Questions Loom for Jackson, JSU Football

JACKSON, Mississippi -- As of yesterday, Jackson State University has a new head football coach.

The school announced Dec. 18 that it would replace Rick Comegy and, less than one month later, unveiled Harold Jackson—who played college ball for the Tigers before going on to play and coach in the NFL—as head coach.

During a press conference, Jackson said he had not met with his assistant coaches and was not sure whether he would make staff changes but did discuss his vision for the team.

Offense sells football. We're going to have an offense that sells football games," Jackson told reporters. "Defense wins championships. We're going to have a defense that goes and stops the other team."

Still, several large questions loom over Jackson and the ...

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WSSU Class of 1958 Gives More than $100,000, Makes History

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State University's (WSSU) Class of 1958 made history recently when it donated more than $103,000 to the university.

The class had exceeded their set goal of $100,000 pledged to WSSU by the time it celebrated its 55th reunion. Through the generosity and commitment of individual class members, the last installment of $20,000 was presented during homecoming weekend 2013. The final gift totaled $103,000.

The donation is the single largest gift by a class in the university's history.

"WSSU has done an exceptional job over the years of helping students become career-ready as well as consummate professionals," said William U. Harris, WSSU class of 1958 president. "It needs and deserves the contributions and active participation of its alumni to meet mounting challenges."

The funds will go toward scholarships for students majoring in education.

"We are extremely grateful and pleased with the generosity of this class," said Michelle Cook, WSSU vice chancellor for university advancement and executive director of the WSSU Foundation. "Now we are challenging other classes to surpass this milestone."

Gifts to WSSU honoring a class's anniversary has been a long-time tradition.

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Dr. Elmira Mangum Opens Up to Roland Martin About Being FAMU’s First Female President

WASHINGTON, D.C. (01/13/14) -- Roland Martin talks with Elmira Mangum about being elected Florida A&M University’s first female president.

PLAY AUDIO

Howard U.: A look at two presidential searches

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The last time Howard University was looking for a president, the board of trustees picked a pair of heavy hitters as co-chairmen of the search committee: business executive Richard D. Parsons and retired Gen. Colin L. Powell.

It’s hard for a committee to have more star power at the helm than the tandem of Parsons — who at that time, in 2007, was chairman and chief executive of Time Warner —and Powell, the former secretary of state.

This time, the board made a similar move. Noted Washington lawyer Vernon E. Jordan Jr. — who was a confidant of President Bill Clinton and has deep connections in the capital and the business world — was announced Monday as the chairman of a 19-member committee charged with seeking Howard’s 17th president.

A look at the previous search committee and the new one shows some overlap, some similarities and some interesting variations.

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Ram Ramblings: WSSU will have MLK celebration with doubleheader at Joel Coliseum

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State’s women’s and men’s basketball teams finished up their three-game road trip on Monday night. Both teams will get back in action at home on Saturday against St. Augustine’s in the opener in the CIAA’s Southern Division.

To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is next Monday, the teams will play at Joel Coliseum on Saturday. The women’s game will start at 5 p.m. and the men’s game will follow at 7 p.m.

According to Brian Murrill, who is the athletics coordinator, the WSSU MLK Classic is a celebration as well as two basketball games.

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B-CU Football Banquet Moved to Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- Celebrating the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship season, the Bethune-Cookman University football team will hold its annual end-of-year awards banquet inside the 500 Club at Daytona International Speedway. The date for the event is set for Saturday, Jan. 18. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the banquet beginning at 7 p.m.

Originally scheduled to be held at the Plaza Resort & Spa, the venue change was moved to the 500 Club in order to accommodate more people planning to attend.

Only current season ticket holders who confirm with the ticket office will be allowed entry into this exclusive invitation only event. Due to limited seating, only the first 100 season ticket holders will be granted tickets, which must be presented in order to gain access into Daytona International Speedway.

The deadline for confirming your reservation will be Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 5 p.m. Please either send a confirmation email to Kevin Doherty (dohertyk@cookman.edu), or contact his office directly at (386) 481-2465. You can also confirm via fax at (386) 481-2927.

Recently completing the 2013 season under head coach Brian Jenkins, who just finished his fourth year at the helm in Daytona Beach, the B-CU Wildcats ended the year as HBCU National Champions in the BoxToRow media poll. In addition, several Wildcats were named to numerous All-America teams, while Jenkins received his third MEAC Coach of the Year award in four years – the second consecutive for the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native.

B-CU claimed its second MEAC title in as many years during the 2013 campaign, and the third in four years under Jenkins. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA FCS Playoffs for third time in four years, travelling to Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.

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 ATHLETICS

Florida A&M Rattlers Solid in 76-66 Win Over NC A&T Aggies

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The Florida A&M Men’s Basketball team won their fifth straight at home, remaining undefeated on their home court, with a 76-66 win over North Carolina A&T, here Monday at the Al Lawson Center.

FAMU (6-11, 2-2 MEAC) had three Rattlers finish the contest with 16 points each in Jamie Adams, Reggie Lewis, and Jomari Bradshaw.  Trey Kellum pumped in 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

Coach Clemon Johnson felt it was a total team effort and focus that has resulted in the wins. “First of all, I’m very happy that we won the game.  Secondly, I’m happy we didn’t have to go down to the wire with it, although I coached as if we did.  I’m happy for the young men I have playing under me and I’m just grateful that they’re listening and we’re winning.  They understand that their hard work is paying off and we’ll do even better next time,” Johnson said.



N.C. A&T ( 4-12, 1-1 MEAC) was paced by Lamont Middleton with 20 points, Richaud Pack added 15, whereas  Bruce Beckford finished the contest with a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

In a back and forth first half, where the biggest lead enjoyed by either team was five points, Kellum gave the Rattlers the 19-14 lead with a putback with 6:42 to go in the first.

The Aggies would take the lead at 23-21 lead on a Middleton three pointer with 3:31 to go in the half as A&T would go into the break with a slim 29-27 lead.

FAMU finished the first half shooting 29.4 percent (10-of-34), while A&T shot 34.6 percent (9-of-26).

Bradshaw, felt the Rattlers just needed to remain methodical in order to withstand the Aggies.  “It’s a matter of getting the job done, attacking the rim.  We were able to step up.  We want to work to keep our streak going,” he said.  Lewis, was focused on steadying the ship when Adams got in early foul trouble.  “I’m just staying confident in myself.  When Jamie was out I knew I needed to keep managing the game until he came back.  When he came back, he was managing the game and we were able to get open shots,” Lewis said.

In the second half, a pair of Middleton free throws would tie the contest at 50-50 with 11:29 left in the game.

FAMU would then use a 16-6 run to take a 66-56 lead, capped off by a pair of Adams free throws with 7:34.  The Rattlers finished the contest shooting 41.3 percent (26-of-63), while the Aggies shot 31.5 percent (17-of-54).

FAMU will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 18 as they will travel to Orangeburg, S.C., to take on South Carolina State in another Mid-Eastern Athletic Contest in a 7:30 p.m.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Lady Rattlers Defeat NC A&T 55-51 In Big Comeback

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers (8-9, 1-1 MEAC) used a strong offensive performance in the second half to defeat the Lady Aggies of North Carolina A&T (11-3, 1-1 MEAC), 55-51, here today at the Al Lawson Center on the campus of Florida A&M University.

The tale of the second half was free throws and tenacity as the Lady Rattlers clawed their way back into the game after being down by as many as eight points in the second half.  The Lady Rattlers converted 15-of-17 from the free throw line, an 88.2 percent clip, while the Aggies went only 9-of-19 in the same period.

Head coach LeDawn Gibson was pleased with her team’s bounce back after dropping a heartbreaker to NCCU on Saturday.  “We had a practice yesterday that was more like a talk.  We needed to work out some things mentally and we converted that into a win.  We saw the results of that today as the ladies never gave up,” Gibson said.



Jasmine Grice led the Lady Rattlers in scoring with 24 points on 7-for-20 shooting, including 3-of-6 from the three-point line.  Taneka Rubin would be the only other Lady Rattler in double figures, as she scored 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting, and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line.  Tierra Prothro and Ann Marie Harris each grabbed five rebounds to lead the way for FAMU.

Debbie Smith paced the Lady Aggies with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field.  Ariel Bursey chipped in eight points, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and 1-of-2 from the three-point line.  Eboni Ross pulled down a game high seven rebounds.  The Aggies were not very protective of the ball, making 26 turnovers in the game, including two crucial ones down the stretch.

The back and forth game saw 11 ties and eight lead changes.  The Lady Aggies went on a drought for the final 1:15 of the game, relinquishing the lead during that time.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern Jaguars remain unbeaten in SWAC

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The Southern men’s basketball team rolled to its fourth Southwestern Athletic Conference victory in as many games in a 60-36 win against Jackson State on Monday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Calvin Godfrey had a double-double with game-highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds, and the Jaguars defense swarmed the Tigers offense, holding it to 24.5 percent shooting.

Southern, 8-9 overall, visits Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday.  JSU is 5-11 and 1-3.

“We’ve been trying to work hard on our defense since the summer,” Jaguars coach Roman banks said. “I think we have the length and size to be a good defensive team. We’ve been trying to build that up.

“This team is starting to get better.”

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Gold Rush defeat Spring Hill in a Goode way, 65-59

NEW ORLEANS -- Junior guard Anthony Goode scored a career-best 18 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 24 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 65-59 men's basketball victory against Spring Hill.

The Gold Rush (14-4) have won five in a row, a season high.

Goode, who did not start, reached double figures for the fifth time this season. He was 7-of-10 from the floor, made his only 3-point attempt and was 3-of-4 from the line in 22 minutes. Goode scored 11 second-half points.

Lucas Martin-Julien had 12 points, four assists and three steals for Xavier, and Sydney Coleman, Xavier Rogers and Wesley Pluviose-Philip scored nine apiece. Pluviose, a freshman, grabbed 10 rebounds to reach double figures for the third time.

Jackson Fos scored 12 points, all on 3-pointers, for the Badgers (2-13). Jarrett Calhoun scored 11 points, and Alex Looney had nine.

There were seven ties and 16 lead changes. Martin-Julien's basket with 3:57 remaining, part of a 7-0 run, but Xavier ahead to stay, 57-52.

Spring Hill made nine 3-pointers to Xavier's one, but the Gold Rush had an 18-2 advantage in second-chance points and a 20-10 margin in points after turnovers. Xavier outshot the Badgers 48.1 to 46.7 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 32-23.

Xavier committed nine turnovers, a season low, for the second consecutive game.

Xavier led 31-28 at halftime after Goode and Coleman scored seven points apiece.

The Gold Rush completed a two-game regular-season sweep of Spring Hill and denied the Badgers a second consecutive victory against a ranked NAIA opponent. Xavier has won nine of its last 10 games overall and five straight at home.

Xavier, 3-0 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, will continue a six-game home stand with a 5 p.m. GCAC game against Edward Waters.

Box score

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

Vernon Jordan to head Howard University’s presidential search committee

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Howard University’s board of trustees announced Monday that veteran Washington lawyer Vernon E. Jordan Jr. will lead a presidential search committee charged with replacing Sidney A. Ribeau, who retired abruptly last year after months of internal debate over the condition of the university.

Howard, one of the nation’s preeminent historically black universities, weathered a series of challenges in 2013.

First the vice chairwoman of the board, Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, warned trustees that the university in Northwest Washington was in “genuine trouble” because of fiscal and management issues. Her letter became public in June. The university’s academic deans echoed some of her concerns in another letter asserting that Howard was in jeopardy because of “fiscal mismanagement.”

Ribeau denied that allegation, and board Chairman Addison Barry Rand has maintained that ...

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VUU Hall of Famer Roland McDaniel Passes Away

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Roland McDaniel, the last surviving member of the 1939 Virginia Union University "Dream Team" and the only CIAA Men's Tennis Champion produced by VUU, passed away on Friday, January 10, in Richmond, Va.

McDaniel won the 1940 CIAA Men's Tennis Championship, will be inducted into the Virginia Union University Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 6.

McDaniel, who is still the only men's CIAA champion to ever attend VUU, was the subject of the article "The Forgotten Champion" written by Virginia Union Sports Information Director Jim Junot. The article was the basis of the television documentary "Bringing Home the Bacon: The Roland McDaniel Story."

McDaniel was also the only surviving member of the 1939 VUU Dream Team, which won the CIAA Championship and the mythical national championship in 1939.

Information on funeral services is pending.

The Forgotten Champion by Jim Junot



"Bringing Home The Bacon: The Roland McDaniel Story" tells the story of how this 1940 Virginia Union University (VUU) tennis champ achieved the honor of being the first and only individual tennis champ from VUU and the unique way he and the Dream Team helped to bring the Belgian Friendship Tower to campus. This 26 minute film includes amazing archival pictures and film footage of VUU, Billie Holiday, and the Harlem Globetrotters as well as interviews with VUU Sports Information Director, Jim Junot and history professor, Dr. Raymond Hylton. The film is based on the Jim Junot article, "The Forgotten Champion."

"Bringing Home the Bacon" (documentary produced by Bundy Films)

COURTESY THECIAA.COM

Jackson State Press Conference Announcing Harold Jackson As New Head Football Coach

Watch live streaming video from jacksonstateu at livestream.com

JSU head coach Harold Jackson will be paid $260,000 per year under his new three year agreement.

Harold Jackson named new JSU head football coach

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Jackson State named Harold Jackson as its next head football coach, the school announced Monday morning in a press conference.

A Hattiesburg native and former JSU wide, Jackson played in the NFL from 1968 to 1983. He served as an NFL assistant coach for teams, such as the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. He landed his first head coaching job at Benedict College for one season, and followed up as a wide receivers coach at Kentucky (2001 to 2002) and Baylor (2003 to 2006).

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Sources: Boulware will be next WSSU football coach

Coach Kienus Boulware

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Kienus Boulware, the defensive coordinator at Winston-Salem State University the past four seasons, will be named the school’s next head football coach Tuesday.

Two people in the WSSU athletics department and another person at WSSU who all have knowledge of the coaching search confirmed that Boulware, 39, will replace Connell Maynor, who resigned in December after four seasons to become the head coach at Hampton University in Virginia.

The three spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the hiring and because WSSU had not made an official announcement.

“As long as the (WSSU) board of trustees approves his contract, he’ll be the next coach,” one source said over ...

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PVAMU Men's Tennis Prepares To Defend SWAC Title With New Recruits

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  -- The defending Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Prairie View A&M Men's Tennis team bolstered its stacked roster by adding a few top recruits. 

Junior Bruno Snyder transfers from Lamar out of the Southland Conference was undefeated against Southwestern Athletic Conference players in 2013. Junior college transfer James Jackson advanced to consecutive NJCAA National Tournament in singles competition in, while freshman Malik Norris advanced to UIL Regional Tournament as a senior at Beaumont Ozen High School.

 

In singles competition against conference opponents including the 2013 SWAC Tournament, Prairie View A&M players combined to go 34-2. They did not drop a single match in the conference tournament. Under the direction of coach John Cochran, the Panthers plan on repeating those results and repeating as SWAC Tournament Champions. 

Bruno Synder
Height: 5-9
Weight: 162
Class: Junior
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Previous School: Lamar

 

SOPHOMORE: Went 5-13 as a sophomore at Lamar in singles competition…Snyder compiled a 4-9 record in doubles competition…Went 2-2 in conference play in singles competition…He went 2-0 at the No. 3 position against Southwestern Athletic Conference Opponents and defeated Prairie View A&M's Craig Wiltz 6-3, 6-4…Went 2-1 the final three matches of the season with wins over Oral Roberts and Texas Pan-American.

 

FRESHMAN: Went 8-9 in singles play with a 1-4 conference record ... Posted 1-1 record at No. 4 singles, defeating Matt Himmelsbach of Marist ... Played primarily at fifth position, going 7-8 with wins against Troy's Tadju Davies, Southern Miss' Jovan Zeljkovic, UMKC's Conner Edwards, Nicholls' Roy Knight, Louisiana's Damian Farinola and Air Force's Grant Taylor ... Teamed with Mikko Rajamaki to go 5-10 at No. 3 doubles with a 1-4 mark in the Southland ... Posted wins over Andres Sanchez and Tommy Cundy of Troy Fabrice Myrtil and Temuera Asafu-Adjave of Florida A&M and Nicolas Moreno and Jason Lateko of UT Arlington.

 

HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked among the top 400 juniors internationally by the ITF ... Played junior tennis in Frankfurt, Germany ... Also participated in two junior Davis Cup qualifiers.

James Jackson Jr. 
Height: 5-6
Weight: 180
Class: Junior
Hometown: Clarksdale, Miss.
Previous School: Itawamba CC

 

SOPHOMORE: In the No. 2 Singles spot Jackson helped lead Itawamba CC to a Top 25 finish in the Men's National Tennis Tournament at the Collin Tennis Facilities in Plano, Texas…Jackson was eliminated in the consolation round of singles competition…Finished ranked No. 78 Nationally among all junior college players. 

 

FRESHMAN: Made it to the NJCAA DI Men's Tennis Region 23 Tournament Singles Championship match…Led Itawamba CC to a 2012 Conference Championship…

Malik Norris
Height: 5-3
Weight: 125
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Beaumont, Texas
Previous School: Ozen

 

HIGH SCHOOL: Won first place in the 2013 District 20-4A Tennis Tournament…Advanced to the UIL Regional Tournament for three consecutive years as a varsity letterman…Was the first player in Beaumont Ozen High School History to advance to the Regional Round of The State Tennis Tournament. 

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU Jaguars eager after 3-0 SWAC start

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  - The Southern men’s basketball team is eager to get back on the court after winning its first three Southwestern Athletic Conference games.

“We’re ready for the next practice, and we’re ready for the next game,” forward Malcolm Miller said. “We’re excited and love playing.”

The Jaguars (7-9, 3-0) play Jackson State (5-10, 1-2) at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Clark Activity Center.

Southern beat Grambling 73-49 in its conference home opener Saturday after beginning league play with victories at Prairie View and Texas Southern last week.

“We’re starting to jell,” Miller said. “Everybody knows their roles, and they’re being aggressive when they have the opportunity to attack. It’s all clicking.”

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Monday Morning Football Punts...

• Jackson, Mississippi WLBT Sportscaster and Radio Announcer Rob Jay has reported from sources that Mississippi Valley State University is set to name former JSU head coach Rick Comegy as Delta Devils head football coach. Comegy was fired after posting an 8-1 record in the SWAC, 8-4 overall, and losing in the SWAC Championship game in overtime for the second straight season.  He finished with a career record of 55-35 in eight seasons at JSU, winning the SWAC championship in 2007. Comegy will replace Karl Morgan.
• John Dell, Winston-Salem Journal beat writer is reporting that sources have indicated that Kienus Boulware, the defensive coordinator at Winston-Salem State University the past four seasons, will be named the school’s next head football coach Tuesday.
• Rob Jay has also announced from sources, that Jackson State University will introduce 68-year old Harold Jackson as the Tigers new head football coach during an 11am press conference Monday, January 13.  Jackson is a first-time head coach in the FCS and his name surfaced after Bethune-Cookman's Head Coach Brian Jenkins declined to interview with JSU.  Jackson previous coaching stops in college football has been at NCCU (1990), VUU (1994), Benedict (1995-96), Kentucky (2001-2002) and Baylor (2003-2006).  No doubt, most of the JSU players' parents were not born when Jackson was drafted into the NFL in 1968, but he brings over 19 years combine of college, NFL and minor league coaching experience.  Local recruits, 4-5 star game changers, forget it; it did not happen with Doug Williams at Grambling State and he had more NFL glitter than anyone in HBCU sports. 
• East Carolina Pirates will open the 2014 football season by hosting FCS North Carolina Central University on August 30.  ECU finished the 2013 season with a 10-3 record and won the Beef 'O'Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg, defeating Ohio 37-20.  NCCU's new head coach Jerry Mack will make his Eagle debut against the Pirates.  This will be ECU first season in the American Athletic Conference after 17 seasons in Conference USA. 
• Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey will host Delaware State in its 2014 season opener on August 30.  The Hawks are a first year member of the Big South Conference.  This will be a first-time match up between the two programs. 
• Morgan State will get tested on the road on Aug. 30 with their season opener at Eastern Michigan.  Lee Hull is the new head football coach for the Morgan Bears. Hull is coming from the Maryland Terrapins, where he served six seasons as the wide-receivers coach.  He replaces Donald Hill-Eley who lead the Bears for 12 seasons, ending with a 59-76 record. 
• Northern Iowa Panthers will host Morgan State Bear on Sept. 6 for their home opener at the UNI Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference power ended last season with a 7-5 record. The Bears finished last season with a record of 5-7.
• CIAA powerhouse Winston-Salem State will travel to Valdosta State on Sept. 13. The Blazers defeated the Rams in the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship game. This will be the first regular season game between the CIAA and Gulf South powers.
• Delaware State is scheduled to face Temple in football in 2014 with the date TBD.
• Florida A&M will travel to Miami Gardens on Sept. 6 to battle the Miami Hurricanes.
• Savannah State has been done in again by their schedule maker.  The Tigers have non-conference road games scheduled with three FBS teams: Aug. 30, Middle Tennessee State, Sept. 6, Georgia Southern, and Nov. 21, Brigham Young.  Head Coach Earnest Wilson III is in his second season and the Tigers finished last season with a 1-11 record.  The Tigers are 4-41 over the past four seasons with their only wins being recorded against lower division Edward Waters, Fort Valley State and two wins against Division I transitioning North Carolina Central.  Good luck Tigers!
• Bethune-Cookman will host Grambling State on Sept. 13, 2014. The return game at Grambling, Louisiana will be held on Sept. 12, 2015.
• Howard Bison will open the 2014 football season on Aug. 30 at the University of Akron. The Zips and Bison will play at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field in Akron, OH. 
• The Howard Bison are the scheduled home opener for new Big Ten member Rutgers University, on Sept. 6, 2014. The Scarlett Knights are upgrading from the American Athletic Conference.
• Norfolk State will travel to the University of Buffalo Bulls on Sept. 20, 2014.  It's a money game for the Spartans.
• South Carolina State Bulldogs have a Sept. 6 date with Clemson.  The Tigers also have the Bulldogs on their schedule for 2016. 
• The Coach Connell Maynor era at Hampton University kickoffs on Aug. 30 at C-USA member Old Dominion.  Coach Maynor moves up in class from Division II powerhouse, Winston-Salem State to FCS Hampton University.
• Alcorn State will play at Southern Mississippi on Sept. 6. 
• Alabama A&M will face University of Alabama-Birmingham on Sept. 13 at Legion Field. This is the same venue for the Magic City Classic.  Last season, Alabama State and Alabama A&M attracted 63,113 fans to the Magic City Classic football game, making it the most attended HBCU game in the nation.  The UAB Blazers posted a 2-10, 1-7 record in Conference USA. The Bulldogs have a new head football coach in former Nevada tight-ends coach, James Spady. The first-time head coach is replacing Anthony Jones, whose contract was not renewed after going 83-57 in 12 years, the third-best winning percentage in Alabama A&M history. Football Scoop is reporting that Jacksonville State head coach Bill Clark name has surfaced for the head coaching job at UAB.  The school reports the search is still on-going with others to be interviewed.
• Division II Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls will play at UNC- Charlotte 49'ers on Sept. 6, 2014. 
• North Carolina Central University will host UNC - Charlotte on Sept. 13.  The Eagles will be in their first season with Jerry Mack as head football coach.  Charlotte will transition to Conference USA in 2015.
• Arkansas Pine Bluff travels to new Sun Belt Conference member Texas State Bobcats on Aug. 30 to open their season. 
• Defending SWAC Champions Southern University open the 2014 campaign on Aug. 30 at Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns.

-beepbeep

Gold Rush rally late for 60-56 victory against SUNO

ROSTER 

NEW ORLEANS -- Freshman guard Lucas Martin-Julien made six free throws in the final 5:07 to help NAIA No. 24 Xavier University of Louisiana rally for a 60-56 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against city rival SUNO at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Rush (13-4, 3-0) have won four straight and 8-of-9. It was Xavier's first home game after six straight on the road.

Xavier trailed 54-50 after SUNO's Joshua Major made a 3-pointer with 5:15 remaining, then outscored the Knights 10-2 thereafter. Xavier Rogers' two free throws with 3:16 remaining put the Rush ahead to stay, 55-54.

Martin-Julien made four free throws with six seconds remaining -- the last two  after SUNO exceeded its limit of timeouts and was assessed a technical foul -- to conclude the scoring.

Martin-Julien scored a career-high 13 points. Rogers scored 18 points, and Sydney Coleman produced his fifth double-double of the season, 15 points and 11 rebounds. Morris Wright had five assists, and Olivier Siewe grabbed seven rebounds.

Russell Hill and Merlin Walker scored 14 points and points for SUNO (9-6, 1-2). Walker's total was a season high, and he also had six assists.

Xavier outshot the Knights 41.3 to 40 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 32-24. The Gold Rush committed a season-low nine turnovers and limited Major, the GCAC leader in made 3-pointers per game, to 1-of-7 from long range.

Xavier led 30-29 at halftime.

Xavier will continue its six-game home stand with a 7 p.m. Monday game against non-conference opponent Spring Hill.

Box score

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

Gold Nuggets defeat SUNO 74-52

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior forward Danielle Tucker scored 13 of her season-high-tying 15 points in the first half Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 74-52 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against SUNO at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Nuggets (13-6, 3-0) won for the ninth time in 10 games and snapped the seven-game win streak of the Lady Knights (8-3, 2-1). Xavier has won 12 in a row at home since losing to SUNO last season.

Chelsea Broussard and Paige Gauthier scored 11 points apiece for Xavier, and Vinnie Briggs scored 10. Whitney Gathright had seven points and a career-high 11 assists.

Brandy Broome had 14 points, four rebounds and three steals for SUNO, and Sabrina Scott and Victoria Davis scored eight points apiece. Sharilyn Reed grabbed 10 rebounds.

Tucker and Emoni Harvey led Xavier with seven rebounds apiece, and Tucker had a career-high-tying four steals.

Xavier led 43-28 at halftime. The Gold Nuggets outshot the Lady Knights 43.1 to 27.3 percent from the floor for the game and outrebounded them 49-43. Xavier committed 19 turnovers and gained 24.

Xavier will play Edward Waters in a GCAC game at 3 p.m. next Saturday.

Box score

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

from THE EDITOR: FAMU Upends NCCU EAGLES – Makes Statement

DWIGHT FLOYD
The Editor

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The students, cheerleaders and Rattler Pep Band were all absent when FAMU beat FIU during the holidays at the Al Lawson Center. This time they got a chance to see for themselves that in spite of a losing record the Rattler men’s basketball team is intent on being a contender in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference race. In dramatic fashion the Rattlers came from behind in the last few minutes to defeat perhaps one of the best teams in the MEAC, the North Carolina Central University Eagles 63-60. What really makes this win important for FAMU though is that there is still much room for improvement.

It seemed a good omen for the Eagles when the Rattlers were called for a technical foul to start the game. Jeremy Ingram made both free throws giving the Eagles a ...

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Vote for Claude Humphrey to Enter the Pro Football HOF

CLAUDE HUMPHREY
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Fan voting for the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame is open now, and Tennessee State’s Claude Humphrey is one of the senior nominees on the ballot.

Vote for Humphrey, here.

 

Claude Humphrey was an All-American defensive tackle at TSU who went on to be one of the greatest passes rushers in the National Football League. Humphrey played for the Tigers from 1964 to 1967. He was initially an Offensive Tackle, but was switched to Defensive End in his freshman year, where he became a 3-time All-American.

During his senior season, Humphrey played in four college all star games: the Senior Bowl, the Blue-Gray Game, the Coaches All-American Game and the College All-Star game.

 

Humphrey ended his collegiate career as the all-time leader in sacks at TSU with 39. Currently, he is tied for second behind Lamar Carter along with fellow TSU legend Richard Dent.

 

He was selected in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft going third overall to the Atlanta Falcons. During his rookie season in Atlanta, he was name AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.

 

Humphrey played 13 seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons (1968-74, 76-77) and the Philadelphia Eagles (1979-81).

 

While with Atlanta, he was named All-NFL or All-Pro eight times and was selected to the Pro Bowl on six different occasions.

 

During the 1980 season with the Eagles, Humphrey totaled a team-high 14.5 sacks on the way to an NFC Championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XV.

Even though the sack didn't become an official NFL stat until after he retired, Humphrey is still credited with 122 career sacks, including holding the all-time career sacks mark for the Falcons with 94.5

 

Humphrey is in the Tennessee State University Hall of Fame, the Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Falcons Hall of Fame, is a multiple time finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his high schools Hall of Fame. Humphrey's college and high school both retired his jersey.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

Balanced Scoring Pushes A&T By Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- A great shooting performance placed three players in double figures as the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team defeated Bethune-Cookman 69-55 in its MEAC opener at Moore Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

The Aggies (11-2 overall, 1-0 MEAC) shot 52.7 percent from the field and were led by senior forward Tracy King with 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds. King was 8-for-13 and added four steals. Redshirt sophomore Christina Carter chipped in 16 points and dished out a game-high seven assists. Redshirt junior Debbie Smith came off the bench to add 10 points, five rebounds and four assists to tally her second straight game scoring in double figures.

The Wildcats fell to 3-12 overall and 0-3 in the MEAC.

“I thought we did a good job of sharing the ball,” head coach Tarrell Robinson said. “We want to work our way to the top of the conference and this game was a great way to start that journey.”



After taking a 30-26 halftime lead, the Aggies opened up the second half on a 16-6 run capped off with a 3-pointer by Smith from Carter to extend their advantage to 46-32 with 10:24 remaining.

Bethune-Cookman took advantage of an A&T turnover to score its next basket, cutting the score to 46-32. That was the closest the Wlidcats got the rest of the way. 

The Aggies controlled most of the first half as freshman Kenya Hailey put them on top 17-12 with a jumper at the 9:45 mark. BCU didn’t go away easily as it scored five straight points to trail the Aggies by two. A&T used a quick 9-2 rally to push their lead to 28-19 with 6:19 left. The rally was short-lived as the Wildcats halted the Aggies offense for nearly six minutes until DeAndra Davis hit a jumper with seven seconds remaining to give A&T a 30-26 edge heading into halftime.

Chastity Taylor led all players in scoring with 20 points. Shakeyia Colyer finished with 14 points, five steals, and three steals.

A&T dominated the paint where they scored 40 points and held BCU to 16. However both teams committed 21 turnovers which converted into 19 points for both squads.

A&T continues its MEAC schedule when it visits Florida A&M on Monday, Jan. 13. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

A&T 69, BCU 55

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Hampton Lady Pirates Stifle Delaware State in Road Win

DOVER, Delaware  --  The Hampton University women's basketball team stifled Delaware State all afternoon on Saturday in Memorial Hall en route to a 79-39 win to remain unbeaten in conference play.

In fact, the Lady Pirates (12-4, 3-0 MEAC) have won their last 33 games against MEAC foes, including the conference tournament, dating back to the 2011-12 season.

Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) led all scorers with 29 points on 10-for-22 shooting and a 7-for-10 effort from the free throw line. Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) added 25 points and nine rebounds, reaching 500 rebounds for her career.

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

After the Lady Hornets took an early 2-0 lead, the Lady Pirates scored the next seven points to go up 7-2 at the 17:37 mark after a jumper from Tate-DeFreitas. Tierra Hawkins hit a jumper at the 9:29 mark to cut Hampton's lead to 17-12, but the Lady Hornets would go cold after that, as the Lady Pirates went on a 19-3 run, taking a 36-15 lead with 3:51 left in the half on a pair of Tate-DeFreitas free throws.

Raven Bankston hit a trey at the 2:58 mark, ending Delaware State's nearly seven-minute drought.

Hampton outscored Delaware State 5-1 over the remainder of the half, heading into the locker room with a 41-19 lead. Tate-DeFreitas had a team-high 19 points at the break, while Bennett had 12 points after the first 20 minutes.

The second half was more of the same, as Delaware State went until the 14:43 mark without a field goal – until ankston hit a layup to cut Hampton's lead to 49-22. Hampton answered by scoring nine of the next 12 points, taking a 58-25 lead on a trey from junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) with 10:40 left.

A Bennett layup with 5:22 left gave the Lady Pirates a 68-32 lead, and sophomore guard Blake Jenkines (Clarksville, Tenn.) hit a pair of free throws with 3:49 left to play to put Hampton up 72-33.

Redshirt-freshman guard Sade King (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) gave the Lady Pirates their largest lead of the game, hitting a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:38 left to put Hampton up 79-37.

Delaware State had five field goals and six turnovers in the second half.

The Lady Pirates shot 42.9 percent (24-for-56) from the floor and hit six of their 14 3-pointers. Hampton also held a 53-45 edge on the glass, and the Lady Pirates turned 21 Delaware State turnovers into 19 points.

Delaware State (4-10, 0-3 MEAC) shot just 20.3 percent (12-for-59) from the floor – going 5-for-33 (15.2 percent) in the second half – and made just one of their six 3-pointers.

Bankston led the Lady Hornets with 17 points.

The Lady Pirates will return to the HU Convocation Center on Saturday, when they take on Coppin State at 4 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Box Score

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Southern women hold on for win over Grambling

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern women’s basketball team appeared headed to an easy victory against Grambling in the Jaguars’ Southwestern Athletic Conference home opener Saturday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

But the Tigers, who like the Jaguars entered with a 2-0 league record, made Southern work to the end.

The Jaguars grabbed a 17-point halftime lead and built it to 25 twice before Grambling fought back to cut the lead to single digits in the final minute.

Southern made enough plays at the end to come away with a 100-92 victory. It hosts Jackson State on Monday.

“That’s my fault; I take full responsibility,” Southern coach Sandy Pugh said of the lead that shrunk but never disappeared. “It’s a rival game. Grambling has a lot of pride. I’ve got to keep the foot on pedal.”

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