UMES women's basketball picked up first victory of the season against UMBC

BALTIMORE, Maryland – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women’s basketball team picked up their first win of the season as they cruised past the University of Maryland Baltimore-County (UMBC), 68-45. The Lady Hawks defeated UMBC for the first time on the Retriever’s home-court after losing five straight dating back to 1982. With the win, UMES improved to 1-2 overall whereas UMBC fell to 1-2.

Four Lady Hawks scored in double-digits, led by junior Shawnee Sweeney (Chester, VA). Sweeney recorded a career-high 22 points, including seven three-pointers. Sweeney also posted five boards, four assists, and two steals. Jessica Long (Fort Washington, MD) added 11 points and a game-high six assists. Ashleigh Claybrooks (Manassas, VA) registered her first double-double of the young season as she tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds.

UMES took a 12-point lead going into halftime, 32-20. In the second half, the Lady Hawks began the half on a 10-2 run and extended the lead to 20 points, 42-22. UMBC Head Coach Phil Stern requested a 30-second timeout to slow down the Lady Hawks’ momentum. After the timeout, the Retrievers drilled a three-pointer to cut into UMES’ lead, 42-25, with exactly 16 minutes left to play. Then, UMBC would go on a 12-5 run to cut the deficit down to ten, 47-37, with a little over nine minutes remaining in the game.

A Chalyse Taylor (Louisville, KY) three-pointer followed by a UMBC turnover, which led to a score, put the Lady Hawks back in control, 52-37. Next, UMES run continued after going on a 10-5 run to push the lead back to 20 points, 62-42, with four-and-a-half remaining. With less than a minute remaining, the Lady Hawks lead grew as much as 24 points, 68-44, after Sweeney hit her seventh three-pointer of the afternoon. A late free-throw by the Retrievers would make the final score, 68-45.

In the first half, the Lady Hawks jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after back-to-back threes by Sweeney, forcing UMBC to use a timeout. A Long free-throw extended the lead to seven, 7-0, until UMBC’s Sara Tarbert scored on a layup to put the Retrievers on the board, 7-2. A Taylor three-pointer pushed the lead to eight, 10-2, with just under 16 minutes remaining in the half. UMBC trailed, 13-6, but back-to-back jumpers by Claybrooks extended the lead to double-digits, 17-6. With less than 10 minutes left in the half, the Retrievers were down nine, 19-10, and then went on a 8-2 run to cut the lead to three, 21-18, with just over five minutes to play in the first half. Next, UMES closed out the half on an 11-2 run to push the lead to double-digits, 32-20.

Other notable Hawk performances included Alexis Udoji (Randolph, MA) tying her career-high 12 rebounds while chipping in five points, four steals, and two blocks. Taylor made her first start of the season and netted 11 points, including three triples in the win.

For the Retrievers, Tarbert and Taylor McCarley were the only UMBC players in double-figures. Tarbert had 17 points with nine boards and three assists while McCarley added 10 points and five rebounds in the loss.

The Lady Hawks conclude their three-game road trip in Syracuse, NY where they will face Syracuse University. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m.

For complete recaps, results and news of Hawk athletics, please visit www.umeshawks.com.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

Savannah State Women's Basketball Routs Charleston Southern To Open Season 2-0

SAVANNAH, Georgia – The Savannah State women's basketball team garnered a second big win in Tiger Arena Saturday, routing the Lady Buccaneers of Charleston Southern 75-47 to open the 2013-14 campaign 2-0.

SSU's last win over Charleston Southern came on November 26, 2007, when the Lady Tigers edged by CSU 65-63 in Tiger Arena.

Senior Ezinne Kalu led the field with 17 point, while freshman Kenyata Hendrix recorded 16 points. The Lady Tigers were balanced in the rebounding game. Charmaine Greene, Rhianna Warren and Kalu each had four, while six other Lady Tigers had three rebounds. SSU outrebounded the Lady Bucs' 41-39.

SSU opened the game with an 8-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Hendrix. The Lady Tigers hit 5-of-12 three point offerings in the opening half, while CSU struggled from beyond the arch, missing seven straight.

Jasmine Norman extended the Lady Tigers lead to 11 points, 17-6, behind a fast-break layup that drew the foul. Norman sank the free-throw to cap the three point play with 10:36 on the clock.

The Lady Tigers took control of the momentum in the next five minutes with a 12-4 run. Hendrix drained her second 3-pointer at the 5:56 mark to lift SSU to a 19 point lead, 29-10.

Anicia Dotson sank two free-throws a minute later, but Kalu responded with a 3-pointer for a 20 point SSU lead, 32-12; it was their largest lead of the first half with 4:20 yet to play.

Chantrell Frazier hit a layup in the paint with 2:28 to play for a 34-16 advantage. Dotson sank a layup with 1:43 to play for a 34-16 score into the locker room.

SSU opened the second half with an 8-4 run for a 23 point lead, 43-20. Freshman Tiyonda Davis capped the run with a layup in the paint.

With 14:18 to play, Jasmine Kirkland drained a short jump shot to lift SSU to a 45-24 advantage. The Lady Tigers maintained a 20-plus point lead for the rest of the contest.

Hendrix scored the final points for the Lady Tigers on a layup with 41 seconds to play, giving SSU their largest lead of the night, 75-45.

CSU freshman Tatum Jarvis scored the final points of the game on a short jump shot with 25 seconds to play. Tatum led the Lady Bucs' with 11 points and five rebounds.

SSU shot 40 percent from the floor (29-for-71) and from the 3-point line (9-22). They shot at a 61.5 percent clip from the charity strip.

The Lady Bucs' were 36.6 percent from the floor, and a surprising 0-12 from beyond the arch. CSU hit 10 3-pointers in their home opener against Southern Wesleyan last week.

The Lady Tigers open a 10-game road stretch with a visit to Waco, Texas for the Athletics in Action Classic, hosted by NCAA Division I, Women's Basketball perennial power Baylor University.  SSU plays Baylor on November 21 at 7 p.m. (CST).

Box Score

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bennett Leads Hampton Lady Pirates Past Southern Miss

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia --  Senior forward Alyssa Bennett had a career day against Southern Miss on Saturday the HU Convocation Center, as she led the Lady Pirates to a 74-58 win.

Dating back to last season, the Lady Pirates (2-0) have won 21 of their last 22 games, and they have won 16 straight games at home.

Bennett (Hampton, Va.) scored a career-high 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting, while also grabbing six rebounds and a team-high four steals. Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) added 16 points, while sophomore guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.) poured in 11 points off the bench.

Redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

Freshman guard Malian Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) tied the game at 5-5 with a 3-pointer at the 17:28 mark of the first half, before Bennett hit a layup at the 16:55 mark to put the Lady Pirates up 7-5. Junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) hit a trey with 14:56 left in the half to put Hampton up 14-9.

Southern Miss scored the next five points to tie the game at 14-14, before the Lady Pirates answered with an 8-0 run, going up 22-14 on a Hamilton jumper at the 11:24 mark.

Hampton's largest lead of the half came with 4:58 left, when Bennett scored on a breakaway layup to give the Lady Pirates a 33-22 lead. The Golden Eagles scored the next six points, cutting the lead to 33-28 at the 3:34 mark.

A Bennett layup with 1:50 left in the half put Hampton up 39-30, but Southern Miss closed the gap to 39-34 heading into the intermission. Bennett had 17 points at the break.

Brittany Dinkins cut Hampton's lead to 39-37 on the first basket of the second half, a 3-pointer with 19:36 left, but the Lady Pirates scored the next 12 points, taking a 51-37 lead with 13:20 left in the contest after a jumper in the paint by Jordan.

Hampton later led 53-42 with 12:09 left after Bennett hit a pair of free throws, but Southern Miss answered with an 8-0 run, cutting the lead to 53-50 with 8:49 to play after a jumper from Ashley Folsom. The Golden Eagles closed within three again, 55-52 at the 7:55 mark, after Kierra Jordan hit two free throws.

A 6-0 spurt from the Lady Pirates grew the lead to 61-52 after sophomore center Shaleise Boyd (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored in the paint. Boyd later scored on a layup with 4:00 to play to put Hampton back up by double digits, 63-53.

Jordan hit a jumper with 2:01 left to put the Lady Pirates up 67-53, and a fastbreak layup from Tate-DeFreitas with 1:29 remaining gave Hampton a 69-55 lead.

Five made free throws down the stretch put the game out of reach.

The Lady Pirates shot 44.1 percent (26-for-59) from the floor, and Hampton out-rebounded Southern Miss 47-37. Hampton also scored 24 points off of 19 Southern Miss turnovers.

The Golden Eagles (2-1) shot just 35.5 percent (22-for-62) from the floor and hit just four of 19 3-pointers.

The Lady Pirates will kick off a five-game road trip on Wednesday, when they head to Baton Rouge, La. to take on LSU at 8 p.m. EST. 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.

Box Score

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC teams fighting for wins

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- With just three wins and one game remaining, FAMU will definitely finish the season with a losing record.

But FAMU fans can take solace – if any football fan can ever do that – in knowing that they aren’t alone when it comes to the rest of the MEAC. Going into Saturday’s games, only three of the 11 teams had winning records.

Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State have been runaways as leaders in the standing with the best win-loss records. The Wildcats started the day at 8-2 overall and 5-1 in the conference. The Bulldogs have an identical mark in the league and they are 7-3 overall.

Saturday’s win by Delaware State over FAMU gives the Hornets a 5-5 overall record. They improved to 5-2 in conference play.

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ASU beats Miles for SIAC championship

ALBANY, Georgia  — Once left for dead, the Albany State Rams never looked more alive Saturday night at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta.

Trailing by a touchdown entering the fourth quarter of the SIAC championship game against Miles, the Rams scored 10 straight points to complete one of the best turnaround seasons in program history with a 17-14 victory, capturing the team’s 20th conference title.

 

Saturday’s championship was one for the ages.

The Rams, who started the season 1-4, won their fifth straight game in dramatic fashion and avenged a 2011 loss to the Golden Bears in the inaugural SIAC championship game.

It was Albany State’s turn to hoist the trophy this time.

 

Rams star defensive back Dexter Moody, the game’s unanimous MVP, had a blocked punt and then an interception in the ASU end zone in the second half, setting up Ram scores with both monumental plays.

 

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CIAA Board of Directors Declares Virginia State Football Ineligible For Playoffs

HAMPTON, Virginia (November 16)  -- This evening, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA^®) Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter and the CIAA board of directors convened an emergency conference call to discuss Friday's events which resulted in the cancellation of today's CIAA Football Championship.
 
Based upon available information, and in the best interest of the conference and its member-institutions, the CIAA board of directors declared Virginia State University ineligible to participate in the 2013 football postseason.
 
Yesterday, concurrent with the CIAA Football Championship luncheon, an incident occurred that involved student-athletes from Virginia State University and Winston-Salem State University. After consulting with the appropriate stakeholders, the CIAA cancelled today's Football conference championship. The Championship will not be rescheduled.
 
Additionally, the Board affirmed the following:  

• The CIAA and its member-institutions strongly condemn all acts of violence that impair in any way the safety, enjoyment and holistic experience of its student-athletes, administrators and followers in any way.
• The CIAA regards the safety and well-being of its student-athletes, administrators and followers to be of the utmost importance.
• The CIAA values, respects and is committed to the history and tradition of the conference, including its strength and reputation as a collection of institutions committed to the highest standards of judgment and behavior toward each other - on and off the field of competition.

The board of directors authorized Commissioner Carpenter and her designees, to conduct an investigation and report her recommendations regarding further action to the board of directors.

Commissioner Carpenter commented that the investigation is ongoing and the results and recommendations will be provided to the board of directors in as expedient a timeline as possible.

About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the oldest African-American athletic conference and the largest Division II conference in the country. The CIAA conducts 16 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. Headquartered in Hampton, Va., the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member-institutions: Bowie State University, Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, The Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, St. Augustine's University, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University and Winston-Salem State University.

For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter . 

COURTESY CIAA PRESS RELEASE

Miles College has four-game win streak snapped in 17-14 SIAC title game loss to Albany State

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- It just didn't end the way they wanted it to.

Miles College could've put a punctuating mark on what had been a particularly rewarding and equally as challenging 2013 football season. Instead, the Golden Bears fell 17-14 against Albany State (Ga.) in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic championship game at Lakewood Stadium Saturday night.

The loss snapped a four-game Golden Bears win streak and was just their second loss in their last eight contests  after starting out the season 1-2 to complete a remarkable run to their second league title game in three seasons under coach Reginald Ruffin.

Miles battled back from an early 7-0 deficit scoring 14-straight on a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to take the lead for and tried to hold on for dear life in the second half but couldn't ward off an Albany State team, which had scored 19 unanswered against Fort Valley State (Ga.) last week to reach the conference championship game.

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Defense Leads ASU to Win at MVSU

ITTA BENA, Mississippi  --  On a day when the Alabama State University offense struggled on the football field, the Hornet's defense stepped up, scored a touchdown and held Mississippi Valley State to one score on their way to a 19-7 win.

ASU had their worse offensive game of the season as MVSU's defense made the Hornets offense struggle from the get go. ASU only ran for 75 yards on 36 carries and the passing game was off as well throwing for 128 yards picking up 203 total yards.

MVSU was not much better as they only managed 67 yards rushing and threw for 211 yards in picking up 278 yards of total offense.

"I have had the opportunity to come to Valley as a player, assistant coach and now as a head coach and it is tough," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said. "You can't allow the atmosphere to dictate the way you play and unfortunately we did on offense, but on defense we found a way to make some plays."

ASU's defense had three total sacks with Derrick Billups grabbing 1.5 (-8 yards) of those. In fact, Billups may have had his best game of the year finishing with nine total tackles with 6.5 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage (-28 yards).

Along with the three sacks the Hornets' defense came up with 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage which resulted in another 52 yards of lost yardage.

Edward Mosley came up with a fumble recovery and Deandre Rashada and Najee Bright teamed for what may have been the tide-turning play of the game at the end of the first half, and each had interceptions.

"Our defensive line has been strong all season and they did a good job for us today," Barlow said. "Valley wasn't really able to run the ball on us and they (defense) did a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback, although we would have liked to have a few more sacks on him, but we were able to get some pressure on him and keep them from running the ball."

There was only one score in the second half and that came from the arm of Daniel Duhart who hit Jamel Johnson from 15 yards out late in the third quarter.

Most of MVSU's offense came from quarterback Patrick Ivy. He completed 17 of his 37 pass attempts for 211 yards. He was also the game's leading rusher with 58 yards on 16 carries, and most of those came on scrambling plays.

Duhart finished the game completing 16 of his 34 pass attempts for 128 yards and the score. He also had three interceptions, which evened his interception number he had thrown before today's game.

Both offenses struggled in the first half as the defenses took over. ASU only managed 124 yards on 41 plays while the hosts had 145 yards on 32 plays.

MVSU (2-9/2-76 SWAC) actually took a 7-0 when they were able to get a short field and drove 56 yards in 11 plays as Patrick Ivy scored from yard out in the first quarter.

ASU (7-4/ 7-2 SWAC) took the ensuing kickoff and drove 42 yards down the field and after the drive stalled, Bobby Wenzig was able to kick a season-long 46 yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3.

Neither offense could get anything going in the second quarter until the Hornets drove 46 yards in 11 plays and Wenzig added his second field goal of the half from 31 yards out and the Hornets trailed 7-6 with eight seconds left in the half.

After a short kickoff, MVSU's Ivy threw a long pass on the final play of the half. Najee Bright intercepted the ball on ASU's 25 and began to weave his way down field. At MVSU's 15 yard line he flipped the ball back to Deandre Rashada who was able to go the final 15 yards and dove into the endzone for the score. The extra point was blocked, but ASU led 12-7 going into halftime.

"Right before that play I am trying to think what I'm going to say to these guys at halftime to get them going and to go and play, "Barlow said. "And then Najee Bright making a play and not being satisfied with getting the interception but trying to score and pitching it (to Rashada) for the score. I thought that would get us going coming out after halftime but we still struggled."

ASU will be off next week with their next game coming Nov. 28 when they host Stillman College in the 90^th Turkey Day Classic at 3 p.m.

Box Score       

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION   

NCCU Uses Special Teams Touchdown to Beat Norfolk State

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- North Carolina Central University used a dominant run game and a special teams touchdown for the fifth straight week to defeat Norfolk State University 24-13, sending 18 NCCU seniors out in style during their last home game inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

NCCU (5-6, 3-4 MEAC) amassed 163 yards on the ground with touchdown runs by senior quarterback Jordan Reid and junior running back Andre Clarke, who led the way with 93 rushing yards. Reid also completed 8-of 16 passes for 103 yards with two interceptions.

The play of the game took place near the start of the fourth quarter with Norfolk State lining up for a field goal that would make it a one-possession game. Instead, NCCU junior Sayyid Muhammad blocked the field goal and teammate C.J. Moore scooped up the loose ball and raced 70 yards for a touchdown, giving the Eagles an 11-point cushion. It was the second blocked kick of the contest for Muhammad, who blocked a punt in the third quarter.


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Moore enjoyed a huge afternoon for NCCU. In addition to his game-clinching touchdown, the junior out of Raleigh, N.C., finished with a game-high 12 tackles and three passes defended, including an interception in the end zone to prevent a Spartan score at the end of the first half.

Junior linebacker Ty Brown collected 10 tackles, including 1.5 hits for a loss, along with a forced fumble and two pass deflections for the Eagles. Fellow linebackers Tazmon Foster and Kris Johnson tallied eight stops each, while lineman Felix Small sacked the quarterback twice on the final drive to preserve the victory.

NCCU junior kicker Oleg Parent booted a 25-yard field goal and converted all three extra-point kicks to account for six points.

Norfolk State (3-8, 3-4 MEAC) out-gained the Eagles 396 total yards to 266, but the Spartans scored only once on three trips into the red zone and missed three field goals and an extra-point kick.

NCCU wraps up the season with a trip to Greensboro, N.C., on Nov. 23 to face long-time rival North Carolina A&T at 1 p.m.

Box Score  
        
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Southern polishes running game in 53-0 win over Clark Atlanta

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern took advantage of playing overmatched Clark Atlanta by working on its running game Saturday in a 53-0 victory at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

As the Jaguars inch closer to the Southwesetern Athletic Conference Championship Game on Dec. 7 and a rematch against Jackson State — a 19-14 loss in which SU rushed for a mere 102 yards — improving the running game is a focus.

Southern came out with a dedicated effort to establish its rushing attack, tallying 19 rushing attempts in its 31 plays in the first half, netting 124 yards.



The Jaguars finished with 318 rushing yards — the most in a game since 2009, when they totaled 349 yards against Central State.

Freshman running back Lenard Tillery carried the load, totaling 86 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, in the game’s first 30-minutes.

Tillery had a 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and added a 17-yard one with 10:51 before halftime as he scampered through and around defenders.

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High School Spirit Battle of the Bands and Cheerleading Competition

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BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Saturday November 23, 2013 The Official High School Spirit Battle of the Bands and Cheerleading Competition will be held at the Doug Williams Stadium on the Campus of the Louisiana Leadership Institute. Please come out to support each of these schools.

Tickets can be purchased at the participating schools: Baker High School, Belaire High School, McKinley High School, East Feliciana High School, and Glen Oaks High School. Doors open at 3PM

For more information contact:

Mr. Nathan B. Haymer
Director of Bands
Louisiana Leadership Marching Band
(225)-771-2334

Dray Joseph sets Southern career passing mark

Senior surpasses Bryant Lee, a longtime friend of the family

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Having already clinched a berth in the SWAC championship game, Southern had a rare chance to turn its 53-0 win over Clark Atlanta into an all-game celebration at Mumford Stadium.

The game marked the final home contest for Southern’s seniors, and it was only fitting that senior Dray Joseph’s chase of former quarterback Bryant Lee’s records provided the evening’s only suspense.

And on this evening, it didn’t take Joseph long to catch Lee, moving ahead to become Southern’s all-time leader for career passing yards.

With Southern leading 13-0 midway through the first quarter, Joseph found Lee Doss for a 6-yard gain. The short crossing route pushed Joseph in front of Lee, who threw for 8,194 yards from 2005-2009.

Game officials stopped play with 6:10 left in the first quarter as Joseph was recognized for his accomplishment.

“I broke the record. It’s a good thing,” Joseph said. “Credit (goes) to my teammates.”



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Southern silences visiting Clark Atlanta

Southern holds Division-II foe to two first downs

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern’s 19 seniors had a memorable farewell Saturday night in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The university honored them in a ceremony shortly before kickoff of their final home game against Clark Atlanta, and shortly thereafter several of the seniors took center stage to get the Jaguars rolling toward a 53-0 victory.

On the second play from scrimmage, Johnathan Mack made a leaping interception of Aaron Hayward’s floating pass in the left flat and sprinted 24 yards for a touchdown.

On Southern’s first possession, Dray Joseph and Lee Doss linked up for a 44-yard touchdown.
On the next play from scrimmage, linebacker Anthony Balancier sacked Hayward to set the stage for a second consecutive three-and-out for the defense.

On the Jaguars’ next possession, Joseph became his school’s record-holder for career passing yards when he connected with Doss for a 6-yard gain on another touchdown drive.



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Bethune-Cookman dominates Hampton University 42-12

COURTESY HAMPTON U. ATHLETICS
& MSUTTON PHOTOGRAPHY

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- Hampton University's offensive renaissance came sputtering to a halt on Saturday against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's best defense in a 42-12 loss at Bethune-Cookman.

The Pirates, who'd gone 4-1 since shaking up their coaching staff after an 0-5 start, managed just 216 yards of total offense while giving up 557 yards — 475 of them on the ground — to the Wildcats.

"We couldn't get it going," HU coach Donovan Rose said. "That was just a good old-fashioned butt-whipping. We've got to take it and learn from it."

The loss kept the Wildcats (9-2, 6-1 MEAC) on track for a conference crown with a win next week while dropping the Pirates (4-7, 4-3) back into the middle of the pack.

"We're a good football team," said Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins, whose team was coming off a 27-24 loss to Norfolk State. "There was a lot of people that doubted us after last week, (but) we had a talk as a team, and we knew what we needed to do."

Bethune's single-game rushing total is the third-best in FCS play this season. The Wildcats' single-game rushing record is 561 yards, set in 1973.

HU true freshman quarterback Bryan Bailey, given the keys to a new-look spread system after special teams coordinator Michael Villagrana took over as the Pirates' play-caller, went 8 of 20 for 55 yards and two interceptions a week after throwing for 226 yards in HU's 29-21 win against N.C. Central.

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North Carolina A&T Aggies Secure Winning Season, Cohen Reaches 1,000

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GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -- Once he got rolling, it didn’t take Tarik Cohen long to reach a significant milestone in A&T history.

Cohen rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries as North Carolina A&T eased to victory over Savannah State, 41-14, in football action at Aggie Stadium Saturday afternoon. In the process of having another stellar performance, Cohen became the first Aggie freshman to put together an 1,000 yard rushing. He became the seventh overall Aggie to have an 1,000-yard season, joining James White, Milton Shaw, Maurice Smith, Maurice Hicks, Michael Ferguson and Mike Mayhew.

Cohen had 129 yards rushing in the first four games of his collegiate career. But over the past six games he has rushed for 894 yards, and the Aggies still have one more game to play.

“He’s made a lot of plays for us,” said A&T head coach Rod Broadway. “He’s a tough little sucker. He’s tough, he has a great attitude and a great work ethic. This is the type of kid that I love to coach and have in any program. “

Cohen made his run to the 1,000-yard plateau an entertaining one. He started out going right, ran into three Tiger defenders, he then did a spin move out of a tackle, cut back to the left, confronted another Tiger defender, broke free from him with hop-step before turning up field and going down the sideline for a breath-taking 49-yard touchdown run that gave A&T a 21-0 lead in the first quarter.

“My goal is to not let one person tackle me,” said Cohen, who has rushed for 1,023 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013. “I want to get a first down every time I tough the ball.”


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Photo Album

Cohen’s day pretty much ended after his impressive run. He carried the ball just four more times, but in the process he scored on a 4^th-and-3 from the SSU 7-yard line as he went off the right side on sweep play to give A&T a 28-0 lead to open the second quarter.

The Aggies closed the first half with a 5-yard touchdown pass from senior Lewis Kindle to freshman receiver Denzel Keyes, giving the Aggies a 35-0 halftime lead.

Cohen didn’t play in the second half. Broadway said he made the decision to avoid Cohen getting hurt in a game where the Aggies held a big lead.

“I’m so proud of him,” said Broadway. “If he keeps his head on right, this kid is going to be unbelievable. He’s already unbelievable. A couple of years from now, this guy is going to be amazing.”


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The Tigers (1-11, 0-8 MEAC) had a few highlights in the second half. Sheldon Barnes ended the shutout when he caught a swing pass from Savannah State quarterback Leon Prunty and ran 49 yards for a touchdown. Backup quarterback Victorian Hardison found a wide open Edward Lackey running down the middle of the field for a 57-yard touchdown pass to account for the Tigers’ other score.

Despite the two big plays, the A&T defense held the Tigers to just 19 yards rushing. A&T’s six sacks contributed to Savannah State’s bad day on the ground. The Aggies had the fourth-best rushing defense in the nation coming into the game. Senior linebacker D’Vonte Grant moved closer to a 100-tackle season. He had 11 stops and needs 11 more to reach 100 for the season.

A&T (6-4, 3-4 MEAC) secured its second straight winning season with the victory. The last time the Aggies had back-to-back winning seasons was in 2000 and 2001. The Aggies will try to secure consecutive 7-4 seasons next Saturday when they face archrival N.C. Central at Aggie Stadium at 1 p.m. The Aggies will recognize players, managers and trainers for Senior Day.

“I happy for our seniors because they had a couple of 0-and-whatever or 1-10’s,” said Broadway. “It’s gotten to the point at my age, it’s not about me; it really isn’t. It means something for me for these guys to get joy out what they do and to experience success. That’s my joy.”

A&T 41, Savannah State 14

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

A&M closes out Senior Day with a Victory

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NORMAL, Alabama – A lot of first happened today at Louis Crews stadium. 50 points was the most an Anthony Jones team has scored since November 22, 2008. 349 yards off of 16 of 29 passing by Jaymason Lee was his season high. Most points allowed all season by the defense 42. Demario Ross 102 yards receiving on a pair of receptions, his first hundred yard game this season. Barrington Scott 201 yards on 33 carries which allows him to eclipse the thousand yard mark for the year. His three touchdowns was also a season high, while also collecting season highs in carries and yards rushed. The Bulldogs scored in every quarter seven in the first, 12 in the second, 15 in the third and 16 in the fourth. Most penalties in one game 12 for 157 yards. Punting only one time all game for 43 yards. Most total points between two teams in A&M's Division I era. Second straight game UAPB scored 40 or more points.

In a game that saw a lot of offense the Golden Lions of the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Alabama A&M combined for 92 points scored, 49 first downs, 324 yards rushing, 679 yards passing, and 1,003 total yards of offense.

It was senior day on "The Hill" along with 2,300 high school students attending the annual high school day events.

The contest started just as fast as it finished with a 33 yard run by UAPB quarterback Ben Anderson to open the scoring. A&M would answer back with a four play 63 yard drive that saw Lee connect with Smith for a 23 yard s
core.

Pine Bluff then took the lead, which they held most of the game, on an Anderson pass and catch to Drayton Willis for a five yard strike. The Lions then added another score to make it 21-7 when Michael Wilson rushed the ball for a four-yard score.



A&M then answered with a 12 play 75 yard score that chewed up 5:26 on the clock when Lee found Terrance Pride for a five yard touchdown. Ramon then kicked one of his two field goals to pull within four 21-17. On UAPB's first play after the field goal the ball went through Anderson's hands and rolled into the back of the end zone for safety. That allowed A&M to pull within two 21-19 at halftime.

The second half was similar to the first but the Bulldogs outscored the Golden Lions 31-21 with touchdowns by Scott for 11 yards, a 57 yard score by Demario Ross, another Scott rush for 2 yards, a Ramon 38 yard field goal, and a final Scott rush for 24 yards to put the game away for A&M.

Once again Robert Nelson led the team with nine tackles while senior Derrick Harris posted a season high seven stops. Harris also posted his fourth interception which stopped the UAPB final drive of the game, while Lawrence Barnett also recorded his fourth pick of the season. Pride finished with 124 yards on special teams with 54 on three punt returns and 70 yards on three kick returns.

A&M will enjoy this victory before they play their final game of the season vs. Georgia Tech. The non-conference contest is set for 12:30 central, 1:30 eastern on ESPN3.com at Bobby Dodd stadium Saturday, November 23^rd.

Box Score            

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Big Second Half Keys Delaware State Hornets Past FAMU Rattlers, 29-21

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- (Nov. 16, 2013) Delaware State kept alive its hopes for a second straight winning season with a thrilling 29-21 come-from-behind win over Florida A&M, a MEAC contest at Bragg Stadium this afternoon.

DSU has won four of its last five games to improve to 5-5 overall and 5-2 in the MEAC with one game left on the schedule. The win snapped the Hornets’ four-game losing streak to the Rattlers; and marked their first victory at Bragg Stadium since 2007.

FAMU vs Delaware State Gallery

Delaware State trailed 21-3 before scoring 26 unanswered points to take control of the game. The Hornets outscored Florida A&M 19-0 in the second half.

“I’m very proud of the way the guys fought back after digging such a hole for ourselves,” said Delaware State head coach Kermit Blount, who has led the Hornets to a 3-1 record in MEAC road games this season.  “The Rattlers took advantage of some opportunities we them in the first half, but we stayed focused and made some big plays on offense and key stops on defense to turn the game around.”

Florida A&M scored 14 points off Hornet turnovers en route to its 18-point second quarter lead.
The Hornets trailed 21-16 when Cory Murphy connected with wide receiver Milton Williams III on an 18-yard touchdown pass to give DSU a 22-21 lead with 11:37 left in the fourth quarter. A two-point pass attempt after the touchdown was incomplete. The big play in the Hornets’ go-ahead touchdown drive was a 34-yard pass from Murphy to Williams to the FAMU eight.

On the ensuing Florida A&M possession, running back Lamont Buice fumbled at the DSU 45. The ball was recovered by Hornet defensive back Cory Scott who ran 55 yards to the endzone to stretch the Delaware State lead. Mitchell Ward’s extra point kick gave the Hornets a 29-21 lead with 10:01 left to play.   

The next time Florida A&M had the ball, the Rattlers reached the DSU 45 before Hornet defensive back Joe Boyd intercepted a Carson Royal pass to halt the drive. The pick was Boyd’s third of the season.  

The Rattlers’ final drive of the game ended on an interception by Scott, his first of the season, at the FAMU 45. Cameren Judge also had his second interception of the season for the Hornets.

Delaware State began its comeback when Dae-Hon Cheung scored on a nine-yard run to cap off a six-play, 68-yard second quarter drive. Ward’s extra point kick pulled the Hornets to within 21-10 with 8:54 left in the second quarter.

The Hornets scored a late third quarter touchdown to pull closer. Murphy capped off the 11-play, 80-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Bo Ceravolo with 50 seconds left in the third quarter. It was the first career touchdown for Ceravolo, a native of Venice, Fla.

Murphy, who sat out the first half, completed 10-of-15 passes for 141 yards. He threw an interception on the Hornets’ first possession of the third quarter, but bounced back to throw two second half touchdowns.

Esayah Obado started at quarterback for the Hornets. He completed nine of 12 passes for 68 yards, but threw an interception and lost a fumble on a sack.

Terrick Colston led DSU with six tackles, including six solo stops.

Rodney Gunter had six tackles (five solo), including a sack and two other backfield stops. Scott tallied five unassisted tackles to go along with his fumble return for a touchdown and interception.

DSU v FAMU_stats_plays

NEXT GAME: The Hornets wrap up the 2013 season at home against Morgan State next Saturday (Nov. 23). The Senior Day contest gets underway at 2:00 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Battle of the Bands: Clark Atlanta Panthers vs. Southern U. Human Jukebox

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Howard Downs Texas Southern 40-6

HOUSTON, Texas  -- Howard University came up with its best all-around performance of the season, resulting in a 40-6 win over Texas Southern in a non-conference game at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Fits it was the offense. On the Bison's second possession, Anthony Philyaw capped off a 75-yard drive with a 30-yard run that left the Tigers and his teammates with their heads shaking. The 6-1, 210-pound freshman, took the handoff from quarterback Greg McGhee deep in his own backfield, started to his left only to run into a crowd of several players. Within seconds, he emerged from the pile and raced 30 yards for the game's first TD with 10:37 on the clock.

Texas Southern (2-9) answered and put together a short drive, but it was the defense's turn as it stiffened and forced the Tigers into a Eric Medina 43-yard field goal to get to within 7-3 at the 3:49 mark of the first period.

Howard (5-6) turned the ball over to Texas Southern on its next possession, giving the Tigers good field position and an opportunity to take the lead. But the Howard defense again stood tall and made the hosts settle for another Medina field goal, this time from 18 yards out.

That was as close as the Tigers would get. From there, the Bison began to take control of the game. Sophomore placekicker John Fleck, who has been in a slump of late, nailed a 26-yard field goal. Then Philyaw capped off a short drive with his second TD of the game to up the mark to 17-6 at the 6:25 mark of the second period. It was Philyaw's 10^th rushing TD of the season and 11^th overall.

"The effort of the special teams was there," said a pleased Howard Coach Ray Petty. 'They covered well. They stayed in their lanes and they played with a lot of discipline."

He continued. " Offensively, we did a good job of controlling the ball and putting the ball in the end zone and the defense forced turnovers. I was pleased with the all-around effort."

The Bison would strike again a little over four minutes later when McGhee connected with Brandon Flanagan from seven yards. It was only fitting that would finish off the drive. The 5-8 senior had set up the score with a 72-yard punt return, the longest of his career.

Howard was not finished. On its last possession before the half, McGhee connected with Stewart Hartman from 19 yards to take a comfortable 30-6 lead to the locker room.

In the second half, the Bison played conservatively, content to run the ball and let its defense control the game. The defense, which forced a season-high six turnovers, finally capitalized when red-shirt junior safety Cameron Alston returned a fumble 32 yards for a TD, the first of his career.

"We had a great day today," said Alston, who leads the team in tackles. "I was pleased with the secondary. We got great pressure from the D line and we also made plays when we had to in the secondary. I caught a lot of pressure from my coaches about not making plays early in the season. I was expected to be a great player and leader on the team, so I have been really focusing on ball drills lately." Alston also had an interception, giving him three in the past four games.

Fleck closed out the Bison's highest point total of the season on a field goal by Fleck.

The Bison rolled up 458 yards of total offense and accumulated 248 yards on returns.

McGhee was 14 of 29 for 190 yards and 68 yards on 12 carries.

"We moved the ball up and down the field," said McGhee. "When we get the opportunity in the Red Zone, we have to cash in. We did a better job today scoring on those opportunities."

Quarterback Homer Causey of Texas Southern led all rushers with 159 yards on 18 carries and added 105 more on passing.

Box Score

 NEXT UP: The Bison will close out the 2013 season next Saturday when it travels to Hampton, VA to take on the Pirates of Hampton at 1 pm.

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alcorn State Braves Cap Off 2013 With a Huge Victory Over Jackson State, 48-33

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- The Braves use a huge first half, outscoring Jackson State 31-3 en route to 48-33 season finale victory over the Tigers at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Midway through the first quarter, the Braves got on the scoreboard first on a 15-yard strike from quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. to wide receiver Jordan Payne (His 9^th receiving TD of the season) to give the Braves a 7-0 lead at the 8:14 mark.

The second quarter was all about the Braves as they recorded 24 points in the quarter to take total control of the game.

 With only six seconds into the second quarter, the Braves scored again when Gibbs, Jr. connected with Tollette George for a 13-yard touchdown to increase the Braves lead to 14-0.



Jackson State got on the board at the 11:35 mark on a 22-yard field goal by Ryan Deising to cut the lead to 11, 14-3.

Four minutes later, Anthony Williams intercepted Jackson State's quarterback, Clayton Moore which setup a Haiden McCraney 36-yard field goal which boosted the Braves lead back to 14 points, 17-3 with 7:30 to go before halftime.

Immediately following McCraney's field goal, Quinton Cantue intercepted Moore's pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown to extend the Braves lead to 24-3 at the 6:06 mark of the second quarter.

The Braves defense shut down the Tigers offense to set up an Arnold Walker 13-yard touchdown with .59 seconds on the clock just before the half.

After the touchdown, Jackson State drove all the way down to the Braves territory but Cantue intercepted his second pass of the game and the Braves went into the locker room leading 31-3 at the half over Jackson State.

Two minutes into the third quarter, McCraney's punt was blocked by Jackson State in which the ball ended up in the back of the end zone for a safety making the score 31-12.

Jackson State took advantage of the safety and capped off a 12 play, 64 yards with an eight-yard pass from Moore to Zach Pendleton.

But the Braves fired back when sophomore wide receiver Jarvis Turner broke open for a 57-yard touchdown from Gibbs, Jr. which only took 1:51 off the clock. The Braves had increased their lead once again 38-12 with 6:52 to play in the third quarter.

Running back Rakeem Sims scored from one-yard out to decrease the lead back to 19, 38-19 with 3:42 on the clock.

McCraney nailed his second field goal of the game after the Braves offense drove down the field for 60 yards on 11 plays. The Braves lead was now 41-19.

Sims found the end zone again on a two-yard run cutting the lead to 41-25 with 10:30 left in the game. The Tigers failed to convert on the two-point conversion.

After the touchdown, the Tigers thought they were closing in on the Braves but Alcorn's "Go To Guy," Walker scored his second touchdown of the night with 7:45 to go in the game.

Jackson State would score one more time with .10 seconds left in the game but the Braves had already run away with the victory.
Gibbs, Jr. finished the game completing 18-of-32 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Walker carried the ball 14 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns.

Devon Francois led the Braves once again with a team-high eight tackles and one pass break-up.

The Braves cap off the 2013 season with a remarkable 9-3 record and 7-2 SWAC record and will get back to work over the off-season as they prepare to make run at the SWAC Championship next year in Houston.

Box Score


COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Lincoln (Mo.) Blue Tigers Close MIAA Play With Record-Breaking Win Over Southwest Baptist

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri  --  Lincoln football team scored 27 fourth-quarter points and amassed 452 rushing yards to end the 2013 season with a 51-28 victory over Southwest Baptist on Saturday (Nov. 16). The Senior Day win featured several record-breaking and tying performances, as LU sent its 20 seniors out on a high note.

Included in that rushing performance was a 137-yard day by Morris Henderson, who finishes the season with 1,266 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. His yardage breaks the Lincoln single-season mark of 1,239, set by legendary LU running back Leo Lewis back in 1952. Henderson ends the year with an average per carry of 6.7 yards, which also breaks the 1952 single-season mark of 5.9, previously held by Lewis.

In addition to those 452 rushing yards, Lincoln quarterback also provided four rushing touchdowns and completed 12 passes for 182 yards. Both those marks make Morris LU's all-time single season leader in each category. Morris ends the year with 2,076 passing yards, making him the first LU quarterback ever to throw for 2,000 yards in a season and breaking Steve Bohlken's 1988-record of 1,939. With 173 completions on the year, Morris breaks his own mark of 169, set last season. Finally, Morris ends his junior campaign with a completion percentage of .571, breaking Bill Swats' 1982 season record of .558.



Lincoln began the game with 14 unanswered points, with Morris and Henderson scoring on one-yard runs to put the Blue Tigers up, 21-0. Southwest Baptist answered with a quick scoring drive of its own, then returned a punt on LU's next possession 57-yards to tie the game at 14 early in the second quarter. The Bearcats later drove 83 yards to take a 21-14 lead with 9:10 to play in the second quarter.

The Lincoln offense got going again on the next drive, answering the Bearcats' touchdown with a five-yard scoring run by Morris. The Blue Tigers seemed to have the momentum at this point, as the defense forced a three-and-out and the offense drove back into SBU territory. A fumble at the SBU 34 ended the threat, however, and Southwest Baptist threatened to once again take the lead. The Bearcats advanced deep into LU territory, but a completed pass that would have given SBU a first down at the Lincoln 21 was forced out of the receivers' hands by Kendrick Causey and recovered by Kerry Roby to give Lincoln back the ball.

After exchanging possessions to open the second half and holding the Bearcats to a three-and-out, Lincoln retook the lead on a 37-yard field goal into the wind by Andrew Fishel. It was part of a big day by the freshman kicker, who broke LU's single-season record for successful point-after kicks with his first PAT of the game. Fishel, who successfully converted 35 point after tries this year, breaking Gerald Walker's 1964 record of 29, added to single-season record for points by a kicker with the field goal and six successful PATs to give him 53 points on the year.

The lead would not last long, however, as Southwest Baptist answered with a 61-yard touchdown drive capped off by a two-yard run. Those were the last points the Bearcats would put on the board, as LU shut SBU out the rest of the way, including stopping two drives in Lincoln territory on Markuice Savage interceptions.

The Blue Tigers trailed, 28-24, entering the fourth quarter, but that deficit did not last long. Morris put LU back on top for good with a 24-yard scoring rush that gave Lincoln a 31-28 advantage with 12;51 remianing in the game. Lincoln's defense forced a three-and-out, and the Blue Tiger offense went back to work, with Percy Turner scoring on a 43-yard run that moved LU ahead by nine. Touchdown runs by Isam Pegues and Morris later in the quarter turned what had been a closely-contested game into a 23-point Blue Tiger victory.



Morris led the Lincoln rushing attack with 147 yards and the four scores while Deon Brock (37 yards), Pegues (48) and Turner (43) also had strong days. Martee Tenner added 42 yards, including a 26-yard game highlighted by a flip over a defender that was reminiscent of the play that got him national attention on ESPN's "SportsCenter" during the spring of 2012.

In the receiving game, Maurice Woodard caught six passes for 56 yards to finish his fourth and final season with 143 receptions, making him Lincoln's career leader in that category. Khiry Draine grabbed three passes for 66 yards while Andre Borney caught two passes for 60 yards.

Defensively, Kendrick Causey made a team-high 13 tackles, including 10 solo, while Savage finished with eight. Michael Lloyd made three tackles for loss, including Lincoln's only sack, and Tevin Brock and Tyrone Moore each broke up two passes. Darryl Blackmon had a pair of quarterback hurries while Darius Ford posted six tackles and Timmy Dunn added four. Treston Pulley made two tackles while Garrett Carrillo registered one.

The season caps off another record-breaking year for the Lincoln offense, which broke season records for total offense (4,917 yards) and plays from scrimmage (833). The win also comes in Lincoln's final game as a football-member of the MIAA, as the Blue Tigers will move to the Great Lakes Valley Conference for that sport only starting in 2014. Saturday's opponent, Southwest Baptist, will also be moving to the GLVC next season.

The Bearcats dropped to 1-10 on the season and 1-9 in MIAA play while Lincoln improved to 3-8 overall and 2-8 against league competition. The three wins are the most for an LU team since 2003, which was also the last year in which Lincoln won back-to-back games. Saturday's win also gave the Blue Tigers consecutive MIAA victories for the first time since beating Central Missouri and Truman State in back-to-back weeks in 1973. Finally, the 51 points LU scored on Saturday are the most for the Blue Tigers in a win since 1972, when Lincoln posted a 52-27 win over Southwest Missouri on the road.

By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern holds off North Florida Ospreys for first win

JACKSONVILLE, Florida  --  Southern University used its “instant energy” to finally break into the win column and hand North Florida its third loss in four games this year.

The Jaguars got a 21-point performance from Yondarius Johnson off the bench and 25 from Calvin Godfrey to turn back the Ospreys 87-78 Saturday night at the UNF Arena. UNF had five players in double figures, led by Charles McRoy and Dallas Moore, who each scored 14 points.

It was the first win for Southern (1-3), which had lost to Marquette, Middle Tennessee State and Tulane, all by seven points or less. North Florida knows the feeling. The Ospreys (1-3) have also lost three times (Florida, Middle Tennessee and now Southern), all by eight points or less.

This one looked like it might be a lopsided loss for the host Ospreys. They trailed by 17 points at the midway point of the second half. But UNF battled back and twice cut the deficit to four points, the second time at 80-76 with 70 seconds left. But UNF managed just one more basket, a layup by Devin Wilson and the Jaguars made their final five free throws and added a field goal.

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No. 10 UNCP Thrashes Virginia-Lynchburg In Regular Season Finale

PEMBROKE, North Carolina  –  Luke Charles threw for a school record 433 yards and six touchdowns on 30-of-39 passing to help lead the 10th-ranked UNC Pembroke football team to the program's 50th victory with a 63-0 whooping of Virginia-Lynchburg on Saturday at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.

UNCP (9-1) matched a school record win total for the second time since 2007 after scoring touchdowns on nine of its 13 drives on the day, including a 35-point, 353-yard effort in the opening half. Virginia-Lynchburg (2-9) was held to just 83 offensive yards on 54 plays, including a paltry 26 yards in the second half alone.

Charles broke the program's record for passing yards for the fourth time this season, while also shattering a 5-year-old record for touchdown passes that he had already tied earlier this season. The performance also gave him the honor of being the first quarterback in program history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a single season (3,361).

Fellow senior Te'vell Williams hauled in four catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns to break his own school record (10) for touchdown receptions in a season, while 10 other players recorded at least one reception as well. Running back Rontonio Stanley accounted for 115 all-purpose yards (44 rushing 71 receiving) and one rushing touchdown for the Braves as well.



Sophomore Connor Haskins broke a pair of records on the day by converting on all nine point-after attempts, while also shattering the single season record for PATs (41).

Code Black limited the Dragons to just 11 yards in the first and fourth quarters, while also keying the dominance by not allowing the visitors to convert a third down on 14 attempts. Brandon Fulton recorded a team-best five tackles, while also registering an interception. Senior Ray Baker totaled four solo tackles, including two stops for loss, and returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

The shutout was the first for a UNCP defense since a 24-0 home win over Fairmont State on Oct. 16, 2010.

"I am very proud of what this group has been able to accomplish this season," said UNCP head coach Pete Shinnick. "It's a great day for the program because we get to focus on a playoff game now."

Charles hit four different receivers with touchdown strikes in the first two quarters, and Stanley dove in from one yard out 83 seconds before the intermission to help the Braves lug a 35-0 advantage into the break. The Black & Gold had pushed its advantage out to 42-0 just less than five minutes into the third quarter, and led 56-0 after Demetrius Fairley's 18-yard scoring jaunt at the 12:33 mark in the final period.

Baker's 13-yard pick 6 on the ensuing possession helped UNCP break the program's scoring record for the second time in three weeks.

UNCP's players and coaching staff will gather inside the University Center Annex on Sunday afternoon to watch the NCAA Division II Football Playoff selection show which is set to broadcast at 5 p.m. on NCAA.com. The event is open to UNCP students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PEMBROKE ATHLETICS

West Alabama Scores 13 Touchdowns in 91-28 Win over Central State Marauders

LIVINGSTON, Alabama – West Alabama rewrote the Tiger and Gulf South Conference football record books while sending its seniors out on a positive note by crushing Central State, 91-28, Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers end the regular season with an 8-3 record and a share of the Gulf South Conference championship, marking he first time in school history the Tigers have won back-to-back conference titles. Central State ends its season 2-9.

West Alabama will find out its NCAA Division II Playoff fate Sunday at 4 p.m., hoping to play in the postseason for the third consecutive year.

"We beat a team 91-28 tonight that beat two teams that are in serious consideration for a playoff spot. We have lost just one region game in two years," UWA head coach Will Hall said. "The six best teams in the region should get into the playoffs and anybody who knows Division II football should know we are one of those six teams."

The 91 points scored by the Tigers destroys the UWA and GSC record for points in game. The previous UWA record was 80 against Centenary in 1968 and the previous conference record was 86 by Southern Arkansas against Henderson State in 2000.

West Alabama scored 13 touchdowns in the game, breaking the GSC record set by Southern Arkansas against Henderson State in 2000. The Tigers scored them in every way possible, six rushing, five passing, on an interception return and another on a punt return.

Leading 42-28 at the half, West Alabama outscored the Marauders 49-0 in the second half. The Tiger defense recorded nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage, recovered two fumbles, had an interception and broke up 11 CSU passes.

"Coach (Robert) Henry did a great job at the half helping our guys get their emotions in check. We had some seniors playing emotion and not playing very soundly on defense in the first half," Hall said. "On offense we were blowing and going all game long.

"I just hope this season isn't over," Hall said. "These kids deserve a chance to keep playing."

Kyle Caldwell passed for five touchdowns and ran for another, while Javae Swindle broke his own UWA single game rushing record by ringing up 280 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.

Swindle has set the previous record with 228 yards at North Alabama two weeks ago and now has 1,296 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, easily leading the GSC.

"I felt great and our offense played well, although we still have some growing to do," Swindle said. "We were trying to prove a point tonight that we deserve to be in the playoffs."

Caldwell was 13-of-17 for 210 yards and was not intercepted. The five TD tosses gives the junior from Dadeville, Ala., 52 for his career.

"We played fast and we played hard offensively," Caldwell said. "The offensive line was tremendous all night long. We did a lot of things very well tonight."

Seth Roberts and Chad Toocheck both caught two touchdown passes, giving them both 12 for the season. Gary Johnston ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Ty Morgan caught a 13-yard touchdown pass, Malcolm Butler returned an interception 33 yards for a score and Malik Lofton returned a punt 80 yards for a TD to round out West Alabama scoring. Mark Grant nailed all 13 extra point tries.

"We came out with a different attitude in the second half after losing containment some in the first half," Butler said of the UWA defense. "They showed us they wanted our heads so we had to respond.

"I missed one that I jumped at the McNeese State game," Butler said of his pick six. "It was senior night, so tonight I just said what the heck and went and got it."

With 688 total yards, West Alabama broke the school single season total offense record with 5,930 in just 11 games. The 2009 team held the previous record. Other school records to fall were touchdown passes in a season with 33 and rushing touchdowns in a season with 36. West Alabama also set the GSC record for yards gained per play in a season with 7.7 after 11 games.

Tevin Thomas had seven tackles to lead UWA defenders, followed by Demetruce McNeal and Mario Gainer with six each. Jeffrey Washington had six stops for Central State.

Robert Evans completed 18-of-41 passes for 270 yards and three Central State touchdowns. He was intercepted once. Christopher Murray and Steven Heard had six receptions each for the Marauders. Isiah Grooms ran for 78 yards on 13 carries.

Box Score


COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Week 12: HBCU Football ScoreCard Finals

Saturday, November 16, 2013

CIAA Football Championship
#22Virginia State Trojans vs. #9Winston-Salem State Rams   (CANCELED)

SIAC Football Championship
Albany State 17, Miles 14 

OVC
Tennessee State 17, Murray State 10

SWAC
Abilene Christian 65, Prairie View A&M 45
Alabama State 19, Mississippi Valley State 7
Alabama A&M 50, Arkansas Pine Bluff 42
Alcorn State 48, Jackson State 33
Howard 40, Texas Southern 6
Southern 53, Clark Atlanta 0

MEAC
South Carolina State 38, Morgan State 3 (Thursday)
North Carolina A&T 41, Savannah State 14
North Carolina Central 24, Norfolk State 13
Delaware State 29, Florida A&M 21
Howard 40, Texas Southern 6
Bethune-Cookman 42, Hampton 12

OTHER CONFERENCES AND INDEPENDENTS
Seton Hill 17, Cheyney 10
Glenville State 17, West Virginia State 12
Warner (Fla.) 13, Concordia-Selma 7
Edward Waters 49, College of Faith 0
#10 UNC Pembroke 63, Virginia University Lynchburg 0
Lincoln (Mo.) 51, Southwest Baptist 28
Langston 33, Wayland Baptist 0
Oklahoma Baptist 39,Texas College 28
West Alabama 91, Central State (Ohio) 28 


SIAC
West Alabama 91, Central State (Ohio) 28
Southern 53, Clark Atlanta 0