Reggie Barlow Out as ASU Head Football Coach

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University has announced the school's board of trustees voted not to renew Head Football Coach Reggie Barlow's contract.

A nationwide search will begin immediately according to the school. Barlow compiled a 49-42 record in eight seasons as head coach, leading the Hornets to the 2010 SWAC Eastern Division title. The Hornets posted a 7-5 record in 2014.

"We thank Coach Barlow for his contributions to Alabama State University, as a student-athlete, assistant coach, and head coach," Alabama State University President Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd said. Antonio Bradford has been named interim head coach.

Reggie Barlow's attorney Don Jackson released this statement in response to Alabama State's decision:

"This afternoon Coach Barlow was notified by Human Resources at Alabama State University that the Board of Trustees voted not to renew his contract this past Friday. This has been widely reported in the news media. Today, he was advised that his final work day at Alabama State University would be December 31, 2014.

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Jackson State hopes big win sets foundation for 2015

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Twice in the second half of Saturday's game, LaMontiez Ivy left a series, painfully limping toward the sideline.

Once, he almost didn't make it before the play clock expired.

When it looked like he'd be out for the rest of the game, the Jackson State quarterback returned and led his team in a fourth-quarter rally to upset Alcorn State 34-31 in Lorman.

It was a defining performance that reassured the Tigers about what kind of quarterback they have for the next two years.

"I just tried to be there for my team," Ivy said.

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No. 18 Richmond Spiders To Host Morgan State In FCS Playoffs

Morgan State celebrates its first trip to FCS Playoffs at Selection Show
Watch Party on campus.

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- It's official.

The Morgan State Bears, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference co-champions, will face No. 18 Richmond in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The Bears (7-5, 6-2 MEAC) will take on the Spiders (8-4, 5-3 CAA) at 1 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 29) at Robins Stadium. The winner of that game will play at No. 7-seeded Coastal Carolina on Dec. 6.

The Bears finished in a five-way tie for first place with Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State, marking the first time in conference history that five teams earned a share of the title. The Bears earned the conference's lone playoff berth via tiebreaker.

"I very happy for our community. It's been a long time since they had a MEAC championship and the first time ever going to the playoffs," first-year Morgan State coach Lee Hull said. "I'm ecstatic, and I'm happy for the whole program and the University."

This marks the first time in program history the Bears will be playing in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

Click here for playoff bracket.

Click here for ticket information.

RICHMOND, Virginia -- After finishing the season 8-4 with a 34-20, road win at No. 19/23 William & Mary, the No. 18 Richmond Spiders have been selected to host Morgan State on Saturday, November 29 at 1 p.m. at Robins Stadium.

Season Ticket Holder Information

Tickets for Saturday’s game vs. Morgan State are currently on sale for $25.00 per seat. Richmond Spiders football season ticket holders have the opportunity to purchase the same great seats they have had all season long until Tuesday, November 25 at 5:00 p.m. At that time, all unpaid seats will be released to the general public.

Season ticket holders, to reserve your seats today, please call 1-877-SPIDER-1.

Ticket Information

Tickets for Saturday’s game vs. Morgan State are currently on sale for $25.00 per seat. To purchase your tickets, please call 1-877-SPIDER-1 or visit the Richmond Spiders Ticket Office at the Robin Center.

Ticket Office Hours

Sunday – 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Monday – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Tuesday – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Thursday – CLOSED

Friday – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Saturday – Open four hours prior to kick-off

Parking Information

Parking rules and regulations for home playoff games will remain the same as the regular season. Spider Club members who have season parking passes can use there parking pass labeled “PS” for all home playoff games.

For parking questions please contact the Spider Club at 804-289-8759.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND AND MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS 

Twenty-four teams to challenge for 2014 Division I FCS Football Championship

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The field of 24 teams competing for the 2014 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced Sunday by the Division I Football Championship Committee. The top eight national seeds will play host to winners from the first-round matchups.

Interactive Bracket      Printable Bracket

New Hampshire (10-1) tops the bracket as the No. 1 seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Colonial Athletic Association. The Wildcats are making their 11th consecutive appearance in the championship and 13th overall.

Three-time defending national champion North Dakota State (11-1) is the No. 2 seed, earning the automatic qualifying berth from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the championship.

Jacksonville State (10-1), which is making its fifth overall tournament appearance, is the No. 3 seed. The Gamecocks captured the Ohio Valley Conference automatic berth.

Eastern Washington (10-2) is the No. 4 seed, garnering the Big Sky Conference automatic berth. The 2010 national champion Eagles are making their 11th appearance in the championship.

The No. 5 seed is Illinois State (10-1). The Redbirds tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and are making their fifth overall appearance.

Villanova (10-2), the 2009 national champion, will be the No. 6 seed. The Wildcats are making their 11th championship appearance.

Coastal Carolina (11-1) will be the seventh seed. This will be the fifth appearance for the Chanticleers.

The eighth and final seeded team will be Chattanooga. The Mocs will be making their second appearance in the championship and first since 1984.

The 2014 championship field consists of 11 automatic qualifiers and 13 at-large qualifiers:

Automatic Qualifiers
• Big Sky Conference – Eastern Washington (10-2)
• Big South Conference – Liberty (8-4)
• Colonial Athletic Association – New Hampshire (10-1)
• Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Morgan State (7-5)
• Missouri Valley Football Conference – North Dakota State (11-1)
• Northeast Conference – Sacred Heart (9-2)
• Ohio Valley Conference – Jacksonville State (10-1)
• Patriot League – Fordham (10-2)
• Pioneer Football League – San Diego (9-2)
• Southern Conference – Chattanooga (9-3)
• Southland Conference – Sam Houston State (8-4)

At-Large
• Big Sky Conference – Montana (8-4)
• Big Sky Conference – Montana State (8-4)
• Big South Conference – Coastal Carolina (11-1)
• Colonial Athletic Association – James Madison (9-3)
• Colonial Athletic Association – Richmond (8-4)
• Colonial Athletic Association – Villanova (10-2)
• Missouri Valley Football Conference – Illinois State (10-1)
• Missouri Valley Football Conference – Indiana State (7-5)
• Missouri Valley Football Conference – South Dakota State (8-4)
• Missouri Valley Football Conference – Northern Iowa (8-4)
• Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky (9-3)
• Southland Conference – Southeastern Louisiana (9-3)
• Southland Conference – Stephen F. Austin (8-4)

COURTESY NCAA.COM

WSSU beats USC Aiken 80-76

AIKEN, South Carolina – Winston-Salem State fought back from a 13-point second-half deficit to beat USC Aiken 80-76 on Saturday night.

The Rams (2-1) rebounded nicely from Friday’s loss to Columbus State thanks to C.J. Ford’s steady hand and his solid free-throw shooting. Ford, who had 20 points, made four free throws in the final 30.8 seconds to secure the win.

Coach James Wilhelmi said in the first half the Rams figured out how to work against the Pacers’ 2-3 zone but got away from it early in the second half.

“We were able to figure it out for the most part and you have to drive and get into the middle of it and I thought Stacy Caroway did a nice job of that in the first half,” Wilhelmi said.

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Norfolk State Spartans Down Texas Southern, 76-66

NORFOLK, Virginia -- A 28-point effort by Chris Thomas went for naught for Texas Southern, which was doomed by a long scoring drought in the second half. That cold spell became the difference as the Norfolk State men's basketball team earned a 76-66 victory over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Joseph Echols Hall.

NSU got a solid outing from the duo of senior Malik Thomas and junior D'Shon Taylor to rebound after a loss to Boston University earlier in the week. For the second game in a row, Thomas surpassed his career high in points, pouring in 20 on 7-of-12 shooting against the Tigers. He also added a game-high 10 rebounds for his second straight double-double.

Taylor, meanwhile, broke out of a slump with a 19-point effort. He shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from long range, and also added four rebounds to help NSU improve to 2-2 overall.

Chris Thomas shot 9-of-21 for Texas Southern (0-4), including 8-of-11 from the free throw line, to lead all scorers with 28 points, including 17 in the first half.



The Spartans overcame an early three-point deficit a few minutes into the game and never trailed the rest of the way. The Tigers made it interesting, at least for few moments, in the second half.

NSU had taken a four-point lead into the break and went up by as much as six early in the second stanza on a layup by Taylor. The teams went back and forth before Tonnie Collier completed a four-point play with 14:35 on the clock to tie the score at 47-47.

Junior RaShid Gaston and TSU's Thomas traded buckets before the Spartans slowly pulled away. In a little less than three minutes, the Spartans turned the score thanks to an 11-2 run. Thomas had six points during that spurt and ended it with a pair of free throws at the 10:36 mark for a 60-51 edge.

NSU eventually extended that 11-2 run into a nine-minute, 19-6 run, capped by a 3-pointer by junior Jeff Short with just 4:20 left. The Spartans led by as much as nine the rest of way.

TSU shot a respectable 22-of-48 (45.8 percent) from the field but just 6-of-19 from 3-point range. NSU, on the other hand, connected on 28-of-60 (46.7 percent) from the floor and also broke out of a slump from 3-point range, hitting 7-of-13.

Gaston added 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting with six boards off the bench after sitting out the previous two games with a sore knee. Short joined him in double figures with 10.

Senior Jamel Fuentes tied his career high with 11 assists, his third career game in double figures, while also finishing with zero turnovers. As a team, NSU totaled just nine giveaways on the night.

Texas Southern led four minutes into the game by a 7-4 margin before Taylor tied it up on the next possession with a trey. The Tigers never led again, but the Spartans also never led by more than six throughout the first half. That came with 7:45 left when Taylor threw a dunk down for a 24-18 edge.

Deverell Biggs tied it up for TSU with a trey of his own with exactly five minutes left, but freshman Malik Gray went 1-of-2 from the line with 1:02 on the clock for the final scoring of the half and a 37-33 NSU lead.

NSU held the rebounding edge, 37-31, and also outscored the Tigers 36-24 in points in the paint.

The Spartans will hit the road for four straight games, beginning with a Tuesday night matchup at Vanderbilt. Game time in 8 p.m. EST.

By Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SC State Sends Seniors Out With A Win, Share MEAC Crown

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State claimed a share of its sixth league crown under head coach Buddy Pough, with a 30-20 victory over Norfolk State Saturday at O.C. Dawson Stadium.

The Bulldogs close out the season at 8-4 overall, 6-2 in the MEAC, while the Spartans finished 4-8 overall, 4-4 in the league.

Pough's message was not lost on his players who rode the momentum of an 11-play, 99-yard drive to a 30-20 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win over the Spartans during Senior Day, in which 20 Bulldogs seniors were honored in a special pregame ceremony. SC State also celebrated Faculty and Staff Appreciation and High School Band Day.

The victory, which was marred by a 25-minute interruption in play following a fight between the teams early in the final quarter, sent the SC State seniors out winners, and coupled with NC Central's 21-14 triumph over league leader North Carolina A&T, gave Pough's team a share of the 2014 MEAC crown, marking the sixth time the Bulldogs have won on shared the league title during Pough's 13-years tenure.





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Talladega Tornadoes Rallies Past UAPB for 70-66 Win

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- Nautica Smith nails a three pointers with six seconds left to give Talladega College the lead as the Lady Tornadoes held on to defeat the University of Arkansas at Pine Women's Basketball team, 70-66 here Saturday night at the H.O. Clemmons Arena.

Jazmyne Victorian gave the Lady Lions a 62-52 lead with a made free throw with 4:07 left in the game.

TC took a 65-64 lead with 38 seconds left in the contest on a Thomesha Smith field goal, capping a 13-2 run by the Lady Tornadoes.

UAPB reclaimed the lead on a Carlisha Walker layup with 20 seconds left in the contest giving the Lady Lions a 66-65 lead.

In the first half, the Lady Lions jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a Destiny Ham field goal with 15:37 left in the first.

A Shami Goodman made three pointer gave the Lady Lions a 17-7 lead with 12:30 left in the first.

TC cut the UAPB's lead to 26-22 on a pair of Tajanee Wells free throws with 5:48 left in the first, capping 15-9 run by the Lady Tornadoes.

UAPB finished the first half shooting 40 percent (16-of-40) from the field, while TC shot 35.3 percent (12-of-34) as the Lady Lions went into the break with a 38-33 lead at the half.

The Lady Lions opened the second stanza with a 9-6 run to take a 47-39 lead on a Goodman layup with 13:30 left in the contest.

UAPB posted a 10 point lead on a pair of Richardson free throws with 11:55 left in the half, giving the Lady Lions a 51-41 lead.

The Lady Lions finished the contest shooting 35.1 percent (27-of-77), while the Lady Tornadoes shot 32.9 percent (24-of-73).

UAPB (1-3) was paced by Victorian as she finished the contest with 13 points and 18 rebounds, followed by Cassidy Wright with 11 and Richardson with 10.

TC (5-3) was led by Wells with 21 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Smith with 10 points and 13 rebounds and Shakeena Benton with 16.

UAPB will return to action on Saturday, November 29 as they will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to take on Lane College.

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COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Fans turn out for Florida Classic despite rain

ORLANDO, Florida -- The decades-long rivalry between the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats and Florida A&M Rattlers was once again evident Saturday during the 35th annual Florida Classic at the newly renovated Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

"I've been coming to the Classic since it was in Tampa," said Bonnie Stevenson of Daytona.

Stevenson wore B-CU maroon pants and a black shirt with gold B-CU letters across the front as she tailgated with friends in the stadium's parking lot.

She became a Wildcat fan because her daughter graduated from the school in 1991.

"This is age-old, we do this every year," she said. "We don't know what we would do on this weekend if we didn't do this."

For FAMU fans, they remain hopeful that the school can overcome years of problems.

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2014 Florida Blue Florida Classic Battle of the Bands: B-CU Wildcats vs. FAMU Marching 100

TSU's German Breaks School Record in, 48-33, Win at MSU

MURRAY, Kentucky -- Mike German broke the school record for career passing yards and the Tennessee State football team won at Murray State, 48-33, for the first time since 2003.

 

Playing in his final collegiate game, German finished the day 28-of-48 for a personal-best 463 yards and six scores including one on the ground. The redshirt senior is tops in school-history with 8,664 career passing yards.

 

Ryan Mitchell was German’s main beneficiary, catching 10 passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

 

German’s counterpart, KD Humphries had a fine day, too, totaling 467 yards. However, the TSU defense sacked the Racer quarterback eight times and forced four turnovers.

 

For the first time all year, TSU scored a touchdown on its opening possession. German was 5-of-7 for 72 yards on the drive, including a 14-yard score to Isaiah Freeman. Lane Clark’s ensuing point-after was good and the Tigers led, 7-0, with just over four minutes gone in the game.

 

German threw his second touchdown later in the first period when his deep-bomb was caught by Ryan Mitchell for 72 yards. The big play was set up by De’Ante Saunders’s fifth interception of the season.

 

Everything was going German’s way in the first half. He fumbled a snap to start the second quarter, but still had the awareness to pick up the ball and throw it 55-yards down-field to a wide-open Weldon Garlington. Two plays later, German hit Freeman for an 11-yard touchdown to put his team up, 20-0.

 

After a quick Murray State scoring drive, German again found the end zone, this time with his feet following an eight-yard scamper. The score put the Tigers up by 20 with 7:47 left until halftime.

 

German added one more touchdown before the halftime horn – a four-yard strike to Andrew Bather – to finish the first half with 302 yards and five touchdowns (one rush).

 

The Racers scored three second-half touchdowns and cut the lead down to 41-26 with eight minutes left to play, but German hit Mitchell with another deep-ball to up the score to 48-26. The toss went for 59 yards and officially iced the game.

 

MSU would add one more touchdown, but could not recover an onside kick and TSU won, 48-33.

The Tigers finished the season 6-6, marking the first time since 1984-86 that Big Blue has had three straight non-losing seasons.

 

NOTES: After TSU’s third touchdown, Jessaman Dunker accumulated three 15-yard penalties setting up an extra-point attempt at the MSU-48. German kneeled the ball for an unsuccessful conversion… German’s touchdown run in the second quarter was his fifth of the season… Bather’s TD reception in the second half was his first career touchdown…

 

Daniel Fitzpatrick’s interception in the third quarter was the 11^th of his career, moving him into third place in school history… German is now first all-time in attempts with 1,142… German’s six touchdown passes were the second-most in school history, matching Kenneth Biggles’s mark in 1982… German’s 463 yards were the fourth-most in a single game… Ryan Mitchell’s 231 yards were tied for the fifth-most in a game with C.J. Johnson…

 

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COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Fakler, Jackson lead Xavier at NAIA national meet

LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Seniors Catherine Fakler and Kwame Jackson closed their cross country careers Saturday by leading Xavier University of Louisiana at the NAIA National Championships.

Fakler ran 5,000 meters in 21 minutes, 22.3 seconds to tie for 290th place out of 336 women. It was the first meet for Fakler, the 2013 Louisiana Runner of the Year, since Sept. 20. An injury sidelined her before she was cleared this month to resume workouts and competition.

In the men's 8,000-meter race, Jackson, a three-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference champion, placed 307th out of 320 runners in 30:27.3.

The Gold Nuggets' other finishers were Hannah Finnegan (315th, 22:23.7), Carlie Calais (323rd, 22:57.0), Hali Yarmush (324th, 22:59.5) and Reeka Belton (328th, 23:42.9). All the Nuggets finished ahead of Edward Waters' Joy Miller, the GCAC champion who placed 332nd in 25:00.50.

Also finishing for the Gold Rush were Christopher August (315th, 32.51.8), Emmanuel Detiege (318th, 36:46.3), Alex Xavier (319th, 45:11.8) and Xaiver Latting (320th, 50:08.20).

XU CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS ARRIVE AT KANSAS

Yarmush and Detiege are seniors.

In team scoring, the Gold Nuggets had 1,214 points to place 38th out of 38 women's teams. The Gold Rush's 1,205 points placed 36th out of 36 men's teams. Team champions were British Columbia's women (43 points) and Oklahoma City's men (55). British Columbia won the women's title for the third consecutive year.

Individual champions were British Columbia's Maria Bernard (17:03.8) in the women's race and Wayland Baptist's Benard Keter (24:36.4) in the men's.

Temperatures during the meet were in the mid-50s.

Next for the XU distance runners will be the outdoor track and field season, which will begin in early March.



Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Magicians make XU homecoming win streak disappear

NEW ORLEANS -- Daequan Mitchell-Fields scored 22 points Saturday, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:01 remaining, to lead LeMoyne-Owen to a 68-64 men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Magicians (1-2) of NCAA Division II shot 47.7 percent from the floor, the best by an XU opponent this season, and snapped the seven-game homecoming win streak of the Gold Rush (7-2).

Mitchell's 3-pointer gave LeMoyne-Owen a 56-53 lead after Morris Wright's 3-pointer for Xavier tied the score at 53.

Mitchell, 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-8 on 3-pointers, made his final trey at 3:58 to give the Magicians a 59-54 lead.

The Gold Rush cut the margin to two points twice in the final 20 seconds, but LeMoyne-Owen made 4-of-4 free throws to defeat Xavier for the second straight year.

Marcel Hawkins had 14 points and nine rebounds for LeMoyne-Owen, and Timothy Ware scored 11.

Wright made three 3-pointers and led Xavier with 15 points and a career-high-tying eight assists. Sydney Coleman was 6-of-7 from the floor had 14 points and seven rebounds. Jarvis Thibodeaux led the Gold Rush with eight rebounds.

Coleman's basket in the second minute gave Xavier its final lead, 4-2. LeMoyne-Owen outscored Xavier 9-1 during the next 3:19 and led 37-34 at halftime. The Magicians held double-digit leads in both halves.

Xavier shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the floor. Both teams shot well from long range, with LeMoyne-Owen making 9-of-17 3-pointers and Xavier hitting 8-of-20.

Both Xavier losses this season are to NCAA Division II opponents. The Gold Rush had won four straight since a 62-61 home loss to Albany State on Nov. 6.

Xavier will travel to Marshall, Texas, for a 6 p.m. Tuesday game at Wiley. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 against NAIA No. 9 William Carey.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Gold Nuggets beat Warner for 21st straight home victory

NEW ORLEANS -- Donyeah Mayfield sat out the first half but led NAIA No. 18 Xavier University of Louisiana with 12 points Saturday in a 71-59 women's basketball homecoming victory against Warner.

It was the 21st consecutive home victory for the Gold Nuggets (3-4) and their second this season in the Convocation Center.

Mayfield, a junior transfer from South Alabama, entered the game in the 23rd minute, made 6-of-8 from the floor and matched her season scoring high in just 11 minutes.

Freshman Ireyon Keith scored 10 points for Xavier for the second consecutive game, and Alesha Smith scored 10.

Marie Fleurival had 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots for Warner (3-3), an NAIA Division II member. Baylie Bridges scored 15 points, and Hannah Kotzen scored 10.

Xavier led for 37 1/2 minutes. Keith's free throw at 10:42 put the Nuggets ahead to stay, 12-11. Xavier led 37-25 at halftime and 58-38 after Mayfield's basket with 8:16 remaining.

The Lady Royals cut Xavier's lead to 65-58 on Kotzen's free throw with 2:30 remaining, but the Gold Nuggets closed with a 6-1 run which included two Mayfield baskets.

Warner shot 43.1 percent from the floor, the best by an XU opponent this season, and Xavier shot 40.6 percent. Both teams made six 3-pointers, three by Xavier's Eliqua Brooks in four attempts. Xavier outrebounded Warner 41-32 and got a career-best six rebounds from sophomore Kelsee Singleton.

Warner had a 7-0 advantage in blocked shots. In their other home game, the Gold Nuggets blocked eight shots against NAIA No. 22 Mobile.

Next for the Gold Nuggets will be a pair of games against ranked NAIA opponents in the Xavier Classic: No. 6 Wiley at 7 p.m. Thursday and No. 24 Langston at 4 p.m. Friday. Langston is 6-0 with a home victory against defending NAIA champion Oklahoma City.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Lindsey Wilson eliminates Nuggets in NAIA first round




XU women's volleyball travels to Lindsey Wilson
XAVIER GOLD NUGGETS FINISH SEASON AT 20-6

COLUMBIA, Kentucky -- Yennifer Ramirez and Sarah Shilling combined for 33 kills and a .482 hitting percentage Saturday to lead 12th-ranked Lindsey Wilson to a 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 women's volleyball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

The Blue Raiders (33-3) will advance to pool play in the national tournament with 23 other teams at Sioux City, Iowa, beginning Dec. 2. The Gold Nuggets, eliminated in the first round at nationals for the fourth straight year, finished 20-6.

Ramirez, a 6-foot-3 sophomore and the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year, hit .382 with 18 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Shilling hit .636 with 15 kills and three blocks.

Lindsey Wilson's .343 hitting percentage was the highest by an XU opponent this season. Xavier hit .129.

CeCe Williams, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament MVP, had 11 kills, nine digs and three blocks for Xavier. Franziska Pirkl had 21 assists, 12 digs and three blocks and posted her third consecutive double-double and 10th of the season.

Chinedu Echebelem, the GCAC Player of the Year and Xavier's only senior, closed her career with six kills and five digs. Jodi Hill had three blocks.

Lindsey Wilson opened the match with an 8-1 run and closed the second set with a 15-3 run after Xavier led 12-10. The Blue Raiders led 9-1 and 19-7 in the third set.

The Blue Raiders had advantages of 50-28 in kills, 54-38 in digs and 4-2 in aces. Both teams recorded six blocks.

Lindsey Wilson extended its home winning streak to 18, including 11 victories this season.




XU Gold Nuggets at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport for
travel to Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, Kentucky. 
XU PHOTO GALLERY

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Five-Way Tie for MEAC Football Title; Morgan State Earns AQ

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Following an exciting finish to the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football season, the Morgan State Bears (7-5, 6-2 MEAC) earns a share of the conference's title and be awarded the MEAC's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I Championship.

The Bears, led by first year head coach Lee Hull, defeated Delaware State 69-7 to remain in the hunt for the title and berth. The win, combined with a loss by North Carolina A&T State to North Carolina Central, 21-14, sealed the playoff opportunity for the Bears.

This will be the first MEAC football title, outright or share, for the Bears and their first berth to the NCAA Division I Championship.

Morgan State vaulted to the top of the five-way tiebreaker process based on wins over tied conference opponents North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.

Along with Morgan State, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State, all finishing at 6-2 in MEAC play, will share the conference title. This is the first time in conference history that five teams earned a share the title.

The last time multiple teams earned a share of the MEAC title was in 2010 when Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M and South Carolina State were all named co-champions.

The 2014 NCAA Division I Championship selection show will ta
ke place on Sunday, November 23 at 11 a.m. (ET) on ESPNU and ESPN Watch App.

For more information on MEAC Football, visit www.MEACsports.com.

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Bethune-Cookman goes for two to down FAMU in Florida Classic overtime thriller

ORLANDO, Florida -- All week leading into the Florida Classic, Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins heard the same message from his 14-year-old son, Brian Jenkins Jr.

“If you got a chance to go for two, dad, go for two,” Jenkins recalled his son saying.

The advice felt prescient when the Wildcats scored what appeared to be a game-tying touchdown in overtime against Florida A&M on Saturday evening, so Jenkins looked out on the field and delivered the call to his quarterback, Larry Brihm: “We’re going for two.”

The decision would provide another memorable Florida Classic finish.

Lined up in an unconventional formation, Brihm took the snap and rushed to his left, barreling into the end zone to lift the Wildcats (9-3, 6-2 MEAC) to a thrilling 18-17 victory in front of an announced crowd of 41,126. It was B-CU’s fourth consecutive win in the Classic, the Wildcats’ longest winning streak in the history of a rivalry that dates back to 1925.

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NCCU Eagles Earns Share of MEAC Championship in 21-14 Victory Against NC A&T Aggies

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University earned a share of the MEAC football championship, as the Eagles battled the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University in a 21-14 victory Saturday, Nov. 22 in O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. 

With a packed-out stadium, attendance at 13,326, and screaming Eagle fans, NCCU produced its first MEAC co-championship win since transitioning to Division I athletics in 2007.

NC A&T was ranked No. 24 in the nation, and the Eagles earned their first win against a nationally-ranked FCS opponent since the Division I transition.


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The NCCU defense stood strong with redshirt senior Ty Brown contributing six tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. Theo Livingston and Ryan Smith also added eight tackles to the Eagles' defense.

Eagles' running back Andre Clarke obtained his 30th career rushing touchdown and his 15th of the season, placing him second in career and single-season categories at NCCU.

On the air attack, quarterback Malcolm Bell threw for 121 yards, with 195 total offensive yards, including a rushing touchdown.

The Aggies managed an early score in the contest with a 35-yard rushing touchdown from sophomore Tarik Cohen, giving NC A&T its first, and only lead at 7-0 with 12:46 on the clock in first-quarter play.

The Eagles were unable to create an immediate response. It wasn't until the late second quarter that the NCCU offense found its rhythm.

With 4:18 on the clock in the second quarter, Bell threw to redshirt senior Jazz King, who grabbed a tight pass in between two Aggie defenders for NCCU's first touchdown of the game. Kicker Eric Fenton was good on the extra point and the game was tied at seven.

The NCCU defense held A&T to zero scores in the second quarter.

Post-halftime was the deal breaker for NC A&T, with two third-quarter rushing touchdowns by the Eagles to gain their lead.

Clarke took a quick three-yard run to finish off a six-play, 84-yard drive by the Eagles, leaving 12:42 on the third-quarter clock; plenty of time for NCCU to keep the momentum.

The Eagles warmed up a rather chilly afternoon when they recovered an Aggie fumble on Nathaniel Tilque's punt. Bell hit the NC A&T defense with a quarterback keeper to run 37 yards into the end zone.

NCCU was ahead two scores at 21-7 and 6:45 was left in the third quarter.

NC A&T snuck up behind NCCU with an easy three-yard rushing touchdown from Cohen, trimming the Eagle lead to 21-14. Only 45 seconds remained in the third quarter, and the game was too close for comfort for the Eagles.  

The fourth quarter was a matter of back-and-forth battling between the offenses and defenses, as no scores were obtained from either team.

With Brown's forced fumble of Cohen, that was recovered by Smith at the NCCU one-yard line, the Eagles put a stop to what could have been the game-tying touchdown for NC A&T midway through the fourth quarter.

NCCU's defense shut down the Aggies on their last two drives of the game, leading to the Eagles' victory.

Cohen gave NC A&T 203 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Landis Shoffner added to the Aggie defense with nine tackles.

The NCCU football team ended its season with an overall record of 7-5 and a MEAC co-championship record of 6-2.

MEAC Football Standings as of 11/22/2014
Team     MEAC Record        Overall
Bethune-Cookman   6 - 2*      9 - 3
North Carolina A&T 6 - 2*     9 - 3
South Carolina State 6 - 2*      8 - 4
Morgan State            6 - 2*      7 - 5
North Carolina Central 6 - 2*  7 - 5
Norfolk State                4 - 4  4 - 8
Howard                         3 - 5  5 - 7
Florida A&M                3 - 5  3 - 9
Hampton                       2 - 6  3 - 9
Delaware State              2 - 6  2-10
Savannah State              0 - 8  0-12

*2014 MEAC Co-Champions

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ASU NOTES: Bright's interception return comes up short

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Najee Bright did his best to turn his fifth interception into something more.

Bright's third-quarter interception quickly led to an Alabama State touchdown in Saturday's 30-27 win over Stillman.

It just didn't lead to a Bright touchdown.

"The defensive linemen created a lot of pressure and somebody tipped the ball, so I went an got it," Bright said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't score."



Bright's 9-yard return left the Hornets at the Stillman 7-yard line. Running back Malcolm Cyrus took it the rest of the way on the next play.

"Cyrus, he totes the rock, and he scored," Bright said.

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ASU's Cyrus: Win over record any day

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Malcolm Cyrus' persistent smile wasn't dampened by what he didn't quite pull off Saturday.

Cyrus helped Alabama State to a 30-27 season-ending victory over Stillman, but the senior running back fell short of a school record.

His 162 yards left him with 1,662 this season, 43 shy of tying a 28-year-old school mark.

"I didn't want to be No. 2 — second is the first loser — but I had a good career," Cyrus said. "I'd rather win my last game than get a record.

"Now, if we could have won and I had got the record, I'd be happy, too."

The Hornets (7-5) were committed to giving Cyrus every chance at school history.

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Alcorn State needs to regroup before SWAC championship

LORMAN, Mississippi – Alcorn State received the same send-off gift it gave Jackson State last year. A loss.

The Braves punched their ticket to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game two weeks ago.

And what seemed to be a final tuneup before that trip to Houston on Dec. 6 turned out to be something else.

The Braves were upset by the Tigers 34-31 Saturday at Jack Spinks-Casem Stadium, leaving a crowd of 27,533 (mostly Braves fans) silent, wondering what happened in the final five minutes of the game.

“We didn’t execute on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively, to do the things we needed to do to be successful,” Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson said. “We had some plays too that we thought were big plays but wound up not being big plays.”

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JSU closes out disappointing season with upset of Alcorn State

LORMAN, Mississippi – This is exactly what Harold Jackson and Jackson State needed.

In the final game of a disappointing season, the Tigers scored two quick touchdowns in the final five minutes to upset the Southwestern Athletic Conference East champion Alcorn State 34-31 on Saturday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.

“This is going into next season,” wide receiver Jairus Moll said. “(Alcorn State) did the same thing to us last season going into the SWAC championship. So I’m really excited about next season. I think we’ve gelled together now.”

It wasn’t the way the Braves (9-3, 7-2 SWAC) wanted to enter the conference championship game in Houston on Dec. 6.

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Virginia State victorious in first NCAA Division II playoff appearance

ETTRICK, Virginia -- Rewriting Virginia State history by making it into the playoffs and hosting a first-round game wasn’t enough for the 2014 Trojans.

They’re not done yet.

Kavon Bellamy scored twice on the ground, Tarian Ayres rushed for a touchdown and defensive back Andre Rawls recorded a pick-6 as the Trojans defeated Long Island University-Post 28-17 on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs.

Third-seeded Virginia State will travel to Bloomsburg (Pa.) to face the second-seeded Huskies (10-1) next Saturday.

“We’re proud of our kids,” Trojan head coach Latrell Scott said. “We’re extremely excited to be able to do this for our school, for our fans and for the community.”

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Despite late rally, Tuskegee falls 20-17 to West Georgia in playoff's first round

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- The Tuskegee Golden Tigers scored a late touchdown in Saturday's opening round of the Division II playoffs, but fell 20-17 to West Georgia.

Tuskegee was held scoreless in the first half, as West Georgia scored off a Seth Hinsley one-yard rush and a 15-yard pass from Dallas Dickey to Earvin Anumgba within a minute of each other in the second quarter.

A failed extra point on the second touchdown had the game at 13-7 as it moved to halftime.

Tuskegee jumped on the board first in the second half with a Michael Thor two-yard touchdown run with 3:18 left in the third quarter.

Dickey's 26-yard touchdown pass to Shaq Hall put the Wolves up 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, and then both defenses held each other in check until Thor ran for a second touchdown at the 2:37 mark for Tuskegee.

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A&T Loses At NCCU, Share MEAC Title

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T head coach Rod Broadway did not mince words when asked to make his case for an Aggies at-large bid into the NCAA FCS playoffs next week.

“We just made our case,” said Broadway. “We had an opportunity to speak volumes and we just didn’t. We are going to let the committee do their job the best they can as we did the best we can today. We had a chance to get into the playoffs ourselves and we didn’t. We don’t have anyone to fault but ourselves.”

The 24th-ranked Aggies (9-3, 6-2 MEAC) lost 21-14 to their chief nemesis N.C. Central Saturday evening at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. The loss put the Aggies’ playoff hopes into serious jeopardy as they will have to share the MEAC championship with four other teams – Morgan State, NCCU, Bethune-Cookman and S.C. State. A win would have given the Aggies the outright title and the MEAC’s automatic qualifier into the playoffs. As it stands now, the Aggies will have to get one of the 13 at-large bids in order to play next week.

By virtue of the five-way tie, Morgan State secured the tiebreaker and will represent the MEAC as its conference champion.

The Aggies lost despite rushing for 307 yards led by sophomore running back Tarik Cohen who had 203 yards and two touchdowns. His day also put him in position to win the MEAC rushing title as he past Morgan State’s Herb Walker, Jr., for the rushing lead on Saturday. But Walker is guaranteed a chance to play one more game.

Cohen’s one hiccup on the day came in the fourth quarter, however. With the Aggies trailing 21-14, Cohen took the handoff from quarterback Kwashaun Quick, darted left and made a dash for the goal line. As Cohen reached the NCCU 3-yard line, he was hit by NCCU defensive lineman Ty Brown. Brown jarred the ball loose and the Eagles recovered at the 1-yard line with 4:31 to play.

“It happens and that is football,” said Broadway about the Cohen play. “Tarik has been great for us all year. He is probably one of the best players in this conference. His contribution to this football team is unbelievable, and I love him for it.”

The Aggies earned two more possessions in the game. There best chance to tie the game in the final four minutes came on a 3rd-and-13 from the NCCU 46. Quick’s pass landed in the arms of sophomore Denzel Keyes but as he went to the ground the ball hit the turf for an incompletion.

“I am proud of our guys,” said Broadway. “To win nine football games at this time, at this university, with the things we had to overcome; I’m proud of them. To be co-champions is not that bad, but it’s not as good as being champion.”

Cohen was spectacular Saturday. On the game’s first play he ran off-tackle 25 yards to the 50. A&T’s opening drive ended with a 35-yard Cohen TD run. The Eagles then scored 21 unanswered points to position themselves for the upset. NCCU’s scoring started with a Malcolm Bell 10-yard touchdown pass to Jazz King that tied the game at 7 in the second quarter. It marked the first time in 9 ½ quarters the Aggies surrendered a point.

There was a bit of controversy toward the end of the half as Zerius Lockhart forced Quentin Atkinson to fumble. The Aggies recovered at their 32 and advanced to the NCCU 43 with six seconds remaining. Quick heaved a Hail Mary toward the end zone that Xavier Griffin appeared to catch, but it was ruled he did not get at least one foot in.

The Eagles took their first lead of the game as they scored on their opening drive of the second. Andre Clark scored on a 3-yard touchdown to give NCCU a 14-7 advantage. The Eagles final touchdown came courtesy of a muffed punt by returner Khris Gardin.

NCCU gained possession at the A&T 37 after the muff. On the next play, Bell kept the ball on a read option and scored from 37 yards out to give the Eagles the two touchdown lead.

Cohen came to the Aggies rescue again as his 67-yard run toward the end of the third quarter set up his 3-yard touchdown run to pull the Aggies to within 7.

“We knew going in we had a lot of work to do, but 9-3 is nothing to be embarrassed about so we are going to keep our heads up and walk out of here with dignity. We are going to continue to grind and build this thing the right way.”

The NCAA FCS playoff selection show is 11 a.m., Sunday on ESPNU. The Aggies hope their one-point loss to top-ranked Coastal Carolina, their national ranking and their nine wins is enough to get them in.

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