North Carolina Central holds off NSU 60-56 for 1st Place in MEAC

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State has proven several times it can dig its way out of a hole.

The Spartans are sick of having to shovel, though, and they're learning there's only so much dirt they can move.

Jordan Parks scored 24 points and North Carolina Central held on for a 60-56 win Saturday night at Echols Hall to take over first place in the MEAC.

Jeff Short, the league's leading scorer, scored a career-high 31 points for NSU (11-9, 4-1 MEAC), which rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to put a scare into the defending league champion Eagles (13-5, 5-0).

The script was eerily familiar, even if the ending was different. Three times this season, the Spartans have overcome double-digit deficits to win.

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TSU tops Grambling, improves to 4-0 in SWAC

HOUSTON, Texas -- Madarious Gibbs and Chris Thomas had 13 points apiece as Texas Southern held off Grambling State 60-51 on Saturday night, improving to 4-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.

Tonnie Collier added 11 points for Texas Southern (7-10, 4-0).

TSU broke out to an early lead and held a 34-17 halftime advantage. The Tigers were up 58-39 with 5:46 remaining after Collier hit a 3-point jumper. Richard Freeman made a jump shot and A'Torrie Shine nailed a 3-pointer as Grambling scored 10 unanswered points to close to 59-49 with 1:51 left. 

TSU scored two points in the final 5:24 but it was enough for the win.

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Next man up: Who might fit at JCSU

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Wanted: Head football coach at Johnson C. Smith, a leader and motivator who can produce a championship contender.

The school is looking for a new leader after Steve Aycock’s departure last week, ending a five-year stretch that produced a 23-28 record, including a pair of six-win campaigns. The last two seasons, though, were not as good, at 5-5 and 3-7 with one of the best offenses in the CIAA, at least on paper.

There’s bound to be interest in the job, considering the school’s locale, which is the epicenter of N.C. high school football. There are lots of good athletes in Mecklenburg County, and the right candidate should be able to reach at least some of it. But who’ll win the the coaching derby? Here’s a totally unofficial list of possibilities, some of whom will undoubtedly get some consideration, especially given that the new hire will have to move quickly in building a staff for spring drills in a month or so.

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Texas Southern Tigers Football welcomes the addition of seven student-athletes

HOUSTON, Texas  -- The Texas Southern Tigers football program has announced the signing of seven mid-year signees that will join the team for the 2015 campaign.

"We feel really positive about the student-athletes we were able to recruit and sign," said TSU head football coach Darrell Asberry. "We went after our current needs and obviously with losing 21 seniors there were some areas on our football team that we needed to address."

Texas Southern signed a total of seven student-athletes during the mid-year signing period. Joining the Tigers in the Fall of 2015 will be Jamal Lucas, Brandon Diaz, Averion Hurts, Austin Watts, Marc Edwards, Tino Thomas, and Roshard Burney.

"Right now we don't have the luxury to miss on any of the players we signed so it was a must that we recruited student-athletes that we feel are ready to play and can contribute immediately," said Asberry.

A complete listing of Texas Southern's new additions can be found below. To view highlight footage of the student-athletes please click the appropriate links.

For the latest breaking news regarding TSU Tigers Football please continue to visit www.tsuball.com.

Texas Southern University Mid-Year Recruiting Class

 Name                                         Pos.      Ht.        Wt.    Cl.        Hometown (Previous School)
 Jamal Lucas                               LB         6-2        230    Jr         Birmingham, Ala. (Jones CC)

 Brandon Diaz                              QB        6-2        215    R-So     Miami, Fla. (San Diego Mesa CC)

 Averion Hurts                              QB        5-11      195    R-Jr      Houston, Texas (Kilgore CC)

 Austin Watts                               WR        6-1        190    Jr         Sumrall, Miss. (Pearl River CC)
        
 Marc Edwards                             WR        6-1        185    Gr        New Orleans, La. (Tulane)

 Tino Thomas                               DB        6-0        205    R-Jr      Memphis, Tenn. (Northwest CC)

 Roshard Burney                          RB         5-11    215      Jr         West Palm Beach, Fla. (Miss Delta  `  CC)

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

JCSU Downs Fayetteville State, 59-57

Charlotte, North Carolina – The Johnson C. Smith women's basketball team used a strong second-half surge to come back from a six-point halftime deficit to take a 59-57 win over visiting Fayetteville State in CIAA action from Brayboy Gym on Saturday night.

Shanequa Phifer was hot from the start, as she canned a three-pointer from the corner for JCSU's first points, putting the Golden Bulls up early at 3-2.

Fayetteville State would push ahead 13-7 on a three of their own from Makayla Williams at the 15:43 mark, followed by a layup from Deja Middleton.

The Lady Broncos would go up by as many as eight points, but JCSU would battle back to cut the lead to 21-19 on a pair of LaKendra Wilkerson free throws at the 7:51 mark.

The Golden Bulls would tie it up at 23-23 with 6:22 left on an Asha Jordan three-pointer, however the Lady Broncos would respond, by going on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 29-23 with 1:11 remaining in the 1st half. JCSU would get a shot from Anika Jones and Fayetteville State would get a Richardson basket to provide the 31-25 halftime margin.

In the second half, FSU would strike first on a Middleton put-back, but the Golden Bulls' Wilkerson would draw a foul and hit both free throws to trim the lead to 33-27. Middleton would again hit for FSU, but JCSU's Porter would respond with a basket of her own to cut the lead to 35-29.

Shanequa Phifer would close the gap to six following a steal and layup with 16:10 remaining. JCSU would go on a run, with Quinesha Lynch hitting a jumper to tie it at 37-37. Following a Lady Bronco turnover, Asha Jordan would give JCSU the 39-37 lead after a baseline drive and layup.

Amena Brent would give JCSU the lead at 41-39 on a soft jumper in the lane and would score following an FSU miss to extend the JCSU lead to 43-39 with 10:10 remaining. Following a media timeout Larryqua Hall would connect on a three-pointer to put JCSU up 46-39.

Phifer would find hit from distance again, this time from the corner to put JCSU up 51-43 with 7:01 left.

The JCSU defense would then force a Lady Bronco turnover and the subsequent fast break layup from Kaylah Gholson would give the Golden Bulls it's largest lead at 55-45 with 5:31 remaining.

The Lady Broncos would claw back into it, cutting the JCSU lead to 55-53 with 2:31 remaining following a Williams three-pointer, forcing a JCSU timeout. After a Golden Bull turnover, Fayetteville State would force the 55-55 tie with a Jordan Hill layup. On the next JCSU possession, following an FSU foul, Larryqua Hall would hit two free throws to give JCSU the 57-55 lead. Another Lady Bronco turnover would give JCSU possession again, and the Golden Bulls would capitalize on a Phifer jumper to put JCSU up 59-55. Fayetteville State would turn the ball over again, this time with 17 seconds remaining, but would force a JCSU turnover with 14.5 left.

After a Fayetteville State timeout, a running jumper from Battle trimmed the JCSU lead to 59-57 with 7.4 remaining.

The Lady Broncos would be forced to foul, sending Hall to the line with 5.9 remaining. Hall would miss the free throw and the Lady Broncos' Shamaiya Battle's three point attempt was too late and JCSU took the 59-57 win.

JCSU was led by Shanequa Phifer, as she had 10 points in the win. Ashley Porter also scored nine points and hauled in 10 rebounds for JCSU. Larryqua Hall and Asha Jordan also had nine points each for the Golden Bulls. LaKendra Wilkerson contributed eight points for JCSU in the win.
Fayetteville State was led by Deja Middleton's 16 points and 11 rebounds. Makayla Williams would net 11 points for the Lady Broncos in the loss.

JCSU improves to 15-2, 5-1 in CIAA play while Fayetteville State falls to 7-9, 3-4 in league play.​

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COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION AND CIAA.COM

TSU Tigerbelles Defeat Wisconsin on the Road, 62-57

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE ATHLETICS

MADISON, Wisconsin – Clairwin Dameus placed first in three events, helping the Tennessee State women’s track and field team to a, 62-57, victory over the host Badgers in Saturday’s Wisconsin Open.

Dameus started the day by winning the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.33 seconds. She then finished right behind teammate Amber Hughes (8.59) for second place in the 60 meter hurdles (8.69).

Dameus and Hughes later combined with Diera Taylor and Christian Pryor to best the relay teams from Marquette and Wisconsin in the 4x400, clocking a final time of 3:54.73.

In the field events, Dameus outleaped the competition with a 5.89 meter hop in the long jump. Senior JaLyn Burr also aided the Tigerbelle cause by finishing second in that event (5.41) and first in the triple jump (11.63).

On the men’s side, Quamel Prince ran a time of 48.46 seconds in a winning effort in the 400 meter dash. Prince also came in second in the 200 (22.17).

Freshman Jemarruse Amos picked up his first victory of the year with an 8.41 second finish in the 60 meter hurdles.

Shaquille Cragwall closed out the day by taking home first prize in both the long jump (6.94 meters) and triple jump (14.62).

The Tigerbelles finished 1-1 in the dual meet, falling to Marquette, 76-59. The Flying Tigers were 0-2 after losses to Wisconsin (81-48) and MU (83-49).

The squads will next compete on Feb. 1 at home for the Ed Temple Classic.

FINAL RESULTS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU Rams Take Early Lead; Roll Over St. Augustine's Falcons, 82-67

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina – Winston-Salem State University ran out to an early lead and never looked back, as the Rams rolled over the St. Augustine's Falcons 82-67 Saturday at the CE Gaines Center on Earl Monroe Legacy Weekend.

The win improves the Rams record to 10-5 overall, 3-3 in the CIAA and 1-0 in the Southern Division. The Falcons fall to 7-9 overall, 1-5 in the CIAA and 0-1 in the Southern Division.

WSSU controlled the game from the onset, as they would run out to an early lead and would push that lead to double figures at 25-14 with 10 minutes before the half. They would keep their foot on the gas pedal, and would eventually extend that lead to 17 points with just over a minute lef before halftime, and would take a 41-26 lead into the locker room at the break.

The second half would be much of the same, as WSSU would continue to assert their will on the visiting Falcons, and would take their biggest lead of the night, 22 points, at 48-26 with 18:06 remaining.

The Falcons did manage to cut the deficit to 15 points but the Rams pushed the margin back to 20 points in the game's latter stages, and would take a 82-67 win.

Winston-Salem State University was led in scoring by Donta Harper, who pumped in 17 points to go with eight rebounds and a blocked shot, while WyKevin Bazemore added 12 points, six rebounds, two blocks and an assist. Terrell Leach also scored 12 points to go with two rebounds and a steal. Kerry Campbell added 11 points, four assists and two steals, and Marquez jones chipped in 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. Javan Wells added seven points, two rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot and CJ Ford scored six points, grabbed three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Nate Long added five points and two steals.

St. Augustine's was led by Raheem Jolliffe who scored a game-high 20 points, while pulling down four rebounds. Quincy January added 14 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Gaskins and Darian Allen each scored seven points. Gaskins also added six rebounds, five steals and two assists.

The WSSU Rams will return to action, on Wednesday, when the team hosts the Shaw Bears at 7:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State turns back rival Alabama A&M, stays unbeaten in SWAC play

NORMAL, Alabama -- Jamel Waters scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half and collected eight steals as Alabama State held off Alabama A&M 59-56 on Saturday night.

Marcus Merriweather drilled a 3-pointer with 1:08 left to pull Alabama A&M within a point, 57-56, but Waters collected his eighth steal and fed Bobby Brown, who closed the game out on a dunk with 10 seconds left.

The Hornets (9-5) remain unbeaten in the Southwestern Athletic Conference at 5-0 while the loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Bulldogs, who dropped to 4-11 overall and 3-2 in league play.

Waters was 9 of 17 from the field, including 0-for-4 from long range, and dished our five assists as Alabama State  put the game away. Wendell Lewis finished with 11 points and Brown added 10.

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TSU's Hudson Scores 1,000th Point in Overtime Win at Austin Peay

Clarksville, Tennessee  --  The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team overcame a 14-point deficit in an, 81-78, overtime victory at Austin Peay Saturday evening in the Dunn Center.

Tennessee State (7-9, 4-1 OVC) outscored Austin Peay (6-12, 3-2 OVC) 41-27 in the second half and forced 31 turnovers. TSU turned the APSU miscues into 31 points.

Senior Chelsea Hudson led TSU with 23 points (20 in the second half) and 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Hudson also recorded her 1,000th career point and now has a total of 1,020. Jemilah Leonard came off the bench to score 13 points while Jayda Johnson chipped in 12. I’mani Davis registered 11 points and seven boards. Briana Morrow tallied eight points in only 18 minutes with six of her eight points coming in overtime.

Tearra Banks had 25 points and 10 rebounds while Tiasha Gray notched 19 points and 12 rebounds for Austin Peay. Jennifer Nwokocha also pulled down ten boards.



FINAL STATS

TSU got off to a slow start and only made one of its first fourteen field goal attempts. With 13:16 on the clock, Rachel Allen knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key to end a five minute scoring drought but Austin Peay increased its advantage to 19-11 a few possessions later.

A 10-3 spurt fueled by TSU’s defensive pressure briefly pulled the Lady Tigers to within one, 22-21, but the Lady Govs countered with a 14-1 run of their own. APSU led, 36-22, at halftime.

TSU struggled from the field in the opening frame only making 19.5 percent (8-of-41) of its shot attempts, including 9.1 percent from three-point range (1-of-11).

In the second half, the Lady Tigers cut the deficit down to single digits after outscoring the Lady Govs, 11-2, to begin the stanza.

After slowly chipping away at the lead, TSU took a 49-48, lead on an offensive rebound and putback by Jayda Johnson with 7:52 left to play. The next several possessions were intense as the teams played to a 55-55 tie with 3:46 on the clock.

TSU was trailing, 61-60, when Austin Peay made two free-throws to go up, 63-60, with 40.8 seconds remaining.

On the next trip down the floor, Jemilah Leonard buried a timely triple to knot the score, 63-63. Austin Peay attempted a shot as time expired but it was off the mark and the game went to overtime.

The extra period was a battle from the onset as neither team would let up. The game was tied when Chelsea Hudson sank a three-pointer with less than a minute on the clock.

The Lady Tigers were up by four when APSU’s Tiasha Gray hit a three to make the score, 78-77, in favor of TSU with 19.3 seconds left.

Austin Peay was forced to foul and Jemilah Leonard went to the line. The sophomore made both free-throws and gave TSU an 80-77 lead. The Lady Govs hit one freebie to cut the deficit down to, 80-78, before having to foul again. Jayda Johnson made another free-throw to give TSU a three-point cushion and Austin Peay’s final three-point attempt was off the mark.

TSU shot 48.7 percent (19-of-39) in the second half and 85.7 percent (6-of-7) in overtime.

The Lady Tigers return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 21 versus Tennessee Tech in the Gentry Center. Game time is slated for 11 a.m. on Kid’s Day.

Wells Free Throws Lift Bowie State 66-65 over Lincoln in Key CIAA Divisional Clash

BOWIE, Maryland  --  Freshman Dayshawn Wells (Baltimore, Md.) stroked three consecutive free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining in the game to lift #4 Bowie State University to a huge 66-65 win over The Lincoln University. The win improves Bowie State's season mark to 14-5 (6-1 CIAA, 1-0 North) while Lincoln moves to 11-6 overall (5-2 CIAA, 0-1 North).
 
"We told our guys before the game, these (Lincoln / Bowie State) games are usually ugly and tonight was no exception", said Bowie State head coach Darrell Brooks. We didn't do a good job keeping them off the glass and we did a so-so job at keeping them out of the paint."
 
Senior Cameron Knox (Baltimore, Md.) led both teams in scoring with 21 points and junior Justin Beck (Elliicott City, Md.) chipped in 10 points for the victorious Bulldogs.
 
Chaz Sharpe (Baltimore, Md.) came of the Lions bench to lead his team with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, which included 3-of-6 behind the 3-point line. Tony Efese (Spring Valley, N.Y.) added a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds while Rasheen Dorn (Philadelphia, Pa.) tallied 11 points in the loss.
 
Lincoln took a 35-32 advantage into halftime while shooting 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from the field, which included 4-of-5 (80 percent) behind the arc. First half free throws were to the Lions advantage in the first 20 minutes, as the visitors converted 7-of-8 (87.5 percent).
 
The Bulldogs made 11-of-26 first half field goals (42.3 percent), 5-of-11 behind the arc (45.5 percent) and 62.5 percent (5-of-8) at the charity stripe.
 
With the game tied at 37-all at the 18:31 mark of the second half and following a 3-pointer by Bowie State's Beck, the Bulldogs went without a field goal for the next nine minutes. During that stretch, Lincoln opened their largest lead of the game at 48-39 with 14:03 left in the final period.
 
The Bulldogs clawed their way back to pull within three (50-47) on a Julius Livingston triple at the 9:13 mark. Ten seconds later, a twisting layup by Bowie State redshirt junior Miles Jackson (Silver Spring, Md.) cut the Lions lead down to one at 50-49.
 
Bowie State reclaimed the lead 51-50 at the 8:10 mark on a Beck layup. Efese put the Lions back ahead 54-53 with a three-pointer from the right side with under 7-minutes to play. The Lions next big play came from Sharpe when he made his third three-pointer of the game extending the Lions lead to 61-56 with 3:42.

The Bulldogs remained within striking distance of the Lions but trailed by five after an Efese layup with 1:46 left on the clock. With 1:11 left in regulation, Bowie State made 5-of-6 attempts from the free-throw line erasing the Bulldogs deficit and take the lead with 3.3 seconds left. Wells was fouled on a three-point attempt and calmly made all three freebies, giving the Bulldogs a 66-65 lead.
 
Lincoln's Kyle Aiken (Randolph, N.J.) stepped out of bounds bringing the ball up the court, turning the ball over to the Bulldogs with four tenths of a second remaining in the game to seal the win for Bowie State.  
 
The Lions held advantages in rebounds (40-30), points in the paint (26-18) and bench points (29-25).
 
"The game was at their pace, but we just figured out a way to win … Our motto has been, "Let's go 1-0 today and just worry about the 40 minutes in front of us", stated Brooks.
 
The Bulldogs welcome The Panthers of Virginia Union University to the A.C. Jordan Arena on Wednesday (1/21) for a 7:30 pm tip time.

GAME VIDEO

BOX SCORE

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Chowan Hawks Hang On, Top Elizabeth City State

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University men's basketball team earned a narrow 70-66 victory against Elizabeth City State University on Saturday evening. The Hawks improve to 10-6 overall with the win and move to 4-3 in the league. The Vikings slip to 9-11 on the season and 2-5 against CIAA competition after Saturday's setback.

Mark Anthony Buright led all players in the contest with 21 points in the win. Kyree Bethel added 16 points while Warren Powers grabbed 12 rebounds (three offensive, nine defensive).

Elizabeth City State had three players score double-digit points in the setback. Miykael Faulcon led the effort with 19 points. Kentrell Kay and DeCarlos Anderson added 14 points and 12 points, respectively.

A basket by Tiron Brown followed by a made free throw by Melletee gave the Hawks an early 3-0 lead. Faulcon's three-pointer on the next possession tied the score. Elizabeth City State controlled the scoreboard through the midway point of the first half until a three-pointer by Bethel restored the advantage (21-20) with 7:49 left to play before halftime.



With the score tied 24-24, Chowan worked to develop a 12-3 run, resulting in a 36-27 lead by the 1:27 mark. The Hawks held the Vikings at-bay and closed out the half with a 38-32 advantage.

Chowan maintained in control throughout the second half, leading by double-digit points until the 4:45 mark. Elizabeth City State clawed their way back to pull within one point (65-54) as late as the 1:11 mark, but Chowan held to on to close out the game with the 70-66 win.

The Hawks return to action on January 21st when they travel to Petersburg for a CIAA Northern Division match-up against Virginia State University.

Box Score 

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WVSU Football Adds Pennington, Promotes Powell

INSTITUTE, West Virginia  — West Virginia State University Head Football Coach Jon Anderson announces John Pennington will join the Yellow Jacket coaching staff to fill the position of Offensive Coordinator.

"I am extremely pleased to announce the return of John Pennington to the West Virginia State University football program," Anderson said. "John brings a great amount of experience with him and is a very well­ rounded coach having worked with multiple position groups."

Anderson also announced that Offensive Line Coach Jamal Powell has been promoted to Run Game Coordinator. Powell joined the staff prior to the 2014 season.

"Coach Powell has really proven to be an invaluable staff member," he noted. "He has deep relationships with our players and I am excited for him and Coach Pennington to work together in reshaping our offense."

Pennington previously served as Special Teams Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach for the Yellow Jackets in 2010.

Prior to that he coached the defensive backs, the offensive linemen and ran the strength and conditioning program at WVU­Tech during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia Wesleyan from 2005 to 2007.

Pennington has also served as the Offensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach of the semipro West Virginia Lightning team based in Charleston. During his time with the Lightning, the team won two United State Football Association championships.

Since February 2011 he has been on the staff at Concord University holding a variety of positions including Special Teams Coordinator, Head Strength Coach, Wide Receivers Coach, and Director of Football Operations. His duties also included recruiting in the Kanawha Valley as well as the Richmond, Va. and Washington D.C. areas.

"He is a very hard­worker, develops lasting relationships with his players, and has a great offensive background" Anderson said. "John and our current offensive staff have already been hard at work developing our offense and are looking to increase offensive productivity in 2015."

Under his tutelage four Concord wide receivers received All­Conference honors and, this past fall, the squad's kicker was a first team All­-Mountain East Conference selection.

Pennington is a Charleston native and former player for George Washington High School and West Virginia University. He resides in Charleston with his wife, Andrea, and their children.

COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Norfolk State Spartans Football Adds 3 Mid-Year Transfers

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State University football coach Latrell Scott announced Friday the addition of three more mid-year enrollees, all from Fork Union Military Academy.

The trio consists of defensive linemen Walter Brantley (Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS) and Cornelius Tyler (Richmond, Va./Meadowbrook HS) and offensive lineman Craig Rodwell (Richmond, Va./Varina HS). All three spent last fall in prep school at Fork Union but are enrolled at NSU for the spring semester. Each has four years of eligibility remaining.

"We're excited to get three good players from quality programs within the state," Scott said. "We'll continue our local, regional and national approach when it comes to building build our recruiting class."



Brantley (6-4, 340) was rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports and a two-star recruit by Scout.com coming out of Phoebus High. He was voted a first-team All-4A South Region offensive lineman and second-team defensive lineman as a senior at Phoebus in 2013. He was rated the No. 53 recruit in the state of Virginia by 247 Sports after his senior year.

"Walter is a big, physical defensive lineman who should be a great presence for us at nose guard," Scott said. "If he continues to work hard, he has the chance to be a really good football player for us."

Tyler (6-3, 270) was a first-team All-Conference 12 offensive lineman as a senior at Meadowbrook. A four-year starter for the Monarchs, Tyler was also a second-team All-5A South Region and All-Metro selection in 2013.

Said Scott: "Cornelius is a strong, athletic defensive end who should provide depth at that position and give us great pass-rushing ability."

Rodwell (6-4, 260) earned second-team All-Metro honors at offensive lineman as a senior at Varina. He also earned second-team All-Capital District recognition as a sophomore.

"Craig is a big, athletic offensive lineman who will impress many people with his speed and athleticism," Scott said. "We look forward to him contributing early on."

Brantley, Tyler and Rodwell give NSU four mid-year enrollees in Scott's first recruiting class at NSU. They will join Old Dominion transfer running back Gerard Johnson, another Meadowbrook High product from Richmond, in winter workouts and spring practice as the Spartans start preparing for the 2015 season.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU women roll past N.C. Central 82-58

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Rae Corbo scored 29 points Saturday to lead the Norfolk State women to an easy 82-58 MEAC win over North Carolina Central.

Freshman forward Kayla Roberts added 18 points for the Spartans (5-11, 4-1), who built a 38-22 lead by halftime and cruised from there to win their third straight.

Racquel Davis led N.C. Central (3-14, 1-4) with 17 points.

Corbo, a senior guard from Englewood, N.J., improved upon her league-leading average of 20.9 points per game. Sophomore forward Nia Roberts scored six points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds for NSU, which shot 47.7 percent from the field, made 5 of 12 (41.7 percent) from 3-point range and led for more than 37 minutes.

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Fast start, defense lift Hampton U. women over N.C. A&T

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University's unprecedented streak against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams will come to an end at some point. But as long as the Lady Pirates defend and Malia Tate-DeFreitas remains aggressive, it won't end easily.

Tate-DeFreitas got HU started in both halves, and the Lady Pirates turned back North Carolina A&T 54-48 Saturday at the Convocation Center in a game between the teams picked to finish 1-2 in the MEAC.

"I'm happy, but we've got to execute better," HU coach David Six said.

Tate-DeFreitas scored 26 points as the Lady Pirates won their 53rd consecutive game against conference opponents, dating back almost three years to Jan. 28, 2012.

HU has won five straight MEAC tournaments and NCAA tournament berths, but based on the Lady Pirates' departures from last season and N.C. A&T's returnees, the Aggies were preseason picks to win the league. Saturday was the only regular-season meeting between the two teams.

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Hampton U. adds new football players at mid-year, hopes for boost

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia -- After the most distasteful, frustrating season of his career, Hampton University football coach Connell Maynor made two demands: Players get better; get better players.

Maynor won’t know about the former until spring practice commences. He believes that he and the staff began to address the latter concern with a handful of midyear transfers and additions.

“I’m not going to lose nine games again,” Maynor said, referring to the Pirates’ 3-9 record last season, the program’s worst since elevating to Division I in the mid-1990s.

HU lost more games last season than Maynor lost in his previous four years as head coach at Division II Winston-Salem State, where the Rams went 45-6 with three NCAA playoff appearances.

“I told the players it was unacceptable,” he said. “It’s not personal, but we’re in a results-oriented business. If I don’t produce, they’re going to get rid of me. If you don’t produce, I have to get rid of you. I’ve got to do what’s best for the university and the program.”

The Pirates added seven players, who began spring...

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Bethune-Cookman's men's basketball team beats Coppin State, 58-53

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Delino Dear had 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds as Bethune-Cookman's men's basketball team downed Coppin State 58-53 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Saturday.

“We needed this win," Wildcats coach Gravelle Craig said. "You don't want to get in a hole. We had close games against The Citadel and Ball State, so it was good to see us pull out one like this”.

B-CU (5-13, 1-3 MEAC) earned its first road win of the season in nine tries.

Quintin Brewer and Brandon Stewart each scored 13 as the Wildcats rallied from a 41-33 deficit to take a 50-49 lead on a Dear jumper with 3:58 to play.

“I've been telling myself to be aggressive and take my time in the post," Dear said.

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Paine inches past Stillman for 10th consecutive win

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- With another win against a tough conference opponent, Paine’s hot streak has reached historic proportions within the program.

A look toward the Lions bench shows the streak just needed a little stylish good luck.

Paine raced to a big lead and held it late, knocking off Stillman 71-68 on Saturday at the HEAL Complex.

The victory was Paine’s 10th in a row, matching the program’s longest winning streak since the 1993-94 season. That year’s team remains the only one ever ranked in program history on its way to a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

The win was also Paine’s (11-3, 7-0 SIAC) second in three days against a division-leading opponent after beating Lane on Thursday.

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Virginia University of Lynchburg Releases 2015 Football Schedule

"ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOGS"
VUL DRAGONS 2015

LYNCHBURG, Virginia -- Virginia University of Lynchburg first year head coach Don Lee has a plan for the Dragons. Last season, the Dragons struggled with only seven seniors and over 53 freshmen players recruited to fit Coach Lee's system.  Results: 0-8 season record.

Building a successful program takes time, money and a whole lot of patience.
,
Money does not always flow freely for athletics at small, large HBCU programs. They are all in the same underfunded boat  -- seeking new revenue sources, as student fees, small donations and ticket sales don't pay the major bills.  That's a fact.

Last season the Dragons took their lumps with seven road games at FCS programs like Alcorn State, Jackson State, Gardner Webb and with Division III powerhouse Wesley College (Del.).  VUL is following the same proven financial model that every successful Division II, Division I FCS and Division I Mid-Major program is using today.

The guaranteed money games are necessary to build the program.  Money games also guarantee lopsided losses as you are generally over-matched. That was the case last season for VUL. The Dragons survived and their freshmen players gained valuable experience in a new system.

Fast forward to 2015 and a favorable schedule has the Dragons looking forward to starting a win streak. Better days are ahead for the Dragons. Coach Lee is working his plan in building a competitive football program at VUL.  Just like he did at Belhaven.

Words of advice: Be patient as the wins are going to come. Ignore the social media pundits.  Root for the Underdogs! Go Dragons!

2015 VUL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE*
DATE TEAM LOCATION TIME

Aug. 29 Edward Waters College Jacksonville, FL 3:00 pm (EST)
Sept. 5 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC 6:00 pm (EST)
Sept. 12 Livingstone College Home 1:00 pm (EST)
Sept. 19 Morgan State Baltimore, MD 4:00 pm (EST)
Sept. 26 Amerivets United Home 1:00 pm (EST)
Oct. 3 Elite Performance Sports Academy Home 12:00 pm (EST)
Oct. 10 Southeastern University Lakeland, FL 1:00 pm (EST)
Oct. 31 Alderson Broaddus University Home 12:00 pm (EST)
Nov. 7 Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY 1:00 pm (CST)

BOLD:  Home Game
*Game Schedule is subject to change.

Howard University Appoints Shelley Davis as Interim Athletic Director, Launches Athletic Director Search

SHELLY DAVIS
INTERIM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
HOWARD UNIVERSITY

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 13, 2015) -- Howard University today named Shelley Davis as Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics while launching a search for a permanent successor.

Davis joined Howard University in July 2011 as the Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). She served as a member of the senior leadership team and was responsible for the administration of the internal operations of the 19 intercollegiate sports, 40 staff members & coaches and 375 student athletes who make up the department.

Davis succeeds Louis "Skip" Perkins as Athletic Director. Perkins is leaving to pursue other professional endeavors.

"Since arriving at Howard, Ms. Davis has played a critical role in the academic progress of the Howard Athletics program and the overall operations of the department," said President Wayne A.I. Frederick. "We are grateful to Ms. Davis for taking helm of the Department of Athletics."

The University has made a commitment to invest in student athletics so that participants develop fully.

"Howard University has an athletic program that is ready to flourish nationally and compete for championships on a regular basis," said President Frederick. "It is my expectation that we can compete both academically and athletically, graduating well-rounded students ready to serve their community and represent Howard University with pride."

"I am honored to lead the Department of Athletics during this transitional period," said Davis. "The focus of the department will continue to be on the success of our students, both on and off the field."

Prior to joining the Bison family, Davis was Assistant Commissioner for Championships and SWA at the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Director of Education & Professional Development at the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA), and Assistant Athletic Director at North Carolina A&T State University.

Davis graduated with honors from North Carolina Central University and was recently honored by her alma mater as one of their 40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumni. She is a graduate of the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Leadership Institute and attended the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Senior Administrator Mentoring Institute.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELEASE

Howard Bison Tennis Teams Open Spring Season This Weekend

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

WASHINGTON, DC --- The Howard Men's & Women's tennis teams open Spring season play this weekend with a pair of road matchups against quality opponents.

The Lady Bison will travel to the University of Delaware on Saturday, January 17 at 6:30 p.m. while the Bison take on the sixth-ranked University of North Carolina on Monday, January 19.

On the women's side, Howard - predicted to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division - boast a pair of returning HBCU Singles All-Americans in senior Maame Osei and junior Umarah Mughnee. The duo were both ranked in the Top 40 of the HBCU Final Rankings for 2014.

The men were picked to finish second in the Northern Division, behind Morgan State.

TENNIS SCHEDULE
2014/15 TENNIS ROSTER

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

2015 Honda Battle of the Bands Showcase at the Georgia Dome - Saturday, January 24, 2015

ATLANTA, Georgia  -- Time is flying – there’s only 6 DAYS left until the 2015 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, on January 24th at the Georgia Dome in ATL – Tickets are still available - get yours TODAY!

Students, alumni and fans of America's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) casted their votes online and took to social media to help their favorite marching bands advance to the 13^th annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. The final eight bands were selected in November and will take the Georgia Dome by storm on January 24, 2015, when they showcase their incredible musical talent and electrifying showmanship in front of a packed crowd in Atlanta, GA.

The following eight bands will perform at the 13th Annual Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase:

• Alabama State University, Mighty Marching Hornets (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Bethune-Cookman University, Marching Wildcats (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Howard University, Showtime Marching Band (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference); performing at Honda Battle of the Bands for the first time
• Jackson State University, Sonic Boom of the South (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• North Carolina A&T University, Blue and Gold Marching Machine (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
• Southern University, Human Jukebox (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
• Talladega College, Marching Tornado Band (Gulf Coast Athletic Conference); performing at Honda Battle of the Bands for the first time
• Tennessee State University, Aristocrat of Bands (Ohio Valley Conference)

Tickets to the Honda Battle of the Bands are available for purchase now on the official website, starting at just $10. The participating eight HBCUs will receive a $20,000 grant from Honda to support their music education programs, plus travel to and accommodations in Atlanta for the Invitational Showcase. The final eight were selected through a process that included online fan voting, as well as feedback from band directors, HBCU school presidents and representatives from American Honda.

This year's theme, "March On," serves as a reminder to students and fans that life on and off the field is a journey, and no matter the challenge, the dream or what may lie ahead, learning never stops as long as you commit to "March On."

"Honda congratulates the eight bands selected to participate in the Invitational Showcase and thanks all of the schools, students, alumni and fans that participated in the process leading to Atlanta," said Stephan Morikawa, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Community Relations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. 

"Honda is committed to supporting education at HBCUs by investing in their programs and providing a platform aimed at helping students realize what Honda calls The Power of Dreams."

The 2015 Invitational Showcase will feature the first-ever Honda Battle of the Bands Power of Dreams Award. Participating teams and fans will have the opportunity to nominate an outstanding member of their community who is working to help students achieve their dreams. Honda will then select a winner who will be recognized in Atlanta at the 2015 Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase.

For updates, follow the Honda Battle of the Bands and join the social media conversation using #HBOB.

• Facebook – Facebook.com/HondaBattleoftheBands
• Twitter – @The_Honda / Twitter.com/The_Honda
• Instagram – @The_Honda / Instagram.com/the_honda
• YouTube - YouTube.com/hondabotb

For more information on the 2015 Honda Battle of the Bands, visit HondaBattleoftheBands.com. 

It's full speed ahead for NSU scoring machine Corbo

NORFOLK, Virginia -- When her bounce pass into the post had its desired effect of drawing a pair of Coppin State defenders down low, Norfolk State guard Rae Corbo stepped back into the open.

"Woo! Woo! Woo!" she yelled feverishly as she clapped, calling for the ball in hopes of taking advantage of a wide-open look.

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Alas, a teammate missed a contested inside jumper and the ball went the other way, but the sequence in the early January game spoke volumes about the player Corbo has become.

At long last, she wants the ball, and when she has it, she wants to shoot.

Corbo, a 5-foot-6, fifth-year senior from Englewood, N.J., has made the full transformation from overly inclusive teammate-pleaser to elite scorer. As the Spartans (4-11, 3-1 MEAC) dig into the meat of the league schedule with today's 4 p.m. game against North Carolina Central, Corbo leads the MEAC in scoring at 20.9 points per game.

CONTINUE READING

UDC Firebirds Overcome Double-Digit Second Half Deficit to Win at Bridgeport, 70-66

UDC Senior guard ShaKena Williams made a career-high eight
three-pointers to lead all scorers with 24 points.

NEXT GAME: Jan. 17, Dowling College Golden Lions, 1 PM  at Washington, D.C. 

LIVE STATS   VIDEO 

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut – After falling behind by 11 early in the second half, the East Coast Conference pre-season favorite University of the District of Columbia demonstrated its championship team caliber by fighting all the way back to earn a 70-66 victory on the road at Bridgeport Wednesday night in Hubell Gym.

The Firebirds (12-3, 5-2 ECC) avenged last year's regular season finale loss at Bridgeport and bounced back from Saturday's loss at Queens as they completed their three-game road stretch with two victories. UDC will return to the nation's capital to host Dowling on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Senior guard ShaKena Williams (Accounting – Washington, DC/Frederick CC), inserted into the starting lineup for just the second time this season, carried the Firebirds with a career shooting night, making 8-of-11 three-pointers for a career-high 24 points while also registering five assists and two steals. Junior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore (Criminal Justice – Newport News, VA/Denbigh HS) also shot 3-of-8 from behind-the-arc as she finished with 15 points.

Bridgeport (2-13, 0-7 ECC) did a commendable job defensively on senior forward Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington), holding her to just seven points on 3-of-11 from the field and 1-of 2 from the foul line. Brent, however, made her presence felt with a game-high nine rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. Junior forward Tatyana Calhoun (Architecture – Disputanta, VA/Sussex Central HS) also hauled in seven rebounds (five offensive) and notched her 5th double-figure scoring game of the season with 14 points.

The Purple Knights, who have now lost four straight games, were led by guard Jennifer Kucukkaya's 13 points and six assists, while interior players Tiara Aziz and Evelyn Ovner also scored 13 points apiece and combined for 13 rebounds. Aziz, who's layup in the final seconds of regulation sent the Purple Knights to an 80-78 victory over UDC the last time these two met, also handed out six assists.

Bridgeport out-shot UDC 54-percent to 38-percent from the field in the first half, but UDC managed to stay in the game thanks to nine offensive rebounds and Williams' 5-of-6 three-point shooting. No more than five points separated the two teams in the first half, but Bridgeport broke a 32-all tie with a 4-0 run to end the period as the Purple Knights led 36-32 at intermission.

The momentum carried over into the second half as Bridgeport opened on a 7-0 run and took its largest lead of the night, 43-32 almost two minutes into the closing period. At that point, however, Brent's 1-of-2 trip at the free-throw line began a 20-6 run by the Firebirds over the next eight minutes which included a three-pointer by Williams and two by Baldwin-Kollore – the second of which put UDC ahead, 52-49 near the 10-minute mark.

Kucukkaya buried a three-pointer in response for UB, igniting a 7-0 Purple Knights surge which put the hosts back on top, 56-52 a little over a minute later. Near the six-minute mark, Ovner's layup put Bridgeport up 60-54, but Calhoun's jump-shot kicked off a 12-2 game-changing run by the Firebirds which included back-to-back three-point bombs by Williams to propel UDC to a 66-62 lead with 29 seconds remaining.

The Firebirds went on to make 6-of-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch as they pulled away with a four-point victory on the road.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

North Carolina A&T Aggies Face Pirates In Hampton

North Carolina A&T (4-14, 1-3 MEAC) at Hampton (8-8, 4-0 MEAC)
Date: January 17, 2015
Time: 6 p.m.
Facility: Convocation Center
Series: Hampton leads 32-26

A&T Game Notes

Live Stats

Webstream

Hampton Game Notes

PROBABLE STARTERS: G Ahmad Abdullah (6-1, 175, Fr., 3.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg); G Arturs Bremers (6-3, 195, Jr., 8.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg); F Bruce Beckford (6-7, 215, Jr., 15.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg); F Khary Doby (6-6, 206, So., 7.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg); C Steven Burrough (6-9, 245, So., 4.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg).

Aggies Overview: The Aggies have put themselves in a situation where they need to split one of their road games at Hampton or Norfolk State to stay competitive in the conference race. The Aggies must accomplish this feat against two of the three undefeated teams in the conference. The Aggies are coming off a disappointing 52-50 home loss to S.C. State last Monday. The Aggies were just 8-for-17 from the free throw line and allowed S.C. State to have an 11-2 advantage in points off turnovers. The Aggies last trip into Hampton’s Convocation Center resulted in an 89-71 loss. The Aggies have lost their last two at Hampton, but the Aggies are 4-2 in their last trips to Hampton. The Aggies hope to lean on Bruce Beckford who has scored in double figures in his last 10 games. Second-leading scorer Arturs Bremers is shooting .389 from 3-point range.

Hampton Overview: The Hampton Pirates are one of three undefeated teams in the conference, joining N.C. Central and Norfolk State, a team the Aggies will play on Monday. Hampton holds its opponents to .387 shooting, which is third in the MEAC. The Pirates are also the second-best rebounding team in the league at 38.1 boards per game. They also average 13.2 offensive boards per game, second-best in the conference. Deron Powers powered the Pirates to a win over A&T last season at the Convocation Center when he scored 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting. This season he is averaging 8.9 points and is Hampton’s third-leading scorer. Dwight Meike leads the Pirates in scoring at 12.1 points per game. He did not suit up for the Pirates last season, but played 31 games with 18 starts during the 2012-13 season. Briand Darden is the 3-point shooter at .353 (30-85).

Potential Star: Aggies center Steven Burrough had a career night for the Aggies on Monday when he posted 10 points and eight rebounds. The Aggies hope he can repeat his performance against an impressive Hampton frontline.

News & Notes:

The Aggies dropped their first game of the New Year and snapped their three-game home winning streak with its loss to S.C. State.
The Aggies are hoping to end a horrific road-losing streak. The Aggies have not won a road game since defeating Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Jan. 11, 2014.
The Aggies lost 20 straight away from Corbett Sports Center since capturing the win at B-CU. Hampton is 4-1 at home this season.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION