Gold Rush make 40th consecutive appearance in top 25

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana fell from 22nd to 24th Tuesday in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 and held on to its NAIA-leading current streak of appearances.

The Gold Rush (11-6) are in the top 25 for the 40th consecutive time — the streak began on Dec. 12, 2011 — and the 53rd time in the last 54 polls. Tied for second with 29 consecutive appearances are Cal State San Marcos and Pikeville.

For the third time in as many polls this season, Xavier is one of three Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams in the top 25. Talladega is fifth, and Philander Smith is 16th. Both moved up one place from a week ago.

Philander Smith is the next Gold Rush opponent — 5 p.m. Saturday at XU's Convocation Center. It will be Xavier's fifth game of the season against a top-25 opponent and its fourth in a row. Xavier won at home against ranked Philander Smith teams each of the past two seasons.

The Gold Rush won three straight games since the previous poll Dec. 9, including a 92-82 victory at then-No. 5 William Carey. Xavier then lost 70-65 at home to Concordia (Calif.), which remains at No. 9.

Xavier lost its GCAC opener 93-78 at Talladega on Monday, but that game was not included in this week's rankings. Talladega will visit Xavier on Feb. 9.

Campbellsville replaced Cal State San Marcos as the No. 1 team. Campbellsville and Hope International received five first-place apiece, but the Tigers had a 246-245 advantage in points. Cal State San Marcos dropped to third.

The next poll will be announced Jan. 13.

The top 25:

1. Campbellsville
2. Hope International
3. Cal State San Marcos
4. Pikeville
5. Talladega
6. Freed-Hardeman
7. Martin Methodist
8. Oklahoma Baptist
9. Concordia (Calif.)
10. Montana Western
11. Benedictine (Kan.)
12. Texas Wesleyan
13. Our Lady of the Lake
14. Dalton State
15. Wayland Baptist
16. Philander Smith
17. Arizona Christian
18. Rocky Mountain
19. Georgetown (Ky.)
20. William Carey
21. LSU-Shreveport
22. Central Methodist
23. Lewis-Clark State
24. Xavier
25. Southwestern Assemblies of God

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Monday's HBCU Basketball Scoreboard

Monday, January 5, 2015

WOMEN
Xavier 67, Talladega 60
Edward Waters 74, Tougaloo 54
#22 Princeton 75, Hampton 63
North Carolina A&T 87, Guilford 41
Coppin State 58, Norfolk State 56
Pittsburg State 86, Lincoln (Mo.) 56
Jackson State 90, Alabama State 85
Texas Southern 62, Southern 48
Alcorn State 68, Prairie View A&M 46
Alabama A&M 59, Grambling State 56

MEN
Talladega 93, Xavier 78
Tougaloo 80, Edward Waters 61
Pittsburg State 74, Lincoln (Mo.) 50
Alabama A&M 67, Grambling State 46
Alabama State 72, Jackson State 52
Alcorn State 68, Prairie View A&M 62
Texas Southern 59, Southern 58 Watch Replay 
Delaware State 90, Cheyney 68
Bethune-Cookman 97, Trinity Baptist 71

SCSU Football: Hargrave’s hard-working holidays

SALISBURY, Maryland — North Rowan graduate Javon Hargrave has been transformed from a guy with NFL dreams to a guy with realistic NFL possibilities.

The South Carolina State junior did a lot to raise his stock on Oct. 25 when his team won, 20-14, against Bethune-Cookman, the 13th-ranked team in the FCS poll. Hargrave, a 6-foot-2, 310-pound defensive tackle, made 11 tackles in that physical struggle between bitter Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rivals. Six of his tackles were sacks.

Seriously — six sacks. Hargrave made sacks when he was lined up inside and he made sacks from the outside. He broke the school single-game record and tied the MEAC and FCS records. He was the national player of the week.

“That one game changed my life — it really did,” Hargrave said. “Since that game, lots of scouts have come around to watch me. That game was the spark for a lot of good things that have happened to me.”

It’s hard to believe but Hargrave’s physical status was doubtful going into the Bethune-Cookman game.

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DSU Hornets fly by Cheyney in final MEAC tuneup

DOVER, Delaware -- DeAndre Haywood scored a career-high 25 points and Kendall Gray recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead Delaware State to a 90-68 men’s basketball win over Cheyney in Memorial Hall this evening.

The Hornets (5-8) shot a season-high 56.1% from the field, hitting 32 of their 57 shots in the contest. DSU was also 10-for-22 from three-point territory (45.5%).

Haywood was nine-for-11 from the floor, including three-of-four on three-point shots. He was also four-for-five at the free throw line.

Haywood’s previous career-high was 23 points in the Hornets’ 77-75 overtime win at Penn in the season opener on Nov. 15.

Gray also had five blocks in the game, marking the 21st time in his career with at least that many. He now has 43 blocks this season. The Dover, Del., native was No. 1 in the MEAC and 10th among all NCAA Division I players in blocks per game entering the contest. Gray was also second in the MEAC and 13th in the nation in double-doubles before the game.

Amere May was the only other DSU player in double figures with 10 points.
Charles Burley had six points and led all players with six assists for the Hornets.

Kevin Larkin was high scorer for Cheyney with 19 points, while Jerrod Johnson came off the bench to add 18 for the Wolves.

Delaware State scored the first 11 points of the game, and opened up a 30-14 lead after back-to-back three-pointers by reserves Aric Dickerson and Kevon Waller midway through the first half.

The Hornets opened up their biggest first half lead, 38-16, on Waller’s second three-point shot of the game at the 7:39 mark of the opening period.

Cheyney outscored DSU 12-6 in the last 2:32 of the first half to trim the Hornets’ lead to 50-35 at the break.

The Wolves hung tough in the opening minutes of the second half, and pulled to within 55-45 on a three-pointer by with 15:46 left to play.

Delaware State answered with a 12-2 run, and stretched its lead to 67-47 on a three-ball by Haywood at the 12:13 mark of the second half. He scored 10 of Hornets’ 12 points during the spurt.

The Hornets led 69-52 before another 12-2 rally to take control of the game for good. Gray capped off the run with a lay-up to give DSU a 81-54 lead with 7:26 left to play.

Cheyney could get no closer than 21 points the rest of the way.

The Hornets will begin the 2014-15 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference portion of the schedule in their next contest on Saturday (Jan. 10) at home against Morgan State. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m., following the DSU/Morgan State women’s contest in Memorial Hall.



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Rogers sparks Alabama State past Jackson State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State needed a lift after a slow start against Jackson State. A local product gave the Hornets exactly what they needed.

Hornets guard and former Brewbaker Tech star Steve Rogers finished with a career-high 14 points as Alabama State got a 72-52 win over Jackson State on Monday.

After ASU fell behind 14-11 early in the first half, Rogers would take over. He scored seven points in a row, part of a 15-1 run for the Hornets.

"It was probably my best game," Rogers said. "I still have a lot of things to work on. I'm trying to learn from the older guards and just contribute as much as I can to the team."

The Hornets held a 28-18 halftime lead as they struggled with offensive continuity. The Hornets shot just 37.9 percent from the field in the first half. In the second half, they shot 59.1 percent.

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Texas Southern tops Southern 59-58 after a wild final few seconds

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- For most of the game, it looked like Southern and Texas Southern were destined for a photo finish Monday night.

But the number of twists and turns in the final moments would have been almost impossible to predict.

In a game that was tied 10 times, there were four dramatic possessions in the final 10 seconds.

In the end, Chris Thomas made a tie-breaking free throw with 0.7 seconds left, and two replay reviews went the Tigers way in the final second as they won 59-58 victory in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” said TSU coach Mike Davis, whose team scored six points in the final 3.8 seconds to defeat Kansas State by two points last month.

This victory improved the Tigers to 5-10 and 2-0. The Jaguars, 4-12 and 1-1, visit Grambling on Saturday.

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Report: Derrick Burroughs not sure why released by JSU

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Derrick Burroughs said in a report that he was surprised to be released after one year at Jackson State and is still not sure why it happened.

"You tell me. I finished third in the conference in total defense," Burroughs told The Jackson-Sun (Tennessee) on Monday. "To this day I still have not been given a reason."

Burroughs was named JSU's defensive coordinator last January, but the school announced it would not renew his one-year contract in November.

According to The Jackson-Sun, Burroughs will return to Lane College as its head football coach and athletic director. The former Buffalo Bills defensive back coached the Dragons for four years prior to joining JSU's staff.

He was among new head coach Harold Jackson's first hires.

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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

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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.



Internet: SMCGaels.com (Video & Audio)

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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.

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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

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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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COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

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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COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

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.

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COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION