Alabama A&M wins the 2014 SWAC Bowling Championship

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ARLINGTON, Texas --  After making their third appearance in the SWAC Bowling Championship round, Alabama A&M was crowned as this year's 2014 SWAC Bowling Champions on Sunday, March 23 at the Bowling International Training and Research Center.

This is AAMU's first championship since the 2010 season and third overall. Their first came in 2007.

With this being a double-elimination tournament, top seeded ALabama A&M only needed to win once.

Despite it being their first visit to the championship match, Alabama State did not make it easy for its arch-rival to take home the win as the Lady Hornets won the first match (4-2).

The Lady Bulldogs responded with a 4-2 victory of their own, claiming the SWAC Tournament Championship crown with a total pinfall of 1226.

AAMU's Nicole Kleutgen was tabbed as this year's Most Valuable Player. Kleutgen struck every shot but two in the final deciding match.

The 2014 title marks the first for Alabama A&M Coach Alexandra McIntyre who took over this year for Jeff McCorvey.

The championship final will be broadcasted on ESPNU tape delayed on Tuesday, April 1, at 8:30 p.m. CT.
 
2014 SWAC Bowling Final Results

2014 Final Bracket

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Gold Nuggets win at Cumberland, but Gold Rush lose

LEBANON, Tennessee  --  Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Cumberland 5-0 in women's tennis Sunday, but the XU men lost 5-2 to the Bulldogs.

All four teams are ranked by the NAIA. Xavier's women (11-5) are No. 2, and the men (6-9) are seventh. Cumberland's women (3-4) are 15th, and the men (3-4) are eighth.

The Gold Nuggets received two default victories because Cumberland had five women available. Brandi Nelson clinched with a 6-1, 6-0 decision against Tais Lacerda Bezerra at No. 5 singles. Extending her doubles win streak to 11 was Simone-Alyse Ewell, who teamed with Nour Abbes for an 8-3 decision against Angelica Sepulveda and Franki Jecker.

Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers beat Alena Gizdic and Antea Dedic 8-3 for their fourth consecutive victory and the seventh in their last eight matches.

The Gold Nuggets are 6-2 this season against ranked NAIA teams. Overall, the Nuggets have won eight of their last nine duals.

In the men's dual, Cumberland avenged a 5-4 loss to the Gold Rush from March 8 at the AUM Invitational. The Bulldogs won both NAIA top-20 matchups -- Antonio Manuel Marcelo and Diogo Soares beat Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer 8-2 in doubles, and Marcelo defeated Montrel 6-3, 6-4 in singles.

Winning for Xavier were Kevin Chaouat and Tushar Mandlekar, who beat Pablo Borrero and Andres Burgos 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, and Vincenzo Ciccone in a 6-4, 6-4 No. 6 singles decision against Garry Tokas.

Chaouat and Mandlekar have won seven of their last nine. Ciccone has won four of his last five singles matches.

The Gold Rush are 4-5 this season against ranked NAIA teams.

Next duals for XU's men and women will be April 5 at 2 p.m. against Auburn Montgomery at the XU Tennis Center. AUM's men are ranked second in the NAIA, and the women are third. It will be the first Gold Rush home dual since Feb. 7.

Results:  Men    Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Tennessee State Tigers Competes in Alabama Relays

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- The Tennessee State track and field teams continued their Outdoor Seasons at the University of Alabama Relays this weekend against some of the nation’s stiffest competition.

In addition to the Crimson Tide, athletes from Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt took part in the event.

Two weeks after being named Athlete of the OVC Indoor Championship, Clairwin Dameus continued her strong campaign, placing second in the heptathlon with 5283 points. The sophomore won the 200-meter dash and long jump events, leading to the high finish overall.

Fellow Tigerbelle, Ashontae Jackson came in fifth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 55.56.

Quanisha Sales then had a top-three finish in the 100-meter dash following a run of 12.07 seconds and Amber Hughes had one too in the 100-meter hurdles (13.88).

Dameus, Jackson, Sales and Hughes later teamed to place second in the 4x100 with a final of 45.58.

For the Flying Tigers, Jerome Henderson notched at fifth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (10.78 seconds) and Michael Johnson came in second in the 400-meter dash after running the event in 48.16 seconds.

Royce Dates (7.22 meters) had a seventh-place finish in the long jump, while Daryl Rice and Caleb Carrothers tied for third in the high jump (2.10 meters).

TSU will next compete in the Oliver Nickoloff Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 28.

 

FINAL RESULTS

 

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UMES Wins MEAC Bowling Championship

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE HAWKS
2014 MÉAC BOWLING CHAMPIONS

CHESAPEAKE, Virginia --  It was a long and tiring day at the AMF Lanes in Chesapeake, Va. but in the end, the nation's third-ranked team from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) won their second-straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship over the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Rattlers, four games to three.

The seven-game grueling match was the second of the day for the Hawks and the third for the Rattlers. FAMU bested North Carolina A&T in the semi-finals, 4-0, to earn a spot against the top-seeded Hawks. The Rattlers were feisty all day. They defeated UMES 4-3 in the first match, forcing a second best-of-seven Baker game match in the double elimination format. 

"It feels good to win my first MEAC Championship with these eight girls," said head coach Kayla Bandy. "They have worked so hard preparing for this tournament, even though it showed more so on Friday and Saturday. They still were able to grind through the adversity today."  

The two teams bowled for over six hours, tallying 14 gamesm before the Hawks soared away in the seventh and final game to win the title.  

The match was taped for a delayed broadcast on ESPNU on March 31 at 10:30 p.m. While the teams, fans, crew and staff were exhausted at the end of the day, the toughest job will come from the editing department of ESPNU who will have to condense the six-hour plus match down to less than two hours for broadcast.  

Sure to be broadcast will be the seventh and final game of the second match where UMES pulled away for the win. Justyne Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.) bowled lead-off for the Hawks and the freshman hung tough, opening the match with a strike. Valerie Riggin (Vista, Calif.) bowled second and tossed a spare to put the Hawks out in front as FAMU opened the first two frames of the game.

Tatiana Munoz (Ibague Tolima, Colombia) was the Hawks third bowler and also opened but senior Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.) got things back on track with a strike. While FAMU spared in the third for their first mark, they split in the fourth and left it open, which Buja took advantage of  Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Mexico) anchored for the Hawks and spared the fifth while Katherine Jones, the FAMU anchor, who was on all day, tossed a strike.

On the back five frames UMES would stay clean with spares from Falbo, Riggin and Munoz. FAMU opened the sixth, seventh and eighth frames, presenting the senior Buja with a golden opportunity. She could put the match to bed with a mark. She just missed the strike but a nine-spare would do and FAMU could not catch the Hawks. UMES would go on to take the game 182-130 and the match 4-3.

The win gives UMES their seventh conference title in women's bowling.

The game would be FAMU's lowest tally of the day against the Hawks and was not indicative of their play. The sixth-seeded Rattlers, who bowled superb Baker matches all tournament long, gave UMES everything they could handle and more. They pushed UMES to their limit before the tournament tested Hawks pulled away for the win.  

Maryland Eastern Shore knew it would be a tough day from the opening game of match one when they lost 198-129. That was their lowest Baker game tally of the season, worse than the previous low, 145, by 16 pins.  

Their best game of the day was a 245 in game four of the first match. They would only top 200 one more time, a 218 in the fourth game of the second match, a very uncharacteristic day for the defending USBC Collegiate National Champions.  

"We just weren't making great shots as a team today," said Bandy. "So I tried to arrange the lineup based on who was in the pocket the most. We used the 10th frame on several occasions to start preparing for the next game. The lanes were tough for us today but we worked through it slowly, physically and mentally."  

UMES used numerous line-up changes throughout the day and changed balls several times. At one point Buja was bowling anchor, Riggin was leading off and Alvarado was anywhere between second and fourth.  "We stayed positive and kept fighting until the very last shot," said Alvarado. 

 "We overcame a lot of adversity today and we are happy with the end result."  Alvarado was named the MEAC Championship Most Outstanding Player and an All-Tournament Team selection. Buja, a senior, who won her third MEAC title in her last chance, was also named to the All-Tournament Team. Head Coach Kayla Bandy was named the MEAC Championship's Most Outstanding Coach.  

"It's amazing to have won three MEAC Championships in my career," said Buja. "Today was a roller coaster but we stuck together and never gave up. This just shows how determined we were to win." J

Joining Alvarado and Buja on the All-Tournament Team was Jones of Florida A&M, Thea Aspiras of Norfolk State and Emily Strombeck of North Carolina A&T.  

Buja and the Hawks will now await the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday, March 26 at 4:00 p.m. to see if they have secured a berth in the NCAA Tournament. A nod will be UMES' 11th straight selection in all 11 years of the event.  

Either way they will defend their USBC Collegiate title later in April in Reno, Nev.  

"We learned a lot from today's marathon bowling," said Bandy. "While we had a couple of girls used to the TV lights and the pace, I think it prepared us as a team, mentally and physically for the upcoming national championships."

2014 MEAC All-Tournament Team

Mariana Alvarado, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Megan Buja, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Emily Strombeck, North Carolina A&T State University

Katherine Jones, Florida A&M University
Thea Aspiras, Norfolk State University

Outstanding Performer: Mariana Alvarado, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Outstanding Coach: Kayla Bandy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

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Highlights of the Slam Dunk and 3-Point Shot Contests at the 2014 NAIA Basketball National Tournament

NAIA DI Women Basketball Fab Four Press Conferences: Wiley College (Texas) ...

Ravens scout Tennessee State linemen at Pro Day workout

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- Ravens assistant offensive line coach Todd Washington attended the Tennessee State campus Pro Day workout late last week, and he put guard Kadeem Edwards through positional drills.

Edwards, a 6-foot-4, 307-pounder, had a 29-inch vertical leap and bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times. He played in the Senior Bowl and also worked out at the NFL scouting combine during which he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.25 seconds. He's rated as a later-round draft target.

At the same workout attended by Washington, Tennessee State center-guard Demetrius Rhaney ran the 40-yard dash in 4.92 and 4.96 seconds.

The 6-foot-1, 301-pounder had a ...

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Eagle Pride, Amplified: Will North Carolina Central University's 1st NCAA Tournament Bid Boost Academics?

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- If North Carolina Central University were not in the same city as Duke University, you’d likely have heard more about them – not just their sports but their academic programs as well.

NCCU transitioned to NCAA’s Division I in the years preceding their final approval for the 2011-2012 season. The Eagles scored an NCAA men’s basketball tournament berth for winning the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference championship this year. Prior to the tournament, they finished the season 28-6 on a 20-game winning streak, with a notable 10-point victory over N.C. State just before Thanksgiving.

I had the pleasure of serving as a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NCCU for almost four years and it was one of the most enriching personal and professional experiences of my career. Beyond working in one of two biotechnology and biomedicine-focused research institutes, NCCU afforded me the opportunity to engage with students and faculty in their tremendous jazz studies program, and everywhere across campus from criminal justice and library sciences to public administration, educational and health disparities, and communications.

A historically-Black college/university with an enrollment of 8,155 students – 6,369 undergrads and 1,786 – NCCU ranks 12th on the U.S. News & World Report list of HBCUs; fourth among state-funded HBCUs. NCCU is one of 17 institutions that comprise the University of North Carolina system (which includes UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State) – one of five HBCUs – and was the first in the system to require ...

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Hampton Historic Season Ends in Loss to Michigan State

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina  -- The Hampton University women's basketball team had its 2013-14 end on Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena, as the Lady Pirates fell 91-61 to No. 5 seed Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The loss snapped Hampton's 18-game winning streak.

The No. 12 seed Lady Pirates (28-5) were led by senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.), who scored 19 points in her final collegiate game while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) added 16 points and seven rebounds.

"Tough, tough game," head coach David Six said. "Michigan State played well. We certainly didn't play well in the first half. We weren't ready to go and I certainly have to take responsibility for that, but I can't take anything away from Michigan State."

A jumper from Hamilton at the 16:31 mark of the first half gave the Lady Pirates a 6-5 lead, before Michigan State answered with a 15-1 run to take a 20-7 lead after a 3-pointer from Tori Jankoska at the 12:17 mark.

Junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) hit a trey at the 11:59 mark to end the run, but the Spartans scored the next 10 points, taking a 30-10 lead with 8:55 left in the first half after a fastbreak layup from Aerial Powers.

Cole hit two free throws at the 6:29 mark, cutting Michigan State's lead to 32-16, but the Spartans closed the half with a 22-6 run, taking a 54-22 lead into the locker room after Annalise Pickrel hit three free throws with nine seconds left in the half.

Michigan State opened the second half on an 8-1 run, taking a 62-23 lead with 17:55 left after a jumper from Pickrel. Another Pickrel jumper with 7:01 left gave the Spartans their largest lead of the game at 79-36.

Hampton went on a 9-1 run, cutting the lead to 80-45 with 4:53 left after a 3-point play from Bennett.

Hamilton added a trey with 3:05 left to cut the Spartans' lead to 85-53, and when Bennett hit a jumper with 1:03 remaining, it cut Michigan State's lead to the final margin of 91-61.

The Lady Pirates shot 27.2 percent (22-for-81) from the floor and hit just two of their 18 3-pointers (11.1 percent). Hampton did turn Michigan State over 20 times, scoring 16 points off of those miscues.

Michigan State (23-9) shot 52.5 percent (32-for-61) from the floor – including a 57.6 percent clip in the first half – and made six of 18 3-pointers. The Spartans also held a 54-42 advantage on the glass.

Powers led five Spartans in double figures with 26 points, to go along with 18 rebounds.

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.
 
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Spartans Advance in Tournament with 91-61 Win Over Hampton

Box Score |  Notes |  USATSI Gallery  |  Photo Gallery   | Highlights

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina -- Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant was a little concerned about how her team would perform after a two-week layoff.

Freshman Aerial Powers and senior Annalise Pickrel put her worries at ease right away.

Powers had 26 points and 18 rebounds, Pickrel had 21 points on 7 of 7 shooting and the fifth-seeded Spartans jumped out to a 32-point halftime lead and cruised to an easy 91-61 victory over No. 12 Hampton on Sunday to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Michigan State (23-9) came into the tournament looking to avenge a 28-point loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten Conference semifinals on March 8 and played inspired basketball almost from the opening tip.

"It felt like an eternity since we played," Merchant said.

"But we did a great job of keeping our composure and moving the ball."

And playing defense.

The Spartans held Hampton to 18 percent shooting in the first half to build a 54-22 lead the break.
They never led by less than 30 points in the second half.

Merchant got a huge day from her three key freshmen.

Powers, who came in as the only freshman in the nation to total at least 400 points, 200 rebounds and 75 assists this season, was dominant in all phases in her first NCAA tournament game. She was 10 of 18 from the field, often slicing down the lane and creating an open shot, and chipped in with two blocked shots and two steals to overcome two early turnovers.

Powers also held Hampton's Malia Tate-DeFreitas to 1 of 15 shooting from the field.

Fellow freshmen Branndais Agee had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Tori Jankoska had 11 points for the Spartans, who shot 58 percent from the field in the first half.

"We need some excitement in our game and it's a positive," Merchant said of the influx of freshmen in women's basketball this season.

"It's a positive and might bring some fans back for four more years - and even attract some new ones."

Of course, Merchant's star senior was pretty good, too.

Pickrel's 21 points tied a career high. She hit all three 3-pointers and was 4 of 4 from the foul line to cap a perfect shooting day.

The taller Spartans outscored the Pirates 46-30 in the paint.

Hampton (28-5), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, came in riding an 18-game winning streak and looking for its first NCAA tournament win.

But the first half did them in.

It didn't take long for Michigan State to take control.

Trailing 6-5, Powers ignited a 15-1 run by scoring on an offensive rebound and then on a fast break layup to give her team the lead for good. Pickrel knocked down two 3-pointers and Jankoska added another trey during the stretch.

When Michigan State wasn't hitting shots from outside, they were dominating on the boards. They out-rebounded the Pirates 54-42.

The Spartans continued to pull away building a 32-point lead halftime behind Powers, who already had a double-double at the break with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

"We weren't ready to go, and I take responsibility for that," Hampton coach David Six said.

Said Pirates guard Kenia Cole: "You can't have slow starts against a team like Michigan State and expect to win."

Hampton too often settled for one-on-one drives to the hole which often resulted in blocked shots or misses. The Spartans had six blocks alone in the first half.

"We let our emotions get the best of us," Six said. "We did a lot of 1-on-1 play and did not move the ball from side to side."

Part of that might have been Michigan State's preparation.

"We had been preparing for them for a while and knew their offensive sets backward and forward," Pickrel said.

Nicole Hamilton led the Pirates with 19 points. Alyssa Bennett had 16.

Michigan State led by at least 30 points throughout the second half but coach Merchant waited until the final minutes before emptying the bench.

Becca Mills added 12 points for Michigan State, which has advanced to the second round in nine of its last 10 seasons.

Hampton fell to 0-8 all-time in NCAA tournament play.

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Southern defense keeps learning

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern football coach Dawson Odums said his defense “made some busts” in its first spring scrimmage last week.

He said the defense had one bust in the Jaguars’ second scrimmage Saturday.

“Other than that, it was individual guys making individual plays,” he said. “I like seeing four and five guys on the tackle, and I saw a lot of that today. I thought our safeties got a lot better from the last scrimmage to this scrimmage.”

That improvement is consistent with last season, when the defenders demonstrated that they could learn from their mistakes and get better week after week.

The difference in the performance of the defense in the first three games and the last 10 was about as stark as it could be, and it was one of the keys to Southern’s drive to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

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Homecoming fallout: JSU seeks legal action against Grambling, SWAC

Jackson State estimates it lost up to $600K on forfeited game

JACKSON, Mississippi  --   Still stinging from Grambling State’s no-show for October’s homecoming football game and frustrated by what it perceives as a lack of support from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Jackson State University has been pushing the Mississippi attorney general’s office for five months to pursue legal action against Grambling, the SWAC or both.

Documents obtained by The Clarion-Ledger through an open records request clearly show ...

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NAIA Div. I Tournament National Championship: No. 3 Wiley College (Texas) Bests No. 1 Westminster (Utah), 75-58; Bound for First-Ever Fab Four

Wiley College Lady Wildcats (30-4) advances to the first Fab Four in program history, and will be the first historically black college to appear in the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship semifinals since former member Central State (Ohio) in 2002.

FRANKFORT, Kentucky --  No. 3 Wiley (Texas) bested No. 1 Westminster (Utah), 75-58, in the third quarterfinal game at the Frankfort Convention Center Saturday to advance to its first-ever NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship Fab Four.

The Lady Wildcats had beaten No. 6 Mobile (Ala.) and No. 7 Shawnee State (Ohio), while Westminster had defeated No. 8 William Woods (Mo.) and No. 4 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), to advance to the quarterfinals.

Wiley never trailed after taking a 6-5 lead on a field goal by junior center Alexia Kelley with 15:28 remaining in the first half. The Lady Wildcats headed to the locker room at halftime with a 19-point lead and kept it at double-digits throughout the second period, despite the Griffins shooting 50.0 percent (3-of-6) from 3-point range and 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from the field in the second half.

Senior guards Danisha Shaw and Kyniddia Purdy led Wiley with 23 and 19 points, respectively.



Shaw’s 23 points was also the game-high. “Danisha Shaw and Kyniddia Purdy are our seniors on our team and they led us. They remember the hurt we felt last year from [our national championship first round loss to] Campbellsville and wanted to come back and prove why Wiley was in the tournament,” said Red River Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Courtney Garrett-Pruitt.

Wiley (30-4) advances to the first Fab Four in program history, and will be the first historically black college to appear in the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship semifinals since former member Central State (Ohio) in 2002. The Lady Wildcats will face the last remaining No. 1 seed, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) on Monday at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

Coach Garrett-Pruitt said this of the Lady Wildcats' semifinal matchup, “It’s going to be a tough game. Freed-Hardeman is a great team and a historic program with great coaches. I know we're going to have our work cut out for us, but it's going to be a great game.”

Westminster falls in the national championship quarterfinals for the second-straight year and ends its season with a record of 26-3.

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By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

FAMU Rattlers Split MEAC Doubleheader With NCCU Eagles

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Rattlers romp 13-5 in opener; Eagles take second game, 6-5 in nine innings

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (March 22) – The Florida A&M University Rattler Baseball team split a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader with visiting North Carolina Central Saturday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field, winning the opener, 13-5, before dropping the nightcap, 6-5 in extra innings.

@ FAMU (7-14, 4-4 in MEAC) unleashed an 18-hit attack in the first game, led by Bennie Robinson, Marlon Gibbs and Jared Walker with three hits and a run batted in each, along with two hits apiece by Michael Birdsong, Kendal Weeks and Jeremy Barlow. Weeks drove in a team-high three runs, while Birdsong drove in another.

The Rattlers led 3-0 in the fifth before scoring four runs to forge a 7-0 lead, but NCCU (9-13, 6-5 in MEAC) scored four runs in the sixth to slice the FAMU margin to 7-4.

FAMU picked up two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend their edge to 9-4, then the Eagles scored a single run in the seventh to close to 9-5, before the Rattlers rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to salt away the game.

FAMU starting pitcher Chase Jarrell (2-2) got the win, allowing four runs on six hits in six innings with a pair of strikeouts, with reliever Jordan Montague working the final three innings to log his first save. Alex Dandridge (0-4) took the loss for Central.

Zach Lee, Carlos Ortiz and Jake Cagle led NCCU with two hits each.

@ In Game Two, Central built an early lead forcing FAMU to play catch up the entire game, leading 3-0 after scoring two runs in the top of the fourth, before the Rattlers began their climb back into contention with a run in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-1 game.

NCCU scored a single run in the fifth for a 4-1 lead, before the Rattlers scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, keyed by Bennie Robinson’s two-run double that tied the game at 4-4.

Central scored two runs in the ninth to take the lead for good at 6-4, although FAMU did rally in the bottom of the frame, plating a run on Devin Perry’s RBI single for the 6-5 final.

Kyle Shields (2-0) was the winning pitcher for NCCU, working three innings in relief of starter Terry McNabb, while Brandon Fleming (0-2) took the loss for FAMU, allowing the two ninth inning runs, and three hits with two strikeouts in two innings of work.

Jeremy Barlow, Jared Walker, Blake Quillin and Devin Perry each had two hits for FAMU, while Carter Williamson and James Dey each had two hits to lead NCCU.

WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU and NCCU will play the rubber match of the three-game set Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Moore-Kittles Field.

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S.C. State football team dons full gear for first time

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  Clear, sunny skies and the players donning full gear for the first time this spring made for a long, lively and productive Saturday football practice for South Carolina State at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

The 2½-hour session was the longest so far this spring for the Bulldogs. With several personnel and coaching changes, the team continues to go through a period of installation and adjustments while simultaneously honing their skills at their respective positions.

“We’ve got a lot to learn still and you’re just still sort of swimming because you’ve got so many things going in, but at the same time, it’s going well,” S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough said.

The competition at quarterback remains an undecided affair, with Pough acknowledging neither redshirt junior TeDarius Wiley nor redshirt freshmen Adrian Kollack and Joey Copeland have distinguished themselves enough yet to be named a starter. All three quarterbacks showed inconsistency throwing the football during passing drills against the defense and Pough said they are working on ways to best fit their talents into the offensive system.

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Gold Nuggets defeat another ranked NAIA opponent

Kyle Montrel and Nour Abbes

Kyle Montrel and Nour Abbes

  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Milligan 8-1 on Saturday for its fifth women's tennis victory this season against a ranked NAIA opponent.

Xavier's men defeated Milligan 9-0.

The Gold Nuggets (10-5), ranked second in the NAIA, won for the seventh time in their last eight duals. They're 5-2 against ranked NAIA teams. Milligan (9-4) is ranked 18th.

Xavier's Nour Abbes improved to 10-0 in singles with a 6-3, 6-2 decision against Rachel Hodas. Abbes and Simone-Alyse Ewell beat Caroline Morelli and Susan Rainwater 8-1, giving Ewell her 10th consecutive doubles victory.

Kourtney Howell earned her fourth consecutive singles victory, 6-1, 6-1 against Kayla Kelly, and teamed with Brion Flowers to beat Hodas and Kelly 8-1 for the sixth doubles victory in their last seven matches.

The Nelson sisters, Carmen and Brandi, collected the other XU singles victories.

In the men's dual, Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer won in doubles and singles for the third consecutive day. They teamed for an 8-4 victory against Colin Bumann and Matias Yanez. In singles, Montrel beat Yanez 6-0, 6-0, and Soifer defeated Bumann 6-4, 6-2.

Vincenzo Ciccone, in his first doubles match of the semester, and Jordan Harrell defeated Caleb Friddell and Alex Delozier 8-3. Adam Albrecht defeated Jackson Lenoir 6-0, 6-1 to give Albrecht consecutive singles victories for the first time this semester.

Ciccone and Harrell also won singles matches, and Kevin Chaouat won in doubles and singles.

The Gold Rush are 6-8, and the Buffaloes are 6-7.

Both XU teams will conclude their trip with 10 a.m. Sunday duals at Cumberland, whose men are ranked eighth and women ranked 15th in the NAIA.

Results:  Men    Women

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Alcorn State Braves Hold First Scrimmage of Spring Football

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.

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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. 

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.

 

2014 SWAC Bowling Bracket

2014 SWAC Bowling Updated Results    

COURTESY SWAC.ORG

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Florida A&M Lady Rattlers Split With Buffalo Bulls

Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information
Kenya Pererira pitched solidly in both games.

Lady Rattlers Split Doubleheader With UB Bulls On Military Appreciation Day

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