OVC Championship Highlight Video

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Highlights from TSU's OVC Championship game win against UT Martin and the ensuing celebration.



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Talladega fall in men’s NAIA Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Jordan Bowling walked out of the Dalton State (Ga.) locker room and was stopped by coach Tony Ingle.

“This is why we win, right here,” Ingle said.

Not because of Bowling’s play in Monday’s NAIA Tournament semifinal victory over Talladega College (Ala.). Bowling, who was the Roadrunners’ scoring leader in the first three games at Municipal Auditorium, didn’t scratch in Dalton’s 64-54 outcome.

When Ingle looked at Bowling on the bench in the second half and was about to motion him in the game, Bowling told him to keep the status quo.

Things had started falling Dalton State’s way. Success wasn’t to be disturbed.

After a halftime deadlock, the Roadrunners had fallen behind 46-40 with 7:46 to play. Talladega, 32-5 and the nation’s second-ranked team, was getting to the rim and free-throw line and seemed about ready to break things open.

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JCSU football search drags on

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith still doesn’t have a football coach, and it won’t be Maurice Flowers.

Flowers, a 1991 JCSU graduate and the Golden Bulls offensive coordinator from 2008-09, confirmed he isn’t a finalist for the job on Tuesday. Campus sources say the finalists are former Winston-Salem State and Delaware State coach Kermit Blount and N.C. Central running backs coach Adrian Jones.

“I’m at peace,” said Flowers, a Charlotte native and former head coach at West Charlotte and Olympic high schools. “I’m not surprised. I’m not disappointed. I know there’s a reason and there are other big things ahead for me.”

Earlier this month, JCSU Athletics Director Steve Joyner said ...

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VIDEO INTERVIEWS: WVU Welcomes Hampton for WNIT Second Round

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- The West Virginia University women's basketball team hosts Hampton University in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) on Tuesday, March 24, at the WVU Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

With a victory on Tuesday, the Mountaineers (19-14) will advance to the WNIT third round for the second time in program history, joining the 2005 squad that finished as the tournament's runner-up.

A free live stream of Tuesday's contest will be provided at WVUsports.com. Jeff Culhane and Meg Bulger are set to call the action on the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG. Fans can listen on various affiliates across the state, online at WVUsports.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.

West Virginia reeled off its highest offensive output since December with an 84-61 win over Buffalo last Thursday in the opening round of the WNIT. Four Mountaineers tallied double-figures, as Teana Muldrow and Bria Holmes led the way with 20 points each.

WVU Football, WVU Basketball, News - Mountaineer Sports

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Attorney: ASU reported allegations of NCAA violations

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University has reported potential rules violations within the university's football program to the NCAA, according to an attorney representing former ASU football coach Reggie Barlow.

Donald Jackson, a local attorney who specializes in NCAA-related legal work, said he was notified on Friday by an attorney working for ASU that the school had received "anonymous allegations" of NCAA rules violations involving Barlow.

Jackson said the attorney, Michael Buckner, would not disclose the nature of the violations — whether they were major or secondary violations, when they allegedly occurred or the source of the allegations — but wanted to set an interview with Barlow to discuss them.

Jackson said he spoke with an NCAA enforcement staff member on Monday and confirmed that ASU has reported the allegations.

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Alcorn State declines to extend contracts to Luther Riley and Tonya Edwards

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State has made a big decision on the hardwood. The school declined to extend contracts to head men's basketball coach Luther Riley and head women's basketball coach Tonya Edwards. Both deals were set to expire at the end of March.

Riley took a leave of absence in January. He was the Braves head coach for four seasons, compiling a 38 - 91 record. Alcorn went 27-45 in SWAC play, including a 4-14 record this season.

Edwards was the Lady Braves head coach for seven seasons, compiling a 60-146 record. She led Alcorn to the SWAC Championship Game in 2012, falling to Prairie View. The Lady Braves were 10 and 18 overall this season, 9-9 in conference play.

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Boulware: WSSU taking patient approach

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Over the last five seasons at Winston-Salem State, it always appeared that the football team has been chock full of veteran players.

From the looks of spring practice, however, the times are changing.

The Rams have been able to maintain a veteran look the past few seasons in part because of an influx of transfers from other schools. But after losing more than 30 players from last season’s 9-2 team, the roster is much younger this spring.

Through the first week of practice, Coach Kienus Boulware and his staff have been doing things a little differently. There’s more teaching, more individual instruction and a lot more patience has been exhibited from the coaching staff.

“We are teaching more but we are implementing more things,” Boulware said. “What was evident last year was we were caught up with veteran players who knew what to do and knew how to do it.”

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HU football schedule includes rivals, trip to RFK Stadium

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hmpton University's 2015 football schedule includes early rivalry games, non-conference games against state opponents Richmond and William and Mary, and a trip to Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C.

The Pirates open Sept. 5 at home, versus Division II Kentucky State, and have four of their first six games at Armstrong Stadium. Their first two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games are against rivals Howard and Norfolk State — the first one Friday, Sept. 18, at RFK Stadium in the Nations Classic.

"I like the schedule," HU coach Connell Maynor said. "It's a good non-conference schedule. Kentucky State is a good opener, and Richmond and William and Mary are obviously very good programs.

"Howard is a rival game, and the chance to play at RFK, in the Redskins' (old) stadium, will be good for our players. It's close enough that our fans can travel there. We're expecting a big crowd and a good atmosphere."

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HAMPTON UNIVERSITY 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date		Opponent	Location	Time/Result	Details
Alumni Day
9/5/2015		Kentucky State	Hampton, VA	6 pm
9/12/2015		Richmond	Hampton, VA	6 pm
Nation’s Football Classic/Battle of the REAL HU
9/18/2015	*	Howard	Washington, DC	TBA
Battle of the Bay
9/26/2015	*	Norfolk State	Norfolk, VA	TBA
Parents' Weekend
10/3/2015	*	North Carolina A&T	Hampton, VA	1 pm
Homecoming
10/10/2015	*	Delaware State	Hampton, VA	2 pm
10/17/2015	*	Morgan State	Baltimore, MD	TBA
10/24/2015		William & Mary	Williamsburg, VA	TBA
10/31/2015	*	South Carolina State	Orangeburg, SC	TBA
11/7/2015	*	Florida A&M	Hampton, VA	1 pm	Details\\\\\\\
11/14/2015	*	Savannah State	Savannah, GA

California Community Colleges Partner With Historically Black Colleges

LOS ANGELES, California -- Many of California’s four-year public colleges are stuffed to capacity, while some of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities struggle to fill their classes. A new alliance between California’s community colleges and nine out-of-state schools may help both types of institutions fix their enrollment woes.

An agreement signed Tuesday will ease the transfer of students from California’s two-year programs into historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, outside the state.

California’s community college system—the nation’s largest, with about 2.1 million students across 112 campuses—already has guaranteed-transfer arrangements with the California State University system and six University of California campuses. But many of those public universities are near or at capacity, leading to challenges enrolling in classes and often longer paths to graduation.

Under the new deal, students who complete an associate degree at a California community college and maintain certain grade-point averages will be guaranteed admission to one of nine HBCUs, including Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala., and Dillard University in New Orleans, with junior-class standing.

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Plenty of competition at WSSU this spring

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Winston-Salem State football team has a lot of young talent at all positions, but it will be especially young at quarterback this spring.

It had been expected that redshirt sophomore Justin Johnson would be the leading candidate to start this fall, but he’s been ruled academically ineligible for spring practice. With Johnson out, the two quarterbacks in camp are both redshirt freshmen.

“We had a little conversation with Justin the other day and he knows he has to get his academics in order,” Boulware said. “We just plan on moving forward as we go through spring practice.”

The Rams have had two practices, and Boulware said that there are 110 players who hit the field on Tuesday. Among those are quarterbacks Demetrius Lewis, who redshirted last season, and Rod Tinsley, a transfer from Gardner-Webb.

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WSSU Rams gets commitment from Raleigh Millbrook star

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Rob Brown, the all-time leading scorer at Raleigh Millbrook High School, has committed to play basketball next season at Winston-Salem State.

Brown, who is 6-8 and 220 pounds, announced his decision on Tuesday afternoon at his high school.



This past season, Brown led Millbrook in scoring at 14 points a game; he also grabbed six rebounds a game.

“I’m very excited about making this decision,” Brown said by telephone. “I know I’m ready to move on to college and I felt like this was the best place for me.”

Brown said there were other schools recruiting him, such as Lees-McRae and UNC Pembroke, but when he came for a visit to WSSU he loved the Rams’ style of play.

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'Business as usual:' SCSU Bulldogs not distracted by outside factors as spring practice begins

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The walls of Oliver C. Dawson Stadium appear to have been solid insulation for the South Carolina State football team during a rough offseason for the university.

The team watched as the state Legislature threatened this winter to close the school because of lingering financial issues. University President Thomas Elzey, who had previously filed suit against S.C. State, was fired on Monday, and the school and its board of trustees will likely face massive restructuring in an attempt to gain financial solvency in the coming months.



Tuesday on Willie Jeffries Field, the Bulldogs went about getting back to a sense of normalcy for head coach Buddy Pough and his program as the Bulldogs opened spring drills with the first of 15 scheduled practices.

“It’s just been going on business as usual,” Pough said. “We don’t get into that type of stuff. Everything for us is the next rep, the next practice. It’s whatever is put ahead of us. Our guys are excited about being here. This is the fun part of the day for us. When you walk on campus, this is the fun part. The other stuff is the tough part.”

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The slipper still fits as seventh-seeded Lady Argos reach Elite Eight over Langston U.

INDEPENDENCE, Missouri -- At 6-foot-2, University of Great Falls women's basketball post Lindsey Abramson doesn't attempt many 3-pointers.

Still, with the seventh-seeded Lady Argonauts needing one shot to keep their Cinderella run in the NAIA National Tournament alive, the play went to senior.

Abramson didn't hesitate. She knocked down the wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired to give the No. 25 Lady Argos a stunning 72-69 upset victory over third-seeded and No. 12 Langston (Okla.) to reach Saturday's Elite Eight here at Independence Events Center.

"We executed the play exactly how we drew it up," UGF head coach Bill Himmelberg said. "Erin (Legel) coming off the double screen, then going over, Lindsey going out and knocking the shot down."

The improbable postseason success continued for UGF (24-9), which has won its first two games in its first-ever trip to the tournament. The Lady Argos will take on defending national champion and No. 1 seed Oklahoma City in the Elite Eight Saturday at 1 p.m. Mountain Time.

"I think a lot of these teams are underestimating us and we're fighters," said Abramson, who had attempted only 24 treys – making 11 – prior to Friday.

"We're still there and we're still kicking," she added. "I don't think people should be underestimating us. We've beat two top teams and we're still dancing."

While Abramson's shot broke a 69-all tie, the Lady Argos certainly felt the need to win the game in regulation.

All-Conference guard Darah Huertas-Vining was injured during Wednesday's opening round victory and didn't play, while the already short-handed Argos were hampered by foul trouble late in the contest.
Mackenzie Owens, Kendalyn Brainard and Nneka Nnadi all fouled out in the waning minutes, sending in senior Mary Wilmore and freshman Molly Herron as the game reached its zenith.

Herron filled in admirably at the guard spot while Wilmore collected seven rebounds – none bigger than the defensive board she secured with 15 seconds to play that set up Abramson's game-winning shot.

Legel took the ball up-court, faked a drive to the basket before kicking the ball out to the wide-open Abramson at the top of the key. Abramson drained it as the Lady Argos rushed onto the floor in celebration.
"It couldn't have happened unless Mary got that great defensive board, and I think that says it all,"

Abramson said. "If she lets that go and (Langston) would have got it we would have been down two. I have to give credit to Mary – that was the best board she's had all year."

The ensuing pandemonium capped a back-and-forth second half in which neither team led by more than five points.

UGF struggled early and found itself trailing 18-4 before rallying to cut the deficit to 32-30 at halftime.

"We were kind of quiet (early)," UGF freshman Stephanie McDonagh said of the slow start. "Once we started talking to each other and encouraging each other, and not getting down on one another for our mistakes we really got going."

Legel led UGF with 21 points and seven assists, while Abramson had 19 points and nine rebounds. McDonagh scored a dozen points to go along with seven rebounds as UGF went to the freshman frequently with Huertas-Vining absent.

"I had to be more offensive-minded," McDonagh said. "My team really encouraged me and they wanted me to shoot the ball. They wanted me to dribble. In the beginning they yelled at me to dribble the ball."

Nnadi scored nine points and had eight rebounds off the bench, while Brainard added seven points and six boards. Owens also collected seven rebounds.

The Lady Argos capitalized with 17 second-chance points as they out-rebounded Langston 55-41.

The Lions (28-4), who are coached by former women's basketball legend Cheryl Miller, were led by Lulu Perry's 21 points. T'Keya Mason scored 17, Lynette Holmes added 13 and Che'Ron Lewis chipped in 10.

Saturday's quarterfinal contest can be watched live online at www.naianetwork.com. It will also air on New Rock 92.9-FM in Great Falls and online at www.kmonam.com. The game will once again be shown inside the Dining Commons at the UGF Student Center with the public welcome.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF GREAT FALLS ATHLETICS

Texas Southern starts fast, sweeps Southern baseball team

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Texas Southern leadoff hitter Zach Welz began Saturday’s game with a line drive that bounced off Southern center fielder Lance Jones’ glove for a three-base error.

Moments later, the Tigers had a three-run lead before the Jaguars even had a chance to bat.

Southern responded with a run in the bottom of the first and kept fighting back, but the Jaguars never pulled even as TSU completed a three-game sweep with an 8-4 victory at Lee-Hines Field.

“Right away, we were in a really difficult situation,” Southern coach Roger Cador said.

The closest Southern came to getting even was with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The Jaguars trailed 6-4 and had Marcus Tomlin on third when pinch hitter D.J. Wallace flied out to deep left field.

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For UMES's Michael Myers, the future is now

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- To the unknowing eye, Michael Myers is as menacing as his fictional namesake from the Halloween horror films.

The 6-foot-9 inch, 245-pound wall of tattoo-masked muscle wreaked havoc on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference this past season with a team-leading 15.8 points and seven rebounds a game, helping make this the most successful season the University of Maryland Eastern Shore has seen since 1974.

But the soft-spoken giant with a deep timbre in his voice and a deeper dedication to his friends and family has spent that last year trying to make people understand that the first impression — or even a misstep — doesn't make the man. The 22-year-old senior, who'll graduate in May with a degree in sociology, grew up on the streets of Camden, New Jersey, where many of his childhood friends have wound up dead or in prison.

"Camden is a tough environment. You have to keep your nose clean, stay out of trouble, try to avoid a lot of things, try to deal with positive people, surround yourself with positive people, stay out of trouble," Myers said.

"Family-wise, we struggling. Not going to lie about that. I'm real dependent on my family (emotionally). I want to get my family out of there, out of the slums."

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Rush, Nuggets garner 13 top-10s at Louisiana Classics

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana -- Freshman Joseph Moses III placed fifth in the men's 100-meter dash at the Louisiana Classics track and field meet and had the highest finish Saturday of any Xavier University of Louisiana athlete.

Moses' time was 10.89 seconds. It was his second top-5 finish of the meet -- he was fourth Friday in the 200.

Xavier's Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets combined to produce 13 top-10 finishes.

The XU men had a pair of sixths -- Alex Xavier in the 110 hurdles (15.04) and the 400 relay squad of Xavier, Devante Bailey, Langston Adams and Moses (season-best 43.00).

The Nuggets' best finish was seventh by the 400 relay quartet of Chelsea James, Destini Thomas, Clarke Allen and Devinn Rolland. Their time was 48.16, a B-qualifying mark for the NAIA National Championships but slower than the Nuggets' A-qualifying time of 47.97 one week ago.

Also producing season-best times were Christopher August in the men's 1,500 (19th place, 4:20.23), Bailey in the 400 (10th, 50.70), Xavier in the 400 hurdles (seventh, 58.42) and Catherine Fakler in the women's 1,500 (eighth, 4:54.10).

August, a sophomore, ran the best time of his college career.

There was no team scoring.

It was Xavier's third meet of the outdoor season. Next for the Rush and Nuggets will be the Bobcat Invitational at San Marcos, Texas, on Friday and Saturday. Texas State will be the host.

Here are all of Xavier's Saturday results from the Louisiana Classics:

Women

100: Devinn Rolland, 17th in 12.59; Kailey Williams, 22nd in 12.90; Katelyn McMorris, 23rd in 12.92

800: Carlie Calais, 12th in 2:29.61

1,500: Catherine Fakler, 8th in 4:54.10

100 Hurdles: Terri Cunningham, 9th in 17.38; Chelsea Simpson, 10th in 17.49

400 Hurdles: Terri Cunningham, 8th in 1:08.20; Chelsea Simpson, 11th in 1:16.47

3,000 Steeplechase: Reeka Belton, did not finish

400 Relay: Chelsea James, Destini Thomas, Clarke Allen, Devinn Rolland, 7th in 48.16

Long Jump: Devinn Rolland, 10th in 5.23 meters (17 feet, 2 inches); Ireyon Keith, 15th in 4.86 (15 feet, 11 1/2 inches); Vinnie Briggs, 16th in 4.69 meters (15 feet, 4 1/4 inches)

Shot Put: Sidni Watson, 10th in 7.22 meters (23 feet, 8 1/4 inches)

Men

100: Joseph Moses III, 5th in 10.89

400: Devante Bailey, 10th in 50.70; Langston Adams, 17th in 53.53

800: Brent Kitto, 23rd in 2:01.34

1,500: Christopher August, 19th in 4:20.23

110 Hurdles: Alex Xavier, 6th in 15.04

400 Hurdles: Alex Xavier, 7th in 58.42; Chris Adams, 8th in 59.19

400 Relay: Alex Xavier, Devante Bailey, Langston Adams, Joseph Moses III, 6th in 43.00

Long Jump: Christopher Kennie, 17th in 6.31 meters (20 feet, 8 1/2 inches)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Spring Hill baseball takes two from Miles, pitcher Jackson Howard rolls to 5-0

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Spring Hill College (SHC) baseball swept both ends of a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) doubleheader away from the Miles College Bears at historic Stan Galle Field on Saturday afternoon by the scores of 12-3 and 12-2.

Badger starter Jackson Howard moved to 5-0 on the year with a six-inning performance that saw him allow just three hits with four walks and three strikeouts in the opening game. Justin Bartley lasted 3.1 innings and allowed six hits with three walks and three strikeouts for the Bears.

The night cap crowd watched Stephen Douglas (3-1) go six innings and give up six hits with no walks while striking out eight Bear batters. Austin Pate took the loss for Miles in 2.1 innings with seven hits and two walks with no strikeouts.

For the Badger offense, SHC racked up 21 hits versus Bear pitching as senior right fielder Taylor Eads blasted two home runs in a nine-run 3rd inning of the second game to finish the day with a tally of five hits, six RBIs, five runs scored and two doubles. Junior 1st baseman William Floros mashed his fourth homer of the year to lead off the first game while junior catcher Alex Jones ripped a two-run home run out of right field in the 4th inning of the same game.

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Jimmy Fallon pokes fun at Hampton University Pirates

NEW YORK -- Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon had some fun at Hampton University's expense during Friday night's monologue when he joked about HU's chances against Kentucky during the NCAA. Start at about the 5:38 mark in the monologue.

Hampton Lady Pirates Survive Defensive Struggle with Drexel

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Offense was at a premium Thursday evening at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, and the Hampton University women's basketball team emerged from the scrum with a 45-42 win over Drexel in the first round of the WNIT.

The Lady Pirates (19-12) advance to the second round, where they will face West Virginia in Morgantown, W.Va. on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

While others struggled to find their groove on offense, junior guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.) found hers, going 9-for-18 from the floor to score a game-high 19 points – all while also grabbing nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) added 13 points.

Redshirt junior forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds.

Hampton shot just 29.3 percent (17-for-58) from the floor and hit just two of its 13 3-pointers and nine of its 17 free throws. Despite that, and the fact that Drexel held a 39-34 edge in rebounds, the Lady Pirates turned the Dragons over 29 times.



The Lady Pirates also outscored Drexel 26-14 in the paint.

Drexel (20-11) held a 41-38 lead with 3:00 remaining, before Tate-DeFreitas made it a one-point game 50 seconds later with a layup. Ward followed with a layup with 1:27 left to give Hampton the lead at 42-41.

Senior guard Kyani White (Manassas, Va.) added two free throws with 15 seconds left to put the Lady Pirates up 44-41.

Drexel couldn't get off a decent-looking shot in the closing seconds, and though Carrie Alexander hit a free throw with five seconds left to make it a 44-42 game, the Dragons couldn't get any closer, and Tate-DeFreitas clinched the game with a free throw with three seconds left.

That was in stark contrast to the beginning of the second half; though Hampton held a 25-21 lead at the half, Drexel emerged from the break to go on a 13-2 run, taking a 34-27 lead with 11:38 left after Rachel Pearson hit a three.

Jordan answered with a layup at the 10:51 mark to end the run, but that wound up being Hampton's first field goal of the second half.

Sarah Curran hit two free throws with 9:03 left to put Drexel up 36-29 before the Lady Pirates began methodically chipping away at the advantage. All told, Hampton shot 22.6 percent (7-for-31) in the second half.

Jordan scored 14 of her 19 points in the first half, helping the Lady Pirates establish a lead even as points were difficult to come by. Her jumper at the 10:29 mark gave the Lady Pirates a 14-9 lead, and she later put Hampton up 18-13 with a jumper at the 6:37 mark.

A Jordan layup with 1:17 left in the half gave Hampton its largest lead of the game at 25-19.

Drexel shot 42.1 percent (16-for-38) from the floor but made just one of eight 3-pointers.

Curran and Jackie Schluth led the Dragons with eight points each.

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

Talladega Tornadoes Qualify For First-Ever NAIA National Championship Semifinal Round Appearance

 Live Video • Listen Live • Box Score 

Talladega Scores Final Seven Points, Edges Pikeville, 64-62

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Wendell Pierre scored the game-winning basket with four seconds remaining to give No. 2-seeded Talladega (Ala.) a 64-62 win over No. 7-seeded Pikeville (Ky.), Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship in Municipal Auditorium. The Tornadoes will face No. 6-seeded Dalton State (Ga.), an 80-76 overtime winner over Cal State San Marcos, on Monday, March 23 at 6:00 p.m.

"Our team was well aware coming into this matchup against a premier team in Pikeville the game was going to come down to who had the most toughness, heart and desire to advance," said Talladega Head Coach Matt Cross. "I think our guys demonstrated those qualities for 40 minutes today.

"We are excited about punching our ticket to the Fab Four and I know these young men are still hungry and believe they can take their games to an even higher level the next time we step on the floor in Municipal."

Talladega (32-4) scored the final seven points of the game to earn the first Fab Four berth in the program's history after trailing 62-57 with 1:55 remaining. Courtney Mack started the finishing stretch with a bucket in the paint at the 1:37 mark, then hit a three-pointer on the right wing with 44 seconds to play.

Kenny Manigault missed a three-pointer on the next possession for Pikeville, setting up Pierre for the game-winning shot. Manigault also got the last shot attempt for the Bears, but was unable to convert a game-tying attempt.

After trailing 35-31 at the half, Talladega opened the second half with a 14-2 run inside the first five minutes for its biggest lead of the game, 45-37. Manigault scored the first points of the second half before Pierre got the Tornadoes going with a bucket inside, and Brandon Peters finished off the opening run with a three-pointer.

Pikeville provided an immediate response, putting together a 13-2 spurt over the next 4:13 to regain the lead, 50-47. Both teams held the lead over the next eight minutes with Colt Chapman scoring the final point for the Bears, converting the second of two free throws.

Both teams shot 40 percent from the field and converted 24 field goals, with Pikeville recording one more shot attempt. The Tornadoes held a 7-5 edge in three-point connections and both teams hit nine free throws. Pikeville held a 43-34 rebounding advantage, but committed 10 turnovers to just six for Talladega.

"We had a great year and I am proud of these kids," said Cal State San Marcos head coach Jim Saia. "We had a phenomenal experience."

Shondel Stewart led all scorers with 22 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists for Talledega. Peters finished with 13 points and four rebounds, while Pierre tallied nine points, four rebounds and four assists.

Manigault posted 20 points and seven rebounds for Pikeville, while K.K. Simmons added 19 points and Michael Eneh added a game-high 11 rebounds for the Bears.

Pikeville finished its season with a record of 28-6.

Game Notes:
Talladega: Playing in first-ever quarterfinal in their third overall trip… Becomes the third No. 2 seed in the last four years to advance to the semifinal round… Tied a season-low with six turnovers, one game removed from a 20-turnover contest in the championship second round win Friday… Talladega has won 27 of their last 28 games, including a streak of six-straight… Notched its 32nd season victory, which is the most of any of the qualifiers still alive… With 22 points, Shondel Stewart has now reached at least 20 points in 14 of his 23 games.

Pikeville: Falls to 2-1 in the quarterfinal round… Now stands 11-8 all-time in nine postseason trips… Gives up 64 points in a loss – it is the lowest amount
of points allowed in a loss since a 58-57 setback to Campbellsville (Ky.) on Feb. 9, 2012… Connected on just nine free throws (19 attempts), which marks the fewest amount since six made on Jan. 17… Michael Eneh, who entered the game with 3.4 rebounds per game, grabbed 11 boards, which were two off a season-high… The Bears entered the game leading the NAIA in turnover margin and finished minus-four in that category.

Semifinals

March 23 | Municipal Auditorium | Kansas City, Mo.

Game 1 (6:00 p.m. CT)	No. 6 Dalton State (Ga.) (30-4) vs. No. 2 Talladega (Ala.) (32-4)
	• Live Video • Listen Live • Box Score • Recap
Game 2 (8:00 p.m. CT)	No. 1 Hope International (Calif.) (31-2) vs. Westmont (Calif.) (24-10)
	• Live Video • Listen Live • Box Score • Recap

COURTESY TALLADEGA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State encouraged despite 91-49 loss to Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Alabama State was making its first NCAA Tournament experience in 12 years. The postseason trip was a short one, but coach Freda Freeman-Jackson feels it could pay dividends down the road.

No. 15 seed Alabama State hung close with second-seeded Florida State for 10 minutes but the Seminoles quickly opened up a double-digit lead en route to a 91-49 win in a first-round game on Saturday.

Sophomore Britney Wright scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds and junior Ashanti Spencer had 12 points and four rebounds for the Hornets (17-15), who won the Southwestern Athletic Conference this season and will keep the core of the team together going into 2015-16.

"This experience is huge for our program," Alabama State coach Freda Freeman-Jackson said. "It's been a while since we have actually had an opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament. We only have one true senior that actually played (Saturday). We're extremely young."

Alabama State was composed early but wore out, committing 32 turnovers against a stifling Seminoles defense.

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Montrel stands out in XU loss to NCAA D2's No. 6 team

TROY, Alabama -- Xavier University of Louisiana lost 6-3 in men's tennis Saturday to Columbus State, but XU junior Kyle Montrel recorded doubles and singles victories against ranked opponents.

Montrel and Nikita Soifer defeated Marco Almorin and Adi Malicbegovic, NCAA Division II's 11th-ranked doubles team, 8-2. In singles, Montrel beat 16th-ranked Oussama Zoghlami 6-1, 6-1 and snapped Zoghlami's eight-match win streak.

Montrel is 13-1 in doubles this season, 9-1 with Soifer.

Xavier's other victory came from Tushar Mandlekar, who defeated Martynas Zakaitis 6-3, 6-2. But the Cougars (10-1), ranked sixth as a team, dropped only one set in the other six matches to defeat the Gold Rush (9-5), No. 6 in the NAIA.

Malicbegovic improved to 11-0 this semester with a 6-2, 6-2 singles victory against Soifer. The Cougars' Maciej Kierkus also is 11-0 after his 6-1, 3-0 victory against Kevin Chaouat, who retired because of injury.

XU had near misses at No. 2 doubles, where Mandlekar and Manav Chakma lost 8-6 to Zakaitis and Kierkus, and at No. 5 singles, where Chakma lost 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-1) to Jorge Vargas.

"It was a very good match for us to have to prepare for next week and nationals," XU coach Alan Green said. "Columbus State has a really good team, and we were right there with them. A couple breaks the other way and the outcome would have been the exact opposite."

The XU men have lost four of their last five duals. All their losses this season are to NCAA Division I or ranked opponents.

Next for the Gold Rush will be a trip to California for duals against Westmont, Northwestern Ohio, Vanguard and Lewis-Clark State. All but Lewis-Clark State, which is 19th, are NAIA top-10 teams. The XU women will play the same schools in California, but next for the Gold Nuggets will be a 3:30 p.m. Tuesday dual against NCAA DI's Southern Miss at XU Tennis Center.

Results

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

DSU coach's contract not renewed; decision comes after Louis faced harrassment claims from players

DOVER, Delaware -- Delaware State University Lady Hornets are looking for a new women’s head basketball coach after announcing Friday that coach Tamika Louis’ contract would not be renewed for the 2015-2016 season,

“While we appreciate the three years of service Coach Louis put in working with the Lady Hornets, the University has reached the conclusion that a new direction is needed for the DSU women’s basketball program,” Louis “Skip” Perkins, Jr., interim associate vice president /athletics director said in a press release.

The decision comes after Louis was suspended for about a month last fall as DSU officials investigated claims of harassment and intimidation that were made by current and former players against the coach.

One parent contacted the Dover Post and shared a Dec. 13 letter that she had sent to DSU president Harry Williams detailing what she said were several incidents of Louis’ “dehumanizing behavior.”

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How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Ask FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Members of Florida A&M University’s Wind Symphony had a different kind of rehearsal on Friday. Using Skype, they participated in what can be dubbed a “tele-rehearsal” with American composer David Maslanka.

Maslanka, recognized for his works for wind ensembles, was based in Missoula, Montana, where he now lives.

“We’ll be hearing his comments about our rehearsal techniques, our general preparation of his work,” said Shelby Chipman, an associate professor of music at FAMU and director of symphonic bands and the FAMU Wind Symphony, before the rehearsal.

These are heady times inside the University Band Room within the Foster-Tanner complex on FAMU’s campus. As they should be.

Next Sunday evening, the 58 student members and two faculty accompanists who make up the Florida A&M University Wind Symphony will be performing on stage at world-renowned Carnegie Hall. New York City. Where Tchaikovsky made his American debut at its opening on May 5, 1891.

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Troy defeats Rush 5-1; Albrecht wins in singles for XU

TROY, Alabama
-- Xavier University of Louisiana got a singles victory from sophomore Adam Albrecht in a 5-1 men's tennis loss Friday at Troy.

Albrecht scored the lone point for the Gold Rush (9-4) when he defeated Calum McKinlay 6-4, 6-3 at the fifth flight. Xavier didn't win any other sets, although Manav Chakma trailed Cyprian Owczarz 7-6 (7-4), 5-5 at No. 6 when the dual ended.

The Trojans (16-5), ranked 62nd in NCAA Division I, clinched when Hassan Ndayishimye beat Kyle Montrel 7-5, 6-2 at No. 1 singles.

"We played good," said XU coach Alan Green, whose team lost 6-1 at Troy a year ago.

Montrel suffered his first doubles loss of the season when Ndayishimye and Gabriel Dias defeated Montrel and Nikita Soifer 6-0. Montrel entered 12-0, 8-0 with Soifer. Soifer's nine-match win streak ended.

Another streak-breaker was Andy Lau and Austin Racine's 6-3 victory against Chakma and Tushar Mandlekar, who had won their previous nine decisions.

Xavier, ranked sixth in the NAIA, will remain in Troy and play Columbus State -- ranked sixth in NCAA Division II -- at 10 a.m. Saturday, one hour earlier than originally announced.


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