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TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Happy National Signing Day! Wednesday is a big day for the Florida A&M and Florida State football programs.
New FAMU football coach, Alex Wood, has been on the road recruiting hard since he was named the university’s head coach. He has the athletic department buzzing, and I am excited to see the players he signs. I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with Coach Wood a couple times, and he is an unbelievable guy that will do great things here. I am really looking forward working with him and watching what he does for program and athletic department.
If you are interested in meeting the football coaching staff and learning about the players that they signed you are move than welcome to head to the FAMU National Signing Day Event. It will start Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the FAMU Pharmacy Building in the Florida Blue Auditorium. Feel free to come on out.
Of course, Friday, Feb. 13, can’t get here soon up for the FAMU baseball team. It is hard to believe we are getting ready to open up our season at home against Marshall.
ALBANY, Georgia — Like a buzzing mosquito that constantly aggravates on a hot summer South Georgia night, Clark Atlanta played the role to perfection Monday night at the HPER Gymnasium.
After watching an 18-point advantage get whittled to a basket with 3:25 left, Albany State figured out a way to exterminate the Panthers and take a 92-85 victory.
“That was a typical Clark Atlanta team,” Albany State men’s basketball coach Michael Moore said. “They always get those good athletes from the city that plays good basketball. Plus, their coach does a good job too.”
The Rams used a pair of 3-point plays at the free throw line from Darshtyn Baker and Elijah Jordan to gain themselves some breathing room, then their defense cut down Clark Atlanta’s rally attempt.
ALBANY, Georgia -- Mecca Frost simply couldn't let it end like that.
Down a point with less than 20 seconds to play, the Lady Rams' junior guard turned the ball over and sent the Lady Panthers to the free throw line with a chance to extend their lead.
Instead, she was just setting up for an even better ending.
After CAU missed the first of a one-and-one, Frost sprinted down the court and banked in a three-point heave with two seconds left to give the Lady Rams a 68-66 win, their fourth straight.
"I knew after I had got the ball ripped the first time, I knew I had to get a point up by any means necessary," she says. "I felt confident in that shot. I practice it all the time after practice with my teammates, so I put it up. When it left my hands, I wasn't sure. But when it hit the glass, I knew. I couldn't believe it. I was just looking at the scoreboard."
HAMPTON, Virginia -- Bowie State University junior Ty-Nita Baker (Houston, Miss.) was named Women's Newcomer of the Week for the third time this season by the conference coaches and Sports Information Directors.
Baker knocked down 50 percent of her shots in games against Virginia State and Elizabeth City State and averaged 18.5 ppg and shot 80 percent at the free throw line. Her best outing of the week came at home against ECSU as she scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, handed out three assists, blocked one shot and accounted for two steals. She is currently the CIAA's fourth leading scorer.
The Lady Bulldogs return to action on Saturday (2/7) facing The Lincoln University Lady Lions at 2 pm in LU's Manuel Rivero Hall.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Monday night’s ESPNU basketball matchup features Alabama A&M University at Texas Southern from H&PE Arena. Tonight’s battle is highlighted by one of the league’s best scorers and a team that is as hot as anyone right now in college basketball.
AAMU (5-13, 4-4) is led by Ladarius Tabb who is second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Not only does he lead his team in points scored but the Shelton State Community College transfer leads the Bulldogs and is fourth in the SWAC in rebounding averaging 6.9 per outing. In his last five games, Tabb is averaging 27.4 points per contest three of which includes 31 points against Mississippi Valley State, 33 against Alcorn State, and another 30 last Saturday night at Prairie View. The Bulldogs however are still in search of that signature win. A victory over TSU (10-11, 7-1) would complete a sweep of the Texas schools as the Bulldogs topped PVAMU over the weekend.
Dating back to the month of December, Texas Southern has won nine of its last 12 games. The Tigers opened conference play by winning its first five. Their only loss came at Arkansas Pine Bluff, a team that has now won four in a row. Since falling at UAPB, TSU has since reeled off its last two. The heart and soul of this team is through its scoring leaders Chris Thomas (13.8 ppg) and Madarious Gibbs (13.3 ppg).
Tipoff Monday night in Houston is set for 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU/WATCHESPN
The complete ESPNU/WATCHESPN schedule is as follows:
February 23 – Alabama State at Southern 8 p.m.
2015 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament
March 15 – SWAC Women’s Final – 2 p.m. ESPN3
March 15 – SWAC Men’s Final - 5:30 p.m. ESPNU
ORLANDO, Florida -- It is the second day of class as Professor Deleso Alford orders her Florida A&M University law students up to the podium, one by one, to introduce themselves.
She wants them to share an interesting fact as they spend the next several months discussing deep, personal issues about race and society.
One man says he was a high school English teacher in a previous life. Another says he was listed as state witness 48 in the George Zimmerman trial. One woman owns nine dogs and one cat that thinks he's a dog.
A dark-haired man, dressed in a tie and crisp white shirt, waits his turn as he sits in the second row, his yellow note pad open.
"William Kelly," Alford says finally. Kelly, 29, walks to the podium.
ALBANY, Georgia — If January was a crazy month for you, then listen to how Albany State interim baseball coach Daniel Stockdale’s month went.
Stockdale was hired on Jan. 9 to replace Kenyan Conner, who resigned in December to join ASU football coach Mike White’s staff at Benedict.
Stockdale left his assistant baseball job at Savannah State, had a little more than three weeks to learn his new team and had to trim the roster from 40 to 28 players.
On top of that, Stockdale still hasn’t fully moved and is still living in a hotel.
Yet, when the Rams open their 2015 baseball season Tuesday afternoon against Brewton Parker College, none of that matters to the first-year coach.
“These guys are handling (the transition) well,” Stockdale said. “They needed a little organization and they’ve been able to get that corrected.”
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The 15th Annual McDonald's Rhythms of Triumph awards show honored people of Triad who were chosen for their outstanding accomplishments, contributions and personal sacrifices that have made an impact in the African American community on Friday.
The event took place at Greensboro Coliseum. The winners were Evainna Ross, William "Bill" Hayes, and George W. Clopton.
William "Bill" Hayes' leadership within intercollegiate athletics at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T), North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and Florida A&M University has gained much recognition. He is in the Hall of Fame at WSSU, NC A&T and NCCU, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and has the distinction of being named the MEAC and CIAA Coach of the Year. He currently serves on the executive board of his local Boy Scouts of America and is on the board of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State track and field teams took home 11 first-place finishes on their home track at the annual Edward S. Temple Classic on Sunday.
Sophomore Amber Hughes paced the squads by winning four events: the 55 meter dash (7.04 seconds), 200 meter dash (24.60 seconds), triple jump (12.39 meters) and the 4x400 meter relay (3:53.68). Both her times in the 55 meter and the triple jump are new personal bests.
Senior Diera Taylor who was also a part of the first-place 4x400 team, finished with the top time in the 400 meter dash (59.85 seconds).
In the throwing events, junior Angel Davis’s lob of 13.02 meters won the shot put and her 17.00 meter throw in the weight toss set a new career best.
For the Flying Tigers, Travon Alexander clocked the best time in the 55 meter dash in a blazing 6.40 seconds. The mark set a new personal record for the senior and is currently the 23rd fastest time in the country.
Quamel Prince also had a nice afternoon, winning the mile run (4:31.65) and contributing to the team of Jason Griffin, Jakeenan Guthrie and Perry Stokes that took home first prize in the 4x400 meter relay (3:20.88).
In the field events, Daryl Rice outleapt the competition in the high jump (2.01 meters) and Roc-M Nesbitt placed first in the shot put (14.51 meters).
Final Results COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
HEAD COACH OLIVER "BUDDY" POUGH SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State head coach Buddy Pough said lack of consistent offensive production may have keep cost the Bulldogs a postseason appearance in 2014. Thus far, S.C. State seems to be addressing those needs in recruiting, assembling the projected No. 1 class in the MEAC as ranked by 247sports.com.
Pough, who said he’d hoped to bring in at least two quarterbacks this recruiting cycle, has two committed. Charlotte, North Carolina (Providence High School) product Caleb York is a 6-2, 200-pound pro-style quarterback expected to sign on Wednesday. The Bulldogs also look to add two-star dual-threat quarterback Marquane Goodman (6-2, 200) from West Florence.
The Bulldogs also expect a signature from a potential game-breaker at receiver in Charlotte Latin School’s Canyon Tuttle (6-0, 170) and should also add running back Bishop Ford (5-5, 175) of William Amos High in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Hunter-Kinard-Tyler senior quarterback Khaliq Anthony is no stranger to Oliver C. Dawson Stadium at South Carolina State. The Trojans occasionally practiced at the venue throughout his high school career. Anthony is expected to cement his return to S.C. State as a member of the Bulldogs’ 2015 class. Anthony, The T&D Region’s All-Area first-team QB, accounted for 48 touchdowns, throwing for 2,009 yards and rushing for 1,542 as he led H-K-T to a second straight state title in 2014.
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Cornelius Jones has not given up. So circle April 11 on your calendar.
That’s when a Florida historic marker will go up at 212 Young Street, at the former home of Florida A&M University football coaching legend Jake Gaither — which has been lovingly restored by Jones.
Jones, 44, is a Tallahassee real estate entrepreneur, who bought the house more than a year ago simply to re-sell. But when he learned the house was the home of the late Gaither — and was still filled with all his photos, trophies and memorabilia — Jones decided to restore it as a meeting place and museum.
Already, the house has hosted several parties and receptions. It will host a grand opening when the historic marker is erected on April 11 — Gaither’s birthday.
A native of Cleveland, Jones played one year of football for FAMU before earning a degree in civil engineering in 1994. He never met Gaither, but saw his name all over campus and Tallahasssee and came to rever his role in local history.
ALBANY, Georgia -- It was a win that everybody could feel good about.
There’s nothing like beating your rival on homecoming.
Even Albany State women’s basketball coach Robert Skinner had to smile about what he saw Saturday evening.
The Lady Rams kicked off homecoming Saturday with a 74-64 win over Fort Valley State at the HPER Gymnasium.
ASU took an early 4-2 lead after a 3-pointer from Keidra Green. Both teams continued to trade baskets in the first half, with points in the paint being nearly nonexistent. The Lady Wildcats ended the first half with six blocks, while ASU had seven.
A pair of free throws and a basket from Artisha Holston helped the Lady Rams end the first half with a 33-28 lead.
BOWIE, Maryland -- Bowie State men's basketball held off a feisty Elizabeth City State team and captured an 88-86 CIAA division win on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs improve their season record to 17-6, 9-2 in league play and 4-1 in the North.
The Bulldogs shot a season-best 54.9 percent from the field on 28-of-51 shooting and were led by junior Julian Livingston (Bowie, Md.) with a career-high 25 points. Livingston shot a blistering 8-of-11 from the field which included 8-of-9 behind the arc. Senior Cameron Knox (Baltimore, Md.) contributed 15 points while Zafir Williams (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Justin Beck (Ellicott City, Md.) chipped in 11 points each. Beck led Bowie State on the glass with eight rebounds.
"I was pleased with the flow of our offense … We played faster today and did a good job moving the ball but I was not pleased with us defensively and did not come out with a defensive mindset", stated Bowie State head coach Darrell Brooks.
Three Elizabeth City State players scored in double figures with Miykael Faulcon (Durham, N.C.) scoring a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting to go along with three rebounds. Brachon Griffin (Fayetteville, N.C.) scored 17 points in the loss while Darnell Ward contributed a double-double of 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
The lead changed hands 15 times during the contest and 6 times over the final 12 minutes of the second half. The Vikings faced their largest deficit of the afternoon, a fourteen point spread (55-41) after Cameron Knox hit a three pointer at the 17:36 mark. ECSU then went on a tear with a 20-4 run which included 11 unanswered following a jumper by Faulcon, giving the Vikings took their first lead of the game since the first half, 61-59.
There were four more lead changes before senior Andre Jackson (Baltimore, Md.) knotted the count at 75-all with 5:51 to go.
A three-pointer from Jackson sparked a short 7-2 run giving BSU some cushion with 2:45 left. Griffin pulled the Vikings within three points twice in the final 1:41, first with a layup and then with two free throws with 26 seconds on the clock.
Beck countered Griffin's free throws with two of his own with 12 ticks remaining and a three at the buzzer by Jermaine Brown accounted for the final point spread.
The Bowie State Bulldogs hit the road for their next contest, making a short drive to The Lincoln University on Saturday (February 7th). Tip-off between the Bulldogs and Lions is set for 4 pm.
Box Score BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith was short on healthy bodies against Shaw but long on efficiency.
The Golden Bulls men’s basketball team outscored Shaw 25-13 over the final eight minutes to earn an 83-67 CIAA South win Saturday at Brayboy Gym. It was the team’s second victory in a row after four straight losses.
J.C. Smith (11-11, 5-6) got sterling performances from forward Emilio Parks, who pumped in a game-high 28 points, and swingman Diondre Pratt, who came off the bench for 20. The Golden Bulls shot a torrid 62.5 percent (30-of-48) from the floor.
“I’m just glad my teammates believed in me to actually still score and still play the way I played,” said Parks, who connected on 12 of 14 shots. “I’m glad they got me the ball tonight.”
Parks knew what to do in the post, taking the ball strong against Shaw’s bigger defenders with a deft touch from either side of the basket.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Stillman College women’s basketball team held up strong against top SIAC opponent, Kentucky State University, in its game at Birthright Gymnasium on Saturday. But The Lady Tigers made too many mistakes and weren’t able to pull off the upset, losing, 61-58, to the Lady Thorobrettes.
Stillman slowed down Kentucky State (13-4, 8-2), which is the most efficient field goal shooting team per game in the SIAC (43 percent), holding them to 36 percent from the field. However, Stillman couldn’t stop Shaia Horton from hitting three, heart-wrenching 3-pointers to give her team the edge in the second half. She finished with a game-high 17-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Stillman had an opportunity to make a push late in the game, but turnovers plagued any attempt the Lady Tigers made at a comeback. Stillman ended with 23 turnovers on the night.
Stillman (6-13, 5-6) kept the game close thanks to a lively performance from senior center Samantha Thomas and senior guard Angel Mitchell.
FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- Fayetteville State had to stop the CIAA's top scorer on one play Saturday to score a critical Southern Division win.
And they did it.
Barely.
The Broncos thwarted a game-tying attempt by Jack Britt High School graduate Raheem Jolliffe that went down, then spun out of the basket as time expired to pull out a 77-75 victory against Saint Augustine's at Capel Arena.
The dramatic win helped FSU end a three-game losing streak and improve its record to 11-10 overall, 5-6 in CIAA play and 2-3 in the Southern Division.
"We needed this win,'' FSU coach Alphonza Kee said. "We have had everything happen to us. We've played well and lost, then we weren't very good against Shaw (in a Wednesday loss). We just wanted to get back going again and beat a good team, which we did the hard way because we didn't shoot the ball very well.''
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (7-13, 3-7 CIAA) gave the #11 Livingstone Blue Bears (20-0, 11-0 CIAA) all they could handle in a hard-fought 64-56 loss, Saturday evening. Though the Lady Rams took the loss, the team was never short on fight as they staged a furious second half rally against their only ranked opponent of the season.
After struggling in the first half, the Lady Rams gave a stellar second half effort that saw the team outscore the Blue Bears, 46-36 in the second half. However, the Lady Rams could not overcome their toughest first half of the season as they managed just 10 first half points. As a team, the Lady Rams shot 31.4% from the floor, including shooting 9.5% (two-of-21) in the first half of the game.
WSSU senior forwards Dionna Scott and Jovanah Graham led the way for the team with 12 points each in the game. Redshirt-senior guard Taylar Wells added 12 points off the bench as well. Sophomore forward Jasmine Carter pulled in a team-high eight rebounds as well.
The Lady Rams gave a great effort in the early going of the game when a Graham jumper at the 14:25 mark, left the Lady Rams within one point of the Blue Bears, 6-5. However, the jumper marked the last field goal of the half for the Lady Rams. For the remainder of the half, the Lady Rams managed just five more points in the half, all from free throws and took a 28-10 deficit into the locker room at halftime.
The second half turned out to be a much different story as the Lady Rams clawed their way back into the game with a great offensive showing. For the half, the Lady Rams shot 46.7% (14-of-30) from the floor in the half. The Lady Rams kicked things off with an 11-4 run that included a three-point barrage from Edwards and Wells. Edwards hit a pair of three-pointers while Wells added one of her own during the run. The effort cut the WSSU deficit down to just 12 points, 33-21 with 16:15 left.
The Lady Rams were able to get their deficit down to single digits when junior forward Jeri Craine hit a lay-up at the 10:39 mark that pulled the Lady Rams within striking distance, 42-34 with 10:39 left. The lay-up capped an 11-6 run by the Lady Rams. Things got really interesting for the Lady Rams when sophomore center Sha'Quira Palmer hit a jumper at the 8:26 mark that pulled the Lady Rams within four points, 42-38 with 7:48 left to play. Unfortunately, the effort turned out to be a last stand for the Lady Rams as the team allowed Livingstone to push its lead back to double-digits after a 10-2 run by the Lady Rams that left the team trailing, 54-40 with 3:49 left to play. The Lady Rams made their last stand in the final minutes of the game when Edwards' fourth three-pointer of the game pulled the team within six points, 60-54 with 00:48 left to play. However, the connected on four free throws and held the Lady Rams to just one lay-up for the remainder of the game to seal the tough loss.
The loss marked the Lady Rams' first loss to Livingstone since 2007. After the tough loss, the Lady Rams won't have long to relax as they will return to the road for their next action as they take on the Virginia Union Lady Panthers in Richmond, Va. For more information on Lady Rams basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.
NEW ORLEANS -- Nour Abbes produced a dominating victory at the top women's singles flight Saturday, but she was the lone Xavier University of Louisiana player to score in a 6-1 loss to Tulane at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.
Abbes, a sophomore and the NAIA's top-ranked singles player, defeated Naz Karagoz 6-0, 6-2. It was the 32nd victory in 33 singles decisions for Abbes.
Tulane (5-0) won the doubles point with victories at the second and third flights, and the Green Wave dropped a collective six games in the other five singles matches.
Abbes and Carmen Nelson were still on the court with a tie at 4 against Karagoz and Sade Atkinson when Tulane clinched the doubles point.
Xavier (1-1) is ranked third in the NAIA. It was the first of six dual matches for the Gold Nuggets this season against NCAA Division I opponents.
"Tough matchup for us today," XU coach Alan Green said. "Doubles play was decent but we could get better there. Nour had a good match and won convincingly."
The Gold Nuggets will play twice at home next weekend -- noon Saturday against Belhaven and noon Sunday against LSU-Alexandria. Xavier's next men's dual will start at 6 p.m. Friday at Louisiana-Lafayette.
NOTES: Green said he added to the schedule men's and women's duals against Northwestern Ohio. Those will be played March 29 during XU's trip to California, but venue and time have not been determined. Northwestern Ohio's women are ranked 19th in the NAIA, and the men were 12th in the 2014 postseason poll.
JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee -- Senior guardJalen Riley(Racine, Wis.) scored the final 12 points and finished with a game-high 24, as the ETSU men’s basketball team closed on a 15-1 offensive run to cap a dramatic 61-59 comeback win over North Carolina Central Saturday evening inside Freedom Hall.
Riley hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation, and the Bucs defense then held the Eagles on their final offensive possession of the game. With the win, ETSU improved to 13-8 on the season while also snapping the Eagles 10-game winning streak. With the loss, North Carolina Central dropped to 16-6 on the year.
“That’s a huge win – one that we may look back on a few weeks from now and really say that one was big,” said ETSU head coach Murry Bartow, whose team snapped a two-game losing streak. “That’s what Jalen can do. He can make some really big shots and he did that tonight. (North Carolina Central) is a really good team, a NCAA tournament team. That’s a great win.”
The Bucs trailed by double digits throughout most of the second half and were facing a 12-point deficit at 58-46 with 5:44 left in regulation. At that point, sophomore guard Devin Harris (Tampa, Fla.) made three of four free throws on back-to-back possessions, and Riley hit a 3-pointer to make it 58-52.
N.C. Central’s Anthony McDonald then made one of two at the foul line before Riley closed the game with nine straight points, including the game-winning 3-pointer. The Eagles had one last opportunity to tie or win, but the Bucs forced N.C. Central’s Karamo Jawara to force up a desperation 3-pointer that missed the mark at the buzzer.
For the game, Riley was joined in double figures by junior forward Lester Wilson (Knoxville), who finished with 10. The Eagles got a team-high 22 from McDonald, while Jordan Parks and Jawara netted 14 and 10 points, respectively.
The Bucs opened the first half with a pair of 3-pointers from Wilson and A.J. Merriweather (Jackson) to take an early 6-0 lead. ETSU’s advantage then grew to seven at 10-3, but at that point N.C. Central went on a 10-0 run of its own to grab a 13-10 edge. The Eagles went on to ultimately build a 10-point lead at 30-20 with five minutes left in the half.
ETSU used a 6-0 run to get to within four at 32-28, but a 3-pointer by Karamo Jawara at the first half buzzer made it 35-28 at the break. In the first half, N.C. Central shot 54 percent from the field and held an 18-14 advantage on the glass.
In the second half, the Eagles opened with a 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 42-28. ETSU responded with its own 7-0 spurt to get back to within seven, but later on N.C. Central still led by 10 at 56-46 with 7:42 left in regulation.
The Eagles’ advantage then grew to 58-46 before the Bucs started their comeback.
ETSU finished the game with a season-low four turnovers, shooting 36 percent from the floor and holding its own on the glass, as the Eagles held a 34-33 edge in the paint.
N.C. Central finished the game shooting 46 percent from the floor and 44 percent from the 3-point line. The Eagles’ 50 percent effort (6-of-12) at the foul line was critical to the outcome, especially late in the contest when the Eagles went 1-of-4 at the charity stripe over the last two minutes of the game.
The Bucs will be home again to take on SoCon foe Wofford on Thursday night, with tip set for 7 p.m. inside Freedom Hall. For more on ETSU men’s basketball throughout the 2014-15 season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men’s hoops link.
NORFOLK, Virginia --Hampton University again put itself in position to win, and again late game details haunted the Pirates.
Norfolk State stars Jeff Short and RaShid Gaston made critical plays in the final minutes to carry the Spartans to a 63-60 win Saturday at jam-packed Echols Hall in a typically fierce matchup between the rivals.
“We’re snake-bitten right now, but we’ll get through it,” HU coach Ed Joyner Jr., said. “We’ve got the month of February. We’re going to get better and we’ll be OK.”
The Pirates (8-13, 4-5 MEAC) dropped their fifth consecutive conference game, their longest losing streak since Jan. 1999.
“Everybody hurts,” Pirates’ guard Deron Powers said, “but I think we’re still pushing toward our goal at the end of the year, and that’s to win the MEAC championship, and that’s not over.”
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State Bulldogs avenged its early season loss with a, 78-74, victory over Delaware State Saturday (Jan. 31) at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. "It was a great win tonight and I would like to thank the fans and all loyal Bulldog supporters for coming out tonight," said SC State head coach Murray Garvin. "Anytime you play a good team like Delaware State, one of the better teams in the conference it's going to be a dog fight.
The Bulldogs had four players in double figures with freshman guard Edward Stephensleading the way with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and four assist. Sophomore guard Greg Mortimer tossed in 13, while junior forward Darryl Palmer fell one rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Freshman forward Tashombe Riley added 10 points and four rebounds in the victory. SC State controlled the boards majority of the game out-rebounding Delaware State 44-39, while shooting 12-of-24 (50%) from the free-throw line.
All-MEAC forward Kendall Gray finished with the games only double-double with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while senior guard Amere May tossed in 22 and guard Kendall Williams added 20 in the loss.
SC State led Delaware State by as many as 14, 56-42, late in the second-half before the Hornets sparked a 15-4 run off three-pointers by May, Williams and senior forward Tyshawn Bell to cut the lead to three, 60-53 with 5:10 remaining.
A dunk by Gray with 0:17 seconds remaining pulled the Hornets within two, 76-74, but free-throws were the deciding factor down the stretch with Riley connecting on a pair from the charity stripe to seal the 78-74 victory.
"Our guys are finally having fun and playing Bulldog basketball, so things are finally turning around for us and it feels good to be 6-3 in league play at this point," said Garvin.
SC State returns to action on Wednesday (Feb. 4) against St. Andrews College in a non-conference matchup at Smith –Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Tipoff is 7 p.m. For more information on South Carolina State University basketball, please call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060, or visit the official Bulldogs website.
BOX SCORE COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State got a little revenge on Livingstone with a hard-fought 89-80 win at Joel Coliseum on Saturday night.
The Rams lost to the Blue Bears in last year’s CIAA championship game, but balanced scoring and better defense in the second half put them over the top.
“We talked about getting revenge all week,” guard Kerry Campbell of the Rams said. “This was a big win for us and we turned it up in the second half. Our defense was a lot better and that was a big key.”
Another key was the play of Donta Harper, who scored 20 points in 26 minutes. Harper, an undersized center at about 6-5, used his quickness to go right at the Blue Bears — and for one stretch in the second half, Harper couldn’t be stopped.
“I was just taking what the defense gave me and found some openings,” said Harper, who was 7 of 15 from the field. “We needed a win like this in the division because they were in first place.”
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- My name is Dennis Richmond Jr. and I am a 19-year-old African Diaspora Studies major with a minor in mass communications matriculating at Claflin University in Orangeburg. I am a native of Yonkers, New York, and a 2013 graduate of Riverside High School.
As one of my mentors, Professor Patricia Koger of South Carolina, would say: I am “beating the drum” for college education across the Lower Hudson Valley and Harlem. The Journal Newspaper mentioned me as did Jet in its magazine as I am executing an initiative about HBCUs. The initiative is important since many New York residents in Westchester do not know about Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
I received a call from Dr. George Cooper, executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs. I will be working with the White House during this effort. I have also raised the funds to create a short documentary about the HBCU experience and I am beginning a web series to discuss the modern-day college experience with hundreds of students on the campuses of Claflin University and South Carolina State University.
I started down this path because I know that in Westchester County, many students do not know about HBCUs, as the schools are not a part of the Northern experience. The atmosphere in New York tolls the bells for SUNYs, CUNYs and community colleges, where as in the Southern areas of the United States, there are more than 100 HBCUs. Unfortunately, since the 1980s, many HBCUs have been closing their doors and are continuing to do so. Students are not applying to attend HBCUs due to lack of interest and receiving a misguidance that most are party schools. CONTINUE READING
HOUSTON, Texas -- Madarious Gibbs scored 24 points, and Texas Southern beat Alabama State 80-65 on Saturday at H&PE Arena.
The win pulls TSU (10-11) into a tie with Alabama State (11-6) atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference at 7-1.
TSU ran off eight straight points midway through the first half - four on a pair of Malcolm Riley layups - and led 41-34 at the break.
The Tigers pushed the lead over 20 on Riley's trey with 9:29 left and cruised to the win.
Gibbs was 10-of-20 from the field with five assists. Riley finished with 17 points and eight boards, and Chris Thomas had 10 points. TSU shot 55 percent and was 10-of-18 beyond the arc.
NEW ORLEANS -- Alena Evans' 12 points and six rebounds Saturday led Dillard to a 53-42 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at DU's Dent Hall.
The Gold Nuggets (12-11, 5-2 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) lost to the Lady Bleu Devils (12-8, 4-2) for the first time in 13 meetings.
Evans scored in double figures for the 13th consecutive game. Ciara Morgan had 11 points and six rebounds for Dillard, and Keylantra Taylor had 10 points and three steals.
Alesha Smith led Xavier with nine points. Donyeah Mayfield grabbed 10 rebounds and reached double figures for the fourth time this season.
Dillard led for the final 37:51. The Lady Bleu Devils led 25-15 at halftime and twice held 16-point leads in the second half.
Kelsey Joseph's basket with 3:12 remaining cut Dillard's deficit to 40-34, but Dillard clinched the victory by scoring 12 of the next 14 points. Kaylynn Walker's two free throws capped the run and gave the Lady Bleu Devils a 52-36 advantage in the final minute.
Xavier scored its fewest ever against Dillard and its fewest points overall since a 38-37 victory against William Carey in the GCAC Tournament quarterfinals on Feb. 28, 2007, at The Barn.
Xavier leads the series with its longtime city rival 62-20 and won 21 of the past 23 meetings. The teams will play again at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.
