A&T Bowling To Host Aggie Master's Challenge

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  -- After three months of traveling on the road to various tournaments, the North Carolina A&T bowling team will finally return back to Greensboro to host the first Aggie Master’s Challenge, beginning on Friday, Feb. 21 at AMF Lanes.

The tournament will stretch over a three-day period with Friday’s action beginning at noon with five four-game baker matches. On Saturday, a Senior Day presentation will start at 9:30 a.m.  followed by five traditional team matches scheduled to start at 9:45 a.m. The tournament will conclude on Sunday with bracket play that will include three best four-of-seven baker matches, followed by an awards ceremony.

Teams participating in the tournament include NCCU, Fayetteville State, Norfolk State, Morgan State, Winston-Salem State, Shaw, UAB, and Hampton.

The Aggies (47-20 overall), who are ranked 17th in the National Tenpin Coaches Association poll, haven’t competed in Greensboro since Nov. 9 when they hosted the first MEAC meet of the season. A&T is also familiar with most of its opponents participating this weekend except for CIAA members Shaw and Fayetteville State.

A&T has been led by sophomore Emily Strombeck who has averaged a 198.5 this season. Strombeck has been a consistent leader for the Aggies and has averaged over 200 in their last four tournaments. Freshman Kristin Shinn appeared in all five games for A&T at the Wildcat Invitational last weekend where she averaged 197.6 in traditional team games. Sophomore Briana Jackson played in three games and averaged 202.

Following the Aggie Master’s Challenge, A&T will compete in the final MEAC meet of the season beginning on Saturday, March 1.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

HBCU guarantee money could dry up

DUER SHARP
SWAC COMMISSIONER

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- When Savannah State football coach Earnest Wilson III went searching for future opponents a few weeks ago, he called FBS programs like Iowa and Miami, the kind of deep-pocketed athletics departments that are capable of writing the Tigers six-figure checks in exchange for being a sacrificial lamb for one Saturday.

"Iowa told me they couldn't do it," Wilson said. "Other programs told me they couldn't."

As major college football moves to the four-team College Football Playoff this coming season, in which two national semifinals and a championship game will determine the sport's national champion, cash-strapped HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) like Savannah State are being further squeezed out of the equation. Strength of schedule is one of the criteria the 13-member selection committee will consider when choosing four teams for the playoff, so FBS teams are less willing to pay FCS opponents such as Savannah State for what would probably be an easy victory.

"It is kind of unchartered waters with strength of schedule being what's going to be looked at," said Southwestern Athletic Conference commissioner Duer Sharp. "Our schools just have to be smart. There are different ways to make money, and you've got to be smart about it."

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S.C. State defensive coordinator Mike Adams takes job at the University of South Alabama

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- For the past five seasons, Mike Adams was the architect of a South Carolina State defense whose intensity mimicked his personality and ranked atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Football Championship Subdivision standings.

Now, after nearly a decade in Orangeburg, Adams has moved on to Mobile, Ala., where he’s expected to become the new defensive backs coach at the University of South Alabama.

The Indianapolis native joins a Jaguars’ program that, in its fourth season, went 6-6 overall and 3-3 in the Sun Belt Conference last season. He replaces Kevin Sherrer, who was also the team’s defensive coordinator and is now a defensive assistant for the University of Georgia.

S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough confirmed Adams’ departure Tuesday and said such a move was in the works for a couple of weeks.

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Southern University scrambles to keep teams eligible for NCAA tourney

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern University is running out of time to meet an NCAA mandate that could keep several of the school's athletic programs ineligible for postseason play.

The school has been attempting to satisfy the NCAA requests for additional and corrected paperwork regarding the academic progress of student-athletes dating back to 2009.

The ban is most significant because its men's and women's basketball teams each are in first place of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and contending for automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. Three other winter sports — men's and women's indoor track and women's bowling are also in jeopardy of missing the postseason if the school cannot file the adequate documents in time.

Southern athletic director William Broussard and his staff issued the following statement: "We are collaborating with the NCAA and developing strategies for providing usable data in a timely fashion."

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NCAA: Southern has “significant amount of work” to complete

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The postseason ban on Southern’s athletic programs is indefinite until the NCAA determines that the data on student-athletes’ academic performance submitted by the university is usable.

The NCAA said Thursday that the ongoing process of providing usable data requires that “a significant amount of work be completed before NCAA postseason eligibility can be restored.”

The fate of the Jaguars teams rests with the Data Collection and Reporting Subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Performance.

NCAA spokesperson Michelle Brutlag Hosick responded by e-mail to The Advocate’s request for comment on the ban, which was instituted in early December and became public knowledge last Thursday.

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JSU Tigers sign two more standouts

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The Jackson State football program added two more standouts to its 2014 recruiting class. The Tigers strengthened themselves on the offensive side of the ball in signing Robert Johnson and Romello Shumake. Both players bios and highlight films are below.

Robert Johnson RB 6-2 190

Terry, Miss. (Terry High School)

HighlightsThe 6-2 190-pound running back accumulated 1482 rushing yards, 9.75 rushing yards per carry, 82.3 rushing yards per game, eleven touchdowns, and 13 total touchdowns over a two-year playing span... He helped Terry High to a 5-6 overall record and a 3-4 league record during his season… As a senior he had 144 carries for 1453 yards and 11 TDs… His long run of the season was 74 yards … he also played basketball at Terry HS and averaged 6 ppg.

Romello Shumake WR 5-10 165

Lithonia, Ga. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Highlights

Shumake is considered a 2-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals.com… Has the ability to stretch the field with his speed… During his junior season he helped lead MLK to an 11-1 record and a 9-0 league mark… As a senior the MLK Lions went 7-4 and 6-3 in league play… Recorded 30 receiving touchdowns during his high school career… He was named to the Metro Atlanta High School All-Star Game.

COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

North Carolina A&T Aggies Release 2014 Schedule

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T released a 12-game football schedule on Tuesday that includes five strong home games, exciting road trips for fans and a non-conference schedule that is second to none.

The Aggies will open the season in Orlando, Fla., as they take on Alabama A&M in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge. It will mark the first time in the event’s 10-year history that A&T has been a participant. It will also mark the first time the Aggies and the Bulldogs have met on the gridiron. Fourth-year A&T head coach Rod Broadway faced the Bulldogs four times during his tenure as Grambling State’s head coach and won all four.

The Aggies home opener will feature one of the best teams in Division I-FCS in Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers were 12-3 last season, finished ranked seventh in the country while advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The Aggies are winless in four tries against the Chanticleers.

A&T’s four other home games are against Chowan (Sept. 20), Hampton (Oct. 11), Florida A&M (Oct. 25) and Morgan State (Nov. 8). Hampton returns to Aggies Stadium for the first time since beating the Aggies 41-24 on Sept. 19, 2009. Hampton head coach and A&T alumnus Connell Maynor will also be returning to the place where he led the Aggies to the 1991 MEAC championship as the starting quarterback.

The Florida A&M Rattlers will be the Aggies Greatest Homecoming On Earth opponent for the fourth time in their existence.

The Aggies road schedule includes games at Elon (Sept. 13), Howard (Sept. 27), Delaware State (Oct. 18), Savannah State (Nov. 15) and N.C. Central. A&T will play at Elon for the first time since losing 12-9 on Sept. 24, 2005. The Aggies are back in Washington, D.C., for the first time in three years, but will play at Savannah State for the first time in school history.

A&T closes out its season once again against archrival N.C. Central, a team they have defeated three straight times, including last season’s 28-0 blowout at Aggie Stadium. The Aggies other neutral site game is against S.C. State as the two teams return to Atlanta for the Atlanta Football Classic. S.C. State held off a late-game drive by A&T to win last year’s classic 29-24.

"We’re going to find out how good we are early,” said Broadway. “Alabama A&M, Coastal Carolina and Elon are going to be a challenge for our young team, and of course the MEAC continues to get better each year. We will have our hands full.”



North Carolina A&T 2014 Football Schedule

Aug. 31: Alabama A&M at Orlando, Fla., MEAC/SWAC Challenge

Sept. 6: Coastal Carolina, 6PM

Sept. 13: at Elon, Elon, N.C.

Sept. 20: Chowan, 6PM

Sept. 27: at Howard* Washington, D.C.

Oct. 4: at South Carolina State* Orangeburg, S.C.

Oct. 11: Hampton,* 1PM

Oct. 18: at Delaware State* Dover, DE

Oct. 25: Florida A&M, 1PM HOMECOMING 2014

Nov. 8: Morgan State*, 1PM

Nov. 15: at Savannah State* Savannah, GA

Nov. 22: at N.C. Central* Durham, N.C.

* MEAC Conference Games
BOLD: Home Game

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Broken light forces WSSU-J.C. Smith game to end in a tie

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The always lively Winston-Salem State-Johnson C. Smith rivalry found a new level on Wednesday night at Brayboy Gymnasium.  

A tie game.

Yes, in what is a first in the 53-year history of the historic gym the Rams and Golden Bulls were tied at 76 at the end of regulation thanks to a Javan Wells follow basket for the Rams. After Wells made the shot the Bulls’ Joshua Linson tried a heave of 75 feet but his high throw hit off two lights and knocked them out and one of the lights was left hanging by a wire.

Instead of finishing the game with a ...

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Jackson State defeats Southern

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Leadoff hitter Aneko Knowles scored three runs while going 2-for-4 and stealing a base and Bryce Taylor was 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Jackson State toppled Southern 6-2 Tuesday night at Robert Braddy Field.

Knowles drew a leadoff walk and stole second base, eventually scoring on a bases-loaded walk issued by Ryan Flynn (0-1), to spark a two-run first inning as Jackson State (4-1) was in control the entire game.

Southern (2-2), which struck out nine times and had just four hits, was nearly shut out. Freshman Sergio Torres, in his first at-bat of the season, hit a two-out, two-RBI single in the top of the ninth to provide the Jaguars’ only scoring.

“We really had a chance in the first ...

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Alabama State Hornets Beat Auburn Tigers 9-3, on the Road

AUBURN, Alabama  -- The Alabama State baseball team erupted in the late innings to beat Auburn 9-3 Wednesday at Plainsman Park.

Richard Amion, Emmanuel Marrero, and Brandon Castro each had two hits, and Einar Muniz scored three runs for the Hornets (4-1), who have beaten South Alabama and Auburn in back-to-back games on the road.

"These wins are good for our confidence," said Alabama State Head Coach Mervyl Melendez said of his team which has now won four straight games. "Any win is good, and when you play a tough opponent, and we did yesterday in South Alabama and we played Auburn tonight, and when you're able to play at their home and you're able to come out with a victory, you have to feel good about yourself."

After a scoreless first five innings, the Hornets scored in the sixth inning. Loading the bases with none out, Cesar Rivera laid down an RBI bunt single past the pitcher's mound, scoring Muniz. With one out, Marrero's bunt single to right field scored Amion for a 2-0 lead. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Castro's RBI walk scored Richard Gonzalez for a 3-0 Hornet lead.

Auburn scored a run in the sixth before Alabama State answered in the seventh. A hustling Rivera beat out a would-be double play at first base, allowing Amion to score to extend the Hornets' lead to 4-1.

The Tigers (2-2) scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 4-3 before Alabama State put the game away with a five-run eighth inning.

Marrero led off with a triple, and scored on a one-out single by Castro. Dexter Price then doubled to left center, scoring Castro. After Muniz reached on a throwing error, Amion's two-run single scored Price and Muniz. Rivera then reached on a throwing error, scoring Amion for the final margin, beating for the first time in eight matchups.

A total of six Hornet pitchers combined to limit Auburn to just five hits in the game.

"I thought we played pretty well, and pretty good defense," Melendez said of his team which did not commit an error. "The performance offensively was good. We utilized a number of pitchers to keep everyone fresh for this weekend. We got out of jams, which is important in baseball. The opponent is usually going to make a run, and we did a pretty good job holding them to three runs tonight."

The Hornets travel to the West Coast for a four-game series at the University of the Pacific beginning Friday at 8 p.m. CT. Every game will be broadcast live on bamastatesports.com/showcase.

Box Score



COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Clutch Hits, Defense Leads ASU Hornets' 5-0 Shutout of South Alabama Jaguars

MOBILE, Alabama (Feb. 18)  --  Richard Amion and Dexter Price each hit home runs, and five pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout as the Alabama State baseball team defeated South Alabama 5-0 Tuesday night at Stanky Field.

Amion homered to left field on the second pitch of the game to give the Hornets the lead. In the eighth, Richard Gonzalez hit a two-run single to extend the lead to 3-0. Price's two-run homer in the ninth sealed the win for Alabama State (3-1), its first in 11 meetings against the Jaguars (1-3).

Michael Estevez (1-0) and four relievers combined for the shutout. Alabama State got huge outs when it mattered, perhaps none bigger than left fielder Dillon Cooper's strong accurate throw to home plate, nailing South Alabama's Davis Knapp to end the fifth inning.

Despite walking five, Estevez yielded just three hits and got big the huge assist from Cooper to preserve the shutout. Hornet pitchers continually pitched out of trouble, as the defending Sun Belt Conference champions left 14 people on  base.

The Hornets play game two of their weeklong, six-game road trip at Auburn Wednesday at 3 p.m. with live radio on bamastatesports.com.

Box Score            

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Howard University Unveils 2014 Football Schedule

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- Howard University announces its 2014 football schedule.  The Bison, who are coming off a 6-6 season, open the campaign in a non-conference game at the University of Akron on August 28.  They will follow with another non-conference game at Rutgers on September 6.

"We will find out early about who we are when we face two tough opponents in Akron and Rutgers," said Howard head coach Gary Harrell.  "Our goal is to play a 12, one-game season, win the MEAC and compete in the playoffs.  Our September and October schedule will tell us a lot about who we are."

 

Following the game at Rutgers, Howard will take on Morehouse in the AT&T Nation's Football Classic at RFK Stadium on September 13.  The Bison will then take on Morgan State on September 20 and will play their first home game on September 27 when they host North Carolina A&T.
 

Howard will then travel to Durham, NC to play North Carolina Central on October 4, followed by another road game in Daytona Beach, FL against defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman on October 11.

 

Then comes homecoming against the Rattlers of Florida A&M on October 18.

 

Following the bye week, the Bison will host Delaware State on November 1, followed by road games at Savannah State on November 8 and at first time non-conference opponent Central Connecticut State on November 15.  Howard will close out the regular season against the Pirates of Hampton University on November 22.  That will be Senior Day.

 

"I am very excited about our home schedule," said Harrell.  "We have NC A&T, FAMU for homecoming, an always tough Delaware State and finally Hampton in the Battle of the Real HU to close out the season."

 

The following is the 2014 schedule:

Date	Opponent	Location	MEAC	Time
8/28/2014	University of Akron	Akron, OH		TBA
9/6/2014	Rutgers University	Piscataway, NJ		TBA
9/13/2014	Morehouse College	Washington, DC		3:30 PM
9/20/2014	Morgan State University	TBA	*	TBA
9/27/2014	North Carolina A&T State University	Washington, DC	*	1:00 PM
10/4/2014	North Carolina Central University	Durham, NC	*	1:00 PM
10/11/2014	Bethune-Cookman University	Daytona Beach, FL	*	TBA
10/18/2014	Florida A&M University	Washington, DC	*	1:00 PM
11/1/2014	Delaware State University	Washington, DC	*	1:00 PM
11/8/2014	Savannah State University	Savannah, GA	*	TBA
11/15/2014	Central Connecticut State University	New Britain, CT		TBA
11/22/2014	Hampton University	Washington, DC	*	1:00 PM

Howard Showtime Marching Band, courtesy of the BGMM Media Team of NCA&T.

 

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets fall from 3rd to 6th in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana dropped three places -- from third to sixth -- in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Tuesday.

After recording their highest-ever preseason ranking two weeks ago, the Gold Nuggets have split their first six dual matches. They won 9-0 Friday at No. 2 William Carey but lost 5-2 Sunday to Georgia Gwinnett, which beat William Carey on Saturday. Georgia Gwinnett then leapfrogged 18 schools to grab the No. 2 ranking.

Xavier also lost to NCAA Division I members Tulane and Louisiana-Lafayette.

It's the Gold Nuggets' ninth consecutive appearance in the top 10 and their 14th in a row in the top 25.

Three of the five teams ranked ahead of Xavier -- No. 1 Auburn Montgomery, No. 3 Lindsey Wilson and No. 5 Brenau -- remain on the Nuggets' schedule. Xavier will play Brenau on Monday in Mobile, Ala., to conclude a Nuggets stretch of four duals in four days.

Xavier will visit McNeese State at 2 p.m. Friday, then play on consecutive days at the XU Tennis Center -- 3 p.m. Saturday against Alabama State, 1 p.m. Sunday against Southeastern Louisiana -- before meeting Brenau in a neutral-site dual.

New rankings will be announced March 4.

The top 25:

1. Auburn Montgomery
2. Georgia Gwinnett
3. Lindsey Wilson
4. SCAD Savannah
5. Brenau
6. Xavier
7. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
8. Northwood (Fla.)
9. Vanguard
10. Lewis-Clark State
11. Oklahoma Baptist
12. Westmont
13. William Carey
14. Concordia (Calif.)
15. SCAD Atlanta
16. Indiana Wesleyan
17. Olivet Nazarene
18. Cumberland
19. Coastal Georgia
20. Milligan
21. Campbellsville
22. Marian (Ind.)
23. Southeastern (Fla.)
24. Davenport
25. Bethel (Kan.)

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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ASU Football Announces Spring Practice Schedule; Black and Gold Game April 12

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  The Alabama State football team will open 2014 spring practice Tuesday, March 4, with the annual Black and Gold Game set for Saturday, April 12 at the New ASU Stadium.

The Hornets are scheduled to practice 15 times over a six-week period, taking off the last week of March for spring break.

All practices will be held at Old Hornet Stadium, with the exception for the Black and Gold Game on April 12.

2014 Alabama State Spring Football Practice Schedule  
Tue. March 4                      11 a.m.                                                           
Thurs. March 6                  11 a.m.                                           
Fri. March 7                        3 p.m.                                             
Tue. March 11                   11 a.m.                                           
Thurs. March 13                11 a.m.                                           
Sat. March 15                     9 a.m. Scrimmage                                      
Tue. March 18                   11 a.m.                                           
Wed. March 19                 3 p.m.                                             
Thur. March 20                  11 am.                                             
Tue. April 1                       11 a.m.                                             
Thurs. April 3                      11 a.m.                                           
Sat. April 5                           9 a.m. Scrimmage                                      
Tue. April 8                         11 a.m.                                           
Thur. April 10                   11 a.m.                                             
Sat. April 12                        1 p.m. Black and Gold Game (New ASU Stadium)
                     



COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush maintain position among NAIA's top 15

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana dropped two places to 14th in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 on Tuesday.

The Gold Rush (19-7, 8-2 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) are in the top 25 for the 33rd consecutive time -- the longest active streak in the division -- and the 46th time in the last 47 polls. It's the third time in four seasons that Xavier has spent four or more consecutive weeks in the top 15.

Xavier bounced back from a loss at top-5 William Carey last week with a 103-99 overtime home victory Monday against then-No. 24 Philander Smith. The Gold Rush reached 100 points for the first time since the 2009-10 season opener.

The other ranked team from the GCAC is Talladega, which climbed from seventh to sixth. The Tornadoes are in the top 10 for the seventh consecutive poll.

Cal State San Marcos is No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week.

Xavier's next two games will be at home -- 5 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo, 6 p.m. on Feb. 25 against Belhaven -- then the Gold Rush will close the regular season March 1 at conference and city rival Dillard. Xavier will be one of the hosts of the GCAC Tournament from March 6-9.

The Tougaloo game will include a senior-day ceremony for Xavier Rogers and Olivier Siewe.

The top 25:

1. Cal State San Marcos
2. Pikeville
3. William Carey
4. Southwestern Assemblies of God
5. Freed-Hardeman
6. Talladega
7. Columbia (Mo.)
8. Emmanuel (Ga.)
9. Vanguard
10. Rocky Mountain
11. Benedictine (Kan.)
12. Culver-Stockton
13. LSU-Shreveport
14. Xavier
15. Concordia (Calif.)
16. Georgetown (Ky.)
17. Mid-America Christian
18. Montana State-Northern
19. Rio Grande
20. Wiley
21. Westminster (Utah)
22. Central Methodist
23. St. Gregory's
24. Martin Methodist
25. Arizona Christian


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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TSU Men's Basketball to Hold Senior Night on Feb. 20

GAME NOTES | WATCH LIVE | LISTEN LIVE | LIVE STATS

TODAY'S GAME

The Tennessee State men’s basketball team will host its final home contest of the season against SIUE for Senior Night on Thursday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

TIGERS AT A GLANCE

Tennessee State is coming off of a, 73-71, loss to Belmont on Thursday dropping the Tigers to 3-24 overall and 2-11 in league play.

TSU is averaging 68.9 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field. Senior Patrick Miller has been the team’s top scorer all season long and is leading the OVC in points per game (23.2). M.J. Rhett has also been a top contributor, pouring in 10.6 points and securing 9.3 boards each outing.

The Tigers, led by second year head coach Travis Williams, returned five letter winners from last year’s 18-15 squad. However, the club lost four starters due to graduation last year, but the three big missing pieces are All-OVC second team members Robert Covington and Kellen Thornton as well as Jordan Cyphers. Last season, that trio of players averaged 43 points per contest which was 60 percent of the team’s scoring.

LAST TIME OUT

Patrick Miller scored 23 points and Jay Harris added a career-high 19, but the Tennessee State men’s basketball team fell to Belmont, 73-71, on Thursday night in the Curb Event Center.

Miller finished 8-for-21 (38 percent) from the field and four assists while Harris was 5-of-9 (56 percent) and 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.

M.J. Rhett recorded his 13th double-double this season with 10 points and a personal-best 19 rebounds.

True freshman Jamonte Graham also finished with 10 points and his 4-for-8 line helped Tennessee State (3-24, 2-11 OVC) shoot 42.2 percent for the game.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS

SIUE comes into Thursday’s matchup after a convincing 83-68 road win over Austin Peay at the Dunn Center. The Cougars have now won five of their last seven games and seven of their last 10.

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee State will square off against SIUE for the fifth time, and the Tigers are a perfect 4-0 against the Cougars.

LAST TIME WE MET

Making his return to his home state, Kellen Thornton led the Tennessee State men's basketball team to an 83-73 victory on Wednesday night in Edwardsville, Ill.

Thornton finished the game with a team-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. He also led the team with seven boards.

Fellow Illinois products Robert Covington and Patrick Miller also cashed in 18 and 17 points, respectively, while Jordan Cyphers added 18 of his own from the shooting guard position.

COVERAGE

Updates on the game will be available throughout the game on the official twitter page via @TSU_Tigers. Live stats and video will also be available for the games. Links can be found on tsutigers.com under the schedule.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Tennessee State will return to action on Thursday, Feb. 27 at Morehead State. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Rush drop to 8th but in top 10 for 22nd straight time

NEW ORLEANS --Xavier University of Louisiana was eighth in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Tuesday. Despite dropping two places from the previous rankings, it's the 22nd consecutive time that the Gold Rush are in the top 10.

Xavier is 2-4 with losses to NCAA Division I members Nicholls State and Louisiana-Lafayette and NAIA members Belhaven and Georgia Gwinnett, both in this week's top 10. The best Gold Rush victory thus far was 6-3 Friday at William Carey, which fell from 13th to 15th.

Defending champion Embry-Riddle (Fla.) again was a unanimous choice at No. 1.

Three teams ranked ahead of Xavier -- No. 2 Auburn Montgomery, No. 6 Lindsey Wilson and No. 7 Cumberland -- are on the Gold Rush schedule this season. Auburn Montgomery will visit Xavier on April 5.

Xavier's current poll streaks include 52 consecutive top-25 appearances -- that started April 4, 2007 -- and 28 consecutive times in the top 15.

New rankings will be announced March 4.

The Gold Rush have two more February dual matches: 3 p.m. Saturday against NCAA DI Alabama State at the XU Tennis Center and Feb. 28 at West Florida, ranked third in NCAA Division II.

The top 25:

1. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
2. Auburn Montgomery
3. Vanguard
4. Georgia Gwinnett
5. Westmont
6. Lindsey Wilson
7. Cumberland
8. Xavier
9. Belhaven
10. Aquinas
11. Bethany (Kan.)
12. Concordia (Calif.)
13. Bethel (Tenn.)
14. Graceland
15. William Carey
16. Northwestern Ohio
17. Warner
18. Oklahoma Baptist
19. Northwood (Fla.)
20. Lewis-Clark State
21. Pikeville
22. Olivet Nazarene
23. Campbellsville
24. Davenport
25. McPherson

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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SU women hold on to first in SWAC

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- About the only thing that was normal for the Southern women’s basketball team Monday night was that it won.

The Jaguars (15-6) beat Mississippi Valley State 70-65 in the F.G. Clark Activity Center to maintain their hold on first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with a 12-1 league mark.

But Southern got off to slow starts in both halves, the defense was porous at times, leading scorer Kendra Coleman’s shooting was way off, Kenidi Robinson had to fight through a migraine and coach Sandy Pugh didn’t feel well enough to do her usual post-game interviews.

Nonetheless the Jaguars found a way to fight off the feisty Devilettes, 8-16, 7-6.

“I thought we played extremely hard coming down the stretch,” assistant coach Carlos Funchess said. “We kept battling and battling. You’re going to have some games like this.

CONTINUE READING

Southern men bounce back with win

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Maybe it was the sting of seeing its 16-game home-court winning streak in conference play end two days earlier.

Or maybe it was the sight of a Mississippi Valley State team that had provided its only previous conference loss.

Or maybe it was the stage provided by the ESPNU telecast.

Whatever it was, the Southern men’s basketball team that defeated the Delta Devils 83-74 on Monday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center looked a whole lot different than the one that lost to Arkansas-Pine Bluff 64-58 in the same building Saturday.

The Jaguars started fast and finished strong to improve to 15-11 and 11-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play as they prepare to visit Alabama A&M on Saturday.

CONTINUE READING

Gold Nuggets beat Lady Panthers to end losing streak

NEW ORLEANS -- Sophomore guard Whitney Gathright scored 15 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 23 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 70-59 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Philander Smith.

The Gold Nuggets (18-9, 8-2) ended a three-game losing streak and extended their home winning streak to 16. They're 10-0 at home this season.

Gathright also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals. She made 8-of-8 free throws and scored in double figures for the 17th time this season.

Paige Gauthier had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Xavier. Vinnie Briggs scored 10 points, and Chelsea Broussard had nine points and a season-high 10 rebounds.

Jerricka Scott had 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals for Philander Smith (15-13, 6-4), which lost for the second time in three days after winning 8-of-9. Caryan Jones, Kanesha Merritt and Brittany Leonard scored nine points apiece for the Lady Panthers.

Xavier scored the first five points and never lost its lead. The Gold Nuggets led 33-24 at halftime and by 12 points three times in the second half.

Xavier outshot the Lady Panthers 33.8 to 31.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 60-34. The Nuggets converted 26 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points.

Xavier avenged an 83-59 loss to Philander Smith from two weeks earlier.

The Gold Nuggets' next game will start at 3 p.m. Saturday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at the Convocation Center. It will be senior day for Broussard, Gauthier, Whitney Gaston-Loyd, Carmen Holcombe and Danielle Tucker.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Gold Rush prevail in overtime against Panthers, 103-99

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Goode and Morris Wright scored 24 points apiece Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 103-99 overtime victory against Philander Smith in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball.

The Gold Rush (19-7, 8-2), ranked 12th in NAIA Division I, snapped a two-game losing streak. The Panthers (16-9, 5-5), ranked 24th, have lost four straight.

Xavier scored the first seven points of overtime -- Goode had the first five -- and did not lose the lead thereafter. It was Xavier's third overtime victory of the season and its third victory of the season against a ranked opponent.

Wright, who did not start, made 4-of-6 3-pointers and had five assists.

Sydney Coleman had 15 points and seven rebounds for Xavier. Lucas Martin-Julien scored 14 points, and Xavier Rogers had 11.

D'Alvin Brown scored 23 points and Tevlin Morris 22 for Philander Smith. Andre Clark had 17 points and had eight rebounds.

Xavier led 49-36 at halftime and held its largest lead, 59-38, after Martin-Julien's 3-pointer at 17:19 of the second half. The Panthers' Andre Clark made 1-of-2 free throws with 15 seconds remaining to tie the score at 91. Wright then missed a 3-pointer at the end of regulation.

Philander Smith, the NAIA D-I leader in 3-point accuracy, made 13-of-27 treys. Brown made 5-of-9 3-pointers, and Morris made 4-of-11.

The next Gold Rush game will start at 5 p.m. Saturday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at the Convocation Center. It will be senior day for Rogers and Olivier Siewe.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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FAMU Lady Rattlers Streaking With 95-79 Win Over DSU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The FAMU Lady Rattlers continued to roll through MEAC play with a 95-79 victory over the visiting Hornets of Delaware State tonight int he Al Lawson Center.

Jasmine Grice ended the day with 26 points, after struggling through the first half with just 12 points. She added to her NCAA Division I-leading steals total with five. Freshman Kenya Dixon has continued to show improvement, as she scored 16 points behind two crucial three-pointers to help keep the Hornets out of range. Tierra Prothro would be the only other Lady Rattler to score in double figures as she chipped in 13. Patrice Collie and Prothro controlled the boards, grabbing 10 rebounds each.

Raven Bankston led all scorers with 33 points on 13-for-25 shooting from the field for DSU. Deanna Harmon and Tylinn Carter added 15 points each. Bankston also led the Hornets on the boards with nine rebounds.

The Lady Rattlers led by as many as 21 points, dominating on second chance baskets by a 20-6 margin over DSU. With Dixon leading the way, the Lady Rattler bench outscored DSU's reserves by 24 points, which was a major factor in the ball game.

The Lady Rattlers will travel to Daytona Beach to take on the Lady Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman on Sat., at the Ocean Center.



COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jasmine Grice's Scoring Spree Earns MEAC POW

NORFOLK, Virginia –- Florida A&M’s Jasmine Grice repeated as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday. 

 

Hampton’s Malia Tate-DeFreitas was selected as the Rookie of the Week, while Norfolk State’s Rachel Gordon earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.

 

Grice (G, 5-10, Sr., Quincy, Fla.) totaled 70 points, eight rebounds, eight steals, seven assists and one block while playing the entire 40 minutes in wins against North Carolina Central and Coppin State. Grice shot 13-of-29 from the floor to finish with 36 points in a 83-80 win against Coppin State. She also added four assists, four steals and three rebounds.

 

Tate-DeFreitas (G, 5-8, Fr., Harrisburg, Pa.) recorded her second-career 30-point game in a 93-59 win against Norfolk State. Tate-DeFreitas sank a career-high seven 3-pointers and was 11-of-22 from the floor to finish with 33 points, two rebounds and two steals against the Spartans.

 

Gordon (F, 6-0, Sr., Woodbridge, Va.) pulled down a total of 24 rebounds in a pair of conference games against Howard and Hampton. Gordon recorded 13 rebounds one block and one steal in 33 minutes against Howard. She also registered 11 rebounds and two blocks against Hampton.

 

Other Top Performers: 

 

Racquel Davis (NCCU) averaged 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in games against Florida A&M and South Carolina State.

 

Shavonne Duckett (Howard) averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals in games against Norfolk State and Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

Tiffany Gray (NCCU) grabbed 11 rebounds in a 57-51 win against South Carolina State.

 

Tracy King (NCAT) recorded 19 points, five rebounds and five steals in a 75-61 win against Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

Te’Shya Heslip (Howard) registered 14 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals in a loss to Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

Tyler Hobgood (Hampton) finished with nine rebounds, five points and five blocks in 16 minutes against Maryland Eastern Shore.

 

Taylor Houston (BCU) dropped in 22 points, eight rebounds and one steal in a 80-51 victory against Delaware State.

 

Logan Powell (NSU) registered 14 points and five rebounds in a loss to Howard.

 

Shawnee Sweeney (UMES) poured in 16 points, on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, in a 66-57 win against Howard.

 

Alexis Udoji (UMES) finished with nine rebounds, five points, four blocks and two steals against Howard.

 

Kailyn Williams (BCU) registered 11 points, nine boards, two assists, one block and one steal in a 66-60 win against Delaware State.

 

 

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

 

St. Aug Defends Titles at CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

2014 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships Men's 800m Finals

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Saint Augustine’s University successfully defended its men’s and women’s titles at the 2014 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the JDL Fast Track on Sunday, February 16 and Monday, February 17.

The Falcons picked up their 18th straight league crown and 29th overall. The Lady Falcons captured their second crown in a row and 18th in 19 seasons. Overall, the Falcons and Lady Falcons have amassed over 150 CIAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and 33 NCAA Division II Titles under legendary Head Coach George Williams.

"The ladies championship was very unexpected but I knew the guys would be strong since they were coming off a national championship", said Williams just before the awards ceremony.  "The ladies came in, stepped up and did the job.  This is a new, really young group that I have and they performed well and that makes me feel  good."

This year, the Falcons flew past the competition by a 95-point margin, outdistancing second place Virginia Union, 194-99.  Virginia State finished third (72 points) followed by Johnson C Smith, Lincoln, Bowie State and Livingstone.

SAU finished first in 10 events including 1-2 finishes in the 200m dash, 60m hurdles and a 1-2-3 finish in the 800m run.

The Falcon squad was so successful that three men from SAU tied for Most Valuable Field Performer.  DeJon Wilkinson, David Shaw and JaQuan Demiel finished the meet with the same individual point totals.

Virginia Union's Franck Charles was the Most Valuable Track Performer.

St. Aug's women (117 points) fought off challenges from Virginia State (90 points) Johnson C. Smith (87 points) and Winston-Salem State (81.5 points) to defend their title.  The Lady Falcons finished first in only the 4X400m relay but consistently placed second or third in nearly every other event.
Winston-Salem State's Tajanel McNeil was named MVP of field events after she won four titles.  Virginia State's Hughnique Rolle finished first in the 3000m run, mile run and 800m run to earn Most Valuable Track Performer honors.

COURTESY THECIAA.COM

Southern women seek ways to keep Coleman in offense

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana --  Southern coach Sandy Pugh didn’t think Kendra Coleman was getting enough shots during Saturday’s game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

But she had a simple solution — move her leading scorer and starting shooting guard to point guard. It paid off as Coleman scored a game-high 21 points in the Jaguars’ 77-68 victory.

Coleman has played point guard periodically throughout the season, but Pugh said Coleman could find herself at the point more often down the stretch, beginning when Southern (14-6 and 11-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) plays Mississippi Valley State (8-15, 7-5) at 5 p.m. Monday in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“When you move Kendra to the point, you go with a bigger lineup,” Pugh said. “So you’re always better defensively because you’re more athletic, you’re bigger, and instead of playing two little ones, you play one.

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