Albany State to face Miles in the SIAC Centennial Football Championship Game

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Centennial Football Championship game is set, as East Division Champions Albany State University will play against West Division Champions Miles College on Saturday, November 16, 7 p.m. at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

The game will feature a regular season rematch where Miles defeated Albany State 22-14 in a late September matchup that was played at Albert J. Sloan Stadium in Fairfield, Ala. In addition, the Golden Bears defeated Albany State in 2011 as the two teams also played in the inaugural SIAC Football Championship Game.

The conference will also host the SIAC Football Legends Symposium, which will feature a panel of former SIAC stars that include Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State), Super Bowl Champions Nick Harper (Fort Valley State) and Tyrone Poole (Fort Valley State), along with former All-Pro Greg Lloyd (Fort Valley State) and veteran Frank Walker (Tuskegee).  The event will take place at the Leadership building on the campus of Morehouse College at 4 p.m.

The SIAC Centennial Football Championship Press Conference will be held Friday, November 15, at 11 am (EST) in the media room at Lakewood Stadium. The press conference will feature each head coach, as well as two players from Albany State and Miles.

Advanced tickets can be purchased online for $20 by visiting www.thesiactickets.com through the close of business on Thursday, November 14.  Tickets will also be sold at the Lakewood Stadium box office on the day of the game. Adult tickets will be sold for $20, while tickets for children (under the age of 12) are only $10.

All media members that wish to cover the SIAC Championship game are asked to complete the Media Request Form http://www.thesiac.com/sb_output.aspx?form=12&.

Tailgating and Vending opportunities will be available at Lakewood Stadium. For all interested vendors and tailgaters please click on the link to complete applications below.

On game day, parking at Lakewood Stadium will be $10.

Merchandise Venders   clicking here
Food Vendors  click here
Tailgators click here

2013 SIAC Football Championship
Sat 11/16/2013 7:00 PM ET
Lakewood Stadium / Atlanta, GA

Tuskegee currently out of Division II playoff bubble

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- Tuskegee’s worst fears were confirmed Monday evening.

The Golden Tigers (8-2) dropped from playoff positioning in the newly released NCAA Division II region rankings, slipping to No. 7 in Super Region 2 following Saturday’s deflating 41-36 setback to Miles College in the SIAC regular-season finale.

Only the top six schools for their respective regional will earn a berth into the postseason. Participants and seeding for this year’s field will be announced during the Division II playoff selection show at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tuskegee appeared to be a lock to secure the school’s first-ever postseason berth heading into the weekend. Head coach Willie Slater’s squad had a season-best six-game winning streak going before crumbling — four first-half turnovers — in front of the home crowd at Cleve L. Abbott Stadium.



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CIAA Championship Notes: Bowman Gray turf in line for a touch-up

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- The turf at Bowman Gray Stadium is brown with dormant Bermuda grass, and that means it’s playoff time.

But by Saturday, when Winston-Salem State and Virginia State will play for the CIAA championship, the field will be a freshly painted green.

The CIAA is paying for the grass to be painted, and a crew from the Winston-Salem Dash will do the work. The Dash also helped last season, painting the field for WSSU’s playoff run.

“ The conference wanted it to look better on TV, and it will look better for the fans,” said Kevin Manns , an assistant athletics director at WSSU.

The game is scheduled to be televised on the A SPiRE network (Time Warner digital 288).

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Morgan State football back in contention for MEAC championship

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- A week ago, the Morgan State football team didn't seem to have a shot at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. Now, the Bears are back in contention.

Morgan State’s 24-23 victory against North Carolina A&T on Saturday helped the team improve to 4-6 overall and 4-2 in the league. Coupled with a 27-24 loss by No. 18 Bethune-Cookman (8-2, 5-1) to Norfolk State, the Bears now trail the Wildcats and South Carolina State (7-3, 5-1) by one game in the conference standings.

“There’s still a lot of football to be played,” Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley said Tuesday during the MEAC conference call. “There’s still a couple weeks of football to be played, and [the race for the league championship] exists more than it did before Bethune-Cookman lost to Norfolk. Bethune-Cookman’s a good team, and good teams respond to adversity. So I’m sure Coach [Brian] Jenkins understands what he has to do. He’s proven that year in and year out, and he’ll have his guys ready to play and they’ll fight to maintain their championship and everybody else will scratch and fight to try to get it.”

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SU Jaguars seniors have much to celebrate

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- College football teams traditionally honor their seniors when they play their final home game, as Southern will do when it plays Clark Atlanta in its home finale Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

But the outgoing Jaguars and their teammates have made this Senior Day even more memorable than a normal football commencement.

Southern returns home after consecutive road wins to play its first home game as the freshly crowned champion of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division.

If the Jaguars beat Clark, they will clinch their first winning season since 2009 before the seniors head off into the sunset with the Bayou Classic game against Grambling on Nov. 30 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the SWAC Championship Game against Jackson State on Dec. 7 in Houston.

In other words, Senior Day could be just the beginning of a lengthy celebration for a senior class that has had so little to celebrate previously, finishing 2-9 in 2010 and 4-7 each of the past two seasons.

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JSU Tigers to face Ole Miss Rebels in NCAAs

OXFORD, Mississippi -- Jackson State held its breath until the end of the NCAA Soccer Selection Show on Monday.

So did Ole Miss.

The Lady Tigers face the Lady Rebels in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament 7 p.m. Friday at the Ole Miss Soccer Complex in Oxford.

“It’s great that it’s an in-state opponent,” Jackson State coach Dean Joseph said. “I think it’s something that brings a little more interest to the task.”

The Lady Tigers defeated Alabama State 1-0 Sunday to capture the 2013 SWAC championship, the second time in program history.

Junior goalkeeper Taylor Emerson was named the tournament’s MVP with 12 saves.

A look ahead at Alabama A&M vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Here's this week's "Mondays with Anthony," all you need to know and more about Alabama A&M football.

This week: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-7 overall, 2-5 in the SWAC) at Alabama A&M (3-7, 3-5 in the SWAC), 1 p.m., Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville.

Last week: The Bulldogs had a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, but Jackson State stormed back for a 26-20 lead, clinched only after the visitors recovered a last-minute onside kick.

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Prairie View A&M selects PBK Sports to design Football Stadium & Athletic Field House

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Prairie View A&M University has awarded the design work for a new 15,000 seat stadium and athletic field house to PBK’s Sports Division. This new facility is set to replace the existing stadium, which was built in 1960 and seats only 6,000 people.

Prairie View’s new stadium will continue the design theme of the campus and function as a football field, soccer field, and concert space. The Home Grandstand will have a capacity of 9,000, with its counterpart having a 6,000 seat capacity. The 15,000 seat stadium will include 500 premium club seats, a Presidential Suite, an Athletic Director’s Suite and ten luxury suites. The press level will have TV/radio broadcasting capabilities complete with booths for audio visual control, statistics, replay, print and digital media. The stadium design will allow for a future expansion of 15,000 additional seats bringing the total capacity of the stadium to 30,000.

The accompanying field house will be a two story facility with views into the bowl from south facing spaces. Complete with a sports medicine suite, four team meeting rooms, locker rooms for football, men’s track, women’s track, women’s soccer, and officials this athletic field house will be a state of the art facility and designed to accommodate Prairie Views’ needs. The field house will also serve education and administrative functions. These functions are facilitated with offices, support spaces, study halls and a conference room.

The new stadium is slated for completion in June 2016.

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Holmes' lawsuit against Hampton U. dismissed

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University announced Monday that a lawsuit brought by former football coach Jerry Holmes against the school was effectively dismissed.

The state Supreme Court, on an order dated Sept. 26, refused to grant Holmes' appeal of a previous ruling by the Hampton Circuit Court. Holmes chose not to appeal the Supreme Court's ruling, HU spokesperson Yuri Milligan said.

Though the ruling occurred weeks ago, Milligan said that she had not received the information from the school's legal department until Monday.

Holmes sued Hampton U. in 2011 for nearly $7 million, claiming that statements made by then-athletic director Lonza Hardy and former director of human resources Angela Dunn were false and defamatory and had damaged his professional reputation, in the wake of his dismissal in January 2009.

Hardy said that Holmes was dismissed after one year as head coach because he was networking for a professional assistant coach's position at the Senior Bowl, the postseason college all-star game in Mobile, Ala.

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UDC president proposes disbanding athletics, other cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A sparse crowd watched the Firebirds of the University of the District of Columbia begin the men’s basketball season this week, a loss to New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce University. It just might be the last home opener the Firebirds ever play.

UDC, which for years has struggled to fulfill the role of a public flagship university, is in the midst of an intensive quest to cut costs, raise revenue and define its mission. The university’s interim president, James E. Lyons Sr., wants UDC to add students, stay affordable and prepare graduates for jobs in high-demand fields.

To reach those goals, Lyons has proposed disbanding all of the school’s athletics teams, which play in the NCAA’s Division II. Lyons also wants to end several degree programs that have drawn few students, including those in disciplines such as physics, history, sociology and environmental science.

Lyons hopes to use millions of dollars in annual savings to grow enrollment through financial aid, strengthen the faculty, expand health and career services for all students, and launch more online classes. His proposal to overhaul the 5,490-student university on Connecticut Avenue NW is scheduled for a vote Nov. 19 at a meeting of the UDC Board of Trustees.

“It isn’t about being anti-athletics,” Lyons said in ...

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Hot-shooting Gold Rush are 3-0 after winning at Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior guard Xavier Rogers scored a career-high 19 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 88-72 men's basketball victory against Mobile.

The Gold Rush (3-0) shot better than 55 percent from the floor for the third consecutive game. Xavier finished at 56 percent after shooting 64 percent in the second half.

Rogers was 7-of-7 from 2-point range.

Sydney Coleman scored 15 points, 13 in the second half, and was Xavier's only other double-figure scorer. Gary Smith, Morris Wright, Olivier Siewe and RJ Daniels scored nine points apiece for the Rush -- Siewe reached a career high, and  Smith matched his career high for the second straight game.

Smith had seven points and two assists after returning to the game with four fouls with 6:32 remaining.

Brandon Morris, with 22 points, was the lone double-figure scorer for Mobile (1-1). Morris made four of the Rams' 11 3-pointers.

The teams were tied at 33 at halftime. Kwame Beard's basket gave Mobile a 45-42 lead with 15:33 remaining, but Siewe and Coleman produced consecutive 3-point plays in a decisive 16-3 run during the next 4½ minutes.

Xavier led by double digits for the final 9:35 and defeated Mobile for the eighth consecutive time and the 11th time in their last 12 meetings. They'll meet again Dec. 5 at Xavier.

Xavier limited the Rams to 41.2 percent from the floor, outscored them 30-19 from the line and outrebounded them 39-21. The Gold Rush have outrebounded all three opponents by 14 or more.

Coleman led Xavier with eight rebounds, and Jarvis Thibodeaux had seven. Both were season highs.

Mobile opened its season Thursday with a one-point home victory against NAIA No. 23 Life.

Xavier's next game will start at 7 p.m. Thursday against Wiley at the Convocation Center. It will be the first of three consecutive Gold Rush home games.

Box score

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

Howard Lady Bison Take Home Opener Over Jackson State; Adams Earns First Head Coaching Victory

Coach Tennille Adams

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Redshirt freshman Te'Shya Heslip scored 17 of her game-high 27 points in the second half as the Howard University women's basketball team defeated Jackson State University, 83-63, to claim its first win of the 2013-14 campaign.

The triumph evens the Lady Bison's record at 1-1 while the Tigers fall to 0-2 on the season after tonight's loss.

New Howard head coach Tennille Adams earned her first win at Howard and her first career victory as a head coach with the triumph.

"It's a tremendous feeling right now," Coach Adams said when asked about getting career win No. 1. "Our team did a fantastic job of bouncing back from the Virginia Tech loss. The team came out with a lot of effort & energy and our staff did a great job of making the necessary adjustments to prepare us for Jackson State."

Heslip was impressive in her first career start, going 6-for-10 from the field, converting on a pair of three-pointers, and knocking down all but one of her 14 free throw attempts. Her 27 points were the most since former Lady Bison player Saadia Doyle poured in 27 points against North Carolina A&T in the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference semifinals on March 15. She also added six rebounds and four assists to her stat line on the night.

"I think Te'Shya could be one of the best point guards in the country if she puts her mind to it, said Adams of her lead guard.

"She's still a freshman, playing wise, so there are still some things she has to work on to develop and grow, but she can be really good over the next four years."

Howard opened the game with a fastbreak connection from senior Shavonne Duckett to Heslip. JSU responded with a pair of free throws and through the first nine-plus minutes, both teams found themselves knotted at 14-14 with 11:23 to go in the first half.

The Lady Bison would nearly double the Tigers' scoring output (29-15) for the rest of the period as Howard took a 43-29 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Over the first 12:32 of the second half, Howard would hold a narrow 22-18 scoring edge, which increased their lead to 18 points, 65-47 with 6:55 left.

Jackson State would make one final push, using a 15-5 run to cut HU's lead to 70-62 with 2:48 remaining. Fortunately, Howard stemmed the tide with a 13-1 surge of its own (including going 10-of-13 from the line) to close the game.

True freshman Jasmine Hill hit four three pointers and scored 13 points while redshirt senior Cabria Johnson added 10 points. Sophomore Victoria Gonzalez scored eight points and had a team-high three blocks and  freshman Aaliyah Wilson logged team highs of seven rebounds and five assists to go along with seven points.

Junior guard Alisa Ross led Jackson State with 13 points.

Howard will return to Burr Gymnasium for its next game, a 2:00 pm matchup with the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Sunday, November 17.

OTHER NOTES
Howard has now won its last four home openers … with the win, Coach Adams did something her two predecessors can claim – bouncing back from their tenure-opening loss with a victory … after missing all 13 of their three-pointers in the loss to Virginia Tech, Howard shot 40% (8-of-20) from behind the arc.

Box Score  

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern Jaguars’ defense spurs rally over Southeastern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Junior forward Jasmine Jefferson scored a team-high 15 points, and Adrian Sanders chipped in eight points off the bench as Southern (2-0) defeated Southeastern 63-56 Monday night at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The Jaguars posted a 38-point second half after scoring just 25 in the first, as their depth wore down visiting Southeastern (1-1). Southern had a 34-7 advantage in bench points.

“When you have numbers, you definitely want to use them to your advantage,” Southern coach Sandy Pugh said.

“Tonight we wanted them to have to extend their bench”

In the first half, Southeastern jumped out to a 10-6 lead on the shooting of junior point guard Elizabeth Styles and the low post presence of Nanna Pool, who each scored four points through the game’s first four minutes.

The two teams battled back and forth from that point, exchanging baskets, until the under-four-minute timeout when Southeastern went on an 8-2 run to close the half and take a 33-23 lead into the locker room.

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Penn scores 29 points while Murray notches a triple double as TSU routs Wiley

COACH MIKE DAVIS
Texas Southern University

HOUSTON, Texas -- A total of four Texas Southern players put up double digits in scoring on Monday night at the H&PE Arena as the Tigers cruised to a 113-96 victory over visiting Wiley College in front of 1,042 spectators.

Ray Penn led the charge going 7-of-13 for 29 points while also racking up 11 assists, 2 steals and a rebound. Penn set the tone early for Texas Southern with his precision passing and quick cuts inside the lane. Murray put together his second back-to-back solid performance as the 6-10 center scored 24 points on an 8-of-17 shooting night.

Murray notched his first career triple double in a Tigers uniform as he blocked 10 shots while grabbing 10 rebounds. He was a menace inside the paint for the Wildcats throughout the contest as he rejected nearly every shot taken in his vicinity.

"We did a really good job executing our system tonight," said TSU head coach Mike Davis. "Ray did a great job setting the tempo for us tonight and Aaric came up with some big time blocks and buckets when we needed it."

Lawrence Johnson-Danner and Jose Rodriguez were the Tigers other two leading scores tallying 22 and 18 points respectively. Combined the two players went an efficient 14-of-21 from the floor. Johnson-Danner was lights out from three point range shooting 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.

As a team Texas Southern shot 55.1 percent from the field while holding the Wildcats to 45.8 percent in regulation. Aaron Clayborn grabbed six rebounds while scoring 14 points on a 7-of-10 night from the floor. Clayborn provide TSU with much needed energy off the bench and he also converted several clutch finishes around the basket.

The Tigers will now get set to take their talents to South Beach as they travel to Miami to face the University of Miami Hurricanes and Florida International on Nov. 14^th and Nov. 16^th respectively before traveling to begin participation in the Legends Classic.
Box Score

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets' rally falls short in loss at Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. -- Xavier University of Louisiana suffered its first women's basketball loss of the season, 64-59 at Mobile on Monday.

Whitney Gathright scored 13 points for the Gold Nuggets (2-1), ranked 15th in NAIA Division I, and Paige Gauthier and Danielle Tucker scored 11 apiece. Carmen Holcombe led Xavier with seven rebounds.

Alicia Curry and Deonica McCormick scored 10 points apiece for Mobile (1-0), which led 20-13 at halftime and took its biggest lead, 52-36, on Taron Bright's basket with 6:08 remaining. Xavier outscored Mobile 23-12 in the final six minutes but did not get closer than five points during the rally.

Xavier led 10-6 through the first eight minutes. Curry's basket at 8:42 of the first half but the Lady Rams ahead to stay at 13-12.

Mobile outshot the Gold Nuggets 44.9 to 26.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 49-41. Xavier committed a season-low 11 turnovers and gained 27.

Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Friday against NAIA No. 17 Our Lady of the Lake in the LSUS Classic at Shreveport, La. The Nuggets' next home game will start at noon on Nov. 23 against Texas College during homecoming weekend.

Box score

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

Pough sets record straight on MEAC officials in Saturday's FAMU game

HEAD COACH BUDDY POUGH

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- It turns out S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough had a valid reason not to be critical of the officiating during the second half of Saturday’s game against Florida A&M.

 

From an observer’s standpoint, it appeared game officials were confused about the number of available time-outs the Rattlers had heading into their final drive.

 

However, Pough had a firsthand view of the issues which stemmed from a non-working microphone which left the referee able to communicate only with fellow officials and the head coaches on the field.

 

With fans oblivious to the on-field workings, they did not realize FAMU was rewarded a time-out back during a second-half series in which the S.C. State Marching 101 was cited for excessively loud music playing. On another series in which FAMU was whistled for a delay of game penalty while trying to stop the clock, officials opted just to penalize the Rattlers rather than charge them their remaining timeout.

 

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The Field is Set for Eight HBCU Marching Bands to Perform at the 12th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase

TORRANCE, California  -- The votes are in and eight of the top Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands have been selected to perform at the 12th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. Widely known within the marching band community as “The Honda,” the Invitational Showcase is the culmination of the Honda Battle of the Bands, providing a national stage to highlight the distinct showmanship of HBCU marching bands.

The Invitational Showcase will take place on January 25, 2014, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, where tens of thousands of HBCU marching band fans will converge for one of the nation’s most distinguished marching band events. Individual and group tickets are available at http://hondabattleofthebands.com/tickets.

The eight bands selected to perform are:

• Alabama A&M University, Marching Maroon & White (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Alabama State University, Mighty Marching Hornets (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Bethune-Cookman University, Marching Wildcats (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Morehouse College, The Marching Maroon Tigers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
• North Carolina A&T State University, Blue and Gold Marching Machine (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• South Carolina State University, Marching 101 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, UAPB Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South (M4) (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Winston-Salem State University, The Red Sea of Sound (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association)

The eight HBCUs will receive a $20,000 grant from Honda for their music education programs, plus an all-expenses paid trip to Atlanta for the Invitational Showcase. The final eight bands were chosen through a voting process that incorporates feedback from online fan votes, band directors, HBCU school presidents and representatives from American Honda.


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“The Honda Battle of the Bands is a celebration of the unique HBCU marching band experience and culture,” said Gina Jorge, head of Multicultural Marketing for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “The Invitational Showcase is a spectacular display of the results of months of dedication and preparation, and Honda is proud to continue to support our nation’s HBCU music education programs.”
 
Fans can join the conversation by using the official hashtag, #HBOB and connecting via social media:

• Facebook – Facebook.com/HondaBattleoftheBands
• Twitter – @The_Honda / Twitter.com/The_Honda
• YouTube – YouTube.com/hondabotb
• Instagram – @The_Honda      

For more information on the 2014 Honda Battle of the Bands, visit HondaBattleoftheBands.com.


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Southern focused on defense as Southeastern comes

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The Southern women’s basketball team will return to Avery Johnson Court at 5:30 p.m. Monday for the second time in a four-day span as the Jaguars host in-state rival Southeastern Louisiana.

The Jaguars are coming off an 82-57 victory over Talladega College on Friday night in which four Southern players finished in double figures in scoring.

The Jaguars were led by junior forward Jasmine Jefferson’s 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Despite Southern’s seemingly convincing 25-point victory Friday, the Jaguars had trouble separating themselves from their opponents in the early going.

Including the exhibition contest against Talladega on Nov. 1, Southern has outscored its opponents 75-58 in the first half of the two contests.

In the second half of those games, the Jaguars hold a 91-48 advantage.

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Southern Monday morning rewind

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern plays its final home game of the season when it meets Clark Atlanta in a non-conference game at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium. Clark is coming off a 35-28 victory against Edward Waters (Fla.) on Saturday.

LOOKING BACK
Southern overcame a 21-7 second-quarter deficit to defeat Alabama State 31-28 on Saturday in Montgomery, Ala. Dray Joseph threw four touchdown passes, three of which went to Mike Jones in his first multiple-touchdown-reception game. The Jaguars defense allowed just seven points in the last 2½ quarters. Jaleel Richardson had a 64-yard kickoff return after the Hornets had tied the score at 28 with a little more than a minute to play. That led to Gregory Pittman’s career-long 43-yard field goal, which was a game-winner with 18 seconds remaining. Southern overcame a season-worst 16 penalties, thanks in part to ASU committing 15 penalties.

SATURDAY'S STAR
Jones assumed the role of primary receiver in place of Lee Doss, who was serving a one-game suspension for an unspecified violation of team rules. Jones’ three touchdowns came on passing plays that covered 68, 74 and 13 yards as he consistently beat the Hornets press coverage and got behind cornerbacks for big-gainers. He finished with five catches for 211 yards.

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S.C. State tied for first place in MEAC with victory over FAMU and Bethune-Cookman’s loss to Norfolk State

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- You’ve got to love late-season college football.

As the games become more important, sometimes the action and drama occurring away from the field is more compelling than what’s taking place inside the stadium.

Take for instance Saturday’s homecoming contest on Willie Jeffries Field at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. As South Carolina State looked to hold a 25-21 lead in the fourth quarter against Florida A&M, their FCS playoff chances may have been decided elsewhere.



In a matchup of Top 25 Big South teams, Charleston Southern held off a late charge to beat previously undefeated Coastal Carolina 31-26. The win likely sealed a conference title and automatic FCS playoff berth for the Buccaneers, but also ensured two post-season invitations with the Chanticleers earning an at-large bid.

This could potentially lessen the chances of an at-large berth for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team given the way the committee uses regional groups to complete their brackets. Add the stronger power rankings of the Southern Conference and Colonial Athletic Association and it appears S.C. State will need some help for a post-season return.

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Florida A&M Volleyball Remains Unbeaten In MEAC With 3-0 Win

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  (Nov. 10)  -- The Florida A&M Volleyball team celebrated Senior day with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-18) win over arch-rival Bethune-Cookman, in their regular season finale, here Sunday afternoon at the Al Lawson Center.

FAMU (14-6, 10-0 MEAC) was led by Erika DeVaughn as she recorded a match-high 14 kills, while Katherine Huanec added 10.  Diana Gonzales recorded 41 assists in the match, while Joan Del Castillo tallied 27 digs.

Adding more significance to the game was the fact that it was Senior Day.  With a Marching "100" pep band, directed by Dr. Sylvester Young himself, the event was festive as the seniors were celebrated.  DeVaughn, Gonzales and Huanec were honored post-game with presentations from the department of athletics, as well as their teammates.  In a fitting tribute, the Marching "100" pep band played the FAMU alma mater, bringing tears from the honorees.

Seniors (from left): Erika DeVaughn, Diana Gonzales and Katherine Huanec  

Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information

B-CU (6-14, 5-5 MEAC) was led by Delica Pierre with 11 kills, followed by Destiny Hudson with seven.  Alexas Thomas led the Lady Wildcats in assists with 30, while Jennifer Jimenez finished the contest with 13 digs.

A double block by both Yeisha Arcia and Ginna Lopez-Chavez would give the Lady Rattles a 13-8 lead in the first set.  B-CU would claw their way back into the set as they tied the set on four different occasions, before taking a 23-22 lead on a FAMU attack error.

FAMU would tie the set at 23-23 on a Lopez-Chavez kill.  Then the Lady Rattlers would score their final two points on two B-CU attack errors to give the Lady Rattlers a 25-23 win to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

The Lady Wildcats would pick up from where they left off in the second set as B-CU built an 11-4 lead, capped off by a Rhea Simon service ace.  FAMU would then get back in the set as they used a 12-5 run to tie the set at 16-16.

Both teams would trade points back and forth as both teams combined for a total of five errors as they knotted the score at 20-20.  B-CU tied the set at 21-21 for the final time on a Lauren Turner kill as FAMU would record four straight kills to win the set 25-21, giving the Lady Rattlers a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third set, FAMU would never relinquish the lead as the Lady Rattlers won the third set 25-18 for the 3-0 sweep of the Lady Wildcats.

FAMU will return to action as they will travel to Baltimore, Md., to participate in the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Nov. 14-Nov. 16, hosted by Coppin State University.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS RELEASE

"For the Love of You" - FAMU Marching 100

Desmore hits winner for WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- One of the longest days in Winston-Salem State athletics history ended with another victory.

After the football team won its final regular-season game, the basketball team followed with an exciting 76-73 win against Concord in the final game of the Big House Gaines Tip-Off Classic on Saturday night. Tyre Desmore’s 25 foot 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left made the difference, and the Rams improved to 2-0.

Making the win more emotional for the Rams was the absence of Coach Bobby Collins, was in Southern Pines for his father’s funeral. Keith Collins died last week at the age of 79.

"We wanted this one bad for Coach, and he’s pretty tough, and what he’s going through isn’t easy," said Desmore, who took the winning shot after the original play broke down.

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Chicago State Cougars Earn 77-52 Season Opening Victory Over Urbana (Ohio)

CHICAGO, Illinois  -- Chicago State limited Urbana (Ohio) to 27.7 percent shooting (13-of-47) on Saturday (Nov. 9) evening in the Cougars' 77-52 victory over the Blue Knights. The home opener win moves the Cougars to 1-1 while Urbana is now 0-1.

It was homecoming for Chicago State but also a special night for another reason. The Cougars received their 2013 Great West Conference Tournament Championship rings in a pregame ceremony. The championship banner was also unveiled.

The Cougars never trailed on Saturday, jumping out to leads of 9-0 and 29-10. It was a balanced attack with eight Cougars tallying two or more points in the initial half.

The closest Urbana would get in the second half was 10 points at the 18:31 mark after Urbana scored the first six points of the second. Chicago State kept Urbana off the scoreboard for five minutes midway through the half as the home team turned a 44-31 lead into a 27-point advantage at 58-31.



Danny Goins had a game-high 17 points for Urbana.

A stifling Chicago State defense forced 27 Urbana turnovers. The Cougars turned those into 31 points. The Cougars also dominated inside, recording a 42-18 points in the paint advantage.

Chicago State finished 29-of-59 from the floor (49.2 percent).

"I thought we shot the ball well especially in the second half when you're talking about 16-of-27 (from the floor in the second)," Chicago State head coach Tracy Dildy said "Still not pleased with our 3-point shooting because I know we're a much better 3-point shooting team."

Offensively, senior Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) led the Cougars with 16 points. Junior Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) finished with 13 points, three steals two assists with no turnovers. 11 Cougars scored points with Kurt Karis (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North ) (4), Jared Dimakos (Lincolnshire, Ill./Lake Forest Academy) (9) and Quron Davis (Chicago, Ill./Simeon) (2) each recording their first points as a Cougar.

Saturday's game came less than 24 hours after the Cougars played at No. 24 on Friday evening in Bloomington.

"We're going to take off tomorrow to get our legs some rest to get ready for Tuesday," Dildy said.

The Cougars return to action on Tuesday wit
h a visit by Jacksonville State. Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 7 p.m. at the Jones Convocation Center.

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Hampton Lady Pirates blow out Saint Peter's; Six earn 100th win

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- The Hampton University women's basketball team raced past Saint Peter's 64-37 on Sunday afternoon to open the 2013-14 season in the HU Convocation Center, helping head coach David Six reach a milestone.

The win marked 100 in Six's collegiate career; he is 100-30 with the Lady Pirates (1-0).

Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.), the MEAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year, led three Lady Pirates in double figures with 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting, to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds – four of which came on the offensive end.

Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisbiurg, Pa.) added 15 points, six rebounds, and four steals in her collegiate debut, while senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) poured in 11 points.

Hampton led 2-0 before the clock even started, after DeFreitas drained two free throws following a technical foul assessed to the Saint Peter's bench. The Peacocks tied the game at 2-2 at the 18:57 mark, but when Tate-DeFreitas hit a jumper at the 18:41 mark to put Hampton up 4-2, the Lady Pirates never looked back.

In fact, the Lady Pirates scored 19 of the next 20 points after the tie, taking a 21-3 lead with 12:46 left in the half after a jumper from Bennett.

Kaydine Bent ended the run with a jumper at the 12:04 mark, cutting the lead to 21-5 – and giving Saint Peter's its first field goal in almost seven minutes.

Antonia Smith cut the lead to 24-7 with a jumper at the 11:10 mark, but the Lady Pirates responded by scoring the next seven points to take a 31-7 lead after Hamilton hit a pair of free throws with 7:41 left in the half.

The Peacocks did not hit double figures until a free throw from Bent at the 5:26 mark cut Hampton's lead to 34-10. Hamilton answered with a jumper 13 seconds later to give the Lady Pirates a 36-10 lead, their largest of the half.

Hampton led 38-17 at the half; Hamilton, Bennett, and sophomore guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.) each had nine points at the intermission. Saint Peter's had just five field goals in the first 20 minutes.

The Lady Pirates scored the first five points of the second half, taking a 43-17 lead with 18:27 left to play after Bennett hit a fast-break layup. Overall, Hampton opened the second half on a 17-1 run, leading 55-18 with 12:36 left after Tate-DeFreitas hit a jumper in the paint.

It was Hampton's largest lead of the contest.

Saint Peter's answered with a 7-1 spurt to cut the lead to 56-25 with 8:51 remaining, but the Lady Pirates stopped the momentum from carrying any further; in fact, Hampton grew the lead again to 64-31 with 4:01 remaining after Bennett hit a pair of free throws.

The Peacocks scored the game's last six points, but Hampton cruised to the win.

The Lady Pirates shot 35.8 percent (24-for-67) from the floor and hit 14 of their 23 free throws (60.9 percent), and Hampton held Saint Peter's to just 34.4 percent shooting (11-for-32) and scored 34 points off of 26 Peacock turnovers.

Marcia Senatus led the Peacocks (0-1) with nine points.

The Lady Pirates will be back in action on Saturday, when they play host to Southern Miss at 2 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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Loss keeps Broncos out of CIAA football title game

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Fayetteville State visited Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday with a berth in the CIAA championship game at stake.

The Broncos won't be making a return trip to the Triad.

Winston-Salem State clinched first place in the league's Southern Division by claiming a 28-14 victory over FSU, which needed a head-to-head win to force a tie for first. In that scenario, the Broncos would have advanced to next week's title game at Bowman Gray Stadium, but Northern Division champion Virginia State will instead face the Rams (9-1, 7-0) on their home field.
Fayetteville State (6-4, 5-2) finished with its first winning record since 2009.

"We're proud, but we're disappointed because our goal is to win the championship," first-year coach Lawrence Kershaw said. "Anything short of that makes it not a great season. OK, first year, that's fine, but our goal is to win championships. We put ourselves in position to do such, but we just fell short to a better team."

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