UPDATED: Men’s Basketball Bracket Set for 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its men's pairings for the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament, March 10-15, at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The North Carolina Central Eagles clinched the No. 1 seed after posting a conference record of 15-1. North Carolina Central sealed the regular season title and the top seed with a 64-57 overtime win over Savannah State on Monday, March 3. The title is the first for the Eagles men’s basketball program at the Division I level.

NCCU earned the first-round bye and will open up play on Wednesday, March 12 beginning at 6 p.m. They will face the winner of the No. 8 Howard/No. 9 North Carolina A&T State matchup set for Tuesday, March 11 at 4 p.m.

Men’s action starts on Monday with No. 4 Norfolk State taking on No. 13 Maryland Eastern Shore beginning at 6:30 p.m. Savannah State (No. 5) faces off against South Carolina State (No. 12) at 9 p.m. to end the first day of competition.

Hampton earned the runners-up trophy with a 13-3 record and will face the winner of the No. 7 Coppin State vs. No. 10 Bethune-Cookman matchup scheduled for Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. Morgan State earned the No. 3 seed, following the tiebreaker against Norfolk State, to receive a two-day bye and will take on the winner of the No. 6 Florida A&M vs. No. 11 Delaware State game on Tuesday, March 11 slated for 9 p.m.

The 2014 regular season champion, regular season runners-up, first-team members and top honorees including Player, Rookie, Defensive and Coach of the Year selections, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to the honorees first games in tournament play. The 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips-off Monday, March 10, and will conclude on Saturday, March 15 with the men's and women's championship games.

The women's game will start at 3 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN3 and tape-delayed on ESPNU beginning at Sunday, March 16, at 11 a.m. The men's finale will begin at 6 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPNU. The preliminary games will also be streamed live on www.MEACsports.com. Click here for the 2014 MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket.

2014 MEAC Men's Tournament Bracket

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Women’s Bracket Set For 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its women's pairings for the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament, March 10-15, at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The three-time defending MEAC Tournament champion Hampton Lady Pirates will enter the tournament as the top seed after concluding the regular-season with a 16-0 mark in MEAC play.

Hampton registered its second consecutive unblemished record, marking the sixth time in conference history that a women’s basketball team has gone undefeated in MEAC play. The Lady Pirates earned the tournament’s first-round bye and will open up play on Wednesday, March 12 at noon. They will face the winner of the No. 8 Howard vs. No. 9 North Carolina Central matchup slated for Tuesday, March 11 at 11 a.m.

Games will start on Monday, March 10 with No. 4 Florida A&M vs. No. 13 Delaware State at 11 a.m. and No. 5 Savannah State vs. No. 12 Morgan State at 1:30 p.m.

North Carolina A&T finished the season with a 13-3 mark to secure the number two seed and the runners-up trophy, while Coppin State earned the third seed with a 12-4 mark in MEAC play. The Lady Aggies will meet the winner of No. 7 Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 10 South Carolina State on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

B-CU and SCSU will open up tournament play on Tuesday, March 12 at 1:30 p.m. The Lady Eagles of Coppin State will face the winner of No. 6 Norfolk State/No. 11 Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday, March 13 at 12 p.m. The Spartans and Lady Hawks will close out the women’s action on Monday, March 10 at 4 p.m.

Norfolk State won the tiebreaker over Bethune-Cookman to secure the No. 6 spot, while Maryland Eastern Shore defeated Delaware State on the final day of the regular season to lock into the No. 11 spot.

The 2014 regular season champion, regular season runners-up, first-team members and top honorees including Player, Rookie, Defensive and Coach of the Year selections, will be recognized in pre-game presentations prior to the honorees first games in tournament play.

The 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips-off Monday, March 10, and will conclude on Saturday, March 15 with the men’s and women’s championship games. The women’s game will begin at 3 p.m. and will be tape-delayed on ESPNU. It will air the following day, Sunday, March 16, at 11 a.m. The men’s finale will begin at 6 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPNU. The preliminary games will also be streamed live on www.MEACsports.com.

2014 Women's Bracket

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SU women pull away for win over Prairie View

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern women’s basketball team tuned up for its Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown Saturday by beating Prairie View A&M 69-59 on Thursday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The Jaguars, 18-7 and 15-2 in the SWAC, will host Texas Southern in a head-to-head matchup for the conference title in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon. Texas Southern moved to 15-2 with a 67-64 win over Alcorn State on Thursday night.

Britney Washington came off the bench to lead a balanced Jaguars scoring attack with 14 points. Kendra Coleman scored 13 and Jasmine Jefferson had 12.

Gabrielle Scott led the Panthers (11-16 and 11-6) with 15 and Alexus Parker and Jeanette Jackson scored 12 each. Jackson, the second-leading scorer in the SWAC with an average of 19.4 points, made just 4-of-17 shots, including 2-of-7 3-pointers.

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NCCU Eagles Make It 17-Straight, Spoils Norfolk State's Senior Night

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  North Carolina Central University put the final cap on their MEAC Regular Season Title by earning win No. 17 in-a-row at the expense of ruining Norfolk State University's Senior Night, 76-70, on Thursday night inside Joseph Echols Hall in Norfolk, Va. completing the year 25-5 overall, 15-1 in MEAC.

The 25 victories in the regular season are not only the most in the NCAA Division I level for the program, but they are the second most since John McLendon's 1950-51 squad finished 26-5.  The 17-straight wins is tied for the second-best streak since the 1987-88 campaign.

NCCU took it to the league's perennial power through the first five minutes of play grabbing hold to a 12-5 lead with 15:07 left after senior Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) drilled one of his two first half trifectas.

Three minutes later, Ingram scored the next five points for the Eagles to give the maroon and gray a 21-8 advantage with 12:12 to go.

With 9:08 remaining in the frame, the Eagles led 27-15 after a Jordan Parks (Queens, N.Y.) layup, Norfolk State started to mount a rally as the Spartans went on a 16-to-7 run to cut the deficit to three at 3 to cut the deficit to three at 34-31 with 1:55 to go.

The Eagles took a 38-35 lead into the locker room, setting the stage for the dramatic second half.

With 16:45 to go, another of Hawkins' Norfolk State school record eight three-pointers tied the game a 42 , but the maroon and gray responded with the next four points, all by Ingram to take a 46-42 advantage.

Marese Phelps drilled a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to make it 46-45with 14:18 left in the game, but that was as close as the Spartans got as NCCU scored the game's next six points to stretch the lead back to seven at 52-45 with 11:09 left.

The maroon and gray stretched the lead back out to 13 at 64-51 on Parks' highlight worthy windmill dunk and the Eagles cruised from there despite the amount of misses from the foul line.

NCCU shot a paltry 16-for-28 (57.1 percent) from the charity stripe in the second half, which was just enough to allow the maroon and gray to pull away for the 76-70 win.

Four Eagles racked up double figures led by Ingram's 19 points as the senior was saddled with foul trouble, followed up by Parks who ended up with 14 points, while point guard Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) scored 13 points, while recording four assists to become the first Eagle in school history to record over 600 career assists.  He also set a new single season mark for helpers with 203 on the year.

Norfolk State (17-13, 11-5 MEAC) was led by Malcolm Hawkins who set a new NSU record going 8-for-10 from beyond-the-arc tying a career-high with 31 points.

NCCU (25-5, 15-1 MEAC) will embark on the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, March 12 at 6:00 p.m. from the Norfolk Scope Arena  in Norfolk, Va.
 
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. 

Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator
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Hampton Lady Pirates Beat Aggies, Go Unbeaten in MEAC

HAMPTON, Virginia -- On a night where the seniors had the spotlight at the HU Convocation Center, the Hampton University women's basketball team survived a 54-51 win over North Carolina A&T on Thursday thanks to a freshman.

Not only did freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) pour in 15 points, she scored four straight points in the closing minutes as the Lady Pirates trailed. With 2:10 remaining, Tracy King put the Lady Aggies up 51-48.

Tate-DeFreitas answered with a jumper 13 seconds later, and then she hit two free throws with 1:14 left to give the Lady Pirates a 52-51 lead.

Sophomore forward Tyler Hobgood (Oxford, N.C.) and junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) each added a free throw in the closing moments to clinch the victory – and send Hampton (25-4, 16-0 MEAC) to an undefeated mark in conference play for the second straight season.

Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) led the way with 18 points in her final home game. Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) added eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed a team-high 15 rebounds.

The Lady Pirates led for much of the second half, despite only hitting five field goals in the frame, and Hampton led 48-43 with 5:01 left after Ward hit a pair of free throws. But N.C. A&T answered with a 7-2 run to take that 51-48 lead on two free throws from King.

The Lady Pirates led 32-26 at the break, and Hampton held its largest lead of the game with 19:35 left in the game, after Cole opened the second half with a 3-pointer to put the Lady Pirates up 35-26. But the Lady Aggies went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 35-34 at the 16:56 mark, setting up a tight finish.

The start was much the same, and the Lady Aggies held a 16-13 lead with 11:23 left in the first half after a layup from Debbie Smith. But the Lady Pirates answered by scoring the next 11 points, taking a 24-16 lead on a Hamilton jumper with 4:56 left in the half.

Bennett added a jumper at the 3:04 mark to put Hampton up 28-20, before N.C. A&T scored six of the next eight points to cut the lead to 30-26 on a trey from Ariel Bursey with 26 seconds left.

Ward hit a jumper with five seconds left to send the Lady Pirates into the half with the lead.

The Lady Pirates shot 27.9 percent (19-for-68) from the floor and hit three of 16 3-pointers. Hampton shot 13-for-17 (76.5 percent) from the free throw line and turned 17 N.C. A&T turnovers into 10 points.

The Lady Aggies (23-5, 13-3 MEAC) shot 31.0 percent (18-for-58) from the floor and out-rebounded Hampton 47-44. N.C. A&T only made three of its 10 3-pointers, though, and missed three crucial free throws in the second half.

Bursey led N.C. A&T with 18 points.

The 2014 MEAC Tournament will be held Monday through Saturday at Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Va. The Lady Pirates, as the top seed and four-time defending champion, will have a first-round bye and play in Wednesday's quarterfinal round at 12 p.m.

Hampton will go into the tournament on a 15-game winning streak, and the Lady Pirates have won their last 46 games against MEAC opponents – including conference tournament games. The win over North Carolina A&T also gives the Lady Pirates an 18-game home MEAC winning streak.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Box Score

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HU Pirates Run Past North Carolina A&T To Stay Hot

HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University men's basketball team used a strong second half to run away from North Carolina A&T Thursday night at the HU Convocation Center, ending the regular season with an 89-71 win.

The Pirates (18-11, 13-3 MEAC) have won seven straight games and 10 of their last 11.

Sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) led the way with 20 points for his third straight 20-point effort, hitting four 3-pointers and going 6-for-10 from the floor. Sophomore guards Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) and Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) each added 13 points.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) had 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds in his final home game.

Maxwell hit a layup with 14:56 left in the first half to put the Pirates up 8-4, before the Aggies scored the next five points to take a 9-8 lead. That was indicative of the entire first half, a back-and-forth affair in which not many shots were missed.

From 13:36 to 12:27, Darden hit back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers, but the Aggies kept answering on the other end, so when Darden hit his third trey, it only gave the Pirates a 17-15 lead.

N.C. A&T led 27-24 after a pair of Jeremy Underwood free throws with 7:45 left in the half, but the Pirates went on a 6-2 spurt to take a 30-29 lead with 5:13 left in the half following a free throw from sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.).

Lamont Middleton gave the Aggies a 32-31 lead with two free throws at the 4:20 mark, before the Pirates scored eight of the next 11 points, taking a 39-35 lead on a dunk from sophomore guard Breon Key (Hampton, Va.) at the 3:00 mark.

A Maxwell dunk with 18 seconds left sent the Pirates into the half with a 45-40 lead.

Darden led all scorers with 11 first-half points.

The Aggies cut the lead to 45-43 to open the second half, before sophomore forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) scored on a tip-in that kicked off an 11-4 run for the Pirates – and when Brown cleaned up a Key miss with 16:00 left, it gave the Pirates a 56-47 lead.

A trey from senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.) with 15:22 left made the run 14-4 and put the Pirates up 59-47.

But the Pirates weren't done making their point; Mercado drove the lane for a one-handed flush at the 11:53 mark to give Hampton a 65-52 lead, then Maxwell did the same thing with 10:24 left to put the Pirates up 67-56.

After Bruce Beckford received two technical fouls and was ejected with 9:57 left to play, Powers hit three of four free throws to give Hampton a 70-56 lead.

Powers added back-to-back 3-pointers to give Hampton a 76-59 lead with 7:51 to play.

Powers' second trey kicked off an 11-0 Pirates run, and Powers hit a jumper with 4:20 left to put Hampton up 84-59 and effectively ice the game; not even a game-ending 12-5 run from N.C. A&T could change the outcome.

The Aggies (9-22, 5-11 MEAC) went from the 11:06 mark of the second half to 3:29 without a field goal.

The Pirates shot 51.9 percent (28-for-54) from the floor and hit 10 of their 20 3-pointers.

N.C. A&T shot 40.4 percent (21-for-52) from the floor and hit seven of 17 3-pointers (41.2 percent) – though the Aggies did outrebound the Pirates 37-33.

Richaud Pack led the Aggies with 14 points.

The Pirates will go into the 2014 MEAC Tournament (Monday through Saturday at the Norfolk Scope) as the No. 2 seed, earning a first-round bye and a quarterfinal match-up on Wednesday 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

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SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament: Paine eliminates Stillman 78-75 in quarterfinal action (video)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- In a tight, back-and-forth game, Paine College took the lead late and made that stand up, beating Stillman 78-75 today in the quarterfinals of the 2014 SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament at the Birmingham CrossPlex's Bill Harris Arena.

The game had 12 ties and 18 lead changes. The West No. 2 Tigers took their last lead with 2:35 left in the game as Markeith Madison plowed down the lane for a score and a 75-73 lead.



Toby Veal gave his Lions the lead back at 76-75 on an old-fashioned three-point play. Following an air-balled 3-point shot by Stillman's Jeffrey Wherry, Kenny Fluellen nailed a pair of free throws to provide the final margin.

Stillman missed two shots in with about 15 seconds left but couldn't muster a shot in the final eight seconds.

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GCAC Tournament: Fisk Bulldogs Trust Their Way to First Ever GCAC Victory

Fisk University forward Richmond Jackson
Courtesy Fisk University Athletics

NEW ORLEANS  -- When a consumer sets up a trust fund at a bank they expect to get a return on their investment. The longer they wait the more dividends they earn. The Fisk University Bulldogs put that concept on display as they defeated the Dillard Bleu Devils 72-64 in the play-in game of the GCAC Men’s Championships. Though the game was held at Dillard’s Battlefield in Dent Hall, Fisk was the home team.

Richmond Jackson led the Bulldogs with 18 points including two thunderous dunks. The junior from Detroit also benefitted twice being fouled on three point shot attempts.

“I have been feeling comfortable as of late,” said Jackson. “It feels good that my coach and teammates trust me. We knew they would key on Cam (Lewis) so others had to do their part. I am finally having fun.”

Lewis, the GCAC Player of the Year, was held seven points under his average. The junior scored 15 points but contributed on the defensive end with seven deflections, six rebounds, two steals and a block. Lewis scored nine of the Bulldogs first 15 points. He ended the half with 11 points. A key assist to Chris Pollard by Lewis gave the Bulldogs a six point lead with 1:01 left in regulation to seal the deal.

“I have been preaching to the guys since the summer that we need to trust each other,” said Fisk Head Coach Deajada “Jay” Smith. “That goes for me too. We knew this would be tough because they were playing in their home gym. I am proud of Cam because he didn’t force the issue. Tonight turned out to be Rich’s night and the guys rode him. We have shown all year that we could score. Holding them to 64 points in their own gym in a win or go home scenario shows we played with heart. To be honest I like playing on the road better because you have to be tough.”

The game was nip and tuck until the waning seconds. Dillard senior Jeremy Rixner played strong second half to keep the game close. Rixner’s second three point play in the half gave Dillard an three point lead. Rixner was winded and was replaced. With Dillard’s big man out, Fisk took advantage as Jackson drove to the basket the next two offensive trips. One time he scored on a layup, the next time he was fouled.

“They played tough and gritted it out,” said Dillard Head Coach Bernard Griffith of Fisk. Rixner played good. He is a senior and we expected that. I wish Fisk well the rest of the way.

Joining Jackson and Lewis in double figures was Walter Arnold with 10 points. Off the bench Craig Jeudy and Austin Watkins also had 10. For Dillard Huston Chatman had 11 and Jordan Kilson added 10 in his final game of his college career. Fisk will again play on their opponents’ home court as they take on number one seed Xavier at the Convocation Center. The game will begin at 7 p.m.

By Scott Wallace of Fisk University
COURTESY FISK UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

GCAC Tournament: Fisk Lady Bulldogs, Davis Battle and Survive to Advance

Janine Davis (fourth from the right) and her teammates looked good and
 played good.
Photo Courtesy Fisk University Athletics

NEW ORLEANS  --  Dillard University's Dent Hall was nicknamed The Battlefield three years ago by the students because of all of the tough battles that the quant building has witnessed. Thursday night in the opening game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament, Dent Hall lived up to its nickname as the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs survived and defeated a gritty Voorhees Lady Tiger team 82-79.

Lady Buldog senior Janine Davis came into the game with a chip on her shoulder after being left off of the All GCAC team. The Jamaica, N.Y. native was first in the country in assists to turnover ratio and also was second in assists per game. Davis scored a career high 32 points.

"I didn't want this to be my last game." said the 5'6 Davis. "I wanted us to survive and advance and we did. it feels good to get this one. This was a team effort. My teammates wanted win this for the seniors. We will have to play harder tomorrow though. I will celebrate this one for about 30 minutes."

The Lady Bulldogs went out to what seemed to be a comfortable 13 point lead with 7:05 left in the second half after a pair of three point shots by freshman Nailah Whitlock on assists from Davis. But the Lady Tigers wouldn't go away cutting the lead to 81-79 after a pair of three point shots by Lasherria Sprinkle. Whitlock was fouled with 0.5 to go and had a chance to finally put the game away but split the free throws. A long inbound pass from Amber Johnson to Courtney Roberts was shot after the buzzer sounded. The ball went in but it didn't count. It would have tied the game.

"Hey a win is a win when you are in this one and done format," said Fisk Head Coach Tony Thompson. "We went up big but hurt ourselves at the free throw line. We also took a bad three when we were up seven and in control with a little over a minute left. I will take it but we have to play much better tomorrow. Everyone stepped up tonight. My seniors (Davis and Nacori Foreman) talked to the team and they responded."

All GCAC sophomore Rashida Ademosu scored 18 points for Fisk but fouled out with 4:34 left in regulation and her team up by 13 points. Kimberly Gordon (13 points) scored on a three point play and GCAC Freshman of the Year Jamilia Burgos followed up with a three point shot to get Voorhees back in the game. The foul on Ademosu and subsequent plays was the turning point to make the game close.

"That how we have been playing all year," said Lady Tiger Coach Edward Glover. "We graduated 11 players from last year so we knew it would be tough. I am happy how we never gave up. That is a good team we lost to. We will get back to work and improve next year. My senior Amber Johnson (16 points) played her heart out today. We will be back."

Whitlock added 12 points for Fisk and the NAIA rebound per game leader Foreman grabbed three rebounds under her average with 13. Joining Johnson in double figures for Voorhees were Kimberly Gordon with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Roberts added 12 points and Kritofia Smart had 11. Fisk will take on number one seeded Talladega tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Talledega swept the Lady Bulldogs in two games this season. The game will be played at The Battlefield.

By Scott Wallace of Fisk University
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Rain Meet ASU Football at Practice Session Two

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Alabama State's football team hit the field for the second session of spring practice and they were met with some adverse weather conditions as a cold wind and then rain swept across the field.

For most of the 80 minute practice session, the Hornets battled through the elements with a lot of energy.

"It was really not a good day to try and get a practice in, but the players handled it well," Head Coach Reggie Barlow said.  "You don't expect this type of weather in Alabama in March, but there was a lot of enthusiasm out there today and the players had a lot of fun."

"There toward the end it was hard to hang on to the ball because all of them got wet, so it was good to get in some work in those wet conditions to see how we would handle it."

The Hornets are scheduled for their third session tomorrow, Friday, March 7 at 7 p.m.  The practice sessions are being held at Old Hornet Stadium.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NCCU wins long-awaited meeting with MEAC power Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Virginia — Senior backcourt mates Jeremy Ingram and Emanuel Chapman combined for 32 points Thursday night as N.C. Central held off Norfolk State 76-68 in the first meeting between the two MEAC powers in the last two years.

Regular-season MEAC champion NCCU came up a game short in race for the league’s top seed last year, losing once in conference play while Norfolk State was negotiating a perfect MEAC season — but the teams never met before each was bounced from the conference tournament in monumental opening game upsets.

NCCU, which has already clinched at least a berth in the National Invitation Tournament by virtue of its regular-season title, has to win the MEAC Tournament next week to grab the league’s only NCAA Tournament berth.

Norfolk State enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed, NCCU the No. 1.

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Stillman Opens 2014 Spring Football Camp

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama  – The Stillman football team has begun Its 2014 Spring Football Camp with over 100 student-athletes looking to solidify a spot on the Tiger squad.

"We have a number of spots that are up for grab this season with the departure of our seniors from last season," said head coach Teddy Keaton.  "The staff and I will be looking to address several key areas as well as lay the foundation for the upcoming season.

With the vast number of camp participants, competition is expected to be tough during the 15 practice sessions.

Stillman began practicing this week and everything will conclude with the S-Day Spring Football Game on April 5 at 2 p.m. inside Stillman Stadium.

Returning for the 2014 season are a core group of players including seven offensive starters and nine defensive starters. Highlighting the list are first-team all-conference kick returner and receiver Dondre Purnell, second-team all-conference defensive back Cameron Stallings and quarterback Josh Straughan.

Last season, Stillman finished with a 6-5 record and a 4-3 mark in the SIAC's Western Division.    

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Stillman Tigers falls in SIAC Tournament to Paine

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The Paine College Lions topped Stillman College 78-75 in the quarterfinals of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) today to advance to the semifinals.

The first half saw eight lead changes and six ties with Stillman (16-13) holding a slight advantage while leading by seven points early in the period. The Tigers converted 18 points on 11 turnovers by Paine (17-12) though the Lions' bench contributed 25 points. Jeffrey Wherry led the Tigers with 17 first half points off the bench as the game was knotted at 43 at the half.

It was much the same in the second period as the game remained close though until the 6:28 mark when Paine held a seven-point advantage. Stillman answered with its own run to knot the game at 73 with 3:19 remaining and held its last lead by two points 75-73. Paine finished the game on a 5-2 run to hold off Paine for the win.

In the game, Paine shot 47 percent from the floor while Stillman converted on 34 percent of its field goal attempts.  Paine out rebounded the Tigers by seven, 44-37, but committed 21 turnovers in the game.



"It was an difficult contest," said Stillman head coach Michael Grant.  "We forced them into several turnovers and bad shots, but we just could not convert on those opportunities."

Kedric Taylor and Kenny Fluellen led the Lions with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

For Stillman, Markeith Madison of Stillman led all scorers with 20 points and 13 boards.  D'uanaway Barnes finished with 16 points, six rebounds and four steals while Jeffrey Wherry tallied 18 points and four rebounds.

"The season did not go as we planned.  The game today did not go as planned.  The effort was there, but missed opportunities hurt us," said Grant.

Paine will take on top seed Fort Valley State Friday, March 7, in a 3:15 p.m., semifinal match-up.

Box Score  
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Benedict Lady Tigers Crush Paine, Advance To SIAC Tournament Semifinals

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The Benedict College Lady Tigers got double-doubles from Santera Grooms and Latoya Fairley and the Lady Tigers smothered Paine defensively to take an 87-64 victory over the Lady Lions on Thursday and advanced to the semifinals of the SIAC Tournament.

Grooms had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Benedict, the second seed from the East Division, while Fairley added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Amanda Toliver had 17 points, going 11-for-11 from the free throw line, and dished out seven assists.

Benedict will face Tuskegee University, the No. 1 seed from the West Division, in a semifinal matchup at 5:30 p.m. Central Time (6:30 p.m. Eastern) on Friday. The game will be broadcast on Benedict's internet audio.

The Lady Tigers held Paine to 34.4 percent shooting and dominated the boards, out-rebounding Paine 53-35.

Benedict led from start to finish, opening the contest by scoring the first nine points of the game. The Lady Tigers held as much as a 16-point lead in the first half after a layup by Britenique Harrison and had a 41-27 lead at the break.

Paine cut the lead to nine points, 42-33, early in the second half after a jumper by Ariel Brown, but Benedict went on a 13-4 run to push the lead to 55-37 after a layup by Toliver.

Paine cut the lead to 66-55 with 3:11 left to play, but Benedict scored 16 straight points to push the lead to its largest of the game, 82-55.

Paine, the sixth seed from the East Division, closed out its season at 12-16. Ashley Watts, the nation's leading scorer in Division II, had 23 points to lead the Lions, while Brown added 15.

Benedict shot 51.9 percent in the second half and 44.6 percent for the game. The Lady Tigers were constantly pushing the ball quickly up the floor, and had 18 assists. They connected on 29 field goals, their second-highest total of the season.

"We focus on our defense, but coming to this tournament we knew we had to score," head coach James Rice said. "I asked them to relax and play their game offensively."

The Lady Tigers will now face a bigger team in Tuskegee, a 71-61 winner over Fort Valley State in an earlier contest on Thursday.

"Tuskegee is a different team. They've got a lot of good inside weapons," Rice said.

Box Score

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KSU Women's Basketball Drops Quarterfinal Game Against Clark Atlanta, 72-69

Birmingham, Alabama -- The Kentucky State University Thorobrettes barely missed out on a chance to advance to the semifinal round of the SIAC Basketball Championship Tournament when they fell to the Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers, 72-69, on Thursday afternoon at the Bill Harris Arena.

#2W Kentucky State (12-15) started strong in both halves, but #3E Clark Atlanta (19-8) never stopped pushing back and was able to secure the comeback win after KSU guard Taylor Sanders missed a potential game tying 3-point attempt as time expired.

The Thorobrettes were led by junior forward Brieona Warner who dropped in a team-high 19 points while pulling down nine rebounds. Warner was limited by foul trouble and ended up fouling out with 1:07 remaining. Sophomore guard Nandi Taylor picked up a season-high eight assists on Thursday but also struggled against the CAU pressure, turning the ball over seven times. Seniors Style Harper and LaShell West contributed with 12 and 10 points respectively in their final game as Thorobrettes.

With the game tied at 65-65, CAU guard Conisha Hicks scored the final seven points for the Lady Panthers who move on to face #1E Albany State in the semifinal round. Hicks finished with a game-high 24 points along with three assists and three steals.



Besides the large runs, both teams lead by as many at 10 points, the biggest storyline of the game was turnovers. Clark Atlanta forced the Thorobrettes into 18 turnovers, consistently harassing the KSU guards. The Lady Panthers picked up 13 steals and scored 26 points off turnovers.

In the first half KSU center Crystal Allen converted a layup to put the Thorobrettes ahead of CAU 25-18 with 7:07 left. From there Clark Atlanta would take over going on an extended 21-6 run to finish the opening period. Clark Atlanta entered the locker room ahead of KSU, 39-31.

The Thorobrettes regrouped at halftime and would slowly wear down the Lady Panthers in the second half.

At the 11:42 mark of the second half Warner converted a layup after an effective up and under move to give the Thorobrettes their first lead since the Lady Panthers went ahead, 29-28, with 4:34 left in the opening period.

That basket started a 17-7 run that put KSU ahead, 65-56, with just over four minutes left in the contest.

The Lady Panthers again fought their way back. CAU fought all the way back to tie the game at 65-65 when Denissea Law converted a fast break layup with 2:14 left.

After Harper hit the front end of a pair of free-throws for KSU, CAU guard Conisha Hicks hit a timely 3-pointer and converted a pair of free-throws in successive possessions to put CAU ahead 70-66 with just 1:07 left in the game.

Kentucky State guard West converted an and-one jumper to pull the Thorobrettes to within one at 70-69 with 51 seconds left.

After the Thorobrettes forced a shot-clock violation KSU took possession with 27 seconds left. Miscommunication led to a crucial turnover and CAU retook possession with just seven seconds remaining. After a quick foul, Hicks hit a pair of free-throws to extend the CAU lead to 72-69 with 5.4 seconds remaining.

Sanders got off a potential game tying 3-point attempt as time expired but the shot fell short and Clark Atlanta escaped with the 72-69 victory.

Box Score | Gallery

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Woodard Earns Third Consecutive NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship Invite

PRESTON WOODARD

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- Senior triple jumper Preston Woodard earned his third career invite to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 14-15 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Woodard's jump of 51-1.75 (15.89 meters) at the Samford Multi & Invitational in Birmingham, Ala. on Feb. 8 qualified him for nationals as the jump ranks 15th in the nation.  A native of Sweeny, Texas, Woodard finished ninth at the 2012 championship with a jump of 51-10 (15.8 meters) and 13^th in the 2013 meet as he posted a length of 50-9.25 (15.47 meters).

 

"I'm looking forward to Preston closing out his indoor career on a high note," said head men's track & field coach Chris Clay.  "For him to be successful and move up in the rankings, he has to do the little things and fine tune his technique."

 

The lone SWAC representative in this year's meet, Woodard cemented himself as one of the SWAC's all-time indoor greats in the triple jump with four consecutive SWAC Indoor Track & Field triple jump titles.

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JSU pro day to be held at off-campus site

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Jackson State’s pro day is set for tomorrow (March 6) at 2 p.m. in the Madison HealthPlex Performance Center.

Cornerback Qua Cox, who received a Senior Bowl invite this season, and wide receiver Zachary Pendleton (surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in 2013) are among the Tigers working out for NFL scouts.

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OVC Tournament: TSU Lady Tigers Drop Close-Fought Game to EKU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Rachel Allen scored 17 points, but the Tennessee State women’s basketball team fell to Eastern Kentucky, 79-75, in Thursday’s first game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Playing in her final game as a college athlete, Alana Morris notched 14 points, while Second Team All-OVC teamer Chelsea Hudson poured in 11.

Eastern Kentucky was led by Marie Carpenter’s 24 points, 22 of which came in the second half.

TSU had a seven-point advantage heading into the final period, but the Lady Colonels shot a scorching 51.9 percent during the final 20 minutes.

Tennessee State started fast as Morris scored from in-close off of a nice pass from Jayda Johnson on TSU’s first possession and Johnson followed that with back-to-back jumpers on the next two trips down.



With the Lady Tigers leading 14-11, Brianna Lawrence found LaTeasha Hill underneath the basket on an inbounds play. Hill caught the pass, converted a layup and was fouled. The junior made the ensuing free throw to put TSU up by six with 12:52 left in the first half.

Eastern Kentucky responded with three straight baskets to draw even, but the Lady Tigers scored on nine of their next 10 possessions as a part of a 19-7 run to pull ahead, 36-24, with 3:43 to go before halftime.

Briana Morrow nailed a free throw in the waning seconds of the stanza, and TSU went into the locker room with a 39-32 lead.

The Lady Tigers were 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) in the first 20 minutes and beat the Lady Colonels in second-chance points, 12-2.

Carpenter drained the first three hoops of the second half, and the Lady Colonels took the lead, 44-43, via a pair of free throws with only four minutes gone on the clock.

TSU, which had only four turnovers in the entire first half, started the second with three consecutive to aid the EKU cause.

Eastern Kentucky got up by as many as six, but an 8-0 TSU run later in the period put the Lady Tigers back in front, 62-60, with 8:05 to play. Morris led the charge with a pair of buckets, and her second caused EKU to call time.

The sides went back-and-forth for the remainder of the contest, with neither side gaining more than a two-point advantage until two Carpenter freebies gave the Lady Colonels a four-point cushion, 79-75.

Allen had one more shot, but it went wide and the Tennessee State women’s basketball season ended in the Nashville Municipal Auditorium by four points.

TSU was 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from the free throw line in the second half, after knocking down 16-of-19 (84.2 percent) in the first.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton University Softball Set to Host Lady Pirate Classic



2014 Lady Pirates Classic

HAMPTON, Virginia – For the second straight weekend, the Hampton University softball team will host a tournament at the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium, as the Lady Pirates Classic will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Lady Pirates (5-7) will face Central Connecticut State on Friday at 2:30 p.m., before taking on St. Bonaventure on Saturday at 3 p.m. Hampton will play twice on Sunday, taking on Drexel at 11 a.m. and Iona at 1 p.m.

Hampton took two of its three games in the Hampton Invitational this past weekend, defeating Saint Joseph's 8-0 on Saturday and beating Columbia 7-2 on Sunday, before falling 4-1 to Hartford in six innings later that evening.

Sophomore Taylor McCoy (Riverview, Fla.) went a combined 6-for-10 at the plate this past weekend, driving in six runs and scoring once on her second home run of the season against Columbia. Redshirt-junior Margaret Wilkins (Tustin, Calif.) went a combined 5-for-8 with four runs scored and three RBIs this past weekend.

Sophomore Jecholia Pratt (Orlando, Fla.) picked up her first win of the season on the mound on Sunday against Columbia, going the full seven innings and striking out four. Junior Jailynn Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va.) struck out a combined eight hitters in her two games of work.

The Lady Pirates are in their first season under interim head coach Michael Pelegrino, who was an assistant coach last season as Hampton won 34 games, taking the MEAC Northern Division regular-season title and winning its first MEAC Tournament crown since 1996.

Jackson was a large part of last season's success, earning MEAC Pitcher of the Year honors after winning 26 games for the Lady Pirates and striking out a MEAC-best (and school-record) 255 batters in 252.0 innings pitched.

She was also an NFCA Second Team All-Region selection and a Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Second Team All-State honoree. Jackson led the MEAC in wins, ERA (2.64), and strikeouts last season, while setting school records in innings pitched, appearances, and starts.

Jackson also threw 25 complete games last season.

The Lady Pirates return seven letterwinners and five starters (as well as two pitchers) from last season's squad, including Wilkins, who was named First Team All-MEAC last season after hitting .343 with six home runs and 32 RBIs.

She tied for second in the MEAC with 49 runs scored last season, and Wilkins was also third in the conference in hits, fifth in total bases, seventh in doubles, and tied for eighth in the home runs.

McCoy was the Most Outstanding Player of last season's MEAC Tournament, and she earned VaSID Second Team All-State honors after hitting a team-best .398. She also led the Lady Pirates in hits, doubles, TBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and fielding percentage.

McCoy was second in the MEAC in hits, doubles, and total bases last season, while ranking third in the conference in batting average and tying for fourth in RBIs. She was also fifth in the MEAC in on-base percentage.

Junior Kerissa Burruel (Phoenix, Ariz.) was a Second Team All-MEAC selection last season, after hitting .285 for the season, recording a .350 on-base percentage, and going 3-for-4 in stolen bases. She also had a .925 fielding percentage, committing just 11 errors on the season.

Sophomore Diamond Ponds (Riverside, Calif.) was tied for fifth in the MEAC last season with 22 stolen bases.

The Lady Pirates are 5-4 all-time against Central Connecticut State, as the two teams have met annually in this tournament for the past four years. Hampton is 1-5 all-time against St. Bonaventure, and the two teams last met in 2000, when the Lady Pirates won 5-2.

Hampton has never faced Drexel or Iona.

For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

SIAC Women's Basketball Tournament: Top seeds Tuskegee, Albany State dust off their opponents

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --€“ The top teams joined the fray Wednesday in the 2014 SIAC Women'€™s Basketball Tournament and each displayed top form with West No. 1 Tuskegee downing Fort Valley 71-61 and East No. 1 Albany State pushing aside Claflin 68-55 in Bill Harris Arena at Birmingham CrossPlex.

Tuskegee connected on 30 of 45 shots from the line, including 23 of 29 in the second half, to dismiss the defending SIAC champions.

Fort Valley jumped out to an early lead, riding the shoulders of D'Ambria Thomas and Carmenonique Dawson. Thomas sank 4 of 5 shots, for eight points, and hauled in six of her game-high 12 rebounds in the first half. Dawson scored six points and grabbed five boards.

The Lady Tigers clawed their way back into the game. Aided by an Alannah Vincent 3-pointer at the buzzer, Tuskegee closed the gap to 30-28 at halftime. Vincent finished with 11 points.



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SIAC Tournament: Tuskegee uses big night from F Richard Dixon to holdoff Miles College

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama---Tuskegee reeled off 17-straight points in its 80-72 victory against Miles College in the quarterfinals of the SIAC tournament at Bill Harris Arena Wednesday night.

Six different Golden Tigers put the ball in the basket before the Golden Bears scored their first point and nearly eight minutes of game time had expired before they connected on their first goal.



It was ugly as Tuskegee, the top-seeded team in the western half of the tournament, came out looking as if it'd drag a team it had already beaten by double-digits twice in two regular season meetings.

"Basically, we had an adrenaline rush the first five or six minutes," Tuskegee coach Leon Douglas said of his team's hot start. Each opponent, they're always going to make a run. Basically, what they did is what I thought they would do. They made a run right before the half."

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TSU Lady Tigers Set to Face EKU in OVC Tournament

 

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | VIDEO | TWITTER | BRACKET

 

GAMEDAY

After earning a first round bye, No. 4 seed Tennessee State will face Eastern Kentucky on Thursday, March 6 at noon in the quarterfinals. EKU defeated EIU, 75-52, in the opening round to advance. The 4th seed is the highest TSU has had since the 2009 season when the Lady Tigers earned the 3rd seed.

 

THE LADY TIGERS AT A GLANCE

Tennessee State finished the regular season win over Eastern Kentucky on the road Saturday night. TSU defeated EKU, 76-64, in McBrayer Arena to close out the season with a win. The victory improved TSU to 12-17 (9-7 OVC) and secured the fourth seed in the Tournament for the Lady Tigers.

 

TSU is averaging 69.2 points per outing while shooting 39.4 percent from the field. Chelsea Hudson leads the team in scoring with 16.0 points per game while Rachel Allen (11.2 ppg), Jayda Johnson (7.8 ppg) and Alana Morris (7.0 ppg) round out the top scorers for TSU.

 

The Lady Tigers, under second year head coach Larry Joe Inman, returned four letterwinners from last year’s squad and added eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, to the roster. TSU finished last season with an overall record of 13-15 and a 9-7 conference mark. In an Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll that was released in October, TSU was predicted to finish fifth in the East Division standings.

LAST TIME OUT

Tennessee State outscored EKU 44-29 in the second half and shot 44.3 percent from the field in the contest as the Lady Tigers defeated the Lady Colonels, 76-61. Chelsea Hudson led TSU in scoring for the third consecutive game and recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Freshmen Jayda Johnson and I’mani Davis each tallied 17 points while recording eight and five rebounds, respectively.   

 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Eastern Kentucky (16-12) defeated Eastern Illinois, 75-52, in the opening game of the OVC Tournament. The Lady Colonels shot 43.1 percent from the field and held the advantage in second chance points, 20-6, and points off turnovers, 18-8. Marie Carpenter led EKU with 24 points while Michaela Hunter added 17. Cierra Drake posted 12 points followed by Shelly Harper who registered 10.

 

SERIES INFORMATION

Tennessee State will match-up with Eastern Kentucky for the 53rd time in the series history with EKU holding a, 36-17, advantage. TSU swept EKU in the regular season. In the first meeting, TSU defeated EKU, 78-63, in the Gentry Center before downing the Lady Colonels, 76-64 on the road.  TSU has won three straight over EKU. The Lady Colonels’ last win over the Lady Tigers was a, 62-54, win on Jan. 28, 2013. 

 

COVERAGE

Updates on the game will be available throughout the game on the official twitter page via @TSU_Tigers. Live stats and video will also be available for the games. Links can be found on tsutigers.com under the schedule. The contest will be streamed live on OVCDIgitalNetwork.com and ESPN3.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern coach Roman Banks believes his team can keep rolling

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- The Southern men’s basketball team has won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championship with two games remaining.

The Jaguars know that in order to add a SWAC Tournament title to their trophy case, they need to continue to hone the edge they’ve had down the stretch. They play Prairie View (8-20, 6-10) at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday, then host Texas Southern on Saturday before heading to Houston next week for the conference tourney.

“As a basketball team,” Southern coach Roman Banks said, “any time you step on the court, you want to win every game no matter what.”

The Jaguars (18-11, 16-2) have won nine of their last 10 games, including their last four. Those last four victories have come by an average margin of more than 13 points. They won at Alcorn State 67-54 last Saturday and at Alabama State 87-64 five days before that.

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Morgan State Bears Ready for Spring Practice March 18

COURTESY MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS

15 Spring Practices Culminates in Blue-Orange Spring Game April 26

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  Head coach Lee Hull and staff will take to the practice fields with their players for the first time Tuesday, March 18 at approximately 3:30 p.m. for the official start of the 2014 Morgan State football spring drills.

The 2014 springs drills – 15 practices, including the Blue-Orange Spring Game April 26 – kick off a couple of historic notes for the football program, which will play its 106th season this fall:

1.  The practices will mark the first opportunity for Hull and his staff to work on drills and skills after seeing only conditioning and training exercises since Hull took sole leadership of the program Jan. 9; and
2.  Spring drills will also signify the start of Morgan State's 38^th season of football in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The drills will additionally give the Bears players an opportunity to see, hear and feel football on the fields under their new coach.

"Spring ball will be very competitive," said Morgan State head coach Lee Hull. "We are looking to find out who our playmakers are at every position."

"I expect the players to be very focused, enthusiastic and hard working. This is a very exciting time for the Morgan State football program."
What Hull will, or will not see in terms of numbers when he assembles his 84 players on the practice fields this spring will be:

+ A senior class comprised of 13 individuals;
+ 73 lettermen returning off the 2013 team (39 on offense, 31 on defense and 3 specialists)
+ 16 departed lettermen (10 on offense, 6 on defense and 0 specialists);
+12 returning starters, including six on defense (LB Cody Acker, LB Christopher Robinson, LB Bill Hill, DB Deshaun Summers, S Paul Eatman, DL Heleiance Gates, six on offense (QB Seth Higgins, RB Lamont Brown III, WR Antonio Jefferson, OL Daniel Onwuegbu, OL Darren Pinnock, FB Dionte Holland).
+ The return of both kickers – P Lawrence Forbes – PK Chris Moller and long snapper Willie Gillus
+ Eight departed starters, including offensive lineman Karim Barton, wideout Chris Flowers, wideout Tubotein Taylor. Cornerback Joe Rankin, defensive lineman Lucson Noel, linebacker Stephen Blissett, free safety Darien Irby, cornerback Lafredo Brady
+ The 2014 recruiting class is comprised of 10 true freshmen

PRACTICE DATES, TICKETS & MORE

Practice Dates: The Bears will practice on the following dates:
March 18, 20, 22
April 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24 and 26.

Spring Game: Saturday, April 26, 2014



Coaching Staff
   

Lee Hull	Head Football Coach
LeAndre Creamer	Defensive Line
William "B.T." Sherman	Wide Receivers Coach
Benton "Sport" Harold	Special Teams/Tight Ends Coach
Kevin Myrie	Graduate Assistant Coach
Jarvis West	Graduate Assistant Coach

2014 National Letters of Intent Signees

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Trent Gymnasium filled for celebration of Livingstone Blue Bears CIAA title

SALISBURY, North Carolina  -- In a celebration nearly 70 years in the making, Livingstone College alumni, students, faculty and staff partied inside Trent Gymnasium Wednesday in commemoration of the men’s basketball team’s historic CIAA Championship.

The Blue Bears earned the right to finally be called CIAA champions Saturday after defeating rival Winston-Salem State University 83-68 inside Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte. The victory moved Livingstone from bridesmaid status — the Blue Bears were tournament runners-up in 2013 and 2011 — and proved the third time really is a charm.

 

“I’ve been going to the tournament for more than 40 years,” said Fannie Butler of Salisbury, who earned a bachelor’s degree in math from Livingstone in 1949. “Over the years I was expecting them to win the CIAA but didn’t know if we would or not.”

 

Family commitments kept Butler from ...

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