WSSU defense rounding into shape

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who follow the Winston-Salem State Rams that their defense has gotten better and better as the season has unfolded.

Kienus Boulware, the quiet defensive coordinator, has a simple philosophy: If you aren’t having fun on the football field, then why play?

It’s common for the understated Boulware, a former player at North Carolina who is from Thomasville, to see a reporter and immediately say "no comment" even if he isn’t asked anything; he would rather let his players take the credit. But make no mistake — he and his defensive assistants are putting those players in the right places to make plays.

The Rams’ defense, which is deep, athletic and playing at a high level, was at its best in Saturday’s 27-20 win over Slippery Rock in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Rams will now head to Shepherd (W.Va.) University for Saturday’s second-round game, scheduled for noon.

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Cleveland High School senior Nora Berry chooses Grambling

CLEVELAND, Tennessee  --   Cleveland High School senior Nora Berry committed this past weekend to continue her basketball career at NCAA Division I member Grambling State University.

Berry, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward, averaged nine points and four rebounds last season for the Lady Raiders, who advanced to the Region 3-AAA quarterfinals. Those are averages that both Berry and Cleveland coach Mindy Kiser expect will improve greatly during her senior year, as graduation and defections have left her as the only senior on the team.



"I'm glad to get that process over with," Berry said Monday afternoon. "This season is going to be very different, and getting this decision over with helps me set my focus on leading our team. I know I'm going to be asked to do a lot, and I'm really wanting to improve on my scoring and rebounding."

Grambling provided a lot of positives for Berry, who chose the Louisiana school over an offer from UNC-Asheville and interest from Radford, North Florida, Savannah State, Western Carolina and Middle Tennessee State. Grambling coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has more than 500 wins -- the only women's coach at a historically black university to accomplish that.

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FAMU Women’s Basketball Inks Five For 2014-15

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- FAMU Women's Basketball coach LeDawn Gibson announced five early signees for the 2014-15 team.

Three of the signees are backcourt prospects: guards Taylor Auzenne, Chloe Nixon and Dawn King.

@ Auzenne, a 5-7 point guard out of Duluth (Ga.) High School, was also recruited by Southern Miss., Jacksonville and Alabama.

@ Nixon, a 5-9 guard from Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep High School, was also recruited by Pennsylvania, North Florida, and North Carolina –Wilmington.

@ King, a 5-9 guard from Waxahachee (Tex.) High School, was also recruited by Houston, Northwestern and Oklahoma.

The front court added two post players in Alicia Jones and Lorena Hubbard.

@ Jones, 6-0 forward out of Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., is currently averaging 13.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Aztecs.  In addition, she is ranked No. 30 player in the State of Arizona.

@ Hubbard, a 6-4 forward from Neptune (N.J.) High School, was also recruited by Seton Hall, Fordham and Long Island University.



COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FSU Lady Broncos Get Wheeling Jesuit in NCAA Volleyball Tournament

Coach Reeshemah Johnson will attempt to lead FSU to its first-ever win in NCAA Tournament play

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  -- For the second consecutive season, the Fayetteville State volleyball team will match up with Wheeling Jesuit in the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament.

That announcement was made on Monday night, when the Lady Broncos (19-7) were chosen to be the No. 8 seed in the Atlantic Region. Wheeling Jesuit, the region's top seed, will host the regional on their campus in Wheeling, West Va., on Dec. 5.

Last season, Wheeling Jesuit swept Fayetteville State out of the tournament, winning 25-10, 25-15, 25-10. The Cardinals went unbeaten in their inaugural season in the Mountain East Conference and finished 34-5 overall, closing out the year on a 10-match win streak.

FSU finished 12-4 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, then won the conference tournament, closing with a pair of wins over Chowan and Winston-Salem State at Capel Arena on Saturday. 


COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Div. II Playoffs: Winston-Salem State Rams vs. Shepherd Rams

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- If Winston-Salem State is going to go deep in the Division II playoffs, it’s going to have to do it on the road. The Rams (10-1) will take on top-seed Shepherd University (10-0) on Saturday at noon in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Shepherd is about five and half hours from Winston-Salem.

Here is a primer of things to know about Saturday’s game:

- Both WSS- and Shepherd have the same nickname – the Rams.

- Coach Monte Cater of Shepherd is in his 27th season at the school and has 200-87-1 record. His overall career coaching record is 231-110-2.

- Shepherd is 6-7 in the Division II playoffs under Cater.

- Shepherd, which was founded in 1871, has an enrollment of 4,200 and plays in the Mountain East Conference.

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Grambling State Tiger Football to be Featured During Bayou Classic Special on KTAL

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- The excitement continues to build around the 40th Annual Bayou Classic, and so does the coverage of the game.  Interim GSU Head Football Coach Dennis "Dirt" Winston and selected student-athletes from the team will be featured on a   30-minute Bayou Classic special prior to the game on NBC affiliate KTAL in Shreveport.

 KTAL-TV Sports Director Lance Hall sat down with Coach Winston and the selected members of the team to talk about the big game and some of the great history of Grambling.  "Grambling has had some great players that have gone to the NFL," said Winston.  "Not only have we had some great players go into the NFL, but we have four Hall of Famers and Super Bowl Champions."

During the special, there will be some fascinating facts that fans may not know about and amazing information about the history of Black College Football and the Bayou Classic, the big game between Grambling and Southern.  The show will air at 1 p.m. central on KTAL-TV.  The Bayou Classic will be aired nationwide at 1:30 p.m. on NBC.

COURTESY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State Lady Hornets Win SWAC Vollyball Title; Smith Named MVP

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  (Nov. 24, 2013) -- For the first time in the program's history, the Alabama State University volleyball program has won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament when they defeated Alabama A&M 3-2 (28-30, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 18-16) in today's championship game. With the championship comes the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, also another first in the program's history.

Rachel Smith and Myla Marshall were named to the All-Tournament Team with Smith taking home the Most Valuable Player honors. Head Coach Penny Lucas-White was named the SWAC Coach of the Year.

"It was an excellent match and very suspenseful, but I think it is like my ladies have done all year and that is they have been resilient," Lucas-White said. "I've never seen them give up at any time during a match and I am very pleased with their performance."

"I think what our ladies decided to do outside the season had an impact on this season. They worked hard in the weight room, they worked hard in the classroom and I think they reaped the benefits. They understood what it meant to win the SWAC. We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they were willing to pay the price."


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Smith made the championship game her exclamation point in her MVP-winning performance. She put together her second double-double of the tournament with a game and team-high 19 kills, while also adding 14 digs and a team-high five blocks.

"Rachel has consistently gotten better as the season progressed," Lucas-White said. "You can look at her stats and see how she has increased her numbers. Once we gave her the test that she needs to kill half the balls that are set to her she kind of took that to heart and she was able to deliver."

Myla Marshall hit .429 while collecting 15 kills and Tiara Kelley and Amber Bennett added 14 kills each.

Brooke Beasley added her team-high sixth double-double of the season with 36 assists and 12 digs. Luiza Griz had a team-high 15 digs and Ellyn Jones added 13 digs to go with her 19 assists in adding a third person to completing a double-double in the game.

The championship match featured 47 ties and 21 lead changes. It all started in the first set with 14 tie scores. Neither team led by more than four points with ASU's largest lead at 5-1 and AAMU's at 20-16. In the end AAMU was able to win the extra points set 30-28.

ASU was able to even the set count at one with a 25-19 win in the second set. There were 10 ties and this time it was that ASU made the late run to pull it out. With AAMU leading 15-14 ASU went on an 11-4 run to end the set.

After the break the two teams got right back into another barn-burner featuring another nine tie scores, with the last coming at 22. From there AAMU scored the final three points for the 25-22 win and putting ASU one game away from a tournament runners-up finish.

The Hornets would have none of that in the fourth set coming out and scoring the first three points. AAMU stayed within striking distance and even took a lead at 9-8. With both teams sitting on 13, ASU put together their best run of the game scoring the next five points to go up 18-13.

AAMU did come back and cut the lead to 18-16, but that would be as close as they got in ASU's 25-21 win, sending the game into a fifth and deciding set.

That final set may have been the most exciting of the game. Neither team wanted to give an inch in the championship decider. ASU's largest lead was four points at 6-2 and AAMU never led by more than one as the teams went through another 10 tie scores.

Both team's had one point leads with the serve to win the game, but it was ASU who trailed 16-15 and then broke serve to even the score and finished the game and the championship with the final two points for the win.

ASU had to go through Jackson State twice earlier in the day to make it into the championship game.

ASU fell to the Tiger's in the first game up between the two teams 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 16-24, 22-25, 10-15). It started off well for ASU as they were able to win the first two sets of the game. The two teams took a break between the second and third game and the break seemed to break ASU's momentum as JSU came back to win the next three games sending the two team in to an elimination game.

Smith had 17 kills in the game and Marshall added 11. ASU had a problem when SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Luiza Griz went out with an injury after the second game, hurting the Lady Hornets on defense. She finished the game with 11 digs, all in the first two games.

ASU also struggled hitting the ball and finished with a .138 hitting percentage. ASU had 10 blocks in the game with Bennett finishing with five and Marshall with four.

The first set of the game saw 10 ties the final at 18. From there the Hornets ended the set on a 7-4 run for the 25-22 win. ASU hit .317 in the set which was the best hitting percentage in the game.

The second game was like the first as the teams battled through eight ties before each team had a mini run. The first came from JSU as the Tigers went on a 4-0 run to go from being down 16-15 to being up 19-16. ASU came all the way back to even the score at 19 and after both teams went through even scores at 20, 21 and 22, ASU got two service aces from Chelsey Scott to go up 24-22. After a point from JSU the Lady Hornets put the game away at 25-23.

Following the break, JSU came out and after 10 ties and the game even at 15, the Tigers caught fire which lasted the next through the next few games. JSU scored seven consecutive points to go up 22-15 and ended the game on a 10-1 run which ended the game at 25-16.

JSU sent the game to a fifth set after fighting with ASU through another six ties and with the score even at 21, JSU put the game away 25-22.

The fifth set saw JSU jump out 4-1 and 9-4 en route to a 15-10 decision, sending the game into an extra elimination game.

Alabama State came back in the elimination game and defeated Jackson State 3-1 (24-26, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17) to play their way into the SWAC Championship game.

Kelley led ASU with a game-high 14 kills and Smith had 10. Beasley had 27 assists and teammate Ellyn Jones had 15. Griz and Jones led the team with nine digs each.

JSU came out in the elimination game and the first set of the game was just like the first game between the two teams. There were a total of 11 tie scores with the final tie coming at 22. From there the Tigers scored three of the final four points for a 25-23 win and a 1-0 lead in the elimination game.

After losing four consecutive sets (three in the first game and the first in the second), ASU began to turn the tide in the second set of the elimination game.

ASU and JSU played through five even scores with the final coming at 17. In the previous four sets that were losses, the Lady Hornets struggled finishing the sets. This time they did not, as they outscored JSU 8-3 to pull out the 25-20 win.

The third set is where ASU took control early leading by as much as 21-13, but JSU fought their way back into the game and actually cut the lead to 24-23 after a 10-3 run, but Beasley put an end to the run with a kill to finish the game.

The fourth set was all ASU. The Lady Hornets started off the game leading 7-2 and went on to lead 20-13 on their way to the game-deciding 25-17 victory, putting ASU in the SWAC Championship game.

"They (the team) were resilient and tenacious and you could see it in their eyes," Lucas-White said. "They were always hungry and I never saw doubt and when they looked to the coaches for information they ate it up, applied it, but more than anything they believed in each other. You should hear what they say to each other between sets two and three it's what they say to one another that lets me know that we are going to be all right."

"We have lived with two slogans this season and one is living with the pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret. And that was enough and they understood that. Our focus coming into this tournament was to lock in on our opponent, get loaded and let's execute. That doesn't always mean you're going to win in three, but as long as you know you're in battle with people that have your back we will end up with the right outcome."

The wins gave ASU 25 victories on the season which is the most wins since the 1993 season when the ASU program won 22 games.

ASU will find out where they will be sent to play in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday, Dec. 1.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Butler Bulldogs To Host Tennessee State In FCS Playoffs

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Butler will make its first appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championship in a comfortable setting. The Bulldogs were chosen to host a first round game and will face Tennessee State on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 1 p.m. (ET).

"We're excited. Probably more so now with the news that we're going to be at home," said Butler head coach Jeff Voris. "We knew whoever we drew was going to be a heck of a challenge for us, and there's no question that Tennessee State is a huge challenge."

Tennessee State (9-3) was the runner-up in the Ohio Valley Conference to Eastern Illinois (11-1), the No. 2 seed in this year's championship. The Tigers, who posted nine victories for the first time since 1999, currently rank fifth in the nation in team defense, allowing just 278.9 yards per game.



"The one thing with the playoffs is you get a lot of teams that you haven't seen or don't know a lot about," noted Voris. "It's going to be a full week of preparation, and it's going to be fun trying to come up with a plan that allows us to compete."

Two-time defending champion North Dakota State earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Eastern Illinois was seeded second, while Eastern Washington was seeded third. Rounding out the top eight seeds were Southeastern Louisiana, #5 Maine, #6 McNeese State, #7 Towson and #8 Montana. Each of the top eight seeds received a first round bye.

The winner of the Butler-Tennessee State game will face Eastern Illinois in the second round on Dec. 7.

COURTESY BUTLER UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

2013 Florida Classic Battle of the Bands: B-CU vs. FAMU Marching 100

Fayetteville State repeats as CIAA volleyball champions

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina --  The Fayetteville State volleyball team faced more adversity than last year's team.

Still, the result after the CIAA tournament Saturday was the same - a victory in the championship game.

The Broncos became the first team to repeat as CIAA Tournament champions since 2010, defeating the Winston-Salem State Rams in four sets.

Fayetteville State (19-7) dispatched Chowan, the last school to win consecutive titles, in three sets during the semifinals Saturday morning, and then held off Winston-Salem State 25-23, 26-28, 25-16 and 25-22.

Fayetteville State coach Reeshemah Johnson said the victory was something she predicted while the team dealt with adjustments early after last season's Broncos went undefeated in conference play.

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WSSU Red Sea Of Sound Playoff Ready!

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Ram Ramblings: Latest win was more relief than anything else

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- As the Red Sea of Sound played the school’s fight song after Winston-Salem State’s 27-20 win over Slippery Rock athletics director Bill Hayes wore a look of relief on his face.

Hayes had been through one of the worst weeks of his administrative career with the attack on quarterback Rudy Johnson on Nov. 15 at the CIAA luncheon by some Virginia State players. There was nothing easy about this win, but it was easier then what WSSU had been through off the field.
 
“This win really helps in a lot of ways,” Hayes said on the field at Bowman Gray Stadium. “I’m really proud of these players and this coaching staff because they’ve been through a lot…. I’m just happy that we have another game to play.”

It wasn’t easy for Johnson, the Rams’ starting quarterback, to withstand the pressure of ...

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South Carolina State to Compete in FCS Division I Football Championship

S.C. State Bulldogs host Furman Paladins in first-round of playoffs at Dawson Stadium

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Co-Football Champion #25-South Carolina State University will participate in the 2013 NCAA Division I Football Championship, as announced Sunday by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

#25-South Carolina State (9-3, 8-1 MEAC) cracked the Sports Network's Top 25 poll this week following a 14-3 win over Norfolk State to gain a share of the conference's title with Bethune-Cookman. S.C. State will become the fourth team in conference history to host a NCAA Division I playoff game. Bethune-Cookman (2003, 2010), Florida A&M (1998) and Hampton (2006) also served as hosts of a playoff game.

S.C. State will be making its fourth trip to the playoffs under head coach Buddy Pough, the second at-large (first 2010). The team's last trip to the playoffs came during the 2010 season when S.C. State loss to Georgia Southern in the first round. The Bulldogs have earned five previous trips to the playoffs with wins over Rhode Island (1981) and Furman (1982).

Furman (7-5, 6-2 SoCon), claimed a share of the South Conference championship with a 27-14 win over Wofford on Saturday. The Paladins earned its league's playoff automatic qualifier and will be making its 16^th appearance in the Football Championships (FCS) playoffs and first since 2006.

Bethune-Cookman (10-2, 8-1 MEAC) earned the conference's automatic qualification and will travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to face the Big South's Coastal Carolina (10-2). This is the second straight year that the two teams will meet in the first round of the Division I playoffs. Last year, Coastal Carolina edged out Bethune-Cookman, 24-14.

Both games will air live on ESPN3 on November 30 beginning at 1 p.m. Ticket information for both games will be announced at a later time.

Eleven conferences received automatic-qualifying berths: the Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Missouri Valley Football Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Pioneer Football league, Southern Conference and Southland Conference.

The winner of the B-CU/CCU game will face eight seeded Montana in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday, December 7. The SCSU/Furman winner will take on defending champion North Dakota State, the top overall seed.



The 2013 championship field consists of 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large qualifiers.

Automatic Qualifiers (11)
Big Sky Conference – Eastern Washington (10-2)
Big South Conference – Coastal Carolina (10-2)
Colonial Athletic Association – Maine (10-2)
Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference – Bethune-Cookman (10-2)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – North Dakota State (11-0)
Northeast Conference – Sacred Heart (10-2)
Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Illinois (11-1)
Patriot League – Lafayette (5-6)
Pioneer Football League – Butler (9-3)
Southern Conference – Furman (7-5)
Southland Conference – Southeastern Louisiana (10-2)

At-Large (13)
Big Sky Conference – Montana (10-2)
Big Sky Conference – Northern Arizona (9-2)
Big Sky Conference – Southern Utah (8-4)
Colonial Athletic Association – New Hampshire (7-4)
Colonial Athletic Association – Towson (10-2)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State (9-3)
Missouri Valley Football Conference – South Dakota State (8-4)
Ohio Valley Conference – Jacksonville State (9-3)
Ohio Valley Conference – Tennessee State (9-3)
Patriot League – Fordham (11-1)
Southern Conference – Samford (8-4)
Southland Conference – McNeese State (10-2)
Southland Conference – Sam Houston State (8-4)

FIRST-ROUND GAMES

November 30 at Orangeburg, South Carolina, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Furman (7-5) at South Carolina State (9-3)

November 30 at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Bethune-Cookman (10-2) at Coastal Carolina (10-2)

November 30 at Durham, New Hampshire, Noon (ET) (ESPN3)
Lafayette (5-6) at New Hampshire (7-4)

November 30 at Huntsville, Texas, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Southern Utah (8-4) at Sam Houston State (8-4)

November 30 at Flagstaff, Arizona, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota State (8-4) at Northern Arizona (9-2)

November 30 at Jacksonville, Alabama, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford (8-4) at Jacksonville State (9-3)

November 30 at Bronx, New York, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Sacred Heart (10-2) at Fordham (11-1)

November 30 at Indianapolis, Indiana, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Tennessee State (9-3) at Butler (9-3)


SECOND-ROUND GAMES

December 7 at Fargo, North Dakota, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Furman/South Carolina State winner at #1 North Dakota State (11-0)

December 7 at Missoula, Montana, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Bethune-Cookman/Coastal Carolina winner at #8 Montana (10-2)

December 7 at Orono, Maine, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Lafayette/New Hampshire winner at Maine (10-2)

December 7 at Hammond, Louisiana, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Southern Utah/Sam Houston State winner at Southeastern Louisiana (10-2)

December 7 at Cheney, Washington, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota State/Northern Arizona winner at Eastern Washington (10-2)

December 7 at Lake Charles, Louisiana, 7 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford/Jacksonville State winner at McNeese State (10-2)

December 7 at Towson, Maryland, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Sacred Heart/Fordham winner at Towson (10-2)

December 7 at Charleston, Illinois, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Tennessee State/Butler winner at Eastern Illinois (11-1)

FCS: EVERY DOWN, EVERY DAY - The FCS season provides more than 13,000 student-athletes with the opportunity to play Division I football while working toward an academic degree. FCS schools celebrate opportunity and excellence through student-athlete success on the field and in the classroom. The commitment of FCS student-athletes is evident "every down, every day" as they strive to develop leadership, confidence, discipline, teamwork and other life skills. The 2013 FCS playoffs will expand to a 24-team event, with 11 automatic berths and 13 at-large participants. The top eight teams will be seeded, receive first-round byes and host second-round games. The 16 other teams will bid to host first-round games.

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bethune-Cookman Travels to Coastal Carolina for FCS Playoffs

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- It was announced Sunday afternoon that No. 12 Bethune-Cookman will meet No. 9 Coastal Carolina in the opening round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 30. The contest will take place inside Brooks Stadium on the campus of CCU at 1 p.m. in Conway, S.C.

Tickets for the NCAA FCS Playoff first round game may be purchased through the CCU ticket office for $20 (upper section) and $15 (lower section).

2013 NCAA FCS Playoff Bracket

Bethune-Cookman (10-2, 7-1) earned an automatic bid after winning its second consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title, clinching at least a share of the league crown for the third time in the four years under head coach Brian Jenkins following Saturday’s 29-10 decision over rival Florida A&M. As for Coastal Carolina, they too earned an automatic bid after clinching the school’s sixth Big South Championship and earning its fourth NCAA playoff berth in the short 11-year history of the program.

“We understand there’s a lot of football left to play,” said B-CU head coach Brian Jenkins. “We got some accomplished this year, but we need to accomplish our ultimate goal now of working to win a national championship.”

For the Wildcats, this marks the third playoff berth in four years – and the fifth of its kind overall in school history. B-CU has yet to claim a win in playoff history on the Division I level of athletics, falling to opponents from Georgia Southern (2002), Florida Atlantic (2003), New Hampshire (2010) and Coastal Carolina (2012), respectively. This is the first road playoff game for the Cats since traveling to Statesboro, Ga. in 2002.

This will be the second consecutive season for the Wildcats and Chanticleers meeting in the postseason. Last year, CCU took a hard-fought 24-14 victory over B-CU at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla., in the first round of the playoffs.

For more information on the Bethune-Cookman University football team, please log onto BCUathletics.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Wildcats football program.

Fans can keep up-to-date with all B-CU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/BCUathletics, in addition to the official football twitter page at Twitter.com/BCUGridIron. You can also become a fan of the Wildcats on Facebook at Facebook.com/BCUathletics.



COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU to Visit Butler for FCS Playoffs Opening Round

TSU Football Players' Reaction to Making FCS Playoffs

    FCS Bracket

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- It was the last team announced, but the Tennessee State squad was selected to the 24-member NCAA Division I Football Championship on Sunday morning.

TSU will travel to Indianapolis, Ind. on Nov. 30 for a matchup with the 9-3 Butler Bulldogs at 12 p.m.

The Tigers, who posted nine victories for the first time since 1999, currently rank fifth in the nation in team defense, allowing just 278.9 yards per game and will play in the FCS (formerly 1-AA) playoffs for the third time in school history

Butler shared the Pioneer Football League title with Marist and earned the league's first automatic bid through the league's tie-breaker system.  The PFL championship was Butler's second straight and third in five years.

Two-time defending champion North Dakota State earned the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.  Eastern Illinois was seeded second, while Eastern Washington was seeded third.  Rounding out the top eight seeds were Southeastern Louisiana, #5 Maine, #6 McNeese State, #7 Towson and #8 Montana.  Each of the top eight seeds received a first round bye.

The winner of Saturday’s game will face Eastern Illinois in the second round on Dec. 7.

 

Jacksonville State also made the field, marking the first time that the OVC had three teams selected for postseason play.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Turkey Day Classic or Division II playoffs?: Tuskegee coach Willie Slater, players share opinions

FLORENCE, Alabama -- Ultimately, Tuskegee's administration will have the final say on whether or not the Golden Tigers return to to the Turkey Day Classic to reconvene its rivalry with FCS Alabama State.

 

But third-seeded Tuskegee's play in its first appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs, a 30-27 loss at No. 3 North Alabama Saturday, spoke volumes about the school's future viability in the postseason. 

 

"It's a great accomplishment," Tuskegee wide receiver Larry Cobb said of his team's 8-3 finish. "It's the first time ever in Tuskegee history. So, I feel good about it and I'm sure these guys beside me feel good about it as well." 

The Tigers took a risk when it opted not to renew its contract to play in the Turkey Day Classic this past spring for the right to earn its way into the Division II playoffs after going 10-2 and winning a 29th Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 2012. 

 

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Rogers and Coleman help Gold Rush rout Texas College

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier Rogers' 19 points and Sydney Coleman's 15 points and 10 rebounds led NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana to a wire-to-wire 83-47 men's basketball homecoming victory Saturday against Texas College.

Rogers made 3-of-4 3-pointers and, for the third time in four games, led the Gold Rush (5-1) in scoring. Coleman produced his second consecutive double-double and reached double figures in points for the sixth time in as many games.

Morris Wright had 11 points and seven assists for Xavier, and RJ Daniels and Anthony Goode scored nine points apiece.

Percy Evans, with 17 points, was the only player for Texas College (2-3) to score more than seven.

Rogers scored five points during a 7-0 run in the first five minutes. Xavier made 20-of-28 free throws to build a 45-28 halftime advantage and led by more than 30 points for the final 8:51.

The winning margin was Xavier's largest since the 2009-10 season opener.

Xavier shot a season-best 60.9 percent from the floor -- the fifth time in six games it topped 50 percent -- and limited Texas College to 20 percent, the lowest by an XU opponent since the start of 2006-07. Xavier had season highs of six blocked shots and 14 steals -- Wesley Pluviose-Philip had three blocks, and Goode had two blocks and five steals -- and outrebounded the Steers 49-24.

Xavier's Olivier Siewe grabbed a career-high-tying nine rebounds, eight in the second half, and Coleman and Gary Smith had three steals apiece.

Texas College shot better from 3-point range (7-of-23) than it did on 2-pointers (4-of-32).

Xavier will play Wiley at 6 p.m. Tuesday to start a stretch of 8-of-10 games on the road. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. on Dec. 3 against NAIA No. 10 William Carey.

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

B-CU's Jenkins steers Wildcats to Florida Classic win, loftier expectations

ORLANDO, Florida  -- It's not often that a head football coach benches his starting quarterback during a game and winds up helping him hoist the game MVP trophy.

Brian Jenkins is that kind of coach.

There he sat Saturday at the Florida Citrus Bowl grinning during the post-game press conference with his quarterback Quentin Williams.

Williams was the quarterback who led his team to a 21-3 halftime lead over rival Florida A&M in the Florida Classic Saturday at the Citrus Bowl.

The same quarterback he would bench midway through the third quarter after Williams fumbled, leading to a 45-yard touchdown by FAMU's Jonathan Pillow.

And the same quarterback he put back in the game to finish off the Wildcats 29-10 victory, B-CU's third straight over its state rival.

"I got used to it my freshman year when I first came in here," Williams said of ...

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Tuskegee falls 30-27 at UNA in first ever appearance in Division II playoffs

FLORENCE, Alabama---Tuskegee came up short in its first ever appearance in the Division II playoffs, falling 30-27 to North Alabama in the first-round at Braly Municipal Stadium Saturday.

But it wasn't for a lack of chances.

Down three after a 38-yard field goal by kicker Trevor Wylie with 2:06 to play in the third, the sixth-seeded Golden Tigers had three possessions in the fourth, all three-and-outs as it went down to the No. 3 Lions.

Tuskegee (8-3) held the ball for 13:51 in the third but held it for only 4:18 in the fourth quarter when it failed to produce any points.

"In the second half we just needed to come out and execute," Tuskegee wide receiver Larry Cobb said. "If we do that, it's a different story right now."

It wound up being a story of what could've been.

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Gold Nuggets collect 39 turnovers, roll past Lady Steers

NEW ORLEANS  --  Xavier University of Louisiana scoring more than half its points off turnovers, cruised Saturday to a 75-47 women's basketball victory against Texas College in the opener of a homecoming doubleheader.

Whitney Gaston-Loyd had 12 points and a season-high eight rebounds for the Gold Nuggets (4-2), ranked 15th in NAIA Division I, and Whitney Gathright had 11 points and a career-best five steals.

Xavier gained 39 turnovers, its most since January 2011, and converted them into 42 points.

Janee Stevenson scored 13 points for the Lady Steers (0-7).

Xavier outscored Texas College 11-2 in the first five minutes and led by double digits for the final 33 minutes. It was 40-26 at halftime, and the Gold Nuggets took their biggest lead, 71-36, on Kelsee Singleton's basket with 5:01 remaining.

Xavier outscored Texas College 12-2 in the first seven minutes of the second half.

Twelve of 13 Xavier players scored. Danielle Tucker had nine points and a career-high-tying four steals, Paige Gauthier and Chelsea Broussard scored eight points apiece, and freshman Jasmine Bush had a season-high seven points.

Xavier outshot the Lady Steers 38.3 to 35.9 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 51-32. The Gold Nuggets grabbed 28 offensive rebounds and had 20 steals.

Xavier's next two games will be against ranked NAIA teams -- No. 23 Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday and No. 2 Oklahoma City on Friday -- in the Capital City Classic at Oklahoma City. The Xavier Classic, a Thanksgiving event for the past seven seasons, has moved this year to the week after Christmas.


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

Florida Classic fans welcome return of FAMU Marching 100

ORLANDO, Florida  -- On the Florida Citrus Bowl field Saturday the Florida A&M University Marching 100 band tunes were noticeably softer than in years past and its size only half as big.

But its spirited performance at Saturday's Florida Classic game against longtime rival Bethune-Cookman University was a symbol for fans that the iconic group is making a recovery.

This weekend's Classic — the nation's largest matchup between two historically black universities — was the band's first Classic performance since the hazing death of its drum major Robert Champion, Jr. in 2011.

Pictures: 2013 Florida Classic

Champion was beaten aboard a parked bus at that game. His death resulted in 15 band members facing criminal charges and a two-year suspension for the band. Nine musicians have since pleaded no contest to felony hazing or manslaughter. Six await trial.

Saturday, while the game's festivities made no mention of Champion or hazing, the band performed a solemn hymn during its half-time show honoring those from FAMU who have died.

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2-Minute Drill: UNA 30, Tuskegee 27

WHY TUSKEGEE LOST 

 

Tuskegee turned the ball over three times and its offense flatout stalled late, going three-and-out on each of its three fourth-quarter possessions and put its defense in tough spots with poor play on offense and special teams. The Golden Tigers also failed to contain UNA quarterback Luke Wingo in the read option when it mattered most.

KEY MOMENT 

 

Tuskegee had myriad chances to take the lead in the second half. So, it's hard pinpoint any one moment. However, UNA wide receiver's Korey Jones' 36-yard touchdown in the fourth against Golden Tigers' defensive back Travis  Lee to put the Lions ahead six less than 30 seconds after Tuskegee tied the game at 24 was as big as any play in the game. 

 

WHAT FANS ARE SAYING

 

Traditional Tuskegee fans might feel some type of way about missing the annual Turkey Day Classic showdown against Alabama State come Thursday. However, they can't deny the strong showing the Golden Tiger had in their first trip to the Division II playoffs. 

 

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XU loses in 5 at Spring Hill in opening round at nationals

MOBILE, Alabama  --  Xavier University of Louisiana lost 25-14, 19-25, 19-25, 26-24, 15-6 Saturday to 23rd-ranked Spring Hill in an opening-round match of the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship.

The Badgers (36-3) extended their win streak to 28 and ended the season of the Gold Nuggets (26-8), who entered with a school-record 20-match win streak.

Chinedu Echebelem had 20 kills, a career high, and 12 digs for Xavier. Moira Kirk had eight kills and seven blocks, and Taylor Reuther had eight kills and a career-high-tying 25 digs.

Also recording a double-double for Xavier was Franziska Pirkl with 44 assists and 12 digs. Claudia Haywood had seven kills and four blocks.

Megan Haber had 14 kills and eight blocks for Spring Hill, and Sha Sha Buchanan and Madison Seuzeneau had 11 kills apiece.

Spring Hill rallied from deficits of 15-8, 19-15 and 22-20 in the fourth set, then pulled away in the final set after a tie at 5.

Xavier lost in the opening round at nationals for the third consecutive year and for the second time in three years to Spring Hill. The Gold Nuggets finished with a school-record victory total and won their third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships.

Spring Hill advanced with 23 other teams to pool play at nationals beginning Dec. 3 at Sioux City, Iowa.


BY ED CASSIERE, SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Fakler finishes 68th, an XU record, at NAIA national meet

Catherine Fakler
2013 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete

LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Catherine Fakler ran 5,000 meters in 19 minutes, 0.84 seconds to finish 68th out of 319 women Saturday at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

Fakler's time and finish are the best by an XU runner at nationals. The junior from Phoenix, Ariz., placed 191st at nationals last year in 20:12. Her time Saturday is No. 5 on the Gold Nuggets' all-time list. Fakler has run five of Xavier's six fastest 5K times; four occurred this season.

"Catherine ran well in some really tough conditions," XU coach Joseph Moses said. "It was cold today . . . in the upper 20s."

Senior Donyé Coleman placed 249th in 20:48.56, nearly 30 seconds faster than her previous best at nationals.

In the men's race, Xavier sophomore David Holobowicz ran 8,000 meters in 29:18.62 to place 310th out of 313 runners.

College of Idaho senior Hillary Holt (16:48.13) repeated as women's individual champion. British Columbia had four of the top 19 finishers and scored 56 points to repeat as women's team champion.

Southern Oregon junior Eric Avila (24:02.45) won the men's race. Oklahoma City won its first-ever team championship with 77 points.

Xavier's distance runners will compete next during the outdoor track and field season in early March.

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

Defense carries WSSU to win over Slippery Rock

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State didn’t have its cleanest game of the season, but in the Division II playoffs that doesn’t always matter.

The ninth-ranked Rams leaned on their defense, and quarterback Rudy Johnson did enough good things Saturday in a 27-20 first-round victory against No. 20 Slippery Rock in front of 3,500 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

WSSU (10-1) will play next weekend at Shepherd (W.Va.), which is 10-0 and seeded No. 1 in Super Region One.



“Our defense controlled the whole game,” said Coach Connell Maynor, whose Rams held the Rock to a season-low 210 yards. “I told those guys before the game we are going to prove we have the No. 1 defense in the nation. That team averaged 45 points a game, and we shut them down.”

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