the person I am, father I am, the coach that I am - my parents, my brothers, college teammates, coaches, players who have played for me – I'm thankful for all of them and I'm humbled by it."

Barlow will become the 15th inductee to go into the SWAC Hall of Fame as an Alabama State Hornet, joining legends C.J. Dunn, Severne Frazier, John H. Jones, George "Pops" Lockhart, James Garrick Hardy, Charles "Buddy" Spears, Frank Lewis, Jesse White, Norman Walton, William "Bill" Gary, Eddie Robinson Jr., Lewis Jackson, James Oliver, and Horace Crump.

"When you hear names like Lockhart, Robinson, Jackson – these and others who have done the University proud and represented Alabama State in the right way – I'm happy to be a part of that illustrious group," Barlow said. "With its great tradition and heritage and the respect I have for this conference, I'm tickled to death to have this opportunity to join the SWAC Hall of Fame."

As an Alabama State wide receiver (1991-95), Barlow ended his career first in receptions (133) and receiving yards (2,536 yards) and third in touchdowns (17). Barlow currently ranks tied for third, second, and fifth respectively in each category, and still owns the school's single-season record with 1,267 yards, set in 1994.

Barlow was drafted in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, beginning an eight-year career (1996-2003) as a wide receiver and shined as a punt and kickoff returner. During his five seasons with the Jaguars, Barlow led the team in punt returns four straight years, and in kickoff returns twice. Barlow still owns franchise records for punt returns (146), punt returns yards (1,581) and touchdowns (two), and is fourth in kickoff returns (70), third in kickoff return yards (1,634), and tied for second in touchdowns (one). He was named a Pro Bowl alternate following the 1998 season.

Barlow spent one season with the Oakland Raiders, before playing his final two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2002, Barlow was part of the history as the Bucs won Super Bowl 37. In his eight-year career, Barlow amassed more than 4,000 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns.

In 2005, Barlow was named quarterbacks coach at Alabama State, where one of his pupils, Tarvaris Jackson, would go on to be drafted one year later and is currently a quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.

Barlow was named head football coach at Alabama State in 2007, and led the Hornets to the 2010 SWAC Eastern Division Championship. Barlow has guided the Hornets to three consecutive winning seasons and his 40 wins currently ranks fifth all time in ASU football history.

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SWAC players have NFL draft opportunity

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- When you think about some of the top NFL prospects from historically black colleges and universities, the SWAC has a bunch of players who could play on Sundays. These players could also hear their names called in the 2014 NFL draft to be held May 8-10.

A year ago, Terron Armstead, a terrific offensive tackle from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, was a third-round pick of the New Orleans Saints. Armstead has a great deal of potential and should have a solid NFL career.

Of course, when you talk about great players from the SWAC who made it to next level, the name Robert Mathis immediately comes to mind. Mathis was just a fifth-round pick coming out of Alabama A&M. Nevertheless, he is easily one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Mathis, a defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, leads the NFL in sacks with 11.5 this season. In 11 seasons, Mathis has been to five Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls.

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WSSU Rams’ Fields prepares for his last hurrah

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Linebacker Carlos Fields took a moment to collect his thoughts as he answered a question about his career at Winston-Salem State.

Standing on a balcony at the Bowman Gray Stadium fieldhouse, Fields looked over the field he’s played on the past four seasons and took a deep breath.

"I really don’t get riled up and I’m not too emotional,” Fields said as he tried to sum up what has been a brilliant career. “I’ve been here for five years — and Saturday’s game is going to be emotional.”

Fields will be one of 15 seniors who will be honored in their last regular-season home game on Saturday against Fayetteville State. But it will be just a bit different for Fields because he’s been in the program the longest. He redshirted in 2009 when Kermit Blount was the head coach and the Rams finished 1-10.

Fields, an NFL prospect, stayed around after a coaching change and turned into a cornerstone in Coach Connell Maynor’s program.

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Chairman: Fountain City Classic staying in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Georgia  -- On Saturday, the Albany State and Fort Valley State football teams will play the annual Fountain City Classic at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium for the 24th time.

Don’t expect that to change anytime soon.

Speaking at the annual media and coaches luncheon at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center on Tuesday, Classic chairman Calvin Smyre laid to rest any questions that may have arisen from uncertainty of the Classic’s future in Columbus.

“We’ve been here for 24 years, and we ain’t going nowhere,” Smyre joked to the crowd, which included fans, alumni, high school coaches and players. After the event had concluded, Smyre spoke further about the Classic’s future in Columbus, saying that the committee was in the process of negotiating a new contract with the city to remain at Memorial and would not seek offers from any other locations.

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After slow start, ASU Rams now on verge of SIAC title game

 ALBANY, Georgia -- Three weeks ago, the Albany State Golden Rams were 1-4 and seemed to be mired in a second straight season to forget.

But after three straight wins, the Golden Rams can clinch the division with a win over rival Fort Valley State.

The intensity always turns up when it's Fountain City Classic week in Albany, but this year's game has extra implications other than just bragging rights.

With a win, head coach Mike White's team is headed to Atlanta to battle it out for the SIAC Title.

"We're playing for the chance to play for the championship," says head coach Mike White. "This is what you wanted, and this is what we got Saturday."

"We're just preparing like every other week," says senior LB Marcavious Dudley. We're not looking at them different as Fort Valley or anything like that. We raised our level of intensity this week, but we look at it as any other game."

For both schools, the final Saturday of the regular season is always circled on the calendar.



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Daryl Williams Named Livingstone Head Football Coach

SALISBURY, North Carolina  –  Daryl Williams, a former standout football player at Tennessee State University who in just one season has brought pride back to Livingstone College football, was named Head Football Coach on Monday by Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. Williams, who joined the Blue Bears staff in 2012 as offensive coordinator, had been interim coach since the start of the 2013 football season.

"We have had an opportunity to observe Coach Williams as offensive coordinator and as interim head coach, and we have been thoroughly impressed with his integrity and his focus on the development of student-athletes," Jenkins said. "The performance of the football team this season, under his leadership as interim coach, has been admirable in spite of what the win-loss record suggests. To support his continued momentum, we believe it both appropriate and necessary to remove the questionable status of interim head coach. With the interim status removed, we are reassuring his current players and those that he might recruit, that we are confident in his abilities and he will be their coach next year. "

Under Williams' tenure this year, the Blue Bears are 2-7, having defeated Edwards Waters College on their home turf 23-20 and Lincoln University the following week by a convincing 35-7 margin. Although the Blue Bears haven't had the season they had hoped for, the team has made remarkable progress from previous seasons. In fact, of the Blue Bears losses, two games were decided by a single touchdown in the closing minutes of the game and another slipped away in heartbreaking fashion after the opponent kicked a last-minute field goal.

For example, when Livingstone hosted Fayetteville State University for Homecoming on Nov. 2, the team demonstrated a new character both defensively and offensively. Before facing Livingstone, FSU had handily defeated Saint Augustine's University and other CIAA opponents and entered the contest at 5-3; yet they barely escaped defeat in the last two minutes of the game after the Blue Bears fumbled and turned the ball over to them deep in their own territory.

Williams is painfully aware of the tough losses his squad has suffered, but he knows how to win and is determined to continue the process of maintaining high standards both off and on the playing field. During weekly assemblies he requires his players to sit as a team, dressed neatly in white dress shirts and black slacks. It's important to Williams that his players remember they're in school to obtain a college degree.

"I'm very excited and grateful that Dr. Jenkins and Athletic Director Andre Springs had enough faith and confidence in the process and program I'm establishing here to name me the head football coach," Williams said. "Knowing I'm going to be the head coach moving forward helps with the players we have now and also makes a huge difference with respect to recruiting, the lifeline of any collegiate program. It also lets the coaches know that we're going to be here to help elevate Livingstone College football. Our goal is to continue the process and have each player buy into our system. I'm very grateful to the players and coaches for never wavering when I became interim coach and for following the plan and process as though I was already the head coach, which has made implementing the system much easier."

Before joining the Livingstone coaching staff in 2012, Williams was the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach at Texas Southern University from 2007-2011. In 2010, he helped guide Texas Southern to a Southwestern Athletic Conference  (SWAC)  Championship and the SWAC Western Division Championship.

From 2001-2007, Williams played an instrumental role in the Alabama State University football program, where he served as the co-offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and director of football operations. During Williams' tenure at ASU, he helped lead the institution to a SWAC Championship in 2004 and to three SWAC Eastern  Division Championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004, respectively. Under Williams' leadership, the Hornets' offense led the SWAC.

A native of Memphis, Tenn., Williams began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at his alma mater, Westwood High School, where he played quarterback and broke several records for the Longhorns. Later, he became head coach at Northside High School, where he also taught physical education.

Williams earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and recreation from Tennessee State University in 1996. He played football at Tennessee State, being named MVP at the 1993 Southern Heritage Classic, and he was selected to the Ohio Valley Conference All-Conference Team in 1994. In 1994 and 1995, Williams was named MVP at the 100  Black Men of America Classic, played in The Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Williams earned his master's degree in counseling from Alabama State University in 2004. That same year he interned with the NFL's  Tennessee Titans. During his summer with the Titans, Williams worked with the quarterbacks, most notably former Pro-Bowler Steve McNair.

"Coach Williams has shown he can lead the team in the right direction, and he demonstrates great leadership," said Athletics Director Andre Springs. "Last year he did a great job as the offensive coordinator, and that's why we gave him the opportunity to serve as interim head coach. This season he brought in a good coaching staff that gave great balance to the team and the program. His efforts have shown promise and an ability to get our program to the next level."  

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TSU Women’s Basketball Begins Season at Kansas State

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO | VIDEO

 

 

GAMEDAY

The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team will officially kick-off the 2013-14 campaign this Friday when the Lady Tigers face the Wildcat’s of Kansas State on the road. Game time is slated for a 5:45 p.m. tip in Bramlage Coliseum.

 

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE

A relatively young squad, the Lady Tigers are coming off an, 84-60, exhibition win over Tennessee Temple last Friday night in the Gentry Center. Five players scored in double-digits led by Brianna Lawrence’s 15 points. Chelsea Hudson and Jayda Johnson each tallied 14 while I’mani Davis and Rachel Allen posted 11. Allen also added 11 assists for a double-double.

 

The Lady Tigers, under second year head coach Larry Joe Inman, returned four letterwinners from last year’s squad and added eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, to the roster.

 

TSU finished last season with an overall record of 13-15 and a 9-7 conference mark. In an Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll that was released in October, TSU was predicted to finish fifth in the East Division standings.

 

LAST TIME OUT

Tennessee State had its final tune up before the regular season last Friday with an exhibition contest against Tennessee Temple. Sophomore Brianna Lawrence led all scorers with 15 while redshirt junior Chelsea Hudson and freshman Jayda Johnson added 14. Freshman I’mani Davis scored 11 as junior Rachel Allen registered a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists.

 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Kansas State picked up two preseason exhibition wins over Washburn (85-64) and Alaska-Anchorage (73-65). K-State will play its first official game of the season against TSU on Friday.

 

In K-State’s win over Alaska-Anchorage, Katya Leick posted a game-high 24 to go with 12 rebounds for a double-double. Leticia Romero just missed a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds while Brianna Craig scored 11. 

 

The Wildcats rallied in the second half to defeat Alaska-Anchorage, 73-65. The Wildcats did their fair share of damage in the paint and on second chance opportunities.

 

A member of the Big 12, K-State has nine letter winners returning from last year’s squad, including three starters. The Wildcats finished last season with a record of 19-18 (5-13) good for an eighth place finish in the conference.

 

TSU vs. KANSAS STATE

Tennessee State and Kansas State will meet for the third time in the series history with the Wildcats leading 2-0. In the last meeting between the two teams, K-State defeated TSU, 62-47, in the Gentry Center.

 

LAST TIME THEY MET (Nov. 20, 2012)

Tennessee State stayed close with Kansas State in the first half, but the Wildcats pulled away in the second as the Lady Tigers fell 62-47 at the Gentry Center.

 

The Wildcats started strong, putting together a 13-2 run in the first eleven-and-a-half minutes. After Avery Jones put TSU on the scoreboard with a layup on the second possession of the game, the Lady Tigers went on a scoreless stretch of 11 minutes before Destiney Gaston ended the K-State run with a layup of her own.

 

TSU continued to battle and chip away at the Wildcat lead getting the margin under 10 on a Tanesha Stenson jumper to make it 21-13 with 7:12 left in the first half. The Stenson jumper started a 14-7 TSU run that ended the half with Kansas State holding a 28-25 advantage.

 

The Wildcats started the second half just like they did the first and turned a three point lead into a 14 point lead within seven minutes.

 

The Lady Tigers made just four shots in the second half while shooting 24 percent for the game.

 

COVERAGE

Live audio and live stats will be available at kstatesports.com for the TSU vs. Kansas State game. Also, live video will be available to subscribers of K-StateHD.TV at kstatesports.com/allaccess.

 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Tennessee State will leave Manhattan and head for Georgia to face Kennesaw State on Monday, Nov. 11 in the KSU Convocation Center. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. est. 

 

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

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Keys for WSSU women will be scoring, chemistry

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Some basketball coaches simply preach the importance of defense.

Then there’s A.G. Hall, the women’s coach at Winston-Salem State. He eats, breaths and sleeps defense, and players who aren’t hard-nosed defenders for Hall are usually bench-warmers.

Last season, the Rams finished second in Division II in points allowed (51 a game). However, scoring was a challenge. The Rams averaged only 54.5 points a game, and that’s why they finished 15-13.

"We have to improve on scoring,” said Hall, who is entering his second season. “We addressed that in our recruiting, and we have more skill to help accomplish that. We also have to continue to improve on defense. We are still going to hang our hat on defense.

"We were No. 2 in the nation in defense last year, but we lost 13 games.”

Forward Somalia McKenney, a 5-10 junior, will be a key returning player who says that defense will make the Rams contenders in the CIAA.

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A preseason look at the CIAA men's basketball teams

Favorite
Winston-Salem State: Coming up short at last year’s tournament is motivation enough for coach Bobby Collins’ Rams.

Contenders
Livingstone: Blue Bears have the talent and depth to give Winston-Salem State a run for its money.

Bowie State: The Bulldogs have one of the league’s best defenders in Carlos Smith, a 6-foot-8 forward who was second in the league in blocks (36).

Sleeper
Lincoln: The Lions have methodically stockpiled talent to compete, led by 6-0 guard Derrick Washington.

5 players to watch
Emilio Parks, J.C. Smith (6-6, Jr., F): The Golden Bulls’ all-CIAA pick (15.4 ppg) has added a mid-range jumper to his arsenal.

Mark Thomas, Livingstone (5-10, Sr., G): Arguably the league’s best offensive point guard at 18.6 ppg last season. When he’s on, the Blue Bears are tough to tame.

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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/05/3344311/a-preseason-look-at-the-ciaa-mens.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/05/3344311/a-preseason-look-at-the-ciaa-mens.html#storylink=cpy

SPOKEN 4 COMMUNICATIONS GAME PREVIEW : NCCU vs. Hampton

DURHAM, North Carolina  --  Spoken 4 Communications "Because Every Child Deserves to be Heard" previews the 24th matchup between NCCU and Hampton live from Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va. on Saturday, Nov. 2

Since moving to the NCAA Division I level, the Eagles have not won in the tidewater area against the Pirates.  Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks chats with head coach Dwayne Foster to preview the MEAC showdown. Be sure to tune in at 12:30 p.m. to the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show as the broadcast crew will count you down to kickoff.

For more information on Spoken 4 Communications, check out the website at www.Spoken-4.com



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2014 UAPB Lions Baseball Schedule Released

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  -- Following a 2013 campaign which saw UAPB improve their win total by 13 games, plus make their first SWAC Tournament appearance since 2009, UAPB Head Coach Carlos James unveiled the program's 2014 schedule on Thursday.

2014 UAPB BASEBALL SCHEDULE

This year's schedule is highlighted by 24 games at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex, which include non-conference matchups against Incarnate Word, Arkansas-Little Rock, Central Arkansas. The schedule also includes an away series at perennial powers Oklahoma and Tulane plus the Tiger Classic at Auburn against AU, California, and East Tennessee State.

"I am very excited about our schedule this upcoming season," said James. "It continues with our goal and tradition of playing the best out-of-conference competition we can, and I especially like that our fans will have the opportunity to see our team at home more than years past."

"As always, we will be challenged by our competition right from the start with Tulane then having to travel to Oklahoma for a two-game series before heading to the Tigers Classic to play Auburn, Cal, and East Tennessee State," James continued. "Following our Opening Week, we get into conference play against a competitive Western Division and follow it up throughout the year against the likes of UALR, UCA, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech to name a few."

"We will also be challenged by our two home series with the University of Incarnate Word and ACC addition Pittsburgh visiting Pine Bluff," noted James.

The Golden Lions open their fourth season under James with a 9-game road trip before hosting their first conference series against Prairie View A&M the weekend of February 28.

After playing their lone home series in the month of February, the Golden Lions will hit the road again traveling to Southeast Missouri for a two-game series (March 4-5) then head to Southern (Mar. 7-9) and UALR (Mar. 12).

Beginning the weekend of March 14, UAPB will play eight out of their next nine games at home against opponents Grambling, UCA, and Incarnate Word.

Over Spring Break, the Golden Lions will make their first trip to Lubbock, TX to take on Big 12 member Texas Tech (Mar. 25-26) before returning home to play Texas Southern (Mar. 29-30).

After the completion of the first-half of conference play, the Golden Lions will visit Oxford, MS and play SEC member Ole Miss (Apr. 2) then head to Prairie View A&M to kick-off the second-half of conference play. Following a mid-week game at home versus Lyon College (Apr. 8), Southern University will visit the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex the weekend of Apr. 11.

The Golden Lions travel to Ruston (LA) to take on Grambling (Apr. 19-20), before hosting UALR for a single game on April 22. Later that week, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member Pittsburgh will make its first trip to Pine Bluff with a doubleheader on Sunday, April 27, followed by a single-game on Monday, April 28, at Taylor Field.

Bookending the series with Pitt, UAPB and Alcorn will play a home-and-home with the Golden Lions concluding their regular season play at Texas Southern in Houston from May 2-4.

The 2014 SWAC Tournament, which features the league's top eight finishers in the regular season, is set for May 14-18 at LeGrave Field in Fort Worth, Texas. NCAA Regional action takes place, May 30-June 2, followed by NCAA Super Regional play, June 6-9.

The NCAA College World Series returns to TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha, Neb., for the fourth time, June 14-25.

Home game times at Delta Natural Kraft Field at the Torii Hunter Baseball Complex are tentatively set, but subject to change. Season ticket information and the full slate of game times will be released at a later date.

Fall practice for the Golden Lions concludes this weekend with Saturday's intrasquad open to the public for viewing.

For more information about UAPB Baseball, follow @UAPB_Baseball on Twitter and goldenlionsbsb on Instagram.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State QB Seth Higgins poised to practice, but Robert Council could remain starter

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- As soon as it would seem that junior Robert Council has established himself as starting quarterback of the Morgan State football team, Council may get some competition from the former starter.

Junior Seth Higgins, who sat out the Bears' past two games after spraining his right (throwing) shoulder in a 34-22 victory over North Carolina Central on Oct. 19, has been cleared to return to practice Tuesday, coach Donald Hill-Eley said during the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's weekly conference call.

“He should be returning to practice today,” Hill-Eley said. “That was the last news that we had gotten. We’ll see when we get out there. Those things change from day to day.”

With Higgins (Edgewood) as the starter, Morgan State (3-6, 3-2 MEAC) went 2-2. Higgins has completed 52.9 percent of his passes (37-of-70) for team highs in yards (452) and touchdowns (five), and has carried the ball 57 times for 282 yards and four scores.

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SU, Coke partner to host I-10 Bayou Hoops Challenge

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern men's basketball and Coca-Cola have partnered to present the Interstate-10 Hoops Challenge refreshed by Coke Zero on Nov. 13 when the Jaguars welcome American Athletic Conference member Tulane to the F.G. Clark Center for its 2013-14 home opener.

Southern, through its partnership with Coca-Cola, will offer free admission to attend the Nov. 13 season opener to fans who bring one empty Coca-Cola product can or plastic bottle per person to the game (examples include Coca-Cola, Powerade, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, or Dasani).

Cumulus Media is also offering free tickets for fans to sit in the Q106.5 Coke Zero Zone for tuning in to KQXL, WEMX and WXOK and responding to promos beginning on November 4.

Southern, which won the SWAC tournament title last season and nearly upset No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament, is slated to finish second in the league this season and features preseason player of the year honoree Malcolm Miller.

Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. and fans are encouraged to arrive early to secure admission.

Coca-Cola will also provide recycling bins to collect the empty cans and bottles which will be exchanged  by the SU Student Athlete Advisory Council for coins to help raise funds for charities as part of the SWAC/SAAC Coin Drive, which Southern won in 2013.

Fans who are interested in purchasing $10 tickets to sit in the reserve (gold) seats can call the SU ticket office at 225-771-3171.  Those fans will be eligible for a halftime drawing for a 2013 Bayou Classic package which includes four tickets to the game, a two-night hotel stay in New Orleans, wristbands to the Coaches Luncheon, Battle of the Bands reception, and Saturday Night Afterparty at the Hyatt, provided a minimum of 200 people buy tickets in the reserve section.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

XU will play Voorhees in GCAC Tournament quarterfinals

THREE-PEAT: The XU women's volleyball won its third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship by defeating Dillard 25-18, 25-18, 25-22 Wednesday at the Convocation Center. The Nuggets enter the postseason with a 22-7 overall record (which includes an 11-0 conference mark).

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NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team will begin its quest for a third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship at noon Thursday against Voorhees in the quarterfinals.

Philander Smith's Mims Gym in Little Rock, Ark., is the tournament site for the second consecutive year.
    
The nine GCAC teams were seeded by divisional finish. Xavier (23-7) is the No. 1 team in the West, and Voorhees (2-19) is No. 4 in East. The Gold Nuggets defeated Voorhees 25-14, 25-9, 25-8 on Sept. 14 at XU to begin a school-record 17-match win streak which is still active.

Voorhees, a first-year GCAC member, lost all 11 of its conference matches.

Xavier clinched its third consecutive GCAC regular-season championship on Wednesday with a straight-sets victory at home against Dillard. The Nuggets have won 40 in a row against GCAC opponents; that streak began in 2011.
    
The Xavier-Voorhees winner will play Philander Smith or Talladega at noon Friday in the semifinals. The championship match will start at 11 a.m. Saturday. The tournament is single-elimination this year after many seasons with a double-elimination format.
    
In the other Thursday matches, Dillard will play Tougaloo in the first round at 10 a.m. That winner will play Fisk, top-seeded in the East, in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. The other quarterfinals are Philander Smith vs. Talladega at 2 p.m. and SUNO vs. Edward Waters at 4 p.m.

GCAC Tournament at Philander Smith's Mims Gym, Little Rock, Ark.

First Round — Thursday, Nov. 7
Dillard (No. 4 West) vs. Tougaloo (No. 5 West), 10 a.m.

Quarterfinals — Thursday, Nov. 7
Xavier (No. 1 West) vs. Voorhees (No. 4 East), noon
Philander Smith (No. 3 West) vs. Talladega (No. 2 East), 2 p.m.
SUNO (No. 2 West) vs. Edward Waters (No. 3 East), 4 p.m.
Fisk (No. 1 East) vs. Dillard-Tougaloo winner, 6 p.m.

Semifinals — Friday, Nov. 8
Xavier-Voorhees winner vs. Philander Smith-Talladega winner, noon
SUNO-Edward Waters winner vs. Fisk-Dillard-Tougaloo winner, 2 p.m.

Championship — Saturday, Nov. 9
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.

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

Tennessee State Tigers Top Lemoyne-Owen Magicians, 69-68

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  A free throw with 1.2 seconds left by Jaleel Queary proved to be the difference in the Tennessee State men’s basketball team’s, 69-68, exhibition victory over Lemoyne-Owen on Monday night.

The scoring went back and forth for the last seven minutes of the contest with neither team going up by more than one basket. Lemoyne-Owen pulled ahead by one at, 68-67, with a jumper at the one-minute mark.

 

Queary hit the back end of a pair of free throws on TSU’s next possessionL to tie the game and the Tigers forced a stop on defense to setup one final shot with 6.9 seconds remaining.

Final Box

Patrick Miller drove the ball down the floor, faked a shot and dished it to Queary underneath the basket. The JUCO transfer went up for the shot and was fouled with 1.7 left. Queary made the front end, but the Magicians pulled down the miss on his second attempt.

 

Miller broke up the ensuing inbound pass and the Tigers hung on for the narrow, one-point win.

 

Miller paced the Tigers with 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting including a 11-for-13 mark from the charity stripe. The Chicago, Ill. native also had a game-high five assists and added four boards.

 

Forward Michael Green got the Tigers’ offense going, draining the team’s first two hoops with one-handed floaters in the lane. TSU scored the game’s first eight points before the Magicians broke through with a pair of buckets to trim the lead to 8-4.

 

Lemoyne-Owen kept hanging around and even tied the game at 16 with 11 minutes to go before halftime. The 9-0 Magician run prompted head coach Travis Williams to burn a timeout to regroup.

 

His team responded with a 9-2 stretch that was led by five points from Green, including the Tigers’ only three pointer of the period at the 10:09 mark.

 

Green finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added three rebounds.

 

A highlight reel moment for the Tigers came with 4:33 left to play before halftime, as Miller stole the ball near his own three-point line and flipped the ball to Jay Harris. Harris took a few dribbles and then threw the ball up in the air where M.J. Rhett caught it near the rim and slammed it down with two hands. The jam put the Tigers up, 30-24.

 

Harris missed a three-pointer at the buzzer and TSU went into the locker room clinging to a, 36-32, lead.

The Tigers were 1-of-14 from three point land during the first 20 minutes, but held the Magicians to a 0-for-7 line from deep.

 

Miller led all scorers at the break with 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting. The senior made 8-of-9 from the charity stripe and added a pair of rebounds and steals.

 

The Magicians opened the second half on an 11-4 run to take the lead at 43-40. The string was punctuated by a fast-break dunk from LO’s Victor Shell with just over 15 minutes to play.

 

The Tigers finally retook the lead when Harris nailed a jumper at the 11:52 mark to put his team up by one. The advantage didn’t last long as Lemoyne-Owen nailed a three the next time down the floor to make the score, 48-46.

 

The Magicians saw their lead swell to six when Jean Mathieu poured in a triple with just under 10 to go.

 

TSU rebounded, however, as Jaleel Queary was intentionally fouled and Jordan Gaither made both freebies. The Tigers got the ball following the shots and Miller found Kennedy Eubanks wide open off of the inbound for a strong two-handed dunk. The slam brought the Tiger faithful to their feet and put Tennessee State ahead, 55-54, with a little over seven minutes left in the game.

 

The game see-sawed from that point, setting up the thrilling finish.

 

TSU was outshot 37.5 percent to 39 percent and outrebounded 41-38, but the Tigers forced three more turnovers and made plays when they had to.

 

Rhett was TSU’s second leading scorer with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting. The redshirt junior had seven points from the charity stripe and had four rebounds.

 

Eubanks led the Tigers with eight boards.

 

The Tigers will start regular season play on Friday night at the University of Hawai’i for the three-game Rainbow Classic.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State coaches scouted final 2 opponents at one time

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- The players had the weekend off.

 

The coaching staff? They’re the ones who had the homework.

 

While Jackson State had a bye Saturday, its last two opponents of the regular season – Alabama A&M and Alcorn State – went head to head.

 

So Rick Comegy and his staff traveled to Lorman to not only scout Alabama A&M, which they play in Hunstville on Saturday at 1 p.m., during their bye week also to get a look at Alcorn State, who the Tigers host Nov. 16.

 

A takeaway for Jackson State — don’t let the Bulldogs climb back.

 

The Tigers don’t want to repeat what happened to the Braves (7-3, 5-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference), who blew their chances for a SWAC title. They allowed Alabama A&M (3-6, 3-4) to comeback from a 15-0 deficit and fell in a 19-18 upset.

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The Editor: FAMU's Earl Holmes is Just Getting Started

Dwight Floyd
Commentary
http://sportsedit.org

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  With the hiring of Earl Holmes as the next FAMU head football coach last year there was a lot of hype and excitement. He is after all home grown, a graduate of FAMU DRS and Florida A&M University, and an outstanding former NFL player. We all got behind him because we wanted him to succeed. By giving the right kind of support we can still help, but in all ways necessary he’ll have to lead the Rattlers from one of their lowest points in history to meeting the expectations that Florida A&M history requires. Thus, the legacy begins.

After recently reading Coaching Against the Wind, a book by retired FAMU administrator and Professor Eddie Jackson, I am reminded that the all-time FAMU winningest Coach Alonzo S. Jake Gaither inherited a winning program. Not enough people are aware of the legacy of William “Big Bill” Bell. Too many of us would like to think that Jake Gaither and Rudy Hubbard were the only FAMU coaches to distinguish themselves as national champions.

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Claflin Lady Panthers, SCSU Bulldogs take wins in Garden City Classic

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- S.C. State head basketball coach Murray Garvin smiled following Monday’s game against Claflin.

While part of the reason was because he knew he no longer had to put aside having lunch with his coaching counterpart and Claflin head coach Rickey Jackson, the other part may have had something to do with the Bulldogs 67-57 win over the Panthers.

Neither team’s offense shot particularly well in the opening period, but it was South Carolina State that made the most of their opportunities from the field. Led by Jalen White, who scored nine of his 11 points in the first 20 minutes of play, the Bulldogs entered the locker room with a 27-25 lead at the half.

“Jalen White found out that he was starting in the point guard spot two hours before we played,” Garvin said. “Shaquille Mitchell was our starter going into the exhibition game and Shaq got diagnosed with symptoms of strep throat at around 3 o’clock today. So, for Jalen to come in as a true freshman and give us the lift that he did, I commend him for that. He’s worked hard since he’s been here.”

Claflin ended the first half of play shooting 10-33 from the field and 3-20 from behind the 3-point line. Still, the Panthers found themselves in striking distance heading into the second half.

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S.C. State, Claflin teams meet tonight for ‘bragging rights’

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- From a win-loss standpoint, tonight’s basketball doubleheader at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center will not count as it’s considered an exhibition contest.

For neighbors South Carolina State and Claflin University, the Garden City Classic offers much more from a pride standpoint.

With three of the four participants coming off losing seasons and both the Panthers and Lady Panthers with new head coaches (Deonta’ McChester for the women, Ricky Jackson for the men), a victory would provide a positive boost heading into a new season.

“Anytime you have South Carolina State and Clafin in anything, it doesn’t matter whether it’s an exhibition or a regular-season game,” S.C. State men’s basketball coach Murray Garvin said. “It’s bragging rights in the community.”

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Preseason poll: NSU has MEAC's top team, player

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State interim basketball coach Robert Jones isn't putting much stock in the target that's about to be painted onto his team.

But if the Spartans return to the NCAA tournament, they'll have to do it as MEAC favorites.

NSU was picked to finish first in a poll of league coaches and sports information directors expected to be released today. Senior guard Pendarvis Williams was named preseason Player of the Year.

Jones, in his first season on the job after six years as an assistant under former Spartans coach Anthony Evans, said that while being recognized is nice, preseason polls generally have little value.

"At least it shows that we have some talent," said Jones, who returns 11 letter winners from a squad that went 21-12 (16-0 in the MEAC) last season.

"Just because you're picked No. 1 doesn't mean you're going to finish No. 1.Of course, you strive for that."

Williams, a 6-foot-6 Philadelphia native, led the team and finished fourth in the MEAC with 14.3 points per game to earn the league's Player of the Year award last season.

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