TSU Tigers Softball Shutout Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Stop North Carolina A&T

Courtesy: Sam Jordan / TSU Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --  Kate Morris drove a ball into the left centerfield gap to drive home Jayna Hanawahine late Friday night to give Tennessee State a pair of wins to start the 2014 Tiger Invitational. The late heroics capped off a 5-4 win over North Carolina A&T, while Hannah St. Clair teamed up with Shea Morris to record a shutout win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 6-0, earlier in the day.

 

TSU improved to 9-15, while UAPB moved to 2-13 and the Bulldogs dropped to 4-8. UAPB opened the Invitational with a 3-2 win over Saint Louis. The Billikens fell 7-4, in game three, to N.C. A&T. SLU is now 8-5.

 

St. Clair (1-3) earned the first win of her career as she tossed five innings of scoreless ball. The freshman scattered four hits and a walk. Shea Morris came in with the Tigers holding a 2-0 lead and pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three and earning her second save of the season. Morris attacked the Golden Lions from the start as she threw 29 strikes in 34 pitches.

 

TSU received all the runs they needed in the second inning with a two out rally. The Tigers used three consecutive hits from Kiarra Freeman, Tayler Shimizu and Liz Stansberry to forge ahead 1-0. Stansberry’s single allowed Freeman to touch home plate for the early lead.

 

The Tigers picked up an insurance run in the fourth off a single, a walk and two sacrifices. Rebekka Gross opened the inning with a ball up the middle and moved to second on a Freeman walk. Shimizu sacrificed the two runners up 60-feet, setting up a sacrifice fly from Lindsey Burgess for a 2-0 advantage.

 

A four run sixth gave the Tigers a comfortable lead heading into the final frame. Ashley Haynes returned to action for her first plate appearance after being injured on Feb. 15. Haynes came through with a pinch hit single to score Shea Morris extending the lead to 3-0. With bases loaded, Burgess picked up another RBI with her second sacrifice fly of the game, giving TSU a 4-0 lead.

 

Courtney Gearlds added to the lead with an RBI double down the right field line. The extra base hit chased home Shimizu for a five-run lead. Stansberry closed out the scoring on a wild pitch.

 

Game two saw another strong pitching performance from the Tiger staff. Olivia Gamache earned a career high nine strikeouts in six innings of work. With the punch outs, the Exeter, R.I., native is now fifth all-time in strikeouts at TSU. The senior issued three hits and was touched for four runs, three earned. An unearned run chased Gamache from the game with no chance of a win.

 

Morris entered and was even more efficient than the first game. The junior pitcher threw 11 pitches, 10 for strikes, as she fanned all three batters she faced. The inning of work and the clutch hit in the bottom of the seventh inning improves Morris’ record to 6-6.

 

Lindsey Burgess and Kate Morris took charge in the night cap to propel the Tigers to the 5-4 victory. Burgess finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI, as Morris finished 2-for-4 with two runs driven in, including the game ending run.

 

The first of Burgess’ three hits opened the bottom of the first. The sophomore made her way to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Freeman singled to center on the next pitch to plate Burgess.

 

In the third, Burgess once again led off with a hit. Freeman converted on a sacrifice bunt to move her classmate 60-feet. Two batters later, Morris delivered with a drive through the left side of the infield to bring home Burgess for a 2-0 lead.

 

With the score 2-2 in the sixth, Burgess used her final hit of the day to plate Shimizu, who reached on a fielder’s choice after a Gross single. Stansberry, who singled with two outs, went from first-to-third on the Burgess single and hustled home on an errant throw. The freshman got underneath the tag for a two-run lead, 4-2.

 

The two runs off Gamache in the top of the seventh set up the exciting finish at Tiger Field. Hanawahine led off the inning with a single just out of the reach of Tranea Jones at third base. Morris stepped to the plate and wasted no time as she drove a ball to the fence in left center. Hanawahine raced around the bases as head coach Jeff Dabney waved her home to give TSU the 5-4 win.

 

Day two of the Tiger Invitational will begin at 10:00am with the Tigers’ first game at 12:15pm versus Saint Louis. Bracket play will begin at 2:30pm with North Carolina A&T and UAPB; No. 1 seed Tennessee State will close out day two at 4:45 versus the No. 4 seed, Saint Louis. All games can be seen on OVCDigitalNetwork.com.

 

TSU-Arkansas-Pine Bluff Boxscore
TSU-North Carolina A&T Boxscore

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Rush, Nuggets defeat ranked Coastal Georgia teams

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- In matchups of ranked NAIA tennis teams, Xavier University of Louisiana's men and women defeated Coastal Georgia in the opening round of the AUM Invitational on Friday. The Gold Rush won 6-3, and the Gold Nuggets won 7-2.

The XU men (3-5), ranked ninth, snapped a three-dual losing streak. Kyle Montrel clinched for the Rush with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory against Louis Volclair at No. 1 singles. Adam Albrecht won in doubles and singles for Xavier.

Kourtney Howell clinched for the fifth-ranked XU women (5-4) when she defeated Elektra Hunter 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles. Howell, Brion Flowers, Brandi Nelson and Amber Brown won in doubles and singles for the Gold Nuggets. Nelson won 8-0 in doubles with her older sister, Carmen, who competed for Xavier for the first time since 2011.

Coastal Georgia's men are 2-5 and ranked 25th. Coastal Georgia's women are 3-3 and ranked 14th.

The Gold Nuggets have three victories this season against ranked NAIA opponents, and the Gold Rush have two.

On Saturday, Xavier's women will play Martin Methodist at 9 a.m., and the men will play NAIA No. 7 Cumberland at noon.

NOTE: XU basketball today, GCAC Tournament semifinals: Gold Nuggets vs. Tougaloo, 2 p.m. . . . Gold Rush vs. Philander Smith, 7 p.m. . . . Both games at XU Convocation Center.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Benedict Lady Tigers Advance To SIAC Championship With 64-36 Victory Over Tuskegee

2013-2014 BENEDICT COLLEGE LADY TIGERS BASKETBALL TEAM
ROSTER
COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE TIGERS ATHLETICS

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  -- The Benedict College Lady Tigers advanced to the championship game of the SIAC Tournament for the second year in a row by holding Tuskegee to 16 second-half points and 21 percent shooting for the game in a 64-36 victory on Friday night in the Bill Harris Arena.

The Lady Tigers, the No. 2 seed from the East advance to Saturday's championship game, where they will face Albany State, the No. 1 seed from the East, at 5 p.m. Central Time.

Latoya Fairley had a dominating first half, as she had nine points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots to help give Benedict a 28-20 lead at the break. She finished the contest with 15 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. The 15 rebounds were a season-high, and the four blocked shots matched her season high.

Britenique Harrison had her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Ashley Thompson contributed 14 points and Maya Nelson added 11. Benedict improved to 19-9 on the season.

The Lady Tigers dominated the glass, out-rebounding Tuskegee 68-36. The 68 rebounds for Benedict was a season-high.

Tuskegee's 36 points matched a season-low for Benedict opponents. It was also a season-low for Tuskegee.



With 12:07 left in the second half, Tuskegee's Halle Bentley scored a layup to cut Benedict's lead to 38-28. But the Lady Golden Tigers did not score again for six and a half minutes as Benedict scored 15 straight points and pushed the lead to 53-28.

Alannah Vincent and Kajuanna Rivers led Tuskegee with nine points each. Tuskegee ends its season at 17-11.

"Defensively, we wanted to challenge every shot they took and rebound. I thought we did a good job with that," said Benedict coach James Rice. "Latoya always plays well for us. She's a big part of our team. In the first half, they didn't want to double-team her, so she went to work."

Benedict advances to the tournament championship game for the second year in a row, although this year's Lady Tiger team has few holdovers from last year's squad. But Rice said he learned the importance of having good post players in last year's championship game against Clark Atlanta, so he added height to the roster in Fairley and Harrison.

Albany State swept the regular-season series against Benedict.

"Albany State is a good team. They've got a good inside-out game," Rice said
. "They play good defense like we do. We know it's going to be a challenge. We're going to step up and accept that challenge."

Box Score    

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

FVSU Wildcats Play for Championship with Victory over Paine

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  #1E Fort Valley State University Wildcats (21-8; 15-3) is ranked seventh in the NCAA South Region and will play for the SIAC Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 8 pm after defeating the Lions of #3E Paine College(18-13) 64-61.

Head Coach Sammie Jackson has accomplished what no other FVSU coach has done and it is win 20 games or more in any one season. In Jackson first two seasons he went 14-16 in 2011-12, 8-19 in 2012-13 and this season 21-8 and the best overall record of any Wildcat team. Michael Moore was the closest with an overall record of 19-12 in 1997-98.

This marks the third meeting between the Wildcats and Lions, as they split during the regular season. FVSU won game one 72-64 and Paine the second 86-81.

Senior forward's Brandon Davey led all scorers with 20 points and Nigel Domineck pumped in 15. Davey hit 7-of-16 shots from the floor, 6-of-8 free throws and six rebounds, while Domineck went 5-for- 8 from the field, 5-of-7 at the line and grabbed six boards.

Alfonso Davis led Paine with 12 points and Gianni Dailey put up 11, along with Kenny Fluellen's 10.

Domineck led the Wildcats in scoring at halftime with 13 points while heading to the locker room down 29-31. Alfonso Davis scored 10 points for Paine. FVSU's leading scorer and SIAC Player of the Years, Davey played only nine minutes in the half.

FVSU shot 46.2 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent at the free throw line, while Paine made 40.0 percent of their shots and 60.0 percent at the line before half.

For the game, FVSU made 23-of-55 shots from the field and 15-of-22 free throws. FVSU out-rebounded Paine 35-34. Paine made 17-of-46 shots on the floor and 22-of-34 from the foul line.

With 18.1 seconds remaining, FVSU's Davey drained two free throws to give the Wildcats a four point (63-59) lead. FVSU's senior forward Corey Hunter fouled Paine's Kenny Fluellen to send him to the foul line for three shots. Fluellen made two of three shots for a 63-61 score with 3.4 seconds left. Davey was fouled and headed to the line for two shots. Davey made one-of-two free throws for the 64-61 score with 2.2 seconds left. FVSU's senior point guard Anthony Bell stole the in-bound pass to seal the game at 64-61.

FVSU will play Tuskegee University for the SIAC Championship on Saturday, March 8, at 8 pm.

The selection show for the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship will be at 10:30 pm ET Sunday, March 9. Here is a direct link to that announcement:
http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2014/1346&date=2014/03/09

Institution Name Fort Valley State University Nickname Wildcats School Colors Royal Blue & Old Gold Location Fort Valley, GA All-Time Record 550-853 (.392) View Fort Valley State's Coaches Summary Year Coach W- L W/L Pct 2013-14 Samuel D. Jackson 0-0 .000 2012-13 Samuel D. Jackson 8-19 .296 2011-12 Samuel D. Jackson 14-16 .467 2010-11 John Douglas 8-21 .276 2009-10 John Douglas 9-19 .321 2008-09 Emory Lightfoot 13-16 .448 2007-08 Emory Lightfoot 15-14 .517 2006-07 Travis L. Williams 18-12 .600 2005-06 Travis L. Williams 12-16 .429 2004-05 Travis L. Williams 10-19 .345 2003-04 Michael Moore 14-15 .483 2002-03 Michael Moore 13-16 .448 2001-02 Michael Moore 12-15 .444 2000-01 Michael Moore 14-16 .467 1999-00 Michael Moore 16-13 .552 1998-99 Michael Moore 9-18 .333 1997-98 Michael Moore 19-12 .613 1996-97 Michael Moore 7-20 .259 1995-96 Michael Moore 11-16 .407 1994-95 Michael Moore 9-16 .360 1993-94 Michael Moore 7-18 .280 1992-93 Anthony Witherspoon 14-14 .500 1991-92 Anthony Witherspoon 5-22 .185 1990-91 Anthony Witherspoon 13-15 .464 1989-90 Anthony Witherspoon 8-20 .286 1988-89 Anthony Witherspoon 9-19 .321 1987-88 LeRoy Alexander 9-18 .333 1986-87 LeRoy Alexander 2-24 .077 1985-86 James Patrick 8-20 .286 1984-85 James Patrick 12-15 .444 1983-84 James Patrick 16-12 .571 1982-83 Ronald Mells 17-13 .567 1981-82 Ronald Mells 11-15 .423 1980-81 Ronald Mells 6-20 .231 1979-80 Ronald Mells 10-16 .385 1978-79 Calvin White 8-16 .333 1977-78 Calvin White 6-18 .250 1976-77 Calvin White 6-15 .286 1975-76 William Clemmons 10-14 .417 1974-75 William Clemmons 7-18 .280 1973-74 William Clemmons 7-19 .269 1972-73 William Clemmons 5-16 .238 1969-70 William Ross 10-13 .435 1968-69 William Ross 15-13 .536 COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY WILDCATS SPORTS INFORMATION

Albany State women advance to SIAC title game

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  The Albany State women’s basketball program has been waiting 16 years to celebrate a conference championship.

After beating Clark Atlanta in Friday’s SIAC semifinal game, 70-58, the Lady Rams might not have to wait much longer.

 

ASU advanced to the conference title game for the first time since its 1998 championship season with a come-from-behind win against Clark Atlanta, but Lady Rams head coach Robert Skinner had to remind his players after the victory that the real celebration needs to wait at least another day.

 

“They got a little beside themselves after the game was over and started some premature celebration on the sideline,” Skinner said. “I had to settle them down and remind them that we are just winning another game. The championship is (today). Win that, and you can celebrate all you want.” 

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SIAC Tournament: Paine Lions Suffer Season Ending Loss Against Fort Valley State

2013-14 PAINE COLLEGE LIONS MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
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COURTESY PAINE COLLEGE ATHLETICS
 

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Paine College men's basketball team lost to Fort Valley 64-61 in a tight semifinals matchup during the 2014 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Basketball Tournament in Birmingham, Ala., on March 7.

Both teams started the game sluggishly on the offensive side of the ball with only 14 combined points scored in the first eight minutes of the game. To end the first half, Jordan Warner stole the ball from Fort Valley's LeRoy Broner as he drove to the hole hoping for the last second bucket. Instead, Paine had the last move of the half with a Warner dunk to give the Lions a 31-29 lead going into halftime.

Fort Valley's Montreal Holley quickly tied the game at 31 with free throws to begin the second half. The Wildcats soon pulled out to an eight point lead, their largest lead of the game, after a Brandon Davey layup and two Joshuah Davis three pointers. Things seemed to change for Paine with 11:56 remaining in the game when freshman Gianni Dailey nailed a three and was fouled by Davis. Dailey made his free throw to tie the game at 43. A few minutes later, Dailey was again fouled off a successful three but this time by Davey. Dailey made the free throw and gave Paine another lead that they would keep until less than two minutes to play.



Fort Valley's Nigel Domineck made two free throws at the 1:41 mark to give his team a 59-57 lead. Although Paine inched back, the Wildcats continued scoring and maintained their final lead. In the final seconds, Kedric Taylor drove towards the hoop hoping to connect with a teammate for a game tying three. However, Taylor ended up turning the ball over on a bad pass with two seconds to play to close the game.

All in all, the game was tied 12 times, the lead changed 12 times and no team led by more than eight points. The Wildcats scored 28 points in the paint and 23 points off of Paine's 24 turnovers. Both teams rebounding efforts proved to be equal with the Wildcats snagging 35 rebounds and Paine pulling down 35 rebounds. The Lions scored 20 points in the paint and gained another 21 points from Fort Valley's 20 turnovers.

Paine was led by Alfonso Davis, Dailey and Kenny Fluellen who had 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively. Taylor (8) and Toby Veal (8) were the leading rebounders for Paine. Taylor also had eight points, seven rebounds and four steals. Warner (9) and Veal (7) were Paine's other top scorers.

The Lions shot 37 percent from the field, 39 percent from behind the arc and 65 percent from the line. The Wildcats shot 42 percent from the field, 27 percent from behind the arc and 68 percent from the free throw line. Davey, the 2014 SIAC Player of the Year, led Fort Valley and the game in scoring with 20 points.

With this win, Fort Valley advances to the 2014 SIAC Championship Game tomorrow, March 8 at 8 p.m. CST.

Box Score

COURTESY PAINE COLLEGE LIONS SPORTS INFORMATION

SIAC Tournament: Tuskegee advances to championship with rout of Kentucky State

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama---Not this time.

 

Tuskegee had jumped out to a double-digit lead right out the gate but let it slip away before eventually emerging victorious with a strong finish against Miles in the quarterfinals of the SIAC men's basketball tournament Wednesday.

 

The Golden Tigers, seeded No. 1 in the western half of the bracket, jumped out to a 20-2 lead against third-seeded Kentucky State and was never seriously threatened as they cruised to a 90-68 semifinal victory.

 

Tuskegee forward senior Richard Dixon, who netted 27 against Miles, finished with a double-double, leading his team with 19 points and added 11 rebounds in Tuskegee's third win of the season against its division foe.



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Gold Nuggets win at Dillard again, reach GCAC semifinals

NEW ORLEANS -- Whitney Gathright scored nine of her 12 points in the second half Friday to help NAIA No. 24 Xavier University of Louisiana earn a 60-47 women's basketball victory at Dillard in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Gold Nuggets (21-9), seeded second, defeated their longtime city rival at Dent Hall for the second time in seven days and the third time this season. Both women's semifinals will be played Saturday at Xavier's Convocation Center -- Talladega and Philander Smith will meet at noon, followed by Xavier and Tougaloo at 2 p.m.

Gathright's 3-point play with 13:08 remaining put Xavier ahead to stay, 38-36, and started a 19-3 run. Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored seven of her 11 points during the run.

Chelsea Broussard had eight points and seven rebounds for Xavier, and Carmen Holcombe grabbed a career-high-tying 10 rebounds, nine in the second half.

Kierrariel Mitchell scored 10 points for Dillard (3-16), the No. 7 seed.

Gathright's 3-pointer, her first points of the game, beat the halftime buzzer and cut Dillard's lead to 27-26.

Xavier outshot the Lady Bleu Devils 35.1 to 32.7 percent from the floor outrebounded them 47-37. In the second half, the Gold Nuggets made 18-of-21 free throws and outrebounded Dillard 29-9.

Coach Bo Browder's Nuggets are 6-0 against Dillard in the GCAC Tournament in his 15 seasons. They eliminated the Lady Bleu Devils for the second time in four seasons.

In the other women's quarterfinals, Tougaloo defeated defending champion SUNO 81-74, Philander Smith beat Edward Waters 73-58, and top-seeded Talladega defeated Fisk 74-59.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Top-seeded Gold Rush advance to GCAC semifinals

NEW ORLEANS -- Sydney Coleman scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half Friday to lead NAIA No. 12 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 87-76 men's basketball victory against Fisk in the quarterfinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at XU's Convocation Center.

The Gold Rush (23-7) will play fourth-seeded Philander Smith, a 75-67 winner against SUNO, in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday. Philander Smith is the defending champion.

Xavier Rogers and Jarvis Thibodeaux scored 12 points apiece for Xavier, and Anthony Goode had 11. Thibodeaux grabbed nine rebounds and Olivier Siewe eight.

Thibodeaux, a sophomore who averaged 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds during the regular season, reached career bests in those categories. It was the first time this season he led his team in rebounding.



Cameron Lewis, the GCAC Player of the Year, made five 3-pointers and scored 28 points for the Bulldogs (10-23), who were seeded eighth. Richmond Jackson scored 18 points, and Chris Pollard scored 13.

Xavier, winning for the fifth time in a row overall and the 11th time in its last 12 home games, led 48-28 at halftime and built the lead to 24 early in the second half. Thibodeaux's two free throws at 11:48 of the first half gave Xavier a 21-10 lead, and the Gold Rush led by double digits for the remainder of the game.

The Gold Rush outshot the Bulldogs 55.6 to 47.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 40-20. Xavier dominated at the line, making a season-high 35-of-47 free throws to Fisk's 14-of-25.

It was the 13th time this season that Xavier shot 50 percent or better from the floor and the fourth time in the last five games.

Second-seeded Talladega and third-seeded Edward Waters will meet in the other men's semifinal at 5 p.m. Saturday at Xavier. Talladega defeated Voorhees 92-73, and Edward Waters beat Tougaloo 73-68.



By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Tennessee State Softball Hosts Tiger Invitational



 

Tournament Central | Live Audio

 



NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State hosts the Tiger Invitational to conclude a seven game home stand. The three day event is the final tournament for the Tigers before Ohio Valley Conference play starts. TSU hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff, North Carolina A&T and Saint Louis with the Invitational beginning at 12:00pm on Friday. The Tigers opens play at 2:15pm versus UAPB and NCA&T at 6:45pm on day one.

 

LIVE action can be heard for all TSU games on TSUTigers.com.

 

Tennessee State is 3-4 in their last seven games and finished 2-3 at the Eagle Classic hosted by Georgia Southern last week. TSU picked up a pair of wins over Middle Tennessee (7-1 and 5-1) and lost twice to Georgia Southern (13-1 and 3-0) and once to Troy (7-0). The Tigers returned home and split a twin bill with Holy Cross.

 

Shea Morris became TSU’s career strikeout leader on Saturday with her first strike out versus MTSU. Morris passed Amanda Vaught (07-08), who fanned 438 in her career. The junior pitcher sits at 451 as a Tiger.

 

Sophomore Kiarra Freeman finished batting .400 for the second consecutive weekend and is now batting .250 on the season. Jayna Hanawahine was 6-for-17 (,353) over the five game classic with a pair of doubles and four RBI. The sophomore recorded her first three-hit game of her career. 

 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-12)

2013 Record: 14-29

Conference: SWAC

2013 Finish: 12-5/2nd Western

Series Record: First Meeting

Last Time Played: N/A

Last Win: N/A

 

The Golden Lions are coming off a six-game stretch where they have faced Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and defending National Champions, Oklahoma. UAPB is batting .164 as a team and are led by Jasmine Hardwick who is batting .321 (9-for-28), and has five runs, a double, a triple, two home runs, and seven RBI on the season. Lacie Sutterfield has started seven games and has compiled a 1-7 record. 

 

North Carolina A&T (3-7)

2013 Record: 9-35

Conference: MEAC

2013 Finish: 7-8/4th Southern

Series Record: 2-0

Last Time Played: 2/12/11, W, 8-0

Last Win: 2/12/11, 8-0

 

Sabrina Edmonds, Alehandra Barcenas and Dasia Moore lead the Bulldogs attack. Edmonds is batting .313 with seven walks and has been hit by pitch four times for a .533 on base percentage. Edmonds tops NCAT with two home runs and seven RBI. Barcenas is batting .346 with six runs and three doubles, while Moore is hitting .333 with six runs and five doubles. Jenika May is 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA and Maiven McKnight is 1-2 with a 6.39 ERA. 

 

Saint Louis (8-3)

2013 Record: 28-23

Conference: Atlantic-10

2013 Finish: 13-9/5th

Series Record: 1-5

Last Time Played: 3/8/13, L, 0-6

Last Win: 2/25/01, 1-0

 

The Billikens are batting .265 with 12 doubles and nine home runs, while averaging over five runs a game. Mackenzie Peter is hitting at a .467 clip with a team high six doubles. Lindsay Friedman is batting .313 and is leading SLU with 13 runs and six stolen bases. Friedman is tied for the top spot with three dingers and nine RBI. In the circle, Brianna Lore has amassed 51.1 innings in nine appearances and eight starts. Lore is 5-3 with a save and a 2.86 ERA. Laney Kneib adds support at 3-0 and a 2.72 ERA in three starts and 18.0 innings of work. 

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SIAC Tournament: Kentucky State, Paine College move on to semifinals

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Kentucky State upset Albany State 73-62 Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at the Birmingham Crossplex's Bill Harris Arena.

The Thorobreds got a team-high 15-points from guard Antonio Sullivan on 6-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-5 downtown to lead five KSU players, who scored in double-figures. 

 

KSU shot 46 percent from the field while limiting ASU to a dismal 35 percent. 

 

Troy Adams had 13. Ulysses Thomas and Brandon Darrett had 12 apiece and Darrien Wilkins chipped in with 10 points. 

 

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In the FCS Huddle: SWAC spring football primer

Philadelphi, Pennsylvania -- The declining Southwestern Athletic Conference has endured a lot of criticism in recent seasons, but the title races sure are interesting.

Quite simply, they're so wide open each season.

There are five teams in the West Division and each one has won the SWAC title over the last five years (although Texas Southern vacated its 2010 championship).

Since the SWAC switched to a championship game in 1999, either Alabama A&M, Alabama State or Jackson State has been the East Division representative. This year, Alcorn State could change that dynamic, having gone 9-3 last season for its first winning record since 2006.

Here's a look across the conference with spring practices getting underway across the nation:

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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

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

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
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

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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