Gold Nuggets tied for 13th after dropping two places

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana fell two places Tuesday and is tied for 13th in the NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
     
The poll is the second of the season. The Gold Nuggets (1-2) share their position with Lewis-Clark State. The ranking is Xavier's lowest since Jan. 29, 2013, when it was 13th.
     
Xavier is in the top 25 for the 32nd consecutive time and the 77th time in the last 87 polls. The Gold Nuggets are among the top 15 for the 29th straight time.
     
Defending champion Auburn Montgomery received 13-of-14 first-place votes and remained No. 1.
     
Next for the Gold Nuggets will be three ranked opponents in the Green and Gray Invitational at Lawrenceville Ga. — 3 p.m. EST Friday against No. 4 SCAD Savannah, 3 p.m. EST Saturday against No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett and 10 a.m. EST Sunday against No. 12 Cumberland. The Gold Nuggets' next home dual will start at noon March 5 at XU Tennis Center against No. 22 LSU-Alexandria.


NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Feb. 14)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Auburn Montgomery (13) 2-0 374 1
2 Georgia Gwinnett (1) 1-0 362 2
3 Lindsey Wilson 1-0 348 3
4 SCAD Savannah 3-1 340 4
5 Cardinal Stritch 2-1 324 5
6 William Carey 2-3 315 6
7 Brenau 3-1 303 7
8 Keiser 0-1 283 8
9 Arizona Christian 4-0 280 10
10 Westmont 1-2 266 9
11 Northwestern Ohio 3-2 248 12
12 Cumberland 1-1 223 14
13-tie Xavier 1-2 222 11
13-tie Lewis-Clark State 2-6 222 13
15 Olivet Nazarene 1-2 206 15
16 Indiana Wesleyan 15-0 205 16
17 Davenport 2-3 179 17
18 McPherson 0-0 151 18
19 Southeastern (Fla.) 1-1 149 19
20 Coastal Georgia 0-1 137 20
21 SCAD Atlanta 2-1 129 21
22 LSU-Alexandria 3-3 116 NR
23 Evangel 1-4 109 22
24 Marian (Ind.) 9-2 99 23
25 Campbellsville 0-0 85 24

Dropped from rankings: Ottawa
Others receiving votes: Ottawa 68, Reinhardt 50, Middle Georgia 49, St. Thomas (Fla.) 43, Southwestern (Kan.) 14, Missouri Valley 13, Georgetown (Ky.) 11, San Diego Christian 7, Huntington 5, William Woods 4, Aquinas 3, Milligan 3, Morningside 3, Warner 3


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Wolf Pack leads wire-to-wire, defeats Nuggets 67-57

 Whitney Gathright enjoyed her gifts from senior night.

NEW ORLEANS — Reserve guard Zoie Miller scored 13 points Wednesday to lead NAIA No. 25 Loyola to a 67-57 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at The Den.
     
Di'Mond Jackson and Kylah Jones scored 11 points apiece, and Megan Worry had 10 for the Wolf Pack (18-6), which led wire-to-wire against the Gold Nuggets (17-10) for the second consecutive meeting. Adrianne Sloboh grabbed 13 rebounds.
     
Whitney Gathright scored 24 points — she made four 3-pointers to tie her career high — andDonyeah Mayfield had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Xavier. Alesha Smith and Trana Hopkins scored eight points apiece.
     
Loyola scored the first five points and led 22-14 when Miller ended the first quarter with a 3-pointer. The Wolf Pack led 40-26 at halftime and never by less than six points thereafter.
     
Two Jones free throws at 6:50 of the third quarter gave Loyola its largest lead, 47-28.
     
Gathright, a senior point guard, scored her most points since mid-November and reached 20 points for the 13th time in her career. Her two free throws at 3:47 of the third quarter made her the second Gold Nugget to make 400 in a career. Gathright finished the game 10-of-12 from the line and with 406 made in her career, trailing Antasha Jones (1993-97) with 415.
     
Gathright needs 16 points to become the ninth Gold Nugget to reach 1,300 in a career.
     
Mayfield made a pair of 3-pointers in the final four minutes, the second one at the buzzer to make her the first Gold Nugget with 25 made 3's and 30 blocked shots in the same season. The double-double was Mayfield's fifth of the season and her ninth in two years.
     
Loyola outshot the Gold Nuggets 40 to 27.5 percent from the floor. Xavier tied a season high by making eight 3-pointers, and the Nuggets shot better from behind the arc (34.8 percent) than they did from inside it (21.4). Xavier, which outrebounded its previous four opponents, lost the boards 43-34.
     
Xavier lost for the third straight time against a ranked team in NAIA Division I and is 4-4 this season against those teams. Xavier trailed Loyola by 10 points in this week's coaches poll and was 26th overall.
     
It was Xavier's first double-digit loss of the season against an NAIA opponent.
     
The Gold Nuggets will finish the regular season with three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference road games: 3 p.m. EST Saturday at Edward Waters, 5 p.m. Monday at Tougaloo and 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at Dillard. Xavier and Edward Waters are tied for second place in the GCAC. The GCAC Tournament will be March 4-6 in New Orleans, with opening-round games for the women at SUNO and the men at Dillard. For the third straight year, all semifinals and finals for women and men will be played at Xavier's Convocation Center.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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VUU Lady Panthers Ranked #1 in Atlantic Region

RICHMOND, Virginia -- The Virginia Union University women's basketball team has been ranked #1 in the Atlantic Region by the NCAA, it was announced on Wednesday, February 17.

This marks the first time the women's team has been ranked #1 in the region by the NCAA. The top eight teams in each of the eight regions at the end of the season advance to the NCAA Tournament.

The Lady Panthers are 20-2 overall and 18-2 against Atlantic Region teams, and face Elizabeth City State University at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 17, in Elizabeth City, N.C.

Rank	School	Overall DII Record	In-Region Record
1	Virginia Union	20-2	18-2
2	West Chester	18-5	18-5
3	West Liberty	21-3	21-3
4	California (Pennsylvania)	18-5	18-5
5	Wheeling Jesuit	21-3	21-3
6	Shaw	21-5	21-5
7	Chowan	18-6	18-5
8	Indiana (Pennsylvania)	18-6	18-6
9	Gannon	16-7	16-6
10	Shippensburg	18-6	18-6

 

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SUNO Knights win 77-72 at Xavier, get season split

NEW ORLEANS -- Dominique Suggs scored a career-high 27 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead SUNO to a 77-72 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory Monday against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Knights (7-14, 2-8) snapped a six-game losing streak.

Suggs made his first six attempts from behind the arc. He scored 16 second-half points.

Andre Funches scored 12 points for SUNO, Ezekiel Brown had 11 points and 10 assists, and Joe Brown had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Gary Smith made five 3-pointers and scored a career-best 24 points for the Gold Rush (17-10, 4-5). Morris Wright scored 18. Smith, Wright, Jarvis Thibodeaux (five points, three assists, two steals) and RJ Daniels (did not play) were honored in a pregame senior-night ceremony.

Both teams held double-digit leads. SUNO led 32-19 at 7:06 of the first half after Junaid Olusesi's 3-pointer, and Xavier led 52-40 after Chris Ward's basket with 14:45 remaining. Xavier led 46-40 at halftime after shooting  71.4 percent from the floor, then shot 21.1 percent in the second half.

For the game, SUNO outshot Xavier 51.1 to 47.5 percent from the floor. The Knights made 15-of-27 3-pointers -- 6-of-7 in the first 10 minutes -- and the Gold Rush sank 9-of-16.
Wright, 3-of-3 on first-half 3-pointers, moved into ninth place on Xavier's career point list with 1,442.

SUNO coach Dale Valdery beat Xavier, his alma mater, for the fifth time in 20 tries. Valdery won a then-XU-record 238 games as coach of the Gold Rush from 1990-2002. This is his eighth season at SUNO. Xavier leads the series 71-30, including a victory at SUNO two weeks ago.

It was the third home loss in four games for Xavier, which will close the regular season with three straight on the road. Next will be a 5 p.m. EST Saturday GCAC game against Edward Waters in Jacksonville, Fla.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Chowan Shoots Past Bowie State 70-61

BOWIE, Maryland -- What a difference 72 hours makes as the Chowan University Hawks handed Bowie State University a 70-61 setback on Tuesday evening in the A.C. Jordan Arena. The loss sets the Bulldogs overall mark at 15-11, 8-6 in the CIAA and 4-4 in the Northern Division.

Senior Justin Beck (Ellicott City, Md.) paced Bowie State with 13 points in the setback.  Junior Tai Marshall (Atlantic City, N.J.) and senior Julian Livingston (Bowie, Md.) each grabbed seven boards in the loss.

Marco Haskins (Fredericksburg, Va.) and Kortez Smith (Waldorf, Md.) both tallied 19 points in the win for the Hawks.  Jeremy Smith (Kenansville, N.C.) added 11 points while Josh Mellette (Sanford, N.C.) hauled in a team-high six rebounds.

The Hawks and Bulldogs exchanged baskets at the start of the first half before Kortez Smith's three-pointer at the 16:59 mark gave Chowan a 7-4 lead.  Bowie State remained within striking distance before Haskins' three-pointer with 12:32 on the clock pushed the Hawks ahead 20-14.

The Bulldogs fought back to knot the score 22-22 by the 8:15 mark on a Michael Briscoe (Waldorf, Md.) layup, but Warren Powers (Finksburg, Md.) hit two free throws to spark a 19-7 run for Chowan, propelling the Hawks to a 41-29 lead heading into halftime.

The Hawks continued to build on the momentum in the second half, maintaining a double-digit lead until the 11:38 mark.  Chowan held a 54-44 advantage with 8:43 left in the game  before a 9-2 run by Bowie State cut the Hawks' lead to three points (56-53).  A three-pointer by Kortez Smith shifted the momentum back in favor of Chowan.

Livingston's free throw with 1:40 on the clock left the Hawks clinging to a 64-61 lead but Haskins answered with a three-pointer for Chowan to push the Hawks ahead 67-61.  Two made free throw by Carlos Arroyo (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico) and one by Jeremy Smith allowed Chowan to secure the 70-61 win.

Chowan (18-7, 10-4 CIAA, 4-4 North) shot 53-6 percent from the field in the first half (15-for-28), which included 4-for-8 behind the 3-point line. On the other side of the stat sheet, Bowie State shot 34.5 percent (10-for-29) from the field in the first 20 minutes and 9-of-10 free throws.

Bowie State continued to struggle from the field in the second half, going 11-for-32 and finished the contest 1-for 13 behind the arc. The Bulldogs were able to control the glass, out-rebounding the Hawks 42-28.

The Bulldogs will have little time to regroup as Bowie State welcomes divisional leading Virginia State University to the A.C. Jordan Arena on Wednesday (2/17) night at 7:30 p.m.

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COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Bryan Henry: Good to see David Ross at FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Game week is finally here! In a few days, Florida A&M will be playing the Thundering Herd of Marshall in a weekend series at Moore-Kittles Field.

I have that feeling that opening day has crept up on me a little bit. It seems as if Feb. 19 all of a sudden just appeared and I still of a lot to do to get ready. A lot of it is just organizational things like preparing all of the charts we keep, making sure game balls are rubbed up, and going over last year’s three games with Marshall to develop a scouting report for this year.

All of these things will not take long to finish and I will be ready to go by Friday’s opener. We have had not one but two sick children at the house last week and the start of this week so that has slowed my pace a little. They are feeling better just in time for opening weekend, so we are all set at the Henry house.

While I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off, the players are chomping at the bit to get cranked up. For the second consecutive year we have been lucky enough to have a major-league baseball player speak to the team before the start of the season.

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Specks sparks Jackson State in win at PVAMU

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas -- For much of this season, guards Raeford Worsham, Chace Franklin and Paris Collins have received most of the attention for Jackson State.

It's usually one of those three that have big performances that lead the Tigers to victory.

A new face stepped into the equation on Monday night, though.

Guard Yettra Specks scored a career-high 23 points to lead JSU to an 80-66 road victory against Prairie View A&M at the William Nicks Building in Prairie View, Texas.

Specks scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half to help the Tigers earn a runaway win, which pushed them to 14-12 overall and 9-4 in the SWAC. Specks was 12 of 15 from the free-throw line, which should be encouraging for a JSU team that typically struggles from the charity stripe.

The Tigers were 1-5 in regular season games played in Texas under coach Wayne Brent before this triumph.

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Southern women rout Valley in tune-up for red-hot Alabama State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern women’s game against the worst team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference was a tune-up for its game against the league’s hottest team.

The Jaguars scored the first 17 points and steamrolled undermanned Mississippi Valley State 78-26 on Monday night in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The game got out of hand even more quickly than Southern’s 99-36 win in the first meeting four weeks earlier.

Next up for the Jaguars (10-3 in the SWAC and 13-9 overall) is a Saturday visit to second-place Alabama State, which has won 10 consecutive games.

“This was a preparation game for Saturday,” said forward Cortnei Purnell, who scored a game-high 11 points. “We played a lot of different defenses. Everybody did well, everybody scored.”

Only one Jaguar — center Jadea Brundidge, who dressed out but was sick — didn’t play and all 14 who did scored. Briana Green (10 points) was the only other double-figure scorer.

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Johnson C. Smith University Women's Indoor Track & Field Claims CIAA Runner Up Finish

JCSU Women Wins Three Events, Finishes as Runner-Up at CIAA
Indoor Track and Field Championships

Winston-Salem, North Carolina -- The Johnson C. Smith women's indoor track and field team had a total of nine podium finishes and took home three CIAA event championships while finishing as the runner-up at the CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at the JDL FastTrack in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Monday afternoon.

JCSU claimed three championships on the day, with Kendra Clarke (Edmonton, Alberta) taking the crown in the 400m with a time of 54.62.  Domenique Julius-Williams (Oshawa, Ontario) brought home the 800m title with a 2:16.28 and the 4x400 relay team of Clarke, Julius-Williams,
Crystal Campbell (St. Catherine, Jamaica) and Tovea Jenkins (St. James, Jamaica) won by posting a 3:46.52.

Other notable performances by the Golden Bulls included Shamaz Quince (West Palm Beach, Fla.) taking second place in the triple jump and third place in the 60m hurdles.  Fellan Ferguson (Kingston, Jamaica) had a great weekend, as she recorded a second place finish in the 800m and a completed the mile run in third place.

Winston-Salem State took home their second-consecutive title, outdistancing the Golden Bulls by 10 points.  St. Augustine's finished in third behind JCSU with 107.33 points.

Women's Team Standings - Final1.            Winston-Salem State     120
2.            Johnson C. Smith           110
3.            St. Augustine's               107.33
4.            Virginia State                   41.33
5.            Livingstone                       21
6.            Virginia Union                  16
7.            Lincoln                              13.33
8.            Bowie State                        4

JCSU Women's Results – Day 2
60m Hurdles – Finals
3^rd           Shamaz Quince                 8.72

60m - Finals
4^th           Mayah Edwards               7.68
5^th           Trudy-Ann Richards        7.70

400m - Finals
1^st           Kendra Clarke                    54.62
2^nd          Tovea Jenkins                    55.28

800m – Finals
1^st           Domenique Julius-Williams          2:16.28
2^nd          Fellan Ferguson                            2:17.67
4^th           Tovea Jenkins                                2:24.25

200m – Finals
2^nd          Kendra Clarke                 24.93
4^th           Trudy-Ann Richards        25.20

Mile - Finals
3^rd           Fellan Ferguson                            5:24.09
5^th           Domenique Julius-Williams          5:27.84
12^th         October Campbell                         5:57.40

4x400 Relay – Finals
1^st           JCSU (Clarke, Julius-Williams, C. Campbell, Jenkins)   3:46.52

Shot Put – Finals
11^th         Reilyn Powell                     9.07m
15^th         Mayah Edwards                 8.43m
17^th         Alexus Melton                    7.85m

Triple Jump –Finals
2^nd          Shamaz Quince               11.48m
10^th         Ramoya Grandison          9.92m

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XULA Gold Nuggets beat SUNO, clinch another winning season

NEW ORLEANS -- Whitney Gathright scored 18 points Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 70-62 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against SUNO.

The Gold Nuggets (17-9, 5-4) honored six student-athletes, including Gathright, at halftime on senior night, and four scored in double figures. Donyeah Mayfield had 14 points, and Alesha Smith and Trana Hopkins scored 10 apiece.

Xavier assured itself of a 15th consecutive winning season, which extends a school record.

Jasmine Bush
5'-11"Forward, Sophomore
Hometown: Meridian, Mississippi
High School: Southeast Lauderdale

Rayvin Miller scored 25 points, 19 in the second half, for the Lady Knights (9-12, 4-6). Jophiea Irvin scored 16 points, and Micah Brooks grabbed 11 rebounds.

Gathright made 12-of-13 free throws and tied a career high with nine rebounds. Mayfield blocked four shots to match her career best.

Xavier led the final 38 minutes and held its largest lead, 30-12, after Hopkins opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer. The Gold Nuggets led 45-28 at halftime.

Miller scored 11 points in a 15-2 run that opened the fourth quarter and cut Xavier's lead to 62-57, but the Lady Knights got no closer.

SUNO outshot Xavier 33.9 to 32.8 percent from the floor, but the Gold Nuggets made 28-of-35 free throws, both season highs, to SUNO's 13-of-19. Xavier made its first 22 attempts from the line.

Xavier, 0-3 a year ago against SUNO, won both regular-season meetings. The Gold Nuggets lead the series 64-13.

Also honored on senior night were Emoni Harvey (five points, season-high-tying seven rebounds) and Amara Person-Hampton (three points, three rebounds).

Xavier will visit a non-conference city rival, NAIA No. 25 Loyola, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Big Second Half Lifts Hampton Pirates Over Morgan State

HAMPTON, Virginia –  Despite leading by just one at the half Monday night at the HU Convocation Center, the Hampton University men's basketball team ran past Morgan State 87-79 in front of a national ESPNU audience.

The Pirates improved to 15-9 overall and 10-2 in MEAC play.

Reginald Johnson, Jr. and Quinton Chievous each had 20 points to lead the Pirates; Johnson also dished out a career-high eight assists, while Chievous grabbed 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season.

Jervon Pressley came off the bench to record his third double-double of the season, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also had both of the Pirates' blocks.

The Pirates shot 29-for-63 (46.0 percent) from the floor and hit six of their 18 3-pointers. Hampton was also 71.9 percent (23-for-32) from the free throw line, and the Pirates outrebounded Morgan State 45-36.

The first half saw seven ties and seven lead changes, and Morgan State held a 41-37 lead with 1:32 left in the half following a pair of free throws from Andre Horne. But the Pirates closed the half on a 7-1 run, taking a 44-43 lead with four seconds left after Johnson hit a pair of free throws.

The Pirates shot 50.0 percent (15-for-30) from the floor in the first half.

Johnson had 12 points at the break, while Chievous had 10.

That 7-1 run bled into the second half, growing into a 19-8 run when Chievous threw down a slam at the 15:05 mark to put the Pirates up 56-49. After Rasean Simpson ended that run with a layup, Hampton scored the next eight points – going up 64-51 after another Chievous dunk with 12:01 left.

A Dionte Adams jumper with 5:35 left put Hampton up 75-62, Morgan State scored the next six points to cut the lead to 75-68 after a pair of Simpson free throws with 3:19 to play.

Simpson hit two more free throws with 1:17 left to cut the lead to 80-75.

The Pirates answered with a pair of Akim Mitchell free throws and a Pressley dunk, going up 84-75 with 53 seconds remaining. The closest the Bears could get from that point was within six.

Morgan State (5-19, 3-8 MEAC) shot 40.0 percent (28-for-70) from the floor – going just 13-for-36 (36.1 percent) in the second half – and going 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from distance.

Simpson and Phillip Carr each had 21 points for the Bears.

The Pirates will be in Dover, Del. on Monday, Feb. 22 to take on Delaware State. 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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WSSU Rams Repeat as 2016 CIAA Women's Indoor Track & Field Champions

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams did it again as the team claimed its second straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Indoor Women's Indoor Track & Field Championship, Monday afternoon. The Rams took the win by a slight margin as they totaled 120 points to claim the title, just 10 points ahead of conference runners-up Johnson C. Smith.

"We worked really hard this whole season, starting from August," WSSU sophomore Rachel Bonham said after claiming the championship. "I didn't think we would do this good, but we did. We all worked hard as a team."
 
RESULTS 

The Rams took the win behind some inspired performances by sophomore Domtilla Kiplagat, who was named the women's track MVP after compiling 22.25 total points at the meet. She took first place finishes in the women's 3000m run, the women's one-mile run, and she was a part of the Rams' first place distance medley relay team.

Fellow sophomore Rachel Bonham also had a terrific day when she tied with Saint Augustine's Shamia Lassiter as the field events co-MVP. She took home the honor after winning the women's high jump, placing second in the women's pentathlon.

With the victory, the Rams claim their second straight indoor championship and their third championship since 2011.

Following the conference championships, the Rams will turn their attentions to preparations for the upcoming NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The team will compete in the UCS Invitational prior to awaiting selections for the national championship meet.

 

For more information on Rams women's track & field, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Benedict Track Teams Fare Well At Samford Open

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  --  The Benedict College men's and women's indoor track and field teams competed in the Samford Open over the weekend at the Birmingham Crossplex and had some exceptional performances.  Dessie Demlew captured Benedict's only win of the weekend, winning the 5000 meter run with a season-best time of 14:53. He also finished sixth in the men's 3000 meter run with a season-best time of 8:35.19.

Marc Sutton placed fourth in the weight throw with a distance of 16.26 meters (53 feet, 4 1/4 inches).

Ediberto Crisanto also ran a personal best time in the 5000 meter run with a 16:12 and the 3000 meter run with a time of 9:10.78.

Teammate Haregot Gebreyesus also ran a season's best time of 15:51 in the 5000 meter run and 9:11.78 in the 3000 meter run.

Naquan Adams finished ninth in the high jump by clearing 1.95 meters (6 feet, 4 3/4 inches).

The women's team also had good weekend with Karel Ziketh making it to the finals in the women's 60 meter hurdles race against a high-powered professional field. She finished eighth overall with a time of 8.63 in the prelims and 8.75 in the finals. She is currently ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Division II ranking.

Lea Tshikaya made her way onto the NCAA ranking as well in the 400 meter dash. She ran a season's best time of 57.08, setting a Benedict indoor school record. She finished 14th overall.

Jenella John also broke the school record in the 800 meter run with a 2:16.46.

Ashley Wingo broke her own school record in the weight throw with a mark of 13.16 meters (43 feet, 2 ¼ inches). She also finished 13th in the shot put with a mark of 11.67 meters (38 feet, 3 1/2 inches).

The women's team broke the school record in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:55.40. They finished seventh overall.

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Saint Augustine's University Falcons Capture 19th Straight Men's Title At CIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships

The 2016 CIAA Indoor Men's Track and Field Champs

Courtesy: Saint Augustine's University Sports Information

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  Saint Augustine's University won its 19th consecutive men's conference title at the CIAA Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016.

The Falcons scored 173 points to continue their championship streak. Virginia Union University was second with 107 points and Virginia State University was third with 84.5 points.

Saint Augustine's University placed third in the women's division with 107.33 points. Winston-Salem State scored 120 points to win its second consecutive women's title and Johnson C. Smith was second with 110 points.

Immanuel Hutchinson (Sr./San Jacinto, CA) of the Falcons was selected men's track MVP after scoring 30 points in the meet. The Falcons' senior won the 5000-meter and one-mile runs and placed second in the 800-meter run. On Sunday, he was part of the winning men's distance medley squad which included Shaquille Dill (Fr./Pembroke, Bermuda), Burkheart Ellis, Jr. (Sr./Raleigh, NC) and Khari Herbert, Jr.(Jr./Coral Springs, FL).

Shamia Lassiter (Sr./Chesapeake, VA) of the Lady Falcons was chosen women's field co-MVP after scoring 18 points. Lassiter won the pentathlon and placed second in the long jump. She also won the 60-meter hurdles.

The Falcons relied on their sprinters and jumpers to win their latest men's championship. They won all eight running events and the triple jump Monday to pull away from their competitors.

Behind 36-15 to Virginia Union entering the final day, the Falcons erupted for 158 points to win easily. Hutchinson led the way with two victories and Herbert, Jr. (400 meters), Shawn Rowe (60-Meter Hurdles), Daniel Jamieson (Sr./Windsor, CT/200 meters), Dill (800 meters), Ellis (60 Meters), and Jumonne Exeter (Soph./St. Vincent/Triple Jump) each won an event. The nation's top-ranked 4x400-meter relay squad which includes Herbert, Ellis, Rowe and Omar Johnson (Sr./St. Ann, Jamaica) was also victorious for the Falcons.

Sparked by Lassiter, the Lady Falcons won six events. Ornella Livingston (Jr./St. Ann, Jamaica) was a double-winner after capturing the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. Amenze Uhunmwangho (Sr./Ebo, Nigeria) was the triple jump winner and Shakinah Brooks (Jr./Raleigh, NC) claimed the long jump on Sunday.

RESULTS

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

HU takes control of MEAC women's race by beating Morgan State; HU men also alone in first

HAMPTON, Virginia -- On a slushy Monday night, Hampton University's play was slightly less sloppy than the Convocation Center's parking lot. The Lady Pirates shot 33 percent from the field and had three times as many turnovers (23) as assists (seven).

But what mattered was a 60-47 win over Morgan State, with which HU came in tied for second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings. Thanks to North Carolina A&T's win over Bethune-Cookman, the Lady Pirates (11-13, 9-2) are now in sole possession of first place.


"We didn't play well," Hampton coach David Six said. "But you know what? You've got to be careful you don't make them feel like they lost when they won. That team was in second place, and we won. That's the bottom line."

In the first, third and fourth quarters, the Lady Pirates were outscored 39-32. But HU dominated the second by outscoring the Bears 28-8. Malia Tate-DeFreitas, who missed her first four shots, scored 18 of her 23 points in the second period.

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NCA&T Aggies Beat No. 2 Nebraska, Win SFA's Tournament

Senior Emily Strombeck was named tournament MVP
 at the Stormin Ladyjack Classic hosted by
 Stephen F. Austin.

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information

HOUSTON, Texas  – The North Carolina A&T bowling team moved back into the National Tenpin Coaches Association Top-10 poll this month at No. 10 after dropping to No. 11 in last month’s poll. The Aggies then went out and proved they belonged there by winning the Stormin Ladyjack Classic hosted by Stephen F. Austin. The Aggies went an impressive 10-3 to improve to 49-28 on the season.

In doing so, the Aggies defeated the No. 2 team in the nation in Nebraska, the No. 4 team Sam Houston State, the No. 8 team SFA and the No. 9 team Farleigh Dickinson. The Aggies defeated FDU 4-3 in the best of seven championship round to win the tournament. Two-time MEAC Bowler of the Year and All-American senior Emily Strombeck won tournament MVP honors by posting a season-high 225.67 average.

In addition, Strombeck, one of the best bowlers in school if not Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history, had a career game with a 287 in a traditional game win over Grambling. Strombeck had plenty of help as junior MacKenzie Robinson finished seventh with an average of 213.33 and sophomore Kori Smith placed 16^th with an average of 202.33. Sophomore Kristin Shinn came close to making it four Aggies with an average of 200 or better when she closed out the tournament with a 196.5 average.

“The team was on a mission,” said N.C. A&T head coach James Williams. “To have three girls average over 200, with one being the tournament MVP, and to have a fourth at 196, is something special. Everyone contributed at some point throughout the weekend. On Saturday it was big game after big game, and it was good to see everyone step up and take turns.”

The Aggies went 6-0 on Saturday in traditional play to earn the No. 1 seed in Sunday’s tournament bracket play. The Aggies squeezed out five close wins over nationally-ranked opponents in the process. They took down No. 16 Monmouth 988-927 as Shinn finished with a score of 212 and Robinson had 210. The Aggies then defeated FDU 1,073-1,018 as Smith’s 249 was complemented by Strombeck’s 215 and Robinson’s 214.

In the Aggies 1,094-1,035 win over SHSU put together a 256 and Robinson, Smith and Shinn also had games over 200. Perhaps the most entertaining game of the day came against No. 14 LIU-Brooklyn as the Aggies won 1,025-1,020. The Aggies needed all the help they could get to eke out the win as Shinn bowled a 252 and Robinson aided with a 244.

The Aggies closed by beating SFA 966-919. Again the Aggies leading foursome led the way as Shinn’s 224 paced N.C. A&T.

 On Sunday the Aggies opened with Nebraska and defeated the Cornhuskers 3-0 with two ties in the best out of seven contest. The Aggies then went on to beat FDU for the title after losing the first three games in the best out of seven.

“Sunday was about finishing,” said Williams. “Finishing what we started. We were able to do that against Nebraska. But our will was tested against FDU. After going down oh-3, the ladies found a way to battle back and win. That’s the heart of a champion.”

Williams credited the team’s Brunswick equipment for allowing the Aggies to do some things most other teams were not able to do. He also credited the team’s ability to communicate.

“The communication was fantastic as well as our ability to make adjustments quickly,” said Williams.  “For the most part the team bowled with patience and aggression. Our spare shooting was
the best it’s been all year.”

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION      

Xavier Gold Rush earn first-ever victory against Nicholls

Results

THIBODAUX, Louisiana — Was it a Valentine's Day breakthrough for Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis?
 
 Maybe, coach Alan Green said after his Gold Rush, a longtime NAIA power, won 6-1 Sunday at Nicholls State of NCAA Division I. "It's still early," Green said, "but I feel like we've got a pretty good team. We can do some really good things. But we still have a long way to go."
    
For the Gold Rush (3-2), ranked fourth, it was the first victory in nine dual matches against the Colonels (1-2). There had been three close calls in recent seasons, including 4-3 a year ago, but this time Xavier left no doubt. The Rush won the doubles point and four singles matches on the court.
    
It was the 30th victory in Green's 13 seasons against a Division I men's opponent but the third against a non-HBCU from that level.
    
Nicholls State made Xavier's path easier because the Colonels had five available players. That resulted in default victories for the Rush at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles, and Xavier needed just one on-court victory to claim the doubles point. The Rush got that when Karan Salwan and Kyle Montrel beat Max Sinn and Evan Karatzas 6-3.
    
Xavier maintained its momentum during singles. Salwan defeated Kieran Cronin 6-4, 6-3, then freshman Thomas Setodji, in his first day of collegiate competition, clinched the dual with a 6-2, 6-2 decision against Sam Meessen. Adam Albrecht extended Xavier's lead to 5-0 when he toppled Oscar Reeve 6-2, 6-3.
    
Karatzas beat Montrel 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) at the top singles flight, but the Gold Rush ended the dual with another victory — Tushar Mandlekar defeated Sinn 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6).
    
"Nicholls played us tough," Green said. "They didn't play like they were down a guy. But our guys withstood their challenge and took care of business."
    
Setodji, winner of three state singles championships as a French junior, found his groove after he and Kevin Chaouat dropped their first four doubles games. They won four of the next five games before falling 6-4 to Reeve and Cronin, then Setodji cruised in singles, dropping fewer games than any of his teammates.
    
"I was tense in doubles," Setodji said. "The conditions were difficult, and those guys (Nicholls) played well. But things got better in singles. Everything in singles was great from start to finish."
    
Next for Xavier's men and women will be the Green and Gray Invitational at Lawrenceville, Ga. They'll play SCAD Savannah Friday, Georgia Gwinnett Saturday and Cumberland Sunday. All six of those opponents were in the NAIA's preseason top 25s. New rankings will be announced Tuesday. Georgia Gwinnett's men are a two-time defending national champion.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU Rattler Linksters 2nd At Frito Lay AllState Invite



(L) Assistant Golf Coach Mike Rice and Head Golf Coach Marvin Green (R)

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The FAMU Men’s Golf team staged a strong showing in Sunday’s opening round of the Frito Lay AllState Intercollegiate Invitational hosted by Jackson State University.

FAMU shot an opening round 311 to trail the University of Missouri at St. Louis, which finished Sunday’s play with a one-over par 289.

Leading the way for FAMU on the Individual Leaderboard is the duo of Kevin Parker and Dennis Minefee, who finished the opening round tied for eighth at 77, followed by Brian Bowman (10th) with a 78, and Omari Whitmore (13th) with a 79.

Second round play begins Monday morning at the Dancing Rabbit Azaleas Course.

FRITO LAY ALLSTATE INTERCOLLEGIATE GOLF

Team Scores * Opening Round * Sunday, February 14, 2016

1 Missouri - St. Louis 289 +1

2 Florida A&M 311 +23

3 LeTourneau University 320 +32

4 Jackson State 324 +36

5 Louisiana College 334 +46

6 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 349 +61

7 Alcorn State 350 +62

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern baseball team ineligible for NCAA tournament, awaits additional penalties

HEAD COACH ROGER CADOR

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern baseball team is ineligible for the NCAA tournament under the first of multiple sanctions against the program.

Jaguars coach Roger Cador revealed the sanction even though the school is still awaiting written notification of the penalties from the NCAA.

It’s the third consecutive season Southern is ineligible for the NCAA tournament. The first two penalties were part of an athletic department-wide penalty, handed down because the university supplied the NCAA with unusable data on student-athletes’ Academic Progress Rates.

The latest postseason ineligibility is a result of the baseball team falling short of the NCAA minimum of a 930 APR score over a four-year period, Cador said.

“I don’t want to go into the season living a lie,” said Cador, who informed the team of the sanction after practice Saturday. “We’ll just wait for the other sanctions that certainly will be coming.”

The other sanctions are the result of the baseball program “over-rewarding scholarships,” interim athletic director Roman Banks said.

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