Restivo leaves S.C. State to coach defense at McNeese State

COACH TOMMY RESTIVO
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State Bulldogs football team knew at the end of the 2015 season that eight of the 22 players on the defense’s two-deep roster had played their final games in an SCSU uniform.

Replacing those players and their experience was a known need that SCSU Head Coach Buddy Pough knew he would encounter during this offseason and heading into the 2016 SCSU preseason workouts.

As of this week, the Bulldogs defense has lost another key component, as second-year defensive coordinator Tommy Restivo was announced on Tuesday as the new DC at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

In the 2015 campaign, Restivo steered the Bulldogs defensive unit to performances that led the nation (FCS rankings) in sacks, tackles for loss, pass efficiency defense and third-down defense. The Bulldogs also finished the season nationally-ranked third in passing defense, fourth in scoring defense, sixth in total defense and 25th in rushing defense.

"Tommy did a fine job for us and we appreciate it," Coach Pough said on Thursday. "This sort of thing happens when you hire high-end guys; people will try to come get them."

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Yahkee Johnson Heads to Hampton University

JUCO Running Back Yahkee Johnson

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Former L.C. Bird running back Yahkee Johnson has made a few statements in his career.

But this past week, the former standout, made his biggest statement – a commitment to where he would be finishing up his college career.

The 5-8 bolt of lightning has decided on Hampton University.

“Yahkee Johnson is one of the finest young men I have ever coached,” said L.C. Bird coach, David Bedwell. “Hampton got a great football player but an even better young man. Expect big things to come.”

Part of Johnson’s success at L.C. Bird had to do with the trust that he built with Bedwell, calling him someone who is there for him to this day. During his senior year, Johnson broke Jason Snelling’s all-time record for total rushing yardage in a game when he gashed Midlothian for 302 yards. The record has been broken multiple times since, with Paul Robertson being the current record holder, with 426 yards.

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Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey Tops $3 million in cash donations to 'Home By the Sea'

Dr. and Mrs. William R. Harvey

HAMPTON, Virginia -- With Dr. and Mrs. William R. Harvey’s latest $100,000 gift to the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute, HU’s University President has given more than $3 million to the institution of higher learning that has grown exponentially under his leadership. That personal donation dollar amount is $3,066,327. The gift speaks to the couple’s heartfelt commitment to the “Standard of Excellence” that is Hampton University. Dr. William R. Harvey and Mrs. Norma B. Harvey are more than President and First Lady of the Hampton University community. They have dedicated their lives to the success of the university.

All university presidents are called upon to enhance the quality of the university’s student population, academic programs, faculty, physical facilities and financial base. That’s the job. What Dr. Harvey has done extends beyond any official expectation. His giving is best described as ‘not just talking the talk, but walking the walk.’ He has done all that is in his power to support the historic institution, from the Emancipation Oak to the shoreline that hugs the campus on three sides.

As a visionary, Dr. Harvey, has embraced HU founder General Samuel Chapman Armstrong’s mission to have everything at Hampton University excel. And excel it has under Dr. Harvey’s leadership. The Harvey years, 38 and counting, will grace the record books as an unparalleled accounting of mega success, not just for the HU students, faculty and staff whose lives give testimony to the results of his labor; but for the global community of stakeholders who will continually reap the benefits of his astute leadership for generations to come.

Dr. Harvey has introduced innovations, which have solidified Hampton University’s stellar position among the nation’s colleges and universities. Seventy-six new academic programs, satellites on active missions in space, the largest free-standing proton therapy cancer treatment center in the world, all of what Dr. Harvey has accomplished speaks to his desire to leave the world better than he found it.

The Brewton, Alabama native is a servant leader who faces each day determined to enrich the lives of others. His blessed path led him from a small town in Alabama to the coveted classrooms of Harvard University. With his Ivy League degree in hand, Dr. Harvey could have taken any one of so many prestigious university offers. However, Dr. Harvey, the true educator, chose to lead at an HBCU where he could make a real difference in the academic worlds of young people who yearned for better lives. Dr. Harvey, the businessman, put his acumen to work placing Hampton on the fast track for growth and development as a world-class university.

Dr. Harvey has reached into his own pocket several times to help members of the university community. He has covered salary increases during the lean financial periods. For example in 2011, Dr. and Mrs. Harvey gave a gift of $1 million to be utilized as incentives to increase faculty salaries. In 2011 and again in 2014, the Harveys gave donations of $166,000 and $108,403 respectively, to support wage increases for full-time permanent HU staff. The Harveys also made a generous donation to scholarships in 2001. That year they gave a gift of $1 million to fund scholarships for students interested in becoming K-12 teachers.

“My parents were my first role models,” Harvey said. “Establishing the W.D.C. Harvey Endowed Scholarships in my father’s name is my way of honoring all of the life lessons they shared. They taught my sister Anne and me the benefit of giving and sharing to improve the world we live in. The scholarships will assist in making it possible for the next generation of leaders to emerge.

This latest gift of $100,000 will provide an endowment of at least $3,000,000 in scholarships for students to attend the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute (WRHLI). The students will become “Harvey Scholars” after a rigorous selection process. Upon completion of the program, the fellows receive an 18-hour-minor in leadership studies.

The WRHLI was the brainchild of Dr. Harvey who convened several of his closest academic advisors with the clear purpose of creating an institute with a curriculum focused on character development, critical thinking, leadership theory and application, ethics and policy development.

Dr. and Mrs. Harvey’s most recent personal contribution of $100,000 will support scholarships for 25 “Harvey Scholars” each year over a period of four years for a total of 100 scholarships. The Institute provides an impressive curriculum designed to teach Dr. Harvey’s ten-point leadership model--vision, work ethic, academic excellence, team building, innovation, courage, management, fairness, fiscal conservatism, and results.

The proof of performance for the William R. Harvey Leadership Model is in the career stories of executives who have studied the model under Dr. Harvey’s mentorship and as a result reached the height of their careers. An unprecedented 17 executives attribute their positions as President or C-E-O of a university or institution, to Dr. Harvey and the effectiveness of his leadership model.

The newly financed William R. Harvey Leadership Scholarships will be awarded in Fall 2016.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Hampton Pirates Bounce Back Battle of the Bay Win

HAMPTON, Virginia -- With first place on the line Saturday evening at the HU Convocation Center, the Hampton University men's basketball team defeated rival Norfolk State 86-76 in the first installment of this season's Battle of the Bay.

The Pirates (12-8, 8-1 MEAC) have won seven of their last eight games.

Reginald Johnson, Jr. led four Pirates in double figures with 29 points, going 10-for-20 from the floor, while also dishing out a team-high five assists. Quinton Chievous and Brian Darden each added 16 points, with Chievous grabbing seven boards and doling out four assists.

Lawrence Cooks dropped 12 points, and Dionte Adams grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

The Pirates shot 44.1 percent (26-for-59) from the floor – including a 46.7 percent clip (14-for-30) in the first half – and made eight of their 21 3-pointers (38.1 percent). Hampton was also 26-for-34 (76.5 percent) from the free throw line.

Chievous gave the Pirates a 54-47 lead with a layup with 15:54 remaining in the second half, before the Spartans responded with nine unanswered points to take a 56-55 lead after a three from Jeff Short at the 10:42 mark.

From there, the two teams traded the lead back and forth on six straight possessions – before Chievous put the Pirates back on top 61-60 with 8:03 left to play. That ignited an 8-0 Hampton run, putting the Pirates up 67-60 after a Johnson fastbreak layup at the 6:10 mark.

Norfolk State never got any closer than within seven points for the rest of the game. In the game's final 2:23, the Pirates – who struggled at the free throw line in Monday's loss to South Carolina State – went 8-for-10 from the free throw line.

Chievous added a two-hand slam with 23 seconds left, putting Hampton up 83-70.

Norfolk State held an early 27-20 lead, taking that advantage with 6:03 left in the first half after a trey from Short. But the Pirates answered with a 20-4 run, taking a 40-31 lead with 1:30 left in the half after a fastbreak layup from Johnson.

Johnson later hit three free throws with 48 seconds left to put Hampton up 43-33.

The Spartans scored the next four points to cut the lead to 43-37, before Darden sank a long three near the buzzer to send the Pirates into the break with a 46-37 lead.

Darden, who hit four 3-pointers, had 14 points at the half.

Norfolk State (10-13, 6-2 MEAC) shot 39.4 percent (26-for-66) from the floor, but made just four of 20 3-pointers (20.0 percent).

Short came off the bench to lead four Spartans in double figures with 23 points.

The Pirates will play host to Washington Adventist on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in their non-conference finale. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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Thinking of his father, WSSU's Wilhelmi emotional after victory

SALISBURY — Coach James Wilhelmi of Winston-Salem State kept apologizing for the tears.

After the Rams beat the Livingstone Blue Bears, the two-time defending CIAA champions, 81-79 in overtime, emotions got the best of Wilhelmi.

During a tearful post-game interview Wilhelmi talked about his dying father in Madison, Wisc., who has about 48 hours left to live. Jeff Wilhelmi, 67, has been fighting the late stages of stomach cancer, but that fight is almost over.

“He’s got two days to live so I have to fly up there,” Wilhelmi said just outside the Rams’ locker room at New Trent Gym. “Before the game I just told the guys that I was dedicating this game to him.”

Wilhelmi said he’s checked flights to the Midwest and could fly home Sunday to be with his
family. It’s likely he will miss Monday’s home game against Virginia Union.

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Fred McNair named Alcorn's interim head coach

INERIM HEAD FOOTBALL COACH FRED MCNAIR
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY

LORMAN, Mississippi -- After Jay Hopson took the head coaching job at Southern Miss, Alcorn State elected to name Fred McNair as its interim coach, the school announced on Saturday night.

McNair had been on the Braves' staff since Hopson arrived in 2012. He was the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. He oversaw the development of quarterbacks John Gibbs Jr., who was SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2014, and Lenorris Footman when Gibbs went down with an ankle injury halfway through the 2015 season.

According to a release from Alcorn State, Derek Horne, Braves athletic director, said they'll go through a national search for Hopson's permanent replacement and that the search would begin "immediately."

With national signing day coming up this Wednesday, Alcorn State was placed in a tough spot following Hopson's departure.

Under McNair's watch, Gibbs passed for 2,482 yards and 21 touchdowns and rushed for 1,006 yards in 2014. In 2013, Gibbs passed for 2,567 and 21 touchdowns. He also rushed for 455 yards.

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Briana Green leads the offense as Southern women defeat Alcorn State 66-57

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- With Britney Washington in foul trouble and Cortnei Purnell struggling with her shot, it was up to Briana Green to lead the Southern women’s basketball team’s offense.

She did just that, scoring a game-high 20 points and making 9-of-14 field goals in 36 minutes.

Washington managed 15 points in 24 minutes and Purnell was scoreless after missing all nine of her shots but was a primary factor in Norianna Haynes, the leading scorer in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (21.4 ponts per game), scoring just eight points on 3-of-18 shooting for the Lady Braves.

It all added up to a 66-57 Jaguars victory Saturday afternoon in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. Southern (7-2 in the SWAC and 10-8 overall) visits Grambling on Saturday.

Alcorn is 2-7 and 4-15.

PHOTO GALLERY

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The cost of getting recruited

Earning a Division I scholarship in football is more expensive than you think.

JACKSON, Mississippi -- In three days, Nigel Knott will be one step closer to playing college football. The four-star Germantown cornerback is among a handful of Mississippi’s Division I prospects who will sign a letter of intent on Wednesday’s national signing day, choosing from a long list of in-state and national powers.

At the same time, former Callaway safety Dwayne Pickett Jr. will have likely wrapped up a workout at Hinds Community College, hoping to one day earn his dream offer from a Power 5program. Meanwhile, Madison-Ridgeland Academy slot receiver Karter Bounds is enjoying the final few months of his senior year, having hung up his cleats for a final time months ago.

At first glance the three have little in common, other than sharing a birth year and their sport of choice. But while their immediate futures may be very different, all three had the same goal — to play college football — and their parents quickly realized that little about the recruiting process comes free. Parents can spend thousands of dollars traveling to the various combines and camps hoping that their child will perform well enough to be noticed.

“If I had of known, I wouldn’t have gave that kid a football,” said Sabrina Givens, Knott’s mother, with a laugh. “We would’ve took up something else. I don’t know, maybe he could’ve collected baseball cards?”

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Christopher Hyder, Trelun Banks and Adrian Rodgers lead Southern to their seventh straight win, 75-64 over Alcorn State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Christopher Hyder, Adrian Rodgers and Trelun Banks are Southern’s most reliable offensive players, and they showed why Saturday night.

Hyder orchestrated the offense expertly during his 39 minutes of play, Banks’ scoring helped the Jaguars grab the lead in the second half and Rodgers’ contributions were the key to extending it in a 75-64 victory against Alcorn State in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

“That’s our role,” Banks said. “Those guys are seniors, I’m a junior and we’re all returning starters. Our teammates look for us to make big buckets, and we look for them to do their roles.”

Banks, who finished with 12 points, led an early-second-half surge that put Southern on top for good. Rodgers scored 13 of his 20 points during a five-minute stretch in which the lead expanded from seven points to 13. Hyder finished with 16 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

“Rodgers went off for a period of time, and Trelun went off for a period of time,” coach Roman Banks said. “Then once we started scoring inside, it opened things up and Hyder was able to finish it at the foul line.”

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ASU Hornets Fall by Three to SWAC-Leading Texas Southern

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- It's a broken record, but once again the Hornets get close only to lose the Texas Southern 75-72.

It was a game that was decided at the free throw line.  ASU hit seven of their eight free throws, but TSU was able to shoot 26 free throws hitting 23.  ASU was outscored by 16, which was more than the difference in a three point game.

The Hornets (6-14/1-7) made a mad rush in the final 30 seconds.  Trailing 73-67 Terrence LeFlore was able to score with 23 seconds left and after a turnover on the throw in, Jamel Waters hit a long three to cut the lead to 73-72 with 14 seconds left, but that would be the final points ASU would score.

After two David Blanks three throws with 12 seconds left to make it 75-72, Steve Rogers had a good look at a three, but it went in and came out and with it the Hornets chances of getting the game into overtime.

"We closed the gap and I know it sounds like a broken record with the outcome of these last five ball games, but we are playing with good energy, good effort and good intensity we just have to stay poised and stay patient," Head Coach Lewis Jackson said.

Waters led ASU with 18 points and a game-high eight assists.  He also had two steals.  Corvon Butler, who continues to play with a bad back, had a double-double for ASU with 15 points and 14 rebounds.  He also had four blocked shots and two steals.

"I take my hat off to Corvon Butler," Jackson said.  "He is out there playing with a bad back and we try to get him in and take him out, but he gives us great effort when he is on the court."

Torloft Thomas was the third Hornet to reach double digits as he finished with 12 points to go with his three assists and two steals.

ASU shot 39 percent from the field and hit nine of their 22 three point field goals for 41 percent.  Their 88 percent free throw shooting was strong, but once again they only had eight attempts.

Derrick Griffin was the big play man for the Tigers tonight.  He finished with a game-high 19 points and another game-high with 15 rebounds.  Malcolm Riley also had a double-double for TSU with 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Blanks finished the game with 14 points.

TSU (9-11/8-0) shot 36 percent from the field and was four-of -21 from beyond the three point line for 19 percent.  They came into Montgomery shooting 61 percent from the free throw line, which was eighth in the SWAC, but tonight their 89 percent on the 26 attempts turned out to be the difference in the game.

The first half saw the visitors head into the locker room with a 37-30 lead.  The game was fairly close in all the stats except the Hornets did not attempt a free throw while the Tigers were able to get to the free throw line where they made 10 of their 11 attempts.

TSU shot 36 percent from the field with Griffin's 11 points leading the way.  He also had eight first half rebounds as TSU was able to out rebound the Hornets 26-20.

ASU shot 35 percent from the field with Waters and Butler scoring eight points each and Butler's five rebounds leading the Hornets.

The Hornets will be back in action Monday when they host Prairie View A&M.  Opening tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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Virginia State Men’s Basketball Secures Victory Over LU Lions

LINCOLN, Pennsylvania -- The VSU Trojans men's basketball team secured a 81-63 victory over the Lincoln University Lions on January 30 in their CIAA Northern Division contest.

The win catapults the Trojans to a 14-4 overall record, 9-1 in the conference 4-1 in the CIAA Northern Division.

VSU ended the night shooting 42.6 percent (26-61) from the field, 37.5 percent (9-24) from behind the arc, and 71.4 percent (120-286-19) at the line.

Junior All-CIAA Preseason pick Elijah Moore (Yorktown, VA) led the game with 17 points while juniors Kevin Williams (Franklinton, NC) and Marcus James (Baltimore, MD) rounded out the double digit scoring with 10 points each.

After Kevin Williams secured the first basket of the game, the Trojans gradually gained momentum to dominate the game. Senior Javon Moore (Fairfax, VA) sunk a 3-pointer with 14:19 left in the half to give VSU a chance to pull away. The Trojans quickly expanded the scoring gap going into halftime with 20 point lead, 43-23.

VSU continued to control the game in the second half to take the 81-63 win.

The Trojans will take the court on Wednesday, February 3 in Raleigh, NC to face the Bears of Shaw University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

Mark your calendars for the Trojans next home game on Saturday, February 6. VSU will be celebrating their Alumni Winter Festival at the Orange Out game.

The Virginia State Department of Athletics annual 1,000 cans, 1 goal campaign initiative is underway. The canned food items collected will be donated to the local food banks. The Department encourages all fans, alumni, faculty and friends to bring a canned food item to all of the home basketball games this season.

For more information on VSU Trojans men's basketball, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.

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Wiley Wildcats fall at No. 13 Langston

LANGSTON, Oklahoma – The Wiley College men's basketball team trailed most of the game in an 80-57 loss to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics thirteenth-ranked Langston University Saturday in a Red River Athletics Conference game.

The Wildcats (11-8, 4-7 in RRAC) had a small lead at the beginning of the game. Langston University steadily built its lead and held a 41-26 halftime advantage.

"We got beat in every phase of the game," coach Jameus Hartsfield said. "We have to go back to the drawing board."

George Page (JR/Winnfield, LA) led the team with 12 points and eight rebounds. Andre Jackson (SO/Natchitoches, LA) recorded a team high with two assists.

The Wildcats will begin a four-game home stand with the University of Saint Thomas at Houston. Wiley lost the first meeting 52-49 on December 4.

"I'm glad we get to come home, practice and find some chemistry," Hartsfield said. "We will be ok."

FULL STATS

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Gold Rush record first victory; Nuggets win their opener

NEW ORLEANS — NAIA-ranked Xavier University of Louisiana defeated city rival Loyola Saturday in the first dual matches of the spring semester at XU Tennis Center. The Gold Rush won 8-1, and the Gold Nuggets won 9-0.
    
The XU men (1-2), ranked fourth, got singles and doubles victories from Karan Salwan, Tushar Mandlekar, Kevin Chaouat and Adam Albrecht. For the XU women (1-0), ranked 11th, Charlene Goreau, Jana van der Walt, Brandi Nelson and Sha'Nel Bruins won in singles and doubles.
    
Also scoring for Xavier were Kyle Montrel and Manav Chakma in men's singles and Dasia Harris in women's singles.
    
"It was a good day overall," 13th-year XU coach Alan Green said. "The women took care of business. Our men had one hiccup in doubles as we're still trying to figure out our best lineups."
    
Salwan, ranked eighth among singles players by the ITA, defeated Steven Le 6-3, 6-0. Montrel, ranked 10th and a three-time All-American, beat Maxime Rumeau 6-0, 6-0. Mandlekar, ranked 43rd, clinched the dual by beating Sean Presti 6-1, 6-0.
    
Albrecht defeated Ernesto de Diego 6-3, 6-1, Chaouat defeated Ricardo Mercado 6-3, 6-1, and Chakma beat George Fourmaux 6-1, 6-1.
    
"I was impressed with Kevin Chaouat," Green said. "He played pretty good singles. He didn't play a lot of singles for us last year, but I'm looking for him to maybe stay in our lineup this year. He's been working hard a lot on his singles, so we'll see."
    
Salwan and Mandlekar, the NAIA's 13th-ranked doubles team, defeated Le and de Diego 8-2.

Chaouat and Albrecht defeated Sebastian Gomez and Mercado 8-0. But Loyola (0-2) recorded its first-ever on-court victory against the Gold Rush in six duals when Presti and Rumeau beat Montrel and Chakma 8-5 at the second flight.

The Gold Nuggets lost two games in seven played matches. Loyola (0-2) had five players and defaulted matches at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles.
    
Goreau, a freshman in her XU debut, beat Margaret Adams 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles and teamed with Nelson for an 8-0 victory against Adams and Lauren Rosales at the top doubles flight.
    
Also winning 6-0, 6-0 were Nelson against Rosales, van der Walt against Alexa Mancuso and Bruins against Madeline Smith. Harris beat Wesley Dejoie 6-2, 6-0. Nelson clinched the dual.
    
In doubles, Bruins and van der Walt defeated Mancuso and Dejoie 8-0.
    
The Rush and Nuggets will play William Carey — whose women are ranked sixth in the NAIA and whose men are seventh — at 11 a.m. next Saturday at XU Tennis Center. Admission is free to all XU home tennis events.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm Undisputed Winner of 2016 Honda Battle of the Bands Showcase

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COURTESY: ShowtimeWeb 

Tennessee State Big Blue to Face Vanderbilt, Georgia State

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State football announced the addition of a pair of FBS opponents to future schedules. The Tigers will face Southeastern Conference opponent Vanderbilt and Sun Belt member Georgia State in the upcoming years.

“Vanderbilt is a good opportunity for our players to compete against an FBS opponent without having to leave the city,” said Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips. “Georgia State is an opportunity for us to get back to Atlanta. We played in the Atlanta Classic for so many years, and we have a lot of alumni in that area. It’s a good recruiting base for us student wise, and we’re excited for the opportunity to go back to Atlanta.”

TSU will face the Commodores twice in the next three years. The first matchup is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2016, with the second matchup set for 2018. Both games are slated to be played at Vanderbilt. The Tigers last faced the Commodores in 2006, a 38-9 loss.

The Big Blue will travel to Atlanta to open the 2017 season at Georgia State. It will be the first meeting between the two programs. The game is scheduled for Sept. 2, 2017 with a venue to be determined.

The Tigers last played an FBS opponent in 2011 when they faced Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. TSU fell to the Falcons, 63-24.

The 2016 slate is in the finalization stage and will be released in the following weeks.



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Former TSU Star DRC Added to 2016 Pro Bowl Roster

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Former Tennessee State standout Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was added to the 2016 Pro Bowl roster on Tuesday morning. This is his second Pro Bowl game in during his seven year career. He last went in 2010, his rookie season, as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.

Rodgers-Cromartie collected three interceptions and 13 passes defended in his second year as a member of the New York Giants. He returned one interception for a touchdown against the Cowboys on Oct. 25. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown in the season opener in Dallas.

DRC is one of four Giants to be named to the Pro Bowl this season, which will be played on Sunday, Jan. 31, and will be televised live on ESPN. The game will be held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawai’i and will serve as the signature event to kick off Super Bowl week.

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Tennessee State Sprints Past Jacksonville State, 78-53

JACKSONVILLE, Alabama – Balanced scoring and a dominant rebounding performance lifted the Tennessee State men’s basketball team to a 78-53 road victory over Jacksonville State on Saturday at the Pete Mathews Coliseum. The win improves TSU to 15-6 on the season, tripling last year’s win total of five.

Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.) led five TSU players scoring in double figures with 18 points to go with eight rebounds, while Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded his ninth double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Marcus Roper (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.) and Xavier Richards (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) scored 12 points apiece with Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.) adding 10. Aiding the offense was Armani Chaney (Chicago, Ill.), who led the Tigers with a career-high five assists.

The Tigers (15-6, 6-2 OVC) held a 42-27 rebounding edge over Jacksonville State (8-17, 4-6) and finished with a 44-10 advantage in points in the paint.



“I thought we came out a little sluggish in the first half offensively, but once we stopped turning the ball over, we were able to get some separation,” second-year Head Coach Dana Ford said. “Our defense was pretty consistent for 40 minutes. I thought their guys played really hard. They’re a little bit short handed today, and we were able to take advantage of that.”

After falling behind early, McCall drove the lane and delivered a two-handed dunk to level the scoring at 6-6. Later on, the Tigers went on an 8-0 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers from Roper for a 19-10 lead at the midway point of the first half.

When the Gamecocks cut the TSU lead down to four at 31-27, the Tigers reeled off seven-consecutive points for their largest lead of the half of 11 points with the score at 38-27 in the final minute. Jacksonville State’s Erik Durham finished a layup on the last possession of the half to put the score at 38-29 through 20 minutes.

TSU kept Jacksonville State without a field goal in the first 5:37 of the second half as the visitor’s edge ballooned to 53-31. McCall came up with another dunk on a putback for a 58-39 lead with just under 10 minutes left.

The Tigers led by double figures for the entire second half and outscored Jacksonville State by a 40-24 in the closing 20 minutes.

Jacksonville State, which shot 32.7 percent from the field, was led by 13 points from DelFincko Bogan.

TSU is back in action on Thursday, Feb. 4, for a home game versus Eastern Kentucky at the Gentry Center at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES: TSU moves to 16-11 in the all-time series versus Jacksonville State… TSU tripled last year’s win total of five games… TSU improves to 8-5 away from home and 6-5 in true road games… Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded his ninth double-double of the season and third of Ohio Valley Conference play.

Tennessee State Head Coach Dana Ford

“That makes us a better team when opponents can’t zero in on a couple guys. We know we have guys who are capable of big nights, and there are going to be times when we need them to have big nights. Tonight was just a little bit more of a balanced attack and we need to get some of our younger guys who aren’t playing as many minutes a little confidence heading down the stretch.”

•On TSU’s Balanced Scoring

“I think it was huge. Our guys showed a lot of character tonight. Just two nights ago, we had a heartbreaking loss and we could have hung our head and let that affect us, but I thought we got past that.”

•On coming back from a loss at Tennessee Tech

“We’re happy. If you want to have a chance to win the league, you have to win on the road. Now, it’s up to us to go back home and protect our home court with three straight home games.”

•On a convincing road win

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Tenney Named Chowan Head Volleyball Coach

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University athletic department announced the hiring of Melody Tenney as Head Volleyball Coach on Wednesday.

Tenney noted, "I'm very excited to be joining the staff at Chowan University. I look forward to building on the previous success of the Hawks' volleyball program while maintaining a winning tradition. I love the family atmosphere that Chowan has on campus."

Vice President/Director of Athletics Ozzie McFarland added, "When Meredith Long and I began looking for volleyball coaches, we wanted an enthusiastic coach who had previous head coaching experience on a similar level, and who knew how to manage a team. Melody Tenney fits that description perfectly. I am so excited about what she brings to both our volleyball program and our University. Her Christian witness, academic expectations, and emphasis on being successful exemplify exactly what I feel our University stands for."

Tenney spent the past two seasons as Head Coach at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia. After inheriting a team that won five games in 2013, Tenney doubled the program's number of wins in her first season (10-26) and advanced to the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time in program history. The Lady Bears also produced two NAIA Academic All-Americans that same season.

In 2015, Tenney led the Lady Bears to a school-record eleven wins. The team also saw several student-athletes earn individual honors with two All-AAC Freshman Team honorees (including AAC Freshman of the Year Jocelyn Mahayag), one AAC First Team recipient and three AAC All-Academic Team members. Truett-McConnell posted an 11-19 overall record over the course of the season and finished 7-13 in AAC play during Tenney's final season with the squad.

Prior to her time at Truett-McConnell, Tenney gained experience as an assistant coach at Piedmont College. There, Tenney helped the Lions earn a 28-9 overall record during the 2013 season highlighted by a school record 13-match win streak.

Tenney prepared herself to coach at the collegiate level through head coaching positions with the Orlando Volleyball Academy and Club Bomba. She also served as head coach of the varsity volleyball program at Victory Christian Academy in Lakeland, Florida.

Tenney began her college playing career at Warner University before transferring to the University of Mobile. In three seasons with the Rams, Tenney earned Setter of the Year and All-Conference accolades while ranking as high as third in the NAIA for service aces (75). Tenney also set school records for assists per match (55), assists per season (1,376) and ranks second all-time with 2,755 total assists and third all-time in total aces (187) and aces per season (75).

Tenney earned a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from the University of Mobile in 2012 and obtained a Masters of Business Administration from Piedmont College in 2014.

The Tallahassee, Florida native currently resides in Murfreesboro.

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Southern Mississippi names Jay Hopson head football coach

HEAD COACH JAY HOPSON LEAVES ALCORN STATE
WITH A 32-17 CAREER RECORD
 

Official Twitter of Southern Miss Athletics
Bill McGillis ‏@SouthernMissAD 30m30 minutes ago

Welcome Jay Hopson to the @USMGoldenEagles #SouthernMiss family. Recruit Sunday. Team Sunday. Press Conference Monday!

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Jay Hopson is coming back to Hattiesburg.

Hopson has been hired to replace Todd Monken as Southern Miss football coach.

It’s the third stint with the Golden Eagles for the 47-year-old, who spent a combined six seasons in Hattiesburg as defensive backs coach from 2001-03 and defensive coordinator from 2005-07 under former Southern Miss head coach Jeff Bower.

Hopson is the 21st head coach in Golden Eagle history.

The Vicksburg native has spent the past four seasons at Alcorn State as the Braves’ head coach. During his tenure in Lorman, Hopson led the SWAC squad to a 32-17 overall record at and back-to-back conference championships in 2014 and 2015. Hopson, the first white football coach in SWAC history, led Alcorn State to the SBN Sports College Football National Championship in 2014.

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UMES Announces 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame Class

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland --  The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Department of Athletics is pleased to announce its 2016 Hall of Fame class. The class will be enshrined during Homecoming weekend in a ceremony to be held, Friday, February 19, 2016 in the ballroom of the Student Services Center on campus. Tickets are on sale now at www.umestickets.com.

The addition of five brand new members will bring the total number of inductees to the school’s hall of fame to 210. Dr. Kirkland Hall — a current hall of famer as a former student-athlete — will be honored again for his coaching accomplishments, while the 1963 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field team, will also be formally inducted. Six of the nine members of that team were honored as All-Americans and several of their records still stand today. The team won both NAIA and NCAA College Division National Championships and eight of the nine members are already enshrined individually.

Three basketball stars will be honored. Nicole Council, who is in the top ten in the women’s record books in numerous categories, Thomas “Tee” Trotter, the second highest scorer in men’s program history and the school’s all-time Division I scorer, and Trent Harris, a three year Maryland State star known for his rebounding and shooting accuracy. The latter of whom will be inducted posthumously. Volleyball standout Jana Milin, who holds nearly every volleyball scoring record at the school, while being a two-time MEAC Player of the Year, will also be inducted. Cross country and track & field star Barnabas Togom, who claimed several individual MEAC Championships and holds numerous distance records, rounds out the class.

The 2016 UMES Athletics Hall of Fame class:

Nicole Council – Women’s Basketball 1996-2000

Originally recruited by Joyce Jenkins, a MEAC coach of the year, Council became a force on the Lady Hawks backcourt. Over the next four years she played in 111 games (5th most in program history) and amassed 1,520 points to stand third among the all-time scoring leaders.  

Council finished her senior year (99-00) ranked 31st in the NCAA in scoring and in her junior season finished 16th in the nation in steals. She was ranked in the Top 10 in the MEAC in scoring and assists each of her final three seasons and was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team in her first campaign, 96-97. Council was a two-time All-MEAC Second-Team and MEAC All-Academic Team selection in 98-99 and 99-00. She finished her time in Princess Anne as the school record holder in assists (398) and steals (295). She is ranked in the Top 5 for women’s basketball in 11 statistical categories, including second in career steals per game and in points in a season — when she dropped 538 her senior year. She owns over a dozen other Top 10 records. In 97-98 Council’s Lady Hawks went 16-11, the last winning season prior to the Fred Batcehlor era.

She went on to play professionally in Greece and has started her own non-profit organization Hoopz & Dreamz, Inc. Council is currently a women’s assistant coach at Wilmington University. Before her collegiate position, she was a successful high school coach at Churchland H.S. in Portsmouth, Va. (06-08). She graduated in 2000 and is originally from Suffolk, Va. now residing in Smyrna, Del.

Thomas “Tee” Trotter – Men’s Basketball 2000-2004

Thomas “Tee” Trotter, played for the Hawks from 2000-2004 and was one of the Hawk’s most prolific scorers of all-time. He amassed 1,923 points, second all-time in school history and first in the Division I era. He was an All-MEAC Second-Team selection in 02-03 and 03-04 and to this day holds MEAC records for most points in a tournament game (40 in 2002), most free throws made (19-2002) and most free throws attempted (20-2002). He is ranked fifth all-time in field goals in a season (183 in 2003) and ranked in the Top 5 twice in free throws made in a season.

Trotter also ranks fourth all-time in free throw percentage (85 percent in 2004). He was an All-MEAC Rookie Team selection 2001 and finished third in the league in scoring each of his last three seasons. He completed his career ranked first in the MEAC in all-time scoring in the past 20 years (since 95-96) and currently stands third overall. In that same time span Trotter is 3rd overall in free throw percentage and is 4th overall in points per game for a career (17.8) among all MEAC players.

Just 5-foot-11, the under-sized guard carried the weight of the offense all four years, playing for his father, Thomas Trotter Sr. who is eighth in school history in all-time coaching wins. The younger Trotter graduated in 2004 and currently works in the Chicago Public School system as the Dean of Students and Athletic Director at Hirsch High School.  

Trent Harris – Men’s Basketball 1956-1960

Playing under the tutelage of legendary coach Nate Taylor, Robert Trent Harris Sr. led his 1960 Maryland State College Hawks to the NAIA District Championship with wins over Albany and Montclair. That same squad made an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament, falling to Westminster 64-63. They finished 22-6 on the year. Harris, playing alongside other Hawk Hall of Famers like Dave Riddick and Jesse Williams, was named All-CIAA Honorable Mention in his career. He stands 3rd and 9th All-Time in single season rebounds with 485 in 1960 and 361 in 1959.

He tallied more than 1,000 rebounds in his career and stands third overall in the Hawk record books. In his senior season of 1960, he shot a blistering 53 percent from the field, good enough for fourth all-time in single season field goal percentage. That season, Harris averaged 14.1 points per game and a staggering 17.3 rebounds per game. He grabbed 31 boards that year against Virginia State. The previous season, Harris averaged 14.7 points and 20 rebounds per game, showing off against Virginia State, collecting 32 caroms. Harris’s teams went from just seven wins as a freshman to 22 as a senior.

Harris, a native of South Boston, Virginia, passed away shortly after his time in Princess Anne in September of 1971. He worked as a patient technician for Chestnut Large Hospital in Rockville, Maryland. Harris’s son, Robert Trent Harris Jr. went on to embrace his father’s love of basketball, serving as the head coach at Shenandoah University for 11 seasons, including an exhibition win in 2007-08 when they topped UMES in Princess Anne. Harris Sr. also had a daughter, Teresa Medley who works with the Federal Government.

Jana Milin – Women’s Volleyball 2002-2005

Recruited by current Hawks head coach Toby Rens in his first stint at UMES, Milin was instrumental in transforming the volleyball team to its present day state. Milin dominated the MEAC in her three years at UMES, owning the school record for kills in a career with 1,795 and in service aces in a career with 315. She also finished with 1,062 career digs. Milin was the 2002 MEAC Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year and went on to earn the Player of the Year award again in 2003. She was a First-Team All-MEAC selection each season (02-04) and led the league in kills in 2002 (534) and in 2003 (644). She also led the league in service aces in 2002 (95) and 2003 (104). She was named to the MEAC All-Tournament Team in 2003 and 2004 and won numerous Player of the Week honors.

Beyond the conference, Milin dominated nationally, leading the NCAA in aces per game in 2004 (0.94) and was fourth in the nation the prior two years, serving up .88 aces per game. She also finished in the Top 30 in the nation in kills per game each year. Milin still holds the school record for kills and aces in a season and kills in a match (40) along with attacks in a match (81). She was a six-time member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) 30-kill club, a 12-time member of the AVCA’s Triple Double Club and had a 30-dig club nod as well. She recorded one quadruple-double in her career. In 2004, Milin was the CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team honoree.

Upon graduation Milin ranked first in nine single-season and 10 career categories including kills, service aces, digs and points. Milin graduated from UMES with a degree in general studies with a concentration in hotel and restaurant management. She is using the degree back home in Pula, Croatia.

Barnabas Togom – Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country 2002-2004

Brought from his home of Kenya to the United States by head coach Ernest Barrett, Togom set the standard for current Hawk distance runners. He was named the MEAC Championship Most Outstanding Performer in 2004, blistering the course with a first-place time of 25.56 and pushing his Hawks to a runner-up finish. He avenged his runner-up finish in the MEAC Championships in 2003.

Togom is part of the school-record holding Distance Medley Relay (DMR) Team in indoor track with a time of 10:06.63, set in New York City in January of 2003. He claimed the MEAC individual title in the 5000-meter run at the conference championships in 2003. He went on to set then school-records in both the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs and in the 3,000 meter-steeplechase. Named the 2003 UMES Male Athlete of the Year, Togom won MEAC Academic honors three straight years. He did all of that and graduated UMES in just 2.5 years as a computer science major.

 Dr. Kirkland J. Hall – Coach (7 sports)

Already inducted as a student-athlete, Dr. Hall returned to work at his alma mater for much of his adult career. The Somerset County native coached for 33 years at his alma mater, including short stints with football, women’s basketball, swimming and tennis. Hall’s first love however was basketball, a sport he served as the head coach of for eight years. He amassed 76 career wins, the fourth most all-time, including back-to-back winning campaigns in 79-80 (16-9) and 80-81 (17-15). Those were the last two winning seasons before now coach Bobby Collins took over in 2014-15. Hall won the prestigious Loyola Holiday Tournament in the 79-80 season and went on to make the NAIA District 19 playoffs. The following season, he returned to the playoffs and his Hawks ranked in the Top 20 in the nation in FT percentage.

Hall also served as head baseball coach, posting 105 wins over 14 seasons. Including a 15-win campaign in 83-84. He ranks first all-time with 105 wins. On the other diamond, Hall led the Lady Hawks in softball, amassing 128 wins, the most all-time in school history, including a 27-18 campaign in the 94-95 season.

Hall is a member of the Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame, the MEAC Hall of Fame and the American Civil Liberties Union Wall of Fame. While his ability to coach is unquestioned, his best accolade can be seen in those he coached. UMES Hall of Famers Robin Pettit (softball), Kenneth Simmons, Allen Davenport, Alan Faulks and Donnell Boney (all from men’s basketball), Ian Daily (track & field and basketball) and Ira Smith (baseball). Smith is also a MEAC Hall of Famer who was the first ever two-time NCAA batting champion.

The 1963 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Team

In 1963, two-time defending CIAA champion Maryland State College entered the year as the favorites to win the conference again in men’s track & field. What they did was so much more.  

In February of that year, the Hawks proved to be one of the strongest teams in the east. Facing off against the University of Maryland and Morgan State in the final mile relay, anchor Charlie Mays ran past two runners, IC4A champion Hubie Brown and ACC quarter-mile record holder Chris Stauffer, the win the relay for the Hawks; that indoor accomplishment set up the historic outdoor season.

Coached by the legendary Cappy Anderson, the Hawks were expected to win the outdoor crown in Petersburg, Virginia, but they did so in dominating fashion. MSC earned 54 points in the meet to win, beating Morgan State by 15. The team earned numerous top-three finishes, including once again winning the mile relay and Mays taking the broad jump with a leap of 24 feet and two inches.

But the Hawks were not done. MSC took the NAIA National championship and later the NCAA Division II National title (then known as the College Division) in June.

Maryland State first took the NAIA title, scoring 82 points in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, besting runner-up Nebraska-Omaha by 49 points (33). They claimed four individual championships there, still tied for the 11th most by a school in NAIA history. Russ Rogers still stands as one of eight men ever who have won five individual titles at the NAIA Championships, two coming in 63 with the 440-yard high hurdles and 120-yard high hurdles. He won three straight in the 440 yarders, from 61-63 and was the Herbert B. Marett Outstanding Performer in 61 and 62. Mays added on taking the triple jump title with a 47-8 ¾ leap in 63 and the mile relay team dominated posting a time of 3:13.5 with Ed Skinner, Rogers, Mays and Earl Rogers combing for the win.

In Chicago, UMES scored 98 points to top Fresno State by 34 points and win the NCAA College Division National Championship, now known as Division II. The Hawks claimed six individual champions at that meet with Skinner in the 440-meter dash (47.1), Raymond “Packrat” Jackson in the six-mile run (29:59.4), Russ Rodgers in the 440-meter intermediate hurdles (51.9), Charlie Mays in the long jump (24-5 ¼) and Al Santio in the shot put (54-0) and discuss (173-4).

The team won 11 All-American honors for their effort at the NCAA Championships with Mays taking the honors in the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard dash, the long jump and the triple jump. Santio earned the honor in the shot put and discuss while Russ Rodgers and Richard Davis both took home the honor in the 120-yard high hurdles and the 440-yard Intermediate Hurdles. Earl Rogers and Skinner both took home the honor in the 440-yard dash. Jackson won it in the 6-mile run.

Eight of the nine members of those teams, Russ Rogers, Richard Davis, Bob Brown, Al Santio*, Earl Rogers*, Ed Skinner, Charlie Mays* and Raymond Jackson* were already inducted as individuals in the hall with James Liggons, the ninth member now standing alongside of them.    

Tickets can be purchased for the Hall of Fame banquet by calling the UMES Athletic Office at 410-651-6496.

*deceased

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UMES Art Shell named to Super Bowl’s Golden Team

ART SHELL

NEW YORK, New York — In preparation for the National Football League’s (NFL) golden anniversary of the most popular championship event in American professional sports, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors chose representatives for the “Super Bowl 50 Golden Team”. The prestigious list includes one of the many Hawks who have taken the field in the NFL’s biggest game—former Maryland State and Oakland Raiders tackle Art Shell.

Shell was placed on the offensive line, joining four other NFL legends. His pro teammate, the late Gene Upshaw, also won recognition, along with Forest Gregg of the Green Bay Packers, Larry Allen of the Dallas Cowboys and the late Mike Webster of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Other players named to the team included Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor and Ray Lewis, among others. Kicker Adam Vinatieri was the only active player named to the squad, and Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll—a four time Super Bowl victor—was named head coach.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Shell’s road to the NFL’s Hall of Fame started right here in Princess Anne. Playing under the tutelage of another South Carolinian—the late Roosevelt “Sandy” Gilliam—Shell starred for four years as a Hawk before being drafted in the third round in 1968 by Oakland.

He then went on to play 14 years for the Raiders, 13 of those seasons in Oakland, helping to lead the team to two Super Bowl victories as a player (XI in 1977 and XV in 1981). Along the way, he was selected to eight Pro Bowl while winning numerous All-Pro awards and a place on the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade team.

After his playing career completed, Shell immediately joined the coaching staff, winning a third Super Bowl (XVIII in 1984) as an offensive line coach. In 1989, he broke barriers by being named the first African-American head coach in the NFL, leading his Raiders from 1989-1994 and again in 2006.

Shell is one of nine former Hawks to have played in a Super Bowl, but is the only one to ever win a championship more than once.

“Super Bowl 50” will be played February 7th in Santa Clara, California, pitting the AFC’s Denver Broncos against the NFC’s Carolina Panthers.

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Team Effort Sends UDC Firebirds to 13th Straight Win, 73-57 vs. Daemen

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  Ten Firebirds entered the scoring column, including four in double-figures, as the University of the District of Columbia women's basketball team defeated East Coast Conference foe Daemen College, 73-57 at home on Friday night.

 

The Firebirds have now won 13 straight games as they completed the season sweep of the Wildcats to remain unbeaten in conference play at 10-0 and improved to 15-3 overall. Daemen dropped the 3^rd of its last four games to fall to 4-13 overall and 2-9 in league play.

 

Junior transfer guard Brandi Henton and senior forward Iman Scott led the Firebirds offensively with 14 points apiece. Scott scored 10 of her 14 in the 2^nd half, and Henton registered 11 of her 14 in the 4^th quarter. Junior transfer forward Jenka Stiasna was the spark plug early, scoring eight of her 10 points in the 1^st quarter. Senior forward Arielle Ward had a game-high four steals and a team-high seven rebounds.



Daemen featured two double-figure scorers in guards Sarah Saba and Leah McDonell – both with 15 points each. Raeann Stilwell pitched in with game-highs of nine rebounds and six assists.

 

Neither team shot well from the field as UDC had a slight 38-percent to 37-percent FG shooting edge but were less precise from three-point range (24-percent to 30-percent). The Firebirds had a decisive free-throw shooting advantage, however, as they made 21-of-28 (75-percent) at the stripe compared to 13-of-26 (50-percent) by the Wildcats.

 

UDC also won the rebounding battle, 40-36 and were much more efficient offensively with 12 turnovers compared to 20 by Daemen. The Firebirds turned those 20 Daemen turnovers into 23 points while the Wildcats had only four points off of turnovers.

 

The first four minutes featured seven lead changes and two ties as McDonnell answered a Stiasna three-pointer with a layup at the 6:02 mark to force a 9-all deadlock. A layup by Tiara Goode at 5:10 kick-started an 11-0 run by the Firebirds to close out the quarter as UDC grabbed a 20-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and would never look back.

 

Consecutive three-pointers by Henton and senior guard Tajruba Baldwin-Kollore allowed the Firebirds to remain up 28-16 just past the seven minute mark of the 2^nd quarter, and UDC would lead by as many as 13 before ultimately settling for a 33-21 advantage at halftime.

 

The Firebirds extended their lead to 15 (40-25) two minutes into the 3^rd quarter after a layup by Goode, but Daemen used an 8-0 run to pull within seven after six straight points by McDonell. A conventional three-point play by Scott stopped the bleeding as UDC scored eight of the game's next 11 points and upped its lead to 48-37 approaching two minutes on the clock. The Wildcats scored the last four points of the quarter to pull within seven, 48-41 entering the 4^th quarter.

 

Daemen pulled within five, 50-45, two-and-a-half minutes into the final quarter after a three-pointer by Samantha Wozniak, and later a three-pointer by Natalie Galus kept it a six-point game (56-50) just past the five minute mark. A layup by McDonell at the 2:15 mark again closed the gap to six, but the Firebirds held the Wildcats without a field goal and only one made free-throw for the remainder of regulation as they made 11-of-12 free-throws down the stretch to win comfortably by 16.

 

UDC is back in action at home on Sunday as they host the rematch vs. ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan College at 1 p.m. The last time these two met in Rochester, NY, the Firebirds pulled out a thrilling, 97-90 victory in triple overtime.

 

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Albany State women rout Tuskegee

ALBANY, Georgia — The Albany State Lady Rams fell in love with the long ball early in their game against Tuskegee Saturday afternoon at the HPER Gymnasium and it would help them get a convincing 73-40 victory.

The win improves the Lady Rams to 10-10 on the season and 10-2 in the SIAC.

After a sloppy first quarter that featured about a half dozen turnovers, ASU was able to move the ball and get Keidra Green open in the second. She knocked down four consecutive 3-pointers to give the Lady Rams a 22-15 lead in the second quarter.

Her sister, Kayla, also got active and followed that up with a 4-0 run of her own to push the lead to double digits. Albany State went into the half with a 32-22 lead despite 14 turnovers. Head coach Robert Skinner said they were able to protect the ball better toward the end of the half and that helped them build a lead.

“I think we just were able to move the ball and protect it a little bit better,” he said.

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Lincoln Blue Tigers Break Two Records at Pitt State Invite

PITTSBURG, Kansas  --  Ladonna Richards, Jhevere Hall and Diana Cauldwell won in record-breaking style, highlighting the Lincoln women's indoor track & field team's performance at the Pittsburg State Invitational on Friday (Jan. 29).

Richards beat fellow Blue Tiger Chrisdale McCarthy by a split second in the 60m hurdles, finishing in 8.365 while McCarthy ended the race in 8.369. In the 800m, Hall turned in the winning time of 2:10.22, while Monique Thompson placed fourth (2:14.38) and Shanice Clarke came in 13th (2:18.82). Both Richards' and Hall's times are new facility records.

Lincoln's other record-breaking performance came in the triple jump, where Cauldwell set the new facility mark with a win in the triple jump at 12.34m. Jonelle Campbell placed fifth in that event, posting a top distance of 12.01m. Cauldwell also represented LU in the long jump, taking fifth at 5.60m, while Adewumi Ademuwagun claimed 12th at 5.38m.

The distance medley team of Thompson, Clark, Hall and Yanique Ellington turned in the best time by a Division II squad, taking third overall in 12:17.47. Ellington also competed in the 200m, placing fourth with a time of 24.41.

Lincoln's final notable performance came in the 4x400m relay, where the foursome of Kissi-Ann Brown, Kimona Shaw, Tina Coombs and Ebony Rose finished 10th in 3:56.99.

The Blue Tigers will return to action next Saturday (Feb. 6), as Lincoln travels to Jacksonville, Ill. for the Jim Green Invitational, hosted by Illinois College.

Complete Results

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

N.C. A&T Aggies Stymie SSU's Offense In Win

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Not allowing the other team to score is the foundation on which North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Tarrell Robinson is building his program.

His teams have never finished lower than 38^th in scoring defense over his four-year tenure. The Aggies who came into Saturday afternoon’s game against Savannah State ranked 11^th in the nation in scoring defense, defended their way to a 60-31 win at Corbett Sports Center. Robinson not only feels defense is the foundation, he also believes it is his pathway to winning the program’s first MEAC title in seven years.

“We’ve talked about getting back to our staple and that’s playing great defense and letting it create our offense,” said Robinson. “Tonight showed that we can do that. Hopefully moving forward we can continue to do the same.”

Redshirt junior Dana Brown led the Aggies offensively with 12 points and three assists. Fifth-year senior Christina Carter added 10 points and four assists, while graduate transfer Courtney Powell recorded her first double-double as an Aggie with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

“Courtney is a tremendous athlete,” said Robinson. “She’s still trying to figure out our system, but what she can do is go after the rebound and get a lot of loose balls. I need her to become a better defender, but she can be a double-double machine if she can keep herself on the court.”

Defense seems to be on Robinson mind a lot, and it certainly showed through his team against the Tigers. The Tigers (6-13, 3-5 MEAC) connected on four field goals in the first quarter and held a 9-6 lead after the first. The Tigers only made nine additional field goals the rest of the game. The Tigers’ 31-point output was its lowest in conference play as was their 26 percent shooting.

The Aggies opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run. After Rhianna Warren scored to end the run, the Aggies scored six additional points behind two baskets from Powell to take a 19-11 lead with 4:39 remaining in the half. The Aggies (10-10, 6-3 MEAC) eventually went into the locker room with a 10-point advantage, 25-15, thanks to Brown scoring in transition on a jump shot to end the half.

Brown then opened the second half with a 3-pointer that sparked a 9-0 spurt as N.C. A&T took a 34-15 lead with over the first two minutes of the third quarter. With two minutes remaining in the third, the Aggies lead had increased to 22, 42-20, thanks to a McRae jump shot. The Tigers made only two field goals in the fourth quarter.

Robinson was pleased to see his team bounce back from its disappointing road loss at Coppin State on Wednesday. After three games in one week, Robinson’s team now has a week off before traveling to Durham to play arch-rival N.C. Central at 2 p.m., on Saturday.

“We’re going to try to get to church tomorrow and thank the Lord for this win,” said Robinson. “From there we’re going to let them rest. It’s been a long week. Three games in one week is a lot, so we’ll probably take Sunday and Monday off and get back to work on Tuesday.”

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