MUNCIE, Indiana -- During a six-minute stretch in the second half of Ball State’s basketball game Tuesday, star Alabama A&M player Ladarius Tabb had his way with the Cardinals’ defense.
Specifically Ball State wing Franko House. Tabb fired in 15 consecutive points for the Bulldogs in that span with House guarding him most of the time, lifting A&M to an eight-point lead.
The final salvo in that flurry was a 3-point basket with 4:31 to play. The Cardinals quickly called timeout and coach James Whitford showed his ire with House when the players reached the bench.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, we’ve still got this, we’re good,’ ” Whitford said. “It was good to hear him say that. We just had to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, that was my point.
“But he answered the bell and we went to him every time down the stretch, and he scored or got fouled or had an assist.”
Video
House was a rock for the Cardinals (8-4) in the final four minutes, including a smothering defensive effort on Tabb on the final play of the game, as he sparked them to a 63-62 victory in Worthen Arena.
Predictably, Tabb got the ball on the left wing as the final seconds ticked down. He drove to the basket with House hounding him all the way. When double-team help arrived as Tabb neared the lane, all he could do was uncork a shot that hit the side of the basket, and House rebounded the ball as the buzzer sounded.
The field-goal attempt was Tabb’s only one in the final 4:31 of the game.
House said his goal on the play was to push Tabb off the 3-point line.
“I wanted to force him to drive into my guys (inside) who had my back,” he said. “I anticipated a drive to the baseline and I stayed in front of him pretty well.”
Tabb, the Bulldogs’ season scoring leader with a 23.4 average and the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the year, finished with 29 points, making 12 of 17 shot attempts.
House did damage on offense, too. He scored seven of his 15 points in the final 7:45, including 5-for-6 at the free-throw line in the final 4:05.
Ball State claimed the victory on a night when it had trouble shooting from the perimeter. Alabama A&M (4-5) played a 2-3 zone for most of the first 30 minutes of the game, and Ball State finished just 6-of-27 from the arc.
The Cardinals were 4-of-19 overall and 1-for-10 from the 3-point line in the second half when the Bulldogs abandoned the zone and went man-to-man with about 9 minutes remaining.
That move probably benefited Ball State as it scored 18 points in the final 8 minutes, 40 seconds.
“Maybe in some respects, yes, but I didn’t feel we were lacking with our shot attempts,” Whitford said. “I’m not saying all 27 were great, but enough of them were pretty good.”
The Cardinals simply didn’t hit shots. Their four best shooters from the arc – Jeremie Tyler, Francis Kiapway, Sean Sellers and Ryan Weber, who Whitford said were “four guys I’d put in the category of elite college shooters” – combined to make just 6-of-23.
“We had the right looks from the right guys, and we didn’t have a good shooting night,” Whitford said.
Added Sellers, “We shot poorly from the 3-point line, but for the most part we got good looks.”
Ball State hit only 40.4 percent overall from the floor and shot a season-low 22.2 percent from the 3-point line. Alabama A&M helped offset that by making just 4-of-13 free throws.
Bo Calhoun led the Cardinals with 16 points (7-of-10 shooting) and nine rebounds. House added 15 and eight. Weber and Kiapway scored 10 points each, and Naiel Smith tied his season high with six assists.
The Cardinals will play their final non-conference game at 2 p.m. Thursday against Chicago State in Worthen Arena. The Cougars are coached by former Ball State assistant Tracy Dildy.
The Bulldogs begin their SWAC schedule next weekend at Grambling State.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY BALL STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
TSU Tigers Take Tennessee to The Wire in 74-69 Loss
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee -- ayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) registered 19 points and nine rebounds, but the Tennessee State men's basketball team suffered a 74-69 road loss at Tennessee on Tuesday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena in the non-conference finale.
Playing in front of 13,214 fans, the Tigers (9-4) led for 28:19 of the game, but could not hold on as Tennessee (7-5) improved to 7-0 at home.
“I think our guys made a decision to compete, how we define what competing is,” second-year Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford said. “They really helped each other defensively and tried to give a valiant effort on the glass. I think our ability to stop them in the first half really kept us in the game.”
TSU held a 43-36 halftime edge and had a three-point lead at 66-63 with 3:26 to play before the Volunteers utilized a 9-0 run to take a six-point edge, 72-66, with just over a minute left. Martin converted a three-point play to put the score at 72-69 with 49.0 seconds left, but that was as close as TSU would get the rest of the way.
TSU forced Tennessee into four turnovers in the opening five minutes and held an 11-8 lead with six points coming from Martin.
Later in the half, Tennessee led by as many as four points before TSU was able to battle back. After a stop on the defensive end, Christian Griggs-Williams (Milwaukee, Wisc.) hit a layup to tie it up at 17-17, and a Marcus Roper (Walton Beach, Fla.) dunk off a steal led to a 19-17 lead with 10:37 left before the half.
Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.), who finished with 13 points and six assists, converted a layup as the first-half buzzer sounded to give the Tigers a 43-36 halftime advantage.
Tennessee shot 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) on three pointers in the first half, but TSU finished 17-for-31 (54.8 percent) from the field in the opening 20 minutes and forced UT into 10 turnovers.
The Tigers continued to lead for most of the second half and posted a six-point edge at 62-56 on a layup from Griggs-Williams with 7:10 showing on the clock.
The Volunteers swung the game back in their favor and eventually took the lead for good with their 9-0 run late in the contest.
For UT, Kevin Punter led all scorers with 23 points, while Armani Moore posted eight points, 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. On the other end, Roper continued his strong play with 10 points off the bench for TSU.
Up next, the Tigers take on Southeast Missouri on the road on Jan. 2 in the team’s Ohio Valley Conference opener.
GAME NOTES: Tennessee State concludes non-conference play with nine wins, which are the most since moving to the OVC prior to the 1987-88 season... TSU falls to 0-6 in the all-time series versus UT…. TSU is now 1-33 versus teams that currently make up the Southeastern Conference…. The Tigers used their fifth different starting lineup of the season with Demontez Loman, Wayne Martin, Darreon Reddick, Keron DeShields and Xavier Richards making up the starting five.
Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford
“There’s so much going on in that game, I just can’t put my finger on what it was right now. I have to go back and watch the tape and be able to evaluate it. I was glad to see our guys come back and compete a little bit harder than they did before Christmas break.”
- On what contributed to the defeat
“He’s coming along. He’s getting in better shape. Our whole plan was to get him ready by the time OVC gets here. I think he’s making progress. It will be good to have two guys down there that can score. On the other end, the defensive rebounding end he’s getting a little bit better; still has a little ways to go. He’s definitely someone we feel will be able to help us the next two months.”
PHOTO GALLERY
BOX SCORE
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Albany State University Golden Rams Marching Band headed to Pasadena
The Band will march in the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1ALBANY, Georgia — “Excited” was the word of the day as 122 members of the Albany State University Marching Band crowded onto two buses early Monday morning to begin their journey to Pasadena, Calif., and the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1.
The buses carried the band to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to catch two flights to Los Angeles International Airport.
“We’re all very excited,” Assistant Band Director David Decuir said. “I am actually looking forward to seeing a game in the Rose Bowl. I’ve seen it on TV but have never been there. I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to expose our band to America on national television.”
Jordan Lee, a trumpet player from Ellenwood, was also eager to get the journey started.
“I’m excited about performing at the Tournament of Roses Parade and getting the chance to visit California again,” Lee said. “The entire band is excited about representing Georgia and we are also the only HBCU (historically black college or university) in the parade.”
Prior to their departure for the Albany State campus, the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce distributed specially designed “Rams in the Roses” bags to band members. In October the Chamber Foundation presented a check for $25,000 to ASU in support of the “Rams in the Roses and Beyond” campaign.
CONTINUE READING
Daniel Scores 36 in Howard Men's Basketball Loss to Columbia
NEW YORK, New York -- James J-Byrd" Daniel III poured in a game-high 36 points but it was not enough to offset the balanced attack of the Columbia Lions as the hosts had four players score in double figures to get by Howard, 72-59 in a non-conference matchup Monday evening at the Levien Center.Daniel, the leading scorer in the nation coming into the game with 28 points per game, did all he could to keep his team close through most of the game. The 5-11 junior guard from Hampton, VA accounted for 21 of his team's 25 first half points.
But the Lions (9-5) set the tone as Maodo Lo (12 points), Grant Mullins (8 points), CJ Grant (7 points) and Luke Petrasek (7 points) combined to lead Columbia to a 38-25 halftime lead.
"It is the same problem we ran into in the last game," recalled Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "Damon (Collins) and Tyler (Stone) got into early foul trouble and J Byrd got tired. That changed things. We had to go to some younger players and we were even smaller than when we started the game."
With Daniel as the Bison's only real offensive threat, the Lions were able to methodically build on their lead and keep the Bison at bay en route to their fifth straight victory.
"We missed some 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 opportunities," said Nickelberry. "We have to take advantage of those kind of opportunities. Right now, we just don't have the depth and experience to sustain those kind of hits."
Junior forward Solomon "Solo" Mangham was Howard's second leading scorer with nine points. Daniel was 9-of-29 from the field and the rest of the team made only 7-of-33 as the Bison shot 25 percent from the field.
Columbia did not shoot the ball especially well, but they connected on 11-of-25 from the three-point line and recorded 13 assists on 23 field goals.
The Bison defense forced 17 turnovers and picked up seven steals. Again, they continued their consistency from the free throw line where they shot 85 percent (23-of-27).
"I challenged the team to play harder and with more energy, something I did not think they did in the last game," he said.
GAME NOTES
- Daniel went 16-for-17 from the free throw line and he has now made 59-of-61 in the past six games…he leads the nation in free throws attempted and made…Cameron Lewis continues to show improvement...the freshman forward/center, who was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week on Monday, scored 4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 20 minutes.
NEXT UP
Howard travels out west to take on the Rainbows of the Un
iversity of Hawaiii on January 2 at 11:30 pm Eastern time.
COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON SPORTS INFORMATION
For Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball, losses are lucrative
 |
| HEAD COACH GEORGE IVORY UAPB GOLDEN LIONS |
WHERE: Mizzou Arena, Columbia
WHEN: 8 p.m., Tuesday
TV: SEC Network + (Online)
TICKETS: Visit Missouri's athletics website
COLUMBIA, Missouri — During his seven-plus seasons as head coach of the Arkansas-Pine Bluff men's basketball team, George Ivory has achievements to hang his hat on.
Ivory won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship for the first time in school history in 2010. His team went on to defeat Winthrop University in a play-in game in the NCAA Tournament that season.
There is one more thing Ivory is looking to accomplish next season, however. He wants a nonconference home game. Since Ivory became head coach in 2008, Arkansas-Pine Bluff has never hosted a team during nonconference play.
That includes this season. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-11) has opened the season with 14 consecutive nonconference games away from home. The Golden Lions wrap up this elongated road trip at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday when they take on Missouri (5-6).
CONTINUE READING
Six Players Score in Double Figures as Chicago State Falls at Oakland
ROCHESTER, Michigan -- Six players scored in double figures for the Chicago State men's basketball team here against host Oakland, but the Golden Grizzlies also has six players record double digit scoring en route to capturing a 101-93 win Monday night at the Blacktop at the O'Rena.Leading the Green and White was freshman Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale), who recorded a team-best 18 points while adding four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Junior Elliott Cole (Chicago, Ill./Powerhouse) finished with 15 points and redshirt sophomore Clemmye Owens V (Toledo, Ohio/Rogers) added 13 points to go along with dishing out a career-best six assists.Senior Jawad Adekoya (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) also tallied 13 points and junior Jordan Madrid-Andrews (Denver, Colo./Bishop Machebeauf) posted 10 points.
Junior Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) produced his team-leading fourth double-double of the season as he grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end, in addition to tallying 10 points.
Senior Kieran Woods (Chicago, Ill./Crane) matched Palmer with 11 boards to go along with six points, four assists and two steals for CSU (4-11).
Oakland (8-4) was led by Kay Felder as he tallied game high totals of 23 points, 13 assists and eight steals.
Chicago State travels to Indiana for the finale of its three-game road swing as it takes on Ball State on New Year's Eve at Worthen Arena in Muncie with a start time of 2 p.m., Central Time.BOX SCORE
COURTESY CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Johnson Scores Game High 19, TSU Falls at No. 7 Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Kentucky – Jayda Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, posting her second highest scoring performance of the season, as Tennessee State fell to No. 7 Kentucky on Monday evening. The Wildcats improved to 11-0 with an 81-39 victory over the Lady Tigers (5-7) in front of a crowd of 5,586 at Memorial Coliseum.
The two teams went back-and-forth to start the game with Johnson hitting a pair of buckets. Maxine Beard hit a jumper at the 6:27 mark to bring the Lady Tigers within one, 7-6.
The Wildcats extended its lead to 13-6 over the next three minutes before Johnson could convert on an old fashioned three-point play, cutting the deficit to four at 13-9. TSU would be held scoreless for the remaining of the first quarter and for just over four minutes into the second stanza.
The drought would allow UK to go on a 20-0 run, as they began to pull away building a 33-9 advantage. Johnson ended the Wildcats run with a bucket at 5:58 of the second period, which led to a 6-0 run for the Lady Tigers.
Johnson scored the second of her two buckets of the stretch on a fast break layup after I’mani Davis blocked a shot and fed Johnson for the easy two. Davis capped off the scoring for TSU with a layup giving the Big Blue six points in a 30 second span making the score 33-15.
That would be the closest TSU would get the rest of the night as they went into half time trailing 38-17.
UK shot 43 percent opposed to the Lady Tigers 24 percent in the first half. The Wildcats would heat up even more in the second half as they shot 52 percent from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the three-point line.
Kentucky attacked TSU with a balanced attack with six players in double figures, led by Evelyn Akhator’s 14 points.
Davis finished short of her second double-double of the season, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.
The Lady Tigers will close out non-conference play as they continue their holiday road trip at Youngstown State on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
The two teams went back-and-forth to start the game with Johnson hitting a pair of buckets. Maxine Beard hit a jumper at the 6:27 mark to bring the Lady Tigers within one, 7-6.
The Wildcats extended its lead to 13-6 over the next three minutes before Johnson could convert on an old fashioned three-point play, cutting the deficit to four at 13-9. TSU would be held scoreless for the remaining of the first quarter and for just over four minutes into the second stanza.
The drought would allow UK to go on a 20-0 run, as they began to pull away building a 33-9 advantage. Johnson ended the Wildcats run with a bucket at 5:58 of the second period, which led to a 6-0 run for the Lady Tigers.
Johnson scored the second of her two buckets of the stretch on a fast break layup after I’mani Davis blocked a shot and fed Johnson for the easy two. Davis capped off the scoring for TSU with a layup giving the Big Blue six points in a 30 second span making the score 33-15.
That would be the closest TSU would get the rest of the night as they went into half time trailing 38-17.
UK shot 43 percent opposed to the Lady Tigers 24 percent in the first half. The Wildcats would heat up even more in the second half as they shot 52 percent from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the three-point line.
Kentucky attacked TSU with a balanced attack with six players in double figures, led by Evelyn Akhator’s 14 points.
Davis finished short of her second double-double of the season, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds.
The Lady Tigers will close out non-conference play as they continue their holiday road trip at Youngstown State on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
UH's Blacklock to join Texas Southern staff
 |
| DALLAS BLACKLOCK ASSISTANT COACH - WIDE RECEIVERS TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY |
"It's a great opportunity for me," said Blacklock, who has spent the past three seasons as the University of Houston's director of high school relations. "Anybody who leaves the University of Houston and Tom Herman is probably crazy. It had to be a great fit."
Blacklock joins the staff of new TSU coach Mike Haywood, who was hired in early December. The move allows Blacklock to get back into coaching in an area with which he's familiar. Before UH, Blacklock spent one season as an assistant at Fort Bend Marshall and four seasons at his alma mater, Sharpstown High School, the last two as head coach.
As Sharpstown's head coach, Blacklock compiled a two-year record of 16-7 including playoff berths both seasons. Blacklock's 2012 team finished the year undefeated in district play and advanced to the second round of the Texas state playoffs. During his two-year stint at Sharpstown, 19 players went on to play football on the collegiate level.
A Houston native, Blacklock graduated from McPherson College in May of 2003 with a degree in Religion and Philosophy. A four-year letterman as a defensive back, Blacklock earned NAIA second team All-America honors as a senior while also earning All-KCAC second team honors in 2002 and 2003.
Dallas Blacklock joined the Houston Football program as the director of high school relation in June of 2013.
"Texas Southern is a place that's always been dear to my heart," he said Monday.
CONTINUE READING
Texas Southern Lady Tigers rout UTSA 59-44 on the road
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – A game-high 19 points from Brianna Sidney gave Texas Southern its fourth win of the season over Texas- San Antonio during the UTSA Winter Classic. The Lady Tigers finished the game winning by a score of 59-44.Sidney (5-for-12) was the lone student-athlete to register a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds). Joyce Kennerson (4-for-7) also scored in double figures, managing 18 points with eight rebounds. Jazzmin Parker contributed five points and five rebounds, while Kiana Vines earned four points and six rebounds.
The Roadrunners struck first and continued frequent scoring, but a 12 point run in the third quarter pushed TSU to a 42-31 standing. The Lady Tigers would never lose the lead for the remainder of the game.
The Lady Tigers kept UTSA at shooting 27.8 percent and 6.3 percent at three-point range. TSU forced 15 turnovers in the contest, while the two teams also combined to set a new NCAA record for blocked shots in a game with 29.
Individually Texas Southern's Vines totaled eight blocks matching the single-game record set last season by Middle Tennessee's Cheyenne Parker.
Due to wintry weather conditions rolling through the country, the final two days of the UTSA Holiday Classic have been canceled.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Monday, December 28, 2015
Ohio State Beats S.C. State 73-57
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 24 points and Ohio State won its fourth straight with a 73-57 victory against South Carolina on Sunday night.Senior forward Gabriel McCray had 17 points and sophomore guard Ed Stephens scored 11 for South Carolina State (5-9) in the loss.
Bates-Diop was 8-for-14 from the floor, including 5-of-9 on 3-pointers, and tied a career-high with 10 rebounds.
Bates-Diop was the story in the first half, scoring 17 points to top his previous best in a half by one. He made 5-of-7 3-pointers while his teammates missed all eight tries from beyond the arc and the Buckeyes held a 34-21 halftime lead.
Kam Williams added 12 points for Ohio State (8-5), and Trevor Thompson had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs were ahead 15-11 nine minutes into the game but went cold from there, enduring a four-minute drought that enabled Ohio State to reel off eight straight points.
After a bank shot by forward DouDou Gueye drew South Carolina State to within 19-17, Bates-Diop connected on consecutive 3s off assists by Marc Loving to make it 25-17. Bates-Diop added two more treys in the final 2:15 of the half.
South Carolina State opened the second-half with six straight points, four by McCray, to cut the deficit to 34-27 before a Ja'Quan Lyle's mid-range floater restored a nine-point advantage.
The Bulldogs forced 14 turnovers, while finishing with ten answered points. Meanwhile, The Buckeyes also blocked nine shots, six coming in the first-half.
Junior guard Eric Eaves finished with eight points, while sophomore forward Tashombe Riley added five points and a team-high eight rebounds.
UP NEXT: South Carolina State resume play in the second of a three-game Midwest swing at Akron on Wednesday (Dec.30). Tip-off is 7 p.m.
BOX SCORE
COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
FAMU’s Mitchell fondly recalls Globetrotters' Meadowlark
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Meadowlark Lemon entertained millions of fans around the world – including Tallahassee – with his blend of style and humor as the “clown prince of basketball” while with the Harlem Globetrotters.
But Tommy Mitchell Sr., learning to craft his dribbling routine with the traveling team in the early 1960s, recalls the personal time he spent in quiet gymnasiums with the attentive, serious showman.
Lemon died Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 83.
“I was indebted to him,” said Mitchell, 76, president of the Florida A&M National Alumni Association.
“I thought I was a good basketball player, but I certainly wasn’t a dribbling clown. But he took me into the gym and told me about the older guys and showed me some things they did. Meadowlark was responsible for teaching me the routine that I developed.”
After briefly attending FAMU and serving in the U.S. Army, Lemon joined the Globetrotters in 1954.
CONTINUE READING
But Tommy Mitchell Sr., learning to craft his dribbling routine with the traveling team in the early 1960s, recalls the personal time he spent in quiet gymnasiums with the attentive, serious showman.
Lemon died Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 83.
“I was indebted to him,” said Mitchell, 76, president of the Florida A&M National Alumni Association.
“I thought I was a good basketball player, but I certainly wasn’t a dribbling clown. But he took me into the gym and told me about the older guys and showed me some things they did. Meadowlark was responsible for teaching me the routine that I developed.”
After briefly attending FAMU and serving in the U.S. Army, Lemon joined the Globetrotters in 1954.
CONTINUE READING
Five things to watch when B-CU women's basketball returns to action this week
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman entered the holiday break on a positive note after defeating Georgia Southern 65-49 to conclude the Hatter Classic at Stetson.The Wildcats will take part in another tournament, beginning Tuesday, down in Boca Raton after an eight-day rest. B-CU will face host Florida Atlantic at 5 p.m., followed by a meeting with either Miami (Ohio) or LIU Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Entering the final week of December with a respectable 6-6 record, here are five things to watch as the Wildcats prepare for the second half of the season.
Fly the Coop
Junior guard Kendra Cooper torched Georgia Southern for a career-high 31 points in B-CU's victory. She was aggressive from the opening tip, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers within the first four minutes.
The Spring, Texas, native leads B-CU in scoring at 16.9 points per game, shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
CONTINUE READING
Basketball Hall of Fame on the Passing of Meadowlark Lemon, Class of 2003
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts -- Fans around the world lost a part of their basketball family, with the passing of Harlem Globetrotter legend Meadowlark Lemon. Known as the Clown Prince of Basketball, Lemon played more than 16,000 games in front of millions of fans through appearances in over 70 countries. He was one of the most recognizable Globetotters during his career from 1954 until 1978. He played 50 games for the team in 1994.
“Meadowlark used the game of basketball to bring happiness, peace and laughter to people from a variety of cultures across the globe,” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “He proved that basketball truly has no boundaries and the language of the game is spoken universally whether he was performing in front of the Pope, Presidents or children of all ages. We were proud to recognize Meadowlark as part of our Hall of Fame family and we will continue to celebrate the joy that he brought to so many people.”
COURTESY NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
“Meadowlark used the game of basketball to bring happiness, peace and laughter to people from a variety of cultures across the globe,” said John L. Doleva, President & CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “He proved that basketball truly has no boundaries and the language of the game is spoken universally whether he was performing in front of the Pope, Presidents or children of all ages. We were proud to recognize Meadowlark as part of our Hall of Fame family and we will continue to celebrate the joy that he brought to so many people.”
COURTESY NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME
Florida A&M's Meadowlark Lemon Dies at Age 83
TAMPA BAY, Florida -- Every year starting in the 1960s all the way through today the Harlem Globetrotters have played an annual basketball game in the Tampa Bay area. In the early days they came to a sold out Curtis Hixon Hall in Tampa or the Bay Front Arena in St. Petersburg.
The team was led by Florida A&M star, George Meadowlark Lemon one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He passed away on Sunday at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 83. He was the heart and soul of the most popular basketball team in the world, the Harlem Globetrotters.
Lemon was a gifted forward who had an amazing ability to pass the ball and a half court hook shot that he could hit almost on command. He was a master showman and a born entertainer. He was at his best setting other players up.
Today in the New York Times reported that Lemon and the Trotters played in Rome before the pope; they played in Moscow during the Cold War before the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. In the United States, they played in small towns and big cities, in Madison Square Garden, in high school gyms, in cleared-out auditoriums even on the floor of a drained swimming pool. They performed their most entertaining ball-handling tricks, accompanied by their signature tune Sweet Georgia Brown, on The Ed Sullivan Show.
They played a total of over 16,000 games in over 100 countries. They remain the best known basketball team in the world and Lemon was a big reason why.
CONTINUE READING
Bethune-Cookman Drum Majors Fulfill Graduation Promise
Wells said when he became director of bands in 1996, only one member of the 300 plus member band graduated.
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — On the field, they relied on each other to lead the Marching Wildcats through performances that garnered attention and applause; boosted, of course, by their own high-stepping, show-stopping dance moves and marching precision. Off the field, they relied on each other to achieve a life milestone that is also worthy of attention and applause.
Micheal Crane, Javaris Gooding-Butts, Marcel Lewis, Louis Owens and Rashaun Phillips were Bethune Cookman University drum majors whose support of each other resulted in another important distinction; they are now all Bethune Cookman University graduates.
The men made a pledge to themselves and to each other that they would all wear the BCU band uniform with pride, but also, importantly, that they would achieve the actual goal of matriculating at one of Florida’s four HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities): graduating.
Owens, 25, was the head drum major in 2012 when he embraced a vision for himself and his fellow DMs. “My goal for the group was to improve the leadership on and off the field in a major way. My mentor, Mr. Earnest Hamilton, always challenged me to be great and to lead by example,” said Owens, who is now the director of bands at Carver School of the Arts in Atlanta.
Graduation rates at HBCUs have been ...
CONTINUE READING
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — On the field, they relied on each other to lead the Marching Wildcats through performances that garnered attention and applause; boosted, of course, by their own high-stepping, show-stopping dance moves and marching precision. Off the field, they relied on each other to achieve a life milestone that is also worthy of attention and applause.
Micheal Crane, Javaris Gooding-Butts, Marcel Lewis, Louis Owens and Rashaun Phillips were Bethune Cookman University drum majors whose support of each other resulted in another important distinction; they are now all Bethune Cookman University graduates.
The men made a pledge to themselves and to each other that they would all wear the BCU band uniform with pride, but also, importantly, that they would achieve the actual goal of matriculating at one of Florida’s four HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities): graduating.
Owens, 25, was the head drum major in 2012 when he embraced a vision for himself and his fellow DMs. “My goal for the group was to improve the leadership on and off the field in a major way. My mentor, Mr. Earnest Hamilton, always challenged me to be great and to lead by example,” said Owens, who is now the director of bands at Carver School of the Arts in Atlanta.
Graduation rates at HBCUs have been ...
CONTINUE READING
Winfrey has passion for his work at WSSU
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina --Ken Winfrey didn’t attend Winston-Salem State as a student.
While he grew up in Winston-Salem, he didn’t know much about the school but is making up for that in a big way. Since 2013, Winfrey has settled into his role as the voice of the Rams, a job he does with a smile on a volunteer basis.
“I love it,” said Winfrey, a 1974 graduate of North Forsyth who attended Wake Forest. “Just to see these athletes thrive on and off the field is something I get a kick out of it.”
There’s no paycheck for Winfrey despite his long hours and his trips to faraway places to broadcast games. But the satisfaction of doing a good job and telling a story along the way is good enough for him. With a tight budget, WSSU can’t afford to pay Winfrey, but the reach he has on the internet through the school’s website gives the athletic program a voice.
CONTINUE READING
Fayetteville State names Winston-Salem State assistant its head football coach
 |
| RICHARD HAYES HEAD FOOTBALL COACH FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY BRONCOS |
The 45-year-old Hayes, who worked at CIAA powerhouse Winston-Salem State for the previous six years and served as a defensive coordinator for the previous two, will be paid $90,000 annually as part of a three-year contract that starts Feb. 1. His appointment was approved Monday morning during a special meeting of the trustees.
There were more than 60 applicants for the job, Fayetteville State athletics director Anthony Bennett said, and Hayes was one of four candidates to receive an on-campus interview. During the last six years, he worked closely with Bennett, who was Winston-Salem State's associate athletic director for compliance before being hired by Fayetteville State in August.
CONTINUE READING
Fort Valley State University Releases 2016 Football Schedule
Fort Valley State will open the 2016 season in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday, September 4, with conference foe Miles College in the Labor Day Golden Classic at 6 p.m. The Wildcats last played Miles in the Valley in 2008 and walked away with the on 28-0. FVSU travels to Jackson, Tennessee on Saturday, September 10 to play Lane College at 2 p.m. The Wildcats open at home with Clark Atlanta University on Saturday, September 17 at 6 p.m., and the day being honored as Horace Mann Bond Memorial Game and Military Appreciation Day. On Saturday, September 24, the Wildcats will visit Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina for a 2 p.m. game and from there Saturday, October 1 play Alderson Broaddus University in Philippi, West Virginia at 2 p.m. Then, on Saturday, October 8, FVSU will host Kentucky State University on Senior and Open House Day at 2 p.m., before traveling to play Florida Tech University in Melbourne, Florida on Saturday, October 15 in a 2 p.m. matchup. Central State University will visit the Valley for the first time on homecoming and Communiversity Day on Saturday, October 22, with the game scheduled for 2 p.m. The team then travel down I-75 to Atlanta, Georgia for a date with Morehouse College on Saturday, October 29 and rounding out the regular season with Albany State University in the 27th Annual Fountain Classic on November 5 in Columbus, Georgia.
WILDCATS 2016 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | TIME |
| Sun. Sept. 4 | Miles College * Labor Day Golden Classic | Birmingham, Alabama | 6:00 PM (CST) |
| Sat. Sept. 10 | Lane College * | Jackson, Tennessee | 2:00 PM (CST) |
| Sat. Sept. 17 | Clark Atlanta University * | Fort Valley, Georgia | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Sept. 24 | Benedict College * | Columbia, South Carolina | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Oct. 1 | Alderson Broaddus University | Philippi, West Virginia | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Oct. 8 | Kentucky State University * | Fort Valley, Georgia | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Oct. 15 | Florida Tech University | Melbourne, Florida | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Oct. 22 | Central State University * (HC) | Fort Valley, Georgia | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Oct. 29 | Morehouse College * | Atlanta, Georgia | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Nov. 5 | Albany State University * 27th Annual Fountain City Classic | Columbus, Georgia | 2:00 PM |
| Sat. Nov. 12 | SIAC Championship | Montgomery, Alabama | 7:00 PM (CST) |
(BLACK) Indicate home games (*) Indicate conference games
COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Culver Column: New scoreboard nothing to scoff at
ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Believe it or not, there are people who claim to be supporters of Florida A&M who aren’t pleased with Florida State’s recent scoreboard gift.
Milton Overton Jr. and Stan Wilcox, the athletic directors of FAMU and FSU, respectively, negotiated the donation of Doak Campbell’s south-end zone scoreboard to Bragg Memorial Stadium. The Seminoles don’t need the old board – they’re spending millions on upgrades.
The components of the board have been taken to Bragg Memorial Stadium, and it’ll cost FAMU’s athletic department about $125,000 to get the scoreboard installed.
Check social media and you’ll see there’s a bit of a 70-30 divide on the board. The majority see the gift for what it is: A much, much larger school helping out another local institution because it needs some assistance.
There’s a group saying something else, though. There are some people who are saying FAMU doesn’t need to be a “charity case.”
ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN
CONTINUE READING
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Texas Southern football star joins basketball team, throws down nasty dunk vs. Syracuse
SYRACUSE, New York -- Texas Southern is once again viewed as one of the favorites in the SWAC, with returnees such as Malcolm Riley and Chris Thomas expected to lead the way for Mike Davis’ team. Another reason for that status is the addition of redshirt freshman forward Derrick Griffin, who as a high school athlete was considered to be one of the top two-sport athletes in the Class of 2014.
The Tigers fell 80-67 at Syracuse Sunday afternoon, but in his fifth game as a member of the program Griffin showed exactly why he’s expected to be an impact addition for Texas Southern.
Griffin scored 20 points, shooting 9-for-9 from the field, and grabbed nine rebounds in a losing effort. And two of those points came on an impressive one-handed alley-oop in which Griffin displayed the hands responsible for more than 700 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on the gridiron this past season.
Griffin was originally a Miami signee expected to play both football and basketball at “The U,” but after failing to qualify academically he landed at Texas Southern.
CONTINUE READING
LA Tech Bulldogs Play PVAMU Panthers in Final Non-Conference Game
RUSTON, Louisiana – Louisiana Tech begins a four-game home stand on Monday night when it takes on Prairie View A&M in the final non-conference game of the season set for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
LA Tech (10-2) is coming off a three-day break from basketball for Christmas, returning to Ruston on Saturday to begin prep for the last tune-up before Conference USA play begins in less than a week.
GameDay Central | Game Notes
“Our team has been focused on daily improvement and that has continued,” head coach Eric Konkol said. “We lifted, watched video and practiced Saturday and the attention to detail was strong after an extended break. This is a great time of year to spend more time on the areas we need to improve.
“Our focus right now is solely on improvement and preparing for Prairie View A&M. We certainly want to play well in our last non-conference game and use this as another opportunity to get ready for C-USA play.”
The Bulldogs went home for the holidays fairly happy after picking up a 66-63 road win over Florida Gulf Coast last Tuesday.
In was a return to the Sunshine State for five players, one of which was Alex Hamilton who had a nice homecoming by scoring a game-high 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
It marked the 10th victory of the season and one that was different from the other nine in that it was a grind-it-out, defensive battle. The Bulldogs have been more accustomed to offensive shootouts, but they were able to limit the Eagles to just 63 points on their home floor.
It was only FGCU’s 10th home loss since the 2012-13 season. Meanwhile, LA Tech looks to extend their 37-game home winning streak on Monday night when it faces a winless Prairie View A&M (0-11) team.
“Prairie View A&M changes defenses often and is No. 26 in the country at forcing turnovers,” Konkol said. “They have challenged themselves in difficult environments all year by playing the 15th strongest schedule and just one home game. They will play very hard and have some gifted offensive players.
The Panthers have played nine of their 11 non-conference games so far on the road against the likes of VCU, Houston, UNLV, Wisconsin, Baylor, TCU and Tulane. The most recent game came in an 80-51 loss at Nebraska.
PVAM has two players averaging double figures in scoring -- Tevin Bellinger at 12.8 points per game and Admassu Williams at 11.6 points per game. Both players have started all 11 games.
This will be the fourth and final SWAC opponent that LA Tech will face this season after previously taking on Grambling State, Jackson State and Southern.
Fans can access live video and audio of the game via the Internet by subscribing to LA Tech All-Access at LATechSports.com. The game can be heard live on the LA Tech Sports Network on KXKZ 107.5 FM (Ruston), KRMD 1340 AM (Shreveport), KJVC 92.7 FM (Mansfield) and KTKC 92.9 FM (Springhill). The “Voice of the Bulldogs” Dave Nitz will call the play-by-play and Jack Thigpen will provide analysis.
Twitter users can also receive live in-game updates by following @LATechHoops.
COURTESY LOUISIANA TECH ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
LA Tech (10-2) is coming off a three-day break from basketball for Christmas, returning to Ruston on Saturday to begin prep for the last tune-up before Conference USA play begins in less than a week.
GameDay Central | Game Notes
“Our team has been focused on daily improvement and that has continued,” head coach Eric Konkol said. “We lifted, watched video and practiced Saturday and the attention to detail was strong after an extended break. This is a great time of year to spend more time on the areas we need to improve.
“Our focus right now is solely on improvement and preparing for Prairie View A&M. We certainly want to play well in our last non-conference game and use this as another opportunity to get ready for C-USA play.”
The Bulldogs went home for the holidays fairly happy after picking up a 66-63 road win over Florida Gulf Coast last Tuesday.
In was a return to the Sunshine State for five players, one of which was Alex Hamilton who had a nice homecoming by scoring a game-high 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
It marked the 10th victory of the season and one that was different from the other nine in that it was a grind-it-out, defensive battle. The Bulldogs have been more accustomed to offensive shootouts, but they were able to limit the Eagles to just 63 points on their home floor.
It was only FGCU’s 10th home loss since the 2012-13 season. Meanwhile, LA Tech looks to extend their 37-game home winning streak on Monday night when it faces a winless Prairie View A&M (0-11) team.
“Prairie View A&M changes defenses often and is No. 26 in the country at forcing turnovers,” Konkol said. “They have challenged themselves in difficult environments all year by playing the 15th strongest schedule and just one home game. They will play very hard and have some gifted offensive players.
The Panthers have played nine of their 11 non-conference games so far on the road against the likes of VCU, Houston, UNLV, Wisconsin, Baylor, TCU and Tulane. The most recent game came in an 80-51 loss at Nebraska.
PVAM has two players averaging double figures in scoring -- Tevin Bellinger at 12.8 points per game and Admassu Williams at 11.6 points per game. Both players have started all 11 games.
This will be the fourth and final SWAC opponent that LA Tech will face this season after previously taking on Grambling State, Jackson State and Southern.
Fans can access live video and audio of the game via the Internet by subscribing to LA Tech All-Access at LATechSports.com. The game can be heard live on the LA Tech Sports Network on KXKZ 107.5 FM (Ruston), KRMD 1340 AM (Shreveport), KJVC 92.7 FM (Mansfield) and KTKC 92.9 FM (Springhill). The “Voice of the Bulldogs” Dave Nitz will call the play-by-play and Jack Thigpen will provide analysis.
Twitter users can also receive live in-game updates by following @LATechHoops.
COURTESY LOUISIANA TECH ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Orange Extends Winning Streak Against Texas Southern
SYRACUSE, New York – Syracuse closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with an 80-67 victory against Texas Southern in the Carrier Dome on Sunday, Dec. 27. The Orange will enter ACC play with a 10-3 record, while Texas Southern goes to 1-10.Grad student Michael Gbinije led a group of five Orange in double figures in scoring with a team-high 15 points. Grad student Trevor Cooney and senior DaJuan Coleman both finished with 14 points. Freshman Tyler Lydon came off the bench to contribute 13 points, while fellow freshman Malachi Richardson added 10 points. Texas Southern's Derrick Griffin led all scorers with 20 points.
Both teams started the game with a hot hand as Texas Southern hit five of its first eight shots, while Syracuse converted seven of its first 10 attempts. One of those baskets was a three-pointer by Cooney on a fast break. It was his 209th of his career, which gives him sole possession of fourth place on Syracuse's all-time three-point field goals made record list.
Gbinije's jumper at the 13:14 mark broke an 11-11 tie and started the Orange on a 6-0 scoring run that gave Syracuse a 17-11 advantage. The Tigers fought back and a three-pointer by Jerron Martin brought Texas Southern within one at 20-19 with 7:15 on the clock. Martin's second three at the 4:53 mark evened the score at 22-22.
Tyler Roberson put the Orange back on top with a layup, which sparked Syracuse on an 18-8 scoring run to end the half. Gbinije hit back-to-back three-pointers and had eight points during the stretch and he led all scorers with 13 points in the first half. Syracuse entered intermission with a 40-30 lead.
Freshman Malachi Richardson scored the first seven points of the second half to extend the Orange's advantage to 47-30. Syracuse maintained its double-digit lead and was up by 14, 70-56, with 5:50 remaining when freshman Franklin Howard converted a pair of free throws to spark the Orange on a 7-0 scoring run. The offensive outburst gave Syracuse its largest lead of the game of 21, 77-56 at the 4:19 mark.
The Tigers, however, wouldn't go away and cut the lead back to 13, but that was as close as Texas Southern could get as Syracuse recorded the 80-67 victory. The Orange now enters ACC play on a three-game winning streak.
Syracuse and Texas Southern both shot well from the field. The Orange was 29-for-62 (46.8 percent), while the Tigers were 27-for-53 (50.9 percent). Syracuse recorded 14 steals in the contest and forced 15 Texas Southern turnovers. The Orange protected the ball, committing only five turnovers in the contest.
Coleman's 14 points equaled his career-best effort, as did his six made free throws.
The Orange opens ACC play at longtime rival Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 9 p.m.
BOX SCORE
PHOTO GALLERY
COURTESY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Coppin State Travels to Virginia Cavalier Classic Monday and Tuesday
Coppin States, Richmond and Lafayette are playing in the UVA year-end tournament
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia -- The Virginia women’s basketball team (8-4) closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule by hosting the Cavalier Classic Presented by Holiday Inn University Area on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 28-29, 2015. For the second-straight year, the tournament will be played in a true classic format with the match-ups predetermined and no tournament champion crowned. Virginia will play Coppin State (2-8, 0-0 MEAC) on Monday and Richmond (6-5, 0-0 A10) on Tuesday. Both games will take place at 7 p.m. Lafayette (2-7, 0-0 Patriot) faces Richmond on Monday and Coppin State on Tuesday with both of those games starting at 4:30 p.m.
All of the 2015-16 Virginia women's basketball games - home and away - are available locally on NewsRadio 1070 WINA and streaming online at wina.com and VirginiaSports.com with Channing Poole calling the action. There will also be a live video stream of the Virginia games, available with a paid Cavaliers Live subscription.
All four teams are suffered losses before breaking for the holidays. Richmond is on a three-game slide, including falling 44-33 at Wake Forest right before the break in a game in which they shot just 21.5 percent (14-of-65). Coppin State has lost its last five games, including falling 69-54 against Auburn after losing three-straight games to ACC teams (Miami - 78-59; Syracuse 88-56; Virginia Tech 72-39). Lafayette has lost its last two contests, including a 72-59 home loss against Colgate.
Virginia is coming off a 93-73 loss at No. 9 Ohio State last Monday (Nov. 21). A 24-point game from sophomore Mikayla Venson and a 26-point performance from senior Faith Randolph (Derwood, Md.) were not enough as the Cavaliers suffered their only 20-point defeat this season. Venson and Randolph combined to make 16 of Virginia’s 25 field goals, shooting 44.4 percent (16-of-36) while the rest of the team went 9-of-34 (26.4 percent).
After hitting a then-season-high 10 threes against Charleston Southern, UVA made 11 at Ohio State. Venson had her best three-point shooting game of the year, going 4-of-5 from long range with Randolph 4-of-6. Sophomore Aliyah Huland El (Randolph, N.J.) came off the bench to go 3-of-6 from three-point range.
In the month of December, Venson is averaging 19.6 points per game, helping her move into the top-10 in the ACC in scoring, ranking No. 8 at 15.3 points per game. Sophomore Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) is averaging 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in that same five-game span and has moved up to No. 7 in the conference in rebounding, averaging 7.4 boards per game this season.
Virginia is 3-0 all-time versus Coppin State. The Eagles last played in the Cavalier Classic in 2013, with Virginia logging a 70-45 victory. Virginia holds a 14-3 all-time record against Richmond with the last meeting between taking place in the 2012 WNIT with Virginia earning a 68-55 victory. Lafayette played in the 1990 Cavalier Classic, falling 103-41 to UVA and Illinois.
Virginia opens up Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sunday, Jan. 3, hosting No. 23 Miami at 1 p.m. followed by a showdown with No. 3 Notre Dame on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
Single-game ticket prices for all home games are $10 for Reserved seating, $8 for adult General Admission and $6 for youth (18 & under), senior (60 & over) and UVA faculty/staff General Admission. Fans may purchase home game tickets through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone and in person. The Virginia Athletics Ticket Office is located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia -- The Virginia women’s basketball team (8-4) closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule by hosting the Cavalier Classic Presented by Holiday Inn University Area on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 28-29, 2015. For the second-straight year, the tournament will be played in a true classic format with the match-ups predetermined and no tournament champion crowned. Virginia will play Coppin State (2-8, 0-0 MEAC) on Monday and Richmond (6-5, 0-0 A10) on Tuesday. Both games will take place at 7 p.m. Lafayette (2-7, 0-0 Patriot) faces Richmond on Monday and Coppin State on Tuesday with both of those games starting at 4:30 p.m.
All of the 2015-16 Virginia women's basketball games - home and away - are available locally on NewsRadio 1070 WINA and streaming online at wina.com and VirginiaSports.com with Channing Poole calling the action. There will also be a live video stream of the Virginia games, available with a paid Cavaliers Live subscription.
| Cavalier Classic Presented by Holiday Inn University Area | |
| Date and Time | Monday and Tuesday, December 28-29, 4:30 and 7 p.m. |
| Location | Charlottesville, Va. | John Paul Jones Arena |
| Media | Live Streaming Video ($) Virginia vs. Coppin State (Mon.) | Live Streaming Video ($) Virginia vs. Richmond (Tue.) |GameTracker Richmond vs. Lafayette (Mon.) | GameTracker Coppin State vs. Virginia (Mon.) | GameTracker Coppin State vs. Lafayette (Tue.) | GameTracker Richmond vs. Virginia (Tue.) | Listen Live Virginia vs Coppin | Listen Live Virginia vs Richmond | Live Streaming Video: Virginia Post Game Press Conference($) |
| Additional Information | Ticket Information | Game Notes (.pdf) | 2015-16 Season Stats| 2015-16 Fact Book (.pdf) |
| Social Media | @UVAWBBHoops Twitter | Facebook | VirginiaWBB Instagram |
All four teams are suffered losses before breaking for the holidays. Richmond is on a three-game slide, including falling 44-33 at Wake Forest right before the break in a game in which they shot just 21.5 percent (14-of-65). Coppin State has lost its last five games, including falling 69-54 against Auburn after losing three-straight games to ACC teams (Miami - 78-59; Syracuse 88-56; Virginia Tech 72-39). Lafayette has lost its last two contests, including a 72-59 home loss against Colgate.
Virginia is coming off a 93-73 loss at No. 9 Ohio State last Monday (Nov. 21). A 24-point game from sophomore Mikayla Venson and a 26-point performance from senior Faith Randolph (Derwood, Md.) were not enough as the Cavaliers suffered their only 20-point defeat this season. Venson and Randolph combined to make 16 of Virginia’s 25 field goals, shooting 44.4 percent (16-of-36) while the rest of the team went 9-of-34 (26.4 percent).
After hitting a then-season-high 10 threes against Charleston Southern, UVA made 11 at Ohio State. Venson had her best three-point shooting game of the year, going 4-of-5 from long range with Randolph 4-of-6. Sophomore Aliyah Huland El (Randolph, N.J.) came off the bench to go 3-of-6 from three-point range.
In the month of December, Venson is averaging 19.6 points per game, helping her move into the top-10 in the ACC in scoring, ranking No. 8 at 15.3 points per game. Sophomore Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) is averaging 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in that same five-game span and has moved up to No. 7 in the conference in rebounding, averaging 7.4 boards per game this season.
Virginia is 3-0 all-time versus Coppin State. The Eagles last played in the Cavalier Classic in 2013, with Virginia logging a 70-45 victory. Virginia holds a 14-3 all-time record against Richmond with the last meeting between taking place in the 2012 WNIT with Virginia earning a 68-55 victory. Lafayette played in the 1990 Cavalier Classic, falling 103-41 to UVA and Illinois.
Virginia opens up Atlantic Coast Conference play on Sunday, Jan. 3, hosting No. 23 Miami at 1 p.m. followed by a showdown with No. 3 Notre Dame on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
Single-game ticket prices for all home games are $10 for Reserved seating, $8 for adult General Admission and $6 for youth (18 & under), senior (60 & over) and UVA faculty/staff General Admission. Fans may purchase home game tickets through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone and in person. The Virginia Athletics Ticket Office is located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Columbia Men's Basketball Squares Off Against Howard in Program's 2,500th Game Monday
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 | 7 P.M. | LEVIEN GYMNASIUM
HOWARD (7-6)
COLUMBIA (8-5)
Twitter
THE STORYLINES
COLUMBIA’S STATUS
The Lions are back in action after a 14-day break for finals and will look to build on a four game winning streak. Columbia knocked off defending NEC Champions Robert Morris on Dec. 14.
HOWARD’S STATUS
The Bison have dropped three of their last four and are coming off a 72-52 defeat at Central Michigan on Dec. 22.
Howard brings in the nation’s top scorer, James Daneil, who is posting 28.4 points per game, and has taken and attempted the most free throws (116-131) in NCAA Division I. Marcel Boyd is pulling down 9.4 rebounds per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
Monday will be the first meeting between the schools.
COLUMBIA VS. THE MEAC
The Lions are 4-3 against teams currently in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Columbia’s most common foe is North Carolina Central, who they have faced three times (0-3). The Lions will also take on Maryland-Eastern Shore from the MEAC on Jan. 6.
2,5000TH GAME
Monday’s contest marks the 2,500th game in the 115 year history of the program.
ANOTHER RECORD FOR THE CHAIRMAN
Senior Maodo Lo added to his list of Columbia records, tying the Levien Gymnasium mark with eight made 3-pointers against Robert Morris on Dec. 14. He tied the mark initially set by Dragutin Kravic, who knocked down eight from beyond the arc against Yale in March of 2004.
THE FORCE AWAKENS
Junior Luke Petrasek buried a game-winning 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left to propel Columbia to a 72-71 win at Manhattan on Dec. 9. Petrasek netted a career-high 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting against the Jaspers. He followed that up with a career-high five rejections to go with nine points and seven boards against NJIT to secure Ivy League and Metropolitan Player of the Week honors on Dec. 14.
LIONS SWEEP ‘CHAMPIONS’ WEEK
Columbia closed out the fall semester with a trio of high-quality opponents. The Lions picked up three wins over the likes of two-time defending MAAC Champions Manhattan, NJIT, who reached the semifinals of the 2015 CIT Saturday and last year’s NEC Champions, Robert Morris.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Columbia has been relient on the 3-point shot this season with over half (48.1 percent) of its attempts coming from beyond the arc. The Lions’ 351 attempts are the 11th most and 133 makes are eighth highest in the NCAA. In addition, their 10.2 per game put them 17th in that category.
UP NEXT...
AT STONY BROOK
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 | 7 P.M.
STONY BROOK, N.Y. | ISLAND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ARENA
The Seawolves are winners of three-straight heading into their Monday night contest at NJIT. Stony Brook faced off against Columbia twice last season in a non-conference home-and-home. The Seawolves took both games.
COURTESY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Syracuse Orange Welcomes Texas Southern & ESPNU, Sunday
| Syracuse vs. Texas Southern | ||
| Game Details | Sunday, Dec. 27 | Syracuse, N.Y. | 2 p.m. Carrier Dome | |
| Game Coverage | TV: ESPNU | ESPN3 Radio: Syracuse IMG Network | Audio | Stats Twitter: @Cuse | @Cuse_MBB Instagram: @cusepics | @cuse_mbb | |
| Syracuse Links | Notes | News | Roster | Schedule | |
| Texas Southern Links | Notes | News | Roster | Schedule | |
SYRACUSE, New York -- Syracuse closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Sunday, Dec. 27 when it hosts Texas Southern. Game time in the Carrier Dome is set for 2 p.m.
Tickets for Sunday's game are available at Cuse.com, the Carrier Dome Box Office located at Gate B and by calling 1-888-DOMETIX. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN3. Fans can also listen to the game on the Syracuse IMG Radio Network and its flagship station, TK99 in Syracuse.
TOP FIVE STORYLINES
ORANGE LOOKS TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK
Syracuse goes for its third consecutive victory when it takes on Texas Southern. The Orange is coming off an 82-60 victory against Montana State on Dec. 22. The win improved Syracuse's overall record to 9-3 and its home record to 6-1. Grad studentMichael Gbinije led the Orange offense with 17 points.
POWER INSIDE
Syracuse's big men were key in its victory against Montana State. Senior DaJuan Coleman and junior Chinonso Obokoh led the Orange to a 44-22 advantage in points in the paint. Coleman was 5-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the free throw line for 13 points. Obokoh was 5-for-7 from the field on his way to 11 points. He also pulled down six rebounds.
LYDON CONTINUES STRONG BENCH PLAY
Junior Chinonso Obokoh wasn't the only player to come off the bench and reach double figures in scoring in Syracuse's win against Montana State. Freshman Tyler Lydon was just one rebound shy of a double-double as he finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. He also added four block, two assists and a steal in the victory. Lydon ranks second on the team in rebounding (7.5 rpg.) and fourth in scoring (10.1 ppg.).
SCOUTING TEXAS SOUTHERN
Texas Southern enters Sunday's game on a five-game losing streak and 1-9 overall record. It's only win was a 91-80 victory against UTSA on November 25.Three Tigers average double figures in scoring, led by Derrick Griffin's 16.5 points per game. Malcolm Riley averages 15.9 points per game, while Chris Thomas contributes 14.0 points per contest. Griffin also leads the way on the boards, averaging 10.5 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES
Sunday's game will be the second meeting between Syracuse and Texas Southern. Syracuse won the only other meeting during the 1997-98 season.
UP NEXT…
Syracuse opens ACC play on Wednesday, Dec. 30 at Pittsburgh at 9 p.m.
COURTESY SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)