Hampton Pirates Win Crazy, High Scoring Affair at UMES

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – In a contest that was best described as crazy at times Monday evening, the Hampton University men's basketball team raced past Maryland Eastern Shore for a 104-89 win in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center.

The Pirates (16-11, 11-3 MEAC) have won five straight games and wound up 7-1 in road MEAC games this season. Hampton eclipsed the 100-point mark for the second time this season. The Pirates also scored 100 points on Dec. 29 when they defeated Winthrop 101-95 in double overtime.

Sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) led five Pirates in double figures with 20 points.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) poured in 14 points, thanks to four 3-pointers.

Sophomore forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore guard Breon Key (Hampton, Va.) each added 12 points. Pressley also had a team-high 12 rebounds.

Maxwell also had a team-high seven assists and two blocks.

In a game that featured nine technical fouls (five on UMES), the Pirates maintained control throughout much of the second half, despite UMES holding a 54-49 lead with 16:36 left. Hampton answered with a 7-0 run to take a 56-54 lead at the 15:33 mark after a fastbreak layup from Key.

Sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) added two free throws with 10:10 left to give the Pirates a 65-57 lead. Some of the oddities began at the 8:31 mark, when Kyree Jones was assessed a technical foul and ejected.

Double technical fouls were called at the 8:18 mark, and for the rest of the game, it seemed as if technical fouls were being handed out like candy.

Once things began to calm briefly, Maxwell added a pair of his own free throws at the 7:33 mark to give the Pirates a 75-61 lead, and Pressley slammed home a monster dunk with 6:51 left to give Hampton a 79-66 lead.

Devon Walker cut Hampton's lead to 83-75 with 4:19 left in the contest with a pair of free throws, and a Troy Snyder tip-in with 2:59 left cut the lead to 87-79. But the Pirates answered with another Pressley dunk, and he added a free throw for a 3-point play, giving Hampton a 90-79 lead with 2:50 remaining.

Maxwell dunked on his own with 1:32 left, putting Hampton up 94-79, but he was called for his second technical of the evening and ejected. Walker hit both free throws to cut the lead to 94-81.

Sophomore guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) gave the Pirates a 96-83 lead with a layup with 1:23 left, before back-to-back baskets from UMES cut that lead to 96-87 with 54 seconds left. Key stopped the momentum with a pair of free throws, and he added two more with 33 seconds left to give Hampton a 100-89 lead.

Meikle added a dunk two seconds later, before sophomore guard Miles Jackson (Silver Spring, Md.) hit two free throws with six seconds left to clinch the win.

The Pirates led 44-42 at halftime.

The Pirates shot 50.0 percent (33-for-66) from the floor and hit six of 15 3-pointers (40.0 percent). Hampton also went 32-for-43 from the free throw line, clocking in at 74.4 percent. Hampton also held a 45-30 edge in rebounding.

UMES (4-22, 2-11 MEAC) shot 43.8 percent (28-for-64) from the floor. Snyder led four Hawks in double figures with 23 points.

The Pirates will return to the HU Convocation Center on Saturday to take on rival Norfolk State at 6 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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Texas Southern Lady Tigers keep winning streak going with 67-64 victory over UAPB

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The Texas Southern University women's basketball team won their 12th consecutive game defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff in impressive fashion on the road Monday night 67-64.

TSU's Jazzmin Parker erupted for 27 points going an efficient 9-of-15 from the floor while connecting on 5-of-7 free throw attempts. The Lady Tigers and Lady Lions went into the break tied at 30 after a back and forth half between the two teams.

Texas Southern took a 66-58 advantage after a Brianna Sidney three point basket with 47 seconds left to play in regulation. The Lady Lions chipped away at the lead after two successful late three pointers from Christina Lasane.

A three point attempt by UAPB in the closing seconds fell short as Texas Southern got the win on the road while moving into first place in the SWAC regular season race with a 13-1 overall conference mark.

The Lady Tigers will now get set to host their final two home games of the 2013-14 campaign as they get set to face Alabama A&M and Alabama State respectively. TSU will host AAMU on Saturday, March 1st at the H&PE Arena at 5:30 pm.

BOX SCORE

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Sailing Finishes Fourth in Hampton Pirates 3-on-3

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University sailing team opened its spring 2014 slate on Saturday and Sunday with a fourth-place finish in the Pirates 3-on-3 Team Race at Strawberry Banks.

The Pirates went 2-3 on the weekend.

Hampton won challenges against Christopher Newport and Virginia, while only falling to Navy by one point and two points each to SUNY Maritime and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Veronica Maccari, Giuditta Di Laghi, and Kimannee Simon were the skippers, while Joshua Gopeesingh, Ramatoulie Sallah-Mohammed, and Albert Berk Toledo served on the crew.

Navy and SUNY Maritime each ended the weekend with a 4-1 mark.

The Pirates will be in Norfolk, Va. this Saturday and Sunday for the ODU Spring Open. For more information on Hampton University sailing, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Lady Panthers Fight Back To Defeat MVSU, Sweeps Road Trip

GREENWOOD, Mississippi – Playing in a hostile environment, the Prairie View A&M women's basketball team battled back from a nine-point second half deficit with clutch free throw shooting for a 73-70 win over Mississippi Valley State Monday night in the LeFlore County Civic Center.

Needing only six points to score her 1,000th career point, junior guard Jeanette Jackson wasted no time in doing so as her second trey of the game at the 14:56 mark gave PVAMU a four-point lead and the record in only her third year as a Lady Panther.

With the feat behind her, the Lady Panthers got back to business as treys by Jackson and LaReahn Washington upped their lead to 19-13 with 8:12 remaining. The PVAMU defense continued to come through from that point as they forced two more MVSU turnovers that led to a 21-13 lead on Washington's layup a minute later.

MVSU scored the next four points on an Ashley Beals' free throw and Olivia Kennedy's trey to close its gap to 21-17 at the 5:50 mark. However, Washington countered with another three-pointer followed by a free throw from Alexus Parker to lead 25-17.

MVSU's Joncyee Sanders answered with a jumper for a six-point PVAMU lead but the Lady Panthers kept charging as Parker hit another free throw along with a Shaneece Stephens' basket to lead 28-19 with 4:45 left in the first half.

Despite the solid start, the Lady Panthers lost momentum after their run as MVSU closed out the first half on a 10-3 run for a 31-29 PVAMU halftime lead.

MVSU's Danielle Clark opened the second half with a three-point play for a 32-31 lead. Two free throws by Parker gave PVAMU the lead for a brief second until a Joncyee Sanders' basket gave MVSU a 34-33 advantage. Prairie View A&M struggled from the field as the half began as they were 0-for-6 until Gabrielle Scott's basket for a 35-34 PVAMU advantage.

MVSU reclaimed the lead on the ensuing possession until a free throw by Jackson knotted the contest at 36-all with 16:27 remaining. PVAMU continued its cold streak as they would hit only one field goal over the next six minutes while MVSU heated up and put together an 11-4 run to claim a 51-42 advantage with 10:55 remaining after a three-pointer from Joncyee Sanders.

PVAMU fought back with a 10-4 run to claw back within 55-52 with 7:53 left. From that point, the Lady Panthers put on a free throw shooting clinic to chip away at the lead as Shamiaya Brooks and Parker hit four straight to draw within 58-56 at the 6:26 mark. A MVSU trey upped the margin to 61-56 but Parker put the team on her back with back-to-back treys to reclaim a 62-61 margin.

MVSU countered with a pair of baskets to move ahead 65-62 but Gabrielle Scott closed the margin to 65-64 on a layup. A MVSU free throw upped the score to 66-64 but Scott once again was money from the charity stripe with a pair of baskets to knot the game at 66-all with 2:45 left.

The PVAMU defense forced another turnover and a Devilette foul led to two free throws from Washington and a 68-66 lead. On the ensuing possession, MVSU was harassed by the PVAMU defense at halfcourt and the ball landed in the hands of Gabrielle Scott, who pushed it up the court and was fouled for a three-point play the old-fashioned way.

Scott's basket gave PVAMU a 71-66 lead but the lead was cut to 71-69 12 seconds later on a Kennedy trey.

The contest got sloppy over the final 1:58 as both teams combined for three turnovers and four missed shot attempts. With 10 seconds left, MVSU's Joncyee Sanders was fouled and had a chance to tie the game but hit only 1-of-2 baskets for a 71-70 margin.

MVSU opted to foul Brooks with eight seconds left and the Georgia native made them pay as she hit both free throws for the final margin as MVSU's three-point attempt fell short at the buzzer.

PVAMU once again received a balanced scoring effort as Jackson led the way with 19 points and four steals. Parker followed with 18 points while Washington chipped in with 12. Both Brooks and Gabrielle Scott added 11 points apiece.

The Lady Panthers return home this Saturday for a match-up versus Alabama A&M at 3 p.m. in the Baby Dome. The team will honor its two seniors in LaReahn Washington and Tonisha Lacey on Saturday.

BOX SCORE

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NSU Comes Away with 66-60 Win Over Howard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Norfolk State erased an eight-point deficit early in the second half and then held off a late rally by Howard as the Spartan men's basketball team downed the Bison 66-60 on Monday night at Burr Gymnasium.

The Spartans trailed by eight at the intermission and then again early in the second half after the teams traded 3-pointers. Over the next eight and a half minutes, though, the Spartans limited the Bison to just one bucket during a 17-2 run that put NSU up by seven.

The Spartans led by as many as 11 with five and a half minutes to go, but Howard put up one last fight with an 11-2 run to get to within two with 2:32 on the clock. NSU scored the last four points of the game to hold on to the win, and more importantly move into sole possession of third place in the MEAC at 10-3 following Morgan State's loss on Monday night.



The victory, the fourth in the last five games for the Spartans, moved their overall record to 16-11 and guaranteed NSU a winning record for the season for the third year in a row.

NSU shot 21-of-47 for the game (44.7 percent) and also had a big edge in free throw attempts, hitting 19-of-31 compared to just a 6-of-12 effort from the Bison.

Senior Riley Maye finished one point short of his career high with 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting off the bench. Seniors Anell Alexis and Pendarvis Williams added 13 and 12 points, respectively, while junior Kievyn Lila-St. Rose also scored in double figures with 10.

Alexis hit 6-of-6 from the free throw line, part of a 9-of-12 effort on the night, during that big second-half run for NSU, and Maye closed it out with a pair of free throws and a bucket for a 44-37 lead at 10:39. Marcel Boyd's 3-point play for Howard finally ended that drought, but just as the Bison got to within four, NSU scored 12 of the game's next 17 points.

Maye sank a 3-pointer to give NSU its largest advantage of the night at 11, 60-49, with 5:29 left in the game.

James Daniel scored 13 straight points to get the Bison to within two at 62-60 with 2:32 to go before Howard went cold the rest of the game.

Daniel finished with a game-high 20 points. Howard finished the night 23-of-58 (39.7 percent) from the floor, including 8-of-21 from beyond the arc.

The first half was marred by a nearly six-minute stretch when neither team scored. Howard's Solomon Mangham drained a shot from beyond the arc with 12:49 on the clock to finally kick-start the scoring.

The Bison held the lead for six minutes, jumping ahead by six at one point before NSU tied it up at 19-19 on a trey from Williams with 4:40 before the half. After a bucket from senior Brandon Goode gave NSU a two-point lead, the Bison closed out the first half on an 13-3 run to take a 32-24 lead into the break.

Goode ended the night just short of his third straight double-double with eight points and nine boards. He helped NSU finish with a 39-31 edge on the boards.

NSU will play its last road game of the year at Hampton on Saturday at the HU Convocation Center at 6 p.m.

Box Score

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
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YSU Starts Two Game Series at Alabama State Tuesday Night

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Youngstown State baseball team will continue its eight-game road trip with two contests at Alabama State on Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch for both games will be at 7 p.m. Eastern, and live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/alasu/baseball/.

Junior left-hander Austin Lujano will make his first start as a Penguin against the Hornets on Tuesday, and junior right-hander Ryan Krokos will start on Wednesday. Lujano pitched two scoreless innings of relief against UAB in the season opener last Friday, and Krokos allowed an unearned run in two-thirds of an inning on Saturday. Alabama State will counter with junior righty Mike Estevez on Tuesday and either freshman southpaw Patrick Coffin or freshman right-hander Drake Hloska on Wednesday.

The Penguins were swept at UAB in their first series of the season over the weekend, falling 4-2, 4-0 and 7-3. YSU had seven position players and five pitchers make their YSU and Division I debuts during the series, and several veterans adjusted to new positions. Perhaps the most encouraging part of the weekend was the pitching staff, particularly the bullpen. YSU's relief pitchers allowed just one earned run on 11 hits in 12.1 innings against the Blazers.

Alabama State starts an 11-game home stand with Tuesday's game against YSU. The Hornets won two of three at home against Eastern Kentucky to start the season, and it beat South Alabama and Auburn on the road on Feb. 18-19. Alabama State then split a four-game series at Pacific over the weekend. Junior outfielder Richard Amion is the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Week, and redshirt freshman Tyler Howe is the SWAC's Pitcher of the Week.

Following the two-game series at Alabama State, YSU will travel to Cary, N.C. to play three games at the USA Baseball-Irish Classic. The Penguins will play Appalachian State on Friday, Notre Dame on Saturday and North Carolina State on Sunday.

COURTESY YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Source: Walker acting AD at WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Tonia Walker, the associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator at Winston-Salem State University, has been named the acting director of athletics, replacing Bill Hayes.

Coaches were told of the move at a short meeting Monday, according to a person close to the athletics department who had knowledge of the change but asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the move.

Another person close to the athletics department, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that Walker, not Hayes, attended the CIAA basketball tournament luncheon at the Charlotte Convention Center on Monday. Athletics directors generally attend the luncheon, at which All-CIAA basketball players are honored.

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The CIAA Releases Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament Pairings and Times; Watch Live Action at Live Stream

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is proud to announce the seeding for the 2014 Men's and Women's Basketball Championship, February 25 through March 1, at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C. Tournament tickets are still available for purchase by visiting the Ticketmaster website.

Women's Bracket | Men's Bracket

Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Women
#4S Saint Augustine’s vs. #5N Elizabeth City State 10:00 a.m.
#3N Virginia Union vs. #6S Livingstone 12:20 p.m.
#3S Winston-Salem State vs. #6N Lincoln (PA) 2:40 p.m.
#4N Chowan vs. #5S Johnson C. Smith 5:00 p.m.

Men
#5S Johnson C. Smith vs. #6N Virginia Union 7:20 p.m.
#5N Chowan vs. #6S Saint Augustine’s 9:40 p.m.

ciaa on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Wednesday, February 26
Women’s Quarterfinals
#2N Bowie State vs. 3N/6S winner 10:00 a.m.
#2S Shaw vs. 3S/6N winner 12:20 p.m.
#1S Fayetteville State vs. 4N/5S winner 2:40 p.m.
#1N Virginia State vs. 4S/5N winner 5:00 p.m.

Men
#4S Shaw vs. 5N/6S winner 7:20 p.m.
#4N Virginia Sate. vs 5S/6N winner 9:40 p.m.

Thursday, February 27
Men’s Quarterfinals
#1S Livingstone vs. 4S/5N/6S 1:00 p.m.
#1N Bowie State vs. 4N/5S/6N 3:00 p.m.
#2N Lincoln (PA) vs. #3S Fayetteville State 7:00 p.m.
#2S Winston-Salem State vs. #3N Elizabeth City State 9:00 p.m.


Friday, February 28
Women’s Semifinals
1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Men’s Semifinals
7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 1
Women’s Championship - 5:00 p.m.

Men’s Championship - 8:30 p.m.

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No. 6 XU beats No. 5 Brenau; Ewell rallies twice to clinch

Simone-Alyse Ewell
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
H.S: The Roeper School

MOBILE, Alabama -- Sophomore Simone-Alyse Ewell rallied in the second and third sets of singles Monday to clinch Xavier University of Louisiana's 5-4 victory against Brenau in a matchup of ranked NAIA women's tennis opponents.

The Gold Nuggets (4-4), ranked sixth, snapped a two-dual losing streak and recorded their first-ever victory in five attempts against the fifth-ranked Tigers (4-1).

Ewell, playing at the fifth flight, defeated Valeria Savina 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 after trailing 5-2 in the second set and 4-1 in the third.

"I had two options -- let the deficit get the best of me or relax and play like it was 0-0," Ewell said. "I just kept focusing. In the third set I tried to put a lot of pressure on my opponent. I was hitting approach shots and coming to the net. I was volleying for winners or forcing my opponent into errors."

"My teammates were there cheering for me every point, and that helped a lot, too."

Ewell won in three sets for the first time at Xavier. As a freshman she played three three-set matches, losing two with the other not completed. Ewell said she had not won in three sets since a juniors tournament about four years ago.

"Simone had an amazing match. Probably her best since she's come to Xavier," XU coach Alan Green said. "It came at a perfect time, because we needed it."

Xavier won 2-of-3 doubles matches -- Ewell and Amber Brown won 8-6 against Savina and Kelley Cohron at No. 3 -- and got singles victories from freshmen Nour Abbes and Sha'Nel Bruins.

Ewell was the only XU player to win in doubles and singles.

Abbes improved to 7-0 with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory against Dominika Jasova at the top flight. Bruins beat Cohron 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 for her team-leading eighth singles victory of the season, which includes fall tournaments.

Brion Flowers and Brandi Nelson earned their first victory as doubles team, 9-7 at No. 2 against Maria Perdomo-Medina and Stephanie Moniz. Flowers also went three sets in singles, losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to Zalina Nazarova at No. 3. That tied the dual at four victories apiece.

"It was a tough, grueling day for us," Green said. "It was as even a match as it could be. We did not have the fast start we had last night against Southeastern (Louisiana). All the doubles were tight. Brenau deserves a lot of credit for that (Coach) Andre (Ferreira) had his team ready to play. But we gutted it out."

It was Xavier's second victory of the season against a top-5 opponent. The Gold Nuggets won 9-0 at then-No. 2 William Carey on Feb. 14.

Xavier's next duals will be Saturday in Jackson, Miss., against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents Fisk at 10 a.m. and Tougaloo at 2 p.m. The Gold Nuggets' next home dual will start at 2 p.m. on March 12 against Oral Roberts at XU Tennis Center.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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WSSU officials: Hayes is still AD

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- A familiar face has been missing from recent games at Winston-Salem State, and that was evident Saturday night when Bill Hayes, the energetic athletics director, was not at the Gaines Center for Senior Night of the women’s-men’s basketball doubleheader.

In fact, Hayes, 70, hasn’t been around for at least the last two weeks.

Officials in the athletics department have said he has been on vacation.

Kevin Manns, an assistant athletics director in charge of sports information, said as far as he knew, Hayes is still the athletics director.

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XU's Goode performances make him GCAC Player of Week

ANTHONY GOODE
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
H.S: Millford Mill Academy

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Goode is the first this season from Xavier University of Louisiana to be selected Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball.

Goode, a 6-foot junior guard from Baltimore and a graduate of Milford Mill Academy, earned the award for Feb. 17-23 after averaging 22 points during Xavier's 2-0 week. Goode scored 24 points, including the first five of overtime, in a 103-99 home victory against then-NAIA No. 24 Philander Smith this past Monday, then scored 20 points on 8-of-10 from the floor in an 83-61 home victory against Tougaloo on Saturday.

He is the first Xavier player this season to record back-to-back 20-point games. For the week, Goode shot 52 percent from the floor and 88.2 percent from the line. He made 12-of-13 free throws against Philander Smith.

Goode, in his first season at Xavier, is averaging 9.4 points in 27 games with eight starts. He averaged a team-best 16.3 points in the past 10 games.

Xavier is 20-7 and ranked 14th in NAIA Division I. The Gold Rush will play Belhaven (14-12) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center. Xavier will close the regular season with a 5 p.m. Saturday game at conference and city rival Dillard, then play host to the GCAC Tournament from March 6-9.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Live stats / XU men's basketball vs. Belhaven, 6 p.m.

TSU's Leonard, Edwards Compete in NFL Combine

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Over the weekend, two former Tennessee State football players took part in the 2014 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tight end A.C. Leonard impressed many media members, scouts and coaches when he ran an unofficial time of 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash. That would have been the third fastest time by a tight end since the NFL began recording times in 1999.

Leonard’s official time was 4.50 seconds.

The former Tiger continued his impressive display of athleticism with a broad jump of 10.8 inches and 20 reps in the bench press, which were the best marks by a tight end.

The Jacksonville, Fla. native also turned in a great performance in the vertical leap with a jump of 34 inches. That hop was the third highest among tight ends at this year’s event.

Kadeem Edwards also took part in the combine activities and came out well with a 5.25 second 40-yard dash, 26 reps in the bench press and a 27 inch vertical jump.

Edwards also had a broad jump of 99 inches, a 7.95 second time in the three cone drill and completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.82 seconds.

The former Tigers will meet with NFL teams before taking part in Tennessee State’s Pro Day in March.

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Jasmine Grice Leads NCAA DI: Chasing FAMU Greats

Star point guard joining some illustrious company in the Lady Rattler
history book in her final season in the Orange and Green in the steals category

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –-  Florida A&M University point guard Jasmine Grice is making a run at the Lady Rattler Basketball history book with three regular season games left in her final season.

The former All-State guard from nearby Quincy, Florida’s East Gadsden High School, who was voted Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Co-Player of the Year prior to the start of this season, is currently leading NCAA Division One in steals with101 in 27 games (3.7 average).

That puts her 9th on the FAMU Single Season Steals list, just one steal ahead of her 10th place standing of 100 steals in 30 games in 2013.

Grice’s nation-leading pace puts her on track to become the third Lady Rattler to lead the nation in steals.

Should she run the table in the steals chase, she would join NCAA Career Steals leader Natalie “Pocketbook” White (1992, 1994, 1995) and Shelly Boston (1990, 1991), who combined to lead the nation in steals five times in a scintillating six-year span.

Grice stands fifth (5th) in FAMU career steals with 255 in 99 games, trailing Hall of Famer and fellow Gadsden County native Cathy Robinson’s 294 steals from 1992 to 1996.

NOTE: Grice also ranks 7th nationally in scoring, averaging 24.6 points per game.

Previous Lady Rattlers of Larceny
Boston, a Seattle, Washington native, played three seasons between 1988 and 1991, recording 416 career steals, before passing the torch to White, a Fort Valley, Georgia native, who made an immediate splash setting an NCAA freshman record with 143 steals in 1992.

That 1992 season saw the Georgia Peach set the single game Division One steals record with 14 at South Alabama in Mobile, a mark which remains in the NCAA history book.

White finished her career with 624 steals, still the NCAA Career high, one of six single game, single season and career NCAA, MEAC and FAMU records she still holds.

White and Boston were proceeded in the steals competition by April Manning (1984-88), who finished third on the FAMU career steals list with 351, and was the first Lady Rattler to make a run at an individual NCAA title, finishing one (1) steal shy (132), behind Alabama State’s Neacole Hall (133) in 1988.


FAMU Career Steals
Name (Years) No.
1. Natalie White (1991-95) 624
2. Shelly Boston (1988-91) 416
3. April Manning (1984-88) 351
4. Cathy Robinson (1992-96) 294
5. Jasmine Grice (2010-14) 255
6. Donyale Ferguson (1988-91) 252
7. Glenda Lee (1996-00) 224
    Crystal Worlds (1997-00) 224
9. Tene Miller (2001, 2003-05) 209
10. Linda Thomas 204
     Antonia Bennett 204
12. Valerie Robinson 193
13. Monika Williams (1991-95) 189
14. Gail Myrick (1983-87) 185
15. Deidra Jones (2006-10) 182
16. Demetria McMillian (1989-93) 181

Single Season Steals
Name (Years) No.
1. Natalie White (1995)* 191
2. Natalie White (1994)* 172
3. Shelly Boston (1990)* 160
4. Natalie White (1992)* 143
5. Shelly Boston (1991)* 142
6. April Manning (1988) 132
7. Natalie White (1993) 118
8. Shelly Boston (1989) 104
9. Jasmine Grice (2014)* 101
10. Jasmine Grice (2013) 100
11. Donyale Ferguson (1991) 97
12. Cathy Robinson (1995) 91
[*] NCAA leader in steals.

 

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TSU Tigers Concludes Play at the Tiger Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The 2014 Tiger Classic closed out with Tennessee State dropping its final two games. The Tigers came up short in its comeback bid against Dayton. The Flyers held on to a 4-3 win, before Indiana State would step on the field to take a 3-0 decision from the Tigers.

TSU drops to 4-11 as Dayton improved to 3-7 and Indiana State moved to 5-3.

The Tigers found themselves behind right from the start in both games. In the first game, Dayton used a three-run home run to gain the early advantage. TSU would leave five runners on base over the first four innings before they could break through in the fifth.

With one out, the Tigers received three consecutive hits from Courtney Gearlds, Kiarra Freeman and Jayna Hanawahine to load the bases. Lindsey Burgess was able to drive a ball deep enough to center allowing Gearlds to step on home plate and cutting the Flyers lead to 3-1.

Dayton extended the lead back to three with an unearned run in the top of the seventh. With the task in hand, the Tigers started working into the Flyers lead in their final at bat. With one out, Gearlds and Freeman put together back-to-back singles before moving up one base as Hanawahine reached on an error. A Burgess single to centerfield moved all the runners 60-feet, making the score 4-2, as Gearlds crossed home. Kate Morris produced another run for the Tigers with a sacrifice fly to center, plating Freeman to make the score 4-3. That would be as close as the Tigers could get as Rebekka Gross flew out the left field to end the game.

Shea Morris (3-5) worked five innings, picking up four strikeouts opposed to three hits and a walk. Olivia Gamache worked the final two innings surrendering an unearned run on one hit and one walk.

The Tigers outhit Dayton 9-4, but was not able to take advantage of the hit advantage by leaving nine runners on base.

TSU found themselves down after the top of the first inning in the nightcap as the Sycamores manufactured a run off Gamache. The Tigers tried to answer back in the bottom of the first inning, but would strand two runners on base. Four of the final six innings saw the Tigers reach base, only to end each inning empty handed. TSU left six runners on base as the Sycamores held the Tiger lineup to four hits, a walk and a hit batsman.

Indiana State added two more insurance runs in the fifth inning off Gamache. The Sycamores touched the senior hurler for three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks 4.2 innings. Shea Morris worked the final 2.1 innings fanning two, while giving up a hit to the first batter she faced.

The two strikeouts for Morris gives her 435 in her career, three short of the all-time TSU mark set by Amanda Vaught.

On the weekend, Burgess batted .571, as she finished 8-of-14 with a double, a home run, three walks and four RBI.

The Tigers will travel to Statesboro, Ga., to take part of the Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern. Play begins on Friday, Feb. 28.

2014 Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team

MVP: Taylor Lockwood, Indiana State
Morgan Allee, Indiana State
Erika Crissman, Indiana State
Tiffany Ricks, Dayton
Gabrielle Snyder, Dayton
Miranda Castiglione, Youngstown State
Casey Crozier, Youngstown State
Kelsey Dominik, Temple
Sarah Prezioso, Temple
Sabrina Gamboa, Western Michigan
Lindsey Burgess, Tennessee State 

Tiger Classic - Day One – Results

Game 1 - Dayton 3, Temple 2

Game 2 – Western Michigan 14, Dayton 2

Game 3 - Temple 11, Western Michigan 3 (5)      

Game 4 – Youngstown State 1, Tennessee State 0

Tiger Classic – Day Two – Results

Game 5 – Indiana State 5, Youngstown State 4

Game 6 – Dayton 9, Youngstown State 3

Game 7 – Western Michigan 3, Tennessee State 2

Game 8 – Indiana State 7, Dayton 3

Game 9 – Temple 8, Western Michigan 4

Game 10 – Tennessee State 7, Temple 5

Tiger Classic – Day Three – Results

Game 11 – Youngstown State 5, Western Michigan 1

Game 12 – Indiana State 6, Temple 0

Game 13 – Dayton 4, Tennessee State 3

Game 14 – Indiana State 3, Tennessee State 0

BOX SCORE TSU vs, DAYTON
BOX SCORE TSU vs. INDIANA STATE

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

GSU Wins Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Championship ended with Grambling State lifting the title crown on Sunday at the Birmingham Crossplex. The Tigers have now won four out of the last league championships.

GSU head coach Bertram Lovell was named the 2014 Indoor Track and Field Men's Coach of the Year. Grambling State picked up the win with 98 points with Alabama State finishing second with 70 points. Mississippi Valley State notched third place in the team standings with 79 pints. Rounding out the final team standings include: Prairie View A&M (76), Texas Southern (72), Southern (65), Jackson State (52), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (50), Alabama A&M (15) and Alcorn State (14).

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S CHAMPIONS
Courtesy SWAC.ORG

Weight ThrowD'Wayne Houston of Southern began the day by taking the crown in the Weight Throw. He won the event with a toss of 17.88m (58-08.00). Lee Thrasher of Alabama State was second with a throw of 17.50m (57-05.00), while Reginald Redding of Southern claimed third at 16.65m (54-07.50).

60m Hurdles
For the second consecutive season, Bentrell McGee of Jackson State just missed the meet record in the 60 meter hurdles. He clocked in at 7.92 which is identical to his finishing time a year ago. The record of 7.91 still stands. Michael Prejean (Prairie View) came in second at 7.98 with Darrius Davis (Grambling State crossed the line third at 8.10.

60m
Devin Jenkins came in first place and tied last year’s record of 6.66 in the 60m Dash. Kameron Cowan (GSU) and Jatarius Harris (Mississippi Valley State) tied for a second place finish at 6.76. Alernon Watkins (Alabama A&M) rounded out the top three at 6.90.

1600m
Matthew Agard claimed first place for UAPB with a time of 4:25.09. Sorone Batiste (PVAMU) came in second place at 4:26.10. Shockingly, last season’s winner and record holder Daniel Kibet (MVSU) came in third place at 4:27.86.

400m
Jamael McTear (GSU) came in first place at 48.20 followed by Jeff Lacroix and Michael Holmes of TSU with finishing times of 48.82 and 48.93 for a second and third place finish respectively.

800m
Darius Taylor (GSU) came in first place at 1:55.78 followed by ASU teammates Carlos Flores and Bryont Brown that finished at 1:57.03 and 1:57.04 respectively.

Triple Jump
Preston Woodard of Prairie View won the Triple Jump with a leap of 15.53m (50-11.50) followed by Tometrick Hemmingway (JSU) 14.61m (47-11.25) and Darryl Jones (Alcorn) 14.59 (47.10.50)

5000m Run
Kibet (MVSU) crossed the line at 16.20.30 for a first place finish followed Issac Romero (TSU) at 16.24.23 and Agard (UAPB) 16.27.87.

200m Dash
Devin Jenkins (Southern) clocked in at 20.92 with a first place in the 200m Dash. Kameron Cowan and Jamael McTear of (GSU) went on to finish second and third respectively with times of 21.11 and 21.67.

Pole Vault
Christopher Amisial of Alabama State broke his own record at 4.15m (13-07.25) but also tied with Jawalyn Brooks (TSU) for first place. James Bickham (PVAMU) came in second at 3.85 (12-07.50). Sylvester Byrd came in third place at 3.75m (12-03.50)

1600m Relay
Alabama State earned the first place spot in the 4x400 Meter Relay clocking in at 3:15.42 followed by Texas Southern’s time of 3:15.47. Prairie View A&M came in third place at 3:17.02.

 

FINAL RESULTS

 

COURTESY SWAC.ORG 

Alabama State Claims Women's 2014 Indoor Track and Field Title

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- Alabama State University made it five in a row at the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex. The Lady Hornets have now won five in a row making it their ninth overall conference title.

Head Coach Ritchie Bean was again named SWAC Indoor Track and Field Women's Coach of the Year.

The Lady Hornets captured the title with 212 points followed by Texas Southern with 86 points. Prairie View A&M rounded the top three with 71.5 points. Closing out the team scoring - Southern (70), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (53), Grambling State (42.5), Mississippi Valley State (34), Jackson State (28), Alcorn State (14) and Alabama A&M (9).

FINAL RESULTS

60m Hurdles
Tershauna Broadnax darted to a first place finish in the 60 meter dash. She left last season’s mark behind with a finish of 8.51. Narricka Williams (ASU) came in second at 8.66 followed by Jeressa Mathis (Texas Southern) who placed third with a time of 8.70.

60m Dash
Latrice Lee (ASU) won the 60 meter dash which marks back to back seasons a Lady Hornet finished first. Her time was 7.59. Teammate Alexis Ferebee followed with a second place finish at 7.64. Tonia Mckinley (Southern) clocked in at 7.69 to finish third.

1600m
Ninfa Barnard of UAPB broke her own record from a season ago clocking in at 5:03.99. Joyce Chumo (MVSU) came in second at 5:05.06 followed by Artrailia Lesane at 5:06.70.

Pole Vault
Quinta Collier (ASU) won the event thowing a 2.81m (9-02.50. Melissa Pena (TSU) and Mahogany Cullins both placed third at 2.71m (8-10.75). Kimberly Valmyre (JSU) came in third place 2.61m (8-06.75)

400m
Alexis Ferebee (ASU) finished first at 55.27 with Whitney McDonald (TSU) coming in second at 55.42. Kimberly Wedderburn (ASU) came in third place with a time of 55.51

800m
Tatiana Etienne (ASU) broke last season’s record set by Ninfa Barnard (UAPB) by finishing first with a time of 2:12.21 in the 800m Dash. This year Barnard crossed the line second (2:12.64) while Tierra McGowan came in third at 2:13.51.

Weight Throw
Ashley Parker of Prairie View and Samone Coaxum of Grambling tied for first in the Weight Throw. Both ladies had throws of 14.38m (47-02.25). Emma Lee Tigner of Alabama A&M picked up third place with a toss of 13.79m (45-03.00).

200m
ASU swept the 200m Dash event. Latrice Lee came in first at 24.59, followed by Santina Williams who finished second at 24.70 along with Alexis Ferebee who came in third at 24.85.

Triple Jump
Kadijah Gordon (ASU) jumped her way into a first place finish at 11.98m (39-03.75). Terralyn Johnson (TSU) 11.96m (39-03.00) finished second followed by teammate Trisha Williams 11.62m (38-01.50)

3000m
Paige Rankine of Alabama State shattered her own record clocking in at 17:38.59. Chumo (MVSU) came in second 17.57.67 while Lesane (ASU) finished third at 18.39.21.

4x400m Relay
The Alabama State 4x400 took home the first place finish followed by Texas Southern and last season’s winner Prairie View A&M.




COURTESY SWAC.ORG

Raising awareness about historically black colleges and universities

STANFORD, California  -- Chantal Winston is a junior at Palo Alto's Gunn High School, where she helped to start Gunn's Black Student Union. She's thinking hard about college and spent part of Saturday attending a Black College Awareness Fair on the Stanford University campus.

"I've lived in Palo Alto all my life, and there are not many black students at Gunn," said Chantal. "It would be nice to go to a college or university where there are more people like me."

California is known for Stanford, a host of other elite private universities and the vast University of California and California State University systems. But the Golden State lacks an "HBCU," or Historically Black College and University, and many Bay Area high school students may overlook such colleges when applying to schools. There are 81 private HBCUs, all located east of the Mississippi River. The vast majority are in the South.

For 24 years, the Black College Awareness Fair has been sponsored by the Rho Delta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the first sorority founded by black women, at Howard University in 1908.

"We hold this event at Stanford for the exposure," said Saidah Grayson, a Stanford alum and president of the sorority's Rho Delta Omega campus, which is based in Palo Alto. "There are no HBCUs in California.

CONTINUE READING

ASU's Crowell Has Solid Showing at NFL Combine

Isaiah Crowell

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- After rushing for almost 2,000 yards and 30 touchdowns at Alabama State, former ASU running back Isaiah Crowell had his day before the NFL coaches, general managers and scouts before a live television audience on the NFL Network.

The running backs that were invited to the combine had their day on Sunday being tested in the 40-yard dash, 225 pound bench press, vertical jump and broad jump.

Speed may be the largest test that is looked at and Crowell ran an unofficial time of 4.50 in the 40-yard dash and ran an official time of 4.57 which was tied for the 16th fastest time among the running backs at the combine.

Crowell had a vertical jump of 38.0" (3'-2") which was tied for the fourth best jump and he was also tied for fourth in the bench presss when he pressed the 225 pounds set of weights 23 times.

In the day's broad jump test, Crowell was able to jump from a standing position 117.0" (9'-9") which was the 21st best standing broad jump effort.

Crowell will now go back into training and will work towards the National Football League(NFL) Draft which will be held Friday May 8-Sunday May 10.

The first round will be held on Friday with rounds two and three on Saturday and Sunday will see rounds four through seven completed.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Norfolk State Spartans Outduels Coppin State 73-68

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  A late 17-point advantage dwindled down to single digits, but the Norfolk State men's basketball team was still too much for Coppin State in a 73-68 victory over the Eagles on Saturday afternoon at the Physical Education Complex.

The Spartans pulled away from CSU in the latter stages of the second half, pushing their lead to a game-high 17 with less than five minutes to go. The Eagles had a late response, hitting several 3-pointers and free throws to cut NSU's lead to as few as three points with less than 10 seconds left.

CSU, though, ran out of time in its comeback attempt, and the Spartans improved their record to 15-11 overall, 9-3 in the MEAC.

Three different players scored 15 points on the afternoon for NSU, which also connected on exactly 50 percent from the field. Senior scoring leaders Pendarvis Williams, Malcolm Hawkins and Brandon Goode each tallied 15 points for the Spartans, while Goode also completed the double-double with 11 boards.



Taariq Cephas led CSU (9-18, 6-8) with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but the Eagles connected on just 20-of-55 overall (36.4 percent), including 10-of-30 from 3-point range.

NSU held a 41-23 edge on the boards and outscored the Eagles 26-10 in points in the paint. The Spartans hit 27-of-54 for the afternoon.

A 3-pointer from junior Kievyn Lila-St. Rose opened up the second half scoring and gave NSU its first double-digit lead of the day. CSU got to within four thanks to a 9-2 run, but the Eagles had just one field goal in more than 10 minutes of action as NSU began to pull away.

The Spartans began that stretch with a 13-3 run, but CSU's free throw shooting – the Eagles finished 18-of-21 for the game – kept them close enough to make its late run. Buckets by Goode and senior Marese Phelps twice put NSU up by 17, the latter at 64-47 with 4:45 left in the game.

A trey from Williams with three and a half minutes left was NSU's only basket within the last four minutes of the game. Cephas scored seven straight for the Eagles to get to within single digits. Andre Armstrong then hit a trey and a pair of free throws in the last 30 seconds of the game, and another 3-pointer from Michael Murray with nine seconds to go made it 71-68 in favor of NSU.

Hawkins, in his first game back after missing four straight, went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe late in the game to seal the win.

Sophomore RaShid Gaston nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine boards for the Spartans.

Armstrong added 13 points for CSU, and Murray totaled nine points and seven boards. Sterling Smith also scored in double figures with 14. Coppin State also had just nine turnovers, compared to 17 for NSU, which led to a 24-11 advantage in points off turnovers.

In the first half, neither team had more than a four-point lead until Williams scored eight straight for NSU for a 28-21 lead with 6:45 to go before intermission. Goode followed by scoring the last seven points for the Spartans, who went into the half up 35-27.

The Spartans will take on Howard on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C.

Box Score

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

NSU Spartans Rally in 10th for 5-4 Win over Quinnipiac

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- After yielding the go-ahead runs in the top of the 10th, host Norfolk State rallied with three in the bottom of the frame to pull off a 5-4 win over Quinnipiac in Saturday's final game of the Spartan Baseball Classic.

Zach Markel tied the game with a two-out RBI single, then scored the winning run on the Bobcats' second error of the inning and fifth of the game to give the Spartans (1-4) their first win of the year.
With the game tied 2-2 heading into extras, Quinnipiac took advantage of four walks, two with the bases loaded, to claim a 4-2 lead.

But NSU bounced back in the bottom of the frame. Freshman third baseman Justin Burrell doubled to lead off the inning off Bobcats' reliever Joseph Scaglione. One batter later, he scored on a single by Justin Lee to cut the deficit in half. After Killian Strenn struck out, Lee advanced to second on a wild pitch. Markel then lined a 2-2 pitch from Scaglione into center field, scoring Lee to knot the game at 4-all.

Cameron Day then walked and Ross Cardwell reached on a throwing error by Quinnipiac to load the bases. Denathan Dukes then grounded one to short and the Bobcats mishandled it, allowing Markel to score the winning run.

The wild 10th inning capped a back-and-forth game. Quinnipiac scored a pair of runs in the top of the second. A walk, infield single and hit batsmen loaded the bases with no outs. Louis Ianotti plated the game's first run with a sacrifice fly, and Mike Blumenthal's two-out RBI double made it 2-0.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh, when the Spartans strung together a clutch two-out rally. Quinnipiac reliever Matthew Lorenzetti retired the first two batters of the inning, but then hit Strenn and walked Markel. Day followed with an RBI single to left, scoring Strenn. Pinch hitter Cardwell then tied the game with a sharp double down the left-field line.

The Spartans had a great chance to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth, as Lee and Strenn hit consecutive two-out singles and Markel walked to load the bases. But Lorenzetti got Day to ground out to end it.

The Bobcats scored twice in the 10th off Spartan relievers Connor Jones and Troy Applin. Jones issued a walk to Mike Palladino and was replaced by Applin. Applin retired the next two batters, but gave up a single to Vincent Guglietti and walked Scott Donaghue, Rob Pescitelli and Brian Ruditys in succession to force in a pair of runs. But Josh Vales came in and struck out Ianotti to end the threat.

Lee went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Markel scored a pair of runs.

Donaghue went 2-for-3 for Quinnipiac.

Vales (1-1) got his first win for NSU, while Scaglione (1.2 innings, three runs allowed) took the loss for the Bobcats.

Tomorrow's final day of the Spartan Classic starts with Buffalo vs. Quinnipiac at 10 a.m. before NSU faces Villanova at 2 p.m.

Box Score

 

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications

COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton Pirates Outlast Howard on the Road

WASHINGTON, D.C.  -- The Hampton University men's basketball team withstood a late run from rival Howard Saturday night, escaping Burr Gymnasium with an 81-78 win.

The Pirates (15-11, 10-3 MEAC) picked up their fourth straight win.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) led four Pirates in double figures with 19 points, while also grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard Brain Darden (Hampton, Va.) added 15 points.

Sophomore forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) each chipped in 10 points.

James Daniel had a chance to send the game to overtime with six seconds left, going to the free throw line to shoot three shots. But he missed the first free throw before hitting the next two to cut Hampton's lead to 79-78.

Darden answered with two free throws of his own with four seconds left to clinch the game.

When Maxwell slammed home a dunk with 4:27 left, it gave the Pirates a 73-60 lead and capped a 14-1 run. That run coincided with a cold spell from the Bison; before Tyler Stone hit a layup with 4:03 left, Howard went without a field goal since the 15:01 mark – when Daniel hit a trey to give Howard a 51-44 lead.

That basket punctuated a 14-5 run to open the second half for the Bison.

Howard also held control early in the first half, leading 15-8 at the 13:17 mark before the Pirates began chipping away at it. Daniel gave Howard a 24-19 lead at the 7:48 mark with a pair of free throws, but the Pirates answered with a 10-0 run to take a 29-24 lead with 6:11 left in the half after a layup from sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.).

Howard fought back to tie the score on three occasions in the first half, including 34-34 at the 1:58 mark. Hampton scored five of the next six points, taking a 39-35 lead with 56 seconds left in the half after a trey from senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.).

Solomon Mangham hit two free throws with 31 seconds left to send the Pirates into the half with a 39-37 lead.

Maxwell had a team-high eight points at the break.

The Pirates shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the floor and out-rebounded Howard 39-33. Hampton also scored 26 points off of 20 Bison turnovers.

Howard (6-21, 4-8 MEAC) shot 44.4 percent (20-for-45) from the floor and hit seven of its 14 3-pointers. The Bison went just 31-for-50 (62.0 percent) from the free throw line.

Daniel led the Bison with 38 points.

The Pirates will have their road finale on Monday, when they take on Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. at 7:30 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

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

HU Bennett Reaches Career Milestone in Win at Howard U.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --   The Hampton University women's basketball team locked down on defense late Saturday evening in Burr Gymnasium, defeating rival Howard 59-52.

 The Lady Pirates (22-4, 13-0 MEAC) won their 12th straight game.

Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) led four Lady Pirates in double figures with 18 points, becoming the 25th player in program to reach the 1,000-point mark. Junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) added 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting.

Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) and freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) each added 12 points. Hamilton also had a team-high seven rebounds and three blocks.

Howard held an early 8-5 lead, before the Lady Pirates scored six unanswered points to take an 11-8 lead on a Bennett jumper at the 11:16 mark. Bennett added a layup at the 8:24 mark to put the Lady Pirates up 13-10 and eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career.

The Lady Bison cut Hampton's lead to 20-19 with 4:00 left after two free throws from Sydni Johnson, but the Lady Pirates closed out the first half on a 9-0 run, and a Bennett jumper with 50 seconds left in the half gave Hampton a 29-19 lead.

Hampton took that lead into the locker room, and Bennett led all scorers at the break with 10 points. The Lady Pirates shot 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the floor in the opening half.

Howard opened the second half with an 8-0 run, cutting the lead to 29-27 on a trey from Jasmine Hill at the 18:14 mark before Bennett stopped the run with a pair of free throws with 18:00 left, giving Hampton a 31-27.

Johnson cut the lead to 33-30 with a 3-point play with 16:34 left, but Hamilton and Tate-DeFreitas scored on back-to-back possessions; Tate-DeFreitas hit a trey with 15:46 left to put the Lady Pirates up 38-30.

Bennett extended the lead to 40-30 with a layup with 15:12 left, giving the Lady Pirates a 7-0 run.

Tate-DeFreitas hit a layup with 10:23 left to cap a 5-0 Lady Pirates spurt and give Hampton a 48-39 lead. Howard answered with a 6-0 run, though, cutting the gap to 48-45 with 7:37 left on a breakaway layup from Jasmine Hill.

But Howard committed back-to-back turnovers, and Hamilton ended the run with a breakaway layup with 6:04 left. When Bennett added two free throws with 5:34 left, the Lady Pirates led 52-45.

In all, the Lady Pirates went on a 7-2 run, punctuated by a Bennett layup with 2:36 left to put Hampton up 55-47. During that span, Howard went over six minutes without a field goal.

Te'Shya Heslip hit a 3-pointer with 1:20 left to end the Lady Bison's drought, but the Lady Pirates hit five free throws down the stretch to take the game.

The Lady Pirates shot a season-best 53.7 percent (22-for-41) from the floor and hit three of seven 3-pointers (42.9 percent). Howard out-rebounded the Lady Pirates 26-25, but Hampton held a 26-22 edge in points in the paint.

Howard (10-15, 6-6 MEAC) shot 39.1 percent (18-for-46) from the floor.

Heslip led the Lady Bison with 11 points.

The Lady Pirates will have their 2013-14 road finale on Monday, taking on Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. at 5:30 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

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS