Rush, Nuggets will play 9 duals apiece vs. NCAA DI's

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, an NAIA men's and women's tennis power accustomed to playing NCAA Division I opponents, will gain some of its most exposure ever to that level in 2016.
     
The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will play nine dual matches apiece against NCAA DI's. Of those 18 duals, 10 will be at XU Tennis Center.
     
Alan Green, in his 13th season as coach of the XU men and women, announced the schedule Friday.
     
Xavier's men, an NAIA national quarterfinalist each of the past four seasons, will open the spring semester Monday with a morning/afternoon doubleheader at DI Louisiana-Lafayette. The Gold Nuggets, an NAIA semifinalist in 2013 and 2014, will play their first dual Jan. 30 at home against city rival Loyola. The Gold Rush home opener will be that same day against Loyola.
     
DI opponents visiting Xavier will be the men of Troy, the women of Western Kentucky, Southern Miss and Southern and the men and women of Prairie View A&M, Jackson State and Alcorn State.
     
During Green's first 12 seasons, his teams averaged nearly six men's duals and nearly seven women's duals per year against NCAA DI's. The Rush and Nuggets have a combined 60 victories against NCAA DI's during that time.
     
Xavier also will play NAIA powers William Carey and Northwestern Ohio, and the Rush and Nuggets will compete Feb. 19-21 in the Green and Gray Invitational of Georgia Gwinnett, the NAIA men's champion and women's runner-up in 2015.
     
Green said he is attempting to add more opponents to the schedule.

2016 Xavier Tennis Schedule
Team(s)	Date(s)	Opponent	Site	Time(s)
Men	Jan. 18 (Mon.)	at Louisiana-Lafayette  (DH)	Lafayette, La.	10 and 3 p.m.
Both	Jan. 30 (Sat.)	LOYOLA	XU TENNIS CENTER	10 a.m.
Both	Feb. 6 (Sat.)	WILLIAM CAREY	XU TENNIS CENTER	11 a.m.
Both	Feb. 14 (Sun.)	at Nicholls State	Thibodaux, La.	11 a.m.
Both	Feb. 19 (Fri.)	TBA	Lawrenceville, Ga. (1)	TBA
Both	Feb. 20 (Sat.)	TBA	Lawrenceville, Ga. (1)	TBA
Both	Feb. 21 (Sun.)	TBA	Lawrenceville, Ga. (1)	TBA
Women	Feb. 24 (Wed.)	Grambling	Baker, La.	3 p.m.
Men	Feb. 25 (Thu.)	TROY	XU TENNIS CENTER	3 p.m.
Men	Feb. 28 (Sun.)	Presbyterian	Lafayette, La.	3 p.m.
Both	March 4 (Fri.)	at William Carey	Hattiesburg, Miss.	3 p.m.
Women	March 5 (Sat.)	LSU-ALEXANDRIA	XU TENNIS CENTER	Noon
Both	March 6 (Sun.)	WILLIAM WOODS	XU TENNIS CENTER	11 a.m.
Women	March 10 (Thu.)	WESTERN KENTUCKY	XU TENNIS CENTER	3 p.m.
Both	March 12 (Sat.)	at Tougaloo #	Jackson, Miss. (2)	10 a.m.
Both	March 12 (Sat.)	at Jackson State	Jackson, Miss.	2 p.m.
Both	March 29 (Tue.)	NORTHWESTERN OHIO	XU TENNIS CENTER	2 p.m.
Women	March 31 (Thu.)	SOUTHERN MISS	XU TENNIS CENTER	3 p.m.
Both	April 2 (Sat.)	PRAIRIE VIEW A&M	XU TENNIS CENTER	11 a.m.
Women	April 6 (Wed.)	SOUTHERN	XU TENNIS CENTER	3 p.m.
Both	April 10 (Sun.)	JACKSON STATE	XU TENNIS CENTER	1 p.m.
Both	April 14 (Thu.)	ALCORN STATE	XU TENNIS CENTER	Noon
Both	April 15 (Fri.)	at New Orleans	New Orleans, La.	2:30 p.m.
Both	TBA	NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament	TBA	TBA
Both	May 17 (Tue.)- May 21 (Sat.)	NAIA National Championships	Mobile, Ala.	TBA
# Gulf Coast Athletic Conference dual match (DH) doubleheader (1) Georgia Gwinnett Green and Gray Invitational (2) at Jackson State University Home matches (in bold and CAPITAL LETTERS) are played at XU Tennis Center (capacity 200), Xavier University campus, New Orleans TBA — to be announced All times are Central, except where noted Schedules are subject to change Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

Nuggets' late surge gives them 64-59 victory at Mobile

MOBILE, Alabama — Whitney Gathright scored 14 points Wednesday and put NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana ahead to stay in the 38th minute of a 64-59 women's basketball victory at Mobile.
     
The Gold Nuggets (13-5) stretched their win streak to four games and won on the road for the first time in more than a month.
     
Starla Daggan's two free throws gave the Rams (10-6) a 56-55 lead with 3:06 remaining, but the Gold Nuggets closed with a 9-3 run, permitting just a 3-pointer in Mobile's final five possessions. Gathright's basket in the paint at 2:14 gave the Gold Nuggets a 57-56 advantage, and Emoni Harvey's steal and pass set up Donyeah Mayfield for another basket and a 59-56 lead with 1:52 remaining.
     
Xavier made 5-of-6 free throws, three by freshman Mikayla Bates and two by Gathright, in the final 30 seconds to clinch the decision and a two-game season sweep of Mobile.
     
Gathright also had six rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Kelsee Singleton scored 10 points, Mayfield and Trana Hopkins scored nine apiece, and Jasmine Bush matched her career high of eight points, all in the first half. Mayfield grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and reached double figures for the second consecutive game.
     
Daggan scored 17 points for Mobile, which entered with a 4-game win streak, and Kali Koenig had 11.
     
Mobile shot 54.2 percent from the floor in the first half, but Xavier collected 13 steals and led 36-34 at halftime. There were three ties and six lead changes in the second half, and Mobile held its largest lead, 54-51, after Daggan's two free throws with 7:56 remaining.
     
Mobile finished at 37.5 percent from the floor after shooting 20.8 percent in the second half. The Gold Nuggets made a season-low one 3-pointer but shot 42.9 percent from the floor in each half. Xavier finished with 17 steals, four by Harvey and two apiece by Mayfield, Bates and Hopkins. Xavier outrebounded Mobile 35-31, winning the boards for the first time in nine games and on the road for the second time this season.
     
The Gold Nuggets will travel to Talladega, Ala., to play NAIA No. 21 Talladega in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Rush use 17-0 run to beat Auburn Montgomery

NEW ORLEANS — RJ Daniels scored 17 points, and freshman Kevin Murph made three consecutive 3-pointers during a first-half run Wednesday which lifted NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 64-55 men's basketball victory against Auburn Montgomery.
     
The Gold Rush (14-5) won for the fifth time in six games and are 12-1 at home this season.
     
Daniels was 6-of-8 from the floor and made 5-of-6 free throws in 25 1/2 minutes. The senior grabbed six rebounds to share team honors with Chris Ward.
     
Xavier trailed 27-22 after Romoane Eager's 3-pointer at 9:31 of the first half, but the Gold Rush scored the next 17 points, with Murph making 3-of-3 from long range during the run. Elex Carter's two free throws at 4:30 ended the surge and gave Xavier a 39-27 lead. The Gold Rush led 46-33 at halftime.
     
Carter's basket at 18:54 of the second half gave Xavier its largest lead, 48-33. The Warhawks (9-7) cut the margin to 54-50 in the 34th minute but got no closer.
     
Morris Wright scored 12 points, all in the first half, for Xavier. Murph and Carter scored nine points apiece. Carter and Lucas Martin-Julien had four assists apiece; Carter's total was a career best.
     
Eager led Auburn Montgomery with 17 points and seven rebounds. Tristen Harrell scored eight points, and Desmond DeRamus had seven points, six assists and four steals.
     
Xavier outshot the Warhawks 48.9 to 35.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-23.
     
It was the teams' 21st meeting but their first since Dec. 16, 1996. AUM leads the series 15-6.
     
Xavier will travel to Talladega, Ala., for a 5 p.m. Saturday game in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference at NAIA No. 8 Talladega. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at the Convocation Center.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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College Baseball Countdown: 34 Days to Go- Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Earlier in the countdown, we talked about how consistent Oral Roberts has been throughout the years. If there’s any program out there that can match the conference dominance shown by ORU, it’s Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC.

The Wildcats’ dominance in their league under former head coach Mervyl Melendez was staggering. Melendez coached the program for 12 seasons, 11 of which ended in regional appearances. Perhaps more impressively, for a stretch between 2006 and his last year at the helm in 2011, the Wildcats lost no more than two conference games in any single season, and in three of those seasons, they went undefeated in MEAC play.

In 2011, Melendez left to take on a new challenge as the head coach at Alabama State, and Jason Beverlin took over. To this point, the results haven’t changed much, even if they have been a little less emphatic. In his first three years as head coach, Beverlin’s Wildcats finished first or tied for first in the MEAC, and in two of those three seasons, they won their league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

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How Howard’s ‘J-Byrd’ Daniel became college basketball’s leading scorer

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s been a frantic, furious comeback, from a halftime deficit of 19 to a favored William & Mary team that couldn’t miss from three-point range early. But only in the final couple minutes does it actually look like Howard, led by the smallest man on the floor, might actually pull off a miracle comeback in front of a few hundred enthusiastic fans who have trekked out to Burr Gymnasium on Georgia Avenue, smack in the middle of D.C., on an overcast Saturday afternoon after Thanksgiving.

The Tribe crack the door ajar one final time, missing the front end of a 1-and-1, and the Bison get the ball back. 5-foot-11 point guard James “J-Byrd” Daniel III rushes it up the floor. Everyone knows he wants to take the shot, that he’s Howard’s best chance, down by one, the final seconds ticking away. He’s already netted 36 of the Bison’s 76 points on 10-23 from the floor and 13-15 at the line.

In the land of Georgetown and Maryland, of strong mid-major programs like George Washington and VCU, of recent NCAA Tournament runs from George Mason and even American, Daniel is the shining light for D.C.’s long-overlooked program, a school full of pride and tradition for everything but its basketball program.

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Grambling assistant Mickey Joseph leaving for Tech

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Louisiana Tech has hired just about every type of coach off the list during the past few years when looking for assistant coaches.

Whether it's retread coaches looking to resurrect their careers, up-and-comers or simply those with ties to certain coaches on staff, the Bulldogs have kept it fresh with their approach.

So how about a local coach this time?

Tech went down the road just a couple miles to fill one of its three vacancies with the hiring of Grambling associate head coach and wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph as Tech's new running backs coach.

BleedTechBlue.com first reported the news. The school later announced the hire Friday.

"When I sat down and interviewed him, I was just really impressed with the job that he does with the young men and how he gets involved with them," Tech coach Skip Holtz told The News-Star on Friday. "He coaches more than football. He coaches life."re

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Why did DeVante Kincade leave Ole Miss for Grambling?

OXFORD, Mississippi - Quarterback DeVante Kincade won’t have to drive so far to see his mother anymore.

The redshirt sophomore transferred from Ole Miss to Grambling State this month in an effort to be closer to his mother, Latonya Boyd, who lives in the Dallas area. She suffered a stroke two years ago and has been battling blood clots in her legs and has had an aneurysm.

Kincade consistently made the 16-hour round-trip to check on her and care for her, sometimes going once a week and staying for a day or two. From Grambling to Dallas will be nine hours shorter.

“So hard,” he said. “It was a stress, man, because I was thinking about my mom and I wanted to practice plus I had homework on top of that. I told her I just want to come home and be closer to her so I won’t have to be going back and forth that far.”

Kincade may also become Grambling’s ...

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This is Tony Hughes' chance at making his own history

JACKSON, MissThere’s a deep-rooted sense of history inside Tony Hughes, one that has pushed him in his free time to explore anything from the 1850s-1970s to the transformation of the South to Jackson State’s past. He may not have lived it, but he knows everything about the 17 SWAC championships and the legends like Walter Payton, Jackie Slater and Lem Barney that made the Tigers who they were.

Hughes traveled the roads of Mississippi with Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, the two talking history when not football. Hughes’ professional life has been spent helping Mullen and others win football games, as a tireless assistant coach that was a fervent recruiter not only because of his devotion to it, but because he could not help being who he was and knowing everything and everyone.

Now, instead of studying it or serving as the man behind the man who gets his name in the history books, Hughes will get to create his own record. He’ll do so for Jackson State, helping rebuild a once-proud program that, at age 56, finally gave Hughes a chance to be a head coach.

“For a very long time, he wondered about it,” said Hughes’ wife, Marion. “But he never lost hope.”

Hughes’ faith was rewarded exactly one month ago Thursday when JSU introduced him

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Former Southern pitcher Cody Hall traded to Diamondbacks

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Former Southern right-hander Cody Hall has had a whirlwind few days.

Hall, who finished last season with the San Francisco Giants, learned Monday that he had been dropped from the organization’s 40-man roster to make room for newly acquired outfielder Denard Span.

But things got better for Hall on Wednesday when the Giants traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a player to be named or cash considerations.

“He’ll have a better chance with Arizona,” said Southern coach Roger Cador, citing the Giants offseason acquisitions of standout pitchers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija and their trickle-down effect on the roster.

Cador said Hall, who had a 6.48 earned run average in seven appearances in his first major-league stint last season, called him after being dropped from San Francisco’s roster. The coach called a friend of his – Diamondbacks senior vice president and general manager Dave Stewart – to put in a good work for the 28-year-old Hall, a 19th-round draft choice in 2011.

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Southern remaking football staff, but won’t have spring practice

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern coach Dawson Odums is making progress in remaking his staff, but the new group won’t be able to conduct spring practice.

For the second consecutive year the Jaguars will not have spring practice to fulfill lingering NCAA sanctions from 2012 related to insufficient Academic Progress Rates.

Odums said Wednesday that Southern chose the forfeiture of spring practice rather than accept a postseason ban for last season.

At a news conference to discuss the hiring of new defensive coordinator Trei Oliver, Odums revealed additional staff changes. Oliver, who had coached the outside linebackers at North Carolina A&T, will also oversee the Jaguars secondary. He will choose whether to coach the safeties or the cornerbacks and special teams coordinator Steve Adams, who coached the safeties last season, will coach whichever group Oliver doesn’t choose.

Last year’s cornerbacks coach, Chris Scott, was among three defensive assistants Odums fired shortly after last season. The other two were defensive line coach Myron Jackson and linebackers coach Lorick Atkinson.

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Nuggets climb one spot, earn three-way tie for 13th

NEW ORLEANS  — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed into a tie for 13th place Tuesday with Freed-Hardeman and Oklahoma City in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Nuggets, 12-5 after a 68-61 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference home victory Monday against Philander Smith, will take a 3-game win streak into a 6 p.m. Wednesday non-conference game at the University of Mobile. This is Xavier's third consecutive top-15 appearance, and it's the second time in 10 seasons that the Gold Nuggets have ranked that highly in at least three straight polls. Xavier in 2012-13 was top 15 in 12 consecutive polls.

Xavier was No. 14 this past week. This is the 147th time in Bo Browder's 17 seasons as head coach that the Gold Nuggets have been in the top 25.

GCAC member Talladega is in the top 25 for the second consecutive week. The Lady Tornadoes, who climbed from 23rd to 21st, will play host to Xavier at 3 p.m. Saturday.

For the second straight week, Westmont is No. 1 after receiving 8-of-9 first-place votes.

The Gold Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at XU's Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 10)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Westmont (8) 14-1 219 1
2 Campbellsville 15-3 206 3
3 Bethel (Tenn.) 13-3 201 4
4 Our Lady of the Lake 12-2 195 6
5 Carroll (Mont.) 13-2 189 5
6 Columbia (Mo.) (1) 16-0 185 8
7 Benedictine (Kan.) 14-1 180 7
8 Montana State-Northern 13-2 179 2
9 Shawnee State 15-2 160 tie-9
10 MidAmerica Nazarene 11-3 158 tie-9
11 Lyon 13-2 153 11
12 Vanguard 9-3 148 12
13-tie Xavier 11-5 123 14
13-tie Freed-Hardeman 11-5 123 13
13-tie Oklahoma City 7-4 123 15
16 The Master's 12-2 118 16
17 Pikeville 16-0 115 20
18 Langston 9-3 105 17
19 Cumberland 11-5 92 18
20 Lewis-Clark State 13-3 79 RV
21 Talladega 12-3 76 23
22 Lindsey Wilson 14-3 69 25
23 Wayland Baptist 8-4 60 RV
24 Wiley 10-1 57 RV
25 Loyola 11-3 49 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 19 John Brown, No. 21 Baker, No. 22 Rocky Mountain, No. 24 Martin Methodist

Others receiving votes: Great Falls 43, Central Methodist 43, John Brown 18, Rocky Mountain 18, Auburn Montgomery 14, Culver-Stockton 6, Baker 3, Hope International 3, William Woods 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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By doing Wright, XU guard earns GCAC award again

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Morris Wright, who matched his season highs of 26 points and five 3-pointers in a victory against Edward Waters, is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball for Jan. 4-10.

Wright, a 5-foot-10 senior guard from Zachary, La., and a former Zachary High School and Baton Rouge Community College standout, won the award for the second time this season and the fifth time in his career. Wright led the Gold Rush to a 71-52 victory against EWC in the GCAC opener Jan. 4 and reached 20 points for the eighth time this season. No XU player has had more 20-point performances in one season during the last nine years.

Wright made his first four 3-point attempts against Edward Waters — giving him a two-game streak of nine consecutive made treys — and he finished with five 3-pointers for the fifth time this season.

Only Denzell Erves, with six career GCAC Player of the Week awards from 2009-13, has won more times at Xavier than Wright. In third place with four career awards is Anthony Simmons (2010-13).

Wright — who is averaging 19.2 points per game this season and shooting 48.3 percent from 3-point range — tied for third in voting for the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's Louisiana Player of the Week award.

Xavier (13-5) will conclude a 5-game home stand when it meets Auburn Montgomery (9-6) in a 5 p.m. Wednesday non-conference game at the Convocation Center.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Culver: FAMU’s baseball rise continues with facilities upgrades

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- What a difference a few years makes.

When Jamey Shouppe took over as Florida A&M’s head baseball coach before the 2013-14 season, the Rattlers were in some deep trouble.

The facilities, as Shouppe put it, were “sub-high school.” The team itself won just seven games in its previous season. There was a lack of confidence surrounding the program, despite a rich history and fans eager to see a return to prominence.

Shouppe had is work cut out for him. And there’s no denying he’s risen to the challenge. He’s already upgraded the team, which last season won its first MEAC tournament title since 1994. Now he’s going to work on the facilities.

Before the start of next season the Rattlers will have a netting behind home plate instead of the old chain-link fence that used to obscure the view from the bleachers. Plus, there’s a clubhouse in the works specifically for the baseball field.

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NJ Mourns Loss of Hall of Fame Baseball Star Monte Irvin (Lincoln University Star)

ORANGE, New Jersey - The baseball world stopped Tuesday for a moment to give homage to one of the sport’s great contributors, Monte Irvin from Orange, NJ.

Before the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson and made him Major League Baseball's first African-American player, the team owners in the Negro League believed that one day Monte Irvin would be the one to break baseball's color barrier. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. After his playing career, Irvin was a baseball scout and held an administrative role with the MLB commissioner's office.

At the time of his death, Irvin was the oldest living former Negro Leagues player, New York Giant and Chicago Cub.

Born Monford Merrill Irvin in February 25, 1919 and nicknamed Monte, Irvin was an American left fielderand right fielder in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB). Irvin was born in Haleburg, Alabama and raised in Orange, NJ.

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DSU Hornets Announce 2015 Football Schedule

DOVER, Delaware -- The renewal of the First State Rivalry with the Delaware Blue Hens, a visit to Missouri and five home games at Alumni Stadium highlight the 2016 Delaware State University football schedule announced today.

The Hornets will play three non-conference games and eight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contests next season.

Delaware State will kick-off the 2016 season on Thursday Sep. 1 at the University of Delaware in the seventh meeting between the state’s two Division I football programs. Each of the previous games in the series has been played at UD’s Tubby Raymond Field. The Hornets and Hens did not meet in 2015 after battling the previous four years. DSU is seeking its first win in the series. A member of the Colonial Athletic Association, Delaware was 4-7 overall and 3-5 in conference games in 2015.

The Hornets will play their 2016 home opener on September 10 against Monmouth University. The Hall-of-Fame Weekend contest is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. This will be second contest between the Hornets and Hawks. Monmouth won the first meeting 53-21 in 2014. The Hawks posted a 5-6 overall record and 3-3 mark in the Big South Conference last season.

After an open week, DSU will visit the University of Missouri of the Southeast Conference on Sep. 24, marking the third straight year and seventh time in team history that the Hornets will face a major college opponent. The Tigers are coming off a 5-7 overall record and 1-7 SEC mark during the 2015 season.

Delaware State will begin MEAC play the following Saturday (Oct. 1) at Morgan State in Baltimore, Md.  The Hornets will try to snap a three-game losing streak to the Bears, who won last year’s contest 26-6 at DSU’s Alumni Stadium to open up a 35-24 series lead. Morgan State was tied for sixth in the MEAC with a 4-4 league record and posted a 4-6 overall mark in 2015.

The Hornets begin two-game MEAC homestand on October 8 against the Hampton Pirates. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. DSU will try to avenge a 21-7 road loss to the Pirates last season. Hampton holds a 27-14 lead in the series after winning the last three games. The 2015 Pirates had a 6-5 overall record and were fifth in the MEAC with a 5-3 mark in the conference.

The Hornets remain home the following Saturday (Oct. 15) to take on the Florida A&M Rattlers in the annual homecoming contest at 2 p.m. This will be the 34th meeting between the MEAC rivals. Florida A&M has won the last two contests, including the 2015 meeting in Tallahassee, Fla. The Rattlers are coming off a 1-10 overall record (1-7 MEAC) last season.

DSU will begin a tough two-game road swing on Oct. 22 at South Carolina State in Orangeburg, S.C., for the 44th meeting between the rivals. The Hornets and Bulldogs have split their last two meetings. SC State (7-4 overall; 6-2 MEAC in 2015) won last year’s contest at DSU’s Alumni Stadium.

The following Saturday (Oct. 29), Delaware State will visit Bethune-Cookman in Daytona, Fla. The Wildcats have won or shared five of the last six MEAC championships. BCU shared the crown with North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central in 2015. The Wildcats have won the last five games between the teams, although the all-time series is tied at 19-19. BCU has won nine or more games in each of the last four years, including a 9-2 overall record and 7-1 mark in the MEAC last year.

The Hornets return home on November 5 to face 2015 MEAC co-champ North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. The Eagles were 8-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference, including a victory over DSU in Durham, N.C., last season.

Delaware State will wrap up its 2016 home schedule against reigning Black College National Champ North Carolina A&T on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. The Aggies shared the 2015 MEAC championship with Bethune-Cookman and NC Central, and defeated SWAC champion Alcorn State in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. NCA&T has won the last two games, although the Hornets have an 8-3 lead in the last 11 meetings to hold a 22-21-1 edge in the series. The Aggies had a 10-2 overall record and were 21st in the final STATS FCS Top 25 poll in 2015.

The Hornets will close out the 2016 regular season against its oldest rival Howard University in Washington, D.C. Delaware State captured its lone victory of the 2015 season against the Bison 32-31 in Dover, Del. The Hornets have faced Howard each year since 1958 and a total of 72 times overall. DSU has won 13 of the last 17 meetings, and leads the series 37-34-1.

Delaware State and Howard were each 1-10 overall and 1-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2015.

The 2016 season will be the second for Kenny Carter as head coach of the Hornets.

PRINTABLE DSU HORNETS 2016 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Delaware and Delaware State will open their 2016 football seasons with a Thursday, Sept. 1., showdown in Newark

NEWARK, Delaware -- Considering the high hopes it harbors, Delaware will be anxious to begin its 2016 football season.

The Blue Hens won’t have to wait very long.

In a joint announcement Wednesday, UD and Delaware State said their season opener at Delaware Stadium will be Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m.

When Delaware’s 2016 schedule was announced in the fall, the game was listed as Sept. 2 or 3. But Delaware officials have often preferred playing that opener on Thursday night, thereby pulling it away from the upcoming Labor Day weekend when some have travel plans. Delaware State obliged.

Both will be anxious to show immediate signs of improvement. Delaware State needed a victory over Howard in its season finale to avoid a winless campaign and finish 1-10 under first-year coach Kenny Carter.

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Lady Rattlers Coiled To Make A Run In MEAC Ranks

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  – The 2015-2016 edition of the Lady Rattler basketball team overcame a slow start to begin to gel at a critical point in the season, conference play. Coming fresh off a road sweep, the team is playing with fire, most recently coming up with a 66-59 win over the Lady Pirates of Hampton, the team that has dominated the MEAC over the last decade.

Head coach LeDawn Gibson attributes the success to a unique chemistry among the team. “When you put players together to form a team, on paper they can look great, but if they do not have that chemistry, it could be disastrous. This team likes to play for each other. This team fights for each other. With injuries, we only dressed eight players for the last few games, but those eight are dedicated,” Gibson said.

Courting a mix of returnees and newcomers, the Lady Rattlers have climbed above the .500 mark at 9-8, 3-1 in the MEAC. The team is led by seniors Olivia Antilla and Khadejra Young, who normally dictate the flow of the games. Kenya Dixon, Dawn King and Alicia McCray have had solid starts to the 2016 campaign. Leading the team up the floor is junior college transfer Victoria Nguyen. Nguyen’s ability to be floor general has freed up Young to work in her more natural No.3 position, where last season she had to play point guard.

Another addition to this year’s squad was the return of associate head coach Latasha Shipman-Ganus. Shipman-Ganus’ cohesion with Gibson resulted in 20 win seasons and signature wins for the program before she took a position at UNC-Greensboro.

“One major turning point for us was a team-building excursion we did while in California for the USC Women of Troy Classic. Our team stepped outside of the normal and went as a group to Universal Studios. This was the day following a disappointing loss to USC. The ladies really began to play team ball that next day, and defeated UC Davis in a game where we were physically overmatched, “ Gibson said.

To close out 2015, FAMU went up to Clemson and defeated the Tigers 77-68. It was a scrappy effort by the Lady Rattlers’ eight players. The team as well as individuals have combined for solid statistical performances.

The Lady Rattlers are No.1 in the MEAC in scoring offense at 64.4 percent. They also rank in field goal percentage (3rd) and offensive rebounds (2nd). Young leads the conference with 48 steals, while Dixon and Antilla are first and second in three-point field goal percentage. Dixon holds the top spot in the MEAC (.417), while Antilla is second at (.406).

“If I were to point to one in-game factor that we have improved on, it’s the play of our low post players. Shalaunda Burney-Robinson began the year looking as she had come into the promise of her abilities, but an early injury has sidelined her since that time. Alicia McCray stepped into the role and has been playing with the aggressiveness we need to control the board. Her added scoring doesn’t hurt either,” Gibson said.

Antilla, last year’s leading scorer, has played patient basketball. No longer having to try to carry the team on her back, she is letting the game come to her. Most of the season, she has been in the Top 10 of the NCAA Division I for three-point shooting percentage. She is even on pace to re-write FAMU’s single season three-point mark.

As a team the goal is simple, compete hard for the best possible positioning in the MEAC tournament and go to Norfolk with a chance to take home the MEAC crown. For Gibson, that’s the overall goal, but they have had their success on achieving short term goals. “Right now, we are concentrating on Morgan State. That’s our next opponent. We must continue to take one game at a time and treat each one like it’s the most important game we play…because it is.”

None may have been bigger than defeating Hampton on their home floor. The juggernauts of the MEAC had won 28 consecutive home games, dating back to 2012, prior to the loss to the Lady Rattlers.

What’s next: The Lady Rattlers will face the Bears of Morgan State on Sat., Jan.16 at The Al Lawson Center at 4 p.m.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Panthers use Brackeen-busting 2nd half to rally past XU

NEW ORLEANS -- Junior guard Rashad Brackeen scored 25 of his season-high 31 points in the second half Monday to rally Philander Smith in a 71-69 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana.

Brackeen made seven 3-pointers in eight second-half attempts after going 0-of-2 from long range in the first half. The Panthers (10-9, 3-1) made 11-of-20 3-pointers for the game, and the Gold Rush (13-5, 1-1) made 2-of-12.

Chris Ward scored 12 points and D'Angelo Tucker 11 for Philander Smith, which played without leading scorer Ronald March.

Morris Wright scored 14 points, Gary Smith 13 and Elex Carter 12 for Xavier, which is 11-1 at home this season. Wright scored in double figures for the 22nd consecutive game, and Smith did it for a career-best fourth consecutive time. Carter blocked a career-high-tying four shots.

Xavier trailed 10-0 through four minutes but rallied to take a 37-25 halftime lead. Philander Smith regained momentum by shooting 65.2 percent from the floor in the second half, including 8-of-10 3-pointers.

Brackeen's 3-pointer with 11:35 remaining put the Panthers ahead to stay, 47-45. Tyson Oliver's two free throws with 15 seconds remaining gave them a 71-67 lead.

The loss was Xavier's first in five games.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Short-handed Nuggets stymie Philander Smith, 68-61

NEW ORLEANS -- NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana got 17 points from Whitney Gathright and double-doubles from Bianca Brown and Donyeah Mayfield in a 68-61 women's basketball victory Monday against Philander Smith.

The Gold Nuggets (12-5, 2-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) have won three straight. They are 7-0 at home this season.

Xavier, with nine available players -- it started the season with 16 -- took the lead for good in the second minute and outscored the Lady Panthers (10-7, 2-2) in each of the first three quarters.

Gathright reached double figures in points for a season-best fourth consecutive game and had five assists. Brown, who entered with eight points and nine rebounds in eight games, produced 11 points and 10 rebounds. Mayfield had 10 points and 11 rebounds in her third double-double of the season and her second in three games.

Juquecia Chaney had 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists for Philander Smith, and Brittany Leonard scored 12.

Xavier outshot the Lady Panthers 36.1 to 29.5 percent from the floor and outscored them 19-10 at the line.

Xavier will travel to the University of Mobile for a 6 p.m. Wednesday game. The Gold Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Grambling State Football secures another Power Five transfer via former Texas WR

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling has made it abundantly clear in the past few days that it has no plans to rebuild in 2016.

The Tigers are only interested in reloading.

Former Texas wide receiver Montrel Meander told The News-Star on Monday he has transferred and enrolled at Grambling for the spring semester, which started Monday.

Meander, who will have three years of eligibility left, joins former Ole Miss quarterback Devante Kincade as the two new pieces to the Tigers' offense. Kincade announced Saturday he was transferring to Grambling.

Meander's transfer is an opportunity for a fresh start following his dismissal at Texas in 2014 when he was charged for sexual assault. The charges were dropped this past fall, which cleared his return to football.

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The Cy Alexander Coach's Radio Show

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T in conjunction with Darryl’s Wood Fired Grill on 3300 Gate City Blvd., in Greensboro introduces the Cy Alexander Coach’s Show.

Each Tuesday starting January 12, 2016 and lasting until the start of the 2016 MEAC Basketball Tournament Championship, the Aggies head men’s basketball coach will visit with N.C. A&T men’s basketball play-by-play radio personality Spencer Turkin to discuss Aggies Basketball at 6:30 p.m., on WCOG ESPN Radio 1320/1230 AM and 104.9 FM.

The show will take place at Darryl’s each Tuesday except for January 12 when the kickoff show will be held at the Aggies home venue of Corbett Sports Center. The N.C. A&T Department of Athletics would like to invite all Aggie fans to come out to Darryl’s each Tuesday starting on January 19 at 6:30 p.m., for a great dinner and profound talk on Aggies Basketball.

If you can’t make it to Darryl’s on a Tuesday, we welcome fans from all over the nation to call-in and inquire about the men’s program at (336) 777-1230.

Each week Turkin will review the past week of Aggie action with Alexander before bringing on a player from the team. The show will also include the Alexander Guest Coach of the Week as the Aggies men coach welcomes a coach from one of the other 16 N.C. A&T varsity sports to speak on their respective program(s).

WCOG ESPN Radio 1320/1230 AM and 104.9 FM is in its third year of broadcasting N.C. A&T men’s basketball games. The first two years they carried road games, but this season they have carried home and away games starting with the broadcasting of the Ho
ward at N.C. A&T game on Dec. 5, 2015. Each broadcasts starts 30 minutes before tip-off.

Darryl’s offers a wide variety of quality southern comfort foods. Their signature Wood Fired Grill produces an amazing unique flavor, which always keeps their customers coming back for more.

For more information please contact the sports media office at N.C. A&T at (336) 285-3608.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU rallies to beat Hampton Lady Pirates 66-59

 Kenya Dixon
COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Florida A&M overcame a seven-point deficit in the second half and snapped Hampton University's 28-game winning streak in MEAC games at the Convocation Center with 66-59 win Monday night.

Khadejra Young’s layup with 1:55 left gave FAMU (9-8, 3-1 MEAC) the lead for good at 60-58 with 1:55 remaining. The Lady Pirates had a chance to tie on their next possession, but Mikayla Sayle went 1-for-2 from the free throw line.

HU (4-12, 2-1) didn’t score the rest of the way.

Dejane’ James and K’lynn Willis led HU with 16 points each. Malia Tate-DeFreitas, the MEAC’s leading scorer, finished with a season-low eight points on 4-of-15 shooting.

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FAMU AD Overton hires new compliance officer, working with FSU on football schedule

ELLIOT CHARLES
COURTESY: USF ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. on Monday added the newest member of his executive staff.

Elliot Charles will serve as FAMU's director of compliance and the new deputy athletic director under Overton. Charles comes to Florida A&M from the University of South Florida, where he was the associate athletic director of compliance.

Before working at USF, Charles was the associate commissioner for compliance for the Mid-American Conference. FAMU head coach Alex Wood coached at Buffalo (part of the MAC) from 2011 until 2014.

Charles also worked at Alabama — Overton's last post — as an assistant director of athletic compliance.
:
Overton is also working to smooth out ...

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Shaw Lady Bears Rip Bowie State’s Lady Bulldogs 79-49

BOWIE, Maryland  --  Bowie State University women's basketball shot a season-low 26.8 percent from the field, which included of 7-of-22 beyond the arc on Saturday afternoon and lost 79-49 to Shaw University.

Bowie State (9-5, 2-2 CIAA) got 20 points from sophomore Kyah Proctor (Capitol Heights, Md.) and junior Ashley Jennings (Newark, N.J. added 13 points in the loss. The Lady Bulldogs sophomore trio of Jasmine Orsted (Dickson, Tenn.), Lisa Jing (Laurel, Md.) and Robin Heard (Waldorf, Md.) scored four points apiece. Bowie State's leading scorer Kiara Colston (Burtonsville, Md.) was held to a season low three points and senior Jourdan Stanhope (Columbus, Ohio) scored two points.

The Lady Bears would build their largest lead of the half at 14-points after two free throws from Anderson at the 4:32 mark. Shaw outscored the Lady Bulldogs 21-15 to go into the locker room with a 40-29 lead at halftime.

In the first half, Shaw outscored the Lady Bulldogs 22-10 in the paint, 22-4 in bench scoring and 11-9 in points off of turnovers.

The Lady Bears picked up where they left off in the third quarter as Shaw opened up the quarter with a 6-3 run. The Lady Bulldogs would battle back after knocking down two-consecutive 3-pointers to cut at the lead (38-47) with 6:45 on the clock but Shaw would not relinquish the lead as they outscored BSU 25-14 in the quarter and 14-6 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

The Lady Bears had five players score in double figures with Michelle Wright (Baltimore, Md.) leading Shaw's attack with a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Eboni Ross (Columbia, S.C.) contributed 12 points and four rebounds, while Kaula Jacks (Chesapeake Beach, Md.), Tabatha Anderson (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Laquisha Taylor (Charlotte, N.C.) adding 10 points each. Taylor also had 10 rebounds, while Klintisha Martin (Atlanta, Ga.) had seven rebounds for Shaw.

Shaw shot a blistering 70 percent from the field (14-of-20) in the first half and ended the afternoon with a 59.6 field goal shooting percentage on 24-of-47. The Bears knocked down 21-of-26 free throws (80.8 percent) and out-rebounded the Lady Bulldogs 45-31.

On the other side of the stat sheet, Bowie State made only 19-of-71 field goals overall and only had seven free throw attempts, making four.

The Lady Bulldogs will look to rebound on Monday (January 11th) evening when they host Fayetteville State University. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. in the A.C. Jordan Arena.

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COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION