TSU Thrasher Given Scholar-Athlete Award

NICK THRASHER (L)
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE ATHLETICS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State linebacker Nick Thrasher received the C.R. Bickerstaff/Coach Bill Pace University Scholar-Athlete Award at a banquet earlier this week.

The C.R. Bickerstaff/Coach Bill Pace University Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to the top university football scholar-athlete in the Middle Tennessee area based on scholarship, sportsmanship and value to the team. Bickerstaff was the long-time Executive Secretary of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the NFF and Pace is a former head football coach at Vanderbilt University.

 

Thrasher is a three-year starter for TSU and led the OVC with 112 tackles and was the captain of a defense that ranked sixth nationally in yards per game (296) last season.

 

The Morrow, Ga. native also forced and recovered three fumbles in 2013.

 

Thrasher returned for his senior season and will once again man the middle linebacker spot for TSU in the fall.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Rush remain at 12th, grab at-large bid to nationals

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana held on to No. 12 in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, and the Gold Rush earned the first of 14 at-large berths to the national tournament Wednesday.

The Gold Rush (23-8), a top-15 team for the seventh straight week, secured a spot in the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship for the fourth consecutive year and the eighth time in Dannton Jackson's 11 seasons as head coach. Xavier was the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season champion and lost Saturday in the semifinals of the GCAC Tournament.

For the first time since 2010, the GCAC will have three men's teams at nationals. No. 6 Talladega won the GCAC Tournament to secure the conference's automatic bid, and tournament runner-up Philander Smith -- which defeated Xavier in overtime in the semifinals -- received the last of 14 at-large berths.

The tournament appearance will be Xavier's 15th overall. The national tournament will have 32 teams and be played March 19-25 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Tournament pairings and times will be announced Wednesday evening.

Cal State San Marcos is No. 1 in the poll for the seventh consecutive week.

The top 25:

1. Cal State San Marcos
2. Pikeville
3. William Carey
4. Columbia (Mo.)
5. Southwestern Assemblies of God
6. Talladega
7. Emmanuel
8. Vanguard
9. Freed-Hardeman
10. Rocky Mountain
11. Benedictine (Kan.)
12. Xavier
13. LSU-Shreveport
14. Culver-Stockton
15. Wiley
16. Georgetown (Ky.)
17. Arizona Christian
18. St. Gregory's
19. MidAmerica Nazarene
20. Wayland Baptist
21. Westminster (Utah)
22. Hope International
23. Montana State-Northern
24. Cumberlands
25. St. Thomas (Texas)

All top-25 teams qualified for nationals. Teams not in the top 25 which qualified were Belhaven, Evangel, Lindenwood-Belleville, Life, Oklahoma Baptist, St. Catharine (Ky.) and Philander Smith.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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TSU's Miller Selected to NABC All-District Team

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State guard Patrick Miller was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NABC Division I All-District teams for 2013‐14, recognizing the nation’s best men’s collegiate basketball student‐athletes.

Selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC, these student-athletes represent the finest basketball players across America. The 252 student-athletes, from 25 districts, are eligible for the NABC Coaches’ Division I All-America teams.

 

Miller was chosen to the District 19 Team, a squad composed of players from the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Chicago, Ill. native led the league in scoring (23.7 points per game), was ninth in assists (4.1 per contest) and fifth in steals (1.6 per game).

 

In addition, Miller scored 30-plus points in seven of TSU’s contests.

 

Miller will graduate in May and will test the waters of the National Basketball Association.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

UPDATE DAY 3 - Watch the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournaments LIVE on Streaming Audio/Video

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Follow The 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament Live.

Click Here to Watch the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament on MEAC TV Live Streaming or Click Here for Live Stats. 




2014 MEAC Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule
Monday, March 10- Opening Round
6:30 PM Game 4 - No. 4 Norfolk State 78 def. 13 Maryland E. Shore 74
9:00 PM Game 5 - No. 5 Savannah State 61 def. 12 South Carolina State 47

Tuesday, March 11 - Opening Round
4:00 PM Game 8 - No. 8 Howard 53, No. 9 North Carolina A&T 47
6:30 PM Game 9 - No. 7 Coppin State 75, No. 10 Bethune-Cookman 68
9:00 PM Game 10 - No. 6 Florida A&M 65, No. 11 Delaware State 61

Wednesday, March 12 - Quarterfinals
6:00 PM Game 13 - No. 1 N.C. Central vs. No. 8 Howard
8:00 PM Game 14 - No. 2 Hampton vs. No. 7 Coppin State

Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
6:00 PM Game 17 - No. 3 Morgan State vs. No. 6 Florida A&M
8:00 PM Game 18 - Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5

Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
6:00 PM Game 21 - Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 18
8:00 PM Game 22 - Winner of Game 14 vs. Winner of Game 17
Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPNU)
6:00 PM Game 24 - Winner of Game 21 vs. Winner of Game 22

2014 MEAC Women’s Basketball Championship Schedule
Monday, March 10- Opening Round
11:00 AM Game 1 - No. 4 Florida A&M 86, No. 13 Delaware State 58
1:30 PM Game 2 - No. 5 Savannah State 82, No. 12 Morgan State 71
4:00 PM Game 3 - No. 11 Maryland Eastern Shore 70, No. 6 Norfolk State 66

Tuesday, March 11- Opening Round
11:00 AM Game 6 - No. 8 Howard 74, No. 9 North Carolina Central 59
1:30 PM Game 7 - No. 7 Bethune-Cookman 64, No. 10 South Carolina State 55

Wednesday, March 12 - Quarterfinals
NOON Game 11 - No. 1 Hampton 71, No. 8 Howard 55
2:30 PM Game 12 - No. 2 North Carolina A&T 78, No. 7 Bethune-Cookman 46

Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
NOON Game 15 - No. 3 Coppin State vs. No. 11 Maryland Eastern Shore
2:30 PM Game 16 - No. 4 Florida A&M vs. No. 5 Savannah State

Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
NOON Game 19 - Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 16
2:30 PM Game 20 - Winner of Game 12 vs. Winner of Game 15
Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPNU- Tape Delayed)
3:00 PM Game 23 - Winner of Game 19 vs. Winner of Game 20

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Tournament: Hampton U. women pull away from Howard 71-55 in MEAC quarterfinal

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- NORFOLK — Alyssa Bennett aims high every game. She hit her mark as she began her final Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament, and Hampton University needed every bit of it.

With her teammates struggling on offense, Bennett scored 30 points and keyed a second-half run that carried the top-seeded Lady Pirates to a 71-55 win against Howard in a MEAC quarterfinal Wednesday at Scope.

“We tell Alyssa, the only person who can stop you is you,” HU coach David Six said. “I thought she played great today. She went out there and played like she did not want this to be her last game.”

Bennett and the Lady Pirates (26-4) get the Florida A&M-Savannah State winner in a semifinal noon Friday after winning their 16th consecutive game and 47th in a row versus MEAC competition.

CONTINUE READING

SWAC Tournament: TSU rolls over Grambling State in SWAC tourney quarterfinals

HOUSTON, Texas  --  Aaric Murray scored 18 points and blocked six shots as second-seeded Texas Southern won its seventh game in a row after beating No. 10 seed Grambling State 79-54 on Wednesday in a Southwestern Athletic Conference quarterfinal game.

Murray, named the conference player and defensive player of the year, made 5 of 7 shots and went 8 for 11 from the free throw line. In the regular season he averaged 21.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

Madarious Gibbs had 15 points for Texas Southern (17-14) and D'Angelo Scott added 13 and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Coming off its first SWAC tournament win since 2011, Grambling State (5-24) was led by Antwan Scott with 12 points.

CONTINUE READING 

Florida A&M Rallies To Get Past Delaware State

Photo courtesy of: MEAC Media Relations

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Jamie Adams nailed a big three pointer, Christopher Rozier came off the bench to hit some crucial free throws and the defense did the rest as Florida A&M University pulled out a 65-61 win over Delaware State in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at the Norfolk Scope. 

The Rattlers (14-17), the Number 6 seed, advance to the quarterfinal round where they will face Morgan State, the Number 3 seed on Thursday at 6 pm.   

It was the Hornets (9-21), the Number 11 seed, who took control early and maintained a 36-31 lead at the half.  Delaware State senior guard Casey Walker provided most of the offense with 14 points on five of seven shooting from the field, including four of five from beyond the arc.  It is also important to note that the Hornets held an advantage on bench points, outscoring the Rattler, 14-4 in that category.

Delaware State continued to keep the Rattlers at bay in the second half as Tyshawn Bell, Albert Thomas and Kendall Gray began to take turns scoring.  Yet each time, they tried to pull away, Florida A&M would fight and scrap its way back into the game.

After the Hornets took a 60-54 lead at the 3:09 mark, Florida A&M manufactured points.  First Jomari Bradshaw hit a three pointer to get within three at 60-57 with 2:47 remaining.  Bradshaw made it 60-58 on one of two free throws.  Charles Burley of Delaware State made one of two to make it 61-58 at the 2:26 mark.

Neither team could score over the next minute until Adams hit the game changer.  Following a Florida A&M timeout, Adams hit a three pointer from straight on to tie the game at 61.  Delaware State never scored again.  Adams made one of two free throws and Christopher Rozier converted three of four to close out the scoring and give the Rattlers the win.

“I give credit to Reggie (Lewis) on that shot,” said Adams, who had missed seven of eight from beyond the arc before the shot.  “I was struggling before that, but he wanted me to stay focused and that my chance would come.  When he said that to me, I knew I would hit the shot.”

Added Delaware State interim head coach Keith Walker, “I thought the effort was good.   “We had a few too many unforced turnovers and that maybe decided the game.  I think we made mistakes that hurt an effort when you’re trying to win.”

Walker finished with 14, only two in the second half while Kendall contributed 13 and DeAndre Haywood added 10 in a losing cause.

Lewis of Florida A&M led all scorers with 18, Adams totaled 15 and Bradshaw tallied 12.

2014 MEAC MEN'S BASKETBALL BRACKET & SCORES

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

2014 Morgan State Bears Football Schedule Announced

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- The Morgan State Bears 2014 football schedule features a 12-game slate, four games in Hughes Stadium, an NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent and a return to the New York Urban League Whitney Young Classic.

"We're excited about our schedule," said first-year MSU head coach Lee Hull. "Our first opponent is FBS opponent Eastern Michigan, and I'm excited about returning to compete against my alma mater Holy Cross where I played football."

"We'll also have a great opportunity to showcase our team on the national level when we play our rivals [Howard] in the Whitney Young Classic."

"This is my first season and I'm excited about competing for a MEAC championship."

The Bears non-conference opponents in 2014 are Eastern Michigan, Holy Cross, Bowie State and Villanova. The Bears will not play Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champion defending champion Bethune-Cookman in the regular season.

MSU will open its 2014 slate with a Saturday night road game on Aug. 30 against Chris Creighton's Eastern Michigan team, marking the first meeting between the teams.

The Bears next travel to Worcester, Mass., on Sept. 1 to take on Hull's alma mater, the Holy Cross Crusaders.

MSU welcomes Bowie State for the Bears' home-opener at Hughes Stadium on Sept. 13.

"We're excited about the opportunity to play against Bowie State," said Hull. "It will be a great game for the region and the state of Maryland."

MSU then begins MEAC play with the first of three road trips starting with a clash versus Howard at the Whitney Young Classic at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 20.  After facing the Bison, MSU will travel to take on Norfolk State on Sept. 27, followed by its first trip to Tallahassee in four years to square-off against the Florida A&M Rattlers on Oct. 4.

MSU returns to Hughes Stadium to play North Carolina Central on Oct. 18 for Homecoming.

The Bears next travel to CAA member Villanova on Oct. 25 for its first meeting with head coach Andy Talley's Wildcats. The game is followed by a pair of road contests at Hampton on Nov. 1, and at North Carolina A&T on Nov. 8.

Morgan State concludes its regular season by hosting South Carolina State on Nov. 15 and Delaware State on Nov. 22. Game times and television plans for Morgan State's 2014 games will be announced at a later date.

The Bears are coming off a 5-7 season, and posted a 5-3 record in the MEAC.

2014 MSU SCHEDULE

Date		Opponent	Location	Time/Result
8/30/2014		Eastern Michigan University	Ypsilanti, MI	TBA
9/6/2014		Holy Cross	Worcester, MA	1 p.m.
9/13/2014		Bowie State University		1 p.m.
NY Urban League Classic
9/20/2014	*	Howard University		TBA
9/27/2014	*	Norfolk State University	Norfolk, VA	4 p.m.
10/4/2014	*	Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, FL	TBA
Homecoming
10/18/2014	*	North Carolina Central University		1 p.m.
10/25/2014		Villanova University	Villanova, PA	3:30 p.m.
11/1/2014	*	Hampton University	Hampton, VA	2 p.m.
11/8/2014	*	North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, NC	TBA
11/15/2014	*	South Carolina State University		1 p.m.
11/22/2014	*	Delaware State University		1 p.m.

 *MEAC Games
BOLD: Home Games



COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU Football Opens Second Week Of Practice

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- The Alabama State football team opened the second week of spring practice with a highly spirited session Tuesday at Hornet Stadium.

The warm conditions led to festive, competitive battles all over the field as the Hornets move toward Saturday's 9 a.m. scrimmage.

Last season, the Alabama State offense ranked third in the SWAC in both scoring offense (33.4 points per game) and total offense (430.2 yards per game), and offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss likes what he sees after four days of spring practice.

"I like where we are," the fourth-year ASU offensive coordinator said. "There are specific things I'm looking for each day. There were a couple of things I pinpointed today, we worked them and worked them, and as practice went along, we got better. There are specific things we want to get better at in the spring, and I'm happy with that. I'm excited with our progress."

The Hornets return to practice Thursday at 11 a.m. prior to Saturday's scrimmage.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Softball Splits Twin Bill With N. Kentucky

Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information
Ashleigh Minter won the first game for the Lady Rattlers.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (March 11) – Tuesday afternoon saw Florida A&M University and Northern Kentucky University lock horns in a college softball doubleheader at Lady Rattler Field, and the teams split the two games, with FAMU winning the opener, 3-1, before NKU outscored the home team in the second game, 9-8.

Ashleigh Minter (4-4) was the Game One winner for FAMU, turning in a complete game, scattering seven hits and striking out six against no walks in seven innings of work.

FAMU (6-13), which outhit NKU, 9-7 in the opener, got on the board first when Alyssa Weaver, who belted a leadoff triple, scored on an RBI single by Amber Fullwood for a 1-0 lead.

NKU (2-13) tied the game 1-1 in the fifth on Katelyn Roy’s sacrifice fly, that scored Mandi McQueen from third, but FAMU clinched the opener with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on pinch hitter Naesha Lewis’ two-run single, scoring Christina Robbs and Kenya Pereira for a 3-1 lead.

Whitney Farris led FAMU with two hits in Game One.

In Game Two, Northern built a 5-0 lead by the fifth inning, before FAMU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth, keyed by Denise Anderson’s two-run homer and a RBI single by Whitney Farris, for a 5-4 game.

Northern answered with three runs in the top of the sixth for an 8-4 lead, then FAMU struck for two runs in the bottom of the inning to trim the NKU edge to 8-6.

After Northern added a single run in the top of the seventh, FAMU scored two in the bottom of the seventh.

FAMU had 10 hits in the second game, led by Farris with three hits and an RBI, Kieffi Myrick with two hits and two RBIs, along with Denise Anderson’s two-run homer.

WHAT’S NEXT: Florida A&M will play in the USF Tournament, March 14-16 in Clearwater. They will be home for two play dates, Friday, March 21 against Buffalo (4:00) and Florida State on Tuesday, March 25 (6:00).

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU's Morris, Burgess Compile More Honors

Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Shea Morris and Lindsey Burgess were honored once again for their performances last week. Morris was named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Pitcher of the Week. Burgess was selected as the College Sports Madness Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week.

This is the first time Morris has been honored by the TSWA. For Burgess, she becomes the first Tiger to be honored by CSM.

Morris picked up three victories and three saves in six appearances for the Tigers, tossing 19.2 innings without allowing an earned run. She struck out 29 and walked only four, giving up just seven total hits in the six appearances.

Morris registered a 0.00 ERA and held opponents to a .099 batting average.

Burgess went 10-for-22 on the week, batting .455, with four doubles, a home run and scored seven runs, while driving in seven in seven games. The sophomore reached safely in six games and recorded four multiple hit games. Burgess notched two sacrifice flies for a pair of RBI in the lone game she did not collect a hit.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Flowers, Harrell earn GCAC Player of the Week honors

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Brion Flowers and Jordan Harrell were chosen Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week in tennis for March 3-9.

Flowers, a sophomore from Lafayette, La., and a graduate of St. Thomas More High School, was 3-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles to help the Gold Nuggets win all three of their dual matches at the AUM Invitational. Her 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Paula Diaz on Sunday clinched the Gold Nuggets' 5-4 victory at Auburn Montgomery, which is No. 1 in the NAIA and a three-time defending national champion. Flowers and Kourtney Howell and teamed for an 8-6 victory against AUM's Jade Curtis and Chanel Cunningham, the ITA's eighth-ranked NAIA doubles team.

This is the first GCAC award of the season for Flowers and the second of her career.

Harrell, a freshman from Lithonia, Ga., and a graduate of Martin Luther King Jr. High School, was 3-0 in singles, all against ranked teams, at the AUM Invitational. Two of his victories came after losing first sets, including a 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-4) decision against Francisco Mendieta of second-ranked AUM. This is Harrell's first GCAC weekly award.

Xavier's women will play NCAA Division I's Oral Roberts at 2 p.m. Wednesday at XU Tennis Center. The next Gold Rush dual will start at 1 p.m. Saturday at NCAA Division I's Troy. The Gold Nuggets (7-4) are ranked fifth in the NAIA, and the Gold Rush (4-6) are ninth.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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Tennessee State Williams Relieved of Coaching Duties

COACH TRAVIS WILLIAMS
ENDS TSU ERA WITH 23-40 RECORD

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Tennessee State Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips announced on Tuesday that Travis Williams has been relieved of his position as head men’s basketball coach.

“We thank Coach Williams for his hard work both as an assistant and as a head coach, and we wish him the best in all future endeavors,” Phillips said. “We want to move in a different direction and believe that this decision is in the best interest of Tennessee State and our Men's Basketball program.”

 

A nation-wide search for Williams’s replacement will begin immediately.

 

Williams held an overall record of 23-40 in his two seasons as the Tigers’ head coach, but TSU’s win total fell from 20 the year before Williams took over to just five in 2013-14.

 

The Tigers won two of their last three games and almost knocked off OVC Champion Eastern Kentucky on the road in the season finale, but TSU lost its first 10 contests of the season and were 2-21 at one point.

 

Williams coached three All-Ohio Valley Conference players in Robert Covington, Kellen Thornton and Patrick Miller, in his tenure at the helm of the program. Covington and Thornton are both playing professionally, while Miller ranked fourth in the nation in points per game (23.2) this past season as a Tiger.

 

The 16^th head coach in Tennessee State history, Williams led TSU to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2013, where his team fell in the opening round at Evansville, 84-72.

 

Williams, a native of Tifton, Ga., served as an assistant for previous TSU head coach John Cooper from 2009-2012.

 

When he joined the Tigers in the summer of 2009, Williams brought 10 years of coaching experience as an assistant and head coach.

 

In 2004, Williams received his first head coach appointment at Fort Valley State University in Georgia. He led the Wildcats to a pair of winning seasons during his tenure.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SWAC Tournament: Grambling State Upsets Jackson State

HOUSTON, Texas -- Terry Rose scored 22 points as 10th seeded Grambling State University defeated seventh-seeded Jackson State 84-75 in the first round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament on Tuesday at the Toyota Center.

GSU (5-23, 3-15) in conference play this season avenged two regular-season losses to JSU both by double-digits.

Chandler Thomas added 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Tigers.

Grambling pushed ahead after it went on a 14-3 second-half run, with three pointers by Rose and A'Torri Shine, to take a 67-61 lead.

Jeff Stubbs made a basket to pull Jackson State within 75-73 with 2:19 left, but Jackson State would only make one more field goal for the remainder. Grambling State hit 7-of-8 free throws in the final 34 seconds to secure the win.

Julysses Nobles scored 28 points, on 9-of-23 shooting, for Jackson State (11-20, 7-11).

GSU will play second-seeded Texas Southern on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY SWAC.ORG

Dates to Compete in NCAA Indoor Championship

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State senior and track and field student-athlete Royce Dates will represent the Flying Tigers in New Mexico at the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships this Friday.

“I would have hated my senior Indoor season to end at the conference championship,” Dates said. “I have been working hard all year to make it to NCAA’s and my coaches always told me to ‘train for the plane’”.

 

Dates will participate in the Long Jump after his leap of 7.71 meters in the OVC Indoor Championship set a new personal-record and placed him 14^th nationally.

 

“My initial reaction was that I still have more work to do. I realized that I made some small mistakes with my jumps at the OVC Championship, and I have been correcting them in practice,” Dates said.

 

With his invitation, Dates became the first male athlete to make it to the NCAA Indoor Championship from Tennessee State.

 

“Being the first makes me feel really good considering the history of TSU track and field,” Dates said. “I guess I could say that I put my name in the history book already, but I have to go finish and compete at my best to truly earn it.”

 

Dates is the fourth-best jumper in the South Region while teammate Tyler Anderson is ranked seventh. Tigerbelle Amber Hughes, meanwhile, is pegged fourth in the female 60-meter hurdles.

 

The NCAA Indoor Long Jump will take place on Friday, March 14 at 6 p.m.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Fort Valley State Releases 2014 Football Schedule

FORT VALLEY, Georgia – The Fort Valley State University Athletics Department announced its 2014 football schedule on Monday. The Wildcats 10 games schedule includes five home games and three non-conference games against teams from the GSC, MEAC and CVAC.

The Wildcats will open the season at home on September 6, with Delta State from the Gulf South Conference (GSC) at 2 p.m., then travel to Savannah, GA. on September 13, to take on Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe Savannah State at 2 p.m. The Wildcats will host Limestone College out of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) on October 18, at 2 p.m. Then, the Wildcats will welcome the Lions of Paine College to the valley for homecoming on October 25, for a 2 p.m. matchup.

Fort Valley State 2014 Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time (ET)

Sat. Sept. 6 Delta State University Wildcat Stadium 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 13 Savannah State University Savannah, GA 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 20 Clark Atlanta University * Wildcat Stadium 6:00 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 27 Benedict College * Columbia, SC 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 4 Tuskegee University * Tuskegee, AL 1:00 p.m. (CT)

Sat. Oct. 11 Kentucky State University* Wildcat Stadium 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 18 Limestone College Wildcat Stadium 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 25 Paine College * Wildcat Stadium 2:00 p.m. (Homecoming)

Sat. Nov. 1 Morehouse College * Atlanta, GA 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Nov. 8 Albany State University * Columbus, GA 2:00 p.m. (25th Annual Fountain City Classic)

Conference Games *

COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU's Jasmine Grice Named 2014 MEAC Player Of The Year

NORFOLK, Virginia  –  Jasmine Grice was named the 2014 MEAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced today.  Grice, a graduate student from Quincy, Fla., was voted as the player of the year by the coaches and sports information directors of the MEAC.

Grice, led the conference in scoring, averaging 25.4 points , while grabbing 6.4 rebounds per-game.  She shot 40 percent from the field (150-of-381) and 83 percent from the free throw line.  She also led the country in steals, grabbing 3.9 per game, which was tops in NCAA Division I.  She finished with five double-doubles, including a 27 point, 10 rebound game against Bethune-Cookman.

Grice is a 5-9 backcourt ace, and is one of the most decorated prep players in decades. The multi-talented performer has put the FAMU, MEAC and NCAA record books under siege over the last two years, shaking off injuries to finish her career on fire.

She finished the regular season leading all NCAA Division-I women’s players with 113 steals, good for a 3.9 per game average, giving her back-to-back 100 steals seasons.  She ranks fifth all-time in FAMU history with 267 steals, and she is the fourth Lady Rattler to have 100 or more steals in a season.

In addition, she is a prolific scorer, with 1,750 career points in 101 games, ranking her third all-time on the FAMU charts, and her 25.4 scoring average this season is tops in the MEAC and fifth in Division-I.

She is the only FAMU women’s player and just the second FAMU basketball player overall to score 700 points in a season, currently standing at 736 points.

This past Monday, she scored 40 points against Morgan State, the second 40-point game in her career and it was her 10^th game of 30 or more points in the last two seasons.

Career Scoring
Name (Years) Points
1. Cathy Robinson(1992-96) 2,040
2. Polly Innerarity (1988-92) 1,829
3. Jasmine Grice (2011-14)  1,750
4. Sherrall Bass (1989-93) 1,663
 
Career Steals
Name (Years) No.
1. Natalie White (1991-95) 624*
2. Shelly Boston (1988-91) 416
3. April Manning (1984-88) 351
4. Cathy Robinson (1992-96) 294
5. Jasmine Grice (2011-14) 267

SEASONAL TOP TEN
Scoring
Name (Years) Pts.
1. Jasmine Grice (2014) 736
2. Cathy Robinson (1995) 595
3. Cathy Robinson (1996) 563
4. Kim Watson (2003) 514
5. Sybil Rivers (1982) 513
6. Donyale Ferguson (1990) 501
7. Cathy Robinson (1994) 498
8. Polly Innerarity (1992) 488
9 Aquenda Clark (1998) 486
10. Donyale Ferguson (1991) 484

Steals
Name (Years) No.
1. Natalie White (1995)* 191
2. Natalie White (1994)* 172
3. Shelly Boston (1990)* 160
4. Natalie White (1992)* 143
5. Shelly Boston (1991)* 142
6. April Manning (1988) 132
7. Natalie White (1993) 118
8. Jasmine Grice (2014) 113
9. Shelly Boston (1989) 104
10. Jasmine Grice (2013) 100

 [*] NCAA leader in steals.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Annouces Men's Basketball All-Conference Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- North Carolina Central senior guard Jeremy Ingram was named the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year as announced by the conference on Monday.  Howard’s James Daniel was selected as Rookie of the Year and Hampton’s Du’Vaughn Maxwell garnered the Defensive Player of the Year honor.  North Carolina Central Head Coach Levelle Moton was named the MEAC Coach of the Year.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Ingram averaged 20.2 points and 3.8 rebounds to lead the Eagles to a 15-1 conference mark and a regular season MEAC Championship. The Charlotte native scored at least 20 points in 16-of-30 games this season. Ingram, who earned MEAC Player of the Week four times, tallied 113 rebounds, 35 assists, 21 blocks, and 50 steals this season. He also added a season-high 38 points against Savannah State.

Daniel led the MEAC in scoring at 21.7 points, while shooting 40-percent from three on the season. Daniel recorded double figures in scoring in all 26 games this season and notched a career-high 38 points in against Hampton. Daniel garnered MEAC Rookie of the Week honors eight times.



Maxwell led the Pirates offense by scoring 14.9 points. Defensively, Maxwell registered 218 total rebounds (7.4 per game) and reached double figures in scoring 26 times and double-digit rebounds seven times. A two-time MEAC Player of the Week and six-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree, Maxwell finished with six double-doubles, including 20 points and 10 rebounds against Winthrop.

Moton earned the Coach of the Year after leading the NCCU Eagles to a 15-1 record in conference play and its first regular-season MEAC title. Moton also guided North Carolina Central to a 25-5 mark, including a win over N.C. State.

Ingram is joined on the 2014 All-MEAC First Team by Morgan State’s Ian Chiles and Justin Black, Coppin State’s Michael Murray, and Hampton’s Du’Vaughn Maxwell.

North Carolina Central clinched the MEAC regular season title with a 64-57 win over Savannah State. The Eagles will enter the tournament as the number one seed and will face the winner of the No.8 Howard vs. No. 9 North Carolina A&T matchup on Wednesday, March 12 at 6 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 their first games of the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament. Tournament play tips off March 10-15 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

Coach of the Year: Levelle Morton, North Carolina Central University

Player of the Year: Jeremy Ingram, North Carolina Central University

Rookie of the Year: James Daniel, Howard University

Defensive Player of the Year:  Du’Vaughn Maxwell, Hampton University  

FIRST TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Jeremy Ingram	North Carolina Central	G	6-3	Sr.	Charlotte, N.C.
Justin Black	Morgan State	G	6-2	Sr.	St. Louis, Mo.
Michael Murray	Coppin State	F	6-5	Jr.	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Du’Vaughn Maxwell	Hampton	F	6-7	Sr.	Manhattan, N.Y.
Ian Chiles	Morgan State	C	7-2	Sr.	Cliffside Park, N.J.

SECOND TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Pendarvis Williams	Norfolk State	G	6-6	Sr.	Philadelphia, Pa.
Jamie Adams	Florida A&M	G	5-10	Sr.	Chicago, Ill.
Malcolm Hawkins	Norfolk State	F	6-5	Sr.	Norfolk, Va.
Kendall Gray	Delaware State	F	6-10	Jr.	Dover, Del.
Matthew Hezekiah	South Carolina State	C	6-11	Sr.	Jacksonville, Fla.

THIRD TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Emanuel Chapman	North Carolina Central	G	6-1	Sr.	Raleigh, N.C.
James Daniel	Howard	G	5-11	Fr.	Hampton, Va.
Lamont Middleton	North Carolina A&T	G	6-3	Sr.	Bronx, N.Y.
Jyles Smith*	Savannah State	F	6-8	Sr.	Fairburn, Ga.
Troy Snyder*	Maryland E. Shore	F	6-6	Sr.	Chicago, Ill.
Brandon Goode	Norfolk State	C	7-0	Sr.	Bronx, N.Y.

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
James Daniel	Howard	G	5-11	Fr.	Hampton, Va.
Hakeem Baxter	Maryland E. Shore	G	6-2	Fr.	Philadelphia, Pa.
Clemmye Owens	Bethune-Cookman	G	6-1	Fr.	Toledo, Ohio
DeAndre Haywood	Delaware State	G	6-2	Fr.	Paterson, N.J.
Jeremiah Hill	Savannah State	G	6-1	Fr.	Richmond Hill, Ga.

*indicates tie

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Announces Women’s Basketball All-Conference Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Florida A&M senior guard Jasmine Grice was named the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year as announced by the conference on Monday.

Hampton’s Malia Tate-DeFreitas was selected the Rookie of the Year, while teammate Alyssa Bennett repeated as the Defensive Player of the Year. Hampton Head Coach David Six was named the MEAC Coach of the Year.

All awards are voted on by the conference’s head women’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Grice led the conference in scoring, averaging 25.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. She shot 40-percent (150-of-381) from the field and 83 percent (94-of-114) from the free-throw line. She finished with five double-doubles, including a 27-point, 10-rebound performance in a win against Bethune-Cookman. Grice, a five-time MEAC Player of the Week honoree, scored a season-high 38 points on 15-of-37 from the floor and eight steals against North Carolina A&T. She also leads the conference in steals, averaging 3.9.

Tate-DeFreitas, a six-time Rookie of the Week honoree and two-time Player of the Week, ranked fourth in the conference with 19.0 points and 4.9 rebounds. She registered a season-high 33 points against Norfolk State and is second in the MEAC in 3-pointers made, average 2.3.

Bennett led the Lady Pirates defense by averaging 9.3 points and 1.4 steals. She reached double figures in rebounding 12 times, including a season-high 17 against Utah State. Bennett, a two-time MEAC Player of the Week, recorded 12 double-doubles of points and rebounds. Offensively, Bennett poured in a season-high 31 points on 14-of-30 shooting against Santa Clara.

Six repeated as Coach of the Year after guiding the Hampton Lady Pirates to their second consecutive 16-0 MEAC record. It marked the sixth time in conference history that a women’s basketball team has gone undefeated in MEAC play. Under his helm, the Lady Pirates closed out their season with a 15-game win streak. Hampton led the conference in scoring (72.0), scoring margin (+15.4), field-goal percentage (.331) and offensive rebounding (46.3).

Grice is joined on the 2014 All-MEAC First Team by Hampton’s Nicole Hamilton and Alyssa Bennett, Coppin State’s Kyra Coleman and Norfolk State’s Rachel Gordon.

Hampton clinched the MEAC regular season title with an 83-54 victory over Norfolk State. The Lady Pirates will enter the tournament as the number one seed and will face the winner of the No. 8 Howard/No. 9 North Carolina Central matchup on Wednesday, March 11 at 6 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 their first games of the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament. Tournament play tips-off March 10-15 at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

Coach of the Year: David Six, Hampton University

Player of the Year: Jasmine Grice, Florida A&M University

Rookie of the Year: Malia Tate-DeFreitas, Hampton University

Defensive Player of the Year: Alyssa Bennett, Hampton University

FIRST TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Jasmine Grice	Florida A&M	G	5-9	Sr.	Quincy, Fla.
Nicole Hamilton	Hampton	G	5-8	Sr.	Hampton, Va.
Kyra Coleman	Coppin State	G/F	5-10	Sr.	Henrico, Va.
Alyssa Bennett	Hampton	F	6-2	Sr.	Hampton, Va.
Rachel Gordon	Norfolk State	F	6-0	Sr.	Woodbridge, Va.

SECOND TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Tracey Carrington	Morgan State	G	5-9	Jr.	Baltimore, Md.
Malia Tate-DeFreitas	Hampton	G	5-8	Fr.	Harrisburg, Pa.
Tracy King	North Carolina A&T	G/F	5-10	Sr.	Alexandria, Va.
Larrisa Carter	Coppin State	F	6-0	Sr.	Atlanta, Ga.
Aprill McRae	North Carolina A&T	C	6-3	r-So.	Raleigh, N.C.

THIRD TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Raven Bankston	Delaware State	G	5-7	Fr.	Detroit, Mich.
Ezinne Kalu	Savannah State	G	5-8	Sr.	Newark, N.J.
Kourtney Williams	South Carolina State	G	5-9	Jr.	Warren, Ohio
Racquel Davis	North Carolina Central	F	6-0	Jr.	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Kailyn Williams	Bethune-Cookman	C	6-4	r-Fr.	New Orleans, La.

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Malia Tate-DeFrietas	Hampton	G	5-8	Fr.	Harrisburg, Pa.
Raven Bankston	Delaware State	G	5-7	Fr.	Detroit, Mich.
Te’Shya Heslip	Howard	G	5-5	Fr.	Dumfries, Va.
Logan Powell	Norfolk State	F	6-0	Fr.	Lebanon, Ky.
Kailyn Williams	Bethune-Cookman	C	6-4	r-Fr.	New Orleans, La.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton U.'s Six, four players honored by MEAC

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- Hampton's Du'Vaughn Maxwell, Alyssa Bennett and Nicole Hamilton were first-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selections and Lady Pirates coach David Six was named women's Coach of the Year, in voting released by the league Monday.

Maxwell, a 6-7 senior forward, also was named men's Defensive Player of the Year, while Bennett was women's Defensive Player of the Year.

Six repeated as Coach of the Year after leading Hampton (25-4, 16-0 MEAC) to a second consecutive unbeaten conference season.

The top-seeded Lady Pirates seek an unprecedented fifth consecutive tournament title and NCAA berth and begin play Wednesday at noon versus the Howard-N.C. Central winner.

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NCCU Basketball Trio Garners MEAC Honors

COACH  LEVELLE MOTON
2013/14 MEAC MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR

DURHAM, North Carolina – After racking up 25 wins and a 15-1 record in the conference, the accolades came flowing for North Carolina Central University as senior Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) was named MEAC Player of the Year, fifth year head coach LeVelle Moton earned Coach of the Year honors, while senior Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) was named third team All-MEAC, the league announced on Monday.

Ingram finished the regular season averaging 20.2 points a game, which was second in the league, currently No. 22 in the nation.  He becomes the second Eagle all-time to earn player of the year honors and to score more than 600 points in a season since the 1980-81 campaign.  Moton was the only other student-athlete to don the maroon and gray to accomplish such a feat, earning CIAA Player of the Year in 1996 and scoring 611 points in the 1994-95 campaign.  Ingram scored 30 more points on four occasions, including a career-high 38 points in the maroon and gray's first-ever road win at Tiger Arena on Feb. 17.  He also earned MEAC Player of the Week honors four times on the year.

Moton's squad won the MEAC's regular season title, finishing 25-5 overall, 15-1 in league play to earn the school's first regular season championship at the NCAA Division I level.  The 25 regular season victories are the second-most wins since John McLendon's 1950-51 Eagles went 26-5 in the regular season.  Over the past two seasons, Moton and his troops are 30-2 in the conference and have compiled 23 consecutive wins at home, and enter the MEAC Tournament riding a 17-game winning streak.

Chapman topped the MEAC in assists averaging 6.8 helpers per game, which is currently fifth in the nation.  He also set the single-season record at NCCU with 203, passing Donald Sinclair in the 1979-80 campaign who racked up 200 for the maroon and gray.  Chapman also topped the conference in steals averaging 2.2 thefts per game, while also averaging 6.6 points per contest.  The selfless point guard scored in double figures six times in the regular season, including a career-high 18 points in the huge 82-72 overtime upset over NC State on Nov. 20, 2013.  He recorded his first career double-double on Feb. 8 at home against Bethune-Cookman by scoring 14 points and dishing out 11 assists in the victory over the Wildcats.

For the full MEAC release and All-Conference team information, check out www.MEACSports.com, the official website of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

NCCU will take on the winner of the eighth-seeded Bison of Howard University and the ninth-seeded Aggies of North Carolina A&T 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.

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