Rush climb again, this time to 20th, in NAIA rankings

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana climbed for the second straight week in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25.

The Gold Rush (14-6 overall, 3-1 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) moved from 21st to 20th Tuesday. It is the highest rank for the XU men since the preseason poll, when they were 13th.

It is the 42nd consecutive appearance in the top 25 for the Gold Rush, and it's the longest active streak among NAIA DI men's teams. The XU men appeared in 55 of the last 56 top-25s.

For the fifth time in as many polls this season, the GCAC has three top-25 men's teams. Talladega is sixth and Philander Smith is 23rd, same as a week ago. Talladega leads the GCAC with a 4-0 conference record, and Xavier is tied for second place and one game behind.

Campbellsville is No. 1 for the third consecutive week. The Tigers received all 10 first-place votes after collecting six last week and five two weeks ago.

Xavier won 60-52 at home Monday against SUNO and will play at 5 p.m. EST Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., against Edward Waters. The next XU home game will be Feb. 2.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 18) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Campbellsville (10) 19-1 250 1 2 Cal State San Marcos 19-2 240 3 3 Pikeville 18-1 230 4 4 Hope International 16-1 228 2 5 Martin Methodist 17-1 218 5 6 Talladega 17-3 208 6 7 Freed-Hardeman 15-2 194 8 8 Oklahoma Baptist 15-3 190 7 9-tie Montana Western 15-3 183 9 9-tie Benedictine (Kan.) 16-3 183 10 11 Our Lady of the Lake 12-1 170 tie-11 12 Concordia (Calif.) 17-3 165 15 13 Dalton State 15-2 155 14 14 Wayland Baptist 15-2 148 tie-11 15 Arizona Christian 16-4 134 13 16 Columbia (Mo.) 16-3 126 20 17 Georgetown (Ky.) 15-3 116 18 18 William Carey 12-4 113 16 19 Great Falls 14-4 98 RV 20 Xavier 13-6 97 21 21 Evangel 11-6 86 22 22 LSU-Alexandria 9-1 78 24 23 Philander Smith 12-4 74 23 24 Cumberlands 16-4 66 25 25 Mid-America Christian 12-6 53 NR Others receiving votes: Westmont 47, Montana Tech 24, Missouri Valley 22, Central Methodist 19, Bethel 15, St. Gregory's 15, Lewis-Clark State 13, Southwestern Assemblies of God 5, Vanguard 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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TSU Tigers get home win over Jackson State 67-54

HOUSTON, Texas -- Madarious Gibbs scored 19 points and Texas Southern built a big lead, held off a late charge and beat Jackson State 67-54 on Monday.

Texas Southern raced out to a 12-4 lead behind Deverell Biggs' 3-pointer just over four minutes in. A 9-0 run midway through the half extended the lead to 21-8 and Texas Southern led 38-21 at the break.

The lead reached 20 with 15:19 left on a pair of Malcolm Riley free throws. Jackson State got it to 10 with 4:31 left on Jaleel Queary's jumper, but Texas Southern reeled off the next 11 points to wrap up the win.

Biggs finished with 13 points and a trio of three pointers for Texas Southern. Chris Thomas had 12 points and Riley added 10.

Jackson State was led by Kaven Bernard with 14 points while Derrell Taylor added 12 points and six boards.

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

UTSA football to host the FCS Southern Jaguars in 2017

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The UTSA football program announced Tuesday that it will host the Southern Jaguars on Sept. 2, 2017.

The Roadrunners and Jaguars of the Southwestern Athletic Conference have never played.

Southern, a Football Championship Subdivision program located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, finished 9-4 and won the SWAC West Division with an 8-1 record last fall. The Jaguars suffered a 38-24 loss to Alcorn State in the conference title game.

UTSA is a member of Conference USA and was 4-8,(3-5 C-USA) in 2014. The Roadrunners home games are played at the Alamodome (65,000 seats).

UTSA now has three non-conference games scheduled for 2017, as it will play Baylor on Sept. 9 in Waco and Texas State on Sept. 23 in San Marcos.

 

The Roadrunners will open the 2015 slate against Arizona on Thursday, Sept. 3, in Tucson, Ariz., before returning home to host Kansas State on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Alamodome. UTSA also travels to Stillwater, Okla., for the second consecuitve season to play Oklahoma State one week later (Sept. 19) and it will host Colorado State on Sept. 26 in the final non-conference contest of its fifth year of football. All four opponents made bowl appearances and were ranked in both The Associated Press and Amway/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Polls at one point this past season.

 

Season tickets are on sale now. Orders can be made by calling (210-458-UTSA (8872) or clicking here.

Courtesy UTSA Athletics

N.C. Central comes back to defeat Hampton U. 59-52

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University didn’t need much for what would have been a signature win – a couple of shots, a few defensive stops..

Instead, the Pirates squandered an opportunity at home for the second time in three days, this time against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference defending champs.

North Carolina Central weathered foul trouble and ghastly play, regrouping in the second half for a 59-52 win Monday at the HU Convocation Center.

“We said that we wanted to try to disrupt the rhythm of what they do,” HU coach Ed Joyner Jr., said. “We were able to do that the first half. The second half, it got away from us.”

N.C. Central (14-5, 6-0 MEAC) won its eighth consecutive game and sits alone in first place after a weekend trip to Hampton Roads in which it squeezed past Norfolk State on Saturday and the Pirates two nights later.



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UMES lets SCSU hang around, loses in OT

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- The UMES men’s basketball team struggled all night to find consistency on the offensive end, and let South Carolina State hang around.

“We kept getting the lead and they kept making big shots,” UMES coach Bobby Collins said. “I told out guys we gotta be able to sit down and defend and get stops when we need it and be grimy and we didn’t do that tonight.”

The Hawks paid a penance for letting the Bulldogs stay close.

When Devin Martin missed a free throw with nine seconds left in overtime the score was left tied. And when Michael Myers missed a free throw with 40 seconds left that could have given the Hawks a 3-point lead in overtime — it left the door open again.

After a timeout by South Carolina State, the Hawks played 27 seconds of good defense before allowing Edward Stephens to put up a desperation jumper with the shot clock running down.

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Coppin State men hand 18th straight loss to Florida A&M, 87-75

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Christian Kessee scored a career-high 23 points and the Coppin State men's basketball team extended the nation's longest losing streak by beating winless Florida A&M, 87-75, on Monday..

The visiting Rattlers lost their 18th straight this season, a school record. Central Arkansas (0-16) is the only other winless team in Division I.

Coppin State (2-16, 1-4 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) was up by 14 with 5:44 left in the first half and used a 14-2 run to push its lead to 49-23 at the break.

Florida A&M came out firing in the second half. A 21-2 run to start the frame — including 12 points from Jermaine Ruttley — made it a 10-point game at the midway mark.

The Rattlers got as close as six on Craig Bowman's 3-pointer with 28 seconds left.

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Prairie View sweeps Grambling men, women

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- The Grambling State women’s basketball team lost its second consecutive game on Monday night, falling 85-57 to Prairie View.

Prairie View built a 46-26 halftime lead. Grambling never got closer than 16 points in the final 20 minutes.

Grambling (5-12, 2-4) was led by Mariah Gilliam with 12 points. Klintisha Martin added 11 points and Kiana Jones had 10 for the Lady Tigers.

Prairie View, meanwhile, had four players score in double figures. Alexus Parker led the Panthers with 18 points. Jeanette Jackson added 15, Shamiya Brooks had 13 points and Monique Abbs had 10.

Prairie View (6-11, 3-2) enjoyed a hot shooting night from the floor as the Panthers made 50.7 percent of their field goal attempts.

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Southern men cruise past MVSU for their fourth straight victory

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern and Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball teams played at a fast-scoring pace in the first half Monday night.

Then, they played at a slower pace in the second half.

The Jaguars were better at both, and that led to a 79-55 victory in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“We ran with them early,” Southern guard Christopher Hyder said. “Then, when we saw what the lead was and how the game was developing, we slowed things down, ran some clock and got some easy baskets late.”

The Jaguars outscored Valley 43-30 in the first half and 36-25 in the second as they won their fourth consecutive game.

Southern (8-12, 5-1 SWAC) plays at Alabama A&M on Saturday. The Delta Devils fell to 2-16 and 1-4.

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Hampton U. women cruise past N.C. Central 75-36

HAMPTON, Virginia — Hampton University's women attempted to make it as easy as possible on a difficult day for head coach David Six.

Six attended the funeral of friend and former colleague Darrin Donahoo on Monday afternoon, then watched as his Lady Pirates dismantled North Carolina Central 75-36 at the HU Convocation Center.

"It was a tough day for me," Six said. "I was there, but I wasn't there."

Hampton (9-9, 5-0 MEAC) was never threatened on the way to its 54th consecutive win against conference competition. The Lady Pirates jumped to an early 10-point lead, reached 50 before the Eagles hit 20, and 70 before NCCU got to 30.

HU sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (30 points) nearly outscored NCCU by herself. The Eagles had almost as many turnovers (36) as shot attempts (40).

The Lady Pirates were on-point defensively in their most one-sided win of the season, and Six used his bench more liberally than in many previous games.



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Rush beat SUNO, and all is Goode and Wright again

Photo Gallery: XU men's basketball vs. SUNO
Photos by Yamlak Tsega
 

NEW ORLEANS -- Guards Anthony Goode and Morris Wright combined for 41 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 60-52 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against city rival SUNO.

Goode scored 23 points -- he made five 3-pointers to match his career high -- and Wright scored 18 to lead the Gold Rush (14-6, 3-1) to its third consecutive victory, all in conference. Goode and Wright combined to shoot 15-of-22 from the floor, 7-of-11 on 3-pointers.

Gary Smith had a career-high 10 assists for Xavier -- his previous best was five -- and Sydney Coleman grabbed a season-best 11 rebounds.

Justin Fairman made five 3-pointers for SUNO (3-11, 0-3) and was the Knights' only double-figure scorer with 17 points.

It was the fifth time this season that Xavier won after trailing at halftime. SUNO made six 3-pointers to grab a 31-29 halftime lead and extended its advantage to 38-31 on Thaddeus Fortune's 3-pointer with 15:58 remaining.

Wright scored six points during a 13-0 run which lasted nearly 7 1/2 minutes and turned SUNO's 50-45 lead into a 58-50 Xavier advantage with 1:30 remaining. Wright's 3-point play with 7:14 remaining put Xavier ahead to stay, 51-50.

Goode reached 20 points for a team-leading fourth time this season. Wright leads the Gold Rush with 16 games scoring in double figures.

The teams combined for 22 fouls and 16 turnovers. Xavier's 10 fouls were a season low, and its seven turnovers were its fewest in a game since Feb. 21, 2009. Xavier combined for 46 turnovers in its previous two games.

Xavier outshot the Knights 47.9 to 42 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 32-28. The low number of fouls resulted in few free-throw opportunities -- SUNO was 1-of-6, and Xavier was 7-of-14.

Xavier and Tougaloo moved into a tie for second place in the GCAC, one game behind Talladega. The Tornadoes improved to 4-0 in the conference with an 82-77 victory at Philander Smith.

SUNO has dropped three straight and 10 of its last 11 games.

The next Gold Rush game will start at 5 p.m. EST Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., against GCAC opponent Edward Waters. The next XU home game will be Feb. 2.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director 

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SUNO leads wire-to-wire, defeats Nuggets 73-43 at XU

PHOTO GALLERY: XU women's basketball vs. SUNO

Photos by Yamlak Tsega
 

NEW ORLEANS -- Senior guard Brandy Broome, one of five SUNO double-figure scorers, had 21 points to lead the Lady Knights in a 73-43 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at the Convocation Center.

The Lady Knights (8-2, 3-0) led wire-to-wire and took sole possession of first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.

Broome, the NAIA leader in steals per game, had six steals along with five rebounds and three assists.

Rayvin Miller scored 15 points and Shonte Dillon 12 for SUNO, and Kishaun Williams and Breanna Wiley had 11 points apiece. Wiley grabbed eight rebounds.

Whitney Gathright scored 14 points for the Gold Nuggets (10-10, 3-1). Vinnie Briggs had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Donyeah Mayfield grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds.

Broome made consecutive 3-pointers to start a 12-3 run which gave SUNO a 25-15 lead at 5:38 of the first half. The Lady Knights led 32-23 at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead for the final 19:39.

Xavier suffered its second-largest home defeat of the Title IX era. The worst was a 97-63 loss to Auburn Montgomery on Nov. 4, 1995, at the Nuggets' previous home facility, The Barn. Xavier has lost four times at the Convocation Center in 2014-15, its most at home in one season since dropping five in 1999-2000.

SUNO shot 48.1 percent from the floor, the highest by an XU opponent this season, and limited the Nuggets to a season-low 23.1 percent. Xavier outrebounded the Lady Knights 52-42.

Xavier's next game will start at 3 p.m. EST Saturday in Jacksonville, Fla., against GCAC opponent Edward Waters. The next XU home game will be Feb. 2.

Box score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director 

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Morgan State Pitch and Catch Still An All-Time Top 10 Play

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- During Morgan State's 21-7 win over Winston-Salem State on September 20, 2008, the Bears' Wide Receiver Edwin Baptiste made one of the greatest pass catches ever caught on tape. Lucky there was a video camera on the play, as only 3,066 fans were at Bowman-Gray Stadium on that particular afternoon.

Baptiste catch became an instant sensation on ESPN and was the #1 Play of the Week. "The Catch" has had over 4.99 million views since posted on YouTube in 2008, and is considered one of the ten greatest football catches of all time. 

But, who remember the name of the Morgan State QB that threw that pass to Baptiste?

B-CU Lady Wildcats Deliver Wire-to-Wire Victory at MSU, 55-48

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Lady Wildcats (6-12, 3-3 MEAC) made it 2-for-2 on the trip to Baltimore, jumping out early on Morgan State (6-12, 3-3 MEAC) and holding the advantage throughout to top the Lady Bears, 55-48, Monday afternoon at Talmadge L. Hill Field House.

"Mentally we were tough. We came out offensively and hit our shots, developed a big lead and were able to hold onto it throughout Morgan State's runs," Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis said. "But defensively is where we really did a great job."

Set off by a trio of buckets for redshirt sophomore center Kailyn Williams, followed by a pair for Kendra Cooper, the Lady Wildcats jumped out to a 12-0 advantage. The B-CU defense stood strong early, allowing seven minutes to elapse before the Lady Bears touched the scoreboard on Braennan Farrar’s four-point play.

Farrar scored MSU’s first seven points and 10 of Morgan State’s 19 in the first half. As others got into the offensive mix, Emily Williams and Jasmine Knowles chipped in a pair of scores each to keep the Lady Bears at a safe distance, with B-CU carrying a 28-19 lead into the half.



BOX SCORE

After a hot first half, Cooper drained her lone second half shot to open the period’s scoring with just under two minutes played. With Cooper smothered by defenders, other Lady Wildcats took advantage of the opening, building up to a 13-point lead with 13:39 to go.

Making her first game appearance in the second half, MSU’s Torri Chestnut applied some pressure for the Lady Wildcats, going 3-for-3 from long distance and sparking a Lady Bears run that trimmed the deficit to just five points with 9:50 remaining.

However, free throw conversions from Terrenisha Hollis, Cooper and Knowles kept the lead hovering around double digits. As B-CU worked to burn the clock down the stretch, MSU was able to creep back into contention, but buckets from K. Williams and Emily Williams iced the game with under a minute to play, closing in a 55-48 Bethune-Cookman win at the final buzzer.

Cooper led all scorers with 18 points, shooting 62.5 percent from the field, 80 percent from the perimeter and 100 percent from the line for her 13th double-figure scoring game of the year. In addition, she logged a career-high seven (7) rebounds.

For the second time in a week, K. Williams pressed close to earning a triple-double, logging 12 points, 13 rebounds and eight (8) blocks in the contest, shooting 45.4 percent on the day.

Knowles had a banner day at point guard, drawing praise from the coaching staff.

"It's easy to play point when nobody's pressuring you, but she had pressure the entire game, and was still able to distribute the ball," Blair-Lewis said. "She was still able to attack offensively for her shots, and she defended the best player on the team."

Knowles scored 11 of her own on 44.4 percent shooting, but also dishing out seven (7) assists to match her career high.

Williams was also named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week just before tip-off this afternoon.

The Lady Wildcats return to Richard V. Moore Gymnasium on a win streak, taking on a home set with Maryland Eastern Shore and Howard next week.

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.

To join the conversation about Bethune-Cookman Athletics, please tag your social media posts with the official hashtag of B-CU Athletics, #HailWildcats.

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FAMU President Dr. Elmira Mangum Directs Marching 100

KEEPING IT REAL...  On the last home game of the 2014 Rattler Football Season, New President Dr. Elmira Mangum Directs the Marching 100 Band.

Video Courtesy of Tony Leavell Band Photographer

Livingstone College Mark Thomas Honored at 2015 NCAA Convention with NCAA Top 10 Award

MARK THOMAS IS THE FIRST STUDENT-ATHLETE FROM AN HBCU TO BE PRESENTED AN NCAA TODAY'S TOP TEN AWARD IN THE AWARD'S 42 YEAR HISTORY. 

(Photo: Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. and LC Blue Bears Alumnus Mark Thomas)

NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland – Livingstone College graduate and former basketball standout Mark Thomas made history Friday by becoming the first student-athlete from an HBCU to receive an NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award in the award’s 42-year history.

During a well-choreographed, three-hour ceremony that featured former Major League pitcher Mike Mussina, a millionaire whose family once lived in a boxcar, and the Bowie State University Marching Band, Thomas stood on a stage he probably never imagined to accept his award and discuss his career at Livingstone.

“First of all I want to thank God,” Thomas said. “That’s the first thing. Attending Livingstone College gave me the opportunity to play basketball and get my education. Coming from a small HBCU and receiving an honor like this just shows all things are possible.”

Thomas was escorted on stage by Livingstone College President Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr. They stood together momentarily, posing with Thomas’ award, before Jenkins exited and Thomas chatted with Master of Ceremonies Jack Ford, a legal analyst for CBS News who played football at Yale University and is a former prosecutor and host of ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters II.”

When he returned to his seat inside a ballroom at The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, where a capacity crowd enjoyed the awards dinner, Thomas was given a high-five by his brother, Lance Wilson, and a kiss from his mother, Leslie Thomas.



The NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award recognizes student-athletes, who completed their athletic eligibility during the 2013-14 academic year, for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Previously, the NCAA recognized five students annually before increasing the number to eight and eventually 10.

Joining Thomas in receiving the Today’s Top 10 Award were Lauren Battista, Abbey D’Agostino, Joe Fletcher, Kristen Hixson, Gabe Ikard, Kim Jacob, Megan Light, Nicole Michmerhuizen and Shannon Vreeland.

Friday’s ceremony also featured Mussina and five other Silver Anniversary Award winners and came at a good time for Thomas, who graduated in May 2014 with a 3.7 GPA. He learned two months later he suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and can no longer play basketball.

During a video that played Friday night, he acknowledged giving up basketball has been extremely difficult but said, “I guess if this had to happen to me this was the best time … after my college career ended.”

During his senior season at Livingstone, Thomas averaged 21.4 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He was named 2013-14 CIAA Player of the Year and led the Blue Bears to their first CIAA Championship – both firsts in school history. He also snagged a spot on the All-CIAA Tournament Team and Tournament MVP honors.

Despite his obvious pain over not being able to play basketball anymore – he’d hoped for a shot at playing overseas – Thomas is grateful for playing three seasons under Livingstone head coach James Stinson, Jr.

And though he’s appreciative of the many awards he’s received, particularly The NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award, he said he’s more concerned about making a difference in someone’s life.

“Every kid needs somebody to look up to,” Thomas said in his video. “If one kid can look up to me and say, ‘I want to be like him,’ that’d be great. That’d be better than winning all of the awards, honestly.”

Livingstone College athletic director Andre Springs wasn’t surprised to hear those words from Thomas, who he said is a perfect example of what can happen “when you give a kid a scholarship and he takes full advantage of it academically as well as athletically.”

Thomas’ humility also didn’t surprise Jenkins, who couldn’t praise him enough after the ceremony.

“This is a great night for Livingstone and an even greater night for Mark,” Jenkins said. “It really punctuates a stellar career, both academically and athletically. Mark is an exceptional human being. He’s very mannerly, very humble, very talented and very optimistic. I believe we’ve just begun to see the plateaus that he will reach in his life.”

During a dessert reception after the dinner, Thomas struggled to adequately express what the night meant to him.

“It was beyond my expectations,” he said. “I’m almost speechless. To be one of the Top 10 athletes in the country is pretty special.”

COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE MEDIA RELATIONS

VSU Trojans Take Third Consecutive Win at Annual Freedom Classic

RICHMOND, Virginia -- The VSU men's basketball team took down the Virginia Union University Panthers for the third consecutive year at the annual Freedom Classic on January 18. The final score was 64-45.

The Trojans currently have a 11-5 overall record, 5-2 in the CIAA conference.

VSU shot 45.7 percent (21-46) from the field, 35.0 percent (7-20) from behind the arc and 75.0 percent (15-20) from the free throw line.

Senior Lamar Kearse took the helm of the game in scoring with 16 points while collecting 7 rebounds. Bringing in his fourth double-double of the season was senior Tyrece Little with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Both Trojans credit their teammates for having a great game.

The beginning of the first half started off slow for the Trojans. The Panthers leading scorer D'Andre Bullard made several baskets for his team, putting them up by five points. Sophomore Jamison Jeffers set the tone for the Trojans with two back-to-back shots from behind the arc. Kearse rounded out the half with a 3 pointer. VSU was in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-17.

VSU kept the lead and did not look back in the second half.  Basket after basket by the Trojans left the Panthers in the dust. Little wowed the crowd with a dunk as the team celebrated an early victory with 4:29 left in regulation. The Trojans finished the game with a final score of 64-45, a 19 point lead. VSU Head coach Lonnie Blow credits the "energizing shots" at the end of the first half for the great momentum in the second half.

The Trojans secured 13 points off of turnovers and 20 points in the paint.

The VSU men will go up against the Chowan University Hawks on Wednesday, January 21 in Daniel Gymnasium. In honor of gender equity and Title IX, tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

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

Box Score

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Southern men try to extend streak

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern men’s basketball team played 18 games before it managed to win two games in a row.

It extended that streak to three when it beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70-60 on Saturday, and it will look to make it four in a row when it plays Mississippi Valley State on Monday in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. Tip-off if 8 p.m. and the game will be televised by CST.

“For the first time, we have a few wins in a row. And I think any time that happens, you start feeling good about yourselves,” Jaguars coach Roman Banks said. “We want to turn feeling good about ourselves into working to get better and not just being happy with where we are.”

Southern is 7-12 and 4-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Delta Devils are 2-15 and 1-3 after an 87-67 loss at Alcorn State on Saturday.

CONTINUE READING

Hampton University Sailing Releases Spring Schedule

SAILING  - A CO-ED SPORT AT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton University head sailing coach Alessandro Ambrosi announced his team's spring 2015 schedule on Friday, a slate that includes a pair of regattas to be held at Strawberry Banks.

The first of those regattas, the Pirates Team Race, will open the season on Feb. 28-March 1, before the team heads to Norfolk, Va. for the ODU Spring Open. Then the Pirates will head to Williamsburg, Va. on March 21-22 for the William & Mary Spring Open.

The Pirates will return to Strawberry Banks on March 28-29 for the MAISA/SAISA Intersectional. This will mark the seventh straight year in which Hampton has hosted this regatta.

On April 4-5, the Pirates will be in King's Point, N.Y. for the Team Race Challenge, and the top two teams in that event will qualify for the Prosser trophy, which will be held in King's Point, N.Y. on April 11-12, the following weekend.

Hampton will either be competing in the Thompson Trophy or the Navy Spring Open on April 18-19, before the MAISA Women's Championship takes place in Saint Mary's City, Md. on April 25-26.

The America Trophy will be held at ODU on May 2-3. The Pirates qualified for the America Trophy, which serves as the MAISA co-ed championship, for the first time last season – finishing 16th in the regatta.

For more information on Hampton University sailing, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com. 

Date		Opponent	Location	Time

2/28-3/1/2015		Pirate Team Racing	Hampton, Va.	All Day
3/7-8/2015		ODU Spring Open	Norfolk, Va.	All Day
3/21-22/2015		William and Mary Spring Open	Williamsburg, Va.	All Day
3/28-29/2015		MAISA/SAISA Intersectional	Hampton, Va.	All Day
4/4-5/2015		Team Race Challenge	King's Point, N.Y.	All Day
4/11-12/2015		Prosser Trophy	King's Point, N.Y.	All Day
4/18-19/2015		Thompson Trophy	TBA	All Day
4/18-19/2015		Navy Spring Open	Annapolis, Md.	All Day
4/25-26/2015		MAISA Women's Championship	Saint Mary's City, Md.	All Day
5/2-3/2015		America Trophy	Norfolk, Va.	All Day

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton Pirates Wins (Maryland) Terrapin Invitational, Lady Pirates Second

LANDOVER, Maryland (1/18/15) -- The Hampton University men's track & field team won the team title at the Terrapin Invitational on Saturday at the Prince George Sports & Learning Complex, while the women's track & field team came in second in the women's standings.

The Pirates racked up 128 points, thanks in large part to winning six event titles.

Senior Chidi Okezie (Philadelphia, Pa.) won the 300-meter dash with a time of 24.28, and he was on the 4x400-meter relay squad – along with sophomore Gabriel Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa.), freshman Justin Beatty (Bowie, Md.), and senior Edose Ibadin (Glendale, Md.) – that took gold with a season-best 3:20.41.

Ibadin was also on the gold medal-winning distance medley squad, as he, freshman Eric Ellis (Chesapeake, Va.), freshman Malik White (Baldwin, N.Y.), and freshman Stanley Davis (Glen Allen, Va.) combined to run a 10:43.30.

Junior Trey Holloway (Chesapeake, Va.) ran a season-best 8.03 in the 60-meter hurdles to win that event, and he ran a 22.57 to take the 200-meter dash.

Freshman Sharlanjo Nelson (Kingston, Jamaica) won the long jump with a mark of 6.89 meters (22 feet, 7.25 inches).

Davis also came in second in the 800-meter run with a 1:56.74.

Junior Jasper Savoy (Branywine, Md.) came in second in the 60-meter dash with a 6.94 and ran a 23.14 to finish third in the 200-meter dash.

Ibadin was second in the 300-meter dash with a 36.02.

The Lady Pirates wound up with 78 points, thanks to winning three events.

Senior Le'Quisha Parker (Silver Spring, Md.) ran a 39.05 in winning the 300-meter dash, while junior Ce'aira Brown (Philadelphia, Pa.) took home gold in the 600-meter run thanks to the 1:33.21 she turned in.

Parker and Brown were also on the 4x400-meter relay team – along with junior Tanisha Greene (Virginia Beach, Va.) and graduate student Malekah Holland (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – that won gold with a 3:46.86.

Brown and Holland also finished second in the distance medley, along with sophomore Amanda Delacruz (Staten Island, N.Y.) and junior Maya Moore (Hampton, Va.), with a time of 12:17.92.

Freshman Taniya Mitchell (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) threw the weight implement 15.32 meters (50 feet, 3.25 inches) to come in third.

Select student-athletes competed in the Liberty Open in Lynchburg, Va. on Friday and Saturday, with junior Emmanuel Price (St. Louis, Mo.) coming in second in the heptathlon with 4,520 points. Junior Christian Faber-Kinney (Williamsburg, Va.) was third with 4,235 points.

The Pirates and Lady Pirates will return to action on Jan. 30-31 in the CNU Captain's Invitational. For more information on Hampton University track & field, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Terrapin Invitational | Liberty Open

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

District of Columbia Firebirds Dominates Dowling, 86-48

Junior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore had 19 points in the Firebirds win.

Courtesy UDC Athleticsn.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- All 10 Firebirds players in the lineup entered the scoring column as the University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team dominated Dowling, 86-48 in East Coast Conference play at UDC Sports Complex Saturday afternoon.

The Firebirds improved to 13-3 overall and 6-2 in league play with today's win while Dowling lost its fifth straight game to fall to 2-11 overall and 2-5 in the ECC.

Playing without the team's second-leading scorer and assist leader - senior point guard Telisha Turner (Criminal Justice – Wilmington, DE/Harcum) - due to an ankle injury, three UDC players stepped up in her absence to score in double-figures, including senior reserve guard Diamonique Carr's (Criminal Justice – Camden, NJ/Harcum) career and game-high 20 points.. Carr scored 18 of her 20 in the second half while shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and making 6-of-8 free-throws.

Junior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore (Criminal Justice – Newport News, VA/Denbigh HS) was who keyed the Firebirds' fantastic start, scoring eight points herself in the opening three minutes before the Golden Lions had even got on the scoreboard. She finished with a season-high 19 points and extended her streak of double-figure scoring games to seven.

Also packing the stat sheet and contributing to the resounding Firebirds win were senior forward Denikka Brent (Mechanical Engineering – Chesapeake, VA/Booker T. Washington HS) with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, junior transfer forward Arielle Ward (Psychology – Springfield, MA/La Salle) with career and game-highs of six steals and six assists, and junior forward Tatyana Calhoun (Architecture – Disputanta, VA/Sussex Central HS) with a game-high seven rebounds.

Dowling, which dressed only seven players and consequently was out-scored 40-0 in bench points, was led by senior guard Christine Verrelle with 19 points and seven rebounds – both team-highs. Verrelle, the 2011-12 ECC Rookie of the Year, is the only marquee player left from the 2012-13 NCAA Division II Tournament Runner-up team coached by retired veteran Joe Pellicane.

Baldwin-Kollore hit two open, spot-up three-pointers from the corner and scored all eight points during an 8-0 run to open the game for UDC as the Firebirds would lead from wire-to-wire. A 9-0 Golden Lions run would bring Dowling within two, 13-11, just past the 12-minute mark after a three-pointer by Verrelle. The Firebirds countered with a 9-0 run of their own, highlighted by two three-pointers by junior transfer forward Iman Soctt (Health Education - Hagerstown, MD/Baltimore City CC), as UDC took a 21-11 lead approaching the nine-minute mark. Still up 28-20 nearing the five-minute mark, UDC embarked on a 10-0 run to take its largest lead of the half, 38-20 with 11 seconds remaining. Dowling's Kamille Ejerta hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it 38-22 at intermission.

Consecutive three-pointers by Verrelle and Andrea Bender to open the second half pulled Dowling within 10 at the 18:48 mark, but a Brent layup kicked off a 25-5 Firebirds run which included six consecutive points by Carr and gave UDC a commanding, 63-33 advantage near the 11-minute mark. Over the next seven minutes, UDC out-scored Dowling 17-7 to extend its lead to 40, and the Firebirds went on to win by its largest margin of victory this season, 38.

Dowling's 48 points was a UDC opponent season-low, and its 35.7-percent FG shooting was a season-low as well. Meanwhile, UDC also forced 25 Golden Lions turnovers and cashed them in for 31 points.

The Firebirds are now in 3rd place in the ECC standings and just one game back of Queens (6-1) in the loss column for 2nd place. They will host league foe St. Thomas Aquinas on Thursday, January 22nd at 7 p.m.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

Morehouse Maroon Tigers Sprint Past KSU Thorobreds

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Morehouse got back on the winning track, with a 68-44 win over the Kentucky State Thorobreds.

The Green and Gold were no match for the Maroon and White who advanced to 8-6 (6-1 SIAC).

Anxious for a win after Thursday's loss to Stillman, which snapped a five-game win streak, Morehouse kept it close for the first nine minutes then sprinted away.

Morehouse held the Thorobreds to 29 percent shooting and out-rebound them 41-30.

Three Maroon Tigers posted double figures, led by Tyrone Brown who scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in the second half. Brown hit 3 of 6 shots from the field 9 of 11 from the free-throw line.

Morehouse shot a season-high 76 percent from the free-throw line, including 13 of 14 in the second half.

Austin Anderson poured in 11 points on a series of jumpers and acrobatic lay-ins. He collected three steals and two rebounds before tweaking his ankle and leaving the game.

Brandon Glover chipped in 10 points and two assists. Robert Askew had six points and eight rebounds and Javarius Gay contributed seven points and five rebounds.

Darrien Wilkins led the Thorobreds, with 12 points and 12 rebounds. KSU fell to 4-9 (3-4 SIAC).

The Maroon Tigers travel to Orangeburg, SC, Saturday, at 3:30 p.m., to play SIAC East Division rivals -- the Claflin University Panthers.

Morehouse returns home for more division rivalry, when Benedict comes to Forbes Arena, January 26, followed by Paine, January 29.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY MOREHOUSE COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Free Throw Line Dooms LSUS Lady Pilots at No. 6 Langston

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- The LSU Shreveport Lady Pilots almost slipped past and the 6th-ranked Langston Lionesses on Saturday night but their inability to make shots at the free throw line cost them dearly as the Lionesses escaped with a 77-73 win and their 15th-consecutive win on the season to remain undefeated. Erica Noel (JR/Carencro, Louisiana) and Kourtney Pennywell (SO/Shreveport, Louisiana) combined for 49 of the Lady Pilots' points.

"I am so proud of the effort these players gave tonight," said LSUS head coach Valerie Huizar. "They fought hard the entire 40 minutes. This team plays hard for each other. We just have to keep tweaking some things and keep getting better."

LSUS falls to 8-7 overall and 5-3 in Red River Athletic Conference action while no. 6 Langston improves to 15-0 and 7-0 in RRAC play.

"The free throw line has been a bit of an Achilles heel for us this year," said coach Huizar whose Lady Pilots made only five of 16 attempts from the charity stripe while Langston hit 13 of 17. But in every other aspect of the game LSUS was as good as or better than the nationally-ranked home squad. Langston shot 45-percent from the field compared to the Lady Pilots 44-percent. Langston had eight makes from beyond the arc while LSUS shot 54-percent (6-11).

The rebounding battle finished with both teams grabbing a total of 40 rebounds.

The LSUS defense was a little stiffer forcing 13 turnovers compared to just 10 committed by the Lady Pilots.

Pennywell turned in her usual double-double with game highs of 25 points and 13 rebounds while Noel pitched in 24 points going 10 of 16 from the field including four of six from downtown. Pennywell was 11 of 26 shooting from the field.

The only other double-digit scorer for the Lady Pilots was Sierra Contreras (JR/Austin, Texas) who added 11 points after a four of seven night from the field including two of four from beyond the arc and also had the game high of seven assists. The rest of the scorers for the Lady Pilots included Myeisha Williams (JR/New Waverly, Texas) with seven points and Ariel Harrell (SR/Jonesboro, Louisiana) with six.

Lynette Holmes had a double-double for Langston with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Jewel Rogers (19) and T'Keya Mason (12) also had double digits.

The Lady Pilots will be back in action this coming Tuesday (Jan. 20) at The Dock as they take on LSU Alexandria in RRAC action at 5:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY LSU SHREVEPORT ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton U. Lady Pirates make it 53 straight vs MEAC, Drops North Carolina A&T Aggies

HAMPTON, Virginia -- In a defensive struggle reminiscent of last season's matchup, the Hampton University women's basketball team beat preseason conference favorite North Carolina A&T 54-48 at the HU Convocation Center.

The Lady Pirates (8-9, 4-0 MEAC) picked up their third straight win overall, their fifth straight over the Aggies, and their 53rd straight against conference foes (including tournament games).

The Aggies (9-9, 2-3 MEAC) fell to under .500 in conference play.

Sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) led the Lady Pirates with 26 points – her 11th 20-point effort of the season – going 11-for-21 from the floor and hitting three of her five 3-pointers. She also grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.

Tate-DeFreitas is 66 points shy of 1,000 for her career.

Senior guard Kyani White (Manassas, Va.) added 15 points, going 7-for-10 from the floor.

The Lady Pirates shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the floor and hit three of their 12 3-pointers. Hampton held a 42-35 edge on the glass and turned 18 Aggie turnovers into 14 points.

Hampton scored the game's first 10 points, taking that 10-0 lead at the 17:15 mark after a jumper from White, while North Carolina A&T missed its first six shots – not scoring until the 16:31 mark after a layup from Aprill McRae.

In fact, the Lady Pirates led by as many as 16, going up 18-2 with 14:38 left in the first half after Tate-DeFreitas drained a 3-pointer.

The Aggies scored the next seven points to cut the lead to 18-11 at the 10:35 mark, as the Lady Pirates hit a cold spell. Eboni Ross cut the lead to 20-15 with a pair of free throws with 5:36 left in the first half, before the Lady Pirates went on an 8-2 run to take a 28-17 lead at the 2:16 mark after a White layup.

But the Aggies closed the half on a 7-2 run, cutting Hampton's lead to 30-25 at the break.

Tate-DeFreitas had 15 points at the half, while White had 11.

The Aggies cut the lead to 30-29 after scoring the first four points of the second half, and a jumper from Dana Brown with 13:34 left in the contest cut Hampton's lead to 32-31. But Tate-DeFreitas answered with a trey and a fastbreak layup to put the Lady Pirates up 37-31 with 12:50 left to play.

Again, the Aggies went on a small run, cutting the lead to 37-36 after Debbie Smith hit a jumper with 9:46 left to play. A jumper from Tate-DeFreitas with 7:18 left put the Lady Pirates up 44-39.

A 5-2 spurt from the Aggies cut the lead to 46-44 with 4:15 left, but the Lady Pirates scored on back-to-back possessions, taking a 50-44 lead after redshirt junior forward Tyler Hobgood (Oxford, N.C.) converted an open layup after Hampton broke the full-court press.

Smith hit two free throws with 1:44 left to cut the lead to 50-47, but another Hobgood layup – and two free throws from freshman forward Kaylah Lupoe (Phoenix, Ariz.) – helped the Lady Pirates keep the Aggies at bay.

The Aggies shot 34.7 percent (17-for-49) from the floor and made four of 17 3-pointers (23.5 percent).

Ross led North Carolina A&T with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Monday, hosting North Carolina Central at 6 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

BOX SCORE 



COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Corbo, NSU Spartans Win 3rd Straight, 82-58, over N.C. Central

NORFOLK, Virginia --  Senior guard Rae Corbo scored 29 points for the second game in a row, leading Norfolk State to its third straight win with a convincing 82-58 victory over North Carolina Central on Saturday evening at Echols Hall.

The win puts the Spartans at 5-11 overall, 4-1 in the MEAC heading into Monday's game with North Carolina A&T. The 4-1 MEAC start is the Spartans' best since 2001-02, when NSU won the MEAC title.

Corbo hit 11-of-20 from the floor, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Freshman forward Kayla Robertsadded 18 points and five rebounds, sophomore guard Koryn Lawrence chipped in with 12 points and sophomore forward Nia Roberts had a game-high 13 rebounds.



NCCU held leads at 2-0 and 4-2, but it was all NSU after that. Corbo had five points in a 9-0 Spartan burst that gave NSU the 11-4 lead just three and a half minutes into the game. The Spartans slowly widened the margin over the course of the first half thanks to 53 percent shooting in the opening stanza. Freshman forward Io Chaney hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to give the Spartans their biggest lead of the period, 38-22, heading into the locker room.

The lead reached 20 points for the first time when Kayla Roberts hit a pair of free throws to make it 49-29 with 15:33 left in the game. A 9-2 NCCU run brought the Eagles within 13, 65-52, with 6:19 left in the game. But NSU answered with the next seven points, which included a jumper by Lawrence and a steal and fast-break layup by Corbo, to push the margin back to 20.

NSU established season highs in points (82), field goals (31) and field goal percentage (47.7) in their most lopsided victory of the season. Each of NSU's wins in its current three-game winning streak has come by at least 13 points.

Corbo added three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jazamine Gray handed out a game-high five assists and also had six rebounds for NSU, which outrebounded the Eagles 45-33. Ten Spartans scored in the ballgame.

Racquel Davis scored 17 points and Khyra Conerly added 14 for the Eagles.

The Spartans host N.C. A&T, the preseason MEAC favorite, at 6 p.m. Monday.

Box Score

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

Hampton and Norfolk State drop MEAC home games (Video)

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Bruce Beckford 24 points, Khary Doby added 12 with 10 rebounds, and North Carolina A&T held on to beat Hampton 64-61 on Saturday night.

The Aggies (5-14, 2-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic) had a four-point lead with 16:41 to play and Hampton went cold over the next 3:12, allowing NC A&T to go up by 12 points. The Aggies then experienced a scoring drought of their own, going 5:57 without a field goal and the Pirates rallied back to tie the score at 53-all with 4:38 remaining. Beckford went 5 of 6 from the line in the final three minutes, and Hampton missed two 3-point attempts to keep NC A&T in front.

Beckford was 8 of 11 from the floor and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, as the Aggies combined for 52.2-percent shooting.



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