LORMAN, Mississippi - The Alcorn State football team took the field Saturday morning completing their first week with their first scrimmage.
The Braves came out with plenty of energy and eager to get after one another in full pads. Both the offense and defense held their own throughout the scrimmage and was able to put in close to 60 plays this morning.
"Well we came out today with a goal to get in as many plays as possible and give our guys plenty of reps," stated Coach Hopson. "We had a pretty good day but it's just the first week and we know what areas we have to improve on before we put on a good show for our fans on April 12th.
The Braves return to practice Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m.
COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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Sunday, March 23, 2014
In-State Rivals to meet for SWAC Bowling Championship
COURTESY SWAC.ORG |
ARLINGTON, Texas – In-state rivals and top seeded Alabama A&M and Alabama State will meet in the final round of the 2014 SWAC Bowling Tournament on Sunday, March 23, inside the Bowling nternational Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. Start time is slated for 1:00 p.m. CT.
No. 1 seed AAMU will appear in the Southwestern Athletic Conference bowling championship match for the third consecutive year while No. 2 seed ASU makes its first appearance.
The Lady Bulldogs captured the title during the 2010 season.
No. 1 seed AAMU will appear in the Southwestern Athletic Conference bowling championship match for the third consecutive year while No. 2 seed ASU makes its first appearance.
The Lady Bulldogs captured the title during the 2010 season.
Saturday AAMU made its way into the semifinals after having a first round bye. The Lady Bulldogs topped Jackson State and would later move past ASU to advance to the championship match.
AAMU is powered by All-SWAC selections Rebecca Goodwin and Camille Collins with Arial Dowdy receiving all tournament honors.
ASU also had a first round bye but the road to the title match took a different turn. The Lady Hornets defeated Texas Southern, dropped their next match to AAMU which sent them into the losers bracket. After six matches with JSU, ASU earned a spot in Sunday’s championship game.
SWAC Bowling regular season MVP Danielle Walker leads ASU. Walker is joined by all conference pick, Brianna Wells. Wells was named to the all tournament team along side teammate Kaila Ryan.
The defending SWAC Champion Prairie View A&M's quest for a third straight title fell short as they were eliminated by JSU in the semifinals.
SWAC Bowling regular season MVP Danielle Walker leads ASU. Walker is joined by all conference pick, Brianna Wells. Wells was named to the all tournament team along side teammate Kaila Ryan.
The defending SWAC Champion Prairie View A&M's quest for a third straight title fell short as they were eliminated by JSU in the semifinals.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
No. 3 Wiley (Texas) Handles No. 7 Shawnee State (Ohio), 81-70
FRANKFORT, Kentucky – No. 3 Wiley (Texas) became the second team to advance to its
first-ever NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship
quarterfinals by defeating No. 7 Shawnee State (Ohio), 81-70.
The Lady Wildcats knocked off No. 6 Mobile (Ala.), 74-72, on Thursday morning to advance to the second round, while the Bears upset No. 2 Oklahoma Baptist to make their fourth-straight second round in their fourth-straight national championship appearance.
The first half featured five ties and six lead changes, with Wiley never leading by more than the one point advantage they took to the locker room at halftime. Senior guard Alannah Sheets, who scored a tournament-high 45 points in the Bears first round matchup, had a game-high 14 points at the half.
Sheets went cold after scoring the first two points of the second half on free throws. The Mid-South Conference Player of the Year scored just two points in the final 19:37, leaving Shawnee State to rely on their No. 2 scorer, senior guard Priscila Santos. Santos stepped up with 10 second-half points and totaled a team-high 22 in the losing effort.
Wiley never trailed in the final 9:51 after a back-and-forth battle for the first 30 minutes of game action. The Bears finished the contest on a six-point run to end with their largest lead of the game at 11.
Senior guard Danisha Shaw scored 11 in the second half to finish with a game-high 23 as one of two Wildcats in double-figures.
Shawnee State won the battle of the boards (52-40), but Wiley shot better from the field (45.5 percent) and from beyond the arc (50.0 percent) in the win. Wiley’s pressure defense led to 10 steals for the Wildcats and forced the Bears to commit 16 turnovers.
Wiley (29-4) advances to its first-ever quarterfinals and will face the winner of No. 4 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and No. 1 Westminster (Utah).
Shawnee State is eliminated in the second round for the third-straight year and ends the season with a record of 20-13.
The Lady Wildcats knocked off No. 6 Mobile (Ala.), 74-72, on Thursday morning to advance to the second round, while the Bears upset No. 2 Oklahoma Baptist to make their fourth-straight second round in their fourth-straight national championship appearance.
The first half featured five ties and six lead changes, with Wiley never leading by more than the one point advantage they took to the locker room at halftime. Senior guard Alannah Sheets, who scored a tournament-high 45 points in the Bears first round matchup, had a game-high 14 points at the half.
Sheets went cold after scoring the first two points of the second half on free throws. The Mid-South Conference Player of the Year scored just two points in the final 19:37, leaving Shawnee State to rely on their No. 2 scorer, senior guard Priscila Santos. Santos stepped up with 10 second-half points and totaled a team-high 22 in the losing effort.
Wiley never trailed in the final 9:51 after a back-and-forth battle for the first 30 minutes of game action. The Bears finished the contest on a six-point run to end with their largest lead of the game at 11.
Senior guard Danisha Shaw scored 11 in the second half to finish with a game-high 23 as one of two Wildcats in double-figures.
Shawnee State won the battle of the boards (52-40), but Wiley shot better from the field (45.5 percent) and from beyond the arc (50.0 percent) in the win. Wiley’s pressure defense led to 10 steals for the Wildcats and forced the Bears to commit 16 turnovers.
Wiley (29-4) advances to its first-ever quarterfinals and will face the winner of No. 4 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and No. 1 Westminster (Utah).
Shawnee State is eliminated in the second round for the third-straight year and ends the season with a record of 20-13.
Box
Score
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship Schedule/Results
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship Bracket
By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern
Red River Athletic Conference
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship Schedule/Results
NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship Bracket
By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern
Red River Athletic Conference
Freed-Hardeman Fights Off Talladega Tornadoes, 71-64
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Tenth-seeded Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) earned its first-ever quarterfinal round berth in the 2014 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship after posting a 71-64 win over No. 7-seeded Talladega (Ala.), Friday afternoon in Municipal Auditorium. The Lions will face St. Gregory’s (Okla.) in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at 2:00p.m. CDT.
Freed-Hardeman (30-5) advances to the round of eight for the first time despite yielding an early 11-point lead in the first half. The Lions used an 11-2 run early on to grab a 24-13 advantage, but the Tornadoes finished the first half by outscoring the opposition, 23-11, to take a 36-35 lead into intermission.
Brandon Peters opened the second half with a basket for Talladega, which was followed by seven-straight points from Freed-Hardeman. The teams traded the lead three more times before the Lions took control of the advantage for the final time.
Damion Wooten and Ben Meis connected on back-to-back offerings from beyond the arc with 7:48 remaining to give the Lions a six-point cushion. Kyle Teichmann helped put the game away with two-straight buckets, the second of which giving Freed-Hardeman an 11-point lead with 3:06 to play.
Neither team was able to shoot above 40 percent for the game, as the Lions posted a 38.7 percent mark while the Tornadoes were held to 33.3 percent from the field. The Lions were efficient from three-point range, connecting on seven of their 17 attempts from outside. The Tornadoes, however, missed on all seven of its long-range attempts after halftime and finished with a 19.0 percent clip (4 of 21) from beyond the arc.
“I thought our effort was really, really good,” said Freed-Hardeman head coach Jason Shelton. “I thought we did a good job defensively of trying to keep guys in front of us, trying to lock into their shooters and not lock into their guys that were drivers and they were still able to get to the basket.”
Orlando Bass led the way for Freed-Hardeman with 19 points and five rebounds, while Kyle Teichmann added 18 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with 12. Meis also chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
“I felt like we didn’t come out really focused and we weren’t ready to do what we wanted to do,” said Talladega head coach Matt Cross. “I have to give credit to Freed-Hardeman. They took us out of our rhythm offensively, attacked our weaknesses in our zone, and hit some really key shots.”
Peters led all scorers with 21 points for Talladega, while Elijah Jones tallied 20 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. HarifNiron-Hughes matched Teichmann with 12 rebounds for the Tornadoes.
Talladega finishes its season with a record of 29-6.
Game notes:
Freed-Hardeman– Orlando Bass is averaging 22.3 points over the past three games and shooting 54.5 percent from the field in those games … The Lions have won back-to-back games after losing in the first round of their first three appearances in the tournament … Freed-Hardeman came into the game ranked second in NAIA Division I in rebound margin (+10.4) and posted a 49-45 edge on the glass.
Talladega – The Tornadoes dropped to 5-3 on the season in games against teams in this year’s tournament … The 64 points were the third-fewest this season for Talladega and lowest point total since a Dec. 8 win over Shawnee State (Ohio) … The Tornadoes came into the tournament leading NAIA Division I in scoring margin (20.2) and was second in field goal percentage (.509) … Talladega is now 1-2 all-time in the National Championship.
BOX SCORE
By Eric Montgomery | NAIA Staff
COURTESY NAIA.ORG
Freed-Hardeman (30-5) advances to the round of eight for the first time despite yielding an early 11-point lead in the first half. The Lions used an 11-2 run early on to grab a 24-13 advantage, but the Tornadoes finished the first half by outscoring the opposition, 23-11, to take a 36-35 lead into intermission.
Brandon Peters opened the second half with a basket for Talladega, which was followed by seven-straight points from Freed-Hardeman. The teams traded the lead three more times before the Lions took control of the advantage for the final time.
Damion Wooten and Ben Meis connected on back-to-back offerings from beyond the arc with 7:48 remaining to give the Lions a six-point cushion. Kyle Teichmann helped put the game away with two-straight buckets, the second of which giving Freed-Hardeman an 11-point lead with 3:06 to play.
Neither team was able to shoot above 40 percent for the game, as the Lions posted a 38.7 percent mark while the Tornadoes were held to 33.3 percent from the field. The Lions were efficient from three-point range, connecting on seven of their 17 attempts from outside. The Tornadoes, however, missed on all seven of its long-range attempts after halftime and finished with a 19.0 percent clip (4 of 21) from beyond the arc.
“I thought our effort was really, really good,” said Freed-Hardeman head coach Jason Shelton. “I thought we did a good job defensively of trying to keep guys in front of us, trying to lock into their shooters and not lock into their guys that were drivers and they were still able to get to the basket.”
Orlando Bass led the way for Freed-Hardeman with 19 points and five rebounds, while Kyle Teichmann added 18 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with 12. Meis also chipped in with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.
“I felt like we didn’t come out really focused and we weren’t ready to do what we wanted to do,” said Talladega head coach Matt Cross. “I have to give credit to Freed-Hardeman. They took us out of our rhythm offensively, attacked our weaknesses in our zone, and hit some really key shots.”
Peters led all scorers with 21 points for Talladega, while Elijah Jones tallied 20 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. HarifNiron-Hughes matched Teichmann with 12 rebounds for the Tornadoes.
Talladega finishes its season with a record of 29-6.
Game notes:
Freed-Hardeman– Orlando Bass is averaging 22.3 points over the past three games and shooting 54.5 percent from the field in those games … The Lions have won back-to-back games after losing in the first round of their first three appearances in the tournament … Freed-Hardeman came into the game ranked second in NAIA Division I in rebound margin (+10.4) and posted a 49-45 edge on the glass.
Talladega – The Tornadoes dropped to 5-3 on the season in games against teams in this year’s tournament … The 64 points were the third-fewest this season for Talladega and lowest point total since a Dec. 8 win over Shawnee State (Ohio) … The Tornadoes came into the tournament leading NAIA Division I in scoring margin (20.2) and was second in field goal percentage (.509) … Talladega is now 1-2 all-time in the National Championship.
BOX SCORE
By Eric Montgomery | NAIA Staff
COURTESY NAIA.ORG
UConn women to begin NCAA title defense against lightly regarded Prairie View
GAME TIME: SUNDAY, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN
STORRS, Connecticut – Top-ranked UConn understands the part it's playing in this year's NCAA tournament.
While the rest of the country might like to see more parody in women's basketball, the defending champions are beginning what they hope will be a run at a record ninth title on Sunday, breaking the tie with Tennessee.
"People always have to have somebody that's either the star or the villain," said UConn coach Geno Auriemma. "Somebody's got to play that role."
The Huskies, who just completed their seventh undefeated regular season, open their tournament run with a less than marquee matchup against No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M. The Panthers come into the game 14-17 after winning their fourth consecutive SWAC conference title. The team lost its first 11 games this season, before turning things around late. But they are 0-5 in the NCAA tournament.
CONTINUE READING
STORRS, Connecticut – Top-ranked UConn understands the part it's playing in this year's NCAA tournament.
While the rest of the country might like to see more parody in women's basketball, the defending champions are beginning what they hope will be a run at a record ninth title on Sunday, breaking the tie with Tennessee.
"People always have to have somebody that's either the star or the villain," said UConn coach Geno Auriemma. "Somebody's got to play that role."
The Huskies, who just completed their seventh undefeated regular season, open their tournament run with a less than marquee matchup against No. 16 seed Prairie View A&M. The Panthers come into the game 14-17 after winning their fourth consecutive SWAC conference title. The team lost its first 11 games this season, before turning things around late. But they are 0-5 in the NCAA tournament.
CONTINUE READING
Hampton Lady Pirates Set For NCAA First-Round Match-Up
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina – The Hampton University women's basketball team, fresh off its fifth straight MEAC Tournament title, will face Michigan State in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament on Sunday at 12:40 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.
The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Game Notes
The Lady Pirates (28-4), the No. 12 seed in the Stanford Region, have won 18 straight games after defeating Coppin State 50-47 this past Saturday in the MEAC Tournament championship game. Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) led the way with 20 points.
Redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) recorded her first double-double of the season in that game, with a season-high 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) was named the most Outstanding Player of the MEAC Tournament after averaging 22.3 points and 15.0 rebounds per game in the tournament.
Hampton is the first program ever to win five straight MEAC Tournament titles.
No. 20/24 Michigan State (22-9) won the Big Ten regular-season title before falling 86-58 to Nebraska in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on March 8; that loss snapped a six-game winning streak. Redshirt-freshman guard Aerial Powers, a First Team All-Big Ten selection, leads a balances attack with 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Freshman guard Tori Jankoska and senior forward Annalise Pickrel are each averaging 12.4 points per game.
The Spartans are the No. 5 seed in the Stanford Region.
Sunday's games in Carmichael Arena are part of the Stanford Region; No. 4 North Carolina and No. 13 UT-Martin will also be in Chapel Hill, and the winner of that game will face the winner of the Hampton-Michigan State game on Tuesday. South Carolina is the Stanford Region's No. 1 seed, with Stanford holding down the No. 2 seed.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Lady Pirates and Michigan State.
Hampton is 0-4 all-time against teams currently in the Big Ten, having lost games against Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, and Wisconsin. The Lady Pirates' last game against a Big Ten foe came on Nov. 27, 2004, when Nebraska won 72-54 on a neutral floor.
The Lady Pirates are 21-9 on neutral courts in Six's tenure, including a 6-0 mark so far this season. Hampton has won its last 10 neutral-court games dating back to last season.
This will be the Lady Pirates' fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Div. I Tournament and their eighth overall. Hampton made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a Div. I program in 2000, taking on Connecticut.
The Lady Pirates are in search of their first-ever tournament win as a Div. I program.
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.
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Game Notes
The Lady Pirates (28-4), the No. 12 seed in the Stanford Region, have won 18 straight games after defeating Coppin State 50-47 this past Saturday in the MEAC Tournament championship game. Senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) led the way with 20 points.
Redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) recorded her first double-double of the season in that game, with a season-high 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) was named the most Outstanding Player of the MEAC Tournament after averaging 22.3 points and 15.0 rebounds per game in the tournament.
Hampton is the first program ever to win five straight MEAC Tournament titles.
No. 20/24 Michigan State (22-9) won the Big Ten regular-season title before falling 86-58 to Nebraska in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on March 8; that loss snapped a six-game winning streak. Redshirt-freshman guard Aerial Powers, a First Team All-Big Ten selection, leads a balances attack with 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Freshman guard Tori Jankoska and senior forward Annalise Pickrel are each averaging 12.4 points per game.
The Spartans are the No. 5 seed in the Stanford Region.
Sunday's games in Carmichael Arena are part of the Stanford Region; No. 4 North Carolina and No. 13 UT-Martin will also be in Chapel Hill, and the winner of that game will face the winner of the Hampton-Michigan State game on Tuesday. South Carolina is the Stanford Region's No. 1 seed, with Stanford holding down the No. 2 seed.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Lady Pirates and Michigan State.
Hampton is 0-4 all-time against teams currently in the Big Ten, having lost games against Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, and Wisconsin. The Lady Pirates' last game against a Big Ten foe came on Nov. 27, 2004, when Nebraska won 72-54 on a neutral floor.
The Lady Pirates are 21-9 on neutral courts in Six's tenure, including a 6-0 mark so far this season. Hampton has won its last 10 neutral-court games dating back to last season.
This will be the Lady Pirates' fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Div. I Tournament and their eighth overall. Hampton made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a Div. I program in 2000, taking on Connecticut.
The Lady Pirates are in search of their first-ever tournament win as a Div. I program.
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.
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
North Carolina A&T Ends Season At WNIT
TAMPA, Florida – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team saw the curtains close on yet another stellar season after it suffered at 56-50 loss to South Florida in the first round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, Friday evening at the Sun Dome.
“This loss is bittersweet,” head coach Tarrell Robinson said. “It’s hard to see Tracy King and DeAndra Davis’ careers end. It’s been a pleasure coaching those young ladies. They’ve done a lot for this program which I think is headed in the right direction.”
The Aggies who made their second straight appearance in the WNIT and have advanced to the postseason five out of the last seven seasons finished with a record of 24-7.
A&T trailed USF 31-23 at the half but the Aggies put together an 11-4 run capped off with five straight points from redshirt junior Debbie Smith, a 3-pointer and a jumper to slice the Bulls’ lead to 35-34 with 13:23 to play.
Buckets from redshirt sophomore Eboni Ross and Carter tied the game at 38 at the 10:40 mark. USF tried to pull away but a three from King tied the game at 41 with 8:41 on the clock. It was the closest the Aggies got to the Bulls as South Florida used a 7-0 run to extend its lead to 48-41. A&T got within three 50-47, after Carter drove to the basket with a layup with less than four minutes to play.
Baskets didn’t fall for the Aggies in the final minutes as South Florida took advantage of the charity stripe, where it converted on all four shots, along with a layup from Alisia Jenkins to close out the game.
“I thought we settled for a lot of outside shots,” Robinson explained. “I thought we played a perfect game plan the ball just didn’t fall when we needed it to and we didn’t get to the foul line.”
A&T was just 6-of-7 at the line and was 2-for-15 (13.3 percent) from behind the arc.
The Aggies were plagued with foul trouble in the first half but that didn’t stop redshirt sophomore Aprill McRae who scored eight points in the first half. Layups from McRae and Carter gave A&T a 15-13 edge over the Bulls at the 9:57 mark. South Florida ended the half on a 16-10 rally.
Carter led A&T with 15 points and three assists. Defensively, Ross grabbed eight rebounds.
The Aggies outscored the Bulls 34-20 in the paint and took a 21-6 advantage on second chance points.
Jenkins recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Inga Orekhova added 15 points and Courtney Williams finished with 14.
“I plan on using this for the returners as proof that we’re just as good as anybody. We just have to come and apply our time in the gym, focus and just really take this thing serious and this program can really take off. I think I have a great group of young ladies that are capable of making it happen.”
BOX SCORE
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
“This loss is bittersweet,” head coach Tarrell Robinson said. “It’s hard to see Tracy King and DeAndra Davis’ careers end. It’s been a pleasure coaching those young ladies. They’ve done a lot for this program which I think is headed in the right direction.”
The Aggies who made their second straight appearance in the WNIT and have advanced to the postseason five out of the last seven seasons finished with a record of 24-7.
A&T trailed USF 31-23 at the half but the Aggies put together an 11-4 run capped off with five straight points from redshirt junior Debbie Smith, a 3-pointer and a jumper to slice the Bulls’ lead to 35-34 with 13:23 to play.
Buckets from redshirt sophomore Eboni Ross and Carter tied the game at 38 at the 10:40 mark. USF tried to pull away but a three from King tied the game at 41 with 8:41 on the clock. It was the closest the Aggies got to the Bulls as South Florida used a 7-0 run to extend its lead to 48-41. A&T got within three 50-47, after Carter drove to the basket with a layup with less than four minutes to play.
Baskets didn’t fall for the Aggies in the final minutes as South Florida took advantage of the charity stripe, where it converted on all four shots, along with a layup from Alisia Jenkins to close out the game.
“I thought we settled for a lot of outside shots,” Robinson explained. “I thought we played a perfect game plan the ball just didn’t fall when we needed it to and we didn’t get to the foul line.”
A&T was just 6-of-7 at the line and was 2-for-15 (13.3 percent) from behind the arc.
The Aggies were plagued with foul trouble in the first half but that didn’t stop redshirt sophomore Aprill McRae who scored eight points in the first half. Layups from McRae and Carter gave A&T a 15-13 edge over the Bulls at the 9:57 mark. South Florida ended the half on a 16-10 rally.
Carter led A&T with 15 points and three assists. Defensively, Ross grabbed eight rebounds.
The Aggies outscored the Bulls 34-20 in the paint and took a 21-6 advantage on second chance points.
Jenkins recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Inga Orekhova added 15 points and Courtney Williams finished with 14.
“I plan on using this for the returners as proof that we’re just as good as anybody. We just have to come and apply our time in the gym, focus and just really take this thing serious and this program can really take off. I think I have a great group of young ladies that are capable of making it happen.”
BOX SCORE
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Florida A&M Lady Rattlers Split With Buffalo Bulls
Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information Kenya Pererira pitched solidly in both games. |
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers (10-17) fought from down one run to avoid being swept by the University of Buffalo Bulls (14-13), who won the early game in the set. Buffalo took game one by a score of 3-2 in nine innings, while the Lady Rattlers rebounded to take a come-from-behind 2-1 victory under the lights at the Lady Rattler Softball Complex.
Head coach Veronica Wiggins felt the team could have won both games, with a little concentration. “We played a lot of our younger players tonight, because they bring a youthful intensity, and I felt we needed that tonight. Our veteran players, like Kieifi (Myrick) and Alyssa (Weaver) stepped up and did what they needed to do tonight. We’re trying to build a unit and it’s going to take all of them together to get where we want to be,” Wiggins said.
In the first game, the Lady Rattlers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as they mounted a rally off Tori Speckman, as Alyssa Weaver started off with a walk and was ultimately batted in by Danielle Anderson on a hit to right field. Kieifi Myrick was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Tashay Irvis, giving FAMU the 2-0 advantage. It would be all the scoring the Lady Rattlers would get in the game.
Speckman, settled in on the mound and struck out 11, pitching a complete game. She only allowed two hits and both runs the Lady Rattlers scored were unearned.
Ashleigh Minter pitched six complete innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs. She struck out two of the batters, while walking one. Kenya Pererira took the loss for the Lady Rattlers as she pitched three innings, giving up one hit, including being on the mound as shortstop Kieifi Myrick handled a hot liner to the left side, but overthrew first base allowing Holly Luciano to score, ultimately giving the Bulls the go-ahead run.
The Lady Rattlers would play solid defense behind the pitching of Minter, until Sammi Gallardo slapped a double to left field, scoring Alexis Curtiss. A wild pitch by Minter allowed Gallardo to advance to third base. She would tie up the game as she scored on a fielder’s choice.
In the top of the ninth inning, Luciano singled off Pererira, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Ryleigh Fitzgerald, moving Lucino into scoring position on second base, where she scored the game-winning run on the throwing error.
In the opening game, FAMU mustered just two hits, while BU collected six hits. Even though Buffalo committed three errors and FAMU committed just one, the Bulls were able to secure the win and move their season record to 14-12, while the Lady Rattlers moved to 9-17 on the season.
In the night cap, the Lady Rattlers fell behind 1-0 in the second inning, as Luciano tripled to left field, and later scored on a Hayley Barrow RBI.
Amber Fullwood pitched five and two-thirds innings to get the win, while Pererira collected a save in one and a third innings. Fullwood allowed five hits and struck out three, while Pererira allowed one hit and got one strikeout. Fullwood also helped her own cause, getting two hits that resulted in two RBI.
For the Bulls, Karly Nevez collected two hits for Buffalo.
The Lady Rattlers will play the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday at JoAnn Graf Field, with a 6 p.m. start.
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NCCU Falls in NCAA Tournament Debut to Iowa State
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- In North Carolina Central University's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level, the Eagles ran into a ninth-ranked Iowa State Cyclone squad that simply couldn't miss on the way to a 93-75 defeat, ending a historic season for the program on Friday night inside the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The maroon and gray finish the 2013-14 season 28-6 overall, tying the 1950-51 and 1988-89 squads with the most wins in a single season.
In the first meeting between NCCU and Iowa State, both teams came out guns blazing as a Karamo Jawara (Bergen, Norway) three-pointer put the Eagles up 14-11 with 14:46 to go.
A 10-2 Cyclone run gave Iowa State a 21-16 following the first of Georges Niang's four three-pointers on the night with 11:27 remaining.
The first half saw seven ties and six leads changes, but Jawara's second straight bucket tied the game at 30-30 with 6:47 left in the first frame, but Iowa State came alive as the Cyclones scored the next eight points with Melvin Ejim sending the crowd to their feet with a fastbreak dunk to make 38-30.
Head coach LeVelle Moton's squad responded with a 9-2 run forcing an Iowa State time out with 1:45 to go in the frame.
ISU took a 45-39 lead into the locker room as Cyclone small forward Dustin Hogue helped take a six-point lead on his putback dunk with four seconds left.
In the final half, the Cyclone buzzsaw keep going as Iowa State missed just nine shots including 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) from three-point range, while the Eagles simply could not keep up.
With 11:09 to go, a DeAndre Kane layup made it 68-53 forcing Moton to call a 30-second timeout, but the Cyclones were well on their way.
Iowa State led by as much as 23 points as the Cyclones advanced to the round of 32 in the 93-75 win over NCCU.
ISU shot a season-high 63.6 percent from the field, including 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from three-point range on the way to the victory, while NCCU shot 46.2 percent from-the-field in the tough defeat.
In his final game donning the maroon and gray uniform, Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) scored a game-high 28 points to finish his career with 1,525 points which ties him for sixth all-time at NCCU.
Jawara ended up with a career-high 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting with three assists, while senior Emanuel Chapman added 10 points along with four assists to finish his career with 617 helpers.
NCCU ends a historic season as the 2013-14 MEAC Regular Season Champion and the MEAC Tournament Champions.
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Box Score
ESPN PHOTO GALLERY OF EAGLES (91 Photos)
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Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
The maroon and gray finish the 2013-14 season 28-6 overall, tying the 1950-51 and 1988-89 squads with the most wins in a single season.
In the first meeting between NCCU and Iowa State, both teams came out guns blazing as a Karamo Jawara (Bergen, Norway) three-pointer put the Eagles up 14-11 with 14:46 to go.
A 10-2 Cyclone run gave Iowa State a 21-16 following the first of Georges Niang's four three-pointers on the night with 11:27 remaining.
The first half saw seven ties and six leads changes, but Jawara's second straight bucket tied the game at 30-30 with 6:47 left in the first frame, but Iowa State came alive as the Cyclones scored the next eight points with Melvin Ejim sending the crowd to their feet with a fastbreak dunk to make 38-30.
Head coach LeVelle Moton's squad responded with a 9-2 run forcing an Iowa State time out with 1:45 to go in the frame.
ISU took a 45-39 lead into the locker room as Cyclone small forward Dustin Hogue helped take a six-point lead on his putback dunk with four seconds left.
In the final half, the Cyclone buzzsaw keep going as Iowa State missed just nine shots including 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) from three-point range, while the Eagles simply could not keep up.
With 11:09 to go, a DeAndre Kane layup made it 68-53 forcing Moton to call a 30-second timeout, but the Cyclones were well on their way.
Iowa State led by as much as 23 points as the Cyclones advanced to the round of 32 in the 93-75 win over NCCU.
ISU shot a season-high 63.6 percent from the field, including 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from three-point range on the way to the victory, while NCCU shot 46.2 percent from-the-field in the tough defeat.
In his final game donning the maroon and gray uniform, Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) scored a game-high 28 points to finish his career with 1,525 points which ties him for sixth all-time at NCCU.
Jawara ended up with a career-high 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting with three assists, while senior Emanuel Chapman added 10 points along with four assists to finish his career with 617 helpers.
NCCU ends a historic season as the 2013-14 MEAC Regular Season Champion and the MEAC Tournament Champions.
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.
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ESPN PHOTO GALLERY OF EAGLES (91 Photos)
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Kollack looking to grab SCSU’s starting QB spot
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Adrian Kollack surprised many South Carolina State football observers when he was actively utilized late in the 2013 season.
The redshirt freshman quarterback out of Spartanburg made an impact on the Bulldogs’ offense, rushing for four touchdowns and passing for another in three games. Despite his success on the ground, Kollack insists there’s more to his game than just running the “Wildcat.”
“I’m more of a pocket passer,” he said. “I like to pass the ball compared to last year when I played when I had to run the ball a lot. I really like to throw the ball a lot and spread it around a lot. I actually run too, but I like to really like to throw the ball more.”
With the graduation of Richard Cue, the starting quarterback position is now open for either Kollack or fellow redshirt freshman ...
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The redshirt freshman quarterback out of Spartanburg made an impact on the Bulldogs’ offense, rushing for four touchdowns and passing for another in three games. Despite his success on the ground, Kollack insists there’s more to his game than just running the “Wildcat.”
“I’m more of a pocket passer,” he said. “I like to pass the ball compared to last year when I played when I had to run the ball a lot. I really like to throw the ball a lot and spread it around a lot. I actually run too, but I like to really like to throw the ball more.”
With the graduation of Richard Cue, the starting quarterback position is now open for either Kollack or fellow redshirt freshman ...
CONTINUE READING
Howard University Men's Soccer Join Sun Belt Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Howard University men's soccer program joined the Sun Belt Conference as an affiliate member beginning in the 2014 season, the conference announced. The conference will reintroduce men's soccer this upcoming fall.
The Bison join their new league as part of the Sun Belt's revitalization of men's soccer as one of the conference's 18 championship sports after a nearly 20-year hiatus.
The men's soccer group will consist of six institutions that will play a five game, single round robin schedule:
The Sun Belt previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976 to 1995. In fact, the first ever Sun Belt Championship in any sport was the 1976 men's soccer championship.
Of note is the fact that the three new affiliate members were all part of the former Atlantic Soccer Conference (ASC) at some point in the past. Howard was a founding member from 2000-2011 before playing the last two seasons as an independent; NJIT was a member from 2004 (their first season in Division I) to 2011; and Hartwick was as founding member from 2000-2006 before departing for the Mid-American Conference from 2007-2013.
Come July 1, 2014 the Sun Belt membership will consist of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (non-football), Arkansas State University, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, the University of Idaho (football only), the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, New Mexico State University (football only), the University of South Alabama, the University of Texas at Arlington (non-football), Texas State University, and Troy University. Hartwick College, Howard University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology will compete as affiliate members in men's soccer.
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The Bison join their new league as part of the Sun Belt's revitalization of men's soccer as one of the conference's 18 championship sports after a nearly 20-year hiatus.
The men's soccer group will consist of six institutions that will play a five game, single round robin schedule:
- Appalachian State (full-time member)
- Georgia Southern (full-time member)
- Georgia State (full-time member)
- HOWARD (affiliate member)
- Hartwick (affiliate member)
- New Jersey Institute of Technology (affiliate member)
The Sun Belt will also have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which will be determined by a full-team postseason tournament where the top two seeds earn a bye to the semifinals. The host site and dates of the tournament will be announced in May.
"Howard University is extremely proud to be a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the sport of men's soccer," said Howard Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Louis B. "Skip" Perkins, Jr. "This gives our soccer program the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament and ultimately a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. We look forward to the challenge and are excited about being a part of the Sun Belt Conference."
"The reintroduction of men's soccer to the Sun Belt Conference means that we will be able to provide valuable opportunities for student-athletes and deliver them a first-class championship experience," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. "Our new affiliate members provide us with a full field of competitive teams and we welcome them to the Sun Belt Conference."
"We are looking forward to having an automatic qualifier in the sport to represent us in the NCAA postseason," said Benson. "And we are optimistic at the possibility of sending multiple teams to the tournament field each year."
"Howard University is extremely proud to be a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the sport of men's soccer," said Howard Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Louis B. "Skip" Perkins, Jr. "This gives our soccer program the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament and ultimately a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. We look forward to the challenge and are excited about being a part of the Sun Belt Conference."
"The reintroduction of men's soccer to the Sun Belt Conference means that we will be able to provide valuable opportunities for student-athletes and deliver them a first-class championship experience," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. "Our new affiliate members provide us with a full field of competitive teams and we welcome them to the Sun Belt Conference."
"We are looking forward to having an automatic qualifier in the sport to represent us in the NCAA postseason," said Benson. "And we are optimistic at the possibility of sending multiple teams to the tournament field each year."
The Sun Belt previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976 to 1995. In fact, the first ever Sun Belt Championship in any sport was the 1976 men's soccer championship.
Of note is the fact that the three new affiliate members were all part of the former Atlantic Soccer Conference (ASC) at some point in the past. Howard was a founding member from 2000-2011 before playing the last two seasons as an independent; NJIT was a member from 2004 (their first season in Division I) to 2011; and Hartwick was as founding member from 2000-2006 before departing for the Mid-American Conference from 2007-2013.
Come July 1, 2014 the Sun Belt membership will consist of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (non-football), Arkansas State University, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, the University of Idaho (football only), the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, New Mexico State University (football only), the University of South Alabama, the University of Texas at Arlington (non-football), Texas State University, and Troy University. Hartwick College, Howard University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology will compete as affiliate members in men's soccer.
COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
XU Nuggets' rally falls short in 2nd-round loss to Lady Tigers
The Lady Tigers (32-3) overcame an early nine-point deficit and withstood a second-half rally from the Gold Nuggets (24-10), whose season ended in the second round for the third time in four years.
Allen, a senior guard, finished with 15 points. Ellen Sholtes and Kristen Jacob scored 10 points apiece for the Lady Tigers, ranked fourth in the coaches poll and a No. 1 seed.
Xavier, ranked 20th in the poll and a No. 5 seed, got all but four of its points from three players. Whitney Gathright scored 19, Danielle Tucker 17 and Whitney Gaston-Loyd 15.
The Gold Nuggets made five of their first six shots from the floor, including a Gathright 3-pointer which gave them an 11-2 lead at 16:11. But during the next 12 1/2 minutes, Xavier was 2-of-21 from the floor and committed six turnovers to open the door for a 24-5 Campbellsville run.
"That stretch killed us," XU coach Bo Browder said. "We really struggled offensively."
Gathright made 1-of-2 free throws at 10:38 to give Xavier its final lead, 14-11. Allen's 3-pointer at 10:12 tied the score, and a Sholtes basket at 8:06 put Campbellsville ahead to stay, 18-16.
Allen capped the Lady Tigers' run with a 3-pointer at 3:48, and Campbellsville led 31-20 at halftime.
Campbellsville led by 15 early in the second half before Gathright made back-to-back 3-pointers in an 11-2 run to close the margin to 39-33. But the Gold Nuggets didn't move any closer until Gathright scored two baskets in the final 11 seconds.
Gathright, a sophomore guard, made three 3-pointers and also had four rebounds and four assists. Tucker's point total was her best in two XU seasons, and the senior forward led the Nuggets with eight rebounds. Gaston-Loyd, a senior center, grabbed six rebounds and, for the third consecutive game, reached 15 points or more.
It also was the final XU game for seniors Carmen Holcombe (four points, seven rebounds, two steals), Paige Gauthier (no points, six rebounds, two assists, a block and two steals) and Chelsea Broussard (no points, five rebounds, two steals).
The Gold Nuggets' Mount Seniormore of, from left, Whitney Gaston-Loyd, Paige Gauthier, Danielle Tucker, Chelsea Broussard and Carmen Holcombe. |
Xavier is 0-8 in second-round games at nationals, but this was the Nuggets' closest losing margin in that round -- the previous seven losses were by an average of 19.3 points.
"They say if you knock on the door long enough, it'll open for you," said Browder, whose teams are 4-13 at nationals. "We're going to keep knocking."
Campbellsville will take a nine-game win streak into a 4 p.m. EDT Saturday quarterfinal against Oklahoma City, a two-point overtime winner at home against Xavier on Nov. 29. The Stars advanced Friday with a 58-55 victory against Montana State-Northern.
NOTES: The Nuggets limited Campbellsville to their second-fewest points in a game this season. The Lady Tigers entered averaging 82 points . . . Xavier scored 22 points in the final 7:08 -- nine by Gathright and seven by Tucker . . . Tucker, who started her collegiate career at NCAA Division II's Gannon, produced 1,036 points and 608 rebounds in four collegiate seasons . . . Gauthier became the fifth in Nuggets history to reach 600 points, 400 rebounds, 200 assists and 200 steals in a career . . Gathright's 417 points are the most by a Nugget in one season since Brittany Powell's 499 in 2009-10, and they're the most by an XU sophomore since Jarryn Cleaves' 425 in 2004-05 . . . Holcombe who averaged 4.2 rebounds per game during her career, averaged 7.8 rebounds in her final five games.
Box score
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Seventeen Participate in TSU Pro Day
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Thursday, Tennessee State held its annual Pro Day inside the Indoor Football Facility. Seventeen took part in the event in front of scouts from 26 NFL teams.
The standouts of the day were safety David Van Dyke and center Demetrius Rhaney who both improved their chances of making a professional team roster.
Van Dyke started the day by recording 18 repetitions in the bench press and then had a vertical jump of 38.5 inches.
In the agility drills, Van Dyke ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds and did the 20-yard shuttle in 4.12.
At close to 300 pounds, Rhaney clocked a 4.89 in the 40-yard dash and a shuttle time of 4.72.
Rhaney impressed in the bench press, recording 24 reps and also hopped 29 inches in the vertical jump.
Van Dyke and Rhaney could join Kadeem Edwards and A.C. Leonard on NFL rosters in the fall.
Edwards and Leonard mostly stuck with their Combine records, but Edwards improved his vertical by two inches to 29 and Leonard finished his shuttle in 4.39 seconds.
The other TSU participants were Gregory Barksdale, Tim Broughton, DeShawn Byrd, Holt Claiborne, Antonio Harper, Marquaveus Jackson, Wilson Robinson, Wesley Samuels, Andrew Taylor and Devin Wilson.
The Tigers will await their fate in the upcoming NFL Draft on May 8-10.
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Gold Nuggets, Gold Rush lose at Lindsey Wilson
XU's Kourtney Howell and Nour Abbes |
Xavier's women are ranked second, and the men are seventh. Lindsey Wilson's women are ranked fourth, and the men are sixth.
Lindsey Wilson's women (2-3) rallied from a 3-1 deficit to snap the six-dual winning streak of the Gold Nuggets (9-5). In the final match on the court, Anna Gaprindashvili clinched for the Blue Raiders with a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) victory at No. 5 singles against Simone-Alyse Ewell.
XU's Nour Abbes and Kourtney Howell defeated NAIA-ranked singles players. Abbes improved to 9-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 victory against 28th-ranked Sarah Bernos. Howell rallied to beat 19th-ranked Alejandra Galvis 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
In the men's dual, Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer accounted for all the Xavier points. Lindsey Wilson won three of the four singles matches which went to a third set, with Pablo Vilches clinching for the Raiders at No. 6 with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 decision against Vincenzo Ciccone.
Montrel defeated 18th-ranked Edberg Espinoza 6-4, 6-2. Soifer beat regionally ranked Raul Mendez 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-1.
Lindsey Wilson's men are 5-1, and the Gold Rush are 5-8.
"Very difficult defeats," XU coach Alan Green said. "We weren't prepared for Lindsey Wilson, and that is my fault. I have to do a better job of getting us ready mentally and physically."
Both XU teams will play Milligan at 11 a.m. Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. Milligan's women are ranked 18th in the NAIA.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Friday, March 21, 2014
MEAC to host 2014 Bowling Championship
NORFOLK, Virginia - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will host its 2014 MEAC Bowling Championship, March 21-23, at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Coppin State, Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore and Morgan State qualified from the northern division, while Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T will compete from the southern division.
Maryland Eastern Shore, the three-time defending NCAA Champion, captured their fifth northern divisional title with 28-2 mark in MEAC play. The Lady Hawks posted a 14-1 mark in team play and 14-1 record in Baker games during northern division action this season.
Norfolk State Spartans finished atop of divisional play for the fourth straight year with a 18-6 record en route to the southern crown to clinch the title. The Spartans were 6-2 in team play and 7-1 in Baker games during southern division action this season.
Only the top four teams from each division are eligible to compete in the championship tournament. Howard (11-41), Hampton (9-63), and North Carolina Central (36-53) were eliminated from postseason play.
The tournament begins tomorrow with a qualifying round of traditional play to determine seeding. The action continues on Saturday with teams competing in a best-of-seven Baker series in a bracket format.
The 2014 MEAC Bowling Championship will conclude on Sunday, March 23 beginning with the semifinal round at 9:30 a.m. and concluding with the championship final. The championship finale will air tape-delayed on ESPNU on Monday, March 31 at 10:30 p.m.
For the latest on MEAC Bowling and other sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACsports.com.
After run to MEAC finals, Coppin State women's basketball looks forward to next year
BALTIMORE, Maryland -- After Coppin State lost the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship and a bid to the NCAA tournament by three points, coach Derek Brown made the walk upstairs to the concourse level of Norfolk Scope Arena in to meet family and friends.
He looked around the crowded scene and found two of his former players: Sherrie Tucker and Shalamar Oakley, with whom he won league titles in 2005, 2006 and 2008. He approached them, then called over Larissa Carter, who had just played her last game for the Eagles, a demoralizing 50-47 loss to Hampton.
“Even though this group didn’t win a championship, I love these girls just as much as you guys,” Brown said to his former players.
Part of it is because of the fight the ...
CONTINUE READING
He looked around the crowded scene and found two of his former players: Sherrie Tucker and Shalamar Oakley, with whom he won league titles in 2005, 2006 and 2008. He approached them, then called over Larissa Carter, who had just played her last game for the Eagles, a demoralizing 50-47 loss to Hampton.
“Even though this group didn’t win a championship, I love these girls just as much as you guys,” Brown said to his former players.
Part of it is because of the fight the ...
CONTINUE READING
TSU Lady Tigers drop game to SMU in WNIT first round
DALLAS, Texas -- Texas Southern University ended their season on Thursday night after dropping a 84-72 decision to SMU in the first round of the WNIT inside Moody Coliseum.
Brianna Sidney led all TSU scorers with 21 points, with four other players adding at least eight points. Morgan Simmons collected 12 rebounds, and SWAC Player of the Year Jazzmin Parker scored eight points on three-of-eight shooting.
The Lady Tigers shot 46 percent from the field and 72 percent from the line in the first half to stay within six points of SMU but fell behind by nine in the final seconds of the half after a 3-pointer by SMU's Keena Mays gave the Mustangs a 44-35 lead at the break.
TSU's Sidney led a charge early in the second half, and the Lady Tigers tied the game at 48-48 with 16:47 to play. The Lady Tigers kept it close over the next seven minutes, but a 15-2 run from 8:17 to 4:47 distanced SMU and sealed the win.
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Brianna Sidney led all TSU scorers with 21 points, with four other players adding at least eight points. Morgan Simmons collected 12 rebounds, and SWAC Player of the Year Jazzmin Parker scored eight points on three-of-eight shooting.
The Lady Tigers shot 46 percent from the field and 72 percent from the line in the first half to stay within six points of SMU but fell behind by nine in the final seconds of the half after a 3-pointer by SMU's Keena Mays gave the Mustangs a 44-35 lead at the break.
TSU's Sidney led a charge early in the second half, and the Lady Tigers tied the game at 48-48 with 16:47 to play. The Lady Tigers kept it close over the next seven minutes, but a 15-2 run from 8:17 to 4:47 distanced SMU and sealed the win.
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CIAA Women's Bowling Tournament Starts Today
DURHAM, North Carolina -- The 2014 CIAA Women’s Bowling Championships will be held Friday, March 21 thru Sunday, March 23 at AMF Durham Lanes in Durham, N.C. Admission is free to the tournament, which is co-hosted by Saint Augustine’s University and Shaw University.
The event begins Friday with the regular season awards ceremony at 9:45 a.m. Team matches start at 10:50 a.m.
The action continues Saturday with Baker matches at 9 a.m. and double elimination bracket play at 3 p.m.
Bracket play continues Sunday with the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Sunday’s matches start at 10 a.m.
Bowie State University is the defending CIAA champion. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Virginia State University in the championship round to claim the crown last season in Durham, N.C.
Webstream of CIAA Bowling Championship
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The event begins Friday with the regular season awards ceremony at 9:45 a.m. Team matches start at 10:50 a.m.
The action continues Saturday with Baker matches at 9 a.m. and double elimination bracket play at 3 p.m.
Bracket play continues Sunday with the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Sunday’s matches start at 10 a.m.
Bowie State University is the defending CIAA champion. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Virginia State University in the championship round to claim the crown last season in Durham, N.C.
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Hampton Pirates Spring Football Begins on Wednesday
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The Pirates, looking to improve upon last season's 4-8 mark, will use the upcoming few weeks of practice to gear up for the annual Spring Game, which will be held on Friday, April 4 at 5:30 p.m.
The game will be played at Armstrong Stadium and attendance will be free.
For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
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NAIA's top defense stymies Gold Rush, 61-52
KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- In a matchup of two of the NAIA's top defenses, No. 1 prevailed.
Hope International, the national leader in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense, limited Xavier University of Louisiana to a season-low 35.7 percent from the floor and defeated the Gold Rush 61-52 in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship on Thursday.
Senior guard Jeremy Kilgore scored 12 of his career-high-tying 28 points during Hope's 16-2 run to open the game. The Royals (23-10), ranked 22nd in the final coaches poll before the tournament, never lost that lead.
The Gold Rush (23-9), No. 12 in the poll and seeded 12th in the tournament, rallied to within one point late in the first half and three points early in the second half but did not threaten in the closing minutes. Xavier's points were its fewest ever in 19 tournament games and its second fewest of the season. The Rush averaged 85.7 points and shot 51.1 percent from the floor in the six games preceding nationals.
Morris Wright scored 20 points, Anthony Goode 10 and Lucas Martin-Julien nine for Xavier, which made its 15th appearance at nationals and its fourth in a row.
Xavier, ranked third in the NAIA in field-goal percentage defense and eighth in scoring defense, regrouped after Hope's early run and limited the Royals to 30.2 percent from the floor in the final 34 minutes -- 37.3 percent for the game. The Gold Rush also outrebounded Hope 37-29 -- Xavier's best rebound margin at nationals since 1973.
Kilgore's second and final 3-pointer of the game gave the Royals a 16-2 lead at 14:06, and it was 17-4 after Garrett Neilan made 1-of-2 free throws at 11:45. But Xavier rallied, with Wright scoring 13 points -- including 3-of-3 3-pointers -- during a 17-5 run. Wright capped the surge with a trey to cut Hope's lead to 22-21 at 3:47.
Hope then closed the half with six unanswered points, and Neilan's basket with one second remaining made it 28-21.
The Royals extended their lead to nine in the first 75 seconds of the second half before Goode capped a 12-6 XU rally with a basket and two free throws, leaving Hope in front at 38-35 with 13:26 remaining.
Hope then missed its next three shots, but Xavier didn't get any closer. The Royals then hit four shots in a row, including a Matt Green 3-pointer, to lead 47-36 at 9:35. The Gold Rush never got closer than six points thereafter.
Wright, an Àll-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference sophomore guard, reached 20 points for the second straight game and the fifth time this season. He was 5-of-10 from the floor, 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and 6-of-6 from the line. Wright grabbed seven rebounds to share team honors with Sydney Coleman.
Green, Hope's No. 3 scorer entering the tournament, had 15 points in the second half and finished with 19.
NOTES: It was the final XU game for seniors Olivier Siewe and Xavier Rogers, both of whom played two seasons for the Rush . . . The game, the last of eight Thursday, tipped off at 10:15 p.m., 30 minutes behind schedule. It ended at 12:01 a.m. . . . The Gold Rush set school season records with 904 free-throw attempts and 653 free throws made. Previous records were 877 attempts in 2010-11 and 626 made in 2010-11 . . . The Gold Rush lost for the fourth consecutive year in the first round. The XU men have not won at nationals since the 2007 first round, which is their only victory since 1973 . . . The Royals will play at 9:45 p.m. Friday in the second round against unseeded St. Catharine (Ky.), a 99-97 winner against fifth-seeded Southwestern Assemblies of God.
Box score
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Hope International, the national leader in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense, limited Xavier University of Louisiana to a season-low 35.7 percent from the floor and defeated the Gold Rush 61-52 in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship on Thursday.
Senior guard Jeremy Kilgore scored 12 of his career-high-tying 28 points during Hope's 16-2 run to open the game. The Royals (23-10), ranked 22nd in the final coaches poll before the tournament, never lost that lead.
The Gold Rush (23-9), No. 12 in the poll and seeded 12th in the tournament, rallied to within one point late in the first half and three points early in the second half but did not threaten in the closing minutes. Xavier's points were its fewest ever in 19 tournament games and its second fewest of the season. The Rush averaged 85.7 points and shot 51.1 percent from the floor in the six games preceding nationals.
Morris Wright scored 20 points, Anthony Goode 10 and Lucas Martin-Julien nine for Xavier, which made its 15th appearance at nationals and its fourth in a row.
Xavier, ranked third in the NAIA in field-goal percentage defense and eighth in scoring defense, regrouped after Hope's early run and limited the Royals to 30.2 percent from the floor in the final 34 minutes -- 37.3 percent for the game. The Gold Rush also outrebounded Hope 37-29 -- Xavier's best rebound margin at nationals since 1973.
Kilgore's second and final 3-pointer of the game gave the Royals a 16-2 lead at 14:06, and it was 17-4 after Garrett Neilan made 1-of-2 free throws at 11:45. But Xavier rallied, with Wright scoring 13 points -- including 3-of-3 3-pointers -- during a 17-5 run. Wright capped the surge with a trey to cut Hope's lead to 22-21 at 3:47.
Hope then closed the half with six unanswered points, and Neilan's basket with one second remaining made it 28-21.
The Royals extended their lead to nine in the first 75 seconds of the second half before Goode capped a 12-6 XU rally with a basket and two free throws, leaving Hope in front at 38-35 with 13:26 remaining.
Hope then missed its next three shots, but Xavier didn't get any closer. The Royals then hit four shots in a row, including a Matt Green 3-pointer, to lead 47-36 at 9:35. The Gold Rush never got closer than six points thereafter.
Wright, an Àll-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference sophomore guard, reached 20 points for the second straight game and the fifth time this season. He was 5-of-10 from the floor, 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and 6-of-6 from the line. Wright grabbed seven rebounds to share team honors with Sydney Coleman.
Green, Hope's No. 3 scorer entering the tournament, had 15 points in the second half and finished with 19.
NOTES: It was the final XU game for seniors Olivier Siewe and Xavier Rogers, both of whom played two seasons for the Rush . . . The game, the last of eight Thursday, tipped off at 10:15 p.m., 30 minutes behind schedule. It ended at 12:01 a.m. . . . The Gold Rush set school season records with 904 free-throw attempts and 653 free throws made. Previous records were 877 attempts in 2010-11 and 626 made in 2010-11 . . . The Gold Rush lost for the fourth consecutive year in the first round. The XU men have not won at nationals since the 2007 first round, which is their only victory since 1973 . . . The Royals will play at 9:45 p.m. Friday in the second round against unseeded St. Catharine (Ky.), a 99-97 winner against fifth-seeded Southwestern Assemblies of God.
Box score
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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SWAC Announces All Conference Bowling Teams
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its 2014 ALL-SWAC Bowling Teams with Danielle Walker (Alabama State) spotlighting the accolades receiving SWAC Bowler of the Year honors.
Lynsie Rodriguez (Prairie View A&M) was named Freshman of the Year with Alabama State head coach Andrew Chatmon voted Coach of the Year.
Walker captured the MVP title with a pin fall count of 5,637 in conference play to complement a 201.3 average against the league. She finished 15 games above 200 pins including five over 225 while eclipsing the 250-mark twice. She bowled her best game among the SWAC field recording a score of 284 against Grambling State in the SWAC East Bowling Round Up.
Rodriguez garners the top freshman award after ending SWAC play with a 178.6 average while appearing in 21 conference games. She posted a pin fall count of 3,752, scoring 200 pins of more on four occasions, hitting a high of 232 in conference play.
Chatmon was tabbed Coach of the Year after guiding Alabama State to a SWAC regular season crown with a 19-5 record during the league's round ups. The Lady Hornets registered a collective pin fall of 25,609 finishing ahead of the pack by more than 600 pins. ASU finished with a combine team average of 914.6 notching its best team-game high of 1,100 pins.
Currently ranked No. 19 in the NTCA Coaches Poll, ASU finished the two round-ups with an average of 195.96 and built their non-conference resume with wins over No. 3 Nebraska, No. 6 Stephen F. Austin and No. 13 Long Island.
Joining Walker on the All-SWAC First Team includes: Dyanna Scott (Jackson State), Brianna LeForbes (Texas Southern), Kaila Ryan (Alabama State) and Rebecca Goodwin (Alabama A&M). The second team is comprised of Camille Collins (Alabama A&M), Briana Wells (Alabama State), Rakia Jenkins (Southern), Kaylene Adams (Southern), and Ashle Reid (Prairie View A&M).
The SWAC Bowling All-Conference teams was selected among the top ten averages in league play. The top five averages were named to the first team with the bowlers ranked six through 10 completing the second team.
The MVP and freshman awards were handed to the top bowlers with the best average fitting the respective criteria and must participate in 2/3 of the conference matches.
The SWAC Bowling Coach of the Year award is nominated and voted on by the league's head coaches.
Moving into the 2014 SWAC Bowling Championship Tournament, the six-team field will consist of Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Southern, Jackson State, Prairie View and Texas Southern.
BOWLER OF THE YEAR |
Danielle Walker (Alabama State) |
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR |
Lynsie Rodriguez (Prairie View A&M) |
COACH OF THE YEAR |
Andrew Chatmon (Alabama State) |
SWAC BOWLING ALL CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM |
Danielle Walker (Alabama State) |
Dyanna Scott (Jackson State) |
Brianna LeForbes (Texas Southern) |
Kaila Ryan (Alabama State) |
Rebecca Goodwin (Alabama A&M) |
SWAC BOWLING ALL CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM |
Camille Collins (Alabama A&M) |
Brianna Wells (Alabama State) |
Rakia Jenkins (Southern) |
Kaylene Adams (Southern) |
Ashle Reid (Prairie View A&M) |
COURTESY SWAC.ORG
Rush, Nuggets win every match against Graceland
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Xavier University of Louisiana, back on the road for four consecutive days of tennis, opened its trip Thursday with 9-0 men's and women's victories against Graceland.
It was the fourth victory of the season for the Gold Rush (5-7) against a ranked NAIA opponent. Xavier is ranked seventh, and Graceland (5-5) is 13th. The Gold Nuggets (9-4), ranked second, extended their winning streak to six, which includes five road victories. Graceland's women, who missed this week's top 25 by six points, are 5-3.
Winning for the Rush in doubles and singles were Kyle Montrel, Nikita Soifer, Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht.
Montrel snapped a three-match losing streak in singles with a 6-2, 6-2 decision against regionally ranked Jamie Sordyl at the top flight. Soifer earned his second victory of the semester against a nationally ranked opponent when he defeated Jose Daniele Razo Torres 6-1, 6-2. The ITA ranks Soifer 40th and Razo Torres 23rd. Mandlekar snapped an eight-match singles losing streak with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Brezile Hamilton, and he teamed with Kevin Chaouat for their fifth doubles victory in six attempts, 8-3 against David James Parker and Adolfo Guerrero Contreras.
Albrecht, one of three Rush freshmen to win singles matches — Mandlekar and Jordan Harrell were the others — defeated Oscar Chang Tun Jie 6-4, 7-5.
Kourtney Howell, Brandi Nelson, Nour Abbes and Simone-Alyse Ewell earned doubles and singles victories for the Gold Nuggets. Howell and Brion Flowers defeated Jessica Worring and Zahra El Otmany, ranked 13th in NAIA doubles, 8-0. Howell won 6-0, 6-0 against El Otmany, who is regionally ranked, and Nelson won by the same score against Ilse Karina Cardiel.
Abbes, in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 24, teamed with Ewell for an 8-1 doubles victory against regionally ranked Melynda Simmons and Sofia Jaramillo. Abbes improved to 8-0 in singles with a 6-2, 6-2 decision against Worring — Abbes is ranked fourth nationally and Worring 13th — and Ewell beat Simmons, who is regionally ranked, 6-3, 6-1.
Nelson and her older sister, Carmen, improved to 4-1 in doubles with an 8-3 decision against Amy Haberthier and Cardiel. Amber Brown defeated Jaramillo 6-4, 6-3 for her fifth consecutive singles victory,
XU graduate and former player Monroe Walker coaches both Graceland teams.
Both XU teams will travel to Columbia, Ky., to play Lindsey Wilson's fourth-ranked women and sixth-ranked men at 11 a.m. Friday.
Results: Men Women
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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It was the fourth victory of the season for the Gold Rush (5-7) against a ranked NAIA opponent. Xavier is ranked seventh, and Graceland (5-5) is 13th. The Gold Nuggets (9-4), ranked second, extended their winning streak to six, which includes five road victories. Graceland's women, who missed this week's top 25 by six points, are 5-3.
Winning for the Rush in doubles and singles were Kyle Montrel, Nikita Soifer, Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht.
Montrel snapped a three-match losing streak in singles with a 6-2, 6-2 decision against regionally ranked Jamie Sordyl at the top flight. Soifer earned his second victory of the semester against a nationally ranked opponent when he defeated Jose Daniele Razo Torres 6-1, 6-2. The ITA ranks Soifer 40th and Razo Torres 23rd. Mandlekar snapped an eight-match singles losing streak with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Brezile Hamilton, and he teamed with Kevin Chaouat for their fifth doubles victory in six attempts, 8-3 against David James Parker and Adolfo Guerrero Contreras.
Albrecht, one of three Rush freshmen to win singles matches — Mandlekar and Jordan Harrell were the others — defeated Oscar Chang Tun Jie 6-4, 7-5.
Kourtney Howell, Brandi Nelson, Nour Abbes and Simone-Alyse Ewell earned doubles and singles victories for the Gold Nuggets. Howell and Brion Flowers defeated Jessica Worring and Zahra El Otmany, ranked 13th in NAIA doubles, 8-0. Howell won 6-0, 6-0 against El Otmany, who is regionally ranked, and Nelson won by the same score against Ilse Karina Cardiel.
Abbes, in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 24, teamed with Ewell for an 8-1 doubles victory against regionally ranked Melynda Simmons and Sofia Jaramillo. Abbes improved to 8-0 in singles with a 6-2, 6-2 decision against Worring — Abbes is ranked fourth nationally and Worring 13th — and Ewell beat Simmons, who is regionally ranked, 6-3, 6-1.
Nelson and her older sister, Carmen, improved to 4-1 in doubles with an 8-3 decision against Amy Haberthier and Cardiel. Amber Brown defeated Jaramillo 6-4, 6-3 for her fifth consecutive singles victory,
XU graduate and former player Monroe Walker coaches both Graceland teams.
Both XU teams will travel to Columbia, Ky., to play Lindsey Wilson's fourth-ranked women and sixth-ranked men at 11 a.m. Friday.
Results: Men Women
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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