MEAC Tournament: Norfolk State Spartans Top Savannah State, 57-47; Advance to Face NCCU Friday

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Norfolk State men's basketball team held Savannah State to a nearly eight-minute scoring drought in the second half, and NSU came out victorious over the Tigers by a 57-47 score on Thursday evening in the quarterfinal round of the MEAC tournament.

The victory propelled No. 4 seed NSU (19-13) into the semifinals of the tournament at Scope Arena, where the Spartans will face No. 1 seed North Carolina Central on Friday at 6 p.m.

The Spartans were only up by one at the break but led the entire second half of the game. NSU scored seven straight out of intermission, but the big run did not start until No. 5 seed Savannah State had cut the deficit to just one thanks to a 9-2 run with 12 and a half minutes left.

Up 33-32 at the point, NSU put together a 13-0 run, sparked at first by a trey from senior Pendarvis Williams at the 10:32 mark with the shot clock winding down. Senior Marese Phelps followed with a trey from the right corner, Williams converted a 3-point play around a media timeout, and Phelps finished off the spurt with a fastbreak layup that had the green and gold crowd on its feet.

Savannah State finally broke that nearly eight-minute scoreless streak with 4:47 left, part of a 9-0 effort from the Tigers over the next two minutes that made it 46-41 with less than three minutes left. NSU, though, hit 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch - after starting the game just 1-of-6 - to ice the win.

Williams had a big game for the Spartans, hitting 7-of-11 field goals and finishing with 20 points and three steals.

Senior Brandon Goode was the only other NSU player in double figures, as he tallied 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting with six rebounds and three blocks.

Jyles Smith led Savannah State (13-17) with 15 points, six boards and three blocks as well.

In the first half, NSU had a couple of putbacks to get going at the start of the game before the Tigers knocked down a pair of treys in less than a minute. Williams then countered with a pair of long jumpers to erase SSU's four-point lead. Goode had a putback layin at the 8:25 mark to cap a 12-2 run for the Spartans, giving NSU an 18-12 lead.

Junior Jamel Fuentes had a pair of successful drives to the lane to keep the lead at six with less than five minutes in the half. Deven Williams, though, knocked down a 3-pointer from the right corner with 6.8 seconds left to cut the Spartan lead to 24-23 heading into the break.

NSU held a 10-2 advantage in second chance points during the opening stanza.

Norfolk State also committed just eight turnovers on the night, compared to 14 for the Tigers, and held an 18-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

SSU only shot 5-of-10 from the free throw line. The Spartans sank 13-of-19, including 12-of-13 at the end.

NSU also connected on 21-of-47 from the floor (44.7 percent) while holding SSU to 19-of-49 shooting (38.8 percent).

Sophomore RaShid Gaston finished with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Box Score

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Area Coaches Invited to A&M Spring Practice

Dear Coach,

Spring Practice is an exciting time of the year for all coaching staffs.  Here on "The Hill", we are counting down the days!  We will take the practice field 15 times this Spring, beginning on Friday, April 4^th and culminating with our annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 26^th at 7:00 pm in scenic Louis Crews Stadium.

Our practices are always open to High School coaches and players and we encourage you to visit as often as possible this Spring.

I would like to extend a special invitation for Wednesday, April 16, as our staff will host a High School Coaches Clinic & Social.  Registration will open at 4:30 pm in the stadium press box and the event will begin at 5:00 pm.  A controlled scrimmage will follow at 7:00 pm.  This will be a great opportunity to socialize and chalk talk the Pistol Offense and Defensive schemes and then see them in action!   We will provide food and beverage, for a minimal fee, as mandated by the NCAA.

I look forward to seeing everyone on April, 16 at 4:30 pm and throughout Spring practice.

If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP for the Coaches Clinic & Social, please contact Matt Sanders at 256-372-4014 or matthew.sanders@aamu.edu.

Go Bulldogs,

James Spady
Head Football Coach
Alabama A&M Bulldogs

A&M Football Alumni invited to First Spring Practice

Dear AAMU Football Letter Winner,

It is my sincere hope that this letter finds you doing well and eagerly anticipating this new era of Alabama A&M football!  Currently, we are grinding through winter conditioning and counting down the days until Spring practice begins on "The Hill".  Your Bulldogs will take the practice field 15 times this Spring, beginning on Friday, April 4^th and culminating with our annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 26^th at 7:00 pm in beautiful Louis Crews Stadium.

I cannot put into words how vital the support of the AAMU alumni base is to our success, both on and off the field.  Your hard work and dedication has built the tradition that is Bulldog football, and it is important to us that our alums are connected with the program in a unique way.

I would like to extend a special invitation for you to attend the first practice of 2014, on Friday, April 4^th.  This "Friday Night Under the Lights with the Bulldogs" AAMU Alumni Event will offer you inside access into Bulldog football. Sign-in will open at 5:00 pm in the George H. Hobson Athletic Field House, with the event beginning at 5:30 pm.   The new era of AAMU football will follow with practice at 7:00 pm.  This will be a great opportunity to interact with the new coaching staff and get an exclusive look at the 2014 Bulldogs.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the event on April, 4 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP for the AAMU Alumni Day, please contact Matt Sanders at 256-372-4014 or matthew.sanders@aamu.edu.

Go Bulldogs,

James Spady
Head Football Coach Alabama A&M

ASU Football Set For Saturday Scrimmage

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  The Alabama State football team completed its final spring practice before its first scrimmage of the spring this Saturday at Hornet Stadium.

Thursday's practice, the fifth of the spring, was a very focused and spirited session.

"I thought their attention and energy level moving around the field was good today," head coach Reggie Barlow said. "This was the fifth practice, and the players are understanding the concepts better, which is allowing them to move around faster. We're getting good leadership from key players, and good encouragement all around."

This Saturday, the 9 a.m. scrimmage will feature about 50-75 plays, with possessions beginning at the 25-yard line.

"We want to give them an opportunity to play," Barlow said. "We want to see the offense get first downs and the defense to get stops, as it gives us another chance to evaluate them. As we move forward in the spring in, we'll work specific situations if we are not able to create that throughout the scrimmage. We want to see them compete on a competitive level with the coaches being off the field."

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Tournament: Lady Rattler Slow Start Results In 84-75 Loss

NORFOLK, Virginia – It wasn’t the ending head coach LeDawn Gibson envisioned for the Lady Rattlers.  A quarterfinal defeat 84-75 at the hands of the Lady Tigers of Savannah State eliminated FAMU from contention in the 2014 MEAC basketball championship at the Scope Arena.

Taneka Rubin led the Lady Rattlers, grinding out 19 points, with all of her shots made from the field being three-pointers, while making 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

Jasmine Grice, the MEAC Player of the Year, was ineffective from the field, scoring well below her season average with 14 points.  Struggling with a shoulder injury, she went down hard after a ball in the first half and didn’t appear to recover until midway through the second half.

FAMU shot 36.4 percent from the field in the first half and 40.5 in the second half.  They gave up 20 turnovers, but more importantly 54 points in the paint.

“I think it was a disappointing end to our season.  Our team didn’t show up to play today in the first half, but I am still proud of some of the accomplishments we made this season.  Now we’ve got to go back and get ready for next season,” Gibson said.

Senior Andreya Lacy, had another solid game.  She scored nine points and spraked the Lady Rattler comeback with her energy on defense as well as offense.  Alicia McCray also played valuable minutes, pulling down four rebounds in the game.

The Lady Rattlers dug a hole for themselves, trailing by 10 points at 37-27 at the half.  In the second half, SSU made a run to go up by 20 with 15:13 remaining in the game.  The hole would be too much for FAMU to overcome, as they made a run, but it was too steep to climb out of.

SSU was led by jasmine Norman, who scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting.  Bria Dorsey scored 17, Ezinne Kalu carded 15 and Jasmine Kirkland chipped in 12 points to round out the quartet in double figures.

“We stressed that we needed to stop the penetration.  It wasn’t necessarily the nig girls who were scoring in the paint, but the back end of our press was not stopping the penetration to keep them from getting to the basket.  We didn’t play like we wanted to win tonight.  Monday night we played like we wanted to be here, but tonight they played like they were ready for the season to be over.  We didn’t  play FAMU basketball,” Gibson added.

Grice felt that it was a missed opportunity for the Lady Rattlers. “We didn’t come out like we were ready to play.  We waited until the second half and we just couldn’t come back.  I told my teammates whoa re coming back next year to keep their head’s up.  They’ve got another season to get it done.  It’s not over.  You have another chance, so keep your head up and stay focused and humble,” she said.

It was an improvement over last season’s first round exit, but not nearly the goal the team had in mind.

Rubin feels the team should be prepared to take the next step next season.  “I think we’ll be strong next year.  Coach has a lot of good recruits coming in, so we should be good,” she said.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Tournament: Morgan State Bears Get Revenge In 81-68 Tournament Upset

NORFOLK, Virginia  – The Florida A&M Rattlers ended their season with an 81-68 loss to the Bears of Morgan State, in the quarterfinal round of the MEAC Basketball Championships at the Scope Arena.  MSU got revenge for the Rattlers spoiling their "Senior Night," a week ago in Baltimore, MD.

The Rattlers battled throughout the game, but was unable to make significant ground on the charging Bears who were led by guard Justin Black, who scored a game-high 29 points on the night.  Second team All-MEAC guard Jamie Adams scored 26 points on 7-of-17 shooting to power the Rattlers offense.  Jomari Bradshaw added 12 points, as only a duo of Rattlers managed to card double figures.

Lanky center Ian Chiles scored 15 for MSU, while Cedric Blossom added 12 points.  FAMU used a combination of Bobby King, Pierre Crawford and Christopher Rozier to try and contain the 7’2” center, who had his way in the paint against the Rattlers.  MSU outrebounded FAMU 42-35.

MSU led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but the Rattlers used a solid inside game to claw back into the contest.  At the half, the Rattlers were down just two points at 31-29.  There were only two lead changes and two ties, as the Rattlers trailed most of the game.

FAMU was outscored 40-28 in the paint, but outscored MSU 28-10 in bench scoring.  The Rattlers’ undoing would come in the 50-point second half that the Bears put up.  The Rattlers never had an answer for the strong inside-outside game of MSU.

In the first half, the Rattlers shot 40 percent from the field, but just 37.9 in the second half.  For MSU, the Bears shot 36.1 percent from the field in the first half, while they would explode on a 15-26 pace in the second half, which was a 57.7 percent clip.

The Rattlers improved on last year’s first round exit, but was short of expectations of this senior bunch.  With about :30 seconds remaining in the game, head coach Clemon Johnson took out his seniors to applause from the Rattler faithful that had attended the tournament.

The Rattlers ended the season with a 14-18 record, 8-9 in conference play.  Last season, the Rattlers won just eight games total.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Albany State women leaning on faith, unity for NCAA Tournament opener

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida  — When the Lady Rams step on the court tonight for their NCAA Division II Tournament opener, they will do so in faith.

 

Faith in God, in each other and in a dream.

 

“But most importantly in God,” Albany State senior Kourtney Alexander said.

 

It’s a credence the Lady Rams don’t shy away from when asked what has made this season so special, and it’s one they talk about boldly when asked what will make the difference in today’s game against Delta State.

 

Freshman Tip Holston calls the Lady Rams the “most-praying team in all of college basketball,” and the players believe it’s those prayers that have carried them on this season’s remarkable run.

 

“We pray before every practice. We pray after every practice,” Alexander said. “Every time we have a bad practice or a bad game, we pray even harder and longer.”

 

CONTINUE READING

UMES Will Not Renew Frankie Allen's Contract

PRINCES ANNE, Maryland  -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) announced today it will not renew the contract of head men's basketball coach Frankie Allen.

Allen guided the Hawks the past six seasons and compiled an overall record of 42-139 during that time. He just completed his 24th year as a head coach and has amassed 265 wins at four different schools.  "We thank Coach Allen for the time he dedicated to UMES," said Director of Athletics Keith Davidson. "We appreciate his service and wish him well in his future endeavors."  UMES will immediately begin a national search to name Allen's successor.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION 

MEAC Tournament: Savannah State Women's Basketball Breezes Into MEAC Semifinals

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- The Lady Tigers made history again on Thursday.

In the school's third appearance at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament, the 2013-14 Lady Tigers are the first team to make it to the semifinals of the tournament.

The No. 5 seeded Lady Tigers eased past No. 4 Florida A&M and the 2014 MEAC Player of the Year, Jasmine Grice, with an 84-75 rout in the quarterfinals of the 2014 MEAC Tournament.

"Everything we do now is history," Coach Baker said in a press conference after the game. "We've (the program) never been here. So every game is important."

The SSU men's basketball program has been knocked out the tournament the last two years in the quarterfinals. Today was the Lady Tigers first quarterfinal game.

The Lady Tigers are slated to take on the No.1 Hampton Lady Pirates on Friday at 12 p.m. in the semifinals. In the bottom bracket, North Carolina A&T State play Coppin State. The winner of each game will play in the finals on Saturday for the MEAC crown.

Thirty minutes prior to the game, the Lady Tigers made clear how hungry they were for the historic win. While the FAMU players watched the game prior from inside the tunnel, SSU warmed up in the hallway, awaiting their chance, getting focused. It showed from the tipoff.

Out of the gate SSU took control with a 14-5 run in the opening seven minutes. The Lady Tigers never gave up their lead, going up by as much as 20 points.

SSU junior Jasmine Norman led the field with a career and season-high 22 points. Junior point guard Bria Dorsey tacked on 17 points, while Ezinne Kalu scored 15 and Jasmine Kirkland added 12.

Grice led the MEAC in scoring this season, averaging 25.4 points a game. The Lady Tiger defense held her to only 14 points. Taneka Rubin led the Lady Rattlers with 19 points.

Kalu sparked the Lady Tigers offense, scoring the game's first four points. Dorsey tacked on four and freshman Tiyonda Davis added two in the Lady Tigers big opening run.

Norman sank a jumper with 4:44 to play in the opening half to give the Lady Tigers their first double-digit lead, 26-15.

FAMU replied with a 10-3 run, capped with back-to-back 3-pointers from Rubin to cut SSU's lead to 29-25 with 1:54 till the half.

Norman scored back-to-back field goals, and Rhianna Warren tacked on a jumper to get SSU back to a double-digit lead, 35-25 with 35 seconds to play.

In the final seconds, Grice scored and Norman responded with a last second jump shot to send SSU to the locker room with a 37-27 lead.

SSU opened the second half with a 13-4 run. Norman scored with 17:28 on the clock to lift SSU to a 50-31 lead. Moments later, Kirkland sank a jump shot to give the Lady Tigers their largest lead of the game, 54-34.

After trailing by double-digits for most of the half, FAMU opened a 6-2 run to get under a 10-point spread, 56-65, with 8:06 to play. SSU jumped back out quickly with a 9-1 run in the subsequent three minutes.

It was all SSU down the stretch. Florida A&M played the foul game late, to their dismay. Dorsey and Norman combined to go 4-for-4 from the charity strip in the final minutes.

The Lady Tigers shot 50.0 percent from the field and outrebounded FAMU 43-35. SSU shot 66.7 percent from the free-throw line. The Lady Rattlers shot 39.1 percent from the field and 78.3 percent from the charity strip.

Box Score

2014 WBB MEAC Bracket (Day 4)

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Day 4 & 5: Watch the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament Live

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Click Here to Watch the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament on 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 92, No. 8 Howard 46
8:00 PM Game 14 - No. 2 Hampton 77,  No. 7 Coppin State 83
Thursday, March 13 - Quarterfinals
6:00 PM Game 17 - No. 3 Morgan State vs. No. 6 Florida A&M
8:00 PM Game 18 - No. 4 Norfolk State vs. No. 5 Savannah State
Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
6:00 PM Game 21 - No. 1 N.C. Central vs. Winner of Game 18
8:00 PM Game 22 - No. 7 Coppin State 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 MBB

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 82, No. 11 Maryland Eastern Shore 60
2:30 PM Game 16 - No. 4 Florida A&M  75,  No. 5 Savannah State 84
Friday, March 14 - Semifinals
NOON Game 19 - No. 1 Hampton vs. No. 5 Savannah State
2:30 PM Game 20 - No. 2 North Carolina A&T vs. No. 3 Coppin State
Saturday, March 15 - Championship Final (ESPNU- Tape Delayed)
3:00 PM Game 23 - Winner of Game 19 vs. Winner of Game 20

2014 MEAC WBB Bracket - 4

For more information, visit MEAChoops.com.

 

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Tournament: Coleman helps CSU move into MEAC semifinals

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Coppin State senior forward Kyra Coleman had another performance to cherish against Maryland-Eastern Shore in the quarterfinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament Thursday afternoon at the Scope Arena.

 

Coleman finished one assist shy of a triple-double in leading Coppin State to an 82-60 victory over UMES. She scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out nine assists in 36 entertaining minutes. In the process, Coleman became the sixth Coppin State women’s basketball player in school history to eclipse the 1,300-point career mark when she made a foul shot with 18 minutes, 33 seconds remaining.

 

Coleman, who notched her fifth career double-double, has now scored 1,310 points. In three games this season against UMES, Coleman averaged 23.7 points and 10.0 rebounds. She dropped 30 points against the Hawks on Feb. 8 on the road. Two weeks later, Coleman had a double-double against UMES.

 

She had help from her senior teammates as Larrisa Carter and Ashle Craig contributed 15 points each for the Eagles (16-13 overall). Carter has scored 1,043 career points, just two behind Leola Spotwood’s total of 1,045 for 10th on the all-time school scoring list.

 

Coppin State received scoring from eight players to advance to the MEAC semifinals for the third straight season. Coppin will battle No. 2 seed North Carolina A&T (24-5) Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. The Eagles handed the Aggies one of their five losses this season, 59-50, in Greensboro on Jan. 27.

 

“We played pretty well today,” Derek Brown said. “I said coming in here you can’t judge UMES by its record. I just have a lot of respect for them because they are coached very well. They have good size and run good offense. The difference was that we were a little quicker than they were. The 22-point margin of victory is no indication of how tightly the game was played. I was never at ease until maybe 1:30 left in the game.”

 

As a team, the Eagles handed out 16 assists on their 29 baskets and recorded 13 steals. Craig was the chief pickpocketer for the Eagles with six thefts. Despite being outrebounded 54-44 by the Hawks, Coppin State was able to score 28 points off of 26 UMES turnovers.

 

UMES (9-21) was led in scoring by Te’Amber Burke’s 14 points and Chalyse Taylor’s 12 markers. Ashleigh Claybrooks cleaned the glass by finishing with 11 rebounds. The Hawks made eight 3-pointers to keep the pressure on Coppin State during the game. Mariah McCoy opened the second half by making a 3-pointer to pull UMES to within, 34-28 with 19:27 remaining.

 

The game belonged to Coppin State from that point on. The Eagles turned up the defensive heat and went berserk by unleashing a game-altering 20-4 run over an eight-minute stretch of the second half. By the time, the Eagles finished their scoring surge, Coppin State held a comfortable, 54-32, lead with 11:39 remaining. Five different Coppin State players scored at least two points during the run that featured seven UMES turnovers.

 

“Defense is our niche and that’s what we do best,” Carter said. “In order to win the championship that’s what its going to take. Everytime we step on the court, our defense is what we’re going to give the most energy on and the work the hardest. We work hard, play hard and we’re going to go after loose balls no matter who we play whether it’s the regular season or postseason. Our defense is and has been consistent and that’s what’s going to carry us.”

 

Even though Coppin State opened the game by scoring the first six points and zooming to an early 14-2 advantage, the Hawks refused to go quietly by striking for a quartet of 3-pointers to keep the game close. UMES pulled to within, 28-23 and 30-25 on two occasions in the final three minutes of the first half before Coppin State got baskets from Amber Griffin and Jordan Swails to end the half.

 

Tanaysa Henderson provided an electrical jolt off the bench as she scored six quick points to spark the Eagles after Griffin picked up second foul less than 90 seconds into the game.

 

Following the game, the talk turned to Coppin State’s terrific triumvirate of Coleman, Carter and Craig. To outsiders not familiar with watching the Eagles play this season, the efforts of those that trio was another day in the office.

 

“I see it everyday in practice and in games,” Brown said. “That’s what makes these ladies special. They’re very special to me. In the four years they have played, they have worked very hard and they give it up every single and I can’t complain about one single practice, maybe one or two. But in four years, they have tirelessly gone at it and to see the numbers they are putting up, I am not surprised and it’s well deserved.”

By Rob Knox
COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SWAC Tournament: Survive and Advance, JSU beats Valley 74-68

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The Jackson State women’s basketball team won its quarterfinal game 74-68 against in-state rival Mississippi Valley State Thursday morning at the Toyota Center. A game that seemed to be destined a blowout came down to the wire. The Lady Tigers had to fend off a late Devilette rally. In the last 50 seconds of play Alisa Ross scored four straight points to secure the JSU victory.

Dominique Brothern led the Lady Tigers with 16 points on 7-14 shooting from the floor.  She also had four steals and two assists. Ayanna Hardy-Fuller, an All-SWAC first team member, added 13 points and a team high eight rebounds. She was 6-8 from the field. Ross came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-10 shooting from the field and Ayanna Lynn scored 10 points on 4-10 shooting.

For the game JSU shot 39.2% from the field (29-74), 14.3% from three-point range 91-7) and 57.7% from the free throw line (15-26). JSU forced 31 Valley turnovers that led to 34 Lady Tiger points. JSU also dominated Valley in the paint, holding a 40-22 edge. Valley held the rebounding advantage (45-44).

“I was not very happy with our execution at time, but I was happy with the way our team fought for the entire game,” said JSU head coach Surina Dixon.

JSU opened the first half with swarming defensive pressure that led to 17 Valley turnovers. By the 16:56 mark, the Lady Tigers led Valley 10-7. Valley took the lead mid-way through the first half when Hardy-Fuller and Bridgette Robinson were saddled with two fouls. The Devilettes built a six point lead by 10:43 mark. However the Lady Tigers continued to fight and went on a 9-3 run to end the first half, cutting the Valley lead to 37-36 by halftime. Lynn led JSU in first half scoring with 10 points and Dominique Brothern followed with eight points. Alisa Ross, Brittney Jones and Hardy-Fuller each had four points.

The Lady Tigers return to action Friday, Mar. 14 at noon to take on the No. 2 seed Texas Southern Lady Tigers in the semifinal round.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

SWAC Tournament: Alabama State advances to SWAC semis with 64-51 win against Alcorn State

HOUSTON, Texas  -- Birmingham native Alabama State point guard Jamel Waters scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Hornets to a 64-51 win against Alcorn State (Miss.) in the quarterfinals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

The third-seeded Hornets (19-11) used a 10-0 run which began with 4:45 remaining to go up 14 and with 45 seconds to go and advanced to Friday's league semifinals against No. 2 Texas Southern. 

Alabama State's Luther Page added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and junior college transfer Demarcus Robinson and Tony Armstrong scored 10 points apiece. 

 

Marquise Vance led Alcorn (12-19) with 15 points followed by LeAntwan Luckett's 12 as the Braves shot 30.3 percent, including 3-for-13 from 3-point range in their loss to the Hornets this season. 

 

CONTINUE READING

Nuggets to open against defending national champion

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana will play defending national champion Westmont in the opening round of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship.

The Gold Nuggets (23-9) and the Warriors (20-9) will meet at 9:45 p.m. next Wednesday (March 19) at Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky. It will be the last of eight first-round games on the tournament's opening day.

Xavier was ranked 20th and Westmont 13th in the coaches poll released earlier Wednesday. In tournament seedings, Westmont is one of four No. 4s, and Xavier is one of four No. 5s.

The Gold Nuggets qualified for nationals for a fifth straight year, this time by beating Talladega 66-59 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship game at Xavier on Sunday. Xavier leads NAIA Division I in 3-point field-goal percentage defense and is top-15 in three other categories.

Sophomore guard Whitney Gathright (12.2) leads Xavier in scoring. Gathright and senior guard Paige Gauthier (8.5) were All-GCAC this season.

Westmont tied for second in the Golden State Athletic Conference and received an at-large bid to nationals. The Warriors are top-10 nationally in assist/turnover ratio, scoring defense and 3-point field-goal percentage. Senior forward Kelsie Sampson (19.8) leads the Warriors in scoring, followed by junior guard Esther Lee at 13.3. Lee made 88 3-pointers this season and shot 38.8 percent from behind the arc.

Six of the Warriors' losses are to teams in Wednesday's top 10.

This will be the second meeting between Xavier and Westmont. The Gold Nuggets opened the 2006-07 season with a 79-72 overtime victory against the Warriors in Las Vegas.

The Xavier-Westmont winner will play Campbellsville or Southern Poly at 2:15 p.m. Friday. Campbellsville is a No. 1 seed and was fourth in the coaches poll.

2014 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Bracket

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Nuggets' streak is 5 after edging Oral Roberts

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's Amber Brown defeated Mairead Cleary 6-3, 6-3 at No. 5 singles to clinch a 5-4 victory against Oral Roberts on Wednesday at XU Tennis Center.

The Gold Nuggets (8-4), ranked fifth in the NAIA, won their fifth dual in a row. The Golden Eagles (1-6) have dropped five straight.

Brown earned her fourth consecutive singles victory. She clinched for Xavier after ORU's Melanie Marlin tied the dual at 4 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Brandi Nelson at No. 3.

Brown and Simone-Alyse Ewell produced the Nuggets' lone doubles victory, 8-1 at No. 3 against Cleary and Nika Munoz, it was Ewell's seventh consecutive doubles victory.

Xavier also got singles victories from Ewell at No. 4, Kourtney Howell at No. 1 and Carmen Nelson at No. 6. Nelson, who did not play the past two seasons, beat
Munoz 6-1, 6-0 for her first singles victory since March 25, 2011.

Howell defeated Haley Martin 6-2, 6-2, and Ewell beat Ximena Puentes 6-2, 6-4.

It was the second consecutive dual and the third time this season that the Nuggets won 5-4. It's their first victory since 2004 against a non-HBCU member of NCAA Division I.

The Gold Nuggets' next dual will start at 11 a.m. on March 20 against Graceland in Nashville, Tenn. Next for the XU men will be a 1 p.m. Saturday dual at Troy.

Photo Gallery: XU women's tennis vs. Oral Roberts (24 photos)

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Nuggets 20th, going to nationals for 18th time in 20 years

2014 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Bracket

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana climbed four places to 20th Wednesday in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The NAIA also announced that Xavier is one of 32 qualifiers for the national tournament.

The Gold Nuggets (23-9) secured an automatic berth to nationals by defeating Talladega 66-59 Sunday in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at XU's Convocation Center. The Nuggets qualified for the fifth consecutive year and the 18th time in 20 seasons, Xavier's ranking is its highest since Feb. 4.

It's the 13th time that the Nuggets qualified for nationals during Bo Browder's 15 seasons as head coach.

The GCAC will have two women's teams at nationals for the second consecutive year. Talladega, the regular-season champion and No. 22 in the poll, received its first-ever bid.

Pairings and times for the NAIA Division I National Championship will be announced Wednesday evening. The tournament will be played March 19-25 at Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky.

Vanguard, despite suffering its first loss of the season in the semifinals of its conference tournament, held on to No. 1 and received 9-of-10 first-place votes. The Lions have topped all 12 polls this season.

The top 25:

1. Vanguard
2. Freed-Hardeman
3. Westminster (Utah)
4. Campbellsville
5. Oklahoma City
6. Oklahoma Baptist
7. The Master's
8. Georgetown (Ky.)
9. Our Lady of the Lake
10. Columbia (Mo.)
11. Wiley
12. Baker
13. Westmont
14. MidAmerica Nazarene
15. Lewis-Clark State
16. Hope International
17. Lyon
18. Wayland Baptist
19. John Brown
20. Xavier
21. Montana State-Northern
22. Talladega
23. Cumberlands
24. Mobile
25. Shawnee State

All top-25 teams qualified for nationals. Teams not in the top 25 which qualified were Bethel (Tenn.), Cal State San Marcos, Huston-Tillotson, Langston, Loyola, Southern Poly and William Woods.

Xavier is one of 15 schools whose women's and men's teams qualified for nationals. The other schools are Cal State San Marcos, Columbia (Mo.), Cumberlands, Freed-Hardeman, Georgetown (Ky.), Hope International, MidAmerica Nazarene, Montana State-Northern, Oklahoma Baptist, Talladega, Vanguard, Wayland Baptist, Westminster (Utah) and Wiley.

2014 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Bracket

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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DWIGHT FLOYD Bracket Busters: Teams You Need to Know About

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Every year NCAA basketball enthusiasts try their hand at guessing who is going to win the championship and what path they will take to get there. The winner can expect a small prize of $10,000 in merchandise. Small that is, compared to $1 Billion dollars that Warren Buffet and Company are offering this year. That ups the ante. Here are my suggestions for giving yourself a chance to win:

1. Get to know the teams, their stats, including their record and level of competition during pre-conference play.

 2. Pay attention to their last ten games and not just their latest conference games, to see how they are trending.

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NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Bracket Released; Five HBCUs Makes Field of 32

HBCUs with their Tickets Punched to the Big Dance are: Wiley College (27-4); Xavier University of Louisiana (23-9); Talladega College (26-4); Langston University (20-12); and  Huston-Tillotson College (15-14).   (Bracket)

KANSAS CITY, Missouri  --  (Bracket) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the bracket for the 34th Annual NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship. For the third-straight season, the 32-team, single-elimination national championship will take place from March 19-25 at the Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky.

The National Championship kicks off at 8:30 a.m. CST Wednesday, March 19, with eight games scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Quarterfinal action tips off at 2:00 p.m. on March 22 with the semifinals slated for March 24 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The championship final will start at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, and will be broadcast in high definition on ESPN3.com.



NeuLion, the NAIA’s official video streaming company of select NAIA National Championship events, will be broadcasting the first 30 games from Frankfort. An all-tournament pass (30 games) is available for $24.95, while a single day pass can be purchased for $9.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here.

For more information on the 2014 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship, click here. 

By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern
NAIA.ORG

2014 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship Bracket Released; Four HBCUs to Compete in 32-Team Field

NAIA Ranked #7 Talladega College, #15 Wiley College, Philander Smith College and #12 Xavier University of Louisiana are bracketed for the NAIA Division I Championship Tournament.  (Bracket)

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – (Bracket) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially released the bracket for the 77th annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 32-team, single elimination format will take place from March 19 – 25 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

The championship kicks off at 9 a.m. CST each of the first three days, with eight games scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Quarterfinal action tips off at 10:30 a.m. on March 22, as part of a day that includes the first-ever All-Star Game, Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests. The semifinals are slated for March 24 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The championship final will start at 7:05 p.m. on March 25 as the game will be broadcast in high definition on ESPN3.com.



For tickets as low as $3 / game, visit NAIAHoops.com.

NeuLion, the NAIA’s official video-streaming company of 17 select NAIA national championship events, will be broadcasting the first 30 games of the Division I Menhere.
's Basketball National Championship. Don't miss the live video stream of all of the action running from March 19 - 25. For more information and to pre-register, click

For information on the 2014 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship, click here.

By Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information
NAIA.ORG

MEAC Tournament: A&T Knocks Off B-CU In MEAC Quarterfinal

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- A balanced scoring attack which placed five players in double figures helped the second-seeded North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team knock off No. 7 Bethune-Cookman 78-46 in a quarterfinal matchup at the MEAC Tournament at Scope Arena, on Wednesday afternoon.

The Aggies (24-5 overall) advanced to the semifinals where they will face the winner of the No. 3 Coppin State/No. 11 UMES game on Friday, March 14 at 2:30 p.m.

Redshirt junior Debbie Smith led A&T with 15 points and tallied three assists.

A&T’s post players were dominant in Wednesday’s game where the Aggies outscored the Wildcats 40-24 in the paint behind the efforts of redshirt sophomores Aprill McRae and Eboni Ross. Ross was a flawless 6-for-6 from the field and finished with 12 points while McRae also added 12 on 5-for-7 shooting. Ross also grabbed six rebounds and recorded a block.



Redshirt sophomore Christina Carter added 11 points and dished out five assists, along with three steals. Junior Ariel Bursey recorded 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Aggies also did a great job of spreading the ball around as they recorded 19 assists on a 30-for-65 (46.2 percent) shooting performance.

From the tip, A&T set the tone of the game as it leaped out to a 29-8 run at the 6:45 mark. By this point the damage was done but B-CU (12-18) halted the run with a jumper from Kara Redmon just moments later.

However the Aggie’s unwavering defense combined with an offense that was led behind McRae’s 10 points in the first half alone allowed A&T to take the 38-21 lead at halftime.

The Aggies extended their lead to 58-31 with a three from Smith with 11:05 in the game. Smith and McRae traded roles in the second half, as the Aggies found some of their spark in Smith who finished with 11 points in the second half. A jumper from Deja Gibson cut B-CU’s deficit to 58-35 which was the closest it’d get to A&T’s lead for the remainder of the game.

A&T’s defensive also scored 21 points of 21 turnovers and beat B-CU on the glass 45-32.

Alea Godfrey finished with a game-high 16 points for the Wildcats as Houtson Taylor finished with 10 rebounds.

Photo Album

BOX SCORE

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Tournament: Coppin men moving onto semifinals

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- The Coppin State men’s basketball team refused to lose.

 

Despite an early deficit, adversity throughout the game and a determined Hampton team matching Coppin State’s intensity, the Eagles found a way to keep soaring.

 

Seventh-seeded Coppin State continued its memorable run through the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s basketball tournament with an 83-77 victory over second-seeded Hampton Wednesday night in a fiercely fought pulse pounder of a quarterfinal game at the Scope Arena.

 

The Eagles displayed another finishing kick by outscoring Hampton, 11-4 in the final 1:17 to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against the winner of the Florida A&M-Morgan State game at 8 p.m. The Eagles are rolling at the perfect time having won three consecutive games.

 

“I am just so proud the way of the way the players from Hampton played,” Coppin State coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell said. “They were very determined and they kept the pressure on us, but I am also proud of how our young men played tonight. Even through all the adversity out there, they kept striving and trying to find ways to win.”

 

In raising its overall record to 12-19, Coppin State was led in scoring by Taariq Cephas’ 24 points. Dallas Gary added a career-high 17 points along with seven rebounds. Michael Murray contributed 15 points to raise his career total to 1,024 and Sterling Smith scored 14 points for Coppin State. Daquan Brickhouse finished with nine points and five assists to help Coppin State advance to the MEAC semifinals for the first time since 2008.

 

The points were a season-high for Cephas, who was 5-for-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from 3-point distance. In two of his three career games at the Scope, Cephas has scored at least 20 points. Everytime it seemed as if the Eagles were on the ropes, Cephas delivered a big shot or got to the foul line to keep the Pirates scoring runs to a minimum. For much of the second-half, Cephas, a 5 foot, 11 junior guard, was large and in charge. He came through when the Eagles needed him most.

 

“He gave me a Taariq Cephas-type game,” Mitchell said. “I am proud of him and proud of the effort he put into the game today. When things weren’t going well for us, he hit some big shots and those are things we’re going to need going forward in this tournament.”

 

The game featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes. This was the third game this season between the Eagles and Pirates that was tightly contested. The teams had split their regular season matchups, with each team winning by three points on the other’s home court.

 

Neither team led by more than seven points in an entertaining, back-and-forth second half. There were three ties and five lead-changes in the last four minutes of the ball game alone. Hampton took its last lead of the night at 73-72 on a short one-handed jumper in the lane by Du’Vaughn Maxwell, who paced the Pirates with 23 points.

 

But Cephas hit two free throws at the other end to give CSU a 74-73 lead with 1:17 left. Hampton’s Deron Powers missed a 3-pointer and turned the ball over on the next two possessions, and CSU hit 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in the closing minute to seal the outcome. Overall, Coppin State was 29-for-41 from the foul line, the third time this season it attempted at least 40 foul shots and first time since Nov. 25 against Ohio Valley.

 

“We showed good basketball character tonight,” Cephas said. “That was a great test for us tonight. We had close games in the past and we didn’t close out well, but we learned from those experiences. That helped us tonight. We stuck together tonight even when there were times we could have strayed and gave them the game. We have a great opportunity right now in front of us.”

 

Hampton (18-12) was led by Du’Vaughn Maxwell’s 23 points and eight rebounds while Brian Darden finished with 17 points and five rebounds. The Pirates scored 23 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds, five coming from Maxwell, the senior All-MEAC first-team pick who paced the Pirates with eight rebounds.

 

Maxwell matched Cephas by scoring 17 second-half points. His put-back dunk with 7:18 left gave the Pirates a 61-55 lead, but CSU outscored Hampton 14-5 over the next four minutes to claim the lead. Dallas Gary’s 3-pointer from the top of the key tied the game at 66, then Gary added a free throw and Michael Murray drove for a layup to give the Eagles a 69-66 lead with 3:11 left.

 

Late in the game, the Eagles seemed to grab every important rebound that mattered.

 

“It means a lot that we have a chance to continue working toward accomplishing our goal,” Gary said. “Even though we’re not one of the top seeds in this tournament, we knew coming in here that we could play with anybody in this conference and it takes a good stretch of basketball of staying together and playing tough defense. It feels good to win two games, but we didn’t come here to win two games. We came here to win a championship.”

 

The Eagles had trouble getting started as they missed foul shots, turned the ball over and had trouble keeping Hampton off the offensive glass. However, the Eagles found their groove after falling behind, 27-20 with 5:36 remaining in the opening half. Coppin State unleashed a 14-0 blitz as part of a 16-3 spurt to close the first half. The Eagles held Hampton without a field goal for the final 6:35 of the second half to take a 36-30 lead into the locker room.

 

Gary scored Coppin State’s first nine points of the game to help Coppin close early until help arrived.

 

“I see a determined group,” Mitchell said of his players. “When it came time to dig in, they did it. You know, this isn’t my first rodeo. All week long, I’ve liked the attitudes they’ve had along with our practices. They’re also sacrificing for the good of the team and they’re together. We’re excited for the opportunity to play another game.”

BOXSCORE

By Rob Knox
COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

MEAC Tournament: NCCU Advances To Semifinals In Blowout Win Over Howard

NORFOLK, Virginia  –  North Carolina Central University controlled the Bison Of Howard University from one end of the floor to the other en route to a 92-46 blowout win in quarterfinal round action of the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night from the Norfolk Scope Arena.  With the win, the Eagles advance to the semifinal round for the first-time since rejoining the conference.

A 12-2 start for the maroon and gray was only the beginning for the regular season champs as head coach LeVelle Moton and his squad led by 26 points at 43-17 with 2:49 to go following a Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) layup, forcing Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry to call a much-needed timeout.

Ingram was scorching hot from the tipoff as the MEAC's Player of the Year started the game 7-for-8 from-the-field that included 3-of-4 from-downtown as he scored 21 points in the first half.  In fact, NCCU shot 15-for-21 (71.4 percent) missing just six shots while the Bison made just five field goals shooting 21.7 percent from-the-field.



HU went the final 6:15 of the half without a field goal.  It wasn't until the 15:57 mark of the final frame when Oliver Ellison broke the drought that lasted more than 10 minutes as the Eagles stretched the advantage to as many as 48 points on the way to the big win for the maroon and gray.

Ingram finished the night with 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including a 5-for-6 effort from three-point range, which marked the sixth time in his career scoring 30 or more points in a game, the fifth this season.  Not to be forgotten, Alfonzo Houston (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) added 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Jay Copeland (Suffolk, Va.) contributed 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in the win.

Howard (8-25) finished the game shooting 23.9 percent from-the-field (11-for-46), including 2-for-13 from three-point range.  MEAC Rookie of the Year James Daniel struggled mightily going 3-for-15 on the night, 1-for-7 from deep, while going 8-for-10 from the foul line to end the night with 15 points.  Daniel was the lone HU player in double-figures.

NCCU (26-5) has now won 18-straight games and will await the winner of the No. 4 seed Norfolk State against No. 5 seed Savannah State matchup on Friday night, March 14 at 6:00 p.m. in semifinal round action of the MEAC Tournament.

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

 Box Score

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

SWAC Tournament: Prairie View upsets top-seeded Southern

HOUSTON, Texas  -- On a neutral court, anything can happen in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Two days into the SWAC tournament, Prairie View A&M pulled off a shocker.

Showing the utmost confidence, the Panthers took it to top-seeded Southern in the last of four games on Wednesday at Toyota Center. Prairie View's 64-46 win places the Panthers in Friday's semifinals.

"That was some of the best defense that I've seen since I've been at Prairie View," said eighth-year Panthers coach Byron Rimm II.

The eighth-seeded Panthers are getting hot at the right time. The Panthers, who led by as many as 21 points at 39-18 with 13:25 remaining in the game, played loose and never trailed. Prairie View was up 25-16 at halftime.

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SWAC Tournament: Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs fall to Southern in SWAC tourney

HOUSTON, Texas  -- Breaking open the game in the second half, Southern University ended the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs' season Wednesday evening, 80-66.

The Lady Bulldogs, who won only three conference games and entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed, had upset Alcorn State in the first round on Tuesday. A&M finishes the season at 6-24.

Taylor Sippial led Alabama A&M with 20 points while Jasmine Sanders added 16 in her final game for A&M. Ebony Johnson added 15 points. Brittney Strickland, the hero in the win over Alcorn, was held to eight points and fouled out.

Southern had five scorers in double figures, led by Adrian Sanders' 18.

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Jaaber out as men’s basketball coach at VUU

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Luqman Jaaber, whose contract will expire on March 30, will not be retained, Virginia Union announced Tuesday, ending his tenure as the men’s head basketball coach after three seasons.

Jaaber finished with a career record of 31-49.

“We’re not going to renew because we’re going in a different direction,” athletics director Joe Taylor said. “We have a very rich tradition here at Virginia Union and the expectations are very high and we don’t see any reason why we should have any less expectations.”

Virginia Union is coming off a 6-20 season, its fewest wins since the 1935-36 season, when that team finished with five. The 20 losses set the program record.

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