Stewart scores 33 to move Talladega past Gold Rush

Morris Wright
5'-10"/175 Junior Guard
Zachary, LA

TALLADEGA, Alabama -- Shondel Stewart scored 33 points Monday, leading Talladega to a 93-78 victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in a matchup of ranked NAIA men's basketball teams.

The Tornadoes (15-3, 2-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference), ranked sixth, won their 10th in a row. It was the second straight loss to a top-10 opponent for the 22nd-ranked Gold Rush (11-6, 0-1).

Stewart, a senior guard and the GCAC Tournament MVP last season, tied a GCAC record by making 21-of-23 free throws -- 16-of-18 in the second half -- and reached 30 points for the third time this season.

Stewart tied the record for free-throw attempts set by Xavier's Angelo Taylor against Mobile on Feb. 16, 2002, and equaled by Stewart last season. Stewart matched Taylor's GCAC record for free throws made, also accomplished in that '02 Mobile game.

Charles Winborne scored 17 points and Brandon Peters 14 for Talladega.

Morris Wright scored 15 points for Xavier. Anthony Goode and Troy Salvant scored 13 points apiece, and Wesley Pluviose-Philip had 10.

The Gold Rush scored 14 consecutive points -- including Goode's back-to-back 3-pointers -- to take a 16-7 lead in the sixth minute. Then the Tornadoes scored 21 consecutive points -- including a pair of Courtney Mack 3-pointers -- to take a 30-19 lead at 7:15 of the first half.

Josh Freeman's basket at 1:15 capped a 15-4 XU run and tied the score at 35, but Stewart's basket with 59 seconds remaining gave Talladega a 37-36 halftime advantage.

Xavier took its only second-half lead, 38-37, on Goode's basket at 19:42. Talladega answered with a 9-1 run -- Stewart had a 3-point play and two more free throws -- and survived an XU rally which got the Rush within one point three times, the last at 54-53 with 10:01 remaining.

Xavier shot 59 percent from the floor, made 8-of-13 3-pointers and 24-of-33 free throws. The Tornadoes shot 56.9 percent -- they're the first XU opponent this season to reach 50 percent from the floor -- and made 5-of-17 3-pointers and 30-of-35 free throws. In the second half, Talladega was 22-of-27 from the line, and Xavier was 16-of-20.

Salvant (3-of-3), Goode (3-of-4) and Wright (2-of-4) accounted for all the XU 3-pointers.

Xavier and Talladega will meet again Feb. 9 at Xavier. Next for the Gold Rush will be a 5 p.m. Saturday game against NAIA No. 17 Philander Smith at XU's Convocation Center. It will be Xavier's fourth consecutive game against a ranked opponent.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Xavier Nuggets win at Talladega, snap losing streak

Whitney Gathright
5'-4 Junior Guard
Hometown: New Orleans, LA

TALLADEGA, Alabama -- Whitney Gathright scored 18 points Monday, and Trana Hopkins' 3-pointer keyed a late run which gave NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana a 67-60 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Talladega.

The Gold Nuggets (8-8, 1-0) ended a four-game losing streak and limited the Lady Tornadoes (7-7, 1-1) to their fewest points at home since Dec. 3, 2012.

Gathright, who scored a season-low six points in Xavier's previous game, was 6-of-9 from the floor, 2-of-3 on 3-pointers and 4-of-4 from the line. The junior point guard had five rebounds and four assists.

After five ties and nine lead changes in the second half, Hopkins put the Gold Nuggets ahead to stay, 53-51, with a 3-pointer with 5:48 remaining. Baskets by Gathright and Hopkins in the 38th minute gave Xavier a 61-55 lead.

Gathright and Vinnie Briggs each made a pair of free throws in the final eight seconds.

Briggs and Daylin Boatner scored 11 points apiece -- Boatner, a freshman, reached double figures for the first time at Xavier -- and Hopkins and Donyeah Mayfield each scored nine. Emoni Harvey grabbed a career-best nine rebounds, and Briggs had eight rebounds.

Tajanee Wells led Talladega with 24 points and nine rebounds. Shakeena Benton scored 10 points, and Ella Rodriguez grabbed 10 rebounds.

Xavier committed a season-low 11 personal fouls and outshot Talladega 42.4 to 31.4 percent from the floor.

Xavier has won 22 of its last 23 conference openers. The Gold Nuggets won at Talladega for the first time since Jan. 7, 2002.

Xavier will play city rival Loyola (12-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at XU's Convocation Center. The Wolf Pack women are ranked eighth in the NAIA.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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SHC Women Win SIAC Season Opener

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Spring Hill College (SHC) women's basketball team opened its debut season in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) with a 67-56 win at the Paine College Lions on Saturday afternoon in the HEAL Complex.

The Badgers held a 33-28 lead over the Lions (2-7, 0-1 SIAC) at halftime and finished the game with a 45.1 (23-51) shooting percentage from the floor including an impressive 50% (11-22) in the second half. SHC relied on its short game for much of the day as they took only 13 shots from 3-point land and landed three of them for a 23.1% success rate. Senior guard Elissa VandeWaa led the charge with 15 points while freshman guard Jennifer Clark added 10 points for the Badger cause. 

Sophomore forward Alishia Drayton hauled down her season-high 11 rebounds as Spring Hill dominated the boards with a 55-25 advantage under the baskets. The Badgers were particularly successful on the Paine side of the court where SHC took in 36 defensive rebounds and limited the Lions to just 13 offensive rebounds.

Kiandra Guliford paced the Lions with 14 points as Paine completed just 29.7% (19-64) of their total shots and were 2-of-10 (20%) from 3-point distance. The Lions benefited from 34 SHC turnovers and stole the ball 15 times while fumbling the ball 17 times against and nine Badger steals.

Spring Hill (4-5, 1-0 SIAC) will next host Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) opponent the Fort Valley State University Wildcats (2-9) on Wednesday at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center beginning at 6 p.m. 

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SMC Gaels Wrap Up Non-Conference Slate, Host Morgan State

MORAGA, California  -- The Saint Mary's men's basketball team draws the curtain on its 2014-15 non-conference schedule this week as the Gaels take a brief break from West Coast Conference play to host Morgan State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT at McKeon Pavilion.

Live streaming video, statistics and an audio-only broadcast of the game will be available through SMCGaels.com with Alex Jensen describing the action. Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking the Tickets link at SMCGaels.com or by calling the SMC Athletic Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx.

The Gaels return to their home court on the heels of a successful trip to Southern California. Wins over Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount pushed Saint Mary's to 11-3 overall and, combined with earlier home wins over Santa Clara and San Francisco, the Gaels are now a perfect 4-0 in conference play.

With four conference games under its belt, Saint Mary's has established a definite identity at both ends of the court. The Gaels have outrebounded their 14 opponents by an average of 9.9 rebounds per game, a figure that ranks Saint Mary's first in the WCC. When they're not rebounding the ball, the Gaels are sharing it to the tune of 16.3 assists per game. That mark is good for third in the conference.



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Opposing defenses have concentrated their efforts on All-WCC preseason pick Brad Waldow all season but it hasn't seemed to faze the Gaels' big man. He enters the week averaging 20.4 points (third in the WCC) and 10.4 rebounds (first) and he's led the team in scoring in 10 of 14 games. Waldow is also second in the conference with a .567 shooting percentage but the leader in the category, Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis, has taken only 77 shots to Waldow's 201.

With teams focusing on Waldow, the Gaels have also gotten steady contributions from other players throughout a strong start to the season. Aaron Bright enjoyed the trip to Southern California, scoring a team-high 15 points against Pepperdine and a game-high 24 at LMU. Kerry Carter and Garrett Jackson also scored in double figures in both games for the Gaels.

Jackson's emergence has been a huge storyline to begin the conference season. Beginning with a career-high 18 points against Santa Clara, the senior from Portland, Ore. has responded impressively to an increased workload. He enters the Morgan State game having scored double digits in his past four games, a stretch that earned him a spot in the starting lineup Saturday against Loyola Marymount.

Morgan State comes to Moraga for the second time in program history and the Bears bring with them a familiar face to East Bay basketball fans. Former Cal head coach Todd Bozeman is in his ninth season at Morgan State, and his squad carries a 2-13 record into Tuesday's contest.

Despite the lopsided record, the Bears are more than capable of a good performance. Their last win came on Dec. 16 but it was a 63-62 victory over a UC Irvine squad that took Saint Mary's to the wire earlier this year. Since that victory, Morgan State has dropped five straight. Forward Cedric Blossom leads the Bears in scoring at 13.9 points per game and guard Blake Bozeman, son of the head coach, averages 12.6.

Saint Mary's returns to WCC play on Saturday when it travels to Stockton for an 8 p.m. game against Pacific. The Gaels welcome San Diego and BYU to McKeon Pavilion next week for a pair of 8 p.m. games before heading to the Pacific Northwest for games against Gonzaga and Portland.

COURTESY SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA ATHLETICS

Ex-Cal coach Todd Bozeman brings his Morgan State team to Saint Mary's

MORAGA, California -- Todd Bozeman is in his ninth season as the coach at Morgan State, far from the center of the college basketball world in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. His team carries a 2-13 record into its game Tuesday night at Saint Mary's College.

In the blur of a magical season 22 years ago at Cal, Bozeman never imagined his life today.

"Sometimes people act like it was yesterday, but that was so long ago," he recalled recently. "When my daughter looks at pictures, she says, 'Dad, you look like one of the players.'"

It was 1993 and Bozeman was living large. Named Cal's interim coach in January of that season, he helped direct Jason Kidd and the Golden Bears to an upset of two-time defending national champion Duke in the NCAA tournament.

At 29, he was the youngest head coach ever in the Sweet 16.



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Bowie State Bulldogs Men's Basketball Moves Up to 4th in the NCAA Atlantic Region

BOWIE, Maryland -- The men's basketball NCAA Region poll was released today and the Bowie State Bulldogs moved up five spots to 4th place. The Bulldogs currently hold an overall record of 10-4 (2-0 CIAA) and won two conference games last week, defeating Livingstone 84-83 and Johnson C. Smith 85-80.

Undefeated West Liberty is ranked first in the region followed by Glenville State, Indiana (Pa.), Bowie State and Slippery Rock. Charleston is ranked 6th, followed by Winston-Salem State in 7th, East Stroudsburg, Gannon and Livingstone rounds out the top 10.

Bowie State will host Winston-Salem State tonight (1/5) at 7:30 pm in BSU's Leonidas S. James Complex (A.C. Jordan Arena).

NCAA ATLANTIC REGION POLL (1/5/15)

RANK	SCHOOL	W-L	PTS.	PREV.
1	West Liberty	10-0	40	1
2	Glenville State (W.Va.)	9-2	35	2
3	Indiana (Pa.)	12-2	34	3
4	Bowie State	10-4	27	T-9
5	Slippery Rock	11-3	24	4
6	Charleston (W.Va.)	8-3	20	8
7	Winston-Salem State	7-3	14	5
8	East Stroudsburg	8-4	9	7
9	Gannon	9-5	8	6
10	Livingstone	7-4	5	T-9

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton University Golfer, Crystal Smitherman to Study in Brazilian Rainforest

CRYSTAL SMITHERMAN
PHOTO COURTESY: HAMPTON  UNIVERSITY

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Hampton University senior and Birmingham native Crystal Smitherman will spend four weeks in Brazil seeing up close what she's previously spent years reading about.

Smitherman was selected to participate in a four-week exchange in Brazil on the campus of the Iracambi Rainforest Research Center and on the Rio Pomba campus of the Federal Technical Institute of Southeastern Minas Gerais. The course in the Atlantic Rainforest begins today.

Smitherman, who is majoring in biological science, is one of six Hampton students selected to participate the all-expense-paid program that offers opportunities for American and Brazilian students to live and study together in a practical internship in the fields of biodiversity conservation, agro-ecology and sustainable environmental management.

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NSU's new coach to decide fate of Pete Adrian's staff

Scott signed a four-year deal with NSU worth $180,000 per year, plus postseason incentives.

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The process of assembling what new Norfolk State football coach Latrell Scott called "the best staff possible" during his introductory press conference begins in earnest today.

Scott, hired from Virginia State last month to replace the retired Pete Adrian, said he plans to meet with Adrian's former staff members this week in his first full-time action on the job after the holidays. Whether Scott will retain any of the current staff remains to be seen.

"I can't really say anything about it because nothing's finalized," Scott said. "But as I said in our press conference, our goal is to surround ourselves with the best possible people that we can. And hopefully, we'll have everything in place sooner (rather) than later."

The Spartans went 4-8 overall and 4-4 in the MEAC in 2014, the last of Adrian's 10 seasons at the school.



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Southern-Texas Southern Battle on ESPNU Monday Night

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Last year’s Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season champion and SWAC Tournament Champion will meet Monday night on ESPNU at 8 p.m. Southern (4-11, 1-0,) was crowned as the 2013-14 SWAC regular season champion and they are set to play host to Texas Southern (4,10- 1-0), winner of last year’s SWAC Tournament.

Despite this only being the second conference game of the season, history has proven that battles between these two schools are always pivotal. In fact, since the 2012-13 season, one team has either won the regular season title or the conference tournament.

The Jaguars enter tonight’s contest after opening conference play with a 68-56 victory over Prairie View. SUBR had a pair of pre-conference near misses falling to #22 Baylor by only four points and #9 Iowa State by 10, a game in which they led at halftime. The Tigers come in as arguably the hottest team in the SWAC. They topped Alcorn State 72-55 in its conference opener Saturday. TSU also knocked off #25 Michigan State, Kansas State and suffered a one point loss at Auburn.

ESPNU’s Bret Dolan and Stephen Howard will call the matchup: WATCH LIVE

The complete ESPNU schedule is as follows:
January 26 – Prairie View at Arkansas Pine Bluff 8 p.m.
February 2 – Alabama A&M at Texas Southern 8 p.m.
February 23 – Alabama State at Southern 8 p.m.

2015 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament
March 15 – SWAC Women’s Final – 2 p.m. ESPN3
March 15 – SWAC Men’s Final - 5:30 p.m. ESPNU



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VSU Trojans Victorious over Broncos, 75-61, to Starts 2015

ETTRICK, Virginia  --  The Virginia State University Trojan men's basketball team defeated the Broncos of Fayetteville State University on January 3, with a  final score of 75-61.

VSU shot 47.5 percent (28-59) from the field, 40.0 percent (6-15) from behind the arc and 65.0 percent (13-20) from the free throw line.

Senior Lamar Kearse led the Trojans in scoring with 25 points while collecting 5 rebounds. Senior newcomer Tyrece Little secured his second double-double of season with 15 points and 11 points. Senior Alphonso Leary and Junior Te'Quan Alers both added 10 points to the books for the Trojans.

In the first half, the Broncos tried to overpower the Trojans with several fast plays. VSU held on to a 26-22 lead with 2:10 left in the half. Kearse knocked down two shots from behind the arc followed by Elijah Moore with a three pointer, putting the Trojans up at the end of the first half with a score of 35-22.

The second half was filled with high energy from the Trojan fans as the men finished strong. The Trojans where shot 90.0 percent from the free throw line in the half.

VSU defeated the Broncos with 19 second chance points, 21 points off turnovers and 30 points in the paint.

The Trojans will take the court on Monday, January 5 against the Bears of Shaw University in Daniel Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

For information on the VSU men's basketball program, visit www.govsutrojans.com.

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Hot Shooting Steers ECSU Vikings Past St. Augs 79-70

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina -- Glenn Patterson led all scorers with a game high 21 points as the Elizabeth City State Vikings toppled Saint Augustine's University Saturday afternoon at the RL Vaughan Center.

ECSU continued their hot shooting ways in Saturday's win connecting on 55% of their attempts from the field (25-45). Of their 25 made field goals, the Vikings drained 12 from beyond the three point arc including 7 of 11 attempts in the second half to close out the game.

The Vikings trailed by 8 with 11:32 to go in the first half but battled back to take a 37-33 lead at halftime.

ECSU would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way but despite taking a double digit advantage, found themselves up by a single point, 61-60, after a three-pointer by Raheem Jolliffe with 7:20 left in the game. The Vikings then caught fire with an 18-6 run and capped by a three-pointer by Miykael Faulcon took their largest lead of the game, a thirteen point spread (79-66),with just 1:51 left.

Faulcon and Darrell Ward finished with 13 apiece for the Vikings. The Falcons (6-5, CIAA 0-1) were paced by Jolliffe who finished with a team high 18 points.

ECSU (9-6, CIAA 2-0) will host Fayetteville State University on Saturday at 7:30pm at
the RL Vaughan Center.

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Bowie State Wins Fourth Straight with 85-80 Conference Win over Johnson C. Smith

BOWIE, Maryland  -- The Bowie State University Bulldogs won their fourth straight game, defeating the Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University by a score of 85-80. With the win, Bowie State improves to 10-4 overall (2-0 CIAA) while Johnson C. Smith falls to 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the CIAA. PHOTOS

Senior Cameron Knox (Baltimore, Md.) continues to lead the Bulldogs, scoring a game-high 22 points to go along with a season-high six rebounds. Freshman Ahmaad Wilson (Baltimore, Md.) came off the Bowie State bench to score 18 points. Juniors Miles Jackson (Silver Spring, Md.) and Justin Beck (Ellicott City, Md.) chipped in 12 and 10 points respectively in the win. Junior Andre Jackson (Baltimore, Md.) ripped down a team-high 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

"Every night in this league it's going to be a war, no matter who you're playing or where you're playing … You really have to do a good job taking care of home", said Bowie State head coach Darrell Brooks.

Markell Lotharp (Marshville, N.C.) led Johnson C. Smith with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Stedmon Lemon (Lithonia, Ga.) tallied 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor and a team-high four assists. Emilo Parks (Ashtabula, Ohio) contributed 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and a game-high three blocked shots in the loss. Joshua Linson (San Antonio, Texas) chipped in 11 points and added three assists and one steal for the Golden Bulls.

Bowie State took a 44-39 lead into halftime with Wilson and Miles Jackson accounting for 11 and 10 points respectively. The Bulldogs hit 15-of-33 first half field goals (45.5 percent), which included 7-of-17 behind the 3-point line and knocked down 7-of-9 free throws.

Johnson C. Smith shot the ball just as well in the first 20 minutes, making 16-of-33 field goals (48.5 percent), which included 5-of-10 behind the arc.

The Bulldogs maintained a lead the entire second half, holding their largest lead of nine twice at 55-46 and 57-48.

The Golden Bulls battled all night and managed to close to within two (78-76) with 2:42 left in the game via a Lotharp free throw.

Bowie State closed out the game with an 8-4 run, with Knox personally responsible for six of those points to seal the victory.

The Bulldogs return to the court on Monday (January 5th), hosting the Winston-Salem State Rams in a 7:30 p.m. contest. Winston-Salem State dropped a 76-74 decision at Lincoln on Saturday (1/3) evening.

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Late Rally Elevates LU Lions Over WSSU Rams 76-74

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania  -- Freshman Quaman Burton (Richmond, VA/John Marshall HS) scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second half rallying the Lions to a 76-74 home victory over Winston-Salem State University on Saturday, January 3^rd in Manuel Rivero Hall.

The Lions fell behind early against the Rams but used an 11-4 run in the final five minutes of the half to cut into the WSSU advantage. Senior Daniel Pendleton (Philadephia, PA/MCSCS) and freshmanJordan Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy)both scored eight points pacing the Lions. Midway through the first half, the Rams had their largest lead (27-16) over the Lions behind hot shooting.  Lincoln shot 48% (13-27) against Winston-Salem State's 58% (14-24) from the field in the first half and led, 39-36.

Senior Alonzo Murphy (Pittsburgh, PA/California University (PA)) tied the game at 43-43 at the 17:12 mark, scoring two of his 12 second half points.  Murphy and Quaman Burton (Richmond, VA/John Marshall HS) combined to give the Lions a 49-43 lead, igniting a 6-0 LU run. The game went back and forth until the final tenth tie of the game at 68-68 with 3:34 left in regulation.

Lincoln played aggressive offensively and drew fouls that sent them to the free-throw line on four attempts in the final minutes of the game. Sophomore Joshua Davis (Saginaw, MI/Louisburg Junior College) converted on 4-4 attempts whileAlonzo Murphy (Pittsburgh, PA/California University (PA)) and Quaman Burton (Richmond, VA/John Marshall HS) each made a pair for the Lions. Burton's final points gave the Lions a 76-71 advantage with 13 seconds left. Despite a late three-pointer by the Rams with four second left, Lincoln won a tough game against Winston-Salem State, 76-74.

The Lions improve to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in the CIAA conference while the Rams drop to 7-3, 0-1 CIAA.

Quaman Burton (Richmond, VA/John Marshall HS) scored 17 points had four rebounds and two assists leading the Lions. Burton was 6-of-10 from the field and made 4-of-5 free-throws. Alonzo Murphy (Pittsburgh, PA/California University (PA))followed with 16 points and seven rebounds while junior Chaz Sharp (Baltimore, MD/Xavier University of Louisiana) andJordan Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Springside Chestnut Hill Academy) finished with ten points each.  Senior Tony Efese(Spring Valley, NY/St. Joseph Regional HS) tied a career-best with ten rebounds against Winston-Salem State.

Lincoln will host Livingstone College on Monday, January 5^th at 7:30 p.m. in Manuel Rivero Hall in their next game.

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Bluefield State College Lady Blues defeat NCCU for the 2nd Year in a Row

SHAKIMA WIGGINS
5'-6" GUARD, SOPHOMORE
HOMETOWN: ATLANTA, GEORGIA

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The Bluefield State Women's team continued their win streak of 4 games today and improved their record to 10-5 on the season.  BSC defeated a Division I program, North Carolina Central University, 66-63 in McDougald - McLendon Gymnasium in Durham, NC.  In the last two years, BSC is 2-0 against North Carolina Central University.

The Lady Blues started the game with a 6-0 run early, but the Eagles came back and took the lead 16-15 at the 11:50 mark. The Eagles continued to push the lead and were up 35-27 at the half.

In the second half, the Lady Blues got within 3 points after a basket by freshman center Amber Bryson just under 5 minutes of play. After a layup by Shakima Wiggins, the Lady Blues took the lead 58-56 with 2:48 left for the first time since the first couple minutes of the first half.

The Lady Blues pushed the lead to 7 points with one-minute remaining, but ultimately won the game by 3 points with the score of 66-63.

For the game, the Lady Blues shot 48% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line, and 70% from the free-throw line. North Carolina Central University only had a better percentage from the free-throw line of 91.7%, 11-for-12.

Sophomore guard Shakima Wiggins (pictured) was unstoppable with 29 points on 11-for-17 from the field and 4-for-6 from the 3-point line. She also had 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Senior guard Charity Harris led the team with 6 assists; she also had 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. Senior guard Tonya Jackson had the team high of 7 rebounds, she also had 8 points and 4 assists.

The Lady Blues will play against another Division I program on Monday, Jan. 5th against Cleveland State University at 7pm in Cleveland, OH.

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COURTESY BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

B-CU Snaps Losing Skid, Pulling Away from WCU, 63-53

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis earned her 200th victory, and her Lady Wildcats (4-10) snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium, stringing together a near-complete game effort to jump out early and hold off Western Carolina (7-7) for the 63-53 non-conference victory.

Although the Catamounts put up six quick points, the Lady Wildcats responded with a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor. Over a stretch of nearly 10 minutes, B-CU rattled off a 22-4 scoring run, spearheaded by the perimeter shooting of sophomore Kendra Cooper, who reached double figures in the first five minutes of the game.

With B-CU leading 23-10 at 8:30 on the clock, the first half closed out with the Lady Wildcats and Catamounts matching blows, 8-8, with B-CU carrying a 31-18 advantage into the break. The offensive spark in the opening period, Cooper amassed 16 first half points while connecting four times from long range.

In the first half, the Lady Wildcats hit 43.3 percent from the floor, while limiting WCU to 28.6 percent field goal shooting, aided by six first half blocks.

Coming out of the locker room, WCU matched B-CU’s early intensity to open the second period, while the Lady Wildcats were offensively sluggish at first. WCU chipped away at the Lady Wildcats’ lead, trimming the advantage to just three points after a 13-3 run to open the half.

Back-to-back paint jumpers from Kailyn Williams and Kayla Crawford sparked the Lady Wildcats offense, and the pair led the B-CU charge as the Lady Wildcats fought off two WCU comeback attempts through the middle of the half. After the six-minute mark, the Lady Wildcats surged and only allowed WCU within a two-possession reach once through the final buzzer.

Coming down the stretch, the Lady Wildcats connected on 10 consecutive free throws from four different players to quell the WCU rally and seal the 63-53 victory.

Although Cooper was limited in the second half, she led all scorers with 20 points. Meanwhile, Crawford dominated the second half for B-CU, notching her fourth double-double of the year with 18 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 8-for-13 from the floor. Also reaching double figures, K. Williams scored 10 and tallied her second seven (7) block outing this season.

The Lady Wildcats finished shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent from the line, holding WCU to 28.6 percent field goal shooting.

With the victory, the Lady Wildcats conclude the non-conference slate and re-open the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) schedule next week with Hampton (Jan. 10) and Norfolk State (Jan. 12) at Moore Gymnasium.

For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats, follow the official Twitter feed at @BCUWBB on Twitter, and @BCUathletics as well. Be sure to "Like Us" on Facebook at BCUathletics.

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TSU Lady Tigers Start OVC Play With, 62-55, Win

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State women’s basketball team moved to 1-0 in conference play with a, 62-55, win over Southeast Missouri in the Gentry Center on Saturday night.

Briana Morrow paced the Tigers with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting. The senior also hauled in a team-high 11 rebounds.

Chelsea Hudson added 12 points for Tennessee State (4-8, 1-0 OVC).

SEMO (7-8, 0-2 OVC) was led by Jasmine Robinson’s 17 points.

The Redhawks outshot the Lady Tigers 42 to 38 percent, but TSU’s defense was impregnable, forcing 25 turnovers.

The game started off tight between the two squads, and SEMO clung to a 13-10 lead through the first 7:26 thanks to a 60 percent shooting line.

The teams went scoreless for the next 4:27 until Morrow ended the drought with a jumper and a layup to give the Lady Tigers a one-point lead with 7:23 to go before halftime.



The back-to-back-buckets ignited a 14-2 TSU run to put the home team up, 24-15. The Lady Tigers made six-of-nine shots (66.7 percent), starting with Morrow’s first hoop.

The Redhawks quickly cut the lead to five, but the TSU defense held them scoreless for the final 2:56 of the half, to go into the locker room ahead, 30-19.

The Lady Tigers forced an impressive 18 turnovers in the opening stanza, leading to 13 points.

Both teams shot above 50 percent from the field during the first eight minutes of the second period, but Southeast had another pair of miscues to extend the Tennessee State advantage to 48-33.

The Redhawks were able to shake off the turnovers and forced TSU into three-straight empty possessions, leading to a 7-0 run.

With TSU on top 55-44 later in the half, Southeast scored 11 straight to tie the game with just two minutes to go.

Hudson finally produced on the offensive end by draining a layup and drawing a foul, leading to an old-fashioned three-point play.

The Lady Tigers made 4-of-6 freebies down the stretch, and walked away with a 62-55 win.

TSU was outrebounded in the game, 42-37, but had 13 offensive boards that led to 15 second-chance points.

Tennessee State will look to move to 2-0 in conference play when the squad squares off against Eastern Illinois at home on Jan. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

MVSU Delta Devils open SWAC schedule with win at UAPB

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- After a non-conference schedule that pitted Mississippi Valley State against some of best teams in Division I including Indiana and Iowa State, MVSU head coach Andre Payne waited patiently for the Delta Devils' SWAC opener.

And on Saturday when that day finally arrived, the first-year head coach wasn't disappointed.

Behind Jordan Washington's 17 points, the Delta Devils (2-12, 1-0 SWAC) defeated one of the SWAC's predicted top teams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 67-63, at H.O. Clemmons Arena in the first conference game for both teams.

Valley defeated an UAPB (3-12, 0-1 SWAC) team that upset University of Houston earlier this season.

"My guys stayed and fought till the end," said MVSU head coach Andre Payne. "We knew it would be a tough game…We told them to pay attention to detail and they did that."

MVSU's Latrell Love came off the bench to score 13 points combined with a career-high five rebounds.

Love made the go-ahead bucket with 1:03 left to give Valley a 65-63 lead. Then, after a missed 3-pointer by UAPB's Thaddeus Handley, Washington converted a pair of free throws that put the game away for the Delta Devils.

In a game that included 10 ties, UAPB held the momentum early on. The Golden Lions led by as much as 12 points in the first half before Valley stormed back to take a 34-31 halftime lead.

"We played 11 big time schools, falling down is nothing new to us," said Payne. "We just tell them to never give up. It's not a 100 percent job yet but we're getting there."

In one of their best shooting performances of the season, the Delta Devils made 45 percent of its field goals and 19-of-23 shots from the free throw line. They were efficient as well from long range, converting 4-of-8 three-pointers on the night.

DeAngelo Priar added 12 points and five rebounds. MVSU won in the reboundi
ng category 39 to 36.

JoVaughn Love led UAPB with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

The Delta Devils will be back in action Saturday, Jan. 10 at 4:30 p.m. when they host Alabama A&M at the Leflore County Civic Center. It will be the fcirst home SWAC game of the season for the Delta Devils.

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State Tigers open SWAC play with a 70-67 win over Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- With 14 seconds left in the game Dre’Sean Looney, who scored 16 points, knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to preserve Jackson State’s 70-67 victory over Alabama A&M in the opening game of Southwestern Athletic Conference play on Saturday at Elmore Gymnasium.

The Tigers had a balanced scoring effort with ten players scoring at least one point and three player in double figures. Raeford Worsham led JSU with 19 points. He shot 46 percent from the floor (6-13) and 87 percent from the free throw line (7-8). Treshawn Bolden added 12 points on 3-6 shooting from the

field (50 percent) and 6-8 shooting from the line (75 percent) to round out the double-digit scoring for JSU. Bolden was two rebounds short of a double-double as he grabbed eight boards. Javeres Brent added nine points on 3-7 shooting from three-point range (42 percent).

Marcus Merriweather led the Bulldogs with 17 points.

The game was a see-saw contest that had seven ties and 11 lead changes and neither team led by more than seven points. JSU’s largest lead was five points.

“I give the team a lot of credit,” said head coach Wayne Brent. “We had a couple of technical fouls that seemed to change the momentum, but we had a couple of guys step up.”

With 2:59 the Worsham scored on a fast break dunk to give the Tigers a three-point lead. The play was sparked by a Jaleel Queary shot block that gave the Tigers scoring opportunity and a 62-59 advantage. With less than a minute left in the game Jonathan Thomas and Worsham each knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Tigers a 68-64 advantage. The Bulldogs continued to fight and with 21 seconds left in the game Rakiya Battle made a layup and hit a free throw to cut JSU’s lead to 68-67.

JSU Trailed by five points with 9:13 left in the second half, until Looney hit a three-pointer to cut the Bulldog lead to 55-53. At the 6:01 mark Brent knocked down a big three to pull the Tigers within two points (59-57). A little over two minutes later he swooshed a second straight three to give JSU a 60-59 lead.

The Tigers closed out the first half with a 9-0 run to take a 41-37 lead. JSU led 43-39 at halftime. Worsham led the Tigers in scoring with 14 points. The Tigers shot 55.6 perceRnt from the field and 78.6 percent from the free throw line.

JSU returns to action Monday when the Tigers take on Alabama State in Montgomery, Ala.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas Southern Tigers cruise to a season opening win over Alcorn State

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Tonnie Collier scored 27 points and Chris Thomas added 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Texas Southern over Alcorn State 72-55 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference opener Saturday night.

In their previous four games, all on the road, the Tigers upset then-No. 25 ranked Michigan State, lost to Auburn by a point, beat Kansas State by two then lost to New Mexico State by two.

In those four games, the Tigers held their opponents to an average of 58.4 points. That defensive trend continued against Alcorn State.

Texas Southern had a 41-18 lead at halftime. Alcorn State opened up the second half outscoring the Tigers 15-6 but didn't make much headway thereafter.

The Tigers will face Southern on Monday in a game that will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hoops: Alabama State men 71, Grambling State 50

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Maurice Strong and Wendell Lewis have been a lethal combination for Alabama State this season. They helped the Hornets run away from Grambling in the second half.

Strong led the Hornets with 14 points and nine rebounds as they defeated Grambling State 71-50 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener at the Acadome.

The Hornets went on an 11-3 run at the beginning of the second half to take the lead for good.

Strong and Lewis have been in the starting lineup together for the last eight games.

"He (Lewis) makes it so much easier," Strong said. "It's good to have a guy that can make shots and help you rebound."

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Defense carries Southern over Prairie View 68-56

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern men’s basketball team rode its defense in the second half to a 68-56 victory against Prairie View in their Southwestern Athletic Conference opener Saturday at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The Jaguars (4-11 overall) outscored the Panthers (2-12) 41-24 in the second half, allowing just 8-of-28 field goals, including 1-of-8 on 3-pointers.

The pivotal stretch was an 18-3 run during which Prairie View made just one field goal in 8½ minutes.

“We were trying to contest everything,” Southern coach Roman Banks said. “We did a good job of shutting them down, and we were able to win each possession.”

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North Carolina A&T Aggies Earn First DI Win, Beat California State University, Bakersfield

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Meet the Ahmad Abdullah the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball coaching staff saw during the offseason and training camp. So confident in Abdullah’s ability to run his offense, head coach Cy Alexander named the walk-on junior his starting point guard before the 2014-15 season started.

But Abdullah regressed when the season started and freshman Austin Williams took over the starting point guard role. But with Williams out with a concussion, Abdullah got the start Saturday night against CSU Bakersfield and led the Aggies to an 83-70 win at Corbett Sports Center. It was the Aggies first win over a Division I opponent this season.

“He really stepped up to the plate and played his best game as an Aggie,” said Alexander. “This is what our coaching staff has been wanting from him. He’s been in the system for two years. Tonight he played as if he understood the system. Hopefully this game will give him confidence to keep playing like this.”

Abdullah finished with a career-high in points (17) and assists (5) on 4-for-8 shooting from the floor and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Abdullah complemented his night with just two turnovers in 40 minutes played.

“I just felt like if Ahmad could play well this game, it could catapult him to playing well throughout the rest of the season,” said Alexander.

Abdullah and the Aggies got their first win over a Division I foe by making a season-high 35 free throws, the most they’ve made since making 44 against Florida A&M on Feb. 8, 2014. It is also the last time the Aggies scored more than 80 points against a Division I school.

The Aggies Division I losing streak comes to an end at 15 games with their previous DI win coming against S.C. State on March 3, 2014. A&T got a win over a CSU Bakersfield team that defeated California of the PAC-12 on Dec. 28.

Junior Arturs Bremers went 4-for-4 from 3-point range and added a career-high 18 points. Leading scorer Bruce Beckford played only 19 minutes because of foul trouble and finished with 13 points and six rebounds.

“For Bruce to only play 19 minutes and we still win, it could be a big boost psychology for these guys,” said Alexander. “I was so happy for the kids in the locker room because they’ve been trying to get over the hump, and they finally got it done against a team that was on a three-game winning streak and had a win over Cal.”

A&T (3-13) is getting its confidence at the right time. Conference foes Savannah State and S.C. State will play at Corbett on Jan. 10 and 12 respectively. The Aggies won by knocking down free throws late in the game. The Aggies made 30 of its 32 second half free throws and were 21-for-22 at the line in the final five minutes of the game.

In fact, the Aggies final 19 points of the game all came from the free throw line. Sophomore Khary Doby’s baseline jumper gave the Aggies a 58-52 lead with seven minutes to play. Sophomore Denzel Keyes then drove baseline and scored while being fouled Dashawn Richmond. Keyes missed the free throw, allowing the Road Runners (4-11) to cut the lead to six with two free throws.

But redshirt freshman James Whitaker answered with the Aggies final field goal of the game, a transition layup that gave A&T a 62-54 lead with 4:37 remaining.

“Not having a Division I win was weighing on everybody,” Alexander. “We’ve been trying to stay positive. We kept saying, ‘it’s coming, it’s coming and it finally got here. What we didn’t want was for them to have a defeatist attitude. What we have to do is take advantage of this win going into the games that really count – our conference games.’”

The Runners (4-11) were led by Richmond who had a game-high 21 points on 3-for-4 shooting from 3-point range.

The Aggies will have a week between games, which may give them time to get Williams back in the lineup.

“I hope Ahmad has his confidence to keep playing well because we have a young man in Austin Williams who is still learning how to play on the college level.”

A&T 83, Bakersfield 70




COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Georgia Bulldogs Close Out Non-Conference Play With 63-50 Win Over Norfolk State

ATHENS, Georgia -- The men's basketball team started 2015 with a 63-50 win over Norfolk State on Saturday, January 3 at Stegeman Coliseum to round out their non-conference schedule.

With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 9-3 on the season, the program's best pre-conference record since 2011. It was the sixth consecutive win for the Bulldogs, a feat the team had also not achieved since 2011.

Sophomore J.J. Frazier set a new career high, leading the Bulldogs with 20 points off the bench. Frazier connected on 7-of-8 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Charles Mann recorded the second double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds which tied a career high.

"I was worried about the game, I really was," Georgia head coach Mark Fox said following the game. "I didn't like our approach at shoot-around this morning. But you've got to be mature enough to show up every day and be a mature enough competitor to show up. The fortunate thing is that J.J. [Frazier] did. J.J. came to play and played well. We had some other guys not play so well but it was a game we were worried about as a staff just because it was the last game before league play."

The Bulldogs took a 36-23 lead into the locker room on a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Mann. The Bulldogs shot 41 percent from the field and ended the half on an 18-5 run over the final seven minutes. Mann finished with seven points and a game-high seven rebounds in the first half while Frazier led the Bulldogs with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting.

Norfolk State (9-7) opened the second half on an 8-0 run to pull within five, holding the Bulldogs scoreless for just over six minutes until Nemanja Djurisic ended the drought with a baseline jumper.

Jeff Short hit a three-pointer to cut Georgia's lead to four with just over 13 minutes remaining, but Georgia scored seven consecutive points in the next two minutes to go up 11.

Georgia was able to hold off the Spartans for the remainder of the game as the teams traded baskets for most of the final 10 minutes until a Frazier three-pointer started a 7-2 run to put the Bulldogs up by 13.

Short was the only Spartan to score in double digits, finishing with 16 points on just 5-of-15 shooting. As a whole, Norfolk State shot 29 percent from the field and 26 percent from deep.

Game Highlights  Box Score |  Photo Gallery    Watch Replay 

Georgia vs. Norfolk State Notes:
· Georgia's starting lineup was: Marcus Thornton (72nd career start), Nemanja Djurisic (36th), Juwan Parker (14th), Charles Mann (51st) and Kenny Gaines (42nd).
· This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
· Norfolk State is the eighth team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that Georgia has played in men's basketball history. Most recently, the Bulldogs defeated Florida A&M 82-73 in Athens on Dec. 29, 2012.
· Georgia is now 7-0 on the season when playing at Stegeman Coliseum.
· Georgia improved to 9-3 on the season, posting the program's best record entering conference play since 2011.
· Georgia also won its sixth consecutive game for the first time since 2011.

Career Highs:
· J.J. Frazier scored a career-high 20 points, making a career-high seven field goals. He also tied a career high with four made three-pointers.
· Charles Mann earned his second-career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds which tied a career high.
· Kenny Paul Geno had a career-high two assists.
· Houston Kessler recorded his first-career blocked shot.

Next Up:
Georgia will begin SEC play when they host Arkansas on Tuesday, January 6 at Stegeman Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN.

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Stetson Hatters Hold On for 65-60 Win Over FAMU

DeLAND, Florida —Stetson’s five freshmen combined for 48 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists as the Hatters held off a furious rally by Florida A&M for a 65-60 win, Saturday at Edmunds Center.

Grant Lozoya led the freshman quintet with 17 points, while also contributing two rebounds and assist. Freshmen points guard Divine Myles and Angel Rivera combined for 15 assists, one turnover and seven rebounds, while scoring nine points each. Wyatt Sikora had eight points, five rebounds and one assist, while Jonathan Joseph rounded out the freshman contributions with four points and three boards.

But despite the efforts of Stetson youngest players, the Hatters found themselves in a dog fight down the stretch.

Watch Replay 

Stetson (5-10) led by as many as 17 points early in the second half but had to hold on for the win as the Florida A&M (0-13) duo of Jermaine Ruttley and Jorge Rosa combined to score 28 of FAMU’s final 35 points, all of those coming in the game’s final 12:39.

The Hatters led 44-27 with 12:15 to play before Ruttley and Rosa took over the game. After a Rosa layup made it 44-29, Ruttley scored 11 straight points to get the Rattlers within 46-40 with 7:22 to go.

Kentwan Smith’s three-pointer with 6:47 left made it 49-40. Rosa scored seven straight points to keep FAMU in it, his last basket making it a 54-47 game with 4:05 to play.

Lozoya made one-of two technical free throws, and Myles made two straight from the line to push Stetson’s lead back to double figures at 57-47 with 3:21 to play.

But the Rattlers wouldn’t go away. A three-pointer by Ruttley and a short jumper from Emanuel Pellot pulled FAMU within 57-52, but three straight points from Lozoya gave the Hatters a 60-53 lead.

After two more free throws from FAMU’s Craig Bowman, Wyatt Sikora converted a fast-break dunk for a 62-55 lead with 28 seconds left as Stetson finally sealed the game.

Smith was the only other Hatter to reach double figures in scoring, finishing with 10 points. He added seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Saturday’s game also marked the return to action of sophomore forward Brian Pegg. The Hatters’ leading scorer, Pegg has missed the previous five games with an injury. He scored two points and grabbed a pair of rebounds in four minutes.

Ruttley scored a game-high 24 points, while Rosa finished with 15.

The Hatters, who led 27-18 at halftime, shot 41 percent for the game but made just 7-of-28 shots from beyond the arc. Stetson was saved by its ball security as the Hatters committed just 10 turnovers.

Florida A&M shot 37 percent for the game, including 47 percent in the second half. FAMU out-rebounded Stetson, 40-39.

Stetson has a week off before opening Atlantic Sun Conference play at defending champion Florida Gulf Coast, 7:05 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10 in Fort Myers.

Box Score (PDF)

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WSSU Rams say they're ready for challenge as they begin CIAA schedule

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
That’s the best way to describe the CIAA conference season, which Winston-Salem State will open tonight at Lincoln (Pa.).

Over the next 50 days, CIAA schools will each play 16 conference games to prepare for the big stage that is the CIAA Tournament in Charlotte. To have success on that big stage, teams need to perform well in the small and usually sold-out gyms during the heat of the regular season in the tradition-rich CIAA.

James Wilhelmi of WSSU, who will be making his trek through the CIAA as a head coach for the
first time, said there is no better time of the season.

“This is what you work for,” Wilhelmi said. “And the rivalries run deep in the CIAA and we’ll get a great test this weekend and on Monday — having to face two of the best teams on that side of the conference.”

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