FAMU Women Hold Off B-CU At Homecoming, 53-48

Tallahassee, Florida – The FAMU Women’s Basketball team held off Bethune-Cookman, 53-48,  in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at the Al Lawson Center Saturday afternoon.

 

This match up had a lot more at stake than bragging rights for the year.  This game was for a top seed  in the upcoming MEAC Tournament.

 

FAMU (14-11, 8-4 MEAC) started of strong. The ladies shot over 50 percent from the field in the first half. The Lady Rattlers played tough defense ending the quarter with a chase down block from Khadejra Young.

 

FAMU led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter.  

 

The Lady Rattlers kept their foot on the gas during the second quarter. The score was 25 to 16 with 4:46 left in the first half.  Despite FAMU’s effort B-C clawed their way back into the game with defensive intensity. They closed the quarter on a 10-0 run, to take a 26-25 lead at the half.  

 

The third quarter started off slow because both teams locked in on defense.

 

FAMU led 33-30 half way through the third quarter. Both teams began to find an offensive rhythm late in the quarter, but FAMU seized the momentum with a buzzer beater layup at the end of the period, for  41-36 lead.. 

 

The Lady Wildcats opened up the final quarter on a 7-0 run holding The Lady Rattlers scoreless for more than three minutes.

 

The Rattler offense came alive late in the fourth quarter after a big steal from Khadejra Young. The Wildcats sloppy play continued into the next possession and resulted in a turnover and easy points.

 

The game went down to the wire, but the Rattlers were able to put the nail in the coffin with more tough defense.

 

Khadejra Young led the team with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five  assists, three steals and one block.

 

Head Coach LeDawn Gibson was pleased with how her team finished the game.

 

“We played better together as a team. We lost to them three times last year so it was very important to win. That’s what our pregame talk was about,” said Wilson.

 

WHAT’S NEXT:  The Lady Rattlers will travel north to take on Maryland-Eastern Shore. The game is on Monday and tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

 

By MARC BETANCOURT

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Rattler Baseball Clinches Series by Pounding Marshall 20-4

Willis McDaniel had a home run and five RBI in the win.
Courtesy: FAMU Athletics 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  –  Florida A&M (2-0) kept the offense going, in game two, with 20 runs on 21 hits to defeat Marshall (0-2) by a score of 20-4 on Saturday at Moore-Kittles Field. It was the first time the Rattlers totaled 20 runs in a game since defeating Maryland Eastern-Shore 20-5 on April 18, 2009. Seniors Alec Wong (3-for-4) and Ryan Hutson (3-for-3) continued to swing a hot bat for FAMU. Freshman, center fielder, Willis McDaniel drove in five runs while going 3-for-5, with his second home run of the season and three runs scored.

FAMU had two monster innings as it scored seven in the fourth inning and nine in the sixth inning. Dylan Dillard (2-for-5, RBI and two runs) and Ben Ellzey (3-for-4, two RBI, two runs) also had big games for Florida A&M at the plate.

Rattler starting pitcher Sawyer Betts (1-0) picked up the win after working 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and four walks. Betts allowed four runs on four hits in his first start.

FAMU scored first, in the bottom of the first inning, with four runs on four hits including two Herd errors for an early 4-0 lead. Marlon Gibbs led off with a single to third base, but an errant throw from Marshall third baseman Tyler Ratliff allowed Gibbs to advance to second. Wong then singled home Gibbs from second and Wong moved up a base as the throw home went through the legs of the catcher. After Jacky Miles, Jr. went down on a called third strike, Brian Davis was hit-by-pitch to place runners on first and second with one out. Dillard would single through the left side to load the bases and Ben Ellzey drew a walk to plate Wong for the second run of the inning. With the bases still loaded, McDaniel brought home Davis, from third, on a bloop single to center and Dillard came home on a sac fly from Ryan Hutson to end the scoring in the inning.

Cory Garrastazu led off the third inning for Marshall with a solo home run to deep right field to cut the Rattler lead to 4-1.

The Rattlers used a seven run fourth inning, as they sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, to blow the game open at 11-1. Hutson led off the bottom of the inning with a single back up the middle and came around to score as Peter Jackson followed by crushing a triple into right center. Gibbs then walked to put runners on the corners before Wong belted a three-run home run over the right field fence. After a Davis walk and another Ellzey single, McDaniel ripped an RBI single into left center as Davis scored from second. Hutson then roped his second hit of the inning, this time a two-run double down the left line as the FAMU lead proved to big to overcome for Marshall.

The Herd made the score 11-2 after scoring a single run in the top of the fifth inning. Garrastazu walked and tagged up to go to second on a deep fly out to straightaway center field from Reynaldo Pastrana. After advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt, Garrastazu scored on Corey Bird’s RBI double into right center.

Marshall plated its’ final two runs in the top of the sixth inning to cut the FAMU lead to 11-4. Sam Finfer led off with a walk and Tyler Ratliff singled to left to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout and a walk to Garrastazu to load the bases, the Rattlers made a pitching change as Brandon Fleming came in for relief of starter Betts. Ratliff scored from third on an errant throw from Miles, Jr. on a pickoff attempt at second and Aaron Bossi later scored the second run of the inning on Pastrana’s RBI single up the middle.

Florida A&M put the game away for good with nine more runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning for a final score of 20-4. FAMU sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning and was highlighted by McDaniel’s second home run of the weekend, a three-run shot to left field.

MU starter JD Hammer (0-1) worked three innings and allowed eight runs on nice hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the loss.

Florida A&M and Marshall close out the three game series at 11:00 AM on Sunday at Moore-Kittles Field.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook, while live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com on the baseball schedule page.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets miss the mark, lose at Edward Waters

 JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Xavier University of Louisiana scored a combined 12 points in the second and third quarters Saturday and lost 60-47 to Edward Waters in Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball.
    
The Gold Nuggets (17-11, 5-5), who entered the game in a second-place tie in the conference with the Lady Tigers (19-7, 6-4), fell to fourth place, half a game behind Philander Smith. Xavier will close the regular season with GCAC road games against Tougaloo at 5:30 p.m. Monday and Dillard at 3 p.m. Saturday.
    
Whitney Gathright scored 14 points and Alesha Smith 10 for Xavier, which led 14-9 after the first quarter but made 4-of-28 field goals during the next two periods. Kyeshia Dawkins' basket in the 17th minute put Edward Waters ahead to stay, 19-17, and the Lady Tigers extended their lead to 53-30 on Kadajah Allen's 3-pointer with 4:47 remaining.
    
Dawkins scored 16 points and Allen 13 for Edward Waters — which scored its first victory in 14 all-time meetings with the Gold Nuggets — and Valerie Hill had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
    
For the game, Xavier shot 26.9 percent from the floor (18-of-67). It was the second consecutive game and the eighth time this season the Gold Nuggets shot less than 30 percent. Xavier missed its first 13 3-point attempts and finished 1-of-15. Edward Waters shot 42.3 percent from the floor.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Stellar defense gives Rush a GCAC road victory

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Morris Wright's 200th career 3-pointer put Xavier University of Louisiana ahead to stay Saturday in a 42-39 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Edward Waters.

Xavier (18-10, 5-5) allowed its fewest points in more than 100 games to snap a two-game losing streak.
    
Wright, who led all scorers with 13 points, made his only 3-pointer of the game with 10:44 remaining to give Xavier a 28-26 lead. Wright capped the scoring with two free throws with 11 seconds remaining, and Charles-Eddie Smith of Edward Waters (11-15, 3-7) missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
    
Wright is the second Gold Rush player to make 200 career 3-pointers. Mark Stewart, whose career ended in 2008, made 299.
    
No other Xavier player scored more than six points. Elex Carter grabbed 12 rebounds and Kevin Murph seven, both career highs, and Leland Alexander and Chris Ward had five rebounds apiece. Wright had three steals.
    
Cameron Venus scored 11 points and Oceann Maddox nine for the Tigers.
    
Xavier limited Edward Waters to 26.4 percent field-goal shooting — 18.2 percent (6-of-33) in the final 25 minutes. Xavier ranks third in NAIA Division I in scoring defense and fourth in field-goal percentage defense.
    
After a halftime tie at 18, Edward Waters twice led by three, the second time at 26-23 with 11:31 remaining after a pair of Venus free throws.
    
Xavier set a GCAC record for fewest points by a winning team. The points were Xavier's fewest in a victory since a 35-33 decision over Clark (Ga.) in the 1948-49 season.
    
The Gold Rush are 9-0 against Edward Waters since the Tigers joined the GCAC in 2010.
    
Xavier will finish the regular season with GCAC games at Tougaloo at 7:30 p.m. Monday and at Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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G-Men Mistakes Give JSU 61-58 Win

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The Grambling State University Tigers (6-20, 3-11 SWAC) lost by three to the Jackson State University Tigers (15-12, 10-4 SWAC) on their home court. The game ended with a strong second half effort by GSU, pulling the game within four points with only 10 seconds remaining. But the Tigers fell short, losing 58-61.

Arnold Richmond led Grambling State scoring with 20 points. Deonte Hearns contributed eight points and 10 rebounds. JSU scoring was led by Raeford Worsham with 16 points.

Though GSU's G-Men lost the game, they made a strong comeback effort. They just made too many mistakes. "We lost the game early in the second half. We turned the ball over and we came up with too many empty offensive possessions", said GSU head coach Shawn Walker.

It was a slow start for both teams as each scored under 10 points in the first seven minutes of the half. Two 3-pointers from GSU's Arnold Richmond put the Tigers up by five with 11 minutes to go. JSU answered with back-to-back buckets, putting them within one with seven minutes left in the half. JSU scored seven points off of GSU turnovers, giving them a three-point lead over the Tigers.

GSU remained scoreless for over three minutes until free throws by Nigel Riberio and a 3-pointer by Ervin Mitchell put the Tigers up by one. The Tigers of JSU began to pull away with a 3-pointer from Yettra Specks and back-to-back layups from Janarius Middleton and Chase Franklin. Middleton and Specks each had six points. JSU led by five at the half, 30-25.

Both teams started the second half with intensity, defensively and offensively. JSU fouls put Grambling State on the line early and brought GSU within two. Grambling State turnovers allowed JSU to stretch their lead to nine points with less than 16 minutes left. JSU shot over 50 percent from the field, leaving the Tigers behind by 13. Three-pointers from Specks and Javeres Brent kept JSU on top.

With under 10 minutes left in the game, 3-pointers from GSU's Richmond and Riberio put the Tigers within nine. JSU had 13 second chance points to expand their lead with under eight minutes left. JSU guard Raeford Worsham converted a 3-point play, putting JSU up by 10. The Tigers struggled to score with only 12 points scored in under 10 minutes. With three minutes left in the half, JSU led by 10.

The Grambling State Tigers face the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions Saturday (February 27) at 5 p.m. in the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

BRE'ANNA JOHNSON, GSU Sports Media
COURTESY GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Texas Southern Tigers get road win over MVSU

GREENWOOD, Mississippi -- Texas Southern won its third straight game in a row and Mississippi Valley State dropped its third consecutive contest 98-67 Saturday night at Harris Arena.

David Blanks and Orlando Coleman scored 17 points apiece to lead TSU and keep them atop the conference standings.

Derrick Griffin scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for his ninth consecutive double-double and 14th on the season while Malcolm Riley added 13 for the Tigers (13-12, 12-1), who shot 55 percent from the field. Chris Thomas, Jose Rodriguez and Tyree Bynum scored 11 apiece.

Leading 48-33 at halftime, the Tigers pulled ahead by 32 points after David Blanks' layup that capped a 13-3 run. The Tigers' biggest lead of the game, 83-50, came on Griffin's free throw.

The Tigers outrebounded the Delta Devils 38-28 and outscored them 38-24 in the paint.

Marcus Romain led MVSU (5-23, 5-9) with 23 points and Isaac Williams added 20.

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Southern women turn the tables on Alabama State, move into second place in the SWAC

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Southern women wanted to reverse the outcome of their first meeting with Alabama State in the rematch Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Jaguars not only did that, they very nearly flipped the entire script in a 57-55 victory in a key Southwestern Athletic Conference game at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

As the Lady Hornets did in their 60-59 overtime victory in the F.G. Clark Activity center on Jan. 23, Southern seized control early, lost the lead in the second half and made the decisive plays in the final seconds.

The only difference was the Jaguars didn’t need extra time win after Briana Green made a steal and put them ahead with a three-point play with 1:46 left and added another steal and free throw with 4.4 seconds left.

Alabama State, which won the first meeting on two free throws with seven seconds left in overtime, failed to score in the final three minutes as its 10-game winning streak came to an end.

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Offense on Display as Florida A&M Baseball Downs Marshall 9-4

Florida A&M opened its season with a 9-4 win over Marshall in front
 of 540 fans – more than double the 2015 opening day crowd.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --  Florida A&M (1-0) pounded out 17 hits and got a strong performance from starting pitcher JoJo Durden to defeat Marshall (0-1) by a score of 9-4 on Friday at Moore-Kittles Field. JoJo Durden (1-0) was making his first career collegiate start and worked 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks to earn the win. Durden allowed just one hit over his final 4.1 innings of work. The 17 hits were the most by FAMU since they had 18 against North Carolina Central on March 22, 2014.

The Rattler offense came out to play in the opener as six different players recorded multi-hit performances. Seniors Alec Wong and Ryan Hutson each went 3-for-4, while Wong had two RBI and Hutson added an RBI himself. Marlon Gibbs, Dylan Dillard, Willis McDaniel and Peter Jackson each had two hits on the day. Freshman McDaniel belted a home run in his first career at bat as a Rattler.

The Thundering Herd made an early statement by jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on back-to-back home runs. With two outs, Sam Finfer was hit-by-pitch to give the Herd their first base runner before Tyler Ratliff and Tommy Lane then recorded back-to-back home runs that gave Marshall a quick three run lead.

FAMU answered with two runs in the home half of the first inning to cut Marshall’s lead to 3-2. Gibbs led off the bottom of the first with a double down the left line. Gibbs then moved to third on a single to left from Jacky Miles, Jr. before coming home to score as Brian Davis reached on a fielder’s choice. Davis later came around to score, all the way from first, on Dylan Dillard’s RBI single into right field.

The Rattlers took their first lead of the game, at 5-3, with three runs on five hits in the second inning. It proved to be all they would need for the win. In his first career at bat, McDaniel led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run over the fence in left field to tie the game at 3-3. Hutson then singled to left and Jackson singled through the left side to put two runners on with no outs.

Gibbs bunt single with no outs loaded the bases before Wong’s RBI single plated Hutson to give FAMU their first lead of the game. Jackson then scored on Miles, Jr.’s sac fly to left to push the Rattler lead to two runs.

Florida A&M extended its’ lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the third inning with two more runs, on three hits, including one Herd error in the inning by the right fielder Cory Garrastazu. Hutson and Wong each had RBI singles in the inning to pace the offense.

Marshall picked up a run in the seventh inning to cut the Rattler lead to 7-4. Aaron Bossi singled up the middle with one out and advanced to second as Leo Valenti grounded out to third. Bossi then went to third on a passed ball before scoring on Corey Bird’s RBI single up the middle.

FAMU answered right back with a single run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Shane Gordon came in to pinch hit in the DH spot of the lineup and led off with a triple to center field. Dillard then followed with and RBI single up the middle to bring home Gordon from third and make the score 8-4.

The Rattlers would add one more run in the eighth inning for a final score of 9-4.

Herd starter Chase Boster (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs, all earned, in 2.2 innings of work. Boster had two strikeouts and no walks against the 20 batters he faced.

Florida A&M and Marshall return to the field tomorrow at 1:00 PM at Moore-Kittles Field for game two of the three game series.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook, while live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com on the baseball schedule page.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Swimming is getting more diverse, but Howard University will be only black college with a team

There were just 76 black male swimmers in Division I last season and 87 black
 women according to self-reported NCAA demographic data, meaning blacks
made up less than 2 percent of Division I swimmers.
Courtesy: Howard University Bison Athletics

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Summer Lewis wanted at least two things out of college: She wanted to go to a historically black school, and she wanted to continue her swimming career. Those two qualifications left her with exactly one option: Howard.

North Carolina A&T’s swimming program will disband after this weekend’s Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association championships. The school’s regular conference, the MEAC, does not offer swimming championships, so A&T announ
ced in 2013 that it would replace its women’s swimming team with golf, men’s tennis and women’s soccer programs. The formal end arrives this weekend, leaving Howard’s men’s and women’s teams as the only HBCU representatives in collegiate swimming.

Howard’s program, founded in 1923, has churned out youth coaches and offered collegiate swimming opportunities for hundreds of minorities in an overwhelmingly white sport. But the loss of the school’s only remaining HBCU rival means the Bison stand alone, with perhaps an additional responsibility.

“From the surface level, people say I should be happy: now your rival is no longer. But would Carolina be happy if Duke shut their basketball program down?” asked Nic Askew, a former Howard swimmer in his second season as the program’s head coach. “It validates that we have to continue to fight for it, we have to continue to push for our program to be in existence, so we can be an example. At the end of the day, at Howard we want to be an example of why you should have a program — because we have success stories. We are a case study for how it can work.”

This is an odd moment for blacks in swimming. At the highest levels, things have never been better. Cullen Jones is a four-time Olympic medalist. Black swimmers swept the podium in the women’s 100-yard freestyle at last year’s NCAA championships. And 14 months ago, Jamaican Alia Atkinson became the first black woman to win a world title.

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XU's Bruins, streaking Salwan named GCAC Players of Week

NEW ORLEANS — For the third consecutive week, Xavier University of Louisiana's Karan Salwan is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's tennis. Xavier completed a sweep of the awards when Sha'Nel Bruins was selected for the women.
    
The GCAC announced Tuesday the awards, which were for performances Feb. 8-14.
    
Salwan, a junior from New Delhi, India, and a graduate of Modern School, won in doubles and singles Sunday in the Gold Rush's first-ever victory against NCAA Division I Nicholls State, 6-1 at Thibodaux, La. Salwan teamed with Kyle Montrel for a 6-3 decision against Max Sinn and Evan Karatzas that clinched the doubles point, then Salwan gave Xavier a 3-0 lead in the dual with his 6-4, 6-3 victory against Kieran Cronin.
    
Bruins, a junior from Colfax, La., and a graduate of Grant High School, won 6-1, 6-0 Saturday on the road in singles against LSU-Alexandria's Paula Gordilla. The GCAC honor is Bruins' first this season and the second of her career.
    
Both XU teams will compete next in the Green and Gray Invitational at Lawrenceville, Ga. The Rush and Nuggets will play SCAD Savannah (all times Eastern) at 3 p.m. Friday, Georgia Gwinnett at 3 p.m. Saturday and Cumberland at 10 a.m. Sunday. The next XU home dual will start at 3 p.m. Feb. 25 for the men against Troy of NCAA DI.
    
Xavier's men are 3-2 and ranked fourth in the NAIA coaches poll, and the women are 1-2 and tied for 13th.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Xavier men win, women lose against SCAD Savannah

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia — Xavier University of Louisiana's men defeated SCAD Savannah 6-0 Friday, and the women lost 6-1 to the same school on opening day of the Green and Gray Tennis Invitational.
    
Karan Salwan and Tushar Mandlekar won in doubles and singles for the Gold Rush (4-2), ranked fourth in the NAIA. It was Xavier's fourth consecutive dual-match victory. Adam Albrecht clinched the dual with his 6-3, 6-2 victory against Kenta Naka.
    
Salwan and Kyle Montrel defeated Daiki Naka and Kenta Naka 8-2. Salwan gave the Rush a 4-0 lead when he defeated Daiki Naka 6-3, 6-1. Mandlekar and Manav Chakma beat Yulin Liu and Josh Tewes-McCoy 9-8 (7-1), then Mandlekar defeated Tewes-McCoy 6-2, 6-1.
    
The Rush led in all three unfinished matches.

Results:  Men   •   Women
     
The Gold Nuggets (1-3), ranked 13th, lost their third in a row. They took their only lead when Dasia Harris and Sha'Nel Bruins won 8-3 against Daniella Arcila and Anastasia Castro at the third doubles flight. Camille Gbaguidi, the ITA's second-ranked NAIA singles player, clinched by beating Charlene Goreau 6-2, 6-3. That was one of two Nuggets losses against nationally ranked singles opponents.

"The guys got the job done pretty quickly," XU coach Alan Green said. "That was good so we can prepare for tomorrow. The girls had another tough day, but I was proud of them for playing hard against the No. 4 team in the NAIA. If we can continue to play hard we will give ourselves a chance to win these matches."
    
SCAD Savannah's men are 1-3, and its women are 5-1 with a five-dual win streak.
    
Both XU teams will play Georgia Gwinnett — whose men are No. 1 in the NAIA and whose women are No. 2 — at 3 p.m. EST Saturday. The men's dual will be streamed live and free of charge at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/ggc. The event will conclude Sunday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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from THE EDITOR: FAMU to Face UCONN

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --FAMU Softball will play 5 games in 3 days at the Florida Atlantic University “Strike-Out” Cancer Tournament. FAMU will be looking for more consistency in their hitting and pitching after going 3-2 in last week’s appearance at the Sand Dollar Classic in Daphne, Alabama. Third baseman and backup pitcher Amber Fullwood is 0-1 after a loss to Jackson State last weekend. Sophomore pitcher Veronica Burse is 1-1 after last week’s tournament. Junior right hander Kenya Pereira is 2-0 picking up two wins in two complete outings. Leading hitters for the Rattlers are MEAC Player of the Week Toni Anderson, Jessica Nathan, Kieffe Myrick, Alexis Day, Nache Watson, Tashay Irving, and Amber Fullwood.

Click here to access Tournament Central and follow the games.

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Grambling reinstates athletic director search

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling's search for a new athletic director is back on.

Less than a week after suspending the search due to budgets issues at the school, Grambling president Willie Larkin has decided to resume the search for the university's first permanent athletic director since 2014.

In a letter obtained by The News-Star dated Thursday, Feb. 18, Larkin wrote to the Grambling family that he has heard the "resounding sentiments and enthusiasm" regarding the search.

"I stand in agreement with you that we are much better served if we indeed continue the search for a permanent director of athletics," Larkin wrote.

Larkin added Grambling will move forward with "high expectations of hiring the best candidate to lead and advance our athletic program."

The news comes after Larkin announced in a letter last weekend that Grambling would suspend its search due to the "uncertainty around the University’s budget."

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6 in-state meets on 2016 schedule for Rush, Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Nine meets, six in Louisiana, are on the 2016 Xavier University of Louisiana track and field schedule for men and women, coach Joseph Moses announced Friday.
    
The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will open the outdoor season in their home city March 4 in the Tulane Invitational at Tad Gormley Stadium. They'll return to Gormley April 23 as co-host with SUNO of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships.
    
Xavier also will compete in Louisiana at the McNeese Cowboy Relays March 12 in Lake Charles, the Louisiana Classics March 25-26 at Lafayette, the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational April 16 at Natchitoches and the Southeastern Invitational April 23 at Hammond.
    
Student-athletes who meet qualifying standards will be eligible to compete at the season-ending NAIA National Championships May 26-28 at Gulf shores, Ala.
    
Xavier' will attempt to win the GCAC women's team championship for the fourth consecutive year and the sixth time in seven seasons.

Schedules:  Men   •   Women

2016 Xavier University of Louisiana
Outdoor Track and Field Schedule

March 4 (Fri.):  Tulane Invitational at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La.
March 12 (Sat.):  McNeese Cowboy Relays at McNeese Cameron Communications Track and Field Complex, Lake Charles, La.
March 18-19 (Fri.-Sat.):  Rhodes Invitational at Memphis, Tenn.
March 25-26 (Fri.-Sat.):  Louisiana Classics at Cajuns Track/Soccer Facility, Lafayette, La.
April 9 (Sat.):  Leon Johnson NSU Invitational at Walter P. Ledet Track Complex, Natchitoches, La.
April 16 (Sat.):  Southeastern Invitational at Southeastern Track Complex, Hammond, La.
April 23 (Sat.):  Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium, New Orleans, La.
May 13-14 (Fri.-Sat.):  HBCU National Classic at Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville, Ala.
May 26-28 (Thu.-Sat.):  NAIA Outdoor Championships at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, Gulf Shores, Ala.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Culver column: Overton builds while addressing fan concerns

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. got some truly invaluable information by just asking some fans what they wanted.

He’s gained a lot of popularity since his Aug. 3 start date. He’s got a plan for FAMU’s athletic department, and really, he’s just fulfilling the wants of the fans after the reading the results of a survey he released.

Fans want value when they go see the Rattlers. Seeing a team – it doesn’t matter which team – is great, but fans leave the comfort of their homes because they want an experience. Overton took a look at the results of his fan survey and started crafting his budget from there.

Wednesday, during a meeting of the 220 Quarterback Club at New Times Country Buffet on Monroe Street, Overton announced yet another improvement designed to make sure fans are having a good time. Saturday, the department will debut the “Courtside Club” in the Al Lawson Center.

It’ll be an experience similar to the north end zone seating in Bragg Memorial Stadium. For $40, fans will have access to a buffet, among other things, and will have a pretty good view of FAMU’s men’s and women’s basketball games against arch-rival Bethune-Cookman – one ticket gets you access to both games.

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Norfolk State-Lehigh Baseball Series Pushed Back

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Due to wet field conditions at Marty L. Miller Field, the Norfolk State baseball team's 2016 season-opening series has been pushed back a day this weekend.

The Spartans will not play Saturday, but will host Lehigh for a three-game series starting on Sunday. The teams will play a doubleheader starting at noon, then will complete their series with a single contest starting at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Live stats and video will be available for all three games at www.nsuspartans.com.
The Lehigh baseball team kicks off the 2016 season this weekend with a three-game series at defending MEAC North champs Norfolk State. A doubleheader will be played at 12 p.m. Sunday with a single game to follow Monday at 11 a.m. The series was originally scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, but had to be moved back one day due to wet field conditions at Norfolk State's Marty L. Miller Field.

The Mountain Hawks have made back-to-back Patriot League Championship appearances including the program's second-ever league crown and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. Lehigh finished the 2015 season with a 25-31 overall record and 12-8 mark in Patriot League play. The Mountain Hawks earned the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament before taking down No. 3 Holy Cross in the semifinals and top-seeded Navy in the championship series to earn the league title and trip to NCAA Regionals. Lehigh was predicted to finish third in this year's Patriot League preseason poll and the Mountain Hawks will look to Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year senior Mike Garzillo and fellow preseason All-League member junior Jacen Nalesnik to lead the way.

Senior captains Garzillo, Mackey Price, Kevin Long and Kevin Boswick, along with the rest of the upperclassmen, will be depended upon to help guide a freshman class of 10. The Mountain Hawks graduated nine talented seniors, but return several experienced players for the 2016 campaign.

Garzillo returns as Lehigh's offensive leader after earning All-America laurels and being drafted by the New York Yankees a season ago. The second baseman hit .359 with 54 RBI a season ago. Long is expected to get the start on the mound in game one at Norfolk State, while Boswick will toe the rubber for game two. Long finished last season with a team-best five wins, while Boswick will be transitioning into a starting role after serving as Lehigh's closer a season ago. Junior Matt Kozemchak will take the mound for game three. Kozemchak missed a majority of last season with an injury, but went 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA as a freshman.

Norfolk State is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history as the Spartans went 27-16 overall and 19-5 in conference play to earn the team's first-ever MEAC North championship. The team set school Division I records for overall and conference victories in a season. The Spartans were picked to repeat as MEAC Northern Division champs this season in the conference's preseason poll, while senior pitcher Matt Outman was tabbed as the preseason Pitcher of the Year. NSU welcomes back 18 letterwinners from last year's team.

In addition to Outman's Preseason Pitcher of the Year honor, four other Spartans earned spots on the preseason All-MEAC teams. Sophomore catcher Ismael Herrera, junior infielder Roger Hall and outfielders Denathan Dukes and Angel Rosario were all voted to the preseason All-MEAC second team. Dukes returns as the team's offensive leader after batting .357 a season ago, while Rosario followed with a .338 batting average.

Outman is projected to get the game-one start for the Spartans Saturday. The senior led the MEAC in wins (8) and strikeouts (85) a season ago. Freshman Chase Anderson will get the starting nod in game two, while junior Devin Hemmerich will handle game three.

Following this weekend's three-game series, the Mountain Hawks will return to action on March 2 at Coppin State before traveling to Marshall for a three-game set March 5-6.

Like Lehigh baseball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates throughout the season.

Probable pitching matchups vs. Norfolk State:
Game 1: RHP Kevin Long vs. LHP Matt Outman
Game 2: RHP Kevin Boswick vs. RHP Chase Anderson
Game 3: LHP Matt Kozemchak vs. LHP Devin Hemmerich

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

NSU Spartan Football Adds Faison as Co-Defensive Coordinator

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State University football coach Latrell Scott announced Friday the hiring of Andrew Faison as the Spartans' new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Faison joins the NSU staff after two seasons as associate head coach and linebackers coach at Delaware State.

"We are very pleased to have coach Faison join the NSU football family," Scott said. "He is a long and trusted football confidant of mine. His hard work, expertise and energy will do wonders for our defense as we try to take the next step."

Prior to his time at DSU, Faison spent 11 seasons as head coach at Virginia State (2002-12), where he compiled a 58-52 overall record. VSU posted five winning seasons under Faison's leadership. His best season came in 2010, when he led the Trojans to an 8-3 overall record, the CIAA Northern Division title and a berth in the conference championship game. Four VSU players earned first-team All-CIAA honors in 2010, including the league's Special Teams Player of the Year, Justin Parker. Faison garnered CIAA Coach of the Year honors that season, as well.

From 1995 to 2002, Faison was defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Winston-Salem State University. During Faison's tenure at Winston-Salem, the Rams captured two CIAA championships, three conference Southern Division titles, two Pioneer Bowl appearances (pitting the CIAA champion vs. SIAC champion) and one Pioneer Bowl championship.

In 1987 and '88, Faison was defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Virginia State. The Trojans captured the CIAA North title in each of those years.

Faison was a star defensive back at Virginia State. He set a team record with 28 tackles vs. South Carolina State in 1980. That season, he was a team captain and was selected as the Trojans' Defensive MVP.

He was inducted into the Virginia State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.

Faison holds two degrees from Virginia State. He earned a bachelor's in administration criminal justice in 1981 and a master's in guidance and counseling in 1986.

He and wife Sheryl have two children: a son, Andrew, who played linebacker at Virginia State; and a daughter, Brittany.  

Scott also announced the following staff changes on Friday: safeties coach Christian Parker will now coach cornerbacks, defensive line coach Keith Braxton adds the assistant head coach role to his duties, and running backs coach Montario Hardesty will now also serve as special teams coordinator.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Not a great start: Grambling thumps Southern 15-0 to open MLB Urban Invitational

NEW ORLEANS -- The most runs Southern gave up in a single game last season was 14.

It took just five innings into this season for the Jaguars to give up that many.

Making it worse, it came against rival Grambling.

The Jaguars dropped a season opener they would like to forget Friday night, falling 15-0 in seven innings to the Tigers on the first day of the three-day MLB Urban Youth Invitational at Wesley Barrow Stadium.

Southern coach Roger Cador, in his 32nd season, said his team was playing without four starters but wouldn’t elaborate on why they were out. He said they will return next week.

“I’m never too concerned about Game 1, especially when you’re playing short-handed,” Cador said. “The fact that we were short without four of our key players could have deflated our kids. It happened so quick. We played a lot of young freshmen. And we got here late. But we don’t want to make any excuses.”

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JSU Tiger Baseball grab 8-5 win over UT-Martin in season opener

JACKSON, Mississippi – The Jackson State baseball team grabbed an 8-5 win over the University of Tennessee-Martin in their season opener at home.

Jesus Santana, sophomore third baseman and Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, led the Tigers offensively with three at-bats, two runs, two hits, and two RBIs.

Bryce Brown, Sam Campbell, and Tony Holton took control of the defensive effort on the field with four putouts each.

Miguel Yrigoyen pitched for 6 innings allowing five hits, two runs (one earned) with seven strikeouts to claim the JSU win on the mound.

Calvin “CJ” Newsome scored the first run for JSU after taking first base off an error by the short stop. Carlos Diaz advanced Newsome to second with a bunted single and Newsome eventually made the run home on a sacrifice fly by Lamar Briggs.

In the bottom of the second, Briggs blasted a triple right center Newsome, Brown, and Santana landed a single each to record four hits for the Tigers. Tony Holton, Cornelius Copeland, Newsome, Santana, and Brown made the home in the inning to tally five runs advancing the JSU lead to 6-0.

Yrigoyen began to tire by the seventh inning leaving room for the Skyhawks to record two runs in the top of the second. The Tigers answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own to regain their six-point lead, making the score 8-2 going into the top of the eight.

Neither team scored in the eight but in the top of the ninth, UT-Martin put up a forceful effort against the JSU defense rallying to put an additional three runs on the board. But the Skyhawk effort was not enough and the Tigers were able to claim the win.

Jackson State and UT-Martin return to the field tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 20 for game two and three of the four-game series. The first pitched is schedule for 3 p.m. at Robert “Bob” Braddy Field located on the campus of Jackson State University.

BOX SCORE

COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Alcorn State, Bethune-Cookman expected in MEAC-SWAC Challenge

ORLANDO, Florida -- The MEAC-SWAC Challenge is one-sided in favor of the MEAC, but one of the SWAC's top programs may have the chance to decrease the conference's deficit this year.

The annual season-opening showcase between the two historically black conferences in the FCS - scheduled for Sept. 4 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando - is expected to be a highly attractive matchup between two-time defending SWAC champion Alcorn State and MEAC power Bethune-Cookman.


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MEAC schools hold a 9-2 lead in the all-time series. South Carolina State's 35-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in last year's game was the MEAC's fifth straight victory.

Alcorn State is coming off a 9-4 season and has a new coach in Fred McNair. Bethune-Cookman went 9-2 last year in its first season under Terry Sims.

This would be Alcorn State's first appearance in the MEAC-SWAC, although the Braves played in last year's inaugural, season-ending Celebration Bowl between the champions of the two conferences. They lost to North Carolina State 41-34.

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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
XULAgold.com
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
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
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