GCAC honors Jackson, Martin-Julien, Coleman, Wright

DANNTON JACKSON
2013-14 GCAC COACH OF THE YEAR

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Dannton Jackson set a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball record by being selected Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season.

The GCAC announced the all-conference teams and its special awards Monday. All were selected by the league's head coaches. XU's Lucas Martin-Julien shared Freshman of the Year with Fisk's Walter Arnold, and Sydney Coleman and Morris Wright of the Gold Rush made the 12-player all-conference team.

The GCAC Tournament for men and women will begin Thursday in New Orleans. Xavier's Convocation Center will be the site of four men's quarterfinal games the following day, with the Gold Rush playing at 7 p.m. Friday against Fisk or Dillard, which meet in the first round.

Jackson successfully reloaded a program which won 24 games a year ago with five senior starters. The Gold Rush are 22-7 in 2013-14 and won the GCAC regular-season championship for a school-record third straight year. Xavier's 71-66 victory at Spring Hill on Dec. 17 made Jackson the winningest coach in Gold Rush history, and he enters the postseason with a 248-105 record in 11 years.

Martin-Julien, a 6-foot-2 guard from Reserve, La., and a graduate of Riverside Academy, averaged 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 18 regular-season games with 43 assists and 23 steals. He scored in double figures eight times with highs of 16 points twice.

Martin-Julien is the first Gold Rush player to be named GCAC Freshman of the Year since Shaun Dumas in 2004-05.

Coleman, a 6-7 junior forward from Meridian, Miss., and a graduate of Meridian High School, averaged 12.8 points and leads the Gold Rush with 7.2 rebounds per game, 108 made free throws, 24 blocked shots and 53.7 percent field-goal accuracy. His 16 rebounds at Tougaloo on Feb. 1 are the most in a game by a Gold Rush player since the start of the 2003-04 season. Coleman produced seven double-doubles, three in a row in November.

Wright, a 5-10 sophomore guard from Zachary, La., and a graduate of Zachary High School, leads the Gold Rush with 13.1 points and 3.1 assists per game, 50 steals, 38 made 3-pointers and 40-percent 3-point accuracy. He scored in double figures 19 times and had 26 points and 14-of-14 free throws in an overtime home victory against William Carey, No. 3 in last week's NAIA Division I coaches poll.

Fisk junior Cameron Lewis was voted Player of the Year. Talladega junior Brandon Peters was chosen Newcomer of the Year.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Hudson Tabbed OVC Player of the Week

CHELSEA HUDSON
Courtesy: TSU Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State University women’s basketball player Chelsea Hudson was named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Player of the Week on Monday.

 

In TSU’s final two games of the regular season, Hudson averag
ed 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game to help the Lady Tigers pick up two big road wins.

 

The redshirt junior led TSU with 21 points and seven rebounds against Morehead State to help TSU snap a four-game road losing skid.

 

In the regular season finale against Eastern Kentucky, she led the Lady Tigers for the third straight game and recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 22 points and 13 rebounds. The win secured a 4^th seed and first round by for TSU in the OVC Tournament.

 

The honor is Hudson’s second of the season and fourth OVC weekly recognition of her career. She was name the OVC Freshman of the Week, twice during the 2011-12 campaign.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU Hornets Win in Overtime at Prairie View

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  -- Luther Page only scored four points in the game, but his field goal with 13 seconds left in overtime gave the Hornets a 88-87 lead and the Hornets held on for a 90-87 overtime win, breaking a two-game losing streak and earning a split on their final regular season road trip.

 The game ended even at 77 after two Andre Adams free throws with five seconds left sent the game into the extra period where the Hornets outscored the Panthers 13-10.

"It was a very tough ball game to say the least," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.  "Give PV credit they played very hard and put pressure on us all night.  But I give our guys credit.  They didn't hang their heads tonight and they continued to fight even when we were down and it was looking dim.  They kept attacking the basket and it happened for us.  That is what happens when you play hard."

In the overtime period Jamel Waters scored six of his 10 points, and his two free throws after picking up a steal with less than two seconds left sealed the win.

Bobby Brown evened his career-high with 22 points to lead six Hornets in double digits.  DeMarcus Armstrong and Maurice Strong scored 11 while Tony Armstrong also scored 10 along with Waters.  Waters had another all-around solid game as he finished with a game-high nine assists and three steals.

"The last three or four ball games we got off to a bad start so we changed the lineup tonight" Jackson said.  "Bobby was able to come in and give us some big minutes and he hit some big shots especially when we were down three late in the game and he hit a three."

The Hornets finished the game shooting 51 percent (30-59) from the field and hit eight of 23 three point field goals for 35 percent.  The Hornets were solid at the free throw line connecting on 22 of their 29 charity shots for 76 percent.

ASU (16-11/10-6 SWAC) out rebounded PVAMU 37-33 with Brown leading the way with 13.  It was the second double-double of his career.

PVAMU (8-20/6-10) shot 52 percent (30-58) from the field with Montrael Scott leading the way with a game-high 25 points.  John Brisco scored 24 and Demondre Chapman scored 22.

PVAMU carried a slim 35-34 lead into the locker room at halftime with Chapman leading the way with 11 points.  PVAMU shot 46 percent from the field and hit four of their eight free throw attempts.  Their lead could have been even more had they been able to hit free throws.  They attempted 16 in the first half, but only made seven.

Brown led the Hornets with 14 first half points as ASU shot 48 percent from the field.  They only got to the free throw line four times, but only made two.

The Hornets had 17 rebounds which was the same as PVAMU, but their downfall was 10 first-half turnovers against an aggressive Panther full court press.

ASU will be home for the final two regular season games of the season.  It will be a short week in the SWAC and the Hornets will host Grambling State Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

"When you stay together as a team and the team is working and they keep believing in what they are doing things will happen for you," Jackson said.  "We have had some trouble in this second nine but it was a great win."

Box Score

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Rattlers Complete Sweep With 78-73 Win Over MSU

BALTIMORE, Maryland – The Florida A&M University Men’s Basketball team moved one step closer to locking up the sixth seed in next week’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Monday night with a 78-73 win over fourth place Morgan State at Hill Fieldhouse.

FAMU (13-16, 8-7 in MEAC) can now finish no worse than sixth place with one game remaining, and are alive for the fifth seed depending on Thursday’s final slate of games.

Seniors Jamie Adams and Reggie Lewis were the big guns again for FAMU, heading a quartet of Rattlers scoring in double figures Monday night.

Adams finished with a game-high 23 points, along with eight assists, five rebounds and three steals, going four of eight from three-point range, while Lewis added 17 points, including a trio of three pointers in six tries.

Trey Kellum added 13 points and a team high seven rebounds, with Jomari Bradshaw rounding out the foursome with 12 points.

The Rattlers led 41-33 at the half, overcoming an 8-0 start by Morgan State (12-15, 10-5 in MEAC), taking their first lead on the second of two layups by Bobby King, 14-12 with 12:33 left in the half.

A Lewis three-pointer with 8:10 left gave FAMU the lead at 20-17, igniting a 21-16 finishing flurry by the Rattlers.

Morgan regained control of the game early in the second half, on a dunk and layup by Shaquille Duncan for a 47-43 lead with 16:37 to play, starting a back-and-forth sequence in which the game was tied seven more times down the stretch.

Bradshaw’s three-pointer with 2:16 left tied the game for the 12^th and final time at 71-71, then after a Morgan free throw gave them a 72-71 lead, Jamie Adams nailed a three-pointer for a 74-72 edge with 1:39 to play.

Reggie Lewis hit a layup and a pair of foul shots with a Morgan basket in between, to close out the game.

WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU will close the regular season at home Thursday night against archrival Bethune-Cookman at 8 p.m. 

Official Basketball Box Score

---

Official Basketball Box Score
Florida A&M vs MORGAN STATE
3/3/2014 7:30 p.m. at HILL FIELD HOUSE, BALTIMORE,MD


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Florida A&M 13-16, 7-8 MEAC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
23 BRADSHAW,Jomari..... f  5-13   1-4    1-2    1  1  2   4  12  1  1  0  3  24
24 KING,Bobby.......... f  4-4    0-0    0-1    0  1  1   3   8  0  0  1  0  19
25 KELLUM,Trey......... f  5-9    0-0    3-4    5  2  7   3  13  1  1  3  0  23
03 ADAMS,Jamie......... g  8-18   4-8    3-4    1  4  5   2  23  8  5  0  3  37
12 LEWIS,Reggie........ g  6-10   3-6    2-2    0  1  1   0  17  3  1  0  1  35
01 CONNER,Willie.......    0-1    0-1    0-0    0  0  0   3   0  0  2  0  0   4
04 SPILLER,Richie......    0-2    0-2    0-0    0  0  0   2   0  1  2  0  1   7
15 BULLARD,D'Andre.....    1-2    0-0    0-0    0  4  4   0   2  2  0  0  1   7
20 NELSON,Greg.........    0-2    0-2    0-0    1  1  2   2   0  0  0  0  0   6
21 CRAWFORD,Pierre.....    0-1    0-0    3-4    1  2  3   1   3  0  0  0  0  15
33 DAVIS,Walter........    0-0    0-0    0-0    1  4  5   1   0  0  1  1  0  14
42 ODI,Onyekachukwu....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   4   0  0  0  0  0   9
   TEAM................                         3     3
   Totals..............   29-62   8-23  12-17  13 20 33  25  78 16 13  5  9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-34 44.1%   2nd Half: 14-28 50.0%   Game: 46.8%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  4-14 28.6%   2nd Half:  4-9  44.4%   Game: 34.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  7-8  87.5%   2nd Half:  5-9  55.6%   Game: 70.6%    4


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: MORGAN STATE 12-15, 10-5 MEAC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
11 HUBBARD,Anthony..... f  7-19   0-1    6-10   5  1  6   1  20  2  1  0  0  33
12 HEATH,Thair......... f  2-2    0-0    0-0    1  3  4   2   4  2  0  0  0   7
50 CHILES,Ian.......... c  6-9    0-0    6-7    2  5  7   3  18  3  4  3  0  23
05 BLACK,Justin........ g  3-9    2-5    1-5    1  3  4   2   9  3  6  0  2  30
22 BOZEMAN,Blake....... g  0-5    0-5    0-0    1  0  1   1   0  2  2  0  0  30
01 PRETLOW,Donte.......    0-2    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   1   0  3  1  0  3  18
10 MATEY,Emmanuel......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   2
13 CHILDS-HARRIS,Torin.    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   3
21 THOMAS,Kyle.........    1-3    1-2    0-0    0  0  0   0   3  1  0  0  0   5
34 BLOSSOM,Cedric......    3-6    0-0    3-3    1  2  3   0   9  1  2  0  1  25
44 DUNCAN,Shaquille....    5-6    0-0    0-2    4  5  9   3  10  1  2  3  0  24
   TEAM................                         4  1  5
   Totals..............   27-61   3-13  16-27  19 21 40  14  73 18 18  6  6 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 12-25 48.0%   2nd Half: 15-36 41.7%   Game: 44.3%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  2-6  33.3%   2nd Half:  1-7  14.3%   Game: 23.1%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  7-12 58.3%   2nd Half:  9-15 60.0%   Game: 59.3%    6


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Earl Watson, Raymond Styons, Leon Haskins
Technical fouls: Florida A&M-None. MORGAN STATE-None.
Attendance: 1009
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Florida A&M...................   41   37  -   78
MORGAN STATE..................   33   40  -   73
Morgan State "Senior Night"

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Nuggets heading back to Dillard for GCAC quarterfinals

2014 GCAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women's basketball team is getting ready for a road rematch with a longtime city rival.

The Gold Nuggets (20-9) will play Dillard (3-15) at 5 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. All four women's games that day will be played at Dillard's Dent Hall. Xavier is seeded second, and Dillard is seventh.

Xavier closed the regular season Saturday with a 63-56 victory at Dillard. The Nuggets also defeated the Lady Bleu Devils 71-60 at Xavier on Jan. 25. Coach Bo Browder's teams are 5-0 in the postseason against Dillard -- his first postseason game was a 62-58 overtime victory against Dillard in the 1999 GCAC quarterfinals at Mobile, Ala.

It will be the 81st meeting between the Nuggets and Dillard. Xavier leads the series, which began in the 1977-78 season, 61-19 and won the last 11 meetings. Xavier is 7-0 against Dillard at Dent Hall during the past nine seasons.

All tournament rounds will be played in New Orleans. No. 8 seed Voorhees will play No. 9 Fisk in the women's first round at 5 p.m. Thursday at Dillard. The final two women's rounds will be played at Xavier's Convocation Center -- semifinals on Saturday and the championship game at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Xavier was 10-2 during the GCAC regular season, finishing second and a half-game behind Talladega. The Lady Tornadoes' only conference loss this season was 66-50 at Xavier on Jan. 20.

This is the first time since 2009 that Xavier is not the No. 1 seed. Fisk upset Xavier 64-52 a year ago, giving the Nuggets their first GCAC quarterfinal loss since 2000. Xavier won the tournament in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

If the Nuggets reach the semifinals, they will play third-seeded SUNO or sixth-seeded Tougaloo at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The tournament winner will receive the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I National Championship, which will begin March 19 at Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky. Xavier qualified for the national tournament each of the past four seasons and 17 times in the past 19 seasons. Xavier is ranked 25th nationally, and a new top 25 will be announced late Tuesday afternoon.

The tournament schedule:

First Round -- Thursday, March 6
At Dillard's Dent Hall
#8 Voorhees vs. #9 Fisk, 5 p.m.

Quarterfinals -- Friday, March 7
At Dillard's Dent Hall
#4 Philander Smith vs. #5 Edward Waters, noon
#1 Talladega vs. Voorhees-Fisk winner, 2 p.m.
#2 Xavier vs. #7 Dillard, 5 p.m.
#3 SUNO vs. #6 Tougaloo, 7 p.m.

Semifinals -- Saturday, March 8
At Xavier's Convocation Center
Philander Smith-Edward Waters winner vs. Talladega-Voorhees-Fisk winner, noon
Xavier-Dillard winner vs. SUNO-Tougaloo winner, 2 p.m.

Championship -- Sunday, March 9
At Xavier's Convocation Center
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Claflin Defeats LeMoyne-Owen in Opening Round of SIAC Women's Basketball Tournament

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The Claflin University women's basketball team defeated LeMoyne-Owen, 71-65, in the opening round of the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic (SIAC) Tournament.  The tournament, which runs through Saturday, March 8, is being contested at the Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham, Ala.  Junior Uniqua Mitchell has been named to the 2014 SIAC All-Conference Team

Claflin (14-13) began the game very aggressive, jumping out to a 12-4 lead by the 13:30 mark.  LeMoyne-Owen (5-21) then picked up their offense intensity.  The Lady Magicians used a 15-8 run over the next four-plus minutes to cut the deficit to one, 20-19.  A three-pointer by LeMoyne-Owen's Laurien Williamson gave the Lady Magicians its first lead of the game, 20-22, with 7:50 remaining in the half.  LeMoyne-Owen pushed its lead to five, 20-25, at the 7:23 mark before the Lady Panthers offense came back to life.  Claflin used a 5-0 run over the next minute to tie the game at 25-25.  The Lady Panthers' regained the lead, 27-25, off a layup by Karahn Scott and pushed its lead to six, 32-26, before enjoying the four point half-time lead, 32-28.

Claflin maintained the momentum to start the second half pushing its lead to eight, 40-32, with 15:19 remaining in the contest.  After exchanging baskets over the next three-plus minutes, LeMoyne-Owen managed to pull within one, 44-43, off a three-pointer by Williamson at the 11:57 mark but the Lady Panthers remained poised.  Shakiema Ravenell hit a three-pointer just 28 seconds later to Claflin the four point lead, 47-43.  The Magicians then used a 9-4 run to take the one point lead, 52-51 at 7:36, but a three-pointer by the Lady Panthers' Uniqua Mitchell at the 7:08 mark put the Lady Panthers up for good.  Claflin enjoyed an eight point lead, 55-63, before going on to capture the six point victory, 71-65, to advance to the quarterfinal.

"It feels awesome to pick up this win it really means a lot, not only for these young ladies but for our university and our program," said first year head coach Deont'a McChester. "We are really trying to establish ourselves in the SIAC and the only way we are going to do that is to win tough games like this one."  McChester continued, "I want to also give credit to LeMoyne-Owen and the coach over there who is also in his first season.  He's doing a really good job with that program.  It was a tough battle from start to finish and I'm really proud of these ladies."

Uniqua Mitchell scored 15 points to lead Claflin.  Mitchell also contributed eight rebounds and four assist in the contest.  Karahn Scott recorded a double-double, 14 points-12 rebounds and Shakiema Ravenell dropped in 13 points with seven rebounds for the Lady Panthers in the win.

LeMoyne-Owen was led by Laurien Williams with a game-high 17 points.  Tenesha Wright and Maraja Johnson also recorded double-digit points with 12 and 10, respectively.

Claflin will face the #1 Seed in the East Albany State in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, March 5 at 1 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA tournament reaches 6-year deal with Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  The CIAA men's and women's basketball tournament will stay in Charlotte for the next six years. 

The CIAA made the announcement Monday.

Charlotte will become the home of the CIAA headquarters starting in 2016.

The new agreement would commit the tournaments to be held in Charlotte for at least the next six years beginning in 2015. In turn, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) will provide various benefits, including $1.4 million in funding annually, proceeds from which will be distributed among the 12 conference colleges and universities.

In addition, the CIAA will move its conference headquarters to Charlotte in 2016, with the specific timing and location to be determined. The relocation will enable the conference, the CRVA and other Charlotte entities to more effectively partner in the community.

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Ram Ramblings: This season's men's team exceeded expectations

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Bobby Collins just completed his eighth season at WSSU.

From where I sit and what I’ve seen over his previous seven seasons I would have to say that Collins got the most of this team that had several flaws.
Those flaws showed up on Saturday night in the CIAA championship game loss to Livingstone, but in reality it was somewhat of a miracle that the Rams even made it to the championship game.

Those flaws included not having a true point guard. I like Tyre Desmore, but as a senior who was in the program for four years, he is better suited at ...

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UMES Bowling Clinches MEAC Northern Division Title

COURTESY UMES ATHLETICS

TOWSON, Maryland  --  The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women's bowling team clinched their sixth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division title this weekend. UMES posted a 9-1 mark on the weekend to finish their conference regular season at 28-2. With it, they will enter the MEAC Championship field as the No. 1 overall team in Chesapeake, Va. March 21-23, bowling for their seventh conference title.

UMES technically clinched the title on Saturday, March 1 when they went 5-0 in team games. Senior Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) dominated for the Hawks, tossing five games for an average of 219.2. She tallied a 1096 pinfall and a high game of a 237 in the Coppin State win; all five of her games were over 200.

Not far behind was junior Victoria Jones (Baltimore, Md.). Jones knocked down 1,085 pins for five games, including a 257 in the win against Delaware State. That was the highest game rolled by a Hawk on the day and matched Jones' career-high game. Jones tallied four 200-plus games on the day.

Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Mexico) was also solid, tallying a 799 pin fall over four games. She tossed a 215 in the win over Morgan State and a 209 in the Coppin State win.

All three Hawk freshmen rolled just one game each, all coming in the Hampton win. Justyne Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.) posted a solid 246. Juliana Franco (Pereira, Colombia) tallied a career-high 224 and Sara Pelayo (Distrito Federal, Mexico) tossed a 201.

Other 200 games came from Tatiana Munoz (Ibague Tolima, Colombia) had a 222 in the Coppin State win while Valerie Riggin (Vista, Calif.) had the same score in the Delaware State match and added a 202 in the Morgan State win.

Day two came with some of the same trouble as day one. Bowling on an oil pattern different then what was supposed to be laid out, the Hawks adjusted, but a little late. They opened Baker-match play with Delaware State. They jumped out to a lead with a 219-202 win in game one but the Hornets basically evened the match after game two with a 227-211 defeat of the Hawks. Game three saw the Hawks again jump back on top with a 216-188 win. Up almost 30 pins UMES seemed in control but game four saw the Hawks struggle. Delaware State got the 177-146 win and took the match by two pins. UMES still could have won; needing a mark in the tenth Alvarado chopped the 2-4-5, leaving the door open. The Hornets needed to strike out to win and they did, upsetting the nation's no. two team.

UMES adjusted to the basic oil pattern after that and started making progress. They topped Howard (746-638), host Coppin State (813-692), Morgan State (824-680) and Hampton (915-676).

 All eight Hawks saw action on both days in both the traditional team and Baker game matches. UMES will head to Smyrna, Tenn. next weekend, March 7-9, for the Music City Classic, an event they won last season, bowling in it for the first time.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION 

  

CIAA might announce tournament future today

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  CIAA officials have called a news conference for Monday afternoon to discuss “future years of the men’s and women’s basketball tournament,” amid speculation that the event might be staying in Charlotte.

The news conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Charlotte Convention Center.

The location of the news conference – in Charlotte – and the fact that Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon is scheduled to be at the event fuels speculation that CIAA officials have decided to keep the tournament in Charlotte.

The CIAA, based in Hampton, Va., has held the tournament in Charlotte for nine years, but the contract between the two parties ended after this year’s event, which came to an end Saturday night. The deal called for the CIAA to hold the tournament in Charlotte, and in return, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority paid the conference $1 million for scholarships and tournament expenses.

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Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/03/03/4737463/ciaa-might-announce-tournament.html#storylink=cpy

FAMU Athletes Shine On New Surface At FAMU Relays

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  (Mar.1) – Under near perfect conditions, the 63^rd FAMU Relays took place in front of a packed house at the newly-renovated Robert “Pete” Griffin Track on the campus of Florida A&M University.

The event honored legendary coach Bobby Lang and Charlotte Griffin, the widow of the complex’s namesake.

FAMU interim Director of Athletics, Michael Smith, was beaming with pride at the restart of the Spring classic.

"From the time I came to school here, the FAMU Relays has been a stable in the southeast region of the nation.  Schools from all across the U.S. would come and participate in the FAMU Relays.  To see it return to it’s rightful perch among the best track meets in the country took a lot of collaboration.  We are pleased that coordination between the university leadership, university plant operations and facilities came together to refurbish and improve this great track complex."

FAMU coaches Darlene Moore and Wayne Angel showcased their striders against 12 opposing teams.

FAMU Relays Results

Opening the relays, Chandelic Jackson began the winning with a 2:15.12 time in the 800m dash.  The Lady Rattlers dominated the field in the event much as they did most of the day.  Ariel Allen took second place (2:18.35) and QuanDra Shanks took third (2:19.22), as the ladies set the tone for what was to come the rest of the day.

On the men’s side, McDaniel Olivier won the 800m dash in 1:54.86.

Raven Diggs took second place in the 400m dash with a sprint of 58.36.

Shawanna Steplight raced across the hurdles in 14.56 to take top honors, followed by Kenya Collins, who turned in 14.68 to take second place in the 100m hurdles.    Dennis Pugh glided down the track in 14.41 seconds on the men’s side to take first place for the Rattlers.

The men’s distance medley team, powered by a blazing first two legs by Elias Chesire and Isiah Smith, experienced a missed handoff, which crippled McDaniel Olivier and Robyel Kidane’s opportunity to bring home the title.  Grambling State took the title in 10:32.25, while the Rattlers finished second in 10:55.30.

The Rattlers took the women’s 4x100m relay in 45.61.  FAMU had two teams in the race, which was competitive until FAMU All-American, Nakia Linson, took the baton and ran a blazing leg to hand the title to the Lady Rattler “A” team.  The men’s team finished fifth in the relay in 41.82.  The team of Corey Jones, Karus Hunter, Shayne Rodney and Dennis Pugh were working as a new tandem, while Angel feels they will excel by the time the MEAC Outdoor championship arrives.

Linson and Smith took first and second place respectively in the 100m dash.  Linson, the defending MEAC outdoor 100m champion ran 11.71, while Smith clocked in at 11.96.  Diggs finished in 12.54 to take fifth place for the Lady Rattlers, while Kenya Collins rounded out the trio of Lady Rattlers in the top 10, placing seventh in 12.72.

Rodney ran second in the 100m dash in 10.71, just a step behind Grambling’s Kameron Cowan, who won in 10.47.  Jones took ninth place with an 11.06 time.

The 1500m run saw the Lady Rattlers take the first five spots, showing why they reign as cross country champions in the MEAC.  Senior Chandelic Jckson made her final appearance at home a memorable one, finishing in 4:50.66 to take first place.  QuanDra Shanks (4:52.39), Cynthia Chelelgo (5:01.21), Effiey Kosgei (5:05.57) and Ariel Allen (5:10.12) finished consecutively in the next four places.

Dieumy Duclos took fourth place in the 1500m run in 4:20.38 on the men’s side.

The Rattlers took the top two spots in the 400m hurdles.  Dennis Pugh went 53.55 in winning the event, while Anthony Cross took second in 54.98.

In the 3000m run, the Lady Rattlers took the top four spots, while Elias Chesire took top honors for the Rattlers.  Cynthia Chelelgo finished in the top spot 9:21.79, followed by Effiey Kosgei (9:22.98), Zenia George (9:33.91) and Phyllis Cheryiout in 9:38.15.

On the men’s side, one of FAMU’s most decorated track athletes, Elias Chesire, took the top spot in 8:55.49.

Capping the Relays were two exciting 4x400m relays races.  Both the Rattlers and Lady Rattlers took top honors, bringing the running events to a close and the fans to their feet.

The Lady Rattlers took the 4x400m relays from a resurgent Grambling Lady Tigers team, who were determined to spoil the crescent event from FAMU. Jasmine Smith, Chandelic Jackson and Nakia Linson all blazed to a lead in the race, and it was capped by a wonderful performance by another senior, Ariel Allen who ran a scorching split to help the Lady Rattlers to a 3:49.24, which Moore said was the fastest time she has had a team score at FAMU this early in the outdoor season.

The men’s race was just as exciting as it took a yeoman’s effort to fight off the Grambling Tigers is one of the most exciting races in recent FAMU Relays history.  The team of Isaiah Smith, McDaniel Olivier and Dennis Pugh got a 15 meter lead for anchor leg Roman Skovronski, but Grambling closed that gap with a tear down the back straight to pull even with Skovronski.  But, at the 150 meter mark, Skovronski brought the Robert “Pete” Griffin Complex to its feet as he pulled away from Grambling to take home the win for the Rattlers.  It was a fitting cap to a wonderful day on the new track surface.

In the field events, Jaymee Smith, hobbled with a leg injury, managed to take first place with a toss of 39.31 meters.  Andrea Aaron finished third in 35.48, while Zenia George took fifth place in 29.60 and Jasmine Smith took seventh with a toss of 28.47.

Xavier Mackey took eighth place in the men’s javelin throw with a toss of 32.41.

Versatile athlete, Nakia Linson, took first place in the long jump with  5.89m effort.  Kenya Collins took fourth (5.32m),  Ashley Ivey took seventh place (4.97), Shawanna Steplight placed ninth (4.67) and Ashley Giacomucci finished 10^th (4.46m).

Wells Jeudi placed ninth in a competitive men’s long jump, where he scored a leap of 5.96m.  Sasha-Ann Lebert placed second in the discus throw with a toss of 40.27m.  Andrea Aaron took fifth place with a 36.82m effort.

Xavier Mackey took second place in the discus throw on the men’s side, followed by Dennis McGee in third place.  The Rattlers threw for distances of 43.53m and 41.17m respectively.

Lebert would win the shot put, as she did last season at the MEAC outdoor championships.  She has been constantly improving and used the newly renovated shot put pit, which has a gravel landing area, as opposed to the previous clay landing area.  Lebert’s toss of 13.94 meters was good for a top finish in the event.  Brittany Dean took third place in 12.64m.

Dennis McGee’s throw of 14.93 was good enough for the top spot on the men’s side.  The Rattlers also had a fourth place finish from Amon Carridine, who threw for 13.41m.

 Newcomers Zana Lane and Veronica Bartley placed in the Top 10 for the Lady Rattlers.  Bartley placed fifth in 1.57m with Bartley following at the same distance.

Ashley Giacomucci top first place in the women’s triple jump.  She jumped 11.69m to win the event.
Jasmine Smith, showed her athleticism by placing third in the pole vault.  She finished the event by clearing 2.74m, which was less than a minute before she had to run in the 4x400m relay.  Zana Lane cleared 2.29m to finish sixth.  Brittany brown, who normally excels at the event for the Lady Rattlers, was shaken after a pole snapped in a warm up run through.



The Robert "Pete" Griffin Track was unveiled to the public at the FAMU Relays.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Monday Morning Football Punts

Former Washington Redskins player Rod Milstead coaches football to 9- to 12-year
-olds at the Charles County (Md.) Sheriff’s Office summer camp held at North Point
High School in June 2013. The youths also attended class to discuss gang prevention
and bullying.
(Photo Courtesy TIN NGUYEN)

• Former Alabama A&M head football coach Anthony Jones has officially been named offensive coordinator at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff after spending nearly a month on a temporary basis at that position.  Jones was a teammate of UAPB head coach Monte Coleman on the 1987 Washington Redskins team that won the Super Bowl, but this is the first time the two will work together as coaches.  Former UAPB graduate assistant Byron Anderson has returned as the linebackers coach. Anderson coached the secondary at Division II Missouri Southern the past two seasons.  Anderson played at Grambling State from 1998-2002 and coached on the defensive line in his previous assignment with UAPB.  Jones replaces Eric Dooley, who moved to Broderick Fobbs’ staff at Grambling State as offensive coordinator.
• Former North Carolina Central University offensive line coach Rod Milstead has accepted an offer to coach the offensive line at Delaware State.  Milstead is a 1991 Delaware State graduate and played eight seasons in the NFL as a guard with the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins.  Milstead was a part of the 49ers team that defeated the San Diego Chargers to win Super Bowl XXIX.   Rod was drafted in the fifth round (pick 151) of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. The former Henry E. Lackey High School (Indian Head, Maryland) graduate, led the Chargers to two state championship appearances at Raven Stadium as an assistant coach with the program. As a star player (1983-86), he helped lead the Chargers to a Class B state championship victory in 1986; was named first team All-State and participated in the Big 33 Football Classic All-Star game between Maryland and Pennsylvania all-stars (1986). While at Delaware State, Milstead was a part of four MEAC conference championships in five years (1987-91). He started every game of his collegiate career and was a key standout for the Hornets attack on the offensive line, receiving All-MEAC conference honors for three years.  In May of 1991, Milstead graduated with a degree in criminal justice and sociology. 
• Alabama A&M has a football date with UAB on Sept. 13, 2014.
• Southern Miss hosts Alcorn State on Sept. 6, 2014 in its football home opener.
• Savannah State Tigers open the 2014 season at C-USA's Middle Tennessee State University on August 30.  On Sept. 8,  the Tigers are on the road with transitioning FBS Georgia Southern, and closes out the season at Brigham Young. 
• Former Tennessee State assistant coach Orlando Mitjans, Jr., a finalist for the head coaching gig at Winston-Salem State last month, has been named a defensive assistant coach at Army.
• Illinois State football will open its season at home on Sept. 6, vs. Mississippi Valley State.
• Former Savannah State head coach Steve Davenport has been named head coach at Woodland High School (Georgia).
• The 2013 SWAC Champions Southern Jaguars with open the 2014 season at Louisiana-Lafayette on August 30th.  The Jags will host Northwestern State in their home opener on Sept. 13 in the first of six scheduled home games of their 12 game season.
• Southern University men's basketball team has clinched the 2014 regular season title. Although the Jags are seeded #1 for the March 11-15 SWAC Tournament in Houston, the Jags are facing an NCAA postseason ban due to inadequate reporting of data relating to student-athletes’ Academic Progress Rates (APR) for 2007. Other league schools facing an NCAA postseason ban due to APR are Grambling, Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.  All will participate in the SWAC Basketball Tournament next week.

2014 SIAC Basketball Tournament Seeding Announced

2014 SIAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SEEDING ANNOUNCED

ATLANTA, Georgia  --  The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) today announced the seeding for the 81st annual SIAC Basketball Tournament, which will tip off on Monday, March 3 and will be played through Saturday, March 8 at Bill Harris Arena in the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama.

On the men's bracket, Eastern Division Champion #1E Fort Valley State (19-8), Western Division Champion #1W Tuskegee (15-11) and #2W Stillman (16-12), who ranks second in the Western Division, each earned first-round bye's in this week's tournament.

Monday's opening round men's matchups will feature #4E Clark Atlanta (15-11) vs. #5W Miles College (3-23) at 3:15 p.m., followed by #4W LeMoyne-Owen (9-16) vs. #5E Benedict (16-10) at 7:45 p.m.

In the women's bracket, the top two teams in each division earned first round bye's. Eastern Division Champion Albany State #1E (19-5) and Western Division Champion #1W Tuskegee (16-10), along with #2E Benedict (17-9) and #2W Kentucky State (12-14) will rest until the Quarterfinals begin on Wednesday and Thursday before facing their next opponents.

First round women's action begins at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, when #5E Claflin (13-13) plays #4W LeMoyne-Owen (5-20), followed by #4E Fort Valley State (12-14) vs. #5W Miles College (10-16) at 5:30 p.m.

Attached you will find both men's and women's brackets for the entire week.

2013-2014 Men's Basketball Standings
East
Fort Valley State University      15-3     19-8
Albany State University            11-7     14-12
Paine College                         11-7     16-12
Clark Atlanta                             11-7     15-11
Benedict College                     11-7     16-10
Claflin University                      7-11     10-18
Morehouse College                 4-14     7-19

West
Tuskegee University                12-5     15-11
Stillman College                       11-6     16-12
Kentucky State University        10-7     13-13
LeMoyne-Owen College          7-10     9-16
Miles College                           3-14     3-23
Lane College                           1-16     3-19

2013-2014 Women's Basketball Standings
East
Albany State University            13-3     19-5
Benedict College                     11-5     17-9
Clark Atlanta                             11-5     18-8
Fort Valley State University      9-7       12-14
Claflin University                      9-7       13-13
Paine College                         8-8       11-15

West
Tuskegee University                12-4     16-10
Kentucky State University        7-9       12-14
Stillman College                       6-10     10-16
LeMoyne-Owen College          5-11     5-20
Miles College                           4-12     10-16
Lane College                           1-14     1-19

The 81st SIAC Basketball Tournament will be held from March 3 through March 8, at Bill Harris Arena in the Birmingham Crossplex. The 2014 SIAC Basketball Tournament will feature both men's and women's basketball teams from the 14 members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (SIAC).

For more information or to request media credentials for the tournament, visit www.thesiac.com. For the latest updates on the SIAC Tournament, "Like" the SIAC Tournament on Facebook and follow the SIAC on Twitter www.twitter.com/thesiac.

COURTESY THE SIAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Morgan State's Leroy Kelly enshrined in Black College Football Hall of Fame

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Former Cleveland Browns running back Leroy Kelly was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame during the Fifth Annual Enshrinement Ceremony on Saturday.

The event took place at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta, GA, in conjunction with Black College Football weekend.

Kelly, who attended Morgan State University from 1960-63, led his team in rushing, scoring and punting during their 1962 CIAA Championship run.


Inductees of The 2014 Black College Football Hall Of Fame Stand together on Stage in Atlanta, Georgia following their induction ceremony. Atlanta Falcons Owner and Chairman Arthur Blank who has given generous assistance to founders James "Shack" Harris and Doug Williams was asked to stand with new members. Left to Right Mr. Blank, John Stallworth (Alabama A&M), John Wooten who accepted for Leroy Kelly (Morgan State, Coach Marino "The Godfather" Casem (Alcorn State, Southern University, Doug Wilkerson (North Carolina Central), Robert Brazile (Jackson State). Other inductees not shown are Willie Totten (Mississippi Valley State) and Michael Strahan (Texas Southern).

Selected by the Browns in the 8th round (110th player overall) in the 1964 NFL Draft, Kelly played ten seasons in the NFL, all in Cleveland.

Kelly was part of the Browns' 1964 NFL Championship team and led the NFL in rushing yards in 1967 and 1968. He was elected to six Pro Bowls, named All Pro five times, named to 1960s NFL All Decade team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

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Alabama State President Gwendolyn Boyd explains why she voted against allowing banned teams in SWAC hoops tourney

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Newly-named Alabama State President Gwendolyn Boyd was one of only two university heads to vote against the change in the Southwestern Athletic Conference's bylaws which allowed four ineligible teams to participate in the the league's hoop tourney later this month.

 

The move, approved by the NCAA Friday, was preceded by an 8-2 vote among the league's university presidents and chancellors. It permits defending league champion Southern, Grambling (La.), Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State, all banned from postseason competition due to having low Academic Progress Rates, to play in the tournament set for March 11-15th in Houston, Texas. 

 

In a statement given exclusively to AL.com, Boyd explained her rationale for going against the grain. 

 

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Tennessee State Tigerbelles Run Away With OVC Indoor, Men Place Third

2014 OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERBELLES
Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- The Tennessee State women’s track and field team took home first prize in the 2014 OVC Indoor Championship and the men placed third after concluding play on Saturday.

The Tigerbelles (144 points) won in a landslide, besting second-placed Eastern Illinois by 48 points. The Flying Tigers scored 118, which was just 26 behind EIU’s men team.

Quanisha Sales started the day by winning gold medals in both the 55-meter and 200-meter dashes with times of 6.94 and 24.20 seconds.

Ashontae Jackson continued the strong day by TSU sprinters by placing first in the 400-meter dash (55.00 seconds).

Sales and Jackson then teamed with Clairwin Dameus and Amber Hughes to break the OVC record in the 4x400 meter relay with a winning time of 3:42.73.

In the field events, Brittani Logan came in second in the shot put after a toss of 13.72 meters and LaLyn Burr placed fifth after leaping 12.14 meters in the triple jump.

The Flying Tigers, meanwhile, had three of the top six finishers in the 400-meter dash in Michael Johnson (who came in third with a time of 48.57 seconds), Emmanuel Thornton (49.73) and Perry Stokes (49.90).

Quamel Prince came up big for TSU by winning the 800-meter dash by nearly two whole seconds after completing the event in 1:51.44; Jason Griffin did too, getting gold in the 55-meter hurdles (7.54 seconds).

The men’s side closed out its day by picking up a second place finish in the 4x400 meter relay when Johnson, Griffin, Thornton and Prince narrowly lost out on first with a time of 3:15.19.

The OVC crown by the Tigerbelles was their first since 2008.

        Final Results
    Final Scores

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION  

Rolland, Alexander qualify for nationals in season opener

Devinn Rolland
Hometown: Harvey, La.
High School: Cabrini
Photo Courtesy: JB Carter/XU Athletics 

CLINTON, Mississippi --  Xavier University of Louisiana produced two qualifiers for the NAIA National Championships -- Devinn Rolland in the women's long jump and Angelica Alexander in the women's high jump -- at the Mississippi College Opener track and field meet Saturday.

Rolland, a 2012 NAIA All-American in the long jump, won the event in 19 feet, 4 3/4 inches. Alexander cleared 5-6 in the high jump to finish second and qualify for nationals for the first time.

The national meet will be May 22-24 in Gulf Shores, Ala.

The Gold Nuggets also got victories from Catherine Fakler in the 1,500- (4 minutes, 47.69 seconds) and 5,000-meter runs (18:43.25) and Zahri Jackson in the 800 (2;21.94).

XU's Brent Kitto ran 4:06.60 in the men's 1,500 to finish second.

Xavier scored 95 points to finish second out of 13 schools in the women's division. Xavier scored 17 points in the men's division to place ninth out of 15 schools.

It was the first outdoor meet of the season for the Nuggets and Rush. Next meet for both teams will be the McNeese Cowboy Relays in Lake Charles, La., on March 15.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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Three Times a Charm, Livingstone College Wins CIAA Championship Title

2014 CIAA TOURNAMENT MEN'S CHAMPIONS
LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE BLUE BEARS
Courtesy: LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE ATHLETICS

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  -- The Livingstone College Blue Bears made history on Saturday evening after clinching their first-ever CIAA Championship with an 83-68 win over Winston-Salem State University in Time Warner Cable Arena.

CIAA Most Valuable Player Mark Thomas led all players in the game with 23 points while All-Tournament selection Jody Hill added 21 points.  Emarri Bailey, also an All-Tournament honoree notched 10 points in the victory while Eric Mayo hauled in 17 rebounds (three offensive, 14 defensive).  The Blue Bears advance to the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional with a 21-7 record while the Rams end their season 18-11.

James Stinson, head coach of Livingstone College noted, "We were pleased that these young men had the opportunity to see the success and make history…They are truly a team.  They get on each other but they really care about each other…I'm so happy to have the opportunity to do this for our institution."

The Rams had four players score double-digits in the loss.  Javan Wells led the effort with 16 points while All-Tournament honorees Marquez Jones and Preston Ross notched 15 and 13 respectively. Tyre Desmore rounded out the leaders with 11 points.

"They have nothing to hang their heads about.  They gave a good effort…We brought in eight new players this season…I'm proud of just having the opportunity to play here in the championship game," noted Winston-Salem State head coach Bobby Collins.

Thomas hit a three-pointer to open up the contest.  Brian Okam put the Rams on the board with a dunk at the 18:45 mark.  An 8-1 run including two three-pointers by Hill gave the Blue Bears an 11-3 advantage with 16:09 left in the half.

Both teams exchanged buckets and momentum approaching the midway point of the half.  A free throw by Wells knotted the score 16-16 but Bailey quickly answered with a jumper to return the lead to Livingstone.

The Blue Bears clutched to a narrow advantage but managed to pull away just before halftime.  Leading 30-26 with 2:10 on the clock, Bailey hit a layup for Livingstone while Jones answered with a jumper for Winston-Salem State.

A three-pointer by Anthony Welch extended the Blue Bears' advantage to 35-28 and sent Livingstone heading into the locker room at halftime with the momentum and the lead.  Cornelius Johnson and Thomas each added scores for Livingstone to put them ahead 39-28 at the 16:41 mark.

A layup by Desmore put the Rams back in the game but Thomas answered with a jumper for the Blue Bears for a 41-30 advantage.  Up 41-31, the Blue Bears nearly put the game out of reach with back-to-back three-pointers by Hill and Bailey, extending Livingstone's lead to 46-31 with 14:29 left in the game.

Jones hit a free throw for the Rams but Eric Dubose promptly drained a deep three, handing the Rams a 17 point deficit. After Desmore netted two free throws for Winston-Salem, but Anthony Welch and Hill teamed up to bring the Livingstone crowd to their feet using a three-pointer and layup for a 20 point advantage.

The Rams pieced together an 11-0 run to snag the momentum and cut the deficit to nine, making the score 54-45 with 9:05 remaining in the game.  The Blue Bears tacked on four points using free throws while the Rams answered with four baskets of their own from the charity stripe.  A layup by Jones cut the lead to seven points (58-51) with 6:40 on the clock and forced Livingstone to take a timeout.

The Blue Bears used a 10-2 run over the next two minutes to run away 68-53.  Winston-Salem State battled and scraped to come back and earn some momentum.  They were unable to overcome the deficit despite their efforts and fell behind 75-61 with 1:24 on the clock before allowing Livingstone to make school history with the 83-68 victory.

The 2014 CIAA All-Tournament Team is listed below:

Name Institution
Mark Thomas Livingstone College
Marquez Jones Winston-Salem State University

Emilio Parks Johnson C. Smith University

Tyrell Tate Fayetteville State University

Jody Hill Livingstone College

Preston Ross Winston-Salem State University
LaMarquis Letchaw Johnson C. Smith University
Antwan Wilkerson Johnson C. Smith University
Juwan Addison Fayetteville State University
Emarri Bailey Livingstone College

Most Valuable Player: Mark Thomas

2014 John McClendon Sportsmanship Award:  Johnson C. Smith University

COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE BLUE BEARS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

The Shaw Lady Bears Hold Off Fayetteville State 73-70 To Claim Fourth Straight CIAA Title

2014 CIAA TOURNAMENT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS
SHAW UNIVERSITY LADY BEARS
Courtesy SHAW UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  The Shaw University Lady Bears held on late in the game to clinch their fourth straight CIAA Tournament Championship on Saturday evening with a 73-70 win over Fayetteville State University.  The Lady Bears have not only won four straight tournament titles but have also won nine of the last 12 tournament championships.

 

Shaw advances to the NCAA DII Atlantic Regional with a 21-8 overall record while Fayetteville State's season comes to an end with a 21-7 mark.

 

CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player Kamiya Burwell paced the Lady Bears with 18 points in the victory.  CIAA All-Tournament member Diamond Mitchell along with Ariel Hatcher tallied 14 points while Verdine Warner, also an All-CIAA Tournament honoree, notched 10 points for the Lady Bears.

 

Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis noted, "Whenever we play Fayetteville it's a game like this.  It's always a battle of the boards and it comes down to who can make their free throws.  The team did an excellent job of making stops when we needed them. "

He continued,  "I think the team had some pressure because we've never been in a championship game and lost.  These girls came out like stars today.When the lights get bright, the Shaw Lady Bears step up.  We had a little extra pressure because we had three seniors that had joined the program this year and we try not to let a senior leave without a ring."

 

For Mitchell, the only returning member from last year's championship squad, this year's championship had a different feel than the last.

 

"I feel it was harder this year," said Mitchell.  "We had a different team and had to do different things.  Last year we played a lot of inside ball.  This year we had to make sure the guards could shoot.  We started off really rough, but we came together at the end and we all wanted the same thing -- a CIAA championship ring.  I knew I wasn't going home without a ring.  It would have been over, I wouldn't have returned back to Shaw.  I would have been traumatized."

 

CIAA All-Tournament selection Deja Middleton led all players in the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds (three offensive, 10 defensive) in the loss for Fayetteville State while her counterpart, Amber Calvin also receiving All-Tournament honors, added 18 points in the effort.  De'Aira Smith followed with 10 points and her teammate, All-Tournament selection Akysia Resper chipped in seven points and five rebounds (one offensive, four defensive).

 

Eva Patterson-Heath, head coach of the Lady Broncos, stated, "We are disappointed that we came up short but I'm extremely proud of  these young ladies, they worked hard all season long and demanded excellence from their teammate and are great examples of what it means to be a team member.  We are disappointed but Shaw played a great game…unfortunately we just came up short."

 

Deja Middleton got the ball rolling for Fayetteville State with a layup to start the game.  A made free throw by Middleton put the Lady Broncos ahead 3-0 at the 18:42 mark.  The Lady Bears knotted the game with a free throw and layup by Smith.

 

With the score tied 5-5 and 15:39 on the clock, Shaw used layups from Mitchell and Warner and Kaula Jacks to take an 11-5 advantage.  Shaquana Manning responded with a three-pointer for Fayetteville State but Hatcher was quick to answer with a trey of her own.  A layup by Smith for FSU gave the Lady Bears a 14-10 lead at the first media time out of the contest.

 

Resper welcomed the Lady Bears back from the quick break with a three-pointer for the Lady Broncos but Hatcher responded on the next possession with another three to give Shaw the 17-13 lead with 11:05 on the clock.

 

From that point, the Lady Bears went to work.  A three byAll-Tournament honoree Micah Brooks contributed to a 10-4 run for Shaw and left Fayetteville State trailing 27-17 with 7:49 left to play. Fayetteville State scraped their way back to cut the deficit to four points after a layup by Bria Robinson with 4:26 on the clock.

 

A three-pointer by Burwell at the 1:06 mark gave the Lady Bears a 42-30 lead.  Middleton completed the three point play for Fayetteville State in response, but the Lady Bears enjoyed a 42-33 lead at halftime.

 

Middleton opened up the second half with a bucket and free throw for the Lady Broncos while Mitchell answered with a jumper on the next possession.   Trailing 44-36 with 19:19 left in the game, Robertson's three-pointer for Fayetteville State contributed to a 7-0 run to make it a one point game (44-43).

 

The Lady Broncos simply would not go away.  Though Shaw remained in the lead, Fayetteville State matched them nearly basket for basket as the time ticked away.  The Lady Bears picked up the momentum with 13:56 left in the game.  With a 51-50 advantage, Shaw rattled off 10 unanswered points to pull away 61-50 with 9:29 left in the game.

 

" We started mixing up things just a little bit just to give them a different taste," said Curtis of the run.  "We started doing some traps and the girls did an excellent job.  The girls did an excellent job getting after them"

 

Down but not out, the Lady Broncos used a spread offensive attack to battle back and put the pressure on Shaw.  A 13-4 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers by Calvin left the Lady Bears clinging to a narrow 65-63 advantage with just six minutes remaining in the contest.

 

"We knew they would make a run on us sometime," said Curtis, "because no good team can you keep down all the time.  I'm just glad we were able to be CIAA Champions four times in a row.

 

Shaw led by no more than four points in the remainder of the game as each team fought furiously to gain control.  The Lady Broncos used a layup by Calvin followed by a made free throw to make it a one point (69-68) game with 1:34 left in the battle.

 

Burwell hit two free throws for Shaw with 18.7 seconds on the clock, giving the Lady Bears a 71-68 advantage.  Smith hit a quick layup out of a timeout but Burwell was fouled on the next possession and made good on both free throw attempts to secure the 73-70 win for Shaw.

 

The Lady Bears now wait to hear where they will travel for the first round of NCAA Division II regional play, and what seed they will hold.  The trip to the regionals will bring some changes, according to Curtis.

 

"We're probably going to have to change our defense a little bit because you usually have three or four people on the team that can shoot the long ball and stretches out our defense a little."

Box Score

 COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY BEARS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Gold Rush defeat Dillard, win 3rd straight GCAC title

Xavier plays host to GCAC tournaments next week

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana won 61-54 at Dillard on Saturday to clinch its third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball regular-season championship.

The Gold Rush (22-7, 10-2), ranked 13th in NAIA Division I, closed the regular season with four consecutive victories and won the title by a half-game over Talladega. Xavier will be the No. 1 seed in the GCAC Tournament, which will begin Thursday in New Orleans. Xavier will play its first game in the quarterfinals Friday.

Tournament seedings, pairings and game times will be announced Sunday.

It's the first time that the Gold Rush have won three consecutive regular-season conference championships. It's the first time since 1986-87 that Xavier won the title outright. The championship is the fifth in Dannton Jackson's 11 seasons as head coach.

Anthony Goode scored 16 points, Sydney Coleman 15 and Morris Wright 10 for the Gold Rush. Coleman grabbed nine rebounds, and Wright had a career-high eight rebounds.

Houston Chatman scored 17 points and Lance Theard 14 for the Bleu Devils (4-14, 0-12), who have lost 13 straight.

Xavier led for 38 minutes, including the final 37:06. After Chatman's 3-pointer at 17:16 gave Dillard its only lead, 3-2, Coleman scored 10 seconds later to put the Gold Rush ahead to stay. Xavier led 30-19 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 37-22, after Coleman's two free throws with 17:27 remaining.

Theard's two free throws with 3:04 remaining cut the Gold Rush lead to 52-48, but Xavier scored on its next four posessions, including a Wright 3-pointer at 1:26 which made it 59-50.

Xavier outshot the Bleu Devils 48.8 to 35 percent from the floor, outscored them 17-8 from the line and outrebounded them 39-31. The Gold Rush are 11-0 this season when allowing fewer than 60 points.

Xavier leads the series with its city rival 80-48. The Gold Rush have won 10 of the last 11 meetings and 20 of the last 23. It was Xavier's 10th consecutive victory at Dent Hall. The series began in the 1947-48 season.

Box score

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