WSSU Rams Sweep Double Header From Kutztown Bears, 9-0 and 3-2

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- The Winston-Salem State Rams used solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep a double header from Kutztown University on Wednesday at BB&T Ballpark in downtown Winston-Salem.

With the two wins, the WSSU Rams improve to 19-9 overall, while Kutztown falls to 7-3.

In the first game, WSSU used a big inning and home runs from Anthony Nutall, and two from Leland Clemmons, as the Rams blanked the Bears 9-0.

WSSU was able to score first, when in the bottom of the first inning, Leland Clemmons would lead off with a double down the left field line, and Gavin Culler would advance him to third on a sacrifice bunt. Ray Crawford would bring Clemmons home on a sacrifice fly to deep right field, giving the Rams the early 1-0 lead.

The score would remain at 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Winston-Salem State would blow the game open with six runs on four hits.

Leland Clemmons led off the fifth with a deep solo home run to left field. Gavin Culler would single and promptly steal second. Culler advanced on a Ray Crawford groundout. Conner Andrus would reach on a fielder's choice, with Culler scoring. Andrus would eventually steal second base, and Colby Keane would draw a walk before Rafael Gonzalez would single to left field, scoring Andrus. Anthony Nutall would cap the  big inning with a three run home run to left field, putting the Rams out in front 7-0.

Winston-Salem State would score again in the sixth inning, when Leland Clemmons would go yard for the second consecutive inning to lead off the inning giving WSSU a 8-0 lead. Gavin Culler reached on a single up the middle and advanced to second on a groundout by Ray Crawford. Gavin Culler would advance to third on a wild pitch, and Levi Grassley who would walk, also advance to second on the play. Culler would score on another Bear wild pitch, giving the Rams the final run of the game and eventual win at 9-0.

Winston-Salem State was led at the plate by Leland Clemmons, who finished the game three for four with three runs scored, two runs batted in and two home runs. Gavin Culler went three for three with two runs scored, and Colby Keane and Rafael Gonzalez each went two for three with a run scored.

Gonzalez also had a run batted in. Anthony Nutall also had the long ball going, as he hit his first home run of the season, going one for two with three runs batted in and a run scored. Ray Crawford picked up a rbi, as did Conner Andrus who also scored a run to go with his run batted in.

Wesley Helsabeck continued to be strong on the mound for WSSU, as he picked up his fifth win of the season, going 6.0 innings, allowing just three hits, while striking out four and walking three. Alex Grubb came out of the bullpen to pitch the final inning.

In game two, Kutztown was able to get on the scoreboard first, as the plated a run in the fourth inning, helped out by two WSSU errors in the inning.

Winston-Salem State would answer in the bottom of the fifth inning after Rafael Gonzalez doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on a Anthony Nutall groundout. Gonzalez would score on a passed ball. The rams would load the bases after a Aaron Hatch single and a Leland Clemmons walk, followed by a single from Gavin Culler. Ray Crawford would bring home Hatch on a sacrifice fly to deep right field, giving the Rams a 2-1 lead.

The Kutztown Bears would come right back in the sixth inning with another run, to tied the game at 2-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Anthony Nutall walked to start the inning, then was replaced for pinch runner, Eddie Araujo, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Aaron Hatch would then reach on an error by the first baseman, and Leland Clemmons would be intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs.

After a pitching change by Kutztown, Gavin Culler would come to the plate with a chance to give the Rams the win.

He wouldn't disappoint, as he would take a pitch into right field, scoring Eddie Araujo, to give the WSSU Rams the walk-off win, 3-2, and the series sweep.

For the Rams, Gavin Culler finished three for four with a rbi, and Aaron hatch went two for three with a run scored. Rafael Gonzalez was one for three with a run scored and Ray Crawford finished one for two with a run batted in. Conner Andrus went one for three in the game.

Scott Wells pitched 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while striking out two and walking one. Eric Corlett picked up the win coming out of the bullpen, going 1.2 innings, and allowing just one hit.

Winston-Salem State will play out of conference this weekend, when they travel to Mars Hill University to take on the Bulldogs in a three game series.

Box Score

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Miles College fires men's basketball coach Will Cotchery

FAIRFIELD, Alabama  --  Will Cotchery didn't need to be sat down and told his job was on the line.

As head coach of Miles College's men's basketball team and a veteran of the profession, he knew immediate improvement as expected after a nine-win campaign in 2012-2013.

So, when he was fired, following his seventh season, four as head coach, after going 4-24, including an 18-game losing streak to start the season, he understood the decision was, as he put it, "the nature of the beast".

"Unfortunately, the way things panned out, we didn't get that done," Cotchery said.

Golden Bears endured several key ...

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HU Pírates' Season Ends With Loss at Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania -- The Hampton University men's basketball team made a battle of it for 40 minutes Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center, but Penn State escaped with a 69-65 win in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).

The Pirates finish the 2013-14 season with an 18-13 record.

Sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) led the Pirates with a career-high 22 points, hitting four of his six 3-pointers and eight of 11 free throws. Sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) added 19 points, going 8-for-12 from the floor.

The Pirates took their only lead of the night with 11:17 left in the second half, when sophomore guard Breon Key (Hampton, Va.) stuffed home a breakaway dunk off a Penn State miss to give the Pirates a 43-41 lead.

That basket capped off a 14-2 run for Hampton – a run that started after the Nittany Lions took a 39-29 lead with 16:19 left to play.

After Key's dunk, D.J. Newbill answered with a jumper to tie the game at 43-43, before a pair of Tim Frazier free throws put Penn State up 45-43 with 9:19 left.

The Nittany Lions ultimately went on a 10-2 run to take a 55-45 lead with 5:43 left after a pair of free throw from Geno Thorpe. But the Pirates hung tough, slowly chipping at the deficit until Powers drained a layup with 29 seconds left to cut the lead to 64-61.

Thorpe answered with two free throws, before Powers again hit a layup to cut the lead to 66-63 with 16 seconds left. Another Powers layup 10 seconds later cut Penn State's lead to 67-65.

But Thrope hit two free throws with four seconds left to clinch the game.

The Nittany Lions scored the first eight points of the game, before the Pirates went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 10-8 on a 3-pointer from Darden at the 14:07 mark. Penn State scored the next eight points, taking an 18-8 lead, before another Darden trey at the 12:10 mark stopped the run.

Penn State later led 21-11, before Darden scored six straight points – on three free throws and a trey – to cut the lead to 21-17, before senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.) added a trey of his own to cut the lead to 21-20 with 9:57 left in the half.

The game was a one-possession affair for the next roughly four minutes, before Penn State extended its lead to 30-21 at the 3:43 mark on a layup from John Johnson. Hampton scored the next four points, cutting the lead to 30-25 on a fastbreak layup from Powers.

But the Nittany Lions took a 33-25 lead into the half thanks to a 3-pointer from Graham Woodward.

Darden had 15 points at the break, hitting all four of his 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes.

The Pirates shot 41.3 percent (19-for-46) from the floor and hit six of 14 3-pointers (42.9 percent).

Penn State (16-17) shot 40.5 percent (17-for-42) from the floor and held a 42-18 edge in rebounds.

Newbill led four Nittany Lions in double figures with 19 points.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
Hampton also shot 72.4 percent (21-for-29) from the free throw line and committed just seven turnovers.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES SPORTS INFORMATION

GAME NOTES: NCCU Takes on Iowa State in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

#14-Seed - NCCU (28-5, 15-1 MEAC, 3-0 Neutral)
vs.
#3-Seed - Iowa State (26-7, 11-7 Big 12, 7-0 Neutral)
March 21, 2014 - 8:50 p.m. (CT)

 - AT&T Center (17,731) - San Antonio, Texas -
TV/Video:  TNT (Marv Albert- PxP, Steve Kerr- Color, Craig Sager)
Audio: WNCU 90.7 HD2, Westwood One
Game Notes: #14-NCCU vs. #3 Iowa State (PDF)
Twitter Talk:  #NCCUMBB, Follow @NCCUAthletics

THE GAME
After earning its first-ever trip to the Big Dance, at the NCAA Division I level, the 14th- seeded Eagles of North Carolina Central University face the Big 12 Tournament Champion, the third-seeded Cyclones of Iowa State University for the first time in program history.  NCCU is 0-2 against the Big 12 all-time.

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
The NCCU Sports Network will call the action live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio beginning with the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show beginning at 9:20 p.m. (CT) as play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network and guest color analyst Ronnie Enoch will broadcast on WNCU 90.7 HD2.  Due to Westwood One's partnership with the NCAA as the National Broadcast Partner, the NCCU Sports Network will not be able to have a live audio stream going online.  Instead, fans can tune in to legendary play-by-play broadcast Brad Sham and former World Champion with Chicago Bulls, WIll Perdue.  Fans can still interact with the broadcasters by following @NCCUAthletics, use the hashtag #NCCUMBB, or send an e-mail to whooks@nccu.edu or nccusn@nccu.edu.

SCOUTING REPORT:  #3 SEED- IOWA STATE
-The third-seeded  and ninth-ranked Cyclones of Iowa State University enter the NCAA winners of four straight contests as the Cyclones swept through the 2014 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball tournament with wins over Kansas State (91-85), Kansas (94-83) and Baylor (74-65).  The Cyclones earned their 16th NCAA Tournament berth in school history and have compiled a 14-15 record all-time in the Big Dance.  During the Big 12 Tournament, ISU shot 51.9 percent from behind-the-arc, connecting on 27-of-52 threes.

-The Cyclones averaged 86.3 points per game in the Big 12 Tournament, while the stellar Eagle defense surrendered only 51.0 points a game on the way to their first-ever MEAC crown.

-Iowa State enters March Madness as one of the top scoring teams in the nation averaging 82.9 points a game, good enough for sixth, while NCCU is seventh in the country in scoring defense allowing 58.5 points per game.  ISU is 10th in the nation in three-point field goal attempts, while defending the three is NCCU's strength.  The maroon and gray are 11th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense as opponents are shooting 29.5 percent from-the-outside against the Eagles.  The Cyclones take great care of the basketball and distribute it equally as well sitting second in the nation in Assist-to-Turnover Ratio at 1.76, No. 1 in the nation in assists per game at 18.5 helpers per contest.

-ISU has a trio of scorers averaging in double figures as 6-6, 220 senior Melvin Ejim tops the squad averaging 18.1 points per contest.  The Big 12 Player of the Year also averages 8.5 boards per game.  The Big 12 Championship's Most Outstanding Player, 6-4 senior DeAndre Kane is second on the team averaging 17.0 points per game while ripping down 6.7 boards and dishing out 5.8 assists.  The final double-figure scorer is 6-7, 240 pound sophomore Georges Niang, as he averaged 16.5 points per contest for the Cyclones.  Freshman point guard Monte Morris is No. 1 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio at 5.4.

-In his fourth season at the helm, Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State's favorite son and native of Ames, has compiled a record of 88-46 (.657) during his time and has recorded at least 23-wins in the last three seasons, including the 2013-14 Big 12 Regular Season Championship.  Hoiberg has led the Cylcones to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, putting the program back into the national spotlight.  Hoiberg was hired at ISU on April 28, 2010 as the 19th head men's basketball coach in Iowa State University history.

-NCCU has faced only two teams from the Big 12 since making the leap to the Division I level.  The Eagles nearly shocked the world in LeVelle Moton's second season at the helm falling in overtime to the Oklahoma Sooners.  NCCU is 0-2 vs. Big 12 opponents.

11/15/10- at Oklahoma- 63-71 W (OT)
2/17/09- at Kansas State- 49-95 L

NCCU IN THE POSTSEASON
With NCCU in its infant years of the NCAA Division I level, this is the first time the Eagles have made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  This is also the first NCAA Tournament appearance at any level since March 7, 1997 when the maroon and gray dropped a 78-66 decision to St. Augustine's.  The Eagles are 10-5 All-time in postseason play and won the 1989 NCAA Division II National Championship.


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

Norfolk interested in keeping MEAC tournament in town

COURTESY MEAC.ORG

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Talks between the city and the MEAC regarding the future of the league's basketball tournament here are temporarily on hold, but a government official said the city is “definitely interested” in keeping the annual event at Scope.

John Rhamstine, who oversees Norfolk's arts and entertainment cultural facilities, said the weeklong tournament has been good for commerce.

“It seems like the hotels and restaurants are happy to have the business, especially during a slow time,” Rhamstine said. “I think it's been a win-win.”

The tournament completed the second year of a three-year agreement to stay in Norfolk when North Carolina Central beat Morgan State for the title on Saturday. Discussions on extending the deal have begun, but they won't resume until after the NCAA tournament ends next month, Rhamstine said.

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Previous NCAA trips prepare Hampton U. women for competition

HAMPTON, Virginia — Shortly before they took the court in Albuquerque, N.M., to face Kentucky in the 2011 NCAA tournament, Hampton University coach David Six sensed that his players were uncharacteristically quiet and edgy.

Six tried to snap them out of it.

"I can see y'all aren't like me," he said to them.

What do you mean, several of them asked.

"I know I'm the best coach here," Six told them.

They laughed.

"I said, no, I'm dead serious," he said. "I said, they have more resources than me, but I tell you what: If you listen to me, I'm going to level the playing field for you. But you've got to do what I tell you to do."

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Former SWAC top frosh Howard plans return to Jackson State

Head Coach Wayne Brent
Jackson State University
 

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Former Jackson State star Kelsey Howard plans to come back.

“He came to me around Christmas and asked (if he could come back), and I told him as soon as the season is over with, you need to show up to workouts and team meetings,” men’s basketball coach Wayne Brent said.

Howard played under former JSU coach Tevester Anderson, who retired last March. Brent was hired later in the month and said Howard, the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s top freshman in 2011-12, stopped showing up after a couple of offseason workouts.

“People say I cut Kelsey, but I never cut him,” Brent said.

Jackson State lost to Grambling State in the first round of the SWAC tournament last week in Houston. Brent said he spoke with Howard at a team meeting on Wednesday.

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NCAA to visit Southern University in April

University trying to get APR records in order after postseason ban

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- NCAA officials will visit Southern next month to evaluate the university’s efforts to provide complete and accurate data on student-athletes’ Academic Progress Rates.

It’s expected that the Jaguars’ attempt to have an NCAA postseason ban will be resolved by the end of the spring semester in May. The ban was instituted in December and already impacted the men’s and women’s indoor track and basketball teams as well as the women’s bowling team.

It’s likely Southern will be unable to fully satisfy the NCAA demands, which would lead to additional sanctions along with the establishment of an end date for the currently indefinite ban.

“If sanctions are introduced, we want to be able to mitigate them as much as possible,” Southern Athletic Director William Broussard said. “Ultimately something has got to happen that allows us to finally hit the reset button as we enter a potential next phase. We’ve got to get out of the mire we’re in right now.”

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MVSU to face rival JSU on ESPNU on April 26

ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- Next month, the Mississippi Valley State softball team will be playing live on ESPNU.

The Devilettes will play the first of its doubleheader on Saturday, April 26 against rival Jackson State live on ESPNU. The televised game is set for 4:30 p.m. at the MVSU Softball Complex and the final matchup will take place afterwards.

To view the full MVSU softball schedule, click here.

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UAPB's rally falls short in 18-12 loss to Central Arkansas

CONWAY, Arkansas (March 18) -- The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Baseball Team late innings heroics where not enough as the University of Central Arkansas holds on for a 18-12 win, here Tuesday night at Bears Stadium.

UAPB (7-12) finished the contest with eight hits with Tyler Oertle finishing with a team high two hits in three at-bats, while scoring one runs and batting one in.

UCA (10-8) tallied 15 hits in the contest with three Bears finishing the contest with three hits each in Doug Votolato, Justin Treece and Brandon Montalvo.

Both teams combined used 10 pitchers in the contest with each team using five pitchers apiece in the contest.

Josh Markel (1-0) picked the win for UCA as he pitched three innings in relief, allowing two walks and striking out two in the 10 batters he faced. Riley Echols was the Bears start as he pitched four innings, allowing four hits, four earned runs and striking out four in the 19 batters he faced. Also making appearances on the mound for UCA was Carson Daily, Landon Mason and Bo Stitch.

Daily in his appearance on the mound, gave up four earned runs, and two walks in the four batters he faced.

Mason in relief, pitched two-third innings, allowing two hits, three earned runs and one walk in the seven batters he faced, while Stitch finished the contest pitching one and one-third innings, allowing one and one-third innings, allowing two hits, and striking out two in the six batters he faced.

Samuel Olson (0-1) received the loss for the Golden Lions as he pitched two innings, allowing three hits, five earned runs and striking out one in the 13 batters he faced. UAPB used four relief pitcher as Humberto Zavala pitched one-third innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs. Dixon Marble pitched, two innings, allowing six hits, five earned run and striking out one, followed by Skyler Henson, who pitched two and two-third innings, allowing five hits, five earned runs and striking out five in the 18 batters he faced, while Jaron Gold pitched one inning, striking out one in the three batters he faced.

The Golden Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as both Mike Wieland and Oertle scored on Andre Davis triple to center field, followed by a an Isias Alcanter single to center field scoring Davis.

UCA would plate five runs in the bottom of the second, sparked by a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch scoring B. Montalvo. Then Scott Zimmerle would score on a bases load walk by Votolato, followed by a C. Chris Townsend bases loaded single scoring Votolato, Tyler Langely and Brad Dillenberger, giving the Bears a 5-3 lead.

UCA would take a 10-3 lead into the top of the fifth inning as the Bears plated three runs in their half of the third and two runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Tillman would cut the UCA's lead to 10-4 as he scored on an Oertle single in the top of the fifth inning.

The Bears would increase their lead to 18-4 as they plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth and three runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Then the UAPB rally would begin as the Golden Lions plated eight runs, sparked by a Cassidy bases loaded hit-by-pitch scoring Ibrahim. Then a catchers' interference would place Jerimiah Figueroa on first with the bases loaded scoring Jose Hernandez, followed by a Rashawn Tillman bases loaded walk scoring Joshua Bruckshaw.

UAPB would then score three more runs on a Jason Ibrahim double to right center scoring both Mike Wieland and Tillman, followed by a Hernandez single to left field scoring Ibrahim cutting UCA's lead to 18-12.

UAPB will return to action on Wednesday, March 19 as they will host UCA at Taylor Field in Pine Bluff, Ark., in a 6 p.m. start

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State, coach Burroughs go through adjustment period

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Derrick Burroughs calls out players when they look confused on the defense.

If they miss a tackle or assignment, he’s not shy to tell them to go to Jackson State sidelines and watch someone do it right.

Despite his loud personality, the new Jackson State defensive coordinator wants his players to also remember one thing: “Don’t take it personal.”

“I’m just an energetic-type of guy,” Burroughs said. “You see me screaming and jumping and hollering all the time, and that’s just my on-the-field personality.”



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Tennessee State Football and Tigerbelles Presented with Proclamation at the Capitol

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  On Tuesday, the Tennessee State football team and Tigerbelles were honored with proclamations during a special program at the State Capitol as a part of TSU’s Day at the Capitol.

Called TSU Day on the Hill, the program recognized the institution for its outstanding academics, research, athletics, and importance to the education goals of Tennessee.

 

State legislators joined key stakeholders, including alumni, community leaders and friends of TSU to thank President Glover, faculty staff and students for making the University one of the best.

 

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks from a number of speakers, Rep. Harold Love Jr., on behalf of his fellow legislators, presented the TSU Women’s Track and Field Team with a special proclamation for winning the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championship.

 

“The General Assembly finds it necessary to recognize these outstanding young women of the Tennessee State University Tigerbelles who have, through their hard work, dedication and determination, achieved this success as champions of the Ohio Valley Conference,” the proclamation said.

 

Also receiving a special recognition with a proclamation was the TSU football team for their outstanding performance in the 2014 season. TSU completed one of its main goals this past campaign by making the playoffs while posting a 10-4 record. The Tigers finished second in Ohio Valley Conference play with a 6-2 record, and their 31-0 win over Butler was their first postseason victory in nearly 27 years.

 

The TSU Day on the Hill, which brought together more than 200 administrators, students, faculty and staff, also included displays of different programs, giveaways and visits to various committee hearings, and discussion with some key lawmakers.

 

At the conclusion of the events, the student athletes had an opportunity to tour the State Capitol.

The Tennessee State women’s track and field team took home first prize
in the 2014 OVC Indoor Championship on March 1, 2014

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS AND TSU NEW SERVICE

Xavier Gold Nuggets eliminate defending champion in first round

WATCH THE GAMES LIVE ONLINE FOR A FEE AT NAIA.ORG
Live stats

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Senior center Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored 15 points Wednesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 66-53 victory against defending champion Westmont in the opening round of the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship.

The Gold Nuggets (24-9), ranked 20th, led for nearly 38½ minutes. They won their seventh straight and will play fourth-ranked Campbellsville (31-3) in the second round at 2:15 p.m. EDT Friday.

Vinnie Briggs scored 11 points, Danielle Tucker 10 and Whitney Gathright nine for Xavier. Carmen Holcombe grabbed eight rebounds, and Gaston-Loyd and Chelsea Broussard had six apiece.

Kelsie Sampson had 26 points and seven rebounds for Westmont (20-10), and Esther Lee scored 16.

Gaston-Loyd and Tucker scored six points apiece in a 20-3 run during the final seven minutes of the first half. Xavier led 42-21 at the break.

"Some pressure defense got us that run," XU coach Bo Browder said. "We forced several turnovers, got some layups. That was huge for us."

Westmont scored the first 11 points of the second half but never got closer than eight points thereafter. After Sampson's basket with 7:19 remaining cut Xavier's lead to 53-45, the Nuggets scored seven of the next nine points and led 60-47 after Gathright's two free throws at 2:31.

Xavier outshot the Warriors 41.7 to 37 percent from the floor, outrebounded them 42-34 and had a 29-0 advantage in bench scoring. The Nuggets' seven turnovers were their fewest in a game since November 2011, and the rebound advantage was their largest at nationals since 1996.

Gaston-Loyd led the Nuggets in scoring for the second consecutive game. She had 17 points in a victory against Talladega in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament on March 9.

"Whitney Loyd has grown tremendously on and off the court over the last year and a half," Browder said. "She has shown great leadership down the stretch and has communicated well with her teammates. She's more mature and a better person than when she got here, which is what we like to see from everyone in our program."

It's the third time in four years that the Nuggets defeated a higher-ranked team in the opening round. Westmont was 13th in the final coaches poll before the tournament.

The game was the last of eight in the first round Wednesday. Xavier and Westmont were scheduled to tip off at 9:45 p.m. EDT, but the game did not start until 10:15 p.m. The game ended at 11:45.

"We've had a lot of 7-to-9 p.m. practices this season, so the lateness wasn't a problem," Browder said. "We were prepared for everything."

The winning margin was the Nuggets' largest at nationals since the 1997 first round. The XU women are in the national tournament for the 18th time in 20 seasons and the fifth consecutive year.

There will be eight more first-round games Thursday. Quarterfinals will be played Saturday.

Box score


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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TSU Tigers fall to Cal Poly 81-69 in NCAA Tournament First Four

Texas Southern's Aaric Murray scored a
SWAC record 38 points in NCAA Tournament game
Photo Courtesy: TSU Athletics

DAYTON, Ohio  -- Cal Poly outdueled fellow 16th seed Texas Southern on Wednesday evening, 81-69 at the First Four inside the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio.

During the first matchup between the two programs, neither Cal Poly nor Texas Southern led by more than four points for the opening eight minutes. Cal Poly and Texas Southern traded the lead on five successive early possessions before a 9-2 Mustang run capped by a three-pointer from freshman guard Ridge Shipley put Cal Poly up 25-19 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

A three-pointer a minute later from Tigers guard Lawrence Johnson-Danner halved Cal Poly's lead, but the Mustangs responded with a 13-4 run to take a 38-26 advantage with four minutes remaining in the first stanza.

The Mustangs, who shot 54.5 (18-for-33) percent from the floor during the first half, ended up taking a 44-32 lead into the locker room.

Keyed by a lay-up from guard Madarious Gibbs and fortified with eight points by center Aaric Murray – a 38-point scorer Wednesday and the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year selection – the Tigers climbed back into matters with an 11-4 run over a three and a half minute span to pull to within 52-43.

Texas Southern, an automatic NCAA Tournament invitee after winning the SWAC Tournament championship, eventually clawed to a pair of eight-point deficits with the last coming with less than four minutes left in regulation but they were able to get no further.

"I'm proud of my basketball team," said TSU head coach Mike Davis. "We had a really good season. We were 6 and 6 at one time in the conference. We started to play really good basketball down the stretch. We won nine straight games, six games in the conference and three games in the tournament. I thought we played a really good basketball team tonight, they're well-coached."

"But I'm really proud of this team. I appreciate the opportunity. The NCAA put on a really good event here. I was here four years ago, and it was really nice then, but now it's gone to a different level as an event."

TSU's Murray set the new record for most individual points scored in a NCAA Tournament game with 38 points as he went 14-of-23 from the field.

"I think their defense was pretty good," said Murray. They didn't let me catch the ball one-on-one and they didn't let me go against their bigs one-on-one. They just played some good tough defense. Obviously we're disappointed with the loss but Coach Davis told us to keep our heads up because we had a really great season." 

Texas Southern concludes the year with a 19-15 overall record winning nine out of their last ten games.

ESPN VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

ESPN Photo Gallery: Texas Southern vs. Cal Poly

Box Score  

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

S.C. State starts spring practice, hopes to find improvement

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough begins his 13th round of spring football practices at 6:30 a.m. at the Oliver C. Dawson Stadium practice field.

S.C. State heads into the 2014 campaign looking to continue its recent success in which it rebounded from its first losing season under Pough in 2012 by finishing 9-4 overall in 2013 grabbing a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and reaching the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the sixth time.

S.C. State seeks to replace 16 seniors from last year’s team, including starting quarterback Richard Cue, wide receiver Tyler McDonald, linebacker Joe Thomas of Blackville-Hilda, defensive backs Kimario McFadden and Darius Drummond and placekicker Nick Belcher. The spring also marks the return of running backs Jalen “Scoot” Simmons, Xavier Quick and Julius Pendergrass and offensive lineman Jairon “Shaq” Harrison from injury and the arrival of new defensive coordinator Tommy Restivo.

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The Pride of the SWAC

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The bands play with pride and purpose. The bands have histories, just as their schools do. The bands have nicknames. The Prairie View A&M Marching Storm. The Texas Southern Ocean of Soul. And the Southern University Human Jukebox. The bands have nicknames because the bands deserve nicknames, and if you understand only one thing about the Southwestern Athletic Conference, then understand that. There are pride and purpose and history to these schools — a different history, and a decidedly less pleasant one, than the history that attends most of the other teams represented in this year’s NCAA tournament.

These schools are in many ways proud and stubborn reminders of this country’s broken promises. They were for many years orphan schools and first came together in Houston in 1920, as a league of six Texas colleges, which now extends from Prairie View in Texas to Huntsville in Alabama. They were orphan schools in an orphan league. They are now known as “historically black colleges and universities,” and their futures are perilous and uncertain, just as they’ve always been. That is their history and that is their legacy.

On Saturday in Houston, Texas Southern beat Prairie View, 78-73, in a ragged, wonderful basketball game to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first ...

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New Jackson State coaches pleased with first practice

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- In the first day of fall camp last season, the Jackson State football players didn’t have practice uniforms.

Instead, they had to write their numbers on masking tape and put it on their helmets.
Things were different this time around.

On Tuesday, the first day of spring practice, the Tigers donned new blue-and-white practice jerseys. It’s just one of the changes that has come along with the recent facelift for the football program that’s looking for a trip back to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

But it’s about four months since the players made that trip.



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Report: Ex-Alabama A&M aide Cedric Pearl hired at Central State

COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  --  Cedric Pearl, the long-time offensive coordinator for Alabama A&M, will be the new head football coach at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, footballscoop.com has reported.

Athletic department officials at Central State could not be reached to confirm the report.

He will replace E.J. Junior, the former University of Alabama All-America linebacker, who was fired in December after a 2-9 season. Junior was hired as head coach at Central State in March 2009.

Pearl spent 13 seasons on the Alabama A&M staff as offensive line coach, with his duties expanded to offensive coordinator in 2007. Prior to coming to Huntsville, he was on Anthony Jones' staff at Morehouse. Pearl, like most of the A&M staff, was not retained after Jones was fired in November.

He was a three-time All-SIAC offensive lineman at Tuskegee, where he began ...

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UPDATED: Better late than never: Nuggets, Rush pursue NAIA titles

Follow Xavier University of Louisiana's men and women at NAIA basketball national tournaments

Men
# Tournament scoreboard: http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Tournament/TournamentPage.aspx?association=10&sg=MBB&tour=1254
# Live stats for Xavier vs. Hope International, Thursday, March 20, 9:45 p.m. CDT: http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=10&sg=MBB&compID=174028&sea=undefined

Women
# Tournament scoreboard: http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Tournament/TournamentPage.aspx?association=10&sg=WBB&tour=1256
# Live stats for Xavier vs. Westmont, Wednesday, March 19, 9:45 p.m. EDT/8:45 p.m. CDT: http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=10&sg=WBB&compID=173977&sea=undefined

Live internet streaming of all games through the semifinals (for a fee, not free)
http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=27900&&ATCLID=205423235

WATCH THE GAMES LIVE ONLINE

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's basketball version of The Late Show is set for consecutive evenings, and maybe even a third.

The Gold Nuggets and Gold Rush will play 9:45 p.m. games in the opening round of NAIA Division I National Championships. The XU women (23-9) will play Westmont (20-9) on Wednesday at Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky. -- that state capital is on Eastern Daylight Time -- and the XU men (23-8) will play Hope International (22-10) on Thursday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

The XU games are the last of eight on both days at both tournament sites. XU's men were assigned 9:45 p.m. games in the 2008 and 2013 opening rounds; both games tipped off later than scheduled and concluded shortly after midnight.

The Nuggets-Westmont winner will play Campbellsville or Southern Poly in the second round at 2:15 p.m. EDT Friday. The Rush-Hope International winner will get another 9:45 p.m. game Friday, against Southwestern Assemblies of God or St. Catharine (Ky.) in the second round.

Both XU programs seek their first national championships.

Xavier and Columbia (Mo.) are the only schools to qualify for NAIA D-I tournaments in men's and women's basketball each of the last four seasons. The Gold Nuggets' tournament streak is five, and it's their 18th appearance in the last 20 seasons. The Gold Rush are at nationals for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons and the 15th time overall.

This is the 10th time that both XU teams reached nationals in the same year. But the Nuggets and Rush have yet to produce same-year first-round victories. The Nuggets' most recent victory was in the 2012 first round, and the Rush won most recently in the 2007 first round.

Both XU teams are led in scoring by sophomore guards.

Whitney Gathright leads the Nuggets with 12.2 points per game, and she's the only Louisiana collegiate female this season with at least 40 made 3-pointers, 100 made free throws, 100 rebounds and 100 assists. Gathright was MVP of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tourmament, which Xavier won to earn an automatic bid to nationals.

All-conference Morris Wright leads the Rush, the GCAC regular-season champion, with 13.3 points per game and has been an effective shooter at 47.8 percent from the floor, 42.2 on 3-pointers and 78.5 on free throws. Wright is the only Gold Rush shooter ever to reach all three marks in the same season.

Quarterfinals at both sites will be Saturday, with semfinals on Monday and championship games on Tuesday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Fisk University Alumna Dr.Tuajuanda Jordan Named President of St. Mary’s College of Maryland



Dr. Tuajuanda Jordan
President-Elect
St. Mary's College of Maryland
 

ST. MARY'S CITY, Maryland -- By unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Tuajuanda Jordan has been appointed president of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Jordan’s appointment came following an extensive four-month search. The 11-member search committee—comprised of trustees, faculty members, a student and a member of the staff—evaluated applicants to identify the three finalists the board considered.

Jordan, currently serving as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of chemistry at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, will take office on July 1.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Jordan as the next president of St. Mary’s College,” said Gail Harmon, chair of the Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee. “A pool of well-qualified candidates sought the position, and from that pool we have chosen a superlative new leader. Her background includes substantial accomplishments and scholarship in the sciences as well as the development of innovative science education programs. Dr. Jordan will bring added creativity and rigor to the programs of St. Mary’s College.”

Dr. Ian Newbould, interim president of St. Mary’s College, said, “I applaud the appointment of Dr. Jordan. A distinguished scientist and academic leader with a national reputation, she will advance our cause immeasurably. St. Mary's is fortunate to have attracted her.”

“St. Mary’s College is an institution where individuals have a strong sense of their history, an understanding of their mission, and an eye toward the future,” said Jordan. “It is an institution where committed leadership, creativity, innovation, collaboration, and integrity are expected of and appreciated by everyone in the community. St. Mary’s is at a unique point, filled with achievement and vast opportunities for continued growth, and I am honored to have been chosen to lead this distinguished institution.”

Prior to her position with Lewis & Clark, Jordan served as director of the Science Education Alliance (SEA) of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, Maryland. As director, Jordan led a collaborative effort designed to have scientists and educators work together to enhance science literacy while preparing the next generation of scientists. She also headlined the National Genomics Research Initiative in 2008, a program that exposes first-year college students to hands-on genomics research. Jordan entered academic administration in 2002, serving as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana, where she soon advanced to associate vice president for academic affairs.

Jordan received a B.S. in chemistry from Fisk University in 1982 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Purdue University in 1989. She was an undergraduate scholar and a graduate fellow of the National Institutes of Health Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) program. She conducted her postdoctoral training at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. Jordan was a tenured faculty member in the department of chemistry at Xavier University of Louisiana and a visiting scientist at the University of Michigan in biophysics. Her honors include being named a Purdue University Distinguished Alumni from the School of Agriculture in 2008, and, in 2009, being named a “revolutionary mind” by Seed magazine.

Jordan, 53, is from Forestville, Maryland (Prince George's County), and married to Eric Heatley. Jordan has two grown children, Jordan Starck and Patrice Starck Darby, both 23.

St. Mary’s College is one of only two public honors colleges in the nation. Dedicated to providing an affordable liberal arts education for a diverse student body, the college has the highest four-year graduation rate of any public college or university in the state. Within five years of graduation, 70% of its alumni pursue a graduate and/or professional degree. St. Mary’s College also boasts a 90% first-to-second year retention rate based on the fall 2012 class. The college was founded in 1840.

Pro Day Brings Over 20 Scouts To FAMU's Campus

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Pro Scouts from the NFL and CFL descended on the campus of FAMU, to poke, prod and examine players with exhausted eligibility today. Among those scouting were two very influential people in the NFL. Detroit Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Caldwell came in person at the Hansel Tookes Recreation Center and Fields, to see who was available for the 2014 NFL Draft that will take place on May 8.

FAMU had several players who finished their last year of eligibility this season and a few who finished previous years, giving it another shot to impress the scouts.

At the center of the scouts’ attention were John Ojo, Brandon Denmark, Frances Mays and James Owens. Along with the pre-workout favorites, Jonathan Pillow, Douglas Almandares, Devan Roberts, Kevin House, Michael Ducre, Michael Ethridge and Lonnie Lockett used the opportunity to make their bid for a chance to play at the next level.

Pro Day 2014 Gallery




While the scouts were able to conceal the results from the general public, some results were obvious. Denmark and Ojo both had verticals over 38 inches. Ojo, who had completely recovered from the shoulder injury that slowed him during last season, performed well all around. Denmark, was one of the athletes scouts were most interested in seeing. Commenting that at the end of last season he was unblockable, coach Holmes briefed the scouts on his resume as he completed his impressive showing.

James Owens, the speedy running back/kick returner from central Florida, showed his athleticism with a remarkable vertical jump and a speedy 40-yard dash. Mays, also showed agility, adding an impressive vertical to his 6’9” frame. He also ran a solid 40-yard dash time.

Padric Scott, Travis Harvey and Ellie Hyppolite also went through drills at Pro Day. Scott, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent last season, is making another push to get in the league. Trimmed down nearly 60 pounds, Scott’s strength was never an issue, as scouts informed him that there really wasn’t a reason for him to lift, as they knew very well of his strength. His fleet feet in the 40-yard dash was impressive.

Harvey, who signed last season with the Tennessee Titans, went through the regimen again, as an injury last season hampered his performance at Pro Day.

Former Rattler football player, Kevin Elliott, was there to show support for some of his former teammates. Elliott recalled his Pro Day his senior year and how it catapulted him into an opportunity to play professional football.



COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
VISIT: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
VISIT: FAMUATHLETICS.COM

Tuskegee University wins NCAA Div. II South Regional, advances to Elite 8 in Indiana

LAKELAND, Florida (March 18, 2014) – Who rules the NCAA II South Region in basketball? It is not the Florida Southern Moccasins! It is not the North Alabama Lions! It is not the Delta State Statesmen! It is the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers! The Golden Tigers dismantled the Delta State Statesmen, 80-59, in the championship game of the NCAA Division II South Regional on Tuesday night in Lakeland, Florida.

Head coach Leon Douglas took his Golden Tigers to Florida and captured the South Regional of NCAA II, defeating Florida Southern 98-95 on Saturday, North Alabama 93-87 on Sunday and Delta State 80-59 on Tuesday to advance to the Elite 8, scheduled for next week in Evansville, Indiana, on the campus of Southern Indiana University.

In the championship game, Kevin May, the Golden Tigers' floor general and the tournament's most outstanding player (MOP), scorched the nets for 24 points and dished out five assists. Elliot Dean followed with 15 points, Javier McKinney 14 points and Richard Dixon added 10 points and eight rebounds. May and Dixon were named to the all-tournament team.

Tuskegee University Golden Tigers being presented the Championship trophy
Photo Courtesy: Tuskegee University Athletics

Willie Readus led the third-seeded Statesmen with 16 points and Cornel Knight, Devin Schmidt and Mike Washington added 11 points apiece.

After falling behind the Statesmen, 25-21, at the 7:02 mark in the first half, the Golden Tigers went on a 15-1 run and never relinquished the lead again. The Statesmen trailed the Golden Tigers 41-32 at intermission after Javier McKinney nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The Golden Tigers maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. Twice during the second half, the lead was extended to 30 points. With the Golden Tigers shooting 50 percent from the floor, 82 percent from the free throw line and 46 percent from the three-point range, it was too much for the Statesmen to overcome. All fourteen Golden Tigers saw action in the championship game.

With three wins at the regional and three wins at the SIAC Tournament, the Golden Tigers are on a six-game post-season winning streak, averaging 88.2 points per game. "We are not finished; we have some more games to play," Douglas said. "The team really played well and Kevin May was really outstanding."

Tuskegee is only the second eighth-seeded team to advance to the Elite 8. Saint Joseph's College of Indiana advanced in 2010.

It will be a homecoming for senior guard Kendall Coleman; he is from Hammond, Indiana.

Tuskegee will face the Metropolitan State College Roadrunners (31-1) of Denver, Colo, winner of the NCAA II South Central Region. The game between the Golden Tigers and the Roadrunners will tip off at 2:30 p.m. CT at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind., on Wednesday evening, March 26. The Roadrunners are from the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Story by: Arnold L. Houston
COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY GOLDEN TIGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

North Carolina A&T Aggies Face South Florida In WNIT First Round

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- For the second consecutive season and the fourth time in six years, the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team earned an automatic bid to the 2014 Women's National Invitational Tournament, announced late Monday evening.

A&T (24-6) will face South Florida (19-12) in the first round on Friday, March 21 in Tampa, Fla. Game times for the tournament have not been announced.

"Postseason play for any program says that you had a successful season," head coach Tarrell Robinson said. "I think this group of young women deserve a pat on the back for the job they've done this year. They have earned the opportunity to continue their season and play for another championship. We plan on making the most of our opportunity to participate in the WNIT for our second consecutive year."

A&T qualified for the 64-team field after posting a solid 24-6 record that included mid-major wins over Stetson, Georgia State and William & Mary, along with being named the MEAC regular-season runner-up with a 13-3 league record. In the last seven seasons, the Aggies' program has put together five 20-plus win seasons.

The field includes 10 teams that were crowned regular-season conference champions, tying a WNIT record set in 2013, and 35 teams with 20 or more wins.

Last season, the Aggies faced James Madison in the first round where they fell 77-64. A&T opened up the 2013-14 schedule in the Preseason WNIT where it posted a 2-1 record with wins against Stetson and Georgia State in November. The Aggies’ only loss was to Quinnipiac, an at-large qualifier in this year's postseason WNIT.

All games during the tournament are hosted by participating schools with first-round games opening March 19-21, followed by round two (March 22-25), round three (March 26-28), round four (March 29-31), semifinals (April 2-3), and championship (April 5 at 3 p.m. ET). The championship game will be nationally televised live in HD on CBS Sports Network.

2014 WNIT Bracket

WNIT Information

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

ECSU Release 2014 Football Schedule

Down East Classic vs. Benedict on September 20th; Homecoming Slated for October 25th

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- The Elizabeth City State University Athletic Department has released their 2014 football schedule.

Last year the Vikings finished in second place in the CIAA Northern Division at 4-6 overall (CIAA 4-3); It was their under .500 finish since the 2005 season.

The Vikings will begin the 2014 season against former conference rival North Carolina Central University on September 6th in Durham, NC. The Eagles, now a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (Division I) went 5-7 last season and will be under the guidance of first year head coach Jerry Mack. ECSU's last visit to O'kelly Riddick stadium was in the 2006 CIAA Football Championship where the Eagles captured a thrilling 17-14 victory on a 51-yard field goal as time expired.

The Vikings and Eagles last meeting came the following year in 2007 at the Whitney Young Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ where NCCU prevailed 18-10.

The following week, ECSU will host their home opener, completing a home and home series with Tusculum College on September 13th. Last season the Vikings fell to the Pioneers in a shoot out 54-41 in Greenville, TN. The last time Tusculum came to Roebuck Stadium, the Vikings rolled to a 49-29 win in their 2009 home opener.

The 17th Annual Down East Viking Football Classic will close out ECSU's non-conference slate when Benedict College visits Rocky Mount on September 20. The Tigers, a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) will be the first non-CIAA opponent to face the Vikings in the annual Classic at Rocky Mount Athletic Complex. Kickoff time is slated for 4pm.

The Vikings will open up their CIAA schedule on the road on September 27th against Winston-Salem State and will play their other cross division game against Livingstone College the following week, October 4th at Roebuck Stadium.

As for the race for the CIAA North, ECSU will face three division opponents on the road in 2014; Virginia State and Lincoln University, October 11th and 18th respectively and Bowie State University in the season finale on November 8th in Bowie, MD.

The Vikings will host Homecoming 2014 on October 25 versus Chowan University (1:30pm) and will close out their home slate on November 1st at 1:00pm against Virginia Union University.

The 2014 CIAA Football Championship will take place on November 15th at a site to be determined. For more information on ECSU Athletics, visit www.ecsuvikings.com and follow on Twitter @ECSUVikings.

ECSU VIKINGS 2014 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date Opponent / Event Location Time

09/06/14 at North Carolina Central Durham, NC 6:00 p.m. ET

09/13/14 vs. Tusculum, Elizabeth City, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET

09/20/14 vs. Benedict, (17th Down East Viking Football Classic) Rocky Mount, NC 4:00 p.m. ET

09/27/14 at Winston-Salem State * Winston-Salem, NC 6:00 p.m. ET

10/04/14 vs. Livingstone * Elizabeth City, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET

10/11/14 at Virginia State * Petersburg, VA 2:00 p.m. ET

10/18/14 at Lincoln (Pa.) * Lincoln, PA 1:00 p.m. ET

10/25/14 vs. Chowan (HOMECOMING) * Elizabeth City, N.C. 1:30 p.m. ET

11/01/14 vs. Virginia Union * Elizabeth City, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET

11/08/14 at Bowie State * Bowie, MD 1:00 p.m. ET

11/15/14 CIAA Football Championship TBA

COURTESY ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State Falls to Sam Houston State

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Brandon Graham had 13 points and DeMarcus Robinson added 11, but the Hornets could not overcome the hot shooting Bearkats in falling 71-49 to Sam Houston State.

"They are a very good ball club, they won 23 games this season," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said. "They were 13-1 at home and I thought we did a great job in the first half holding them to 28 points and we just couldn't make shots."

"Fatigue just caught up with us and in the second half we just got tired. They were able to get out and get some layups on us, but it has been a long year and we had a long travel day trying to get here last night, getting here early this morning, but you have to give them credit. They shot it well in the second half and we continue to struggle shooting the ball and making good decisions on offense."

ASU struggled shooting from the field only hitting 26 percent of their shots. The Hornets top scorer Jamel Waters was held to three points, but did finish tied for game-high honors with six assists and two steals.

Maurice Strong was plagued by foul trouble, especially in the first half when he sat for most of the opening 20 minutes with two fouls. He scored all seven of his points in the second half and finished with Graham for team-high honors in rebounds with eight.

SHSU (24-10) shot 44 percent from the field, but shot 54 percent in the second half and that includes knocking down six of their 12 three point attempts.

SHSU had four players finish in double figures led by Dararai Henderson's 14. James Thomas scored 13 and Aurimas Majauskas 11 and Paul Baxter 10.

The hosts' were able to build a 28-20 halftime lead as the Hornets were able to only shoot 24 percent (7-29) from the field and only two of 11 from beyond the three point line. Graham led ASU with seven first-half points and Armstrong added six before picking up his second foul.

SHSU hit 10 of their 28 (36%) field goal attempts. They hit three of their 10 three point attempts, and hit five of nine from the free throw line. Thomas and Henderson had seven points each to lead the Bearkats.

SHSU also kept ASU off the boards by out rebounding ASU 28-14.

The Hornets finish the season 19-13 overall and have all their players returning next season.

"It's been a long year, but it's been a good year," Jackson said. "We just have to continue to work these guys and get better. Overall it has been a great experience for us to be able to get in some post season play and being the first team in our conference to get an invite after finishing second in our league. It was real good for us and it shows how much work these young men have put in to win 19 games."

"It is just a good experience and we have all these young men coming back and we look forward to working with them."

BOX SCORE

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION