Regular MEAC tourneys to stay at Scope through 2018

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State's trip to the MEAC basketball tournament will continue to be short, and the city's mayor couldn't be happier about it.

The league's men's and women's tournaments will remain at Scope for an additional three years, keeping the event in the city through 2018, MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas announced Thursday.

Thomas made the announcement in an outdoor ceremony attended by many MEAC coaches and city officials in the shadow of the USS Wisconsin at Nauticus.

Mayor Paul Fraim, who spoke at the ceremony, said retaining the event was a financial coup for the city.

"It's substantial," Fraim said.

"There are thousands of visitors who come and enjoy Norfolk and everything that we have to offer as well as attending the tournament."

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TSU to Host FAMU For Homecoming, Saturday

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Saturday, the Tennessee State football team will host Florida A&M for homecoming at LP Field at 6 p.m.

Scouting TSU
The Tigers are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Tennessee Tech, 10-7, last weekend. TSU held the Golden Eagles to just 150 yards of total offense and five of TTU’s 16 series were three-and-outs.

Scouting FAMU
For Florida A&M, the Rattlers enter today’s game at 0-3, having just lost to Coastal Carolina, 48-3. FAMU fell behind early to the Chanticleers and its passing game could not get the squad back into the ballgame as Rattler quarterbacks completed 14-of-30 passes for only 116 yards.

Three Keys to the Game

Hit a Homerun on Offense
The Tennessee State offense did not find the end zone once last Saturday and averaged just three yards per play against the Golden Eagles. Those numbers would have looked a lot better if the Tigers could have found a little more room to make a big play. TSU had only one play of over 20 yards on Saturday, a Stephen Hopkins run in the fourth quarter. The Big Blue offense also had one drive of over 35 yards and six three-and-outs. Perhaps longer passes or trick plays could help the Tigers generate more production against Florida A&M.

Shutdown the Run
FAMU boats a pair of talented backs that are averaging over four yards per carry in Gerald Hearns and Tysean Holloway. Last week against the now No. 3 Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina, Hearns totaled 101 yards and Holloway averaged 8.1 yards per rush and was not taken down in the backfield once. This season, the Tigers’ rush defense is ranked seventh in the nation and first in the OVC in terms of yards per game (79.5). That trend must continue this weekend to keep the Rattler offense off of the field.

Avoid Penalties
Big Blue has committed 36 penalties through the first four games of the season, a number that is tied eighth most in the FCS. FAMU meanwhile, has only been flagged 18 times, ranking the Rattlers 32nd out of 121 teams in fewest penalties. For an offense that has scored three points in the last six quarters, TSU starting a drive first-and-long is not ideal. Big Blue must cut down on mental mistakes to maximize its opportunities this Saturday.

The Tigers are 27-25-1 in the series and have won the last three meetings including 2013’s 27-7 victory in Tallahassee.

TSU is also 64-14-5 in homecoming contests and Saturday marks the earliest homecoming in the football program’s history.



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Virginia State's Smallwood Takes Big Step Forward

ETTRICK, Virginia — When the 2014 campaign began for the Virginia State University football team, there was a legitimate question being asked from those around the program. Who would step up to replace the lost production from Jordan Anderson after his record-breaking season?

And through three games — two of those disappointing losses — it hasn't been a running back replacing the yardage, but a returning wide receiver who is finally fulfilling the talent he always had. Jaivon Smallwood has always had the physical gifts to be a dominant wideout no matter what level of football he played.

The 6-foot-2 Virginia Beach native led the Trojans in most receiving categories last season, improving upon his numbers from his freshman campaign. Smallwood showed off his concise route-running and soft-hands during a 10-win season for Virginia State. Yet, it was clear there was another level the young receiver had not yet reached.



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Fayetteville State senior defensive back Michael Johnson is gaining interest from NFL scouts

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- With his team preparing for its CIAA football opener, senior standout Michael Johnson serves as an indirect link to Fayetteville State's last conference title.

Free safety has become a prominent position for the Broncos, who benefited from Jeff Gowdy's strong play during their 2009 championship run. Andre Lyles was a sophomore understudy that year, and he entered 2011 as a preseason All-American at the same position.

Lyles' senior year coincided with the freshman season for Johnson, who learned from his highly acclaimed teammate and has developed into a pro prospect.

"That's the beauty of watching guys evolve, and it does ...

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Onward to conference play

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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  It started on the red turf at Eastern Washington in August, and it's gotten hotter ever since. 

Upsets, last-second wins, dominating performances, great cross-sectional matchups. 

Yet the action will only get better as FCS teams jump into their conference schedule. 

That portion of the season has arrived for most teams. The majority of the remaining games are within conference play. 

Most of the preseason favorites are still in position to win conference titles, but most of the others have different beliefs. 

As we move into conference play, there has been plenty of foreshadowing for what to expect over the next two months. 

MEAC - It appears to be a three-team title race between defending co-champs Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T, which almost beat Coastal Carolina. Unfortunately, Bethune and A&T aren't scheduled to face each other, so it's not a level playing field for up-and-down South Carolina State. The early conference leader is Morgan State, and the Bears have been quite impressive under first-year coach Lee Hull. The other seven teams are a combined 3-23 to date. 

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Dr. Doom, Robert Brazile: An NFL Bright Spot

MOBILE, Alabama  -- Sports fans you have been cheated. This is the best time of year for you, or at least it should be. No matter who your football team, they can still make the playoffs, and for the first time that includes college as well. (Well, unless your team is in the Big 10, but you get the point.) The MLB pennant races are heating up. Even Astros fans have much to cheer about with Jose Altuve racking up the most single season hits for an MLB 2nd basemen since 1936. (Do not let the wordiness of the honor fool you; it is a big deal. Passing Craig Biggio and Rod Carew in anything is monumental.)

These things have been over shadowed by legal drama that many times you turn to sports to escape. Today, I remind you that there are still stories to uplift us and legends who are even bigger heroes off the field than on. Robert Brazile sat down with Shaun Bijani and me before he was honored at the Advocare Texas Kickoff for his induction into the Texas Football Hall of Fame.

ere were so many breaking stories that I did not post the interview when it occurred, but the conversation made such an impression, I wanted to find a way to share it. Highlighting the positive side of sports is the perfect place to talk about Robert Brazile. You can listen to the entire interview here or to clips throughout the story.

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QB Ben Anderson no stranger to Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- In recent memory, Arkansas-Pine Bluff may be known as the heartbreaker for Jackson State.

That overtime loss at the 2012 SWAC championship sure left a mark.

But that UAPB squad that went 10-2, 8-1 SWAC that year hasn't looked the same since. Last year, it had about 13 players who weren't cleared to play early on and finished 2-9, 2-7.
The Golden Lions are off to a rocky start at 1-2, 0-1, dropping its first conference game to Alabama State 42-7 last Thursday. Though expectations aren't high for them this year (projected to finish third in the West), the Lions return a face many Tiger players are familiar with – Ben Anderson.

The quarterback's 95-yard touchdown pass sent that 2012 title game to overtime.

Last year, in a back-and-forth match between the two teams, Anderson struggled in the passing game, going 16 for 33, but still put up 295 yards and two touchdowns.

Most of all, he's dangerous on his feet.D

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Alcorn State hosts Southern U. in SWAC showdown

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State looks to remain unbeaten in the SWAC.

The once-beaten Braves (2-1, 1-0 SWAC) entertain Southern University on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Casem-Spinks Stadium in Lorman. For the Braves to reach the championship level, quarterback John Gibbs Jr. needs to play more consistent. He's been uneven through four games. Running back Darren Ragsdale is at a pace to gain 1,000 yards.

Jackson State at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 6 p.m.: A decade ago, the Golden Lions were considered an automatic victory. UAPB has since won a league title over the last few years and are tough at home. The Tigers (2-2, 0-1 SWAC) must improve their defense, which has allowed big plays. The Golden Lions' offense have the athletes to exploit Jackson State's defense.

Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State, 4 p.m.: Julian Stafford has surprisingly emerged as one of the nation's top receivers for the Delta Devils (1-2, 0-1). He's closing in 2,000 career receiving yards. He had 12 receptions for a career-high 222 yards against Alabama State.

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FCS Game of the Week: Texas Southern at Alabama State

Texas Southern (4-0, 2-0 SWAC) at Alabama State (3-1, 2-0)

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET

Series Record: Alabama State leads, 15-11-2

Last Meeting: Alabama State won, 34-2, last Oct. 5

Television: ASU HornetVision

What to Know: The importance of this game is a surprise when considering unbeaten Texas Southern has already matched its combined win total from both the 2012 and '13 seasons. The Tigers lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference's West Division, while Alabama State is in front in the East Division. The winner will move to 3-0 in conference games, a great jump-start toward qualifying for the conference championship game in December.

Texas Southern's four opponents to date are a combined 2-12, so the schedule hasn't been particularly tough for the Tigers. Their defense, getting superb play from sophomores Derrick Lyles at defensive tackle and Dari Claiborne at linebacker, has kept opposing teams from moving the chains and given the ball back to their offense, which is averaging an impressive 34 minutes of game clock per contest. Quarterbacks Homer Causey and Jamal Small both see time under center, and running back Daveonn Porter (104.3 ypg, six total touchdowns) is having a breakout season. Punter Cory Carter is among the best at what he does in the FCS, leading the nation with a 47.8-yard average on 17 punts.

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After back-to-back wins, hope rising within Morgan State football

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Morgan State is off to a 2-2 start and a 1-0 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which may not sound like much. But it’s a positive beginning when you consider how last season unfolded.

Last year’s squad opened 2013 with five consecutive losses, including a 27-21 setback to Norfolk State in the MEAC opener for both teams. This fall, the Bears absorbed identical three-point losses to Eastern Michigan and Holy Cross before beating Bowie State and conference rival Howard.

The back-to-back wins have invigorated the program under first-year head coach Lee Hull.

"There is a lot of confidence," Hull said this morning during his weekly conference call. "One thing I’ve tried to do is play a lot of guys and to give a lot of the players roles – even if it’s just five or 10 plays a game. They all feel part of this, and they all feel like part of the movement and where we’re going. So there’s a lot of confidence.

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S.C. State Pough sees ‘work to do’ before meeting MEAC foe Hampton Pirates

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ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- If Saturday’s 17-7 victory by South Carolina State over previously ranked Furman was a “gift from above” in head football coach Buddy Pough’s words, he does not want to see it wasted entering Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.

As the Bulldogs (2-2) prepare for Saturday’s conference opener at Hampton, Pough believes they still could have played better against the Paladins.

“We still have lots of work to do,” he said at Monday’s press conference. “The good thing about it is we did win the game, but the bad thing about it was that we left so many points out there. That game should have been over at the half and we should have been kind of playing one of those halves where you just kind of get the game over with. And then we come back and turn the football over in the second half, which is always a little bit of a deal. We end up fighting to the very end.”

For S.C. State to overcome the second-half adversity to get ...

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Southern University faces tough SWAC challenge this week against Alcorn State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Alcorn State is 3-1 heading into Saturday's early season SWAC showdown with Southern University and the Braves have looked quite impressive in their three victories. But it was the loss that spoke to how good this team is.

Alcorn State dropped a 26-20 decision to FBS opponent Southern Mississippi and played the Golden Eagles close.

In fact, the Braves cut the lead to 26-20 with 7:39 left in the game and had the ball with a chance to go ahead before Southern Miss' defense finally turned them away.

That wasn't a surprise to Southern coachDawson Odums, who lauded Alcorn State during Tuesday's weekly press conference. The tea

ms meet at 4 p.m. Saturday in Lorman, Miss.

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TSU Men's Basketball Announces 2014-15 Schedule

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University men’s basketball team announced the schedule for the 2014-2015 season on Monday.

The Tigers will have just five home contests during the first two months of the season, three of them coming in a row at the very beginning. Those three games will be Nov. 14 against Reinhardt, Nov. 18 against Southern Illinois, and Nov. 20 against Fisk. All games begin at 7:00 p.m.

TSU will then participate in the Barclay’s Tournament by traveling to Vanderbilt (Nov. 23) and to Virginia (Nov. 25) before going to Jersey City to face St. Peters (Nov. 29) and either Norfolk State or St. Francis (Nov. 29). All times for those games are still to be announced.

Kicking off an eight-game month in December, the Tigers come home on Dec. 2 to host Hampton at 7:00 p.m. before going on the road for six-straight games. They travel across town to Lipscomb on Dec. 6 (4:00 p.m.), take a break for ten days, and then go to Southern Illinois (Dec. 16, 7:05 p.m.), Hampton (Dec. 19, TBA), Middle Tennessee State (Dec. 21, TBA), Tennessee (Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m.), and Texas Christian (Dec. 29, TBA). The Tigers finish 2014 at home against Kennesaw State at 7:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

January kicks off conference play as Southeast Missouri (Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m.) and Eastern Illinois (Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.) travel to the Gentry Center. The Tigers then go on the road Jan. 10 for SIU-Edwardsville (7:00 p.m.), Jan. 15 at Austin Peay (7:30 p.m.), and Jan. 17 at Murray State (7:00 p.m.). TSU ends January with three-straight home games against Belmont (Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m.), Tennessee Tech (Jan. 29, 7:00 p.m.), and Jacksonville State (Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m.).

February begins with road games at Morehead State (Feb. 5, TBA), at Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 7, TBA), and at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 12, TBA) before coming home for Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Morehead State at Morehead State at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 19.

The final three games of the season will be Feb. 21 at Jacksonville State (TBA), Feb. 26 at home vs. UT Martin (7:00 p.m.), and Feb. 28 at Belmont (5:00 p.m.).

The OVC Tournament is set for Mar. 4-7 here in Nashville.

2014-15 TSU Men's Basketball Schedule

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XU Nuggets earn 47th straight victory vs. GCAC opponent

NEW ORLEANS -- Claudia Haywood had 10 kills Monday, and Darian Harris and Jodi Hill served three aces apiece to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 25-14, 25-8, 25-19 women's volleyball victory against Talladega.

The Gold Nuggets (6-2, 4-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) hit a season-high .298, won their sixth straight and extended their winning streak against conference opponents to 47.

Haywood hit .563 -- the third consecutive match she recorded a season high -- and reached double figures in kills for a career-best sixth consecutive match. The 2013 GCAC Tournament MVP, Haywood is hitting .477 this season in conference matches.

The serving of Harris and Hill led Xavier to a season-high-tying 11 aces. Harris' total was a career best.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills and hit a season-high .400, and freshman Jada Broussard had five kills and topped .300 for the second consecutive match. Harris, among the NAIA leaders in digs, had 12 and reached double figures for the sixth straight match and the seventh time in eight matches this season. Hill had three blocks.

Carla Novaes had 13 kills, six digs, five assists and three blocks for Talladega (4-6, 2-3), which has lost three in a row.

Haywood had three kills and a block in a 15-3 run to close the first set. The Gold Nuggets led 19-4 in the second set and allowed their fewest points in a set this season. Xavier used a Franziska Pirkl ace and kills by Hill and CeCe Williams to take a 4-0 advantage in the final set, and the Nuggets never relinquished the lead.

For the match, Xavier had a 34-22 advantage in kills and limited Talladega to .060 hitting. The Lady Tornadoes' 10 service errors were the most this season by an XU opponent.

Xavier will play twice more this week at its Convocation Center -- 6 p.m. Friday against Loyola and noon Saturday against Dillard. The Dillard match is Gold-Out Day, and fans supporting the Gold Nuggets are encouraged to wear gold.


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Former WNBA Player Le’Coe Willingham Joins Tennessee State Women’s Basketball Staff

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Le’coe Willingham, a 10-year WNBA veteran, has joined the Tennessee State University women’s basketball staff as announced by head coach Larry Inman.

Willingham will serve as the individual post coach and defensive coordinator. She will also assist with recruiting efforts.

“Le’Coe Willingham is a great hire who brings a wealth of experience from the WNBA with ten years as a professional athlete and two championships,” said Inman. “She is bringing new information to our players from the highest level.”

A native of Augusta, Ga., Willingham comes to Tennessee State from the Atlanta Dream where she played last season. Willingham was a three-time All-SEC selection out of Auburn, but went undrafted before being signed by Connecticut, where she spent the first four years of her career (2004-07). She then spent two seasons with the Phoenix Mercury (2008-09) and two in Seattle (2010-11).



Willingham’s best seasons came in Phoenix, where she averaged 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2008, and 10.0 points and 4.2 boards in 2009. She set a franchise record for field goal percentage in 2008, by making a league-leading 57.0 percent of her shots. She helped the Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2009 and also was a key reserve for the 2010 Seattle team that defeated Atlanta in the WNBA Finals.

Prior to her stint with the Dream, Willingham was a member of the Chicago Sky where she averaged 18.5 minutes per game – sixth highest on the team. She appeared in all but one game, averaging 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assist per game.

A standout athlete at Auburn, Willingham is the program’s seventh all-time scorer and sixth all-time rebounder. She is among Auburn’s top ten career leaders in starts, points, field goals made, field goal percentage, free-throws made, free-throws attempted and rebounds. While attending Hephzibah High School, she won the 1998 AAAA Georgia State Women’s state high jump title.

At the conclusion of her professional career, Le’Coe returned to Auburn obtain a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

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Winston-Salem State Releases 2014-15 Men's Basketball Schedule

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- 12 home games, a participant from the NCAA DII Final Four, and an always tough CIAA slate, highlight the 2014-15 Winston-Salem State University Rams basketball schedule.

Winston-Salem State will open the season hosting Allen University on November 15th at the CE Gaines Center, before hitting the road for a tough USC–Aiken Tournament.

"We're also fortunate to once again begin our season at home on November 15th with a game versus Allen University", says first year head coach, James Wilhelmi

"We have an exciting and challenging schedule this year highlighted by our participation in a tournament hosted by 2014 NCAA Division II Final Four participant, the University of South Carolina – Aiken", says James Wilhelmi

WSSU will then host Barber Scotia on November 25th and Belmont Abbey on November 29th.

The Rams will face some tough out of conference competition in the month of December, as they will host Glenville State on December 1st before traveling to Fairmont State in West Virginia on December 13th and facing two DII powerhouses in back to back night in Boca Raton, FL on December 19 &20, in Lynn University and Barry University.

"Our schedule also features a pair of key regional contests versus Glenville State and Fairmont State", adds Wilhelmi.

When the New Year rolls around, the Rams will hit the road for a pair of CIAA contests: January 3rd at The Lincoln University and January 5th at Bowie State.

"As usual, there will be a lot of parity in the CIAA and we look forward to competing in one of the top leagues in Division II basketball after the first of the year", says Wilhelmi.

WSSU will return home for a brutal three game stretch in five days as they host the Trojans of Virginia State University (8th), Chowan University (10th) and Elizabeth City State (12th). The Rams will wrap up a five game home stand with St. Augustine's on January 17th and Shaw on January 21st.

Back to back road games at Fayetteville State (Jan. 24th) and Johnson C. Smith (Jan. 28th) will face the Rams before rounding out the month of January at home for a big CIAA showdown with Livingstone College on January 31st.

The final month of the regular season will see the Rams hit the road to start February with a three game trip at Virginia union on February 4th, at St. Augustine's on February 7th and at Shaw on February 11th.

WSSU will then return home for a pair of CIAA showdowns with Fayetteville State on February 14th and Johnson C. Smith on February 18th.

The Rams will wrap up the regular season on the road at Livingstone on February 21st.

Winston-Salem State will then prepare themselves for the CIAA Tournament and a chance to represent the conference in the NCAA DII Regionals, as the CIAA tournament returns to Charlotte February 24th through March 1st.

With six seniors on the roster including returning All-CIAA performers WyKevin Bazemore and Marquez Jones, and new leadership from head coach James Wilhelmi, the Next Chapter in WSSU Rams Basketball is set to take flight, and 2014-15 should be another great year to be a Ram.

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FAMU's special teams coach Vasquez resigns

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Going out after one of the worst performances by his unit isn't the way special teams' coach Juan Vasquez wanted to leave the FAMU football team.

But on Monday, two days after two special teams' mistakes helped Coastal Carolina pull out a 48-3 victory in FAMU's home opener, Vasquez said he's resigned. He met with head coach Earl Holmes on Sunday to give him a two-week notice, Vasquez said.

Following the loss on Saturday, Holmes said he was going to make adjustment in his coaching staff, but he said he didn't fire Vasquez.

"I had some opportunities came up that were beneficial to me and I thought that was the best decision for me to make," Vasquez said. "It had nothing to do with coach Holmes or the team. It's just that the opportunity came up in the middle of the football season."

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Canzano: Former Trail Blazer Caldwell Jones answered one final question before his death

PORTLAND, OREGON  -- Caldwell Jones attended the 7:30 a.m. service at the Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, on Sunday morning. After church, as he always does with his wife and three daughters, Jones went to brunch.

"We have a rule at the table," his wife, Vanessa, said. "No cell phones. We either play cards, or we ask someone in the group to give a synopsis of the church message or I give a writing prompt and we all write a short essay."

Caldwell Jones would be dead hours later after suffering a heart attack. He was 64. The former Trail Blazer known nicknamed "Pops" by Terry Porter will be remembered for his time as a basketball player, but Vanessa would like, too, for you to know about his final hours.

"I give the writing prompt," she said, "and everybody writes. Reading, writing, classical music, these were 'us' things."

Her husband had become an avid reader and was mentoring young children, who were learning to read. In fact, their three daughters — Zori (21), Maya (18) and Leah (13) — had all grown up with trips to bookstores and libraries with their father.

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Former Albany State/NBA Sixers center Caldwell Jones dies

The NBA, the Albany State University (Ga.) family and the sports world loses a gem with the passing of Caldwell Jones.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Caldwell Jones was a key member of the Philadelphia 76ers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1977, 1980 and 1982. The 6-foot-11 center was a rugged defender and named to the NBA All-Defensive first team in 1981 and 1982.

Caldwell died Sunday after suffering a heart attack on a suburban Atlanta golf course. He was 64.

“Caldwell was a special person and was taken from us too early,” former Sixers player and coach Billy Cunningham told the National Basketball Retired Players Association, which announced his death. “He epitomized what a ‘team player’ was meant to be and didn’t care if he scored a point as long as we won.”

Jones was drafted by the 76ers out of Albany State (Ga.).  In his 17-year career, he averaged 7.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He also played for the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

The 76ers released the following statement:

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ECSU Names Interim Head Basketball Coaches

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Elizabeth City State University has announced their head basketball coaches for the 2014-2015 school year.

Ron Woodard and Alico Dunk and will serve as interim head coaches for the ECSU basketball teams this fall. Coach Woodard will be at the helm of the Lady Vikings' program while Coach Dunk will take over the on the men's side.

Ron Woodard brings a wealth of knowledge to the Lady Vikings' program. He compiled a 120-92 record 11 seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Claflin University (Orangeburg, SC). He guided the program from the NAIA ranks, where Claflin won the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 2005, to Division II where in their first season of eligibility, the Panthers won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title (2009). During their transition year from NAIA to NCAA Division II (2007-08) Woodard's club posted the best record of any HBCU team with a 24-2 mark.

"I'm happy to be here and am thankful for the chance to be a head coach in the CIAA", says Woodard. "I look forward to an exciting year of Lady Viking basketball keeping in mind that our athletes are students first. Making sure that we stay focused in the classroom is very important to the overall success of our program."

He was named Coach of the Year in both the EIAC and SIAC and has previously served as an assistant coach at North Carolina Central and Kentucky State and was graduate assistant at his alma mater, Norfolk State University.

After five seasons and a record of 83-56 at the helm of the Lady Viking program, Alico Dunk will assume head coaching duties for the Vikings. Previously he spent sixth seasons as an assistant coach for the ECSU men's basketball team, including 2007 CIAA Tournament Champions.

"I would like to thank athletic administration for this great opportunity", states Dunk. "It is an honor to build on the solid foundation that has made ECSU one of the top programs in the CIAA. Our student-athletes will be equally dedicated to both success in the classroom and competitiveness on the court."

During his five year stint as coach of the women's team Coach Dunk built an impressive résumé. Under his guidance the Lady Vikings won the CIAA Northern Division twice and he was tabbed as the 2013 CIAA Coach of the Year after leading ECSU to the best record in school history of (24-4 , CIAA 15-1).

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After easy win, A&T Aggies turn attention to Howard

GREENSBORO — N.C. A&T was an assuredly better team than Chowan on paper.

On the field, that sentiment was reaffirmed Saturday night in front of 13,184 at Aggie Stadium.

Before heading to the nation’s capital for its MEAC opener against Howard, the Aggies made a capital statement with 52 first-half points against the Division II Hawks in a 59-0 win.

The Aggies appeared to sprint the 100 meters around Irwin Belk Track, circling the field while Chowan looked like it was jogging the 3,200.

“We just had them outmanned from the opening play on,” A&T coach Rod Broadway said. “We played like we should play when you play an opponent like that.”

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In the FCS Huddle: Surpassing all the hype

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Perhaps the beauty of Saturday's three FCS Top 25 matchups was that all three games were happening at the same time.

No matter where you turned, the furious action was surpassing all the expectations and hype.

Saturday will go down as one of the better days of the season no matter how good the conference races become in the next two months. No. 4 Montana at No. 1 North Dakota State, No. 2 Eastern Washington at No. 14 Montana State and No. 7 New Hampshire at No. 17 Richmond saw to it.

You can throw in No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana losing at Southeast Missouri State to make the day even more intriguing. But the trio of Top 25 games were enough to energize the FCS nation because highly anticipated matchups don't always satisfy, and these three were special.

North Dakota State's 22-10 win over Montana was great from the start because the two programs were on the field together for the first time since 2003. Montana is the most storied off all current FCS programs and NDSU has surpassed everyone in the division in the last four seasons.

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Xavier's Abbes, Albrecht, Bruins win titles at HBCU tourney

NOUR ABBES
XU CAREER SINGLES RECORD: 21-0

JONESBORO, Georgia  -- Xavier University of Louisiana's sixth-seeded Nour Abbes defeated Southern's third-seeded Darnesha Moore 6-4, 6-0 Saturday to win the women's A-flight singles title of the HBCU Tennis National Championships.

Abbes was one of three Xavier sophomores to win a title. Adam Albrecht beat Prairie View A&M's James Jackson 8-1 in the men's C-flight consolation final, and Sha'Nel Bruins defeated Prairie View's Stacy Lackey 8-6 for the women's C-flight consolation title.

Abbes' championship is the first by an XU woman in the main draw of this tournament. She won four singles matches in three days, with the final three victories against NCAA Division I opponents. Xavier competes in the NAIA.

Abbes is 21-0 in singles during her XU career.

Abbes and Carmen Nelson lost 6-3, 7-5 to Bethune-Cookman's Maria Sablina and Mina Matsuba in the women's doubles A-flight semifinal.

Albrecht advanced to his final with an 8-1 victory against Prairie View's Malik Morris, and Bruins beat Alcorn State's Ann Kazarina 8-4 in her semifinal.

"Once again, Nour showed what an outstanding player she is," XU coach Alan Green said. "She survived several service breaks in the first set of the final, regained her focus and cruised to victory in the second. She had a great tournament, beating three of the top four seeds.

"Consolation titles always are won by the hungriest players who rebound from early losses in the main draw. Adam and Sha'Nel both worked hard and played very well the final two days to earn their hardware."

Xavier has won 11 HBCU titles all-time. Abbes' and Bruins' titles were the first for the Gold Nuggets since 2008.

It was the first of three fall-semester tournaments for the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets. Xavier will play host to the USTA / ITA NAIA South Regional Championships beginning Friday at XU Tennis Center and City Park.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Alcorn State rolls to 52-9 win over Mississippi Valley

LORMAN, Mississippi  -- John Gibbs Jr. threw two touchdowns and ran for a third as Alcorn State beat Mississippi Valley State 52-9 on Saturday.

Gibbs was 9 of 18 for 141 yards. He also ran for 57 yards on 11 carries. Arron Baker and Darryan Ragsdale each scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Braves (3-1, 1-0 SWAC).

Gibbs threw a 41-yard TD pass to Billy Shed and 26-yarder to Brandon Vessell early in the second quarter for a 35-0 lead at halftime.

The Delta Devils (1-3) scored late in the

third on a safety, followed by a 39-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Ivy to Tavis James. They trailed 35-9 as the final quarter got underway.

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FVSU Wildcats pickup SIAC win over Clark Atlanta 19-18

FORT VALLEY, Georgia –  Fort Valley State University holds off Clark Atlanta University on a blocked kick attempt by FVSU's Aaron Davis after Clark Atlanta scored with .55 seconds left for an 18-19 score.
 
Fort Valley State scored 13 fourth-quarter points to beat Clark Atlanta University 19-18 on Saturday, September 20 at Wildcat Stadium in Fort Valley, Ga.
 
The Wildcats, 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), totaling 317 yards offensively, while allowing 304 yards on defense with the help of 8 tackles-for-losses.
 
FVSU's Otis Brown and Malcolm Eady combined for 261-yards in rushing, with Brown rushing for 129-yards and Eady another 102.
 
Clark Atlanta (1-2; 0-2) scored the first, as Tayl Montavious capped off a 16 play, 89-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, Austin Casillas kick failed at the 12:47 mark in the second quarter.
 
The Panthers added six more points in the third quarter with 13:18 left on the clock when Daniel Matthews went up the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown run, Montavious rush failed to increase the score to 12-0.
 
FVSU's Otis Brown connected with Renard Williams on a 20-yard touchdown pass to put the Wildcats on the scoreboard to complete a 4 plays, 55-yard drive, Brown pass failed making the score 6-12.
 
Brown completed a 4 play, 57-yard drive with 6:23 left on the clock as Brown went around the right side for a 46-yards run to give the Wildcats their first lead, Juan Serna kick attempt good for a 13-12 lead.
 
With 4:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, CAU' Earl Trenton pass was pickoff by Kentorius Jackson at the Wildcats 48-yard line and returned 40-yards to the Panthers 12. Brown finished the drive off with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Drelon Freemon, Serna kick attempt failed with 2:03 left on the clock for a 19-12 lead.
 
CAU started the final drive on FVSU 48-yard line with 2:03 left, Trenton connected on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Montavious with: 55 second left in the game. FVSU's Aaron Davis blocked Casillas kick attempt that would have tied the game.
 
Defensively, the Wildcats LeRon Furr led the team with 14 tackles (7 solos) and 1.5 tackles-for-losses, while Stefon Harper racked up 12 tackle (6 solos). Ryan Bowman added 8 assisted tackles, Billy Sparks 7 (1 solo) and Jackson and Brian Walker had one interception each.  
 
The Wildcats will travel to Columbia, SC., on Saturday, September 27 to play the Tigers of Benedict College at 6 p.m.

COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION