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.

CONTINUE READING

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 ...

CONTINUE READING 

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.

CONTINUE READING

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.

CONTINUE READING

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. 

 

CONTINUE READING

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
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold

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
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold

How will Southern football do when spring football starts Wednesday?

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern football team returns to practice as the reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Wednesday.

The Jaguars have lost some star power from the 19 seniors on last year’s team, and the statistics can quantify just how much was lost. But Dawson Odums says he begins his second set of spring practices as head coach confident he has everything he needs up and down the roster for Southern to continue to grow as a program.

“It’s all about consistency,” Odums said. “We’re probably the only school in the SWAC to keep all of its coaches. That’s consistency. We just have to continue to get better during the spring. It’s tough on younger players when they have to learn a different defense or a different offense. But when you’re able to be consistent, you get better and better.”

The Jaguars will start an inexperienced quarterback next season in the wake of losing Dray Joseph, the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes who was a SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year last year.

CONTINUE READING

Powers Leads Hampton Pirates Past Rival NSU Spartans

HAMPTON, Virginia  –  Points were hard to come by for anyone not named Deron Powers Saturday night at the HU Convocation Center, but the sophomore guard poured in 23 points as the Hampton University men's basketball team beat rival Norfolk State 61-53.

The Pirates (17-11, 12-3 MEAC) won their sixth straight game and swept the season series over the Spartans for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) went 8-for-12 from the floor and hit three of his five 3-pointers. Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) added 12 points and fell one rebound shy of his third straight double-double with a team-high nine rebounds.

Pendarvis Williams hit two free throws at the 11:02 mark of the second half to cut the Pirates' lead to 35-33, but Hampton went on an 8-0 run – punctuated by a fastbreak dunk from sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) that put the Pirates up 43-33 at the 8:30 mark.

Norfolk State never got closer than within four, when Anell Alexis hit a layup at the 6:25 mark to slice the Pirates' lead to 45-41. Sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession to quell the Spartans' momentum and give Hampton a 48-41 lead.

A Maxwell dunk and a Powers layup followed, and the Pirates led 52-41 with 4:23 remaining.

The Spartans went on a 6-1 spurt to cut the lead to 53-47 with 2:01 left after a pair of free throws from Malcolm Hawkins. But the Pirates hit six free throws in the closing minutes – on top of a breakaway layup from senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.) to put the game away.

Norfolk State only had nine field goals in the second half (compared to 16 turnovers) – and the Spartans went from the 12:17 mark to the 7:22 mark without a field goal.



The Spartans held a 17-11 lead with 9:00 left in a low-scoring first half, before the Pirates went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 17-17 on a free throw from sophomore guard Breon Key (Hampton, Va.).

After Norfolk State took a 21-19 lead on a Jamel Fuentes jumper at the 4:33 mark, Hampton closed the first half on a 6-2 run, taking a 25-23 lead into the locker room thanks to a jumper from Powers with 56 seconds left in the half.

The Pirates shot 37.5 percent (21-for-56) from the floor and hit five of 19 3-pointers (26.3 percent). Hampton turned 25 Norfolk State turnovers into 26 points and held a 28-24 edge in points in the paint.

Norfolk State (16-12, 10-4 MEAC) shot 43.2 percent (19-for-44) from the floor – despite the Spartans' second-half struggles – but went just 3-for-11 from behind the arc.

Hawkins and Brandon Goode each had 12 points to lead the Spartans.

The Pirates will close the regular season on Thursday at the HU Convocation Center, celebrating Senior Night against North Carolina A&T at 8 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

NCCU Earns 15th Straight Win in Convincing Fashion on Senior Day

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- North Carolina Central University made Senior Day even more special as the Eagles used another dominating performance to dismantle the South Carolina State University Bulldogs 86-44 in front of 2,414 maroon-clad fans inside McDougald-McLendon Gym.

Despite the early setback as the Eagles found themselves down 9-3 on Jalen White's layup with 16:41 to go, the veteran Eagles used the next five minutes to go on a 14-3 run and take the lead at 17-12.

Senior Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) had it going early and often in the first frame, scoring 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting, 4-of-6 from beyond-the-arc.  Ingram also collected a season-high five steals through the first 20 minutes of play.

With the mixture of solid defense as the maroon and gray forced 10 turnovers, a five-point lead ballooned to a 40-24 halftime advantage.

The second half was more of the same as the maroon and gray used a 10-1 run through the first five-and-a-half minutes in the second half to make it 50-25.

It took until the 12:51 mark of the second stanza for SC State to get their first field goal in the second half as Jalen White connected on a layup to make it 59-27.



NCCU's dominance continued the rest of the way, which gave head coach LeVelle Moton the opportunity to send all of his seniors out with a curtain call in front of the Eagle faithful who gave each student-athlete a standing ovation.

The Eagles went to win 86-44 behind Ingram's 25 points and junior Jordan Parks recorded his second double-double of the year with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

As a team, the maroon and gray committed a season-low five turnovers, marking a new record in the NCAA Division I era for the program.  In fact, the last time an NCCU team had five or less turnovers took place on Feb. 27, 2003 when the maroon and gray beat Fayetteville State 85-75 in the CIAA Tournament in Raleigh, N.C.  That Eagle squad only turned the ball over four times in the opening round win.

SC State (9-18, 5-9 MEAC) struggled mightily from-the-field in the contest, shooting a dismal 28.3 percent going 15-for-53, including 2-for-16 from beyond-the-arc.

With the win, NCCU (23-5, 13-1 MEAC) has now recorded 15-straight victories on the year, 22 consecutive inside McDougald-McLendon Gym dating back to the 2012-13 campaign, and needs one more victory to secure the school's first MEAC regular season title at the NCAA Division I level.  The 23 victories are now the most in a season since the 1992-93 campaign (Moton's freshman year).

Next up for the Eagles, the Tigers of Savannah State University, in front of a national television audience as the game will be broadcasted on ESPNU on Monday, March 3 at 7:00 p.m. from McDougald-McLendon Gym.

Visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon for the latest on NCCU Athletics.

 Box Score

Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION         

Free-throw shooting lifts SU women over Alcorn in OT

LORMAN, Mississippi — The overtime period of the Southern women’s basketball team’s victory against Alcorn State on Saturday told the story of the entire game.

The Jaguars made 7-of-10 free throws, and the Braves made 2-of-8 as Southern prevailed 67-62 in the Davey Whitney Complex. For the game, Southern made 28-of-43 free throws and Alcorn made 19-of-41.

The victory came just hours after the Jaguars (17-7 and 14-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) learned they would be allowed to play in the SWAC tournament, though they remain banned from NCAA postseason play. The Braves, who beat Southern 58-52 on Feb. 1 in the F.G. Clark Activity Center, are 7-20 and 6-10.

Neither coach Sandy Pugh nor any players were available for comment after the game, a policy that will continue until after the regular-season finale against Texas Southern on March 8, according to a university statement.

CONTINUE READING

Rabalais: It’s clear — Southern has failed its athletes

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern’s winter sports programs have been banned from NCAA championship competition because of missing and unusable academic data pertaining to its student-athletes.

In other words, the NCAA has no way to properly verify their grades and academic progress.
There is an easy way to grade Southern University on this subject, though.

A big, fat “F.” Underlined. Inside a red circle.

One is tempted to label Southern’s academic compliance grade incomplete, given the Swiss-cheese state of the academic records of its student-athletes.

But that would be being kind when kindness is not deserved.

CONTINUE READING

Morgan State Bears overcome Bethune-Cookman late rally, 65-61

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- Ian Chiles scored a game-high 23 points, Cedric Blossom had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Morgan State overcame a late rally to beat Bethune-Cookman 65-61 on Saturday at Hill Field House.

The Bears improved to 12-14 overall and sit tied for 3rd place with a 10-4 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Bethune-Cookman (6-24, 4-11 MEAC) almost had enough down the stretch to overtake the Bears. However, Morgan State's lead was just enough, despite having what seemed to be an off night.

"Obviously I'm glad we won the game, but it wasn't' pretty and we've got to do better," Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman said. "So we've got to get out of whatever it is we're in, because we can't keep doing it like that. That wasn't good. That wasn't the way we play basketball -- we took a step backwards today."

Justin Black, who entered the game averaging 19.3 ppg, finished with a season-low 8 points and added eight rebounds and three assists. Blake Bozeman also chipped in 8 points.

The Wildcats were held to 9-for-29 shooting in the first half, but shot 44 percent in the second half and made things uncomfortable for the Bears down the stretch.

The Bears played through Ian Chiles throughout most of the first half. The 'Cats had a hard time containing the 7-foot-2 center who simple dominated the first half, shooting 6 of 8 from the floor for 16 points to lead the Bears. Clemmye Owens' halftime buzzer beater cut Morgan's lead to 30-28 at the break.

"My teammates were looking for me early," said Chiles. "I was able to give them some good production, offensively. During the second half, I slowed down a little bit; they kind of changed defenses so they had two, three people on me every time I touched the ball. So it was kind of tough in the second half, but I was able to pull through."

Owens led the Wildcats with 18 points and Malik Jackson added 11.

Bethune's Mikel Trapp (8 pts) opened up the second half scoring and tied the game at 30 apiece, before the Bears began pushing the accelerator. Morgan State proceeded to outscore the 'Cats 20-9 over the course of an 8 minute stretch. Following a dunk by Shaquille Duncan and a fastbreak layup by Justin Black, the Bears held a 50-38 lead with 11:28 remaining.

Morgan's lead grew to as many as 17 points (59-42) following a pair of dunks by Chiles. After that, things got interesting.

Bethune used a 19-4 run during the final 8 minutes to whittle away at the Bears lead. Mikel Trapp's layup cut Morgan's lead to 63-61 with 32 seconds left to go. Fortunately for the Bears, Cedric Blossom hit a pair of from throws with 15 seconds left and Maurice Taylor had his shot blocked by Duncan in the final moments to help the Bears hold on for the win.

Chiles added, "It was ugly and sloppy on both ends – offense and defense, but we pulled it out in the end and that's all that matters."

Box Score


Leonard Haynes, MSU Athletics Media Relations 
COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS        

Texas Southern softball upsets Southern Miss 8-5 picking up sixth win of the season

AUSTIN, Texas  -- The Texas Southern University Lady Tigers softball team picked up another big win this season with a 8-5 victory over Southern Mississippi at the UT softball tournament today. The Lady Tigers dropped an 8-0 decision to tournament host UT in the final game of the day for Texas Southern.

In game one Southern Miss was the first team to plate a run, taking the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Golden Eagles double their lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Texas Southern chipped into the Southern Miss advantage with a run in the top of the third inning. The Lady Tigers used a bunt single and a fielder's choice to place two runners on base. TSU used a deep fly ball to advance the runners up one base. Texas Southern got on the scoreboard with a Brianna Parker sacrifice fly to right field.

The Lady Tigers rallied to take the lead in the top of the fourth inning. The first run of the inning came across on a RBI single by Monica Castillo. Back-to-back singles loaded the bases for the Lady Tigers and a base-clearing double by Thomasina Garza gave TSU a 5-4 advantage.

Southern Miss tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Texas Southern regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Castillo singled to start the inning, but was retired on a fielder's choice. TSU used a bunt single to place a second runner on base.

With two outs, the Lady Tigers used a Parker two-RBI double to left center field to regain the lead. Texas Southern singled up the middle to score a third run of the inning and take an 8-5 advantage that they would not relinquish.

Samantha Jimenez got the win for Texas Southern pitching three innings allowing no earned runs and just three hits.

In game two of the day UT junior RHP Gabby Smith pitched a complete game shutout and the Longhorns offense stayed hot to help Texas defeat Texas Southern in five innings.

Madison Staton was saddled with the loss in game two as she pitched 2.2 innings allowing seven earned runs on eight hits. Texas Southern will close out play at the tournament tomorrow morning at 8:00 am versus the Texas Longhorns.

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2    

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Official Statement: SWAC Lifts League's Postseason Ban

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference and its Council of Presidents and Chancellors reviewed, voted, and approved to amend the SWAC bylaw that governs if an institution’s team and/or student-athletes can participate in the conference season-ending tournaments and championships.

“Today we received the approval from the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees to amend our men’s and women’s basketball automatic qualification policy for the NCAA Tournament,” said SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp.

The adopted bylaw, which allows all 10 member institutions to participate in the SWAC Tournament, will be used to determine which SWAC member institution will receive the conference Automatic Qualification (AQ) to represent the conference in the NCAA tournaments for each respective sport. The previous policy restricted several current SWAC institutions from participating in post season play due to Academic Progress Rates (APR) restrictions.

As it relates to the upcoming basketball tournament, the NCAA issued a statement acknowledging the acceptance of the SWAC’s proposed bylaw change by saying that the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees will allow the conference to amend its automatic-qualifying policy for the 2014 championships only. The conference basketball tournament for both men and women will still determine the automatic berths into both NCAA championships. The eligible team that advances furthest in the conference tournaments will receive the automatic berth to the NCAA championships. In the event of a tie (for example, all tournament-eligible teams are eliminated in the same round), the automatic berths will go to the highest-seeded team.

“It is the conference’s goal to ensure that each student-athlete has equal opportunity for academic and athletic success,” said Sharp. “The Conference and Council of Presidents acknowledge the financial strain that affects our member institutions in meeting APR requirements. With the approval of the amended policy, the SWAC not only can provide a quality athletic experience, but optimistically provide the means for academic advancements,” added Commissioner Sharp.

The Council voted in favor of lifting the postseason ban, for all SWAC Championship Sports, as the old policy inhibited the current student-athletes. To some extent, postseason penalties were based on budget issues that prevent league institutions from hiring personnel to support the athletic system.

“The academic success of the student-athletes is a top priority of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and its member institutions. While staying committed to improving the APR scores of our member institutions, the SWAC will continue to work with each institution and the NCAA to reach the appropriate benchmarks set by the Committee on Academic Performance,” said Sharp.

The old policy did not allow member institutions that are not eligible for NCAA postseason to participate in SWAC season-ending tournament and championship games, but the change does allow for it. The ruling immediately allows Grambling State, Mississippi Valley State, Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff to compete at the end of the regular season in its respective competition, including the 2014 SWAC tournament, which will run March 11-15 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

Southwestern Athletic ConferenceThe Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), established in 1920, is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., which is comprised of historically black universities in the Southern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for its 18 sports and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).