Gold Rush win at Tougaloo, reach 20 wins for 30th time

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- Morris Wright, one of five double-figure scorers for Xavier University of Louisiana, had 15 points and five assists Monday to lead the Gold Rush in a 75-64 men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

The Gold Rush (20-8, 9-3 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) led wire-to-wire and outscored the Bulldogs 8-0 in the final 4:29.

Anthony Goode scored 14 points for Xavier. Sydney Coleman had 12 points, and RJ Daniels and Jacques Johnson scored 10 apiece. Daniels, in his first start since Nov. 6, grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds to record his fourth double-double of the season and his first since Nov. 14.

Tougaloo (9-9, 6-3) had four double-figure scorers. Marshun McGee and Trevis Thomas had 14 points apiece, Kelsey Howard scored 13, and Andravious Smith had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Xavier replaced Tougaloo as the GCAC's second-place team.

Xavier led 44-39 at halftime after shooting 65.4 percent from the floor and making five of its first six 3-pointers. For the game, Xavier shot a season-high 60.4 percent from the floor.

The Gold Rush reached 20 victories for the fifth consecutive season and the 30th time overall -- still the Louisiana men's collegiate record. Second on the list is Louisiana-Lafayette with 23 20-win seasons.

Dannton Jackson reached 20 victories for the 10th time in his 12 seasons as Xavier's head coach. Jackson tied LSU's Dale Brown for the second-most 20-win seasons by a coach in Louisiana men's collegiate history. Grambling's Fred Hobdy holds the men's state record of 14 20-win seasons.

The Gold Rush limited Tougaloo to 38.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Bulldogs 30-23.

Xavier completed a two-game regular-season sweep of Tougaloo. The Gold Rush have won three straight at the Bulldogs' Kroger Gym since a six-game losing streak from 2006-12.

Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday at SUNO. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

Box score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director 
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/

FAMU High Advances to Class 2A Title Game

LAKELAND, Florida -- This year was all business for the Florida A&M High School Baby Rattlers girls basketball team. The Baby Rattlers lost in the state semifinals last year to Grandview Prep and had to stew for an entire year.

Now, the Baby Rattlers will have a chance at revenge.

For the third time in four years, the Class 2A No. 1-ranked Baby Rattlers are back in the FHSAA girls state basketball championship after defeating No. 2 Land O'Lakes Academy at the Lakes 74-45 in Tuesday's state semifinals at The Lakeland Center to advance to the state finals.

FAMU High (26-2) will take on the defending Class 2A state champion Boca Raton Grandview Prep Thursday at 3:35 p.m.

“Last year was a sad year for us,” said FAMU junior Jazmine Jones, who led all scorers with 26 points. “We used that as motivation. Me and Ja'nyia (McNealy) said we can't leave the first day. We have to have fun. This is her senior year. We have to send her out on a good note so we used that as motivation and had a heck of a year.”

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Gators-FAMU baseball game postponed due to weather

GAINESVILLE, Florida -- Tonight's baseball game between No. 5 Florida and Florida A&M has been postponed due to weather. No makeup date has been set at this time.

Heavy rain for several hours today has caused flooding in some areas, and more rain is expected throughout the day.

The game was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville.

The No. 6 Gators (3-0) travel to Tampa to face South Florida (2-1) on Wednesday night. Florida returns home to host a three-game weekend series against No. 8 Miami (4-0) starting Friday night.

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Hundreds rally for SC State; Lawsuit claims 'separate but equal' policy hurt enrollment

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A cold day in Columbia did not deter hundreds of people from rallying at the Statehouse steps Monday against a House subcommittee's proposal to shutter the historically black university in Orangeburg.

Rev. Joe Darby, the vice president of the Charleston chapter of the NAACP, says South Carolina State University is severely underfunded and routinely has been financially undercut compared to other public colleges and universities.

SC State is the only public historically black university in the state.

Darby went on to say that the university is seen as a political playing field for South Carolina's powerful. He called on alumni to get involved with the school, including "going after" the people who use SC State as a so-called playground.

"I will die for South Carolina State University," said the alumni association's vice president.

SC State has been under fire for nearly two years, after several university leaders were implicated in criminal activities and a new president was brought in. The university also battled shrinking enrollment, cutbacks on programs, and low graduation rates, problems that ultimately led to $14 million in debt and several requests to lawmakers for millions of dollars in loans.



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Gold Nuggets parade past Tougaloo, win 67-38 on road

XAVIER UNIVERSITY GOLDEN GIRLS POM SQUAD

TOUGALOO, Mississippi -- Xavier University of Louisiana got 14 points from Vinnie Briggs and 13 points from Whitney Gathright in a 67-38 women's basketball rout of Tougaloo on Monday.

The Gold Nuggets (15-13, 8-4) produced their largest winning margin of the season and moved back into second place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after Dillard lost 63-58 at Philander Smith.

Briggs led the Gold Nuggets in scoring for the second consecutive game and reached double figures for the 17th time this season. Gathright, who led Xavier with eight first-half points, reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game and a team-high 22nd time this season.

Xavier led 32-12 at halftime.

The Gold Nuggets allowed their fewest points in the first half of a GCAC road game since the start of the 2003-04 season, and their 20-point halftime lead was their largest in a GCAC road game since Feb. 21, 2009.

Sophomore center Kelsee Singleton grabbed eight rebounds for Xavier. It was her second-highest total this season and her most ever on the road.

Montoria Atkinson had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Tougaloo (2-19, 2-7), which has lost five straight.

Xavier outshot the Lady Bulldogs 41.7 to 33.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 34-30. The Gold Nuggets committed 15 turnovers and gained 28, and they made 14-of-16 free throws, including their first 11.

Xavier completed a two-game regular-season sweep of the Lady Bulldogs and beat them for the ninth consecutive time. Xavier leads the series 74-11.

Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday at SUNO, which clinched a tie for the GCAC regular-season championship when Dillard lost. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center.

Box score

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director  
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA https://twitter.com/xulagold
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Southern U. Human Jukebox Band at Bacchus Parade 2015

Saint Augustine's Falcons Win 18th Consecutive CIAA Men's Indoor Track & Field Crown!

The Falcons Are The CIAA Men's Indoor Track & Field Champs

Courtesy Saint Augustine's University Sports Information

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina –  Saint Augustine's University won its 18th consecutive men's crown and Winston-Salem State University captured its second women's title in five meets on the final day of the CIAA Indoor Men's and Women's Track & Field Championships at JDL Fast Track on Monday, February 16, 2015.

The Saint Augustine's University men scored 164 points to finish ahead of Virginia State University, which placed second with 96 points. Virginia Union University was third with 93 points.

Winston-Salem State scored 140 points to win the women's championship. Saint Augustine's University, placed second with 94.40 points and Johnson C. Smith University finished third with 58.20 points.

Immanuel Hutchinson of Saint Augustine's University was named Men's Field Most Valuable Performer. His teammate David Shaw of the Falcons was voted Men's Track Most Valuable Performer. Hutchinson won the 800 meter run, the mile run and the 500 meter run in addition to running on the winning 4x400 meter relay squad. Shaw won the triple jump and placed second in the long jump.

Tajanel McNeill of Winston-Salem State was named the Women's Field Most Valuable Performer and Taylor-Ashley Bean of Virginia State was chosen the Women's Track Most Valuable Performer. McNeill won the triple jump, was second in the long jump and third in the high jump. Bean won the mile run, was second in the 3000 meter run, placed third in the 800 meter run and was on the distance medley relay team which placed third. She also ran on the 4x400 meter relay team which was fifth.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU Lady Rams Win 2015 CIAA Indoor Track & Field Championship

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams took home the 2015 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Indoor Track & Field Championship with a stellar performance on day two of the two-day meet. After opening the meet with 22 points on the opening day, the Lady Rams piled up 118 points on the second day of the meet to bring home the championship.

The conference championship was a big accomplishment for the Lady Rams' seniors who have experienced three top three finishes since 2011. "I've been waiting for this since my freshman year," senior sprinter Nya Michaux said. "For us to finish second, and third every year since then and now it's finally here and I am so proud to be a part of this team."

The championship was also especially important to fellow senior long jumper Tajanel McNeill, who was named the CIAA Indoor Field MVP for the third straight season. "This feels really good," McNeill said. "I told them [the team] at the beginning of the year; it's not about us it's about the team. So for us to win this championship together means more to me than any individual award."

The Lady Rams took the championship behind some inspired individual efforts both on and off the track. One of the key performances in the meet came when junior sprinter Raven Covington took first place in the women's 60m dash with a 7.47 to score 10 key points for the Lady Rams. Another great effort came from freshman distance runner Domtilla Kipsaget who won the women's 3000m run with a 10:13.2 and second place in the women's mile run with a 5:17.60. Another key performance came in the women's 200m dash where senior sprinter Nya Michaux placed second with a 25.19. Freshman Ty-Leah Hampton added a fourth-place finish in the event with a 25.51. Sophomore Raven Hamilton also picked up some key points in the women's 800m run when she placed second with a 2:16.66.

In field events, senior Tajanel McNeil capped her stellar career with another fine performance at the conference championships. She won the women's triple jump with a 40'11.75" (12.49m) leap to go along with her second place finish in the women's long jump, yesterday. She also added a third place finish in the women's high jump at 5'3" (1.60m). Senior Raven Byrd also had a great performance in the women's pentathlon with 2,976 points to place third in the multi-event. Senior DaVona Dula also stepped up her efforts with a second place finish in the women's shot put with a 41'00.25" (12.50m) throw.

With the effort, the Lady Rams close out the conference portion of their schedule and will turn their attentions to national competition as they head to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take part in the Kent Taylor Invitational. For more information on Lady Rams track & field, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.

RESULTS

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSIY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU baseball coach Jamey Shouppe: ‘We don’t coach to lose’

FAMU Baseball 2014-2015
Courtesy FAMU Sports Information

Roster

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Rattler fans might like to talk about Florida A&M’s baseball victory over Florida from last season, but coach Jamey Shouppe is only interested in what the Rattlers can do this year.

Shouppe said he knows only perfect execution will give the Rattlers a chance to repeat last season’s hallmark victory against the then-No. 6 Gators.

“We aren’t worried about playing Florida,” Shouppe said.

“We’re just worried about playing the game as well as we can play it. We don’t coach to lose. We’re not going to approach Florida any different from Alabama State next week or the MEAC opponents when we have to face them.”

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Air Force will open football season with FCS Morgan State

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO -- Air Force will open the 2015 football season against Morgan State on Sept. 5 - the Saturday before Labor Day.

Morgan State plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and is a member of the Football Championship Subdivision, so this continues Air Force's recent tradition of bringing in an opponent from the lower division to play on Parent's Weekend.

Morgan State, which went 7-6 last year and lost in the first round of the FCS playoffs, released its schedule online Wednesday.



Air Force has not made an announcement regarding the opener or a potential 13th game, which it could schedule because Mountain West rules allow for that flexibility during a season in which a team travels to face Hawaii.

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In the FCS Huddle: Chance to turn some heads

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Following are the (HBCU) FCS players participating among 320-plus players at the Combine. Buchanan's current draft evaluation is included with each player.

Jerry Lovelocke, QB, Prairie View A&M, 6-5, 200

Big pocket passer who is viewed as a developmental prospect coming out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference ... Has to improve mechanics, but has the physical tools ... Highly experienced after being relied on early in his Prairie View career ... In a 10-game schedule as a senior, he passed for 2,473 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 10 TDs ... Played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl ... Josh Buchanan's draft evaluation: priority free agent.

Robert Myers, OG, Tennessee State, 6-5, 310

Intriguing upside despite never earning higher than All-Ohio Valley Conference second-team honors ... Strong coachability has led to his maximizing athleticism and technique ... Has fared well with movement in the run game and against the pass, although he will face challenges against stronger NFL defenders ... Has the body frame to put on more weight ... Participated at the Senior Bowl ... Josh Buchanan's draft evaluation: fourth-fifth round.

Lynden Trail, OLB, Norfolk State, 6-7, 260

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Hampton, Burroughs seek to reshape Lane College athletics

Derrick Burroughs: Director of Athletics

Courtesy: Lane Athleticsi

JACKSON, Tennessee -- Derrick Burroughs headed south from Jackson to a bigger Jackson in the fall of 2013, and he expected it to be a one-way trip.

Hired to be a defensive coordinator at Jackson (Miss.) State, he left Lane College and worked one year for the Tigers. To his surprise, he was not retained after the 2014 season.

Burroughs returned to Lane in January, but in a sense it's not the same place. While Burroughs was gone Lane hired a new president, Dr. Logan Hampton. Penny Minter and Malik Hoskins resigned as athletic director and football coach, respectively, making room for Burroughs to take both jobs.

He and Hampton want to improve the perception and performance of Lane's athletic program, and in recent interviews they explained their motivations and preliminary plans for doing so.

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How basketball legend Cheryl Miller found her way to Langston

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Stretching out along the Oklahoma plains, the horizon shows no hint of the coming sunrise when Cheryl Miller and her team start practice.

Their campus is as dark as the sky. Dorm windows. Academic buildings. Not even the electronic sign on Highway 33 is blinking its normal hello to passers-by.

But every light at the fieldhouse blazes.

Pull open the glass doors, and you hear them. Voices shouting. Basketballs bouncing. Follow the sounds up some stairs, down a hallway and through blue doors, and you find them.

And there on the court at Langston, you find Miller. The greatest women’s basketball player that the game has ever seen stands silently on the sideline. She wears a white do-rag, a red long-sleeve shirt and black sweatpants. On the back of the shirt are the words, “LIFE IS GOOD”.

Yes, it is.

When Miller was introduced as the women’s basketball coach at the small historically black college last spring, many wondered what the world was going on. An Olympic gold medalist? A former major-college and WNBA coach? A longtime NBA sideline reporter on TNT? What was she doing at Langston?

Photo Gallery: Cheryl Miller at Langston 



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Florida House Bill Could Be Detrimental to Homeless Students in the State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The HB 4031 proposes to eliminate payment of tuition and fees at school districts that provide workforce training programs and public post-secondary educational institutions for students who do not have a regular nighttime residence or sleeping accommodations.

Kevin Priest, CEO and president of Capital City Youth in Tallahassee, Fla. is motivated to prevent homelessness, delinquency and dependency for youth.

“I don’t know why a bill would prohibit someone from furthering their education. It should be the exact opposite,” Priest said.

The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. John Tobia and would become effective July 1, 2015. Tobia was elected into the Florida House of Representatives in 2008 and has been in the house ever since.

According to The Washington Times, over 58,000 college applicants claimed to be homeless in 2013.

“The bill will have a negative impact on students’ ability to pay college costs,” said Lisa Stewart.

A Look Into The 'Double Lives' Of America's Homeless College Students 
(Click to Read Story)


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UDC Firebirds Remain Locked at No. 4 for 3rd Straight Week in D2SIDA East Region Poll

Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore scored 19 points and had three steals as Firebirds roll 79-61 
to sweep Molloy College Lions and earn 10th straight win. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team remained No. 4 for the 3rd straight week in the Week 13 D2SIDA East Region poll released today.

The Firebirds (21-3) won their 9th and 10th games in a row, respectively last week as they defeated the No. 8 ranked team in the region, Queens, 66-61 on Wednesday night, and Molloy, 79-61 on Saturday afternoon. They are currently No. 1 in the East Coast Conference standings – a league which also features the No. 7 and 8 ranked teams in the region – Roberts Wesleyan (16-5) and Queens (16-6) – as well as NYIT who is also receiving votes.

Fourteen of UDC's 21 wins (the 2nd most wins in the East Region) have come by double-figures, and the Firebirds are 7-1 outside of conference play and 11-1 on the road this season. UDC also boasts a win over a top-25 ranked team as they dominated No. 25 Virginia State, 88-62 back on November 19th.

Ahead of UDC are the same three Northeast-10 Conference teams from the previous two weeks: Stonehill, Adelphi and New Haven. Adelphi – which suffered a 66-61 loss at No. 5 Franklin Pierce last week, fell from No. 1 to No. 2 in the poll. The Panthers are 22-3 overall and ranked No. 9 in the most recent WBCA Top-25 national poll. Stonehill, previously ranked No. 2 in the poll, jumped Adelphi and moved to No. 1 in this week's East Region poll after a pair of home wins vs. Assumption (71-64) and Southern New Hampshire (64-49). The Skyhawks are currently No. 15 in WBCA National Poll and are 20-2 overall this season after clinching the NE-10 Northeast Division Regular Season Championship on Wednesday. New Haven stayed put at No. 3 in the poll after a pair of home wins vs. Le Le Moyne (80-64) and Pace (83-73).

UDC will visit Oakdale, NY on Wednesday night to take o
n ECC foe Dowling and then return home to host league foe Bridgeport on Saturday.

EAST REGION

Rank	School (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts.	Prev.	Last Week's Results
1	Stonehill (3)	20-2	30	2	WH Assumption (71-64); WH Southern N.H. (64-49)
2	Adelphi	22-3	27	1	LA Franklin Pierce (66-61); WA Southern Conn. (77-62)
3	New Haven	21-3	24	3	WH Le Moyne (80-64); WH Pace (83-73)
4	Dist. Columbia	21-3	21	4	WH Queens (66-61); WH Molloy (79-61)
5	Franklin Pierce	14-8	18	6	WH Adelphi (66-61); WH Saint Anselm (80-72)
6	USciences	18-5	15	5	WA Wilmington (57-56); LA Dominican (N.Y.) (65-59)
7	Roberts Wesleyan	16-5	9	9	WA Bridgeport (73-61); WA Dowling (79-67)
8	Queens	16-6	8	8	LA Dist. Columbia (66-61)
9	Philadelphia	18-5	6	7	WH Holy Family (80-65); WA Nyack (69-56)
10	Southern Conn.	13-11	3	t10	LH Adelphi (77-62)
Also receiving votes:			NYIT, Le Moyne

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPORTS INFORMATION

Small lineup helps Southern offense

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- After Southern lost to Jackson State last Monday, coach Roman Banks analyzed his substitution pattern.

He was searching for answers in the wake of a 62-52 defeat in which the Jaguars offense had gone stagnant. They shot 37 percent and scored their fewest points in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game this season.

Banks decided to tweak his rotation when Southern returned to the court at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday night.

At times, he surrounded 6-foot-10 Keith Davis with four perimeter players to spread the defense and create better shot opportunities.

It paid off as the Jaguars shot 49 percent and scored their second-most points in a SWAC game this season, beating UAPB 74-56.

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Ram Ramblings: Livingstone player trying to fight back

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- I realize this is a blog about Winston-Salem State athletics but the Livingstone debacle with the use of an ineligible player obviously affects the Rams’ women’s program.

Because Livingstone’s record is now 4-19 (it lost to Johnson C. Smith today) instead of 22-1 the Rams will be a higher seed once the CIAA Tournament starts in nine days. The Rams moved up in the Southern Division and are now tied with Livingstone at 4-4.

Obviously this changes everything for the CIAA Tournament, or maybe it doesn't. The Blue Bears could still win the tournament, but it won't be easy with Crosby in street cloths. Shaw is the four-time defending champion.

On her Facebook page Coach Anita Howard posted: "This too shall pass!" in reference to a link to an article about the forfeiture of 18 games.

The athlete in question was leading scorer Kyra Crosby, a transfer from Alabama and Georgia State. Crosby, who was ...

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CIAA Tourney Time

2015 CIAA TOURNAMENT PAGE | PURCHASE TICKETS | RESERVE HOTEL ROOMS

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  Bob Morgan, Charlotte Chamber CEO and president, talks with Jacqie McWilliams, CIAA commissioner, about the 2015 men's basketball tournament and why the organization chose to move its headquarters to Charlotte.

MSU Hosts Hampton on ESPNU Monday Night

Game Dates: Monday, February 16, 2015
Opponent: Hampton Pirates (10-14, 6-5 MEAC)
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Game Time: 9:05 p.m.
Television:  ESPNU - Dr. Jerry Punch (Play by Play), Stan Lewter (Color Analyst)
Record:  MSU 7-18 (5-6 MEAC)
Head Coach: Todd Bozeman (150-134 - 9th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com/www.hamptonpirates.com

MSU Notes | Hampton Notes | Watch Live |  Live Stats  |  Live Audio  |  Twitter Updates 


BALTIMORE, Maryland –The Morgan State men's basketball team (7-18, 5-6) will try to win its fourth straight game on Monday when it hosts Hampton (10-14, 6-5), a team the Bears lost to on December 8 at HU Convocation Center. The game marks the finale of a 4-game home stretch for the Bears. Tip-off is set for 9:05 p.m. at Hill Field House. MSU enters the contest coming off a 73-70 win against Norfolk State. The Pirates will enter the ballgame fresh off a 6-game layoff and riding back to back wins. Monday night's game will be televised live on ESPNU and available on the WatchESPN App.

IT'S OK TO BE A FOLLOWER 
MSU men's basketball fans can follow their favorite team, or any of the other MSU athletics programs on Twitter through the handle @MorganStBears.

LAST TIME OUT
Feb. 14, 2015 -- Andrew Hampton hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points -- both career highs -- andCliff Cornish hit two free throws and blocked a shot in the final seconds to help Morgan State upset Norfolk State 73-70. Hampton, a sophomore walk-on, had played just 28 minutes and scored nine points all season before hitting 6 of 7 field goals, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. Cedric Blossomscored 19 and Emmanuel Matey had seven points and eight assists.

SCOUTING THE PIRATES
• The Pirates welcomed back 11 letterwinners and four starters, from a squad that posted a 18-13 overall record, and finished 2nd place with an 13-3 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• Edward Joyner Jr. (Johnson C. Smith '95) enters his sixth season as the Pirates head men's basketball coach. He currently holds a 92-92 record as a head coach.
• Dwight Chievous leads the Pirates by averaging 12.8 ppg and a team-best 7.3 rpg. Quinton Chievous (10.8)and Reginald Johnson (10.7) are also averaging double-digits for the Pirates. Deron Powers leads the Pirates in assists by averaging 3.7 dishes per contest.

FOR THE RECORD
MSU will square off against Hampton for the 39th meeting in history between the two schools.
• The Pirates lead the series 24-14.
• Deron Powers had 17 points, Quinton Chievous scored 13 and Hampton held on to beat Morgan State 62-58 on Dec. 8, 2014.
• The last win against the Pirates was on Feb. 4, 2014 when the Bears held on for a 94-92 double-overtime win in an ESPNU nationally televised game at Hill Field House.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2014-15 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball preseason poll behind defending regular season champion North Carolina Central.

BLAKE BOZEMAN EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior guard Blake Bozeman was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.

BOZEMAN IN THE MEAC FACTS
Morgan State has made six MEAC Tournament Championship appearances in eight seasons under head coach Todd Bozeman.
• The Bears have won a pair of MEAC Tournaments titles (2009 & 2010).
• Bozeman has led the Bears to 17 of the school's 32 MEAC Tournament wins.
• He was the 2009 and 2010 Outstanding Coach of the MEAC Tournament.
• Morgan State has advanced to the MEAC Semifinals seven times in the last eight seasons under Bozeman.

COMFORTABLE AT HILL FIELD HOUSE
Todd Bozeman has won at least 10 home games in three of his eight seasons in Baltimore. The 2007-08 (12-1) and 2009-10 (11-1) squads finished with just a single loss, while the 2010-11 squad went 10-2. Bozeman has led the Bears to a 71-28 (.717) overall home record at Hill Field House. The Bears are 5-3 at home so far this season.

ROAD UNKIND
The Bears finished 5-9 in true road contests and 3-3 on neutral floors in 2013-14 and posted a 5-3 road conference ledger.
• This season's schedule will send MSU on the road for 20 games, including a trip to Cancun, Mexico.
• The Bears captured its first road win of the season with a 73-69 win at Delaware State (Jan. 10), MSU is 1-13 on the road.

FRESH FACES
Morgan State's roster includes eight (8) newcomers in graduate students Jordan Omogbehin (C) andZech Smith (C), redshirt sophomore Cliff Cornish (F), and freshmen Jamar Redmond (G), Conrad Chambers (G), Clive 'C.J.' Vaughan Jr. (G), Jeremiah Curtis (F) and Anthony 'A.J.' Vernon (F).

BEWARE THE BEAR
Under the direction of Todd Bozeman, Morgan State has collected a couple of memorable wins against big-time opponents. The Bears have recorded historic wins against: Long Island (2009); Manhattan (2009); Arkansas (2009); DePaul (2008); and Maryland (2009).

 COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Race is factor in South Carolina State ‘mess’

Phil Noble
Businessman
Co-founder, Envision South Carolina

By Phil Noble

CHARLESTON, South Carolina --Let’s begin with the obvious: South Carolina State University is a mess. No, it’s way beyond a mess; it is on life support and its very existence is in grave danger.

But it can be fixed and, in fact, the solution is fairly straightforward. It’s not rocket science; if GM can go from the brink of extinction to making a profit in less than 24 months, then S.C. State’s problems can be solved.

The barriers to these solutions are politics, race, intransigence, corruption and political dysfunction — sort of a microcosm of the problems that are afflicting our state today and have been for generations.

This is not the place to recount all the problems of S.C. State; that would take a book. Suffice it to say, the finances have been incompetently — if not criminally — mismanaged for years. Corrupt politicians have tried to use S.C. State as their own profit center, triggering some, though not nearly enough, jail terms for a number of school officials. It is hemorrhaging students, with a 40 percent drop in enrollment since 2007.

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Phil Noble is a businessman in Charleston and serves as president of the SC New Democrats, an independent reform group founded by former Gov. Richard Riley. He is co-founder of Envision South Carolina and author of "A New Golden Age for South Carolina."

SCSU supporters suing state: Legal action claims S.C. has caused problems via segregated system

 “If it shuts down, it will never re-open — not a chance.”

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- A group of former and current South Carolina State University students is suing the state, claiming South Carolina has caused the institution’s financial problems by funding competing programs at traditionally white schools.

Using the same approach as similar lawsuits in Mississippi and Maryland, Orangeburg attorney Glenn Walters says the state has perpetuated a segregated system in violation of federal law.

At the same time, he says there have also been mistakes at S.C. State, a historically black university.

“There has to be this mea culpa – everybody has to admit their sins. ... What we want is a constructive dialogue and in order to have that dialogue, we have to be honest about the past,” he said.

The lawsuit was filed Friday at the end of a tumultuous week for S.C. State. A House subcommittee called for the closure of the debt-ridden university for two years while its finances are straightened out, citing a lack of transparency. That isn’t expected to happen.

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South Carolina must prove it wants to save SCSU

Dr. Kofi Lomotey
Bardo Distinguished Professor
Western Carolina University

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- A South Carolina State House of Representatives subcommittee and the House Ways and Means Proviso Subcommittee want to close South Carolina State University (an HBCU) for two years — firing all trustees and employees and starting anew in two years.

While I do not know as much as many with regard to the circumstances surrounding the issues on this particular campus, I do know there has never been an instance where a state has closed down an HBCU (temporarily or otherwise) seeking to make the institution better. This situation smells of politics, nay, racism.

Have you ever heard of such a proposal for another public institution of higher education? In fact, it appears to be an effort to permanently close another HBCU. Moreover, it sets a dangerous precedent; What will happen to the numerous other black institutions that are struggling? Will other states try to close them also, claiming to seek to save them — with little or no input from the people on the campuses?

Actually, I believe there are some colleges and universities — including some HBCUs — that have some grave problems that in many cases have persisted for decades with no serious corrective actions. But the proposed solution in South Carolina is not the answer.

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Dr. Kofi Lomotey has taught at SUNY-Buffalo and LSU. He was Provost at Medgar Evers College-CUNY and at Fisk University. He served as Chancellor at Southern University and President at Fort Valley State University. Kofi earned a PhD, Stanford University,1985; MEd, Stanford University,1981; MA Cleveland State University,1978; and BA Oberlin College,1974.  BIO 

Livingstone College women forfeit 18 games

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE
OFFICIAL RELEASE

SALISBURY, North Carolina -- Livingstone’s women’s basketball team, which was 22-0 and ranked No. 5 in the nation, has reported to the CIAA and the NCAA the use of an ineligible player.

According to a release sent out by Livingstone the school determined that the player — Kyra Crosby, a senior from Atlanta who was the team's leading scorer at 14.8 points a game — was improperly certified for this season. Crosby transferred to Livingstone before the season from Alabama.

Livingstone’s president, Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr., said in the release that the school will forfeit the 18 games Crosby competed in. The CIAA confirmed that Livingstone’s record now stands at 4-18.

We rely on our athletics department to ...

LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE OFFICIAL RELEASE

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