TSU Fitzpatrick Named Best Defensive Back by FCS ADA

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Tennessee State junior Daniel Fitzpatrick was only one of 11 chosen as an All-American by the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) on Tuesday.

 

For the first time, the FCS ADA in coordination with the 13 FCS conference offices, recognized the top student-athletes from its institutions at 11 different positions with the FCS ADA All-America Award. The inaugural class includes student-athletes from nine different institutions, representing five different conferences. Voting was conducted by a national panel, consisting of media and SIDs.

 

“The FCS ADA would like to congratulate the inaugural FCS ADA All-America award winners,” stated FCS ADA President Brian Hutchinson, director of athletics, Morehead State University. “We are happy to be a part of another program that recognizes our student-athletes and look forward to honoring more individuals with the FCS ADA Academic All-Star team in early January.”

 

The honor is one of many for Fitzpatrick who ranked first nationally in total interceptions with eight. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native also returned three of those interceptions for touchdowns, including a 50-yarder against Jackson State, a 20-yarder against UT Martin and a 26-yarder at Butler.

 

Fitzpatrick anchored a secondary that ranked third nationally in total passes intercepted (21) and a defense that was sixth nationally in total defense (296.9 yards/game) and seventh in scoring defense (18.1 points/game).

 

The strong safety finished the year with 75 tackles (52 solo), 5.5 TFL and eight pass breakups, leading TSU to a playoff victory for the first time since 1986.

 

Now in its 20th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association’s mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com.  The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 49th year. For more information on NACDA and the 13 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

 

Position	Name	Institution
QB	Jimmy Garoppolo	Eastern Illinois University
RB	Terrance West	Towson University
OL	Billy Turner	North Dakota State University
TE	MyCole Pruitt	Southern Illinois University
WR	Erik Lora	Eastern Illinois University
DL	Brad Daly	Montana State University
LB	Stephon Robertson	James Madison University
DB	Daniel Fitzpatrick	Tennessee State University
PK	Seth Sebastian	Southeastern Louisiana University
P	Kyle Loomis	Portland State University
RS	Xavier Roberson	Southeastern Louisiana University

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern planning offer for Dawson Odums

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern football coach Dawson Odums’ future could be settled this week.

Odums is one of four candidates who have interviewed for the head coaching position at North Carolina Central, his alma mater. NCCU officials said they plan to discuss the candidates during a conference call Thursday and make a hire shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, the Jaguars are working to keep Odums, who led the team to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship this season, with a long-term deal. Athletic Director William Broussard said Monday that he is meeting with university officials this week and “will work to establish an agreement shortly.”

Broussard said last week that he would do everything in his power to try to keep Odums, who has one year left on his contract, and his staff.

Odums, who interviewed with the Eagles at their Durham, N.C., campus last Wednesday, declined comment Monday, referring all questions to his agent, Burton Rocks.

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Ram Ramblings: Maynor's four seasons were like a blur

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It was a like blur, these last four football seasons.

I’ve known for awhile that time goes by faster as you age but it’s hard to grasp just how fast time has gone by in the case of Winston-Salem State football.

From those dark days of going 1-10 in 2009 to nearly winning the Division II national championship in 2012 is something that I will likely not ever see again.

That’s what I was thinking a lot about today as I watched Connell Maynor go through his final press conference at WSSU. He’s heading to Hampton with his “big boy pants” to try and take the MEAC by storm just as he did in the CIAA.

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Maynor’s move has widespread support

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Casey Davenport, a junior defensive lineman at Winston-Salem State, said after each final game of the past three seasons, Coach Connell Maynor addressed his team with words of warning.

“He’d always tell us that he will likely interview with other schools, but that he wouldn’t take the job unless it was a good situation for he and his family,” Davenport said Tuesday. “Well, obviously he thought this was a good fit for him, so I’m happy for him.”

Maynor announced Tuesday that he is leaving WSSU after four seasons to become the head coach at Hampton, a move that will take him from Division II and the CIAA to Division I’s Football Championship Subdivision and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

As a private school, Hampton does not have to reveal coaching salaries. Maynor — who was making $160,000 a year at WSSU — only smiled when asked about his new salary.

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Hampton U. Names Connell Maynor 20th Head Football Coach

HAMPTON, Virginia  --  Novelle Dickenson, Director of Athletics at Hampton University, has announced that Connell Maynor, a veteran with more than 20 years of football experience as a player and coach, has been named the next head coach of the Pirates.

Maynor has served the past four seasons as head coach at Division II Winston-Salem State University; prior to that, he served as offensive coordinator at Fayetteville State.

"I am very excited for the opportunity that Dr. Harvey, Mr. Dickenson , Dr. Smith and Hampton University has given to me, " said Maynor.

In his four seasons at Winston-Salem State, Maynor led the Rams to a 45-6 overall record and a 29-2 mark in the CIAA. He led the Rams to three straight CIAA championships; three straight appearances in the NCAA Div. II playoffs; two Super Region One titles; an NCAA Semifinal appearance in 2011; and an NCAA Div. II National Championship appearance and runner-up title.

"I am very excited about having a veteran winner at the helm of the Pirate football program," said Dickenson. "I believe that Coach Maynor is very well poised and has the acumen to take the program in the right direction. Given his past success, we have great expectations for the future of Pirate football."

The Rams also captured the 2011 and 2012 HBCU National Football Championships.


Video Shot by WFMY News 2 Sports

Maynor was also named CIAA Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012, Boxtorow HBCU Coach of the Year, Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. CIAA Coach of the Year, Black College Sports Page BAAD Team Coach of the Year, and Don Hansen Football Gazette Super Region One Coach of the Year.

He was also named the 2011 Sheridan Broadcasting National HBCU Coach of the Year.

"I am very excited to get on campus and meet the players, athletic staff and all of those who are associated with the program. I am also excited about getting out there on the recruiting trail so we can get Hampton back to its winning ways," stated Manyor. "I know that Hampton is not only known for having great athletic programs but also outstanding academics and that is something that I want to help that I ensure continues. I want to continue that Standard of Excellence that Hampton is and has always been known for so I am ready to get things going," said Maynor.

Maynor is no stranger to improving programs; the year prior to his arrival, WSSU went 1-10 – only to go 8-2 in his first season at the helm. His teams have seen just four losses in the past three years, with trips to the NCAA Div. II playoffs each year.

Maynor brings more than two decades of football experience both as a coach and as a player, in the intercollegiate and professional ranks, and is the proud owner of 13 championships: six as a player and seven as a coach.

Prior to his time at WSSU, Maynor spent 10 seasons at Fayetteville State University as a member of the Broncos' award-winning football staff, most recently serving as both the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He helped lead Fayetteville State to four CIAA title game appearances and three CIAA championships (2002, 2003, and 2009).

In addition to his collegiate coaching responsibilities, Maynor served as the offensive coordinator for the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul from 2006-2008, where he helped lead the Soul to the Arena Bowl XXII World Championship in 2008.

Under his leadership, the Soul ranked first in the AFL in scoring offense (62 ppg), touchdowns (132), touchdown passes (102), and red zone efficiency (85 percent) in 2008.

Maynor played at WSSU and North Carolina A&T; he led the Aggies to the 1991 MEAC title and was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year.

A veteran of both the CIAA and the MEAC, Maynor has extensive experience at both the Division I and Division II levels, and he has demonstrated an extensive recruiting acumen, which will immediately help him as he prepares to get the Pirates back to their winning ways.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES SPORTS INFORMATION

Connell Maynor Leaving WSSU To Become Head Coach At Hampton University

HAMPTON, Virginia  --  Novelle Dickenson, Director of Athletics at Hampton University, has announced that Connell Maynor, a veteran with more than 20 years of football experience as a player and coach, has been named the next head coach of the Pirates.

Maynor has served the past four seasons as head coach at Division II Winston-Salem State University; prior to that, he served as offensive coordinator at Fayetteville State.

"I am very excited for the opportunity that Dr. Harvey, Mr. Dickenson , Dr. Smith and Hampton University has given to me, " said Maynor.

In his four seasons at Winston-Salem State, Maynor led the Rams to a 45-6 overall record and a 29-2 mark in the CIAA. He led the Rams to three straight CIAA championships; three straight appearances in the NCAA Div. II playoffs; two Super Region One titles; an NCAA Semifinal appearance in 2011; and an NCAA Div. II National Championship appearance and runner-up title.


Video Shot by WFMY News 2 Sports

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XU closes trip with 47-point win vs. American-Puerto Rico

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico -- Senior forward Danielle Tucker's season-high 15 points and 11 rebounds led Xavier University of Louisiana in a 69-22 women's basketball victory against American University of Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

The Gold Nuggets (8-5) finished 2-0 on their trip to the Caribbean island and extended their win streak to a season-high four games.

Tucker was 7-of-11 from the floor in 18½ minutes and recorded Xavier's second double-double of the season, her first in two seasons with the Nuggets and the fifth of her collegiate career.

Redshirt freshman Kelsee Singleton scored 11 points -- her first time in double figures -- and Chelsea Broussard scored 10. Freshman Taylor Norman had five of her career-high six assists in the first half.

Kiara Rodriguez led American with 12 points.

Tucker scored nine points, and Broussard and Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored six apiece to lead the Nuggets to a 40-11 halftime advantage.

Xavier outshot the Piratas 44.4 to 17.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 61-24. It was the second straight game that the Nuggets reached 60 rebounds.

The Gold Nuggets allowed their second-fewest points of the Title IX era. The XU women allowed 20 to Louisiana Christian on Nov. 3, 1994.

The winning margin was Xavier's largest since the 2012-13 opener and its largest on the road since November 2002.

It was Xavier's final game before Christmas. The Nuggets will resume their schedule Dec. 30 in the Xavier Classic at the Convocation Center. Faulkner will play LSU-Shreveport at 5 p.m. in the opening game, followed by Xavier vs. Mobile at 7 p.m. Two more games will follow on New Year's Eve, including Xavier vs. Faulkner in the finale at 5 p.m.

Box score

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

XU Gold Nuggets win 70-47 in first of two in Puerto Rico

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico -- Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 70-47 women's basketball victory at

Gaston-Loyd, a senior center and an All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection last season, recorded her second highest point total of the season and helped the Gold Nuggets (7-5) improve their win streak to a season-high three games.

Whitney Gathright had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists for Xavier, Danielle Tucker scored 12 points and Chelsea Broussard had eight points and five rebounds for Xavier. The Nuggets' top four scorers were a combined 22-of-27 from the floor, including 8-of-9 by Gaston-Loyd and 6-of-7 by Gathright.

Xavier never trailed and pulled away after two ties for a 41-23 halftime lead. The Nuggets shot 51.4 percent from the floor in the opening half, with Gaston-Loyd and Gathright combining to make 10-of-11.

For the game Xavier outshot the Vaqueras 41.3 to 25.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 62-32. Freshman guard Taylor Norman led the Nuggets with a career-best eight rebounds, seven in the second half.

Paige Gauthier had five of Xavier's 13 steals and grabbed six rebounds.

Xavier had a 41-0 advantage in bench scoring.

Katia Torres scored 17 points and Roxairaly Armesto 15 for UPR-Bayamon, an NCAA Division II member. Xavier is an NAIA member.

Xavier will play American University of Puerto Rico at 4 p.m. AST Tuesday.
UPR-Bayamon.

Box score

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

Chicago State Tops SIUE 81-64 To Stay Perfect At Home

CHICAGO, Illinois  --  Chicago State moved to 5-0 at home this year with a nearly wire-to-wire victory over SIUE 81-64 on Monday (Dec. 16) evening at the Jones Convocation Center. CSU shot 56.1 percent (32-of-57) from the floor as the Cougars defeated their second Ohio Valley Conference opponent of the season.

Chicago State built a lead as large as 15 in the first half. SIUE chipped at the deficit as the half went on and cut it to just seven points, 38-31, at halftime. CSU scored 22 of their 38 first half points in the paint.

CSU continued to find success inside in the second, scoring 28 points in the paint in the final half. All told 50 of Chicago State's 81 points came inside. Senior Eddie Denard (Chicago, Ill./Foreman) came alive in the second. He recorded 12 points and eight rebounds in the final frame to finish with his first double-double at CSU of 18 points and 10 rebounds. However junior Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) was the high scorer for the Cougars, totaling 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Senior Nate Duhon (Lansing, Mich./Sexton) had 19 points with eight points coming from the free throw line. Senior point guard Corey Gray (Houston, Texas/Hightower) recorded 10 points, with four assists and no turnovers.



Monday's victory came 24 hours after a heartbreaking overtime loss to DePaul on Sunday.

"I knew my guys and I knew we'd be ready tonight after last night's game," Chicago State head coach Tracy Dildy said. "I'm proud of our performance in the second half. We didn't let SIUE back in it when they tried to make a run."

SIUE finished 22-of-54 (40.7 percent) from the floor. Chicago State out-rebounded the SIUE 38-29.

SIUE falls to 2-9. Chicago State improves to 5-6. Chicago State returns to action on Monday, Dec. 23 at Cincinnati. The game will air online on ESPN3.

Box Score

COURTESY CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Grambling men end 32-game losing skid

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -- Grambling’s rent-a-win Monday night nearly spiraled out of control.

Mired in a 32-game losing streak and facing an opponent whose only win of the season came against a four-year Christian school with an enrollment of approximately 180 students, the Tigers’ best opportunity for their first win in nearly two years almost vanished.

For the sake of the program, it didn’t.

Grambling got in the win column with an 83-75 victory over Central Baptist College, halting any talk of the Tigers approaching Towson’s 41-game losing streak — the longest in Division I history.

In the process, GSU(1-4) snapped a 25-game non-conference losing streak dating back to 2010.

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Waters Leads ASU Past Western Illinois

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Jamel Waters scored a team-high 15 points and had a game-high six assists to lead Alabama State to a 59-52 win over Western Illinois in a defensive struggle.

"We were trying to get him (Jamel) going and he is a vital part of our offense as far as getting other people involved and also getting himself involved," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said. He was in a little bit of a funk there and we wanted to get him going so we tried to call his number some to get him going and he got aggressive and made some good things happen for us."

After taking a one point lead into the locker room, the Hornets came out in the second half and only scored three points over the first five minutes of the second half. In the meantime, WIU could only score six points, but still went into the first media timeout with a 28-26 lead.

From there the Hornets went on a 9-0 run over the next six minutes to take a 35-28 lead, and it would be a lead that the Hornets would never relinquish.

"We needed to play with more energy and we tried to push the ball more and tried to make them speed up the game a little more (in the second half)," Jackson said. "A long layoff not playing for 10 days and we came out and we were dragging a little bit."

"We came in and talked to them and told them we have to hit the boards and push the ball and we were able to do that early on in the second half. It was just a hard-fought game. We didn't play as well as I thought we could play, but it was good to get a W."



WIU (4-5) came into the game on a three game winning streak and was holding their opponents to only 38 percent shooting. They held the Hornets to 39.6 (19-48) percent shooting, but ASU hit 17 of their 28 free throw attempts (61%).

The Hornets defense played a little better against the Leathernecks as they were shooting 47 percent from the field during their first eight games. ASU's defense held them to 39.3 percent (22-56).

ASU forced 15 turnovers and was able to score 18 points off those turnovers.

"We saw some improvement on defense, but we still let them get in the lane too much," Jackson said. "The thing we were trying to do was keep them out of the lane and take jump shots because they like to attack the basket. We tried to keep the ball out of their big's hands. I thought we did a pretty good job of that tonight."

DeMarcus Robinson joined Waters in double digits with 10 points while Maurice Strong added nine points and nine rebounds. He also added a game-high four blocked shots.

Adam Link scored a game-high 16 points and also had nine rebounds to lead Western Illinois. Teammate Jordan Foster scored 11, including hitting three of his four three-point attempts.

ASU (4-3) took a slim 23-22 lead into the locker room at halftime despite going almost six minutes without scoring. ASU had built a 19-13 lead on a LeFlore three with 8:03 left in the first half, but did not score again until the 2:26 mark on a layup from Strong. By then the Leathernecks had gone on a 9-0 run to take a 22-19 lead.

Graham and Robinson had six first half points to lead the Hornets in scoring. ASU shot 43.5 percent from the field and held WIU to 37 percent.

Link led the visitors with eight first half points and Foster added six on two three point field goals.

"We are still learning," Jackson said. "We have 13 new players and we have three guys that got significant minutes last year so we're still trying to get everyone to jell together and with 13 new guys it always takes a little time and we're still growing as a team. We are going to come to work every day and try to improve."

ASU will be back in action this weekend when they travel to New Orleans to play in the Tulane Westin Holiday Classic. They open the tournament against the host team Tulane Saturday Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. On Sunday they will face Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 3 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Oregon State Holds Off Golden Lions 77-63

CORVALLIS, Oregon --  The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff men's basketball team gave PAC 12 member Oregon St. (4-2) all it could handle before falling 77-63 at Gill Coliseum this evening. The Lions cut a 10-point first half deficit to four before going into the locker room in the first half.

UAPB (2-7) trailed 36-32 at the half and fell behind being outscored 41-31 in the second half, on a game the Lions felt they let get away.

The Lions refused to fold, cutting the lead from the Beavers to two 40-38 with a layup by Tevin Hammond with 17:21 in the second half. The Beavers then responded by going on a 22-6 run over the next eight minutes, making the score 62-42. UAPB cut Oregon's lead to 69-57 on a layup Chandler Savage with 4:26 remaining.

Davon Haynes topped the Lions with 18 points, four rebounds, one block and three steals to lead all scorers. DeAndre McIntyre followed with 12 points, Marcel Mosley and Tevin Hammond each had eight points.

The Lions played lockdown defense in the first half forcing the Beavers to shoot 15 for 26 from the field (57.7%).

Lions trailed 7-0 before getting on the board with a layup by Daniel Broughton with 17:36 left in the first half. UAPB outscored the Beavers 15-6 over the next six minutes, to take the lead 26-25 with a basket by Sean Tingle with 5:46 remaining in the half.

The Lions hit just 13-of-29 first half shots (44.8%), but were aided by Oregon St. Devon Collier who had his eight double-double of his career, leading his team to victory with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Roberto Nelson chipped in 26 points for the Beavers.

UAPB shot 47.8% in the second half (11-for-23) to finish at 46.2% for the game. The Lions were four-for-15 from three-point territory and 11-of-16 from the charity stripes.

Oregon St. was 27-for-45 from the field (60.0%), but only four-of-12 from beyond the arc (33.3%). The Beavers hit 19-of-29 (65.5%) for the game from the free throw line.

The Lions held their own on the boards against the bigger Beavers, getting outrebounded by just by four (30-26).

The Golden Lions return to action Tuesday (Dec. 17) against Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska at 7:00p.m.

Box Score            

By Cameo Stokes, UAPB Sports Information
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU assistant has great memories of Mack Brown and North Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Kienus “Perez” Boulware said that when he played at North Carolina in the mid-1990s, one trait of Coach Mack Brown’s always stood out.

“The man had a photographic memory,” said Boulware, the defensive coordinator at Winston-Salem State. “He not only remembered your name but he would stop somebody in a hallway and ask how their family was doing. (He) knew the names of my immediate family. That was impressive to me.”

Boulware said it hurt him deeply when ...

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TSU Lady Tigers Rout Martin Methodist, 92-61

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team picked up its first home win of the season after defeating Martin Methodist College, 92-61, Sunday afternoon in the Gentry Center.

 

The win for Tennessee State (3-7) was the largest margin of victory since the 2008-09 season when the Lady Tigers defeated UT Martin, 89-53.

 

Martin Methodist fell to 10-3 on the season.

 

The Lady Tigers were led in scoring by Chelsea Hudson’s 24 points while Rachel Allen tallied 13. Jayda Johnson finished the game with a team-high 12 rebounds while I’mani Davis recorded seven steals.

 

Transfer Briana Morrow had seven points and three rebounds in her debut as a Lady Tiger.

 

Martin Methodist was forced to burn its second timeout of the first half after TSU jumped out to a 21-8 lead at the 11:30 mark. The Lady Tigers were outscored, 8-2, over the next few minutes as the Redhawks cut the deficit down to seven.

 

The visitors chopped TSU’s lead down to four with 3:21 left in the frame but the Lady Tigers would soon regain control of the contest. A free-throw by Julie McCarthy, followed by four consecutive points from Chelsea Hudson sparked a 12-0 run that put the Lady Tigers on top, 46-30, at the halftime break.

 

By the midway point of the second half, TSU had imposed its will on Martin Methodist. The Lady Tigers, led, 73-43, following a steal and break-away lay-up by I’mani Davis with 10:09 remaining.

 

TSU maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the game on the way to posting a season-high 91 points.

 

The Lady Tigers shot 42.5 percent (31-of-73) from the field while making 26-of-33 (78.8 percent) from the charity stripe. TSU lost the battle of the boards, 52-47, but held the advantage in points in the paint, 30-18, assists, 17-8 and fast break points, 10-4.

 

Tennessee State returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Tennessee. Game time is at 7 p.m. eastern in the Thompson Boling Arena.

Final Box

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

TSU Tigers Notch First Win of the Season Against Fisk

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Jaleel Queary scored a career-high 21 points and the Tennessee State men’s basketball team won its first contest of the season with a 108-85 victory on Sunday night.

Patrick Miller scored a team-high 25 points on 8-of-17 (47 percent) shooting and Jay Harris set a new personal best with 15 of his own.

 

M.J. Rhett hauled in a career-high 18 rebounds, helping the Tigers win the battle on the boards for only the second time this season, 56-29.

 

Both sides played it close through the game’s first six minutes, as there were three ties and nine lead changes. However it was Tigers that held the lead at 20-19 when Harris swooshed a corner three at the 14:12 mark.

 

Harris’s bucket was the cap of an 8-for-9 (89 percent) start from the field for TSU (1-10).

 

From that point, TSU went 1-for-7 (14 percent) allowing Fisk (6-9) to go on a 13-5 run. The stretch put the Bulldogs up, 32-25, and forced Tennessee State head coach Travis Williams to call timeout with 9:17 to go before halftime.

 

Fisk continued to add to its lead following the stoppage and Darrell Miller converted a pair of free throws to put the Bulldogs up 44-35 at the six-minute mark.

 

Miller and Richmond Jackson each had 20 points for Fisk during the opening stanza.

 

Jordan Gaither knocked down a three with 3:27 to go to pull the Tigers within five, but Fisk answered with a 9-2 run to make the score, 56-44.

 

In the half’s final 1:20, TSU poured in eight of the final nine points to get back within five, 57-52, heading into the locker room.

 

Queary led TSU with 14 points on 6-of-9 (67 percent) shooting and added three boards during the opening 20 minutes.

 

Queary continued to impress, converting a three-point play and assisting on a Miller layup on the next trip down the floor to tie the game at 64 at the 16:14 mark. Miller then slammed home a one-handed dunk and the Tigers took the lead.

 

Later in the half, the Tigers played solid defense, forcing an air ball from Fisk. Rhett corralled the errant shot and flung the ball up court to Jamonte Graham who was all alone for an easy lay-in.

 

Graham’s hoop was part of a 17-1 TSU run that put the Tigers up, 87-71, with 7:46 to play.

 

Rhett had a pair of two-handed dunks and Miller added a tomahawk off of an inbound pass at the 2:57 mark, making the score 99-80 and ending all chances of a Fisk comeback.

 

The Tigers led by as many as 25, but ended up walking away with a, 108-85, victory.

 

TSU had a season-high 18 assists, helping the team set a new top mark in points.

 

With their first home win of the season under their belts, the Tigers will look for their first on the road when they travel to Illinois State on Dec. 19. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Final Box

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Beavers basketball game day: Oregon State vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore

Oregon State vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore
When: 3 p.m. today
Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis
On the air: TV on Pac-12 Networks; Radio on KEX 1190, KPOJ 620
Records: Oregon State 4-2; Maryland-Eastern Shore 2-4

Projected starters: Oregon State: F Victor Robbins (8.2 ppg), G Challe Barton (4.2 ppg), C Angus Brandt (10.3 ppg), F Devon Collier (22.4 ppg), G Roberto Nelson (25.5 ppg); Maryland-Eastern Shore: G Hakeem Baxter (17.2 ppg); G KyRee Jones (15 ppg), G Isaac Smith III (9 ppg); F Troy Snyder (5.5 rpg), C Francis Ezeiru (6.5 rpg)

Briefly: The Beavers are coming off Friday's 77-63 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. After allowing the undersized Golden Lions to outrebound it in the first half, OSU used a 20-4 run early in the second to create necessary distance. ...

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Clark's Career Night Leads Lincoln Lions to an 80-63 Victory over Mansfield

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania – Amani Clark (Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink HS) had a career night leading the Lions to an 80-63 victory over Mansfield University on Saturday, December 14 in Manuel Rivero Hall. Clark scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists, and had three steals for Lincoln.

Lincoln picked up their sixth win of the season with a dominating win over Mansfield. The Lions are off to their best start in program history through nine games and leads the CIAA conference in offensive rebounds per game, FG attempts per game, 3PT attempts per game, and FT attempts per game.

Amani Clark (Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink HS) posted a career-best 16 points (6-12 FG), eight rebounds, and six assists against the Mountaineers. Clark made two shots from three-point land and Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) made matched her with a pair of three-pointers. Smith finished with nine points and four assists. Courtney Lucas (Washington, DC/Friendship Collegiate Academy) also netted double-figures for the Lions with 10 points and six rebounds.

The Lions bench outscored Mansfield 36-13. Lisa Saunders (Hampton, VA/Hampton HS) led the attack with nine points, Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) had eight points and seven rebounds, De'jah Taylor (Nanuet, NY/Paramus Catholic Regional) had even points and six rebounds, and Jailen Murphy (Nashville, TN/Brentwood Academy) had six points and two assists.

Lincoln went a season-best 28-37 (75%) from the free-throw line against the Mountaineers. Lisa Saunders (Hampton, VA/Hampton HS) made all seven of her attempts from the free-throw line while Jailen Murphy (Nashville, TN/Brentwood Academy) was 4-5.

Defensively, the Lions forced the Mountaineers into 24 turnovers and their offense capitalized with 31 points off of those turnovers. Amani Clark (Middletown, DE/Appoquinimink HS) and Zephrah Pam (Syracuse, NY/Monroe CC) had three steals each. Courtney Smith (Milwaukee, WI/Nicolet HS) and De'jah Taylor (Nanuet, NY/Paramus Catholic Regional) added two each.

Lincoln improves to 6-3 overall after this first meeting with Mansfield. The Lions will open up CIAA conference play against Johnson C. Smith on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in Charlotte, NC.

Box Score

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

JCSU Golden Bulls Storms Past King, 79-69

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball team defeated King University 79-69 on Saturday, December 14th inside Brayboy Gymnasium. JCSU improves to 7-2 overall, while the Tornados fall to 4-6 in the standings.

The Golden Bulls took command of the contest from the onset. The productive trio of senior forward Antwan Wilkerson (Greensboro, NC), junior forward Emilio Parks (Ashtabula, OH), and senior forward Robert Williams (Atlanta, GA) had the first three field goals for an early 6-0 JCSU advantage over King.

Logan Lyle broke the scoreless Tornado drought with a three pointer at the 17:36 mark. JCSU maintained control through the first half and never let their lead fall below three. However, King remained in contention with solid shooting from the three-point line. The Golden Bull held a 39-30 lead at halftime.

Parks, Wilkerson, and junior guard LaMarquis Letchaw (Dallas, TX) all had eight points apiece at the break. Sophomore center Alandre' Davis (Wilson, NC) came off the bench and quickly pitched in six points for JCSU. The Golden Bulls shot 60.7% (17-28) from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line in the opening.

Scottie Hendricks, Logan Lyle, Hunter LeVeau, and C.J. Good all had six points in the first half for the Tornados. King connected on 11-of-34 (32.4%) shot attempts from the field, but eight of those field goals were from beyond the three point line.



Parks made a layup to open the second half and extend the JCSU lead to 41-30. King exploded with a 12-0 scoring run led by the shooting of Lyle. Lyle connected on three consecutive three-pointers and Good made a fourth three to grab a 42-41 advantage; first lead for King. Wilkerson reclaimed the lead for JCSU with a three-pointer of his own.

LeVeau made a fifth consecutive Tornado' three-pointer for a 45-44 lead with 16:17 on the clock. Parks was fouled scoring in the paint and made a free throw for an old fashioned three-point play. Parks had an identical situation on the next possession to move JCSU ahead 50-45 with just under 15 minutes to play.

Senior guard Richard Daniels, Jr. (Winston-Salem, NC) created further separation with a three-pointer on the next offensive series. Hendricks responded with another Tornado three to bring their deficit to 53-48. But that's as close as King came to taking a lead. JCSU went on a 12-2 scoring run to extend their advantage to 15 (65-50) with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The Golden Bulls did not allow their lead to fall below eight points for the remainder of the period.

JCSU shot a season-high 61.5% (32-52) from the floor and 84.6% (11-13) from the foul line. Parks produced a game-high double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Letchaw supported the effort with 17 points and Wilkerson recorded his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 boards.

Hendricks and Lyle paced the Tornados with 15 points each; both made all their points with three-point field goals.

JCSU returns to the court on Wednesday, December 18th against The Lincoln University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Brayboy Gymnasium. This will be the first CIAA contest of the year.

Box Score

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION           

AAMU Women's Basketball Down Murray State, 69-62

NORMAL. Alabama - The day after the 2013 fall commencement services in T.M. Elmore Gymnasium, the women's basketball team of Alabama A&M earned their first victory of the season, defeating the Racers of Murray State University 69-62.

The home squad entered today's contest at 0-6 in hopes of getting their first win of the 2013-14 season, and the first win under first year head coach Semeka Randall. After 40 minutes of play, they did just that, and "The Hill" was the site for back-to-back joyous occasions.

The first half saw the Bulldogs shot out to an early lead. With just 13 minutes left in the half, A&M topped the visitors 17-7. After going down by 10, MSU increased their play and chipped away at the deficit, and took the lead after a 19-4 run. At the end of the first period, the home squad took a 31-27 deficit into the break.

Statistically the teams were virtually even, the only oblivious disparity having an impact of the run of play was in points off turnovers; A&M had two (off eight) while the Racers 12 (off nine).



Leading the way for the Maroon and White in the first was Brittany Strickland with 10 points, and Alganese Gatson with seven.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 35.5 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the charity strip.

In the second half of play, A&M came out determined to regain the lead that they had in the first half of play. After five minutes of play and an 8-3 run, the Maroon and White found themselves up 35-34. The Bulldogs would not relinquish the lead and went on to win the game 69-62.

The second half saw a determined A&M bunch rally to dominate their opponent. At the end of 40, the Bulldogs outscored the visitors in fast break points 8-2, and points in the paint 30-16.

A&M had three players score double figures, and three players tally eight or more rebounds. Leading the way was senior Jasmine Sanders who earned a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Maroon & White will return to action December 17, when they host South Carolina State.

Box Score    

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION        

Gold Rush get split with Loyola; Jackson ties record

Coach Dannton Jackson
234-101 Career Record

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana led for the final 35 minutes Saturday, and Dannton Jackson tied the school record for career victories in a 55-44 men's basketball decision against city rival Loyola at The Den.

Morris Wright scored 12 points, and Sydney Coleman had 10 points and nine rebounds to lead the XU men (8-3) to their third consecutive victory. The Gold Rush, ranked 25th in NAIA Division I, avenged a 74-70 home loss to the Wolf Pack (3-6) from Nov. 19.

Jackson, in his 11th season as head coach, is 234-101. He tied his predecessor, Dale Valdery, who was 234-136 from 1990-2002. Jackson can break the record Tuesday in a 7 p.m. game at Spring Hill.

Xavier trailed for only 19 seconds and took the lead for good in the fifth minute on Coleman's basket. Xavier led 30-23 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 40-24, after Wright's basket with 15:43 remaining.

"I thought we had really good intensity," Jackson said. "Our tempo was really good. Our guys put good pressure on Loyola, extended the defense, and I think we wore down Loyola over the course of the game."

Also contributing for the Rush were Xavier Rogers with nine points -- he made both XU 3-pointers -- and six rebounds. Redshirt freshman guard Lucas Martin-Julien, in his collegiate debut, had eight points and four rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.

"Lucas gave us a lot of energy," Jackson said. "He's a good addition to our rotation."

Xavier outshot Loyola 50 to 27 percent from the floor -- 52.4 to 15.8 percent in the second half -- and outrebounded the Wolf Pack 38-29. Loyola was more productive at the line -- making 21-of-36 free throws to Xavier's 5-of-18 -- but the Rush had a 24-10 advantage in made field goals.

McCall Tomeny had 12 points and six rebounds for Loyola, and Kyle Simmons scored nine.

It was the second straight game that Xavier allowed less than 50 points -- the
first time that's happened since January 2012. The Rush limited Loyola to its fewest points in the series, which Xavier leads 31-8.

Box score

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

Richmond Men's Basketball Blows Past Coppin State, 71-49

RICHMOND, Virginia  --  Sophomore Kendall Anthony led three Spiders in double figures with 18 points as the Richmond men’s basketball team defeated Coppin State Eagles, 71-49, Saturday evening at the Robins Center.

Anthony made 6-of-11 field goals and 4-of-9 three-pointers in his first start of the season, made in place of injured leading-scorer Cedrick Lindsay.

Sophomore Trey Davis matched a career high with 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while sophomore Terry Allen also scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shoointg. Allen grabbed seven rebounds and had three steals.

Sophomore Deion Taylor led Richmond with nine rebounds and sophomore Alonzo Nelson-Ododa had six points, five rebounds and four blocks, already moving into 10th on Richmond's career list with 86 blocks.

Junior Derrick Williams scored seven points and had four rebounds, while junior Wayne Sparrow scored six points and had five assists. Freshman ShawnDre' Jones scored six points, mkaing a pair of three-pointers.

Richmond (8-3) dominated play the entire contest as it shot 50 percent from the field, while holding the Eagles (4-5) to just 28.6 percent. The Spiders forced 14 turnovers that turned into 20 points, while outscoring Coppin State 34-14 in the paint.

The Spiders, who improved to 5-1 at home this season, will have another week off before returning to the Robins Center Sunday, Dec. 22 to host Ohio at 1 p.m.

BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND ATHLETICS

Southern overwhelms Dillard

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern men’s basketball team has been short-handed much of the early season, and Saturday night was no exception.

But you couldn’t tell it as the Jaguars went after Dillard in waves and overwhelmed the Bleu Devils 107-64 in the Clark Activity Center.

Leading scorer and rebounder Calvin Godfrey didn’t play because of a sore elbow, but five of his teammates scored in double figures.

“This was the type of game that we needed,” Southern coach Roman Banks said. “We needed to get some confidence and work on some things. We’ve been working very hard on the defensive end and our rebounding, and I thought our intensity was better for longer.”

Yondarius Johnson led the Jaguars with 20 points, Malcolm Miller scored 16, Bryce Clark had 15, and Javan Mitchell and Tre Lynch 14 each.

CONTINUE READING

JSU Men's Basketball picks up road win against Evansville, 57-51

EVANSVILLE, Indiana – The Jackson State men’s basketball team snapped a three game losing streak by beating the Evansville Purple Aces 57-51 Saturday evening at the Ford Center.

With the win JSU improves to a 3-7 record and Evansville falls to 6-5.

The Tigers had a balanced scoring effort with three players scoring in double-figures. Julysses Nobles and BJ West each scored 14 points to lead the Tigers. West recorded his fifth double-double of the season and his fourth in the last five games, as he also pulled down a career high 22 rebounds (at JSU). He also controlled the rim on the defensive side as he finished with four blocked shots. Nobles also dished out a team high five assists. Marcus Love came off the bench to add 11 points on 5-12 shooting from the field.

Javeres Brent scored seven points on 5-6 shooting from the free throw line and Janarius Middleton had six points on 3-3 shooting from the field.

Egidiju Mockevicius led Evansville with 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Tigers shot 45% from the floor (24-53) and 64% from the free throw line (8-12). JSU finished with 19 points off the bench and UE had two. JSU also dominated the boards as the Tigers pulled down 41 rebounds and the Aces had 29. UE held the advantage in second chance points (12-9), but JSU controlled the paint, outscoring UE 34-26.

JSU held a 45-43 advantage with 5:04 left in the game. With 2:17 left in the game, the Tigers increased its lead to five (50-45) on a jumper by Nobles.  JSU held its largest lead, seven points, at the 1:55 mark in the second half when West scored on a dunk.

The game had 11 ties and seven lead changes. JSU led 25-24 at halftime.

JSU returns to action for its final non-conference home game when the Tigers host Louisiana-Lafayette on December 19 at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm. For ticket information contact the JSU Athletics Ticket Office at 601-979-2420.

    JSU at Evansville Box Score
    MBK Season Stats (Dec. 14)

COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Odums: "Southern needs to invest in the program"

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern University head coach Dawson Odums interviewed for the head football coaching job at North Carolina Central University Wednesday.

He flew to Durham, NC, and visited with officials at the school concerning its opening. Odums played there as a defensive lineman from 1992-1997. However, Odums said he would like to continue rebuilding the Jaguars into a consistent power.

"After winning the SWAC Championship, Southern needs to invest in the program," Odums said Friday morning.

Southern just won the SWAC title with a 34-27, double overtime triumph over Jackson State last Saturday in Houston. The Jaguars finished with a record of 9-4 overall, after posting just a 10-23 mark the previous three years.


CONTINUE READING

Preview: Richmond Men's Basketball Hosts Coppin State Saturday At 6 P.M.

Records: Coppin State 4-4, Richmond 7-3TV: CBS 6.3 (Ch. 206 Comcast, Ch. 466 Verizon Fios); Comcast SportsNet Plus

Radio: WXGI (950); WLFV (93.1)
Internet: RichmondSpiders.com

RICHMOND, Virginia  -- Richmond hosts Coppin State on Saturday at 6 p.m. in a game televised on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic+ (in progress), WTVR 6.3 and SpiderTV.


THE LATEST
• Richmond returns to the New Robins Center for a three-game homestand after playing five of the last six games on the road.  The Spiders are 4-1 at home this season and have won 41 of the last 47 non-conference home games.
• The Spiders are 7-3 on the season with two losses to ACC teams (UNC and Wake Forest) and a loss to a Big Ten team (Minnesota).
• Cedrick Lindsay sprained his left knee in the closing minutes of regulation at Wake Forest on Saturday. He is questionable for Saturday’s game against Coppins State.
• Richmond's defense is allowing just 64.5 points per game, which ranks third in the Atlantic 10 and has held the opposition to 61 points or less in regulation in 7 of 10 games this season, including the last 5.  The Spiders are second in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage (.392) and are fourth in the Atlantic 10 and 26th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.274).
• Two Spiders cracked all-time top-10 lists last week. Junior Kendall Anthony has 152 career three-pointers, which ranks 10th on Richmond’s all-time career list, having passed Jermaine Bucknor. He needs 10 threes to tie Ken Atkinson for ninth. Senior Cedrick Lindsay passed Jeff Myers (2000-03) and tied Eugene Burroughs (1990-94) for ninth for career assists with 316. He needs eight assists to tie Kelving Johnson for eighth. Sophomore Alonzo Nelson-Ododa needs just two blocks to tie Johnny Newman (1981-86) for 10th on the school’s career list for blocks.
• Cedrick Lindsay leads the Spiders and is second in the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 18.2 points per game. Lindsay has scored in double-figures in 20 of the last 24 games, has scored at least 19 points in 11 of the last 21 games and at least 20 points in 9 of the last 21 games. Lindsay is averaging 17.3 points per game in his last 21 contests. He is currently tied for ninth on Richmond’s career list for assists with 316.
• Richmond’s sophomore big men are having a solid start to the season. Terry Allen is third on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game  and leads the Spiders in rebounding at 6.5 boards per game.  Alonzo Nelson-Ododa is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.6 ppg, second in rebounding at 6.0 rpg, and fourth in the A-10 in blocks at 2.0 per game. Trey Davis is averaging 4.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg and Deion Taylor had 9 points in the win over William & Mary last Wednesday.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND ATHLETICS