NSU Hosts Coppin State on ESPNU Monday Night

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Norfolk State makes its lone ESPNU appearance of the MEAC regular season on Monday when the Spartan men's basketball team takes on Coppin State at home at Joseph Echols Hall. Tip-off is slated for an official 9:05 p.m. start.

The first of four final regular season games finds NSU needing a win to control its destiny for the No. 1 seed in the MEAC tournament. At 9-3, NSU finds itself in third place and one game back in the loss column from league leader Hampton (10-2). South Carolina State (10-3) sits in second place.

Despite a loss in its last game, NSU has still won seven of its past nine.

Norfolk State Men's Basketball

NSU vs. Coppin State	Monday, Feb. 22	9 p.m.	Joseph Echols Hall
TV: ESPNU | Watch ESPN	Live Stats
Radio: Star 1310 AM | Live Audio; Hot 91.1 FM | Live Audio	Game Notes

Media Coverage
Jason Benetti and Stan Lewter will have the call on ESPNU, NSU's second appearance of the season on the channel. Fans can also view the game through the WatchESPN app.

The game will also be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Aaron Clark on the call. Live audio is available through www.star1310.com as well as hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Star 1310 website or through www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB") for Hot 91.1.

Fans can also follow along with the live stats.

Series History
Norfolk State has won the last seven meetings with Coppin State, including the first meeting this year by an 88-56 score. CSU's last win came at Echols Hall on Jan. 30, 2012, a game in which NSU scored just 13 points in the first half but 69 in the second, ultimately falling to the Eagles, 87-82. The Spartans still lead the all-time series, 25-11.

About Coppin State
The Eagles are coming off a win last Thursday at home in a make-up contest from earlier this year. CSU downed North Carolina Central 71-60 to improve to 7-19 overall and 5-8 in the league. Three players score in double figures for a team that averages close to 71 but also gives nearly 81 points per game. Christian Kessee leads the way with 14.0 points, with Terry Harris (11.8 points, 7.1 rebounds) and Trevon Seymore (10.1 points, 3.8 assists) also providing offense. The Eagles shoot just 37.6 percent overall and 32.8 percent from long range, averaging 22.5 attempts per game. CSU has been outrebounded by 4.5 boards per contest and allow teams to shoot better than 47 percent from the field.

Last Time Out
NSU had a 17-point first-half lead but went nearly 10 minutes at the start of the second half without a field goal. Despite tying the game late and erasing what had been a nine-point deficit, the Spartans were unable to get past Delaware State in a 67-64 loss on Saturday. Jordan Butler tied the game with two free throws with 23 seconds left, but DSU's Devin Morgan drained a 3-pointer with just 5.7 seconds left for the win. D'Shon Taylor made a last-second shot from just inside the 3-point line, and then Morgan made two free throws after a technical foul for the final margin. Taylor and Jeff Short each had 15 points for NSU, which shot 50 percent in the first half but just 5-of-21 in the second half. Butler had 14 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. The Spartans last surrendered a 17-point lead two years ago in a setback to East Carolina.

MEAC Standings
Hampton (10-2), South Carolina State (10-3) and NSU (9-3) are in a tight battle for the top 3 spots in the league, including the more advantageous first and second spots in the MEAC tournament. The only other team in the MEAC with less than six losses is Bethune-Cookman (8-5). The top four seeds in this year's tournament will get byes into the quarterfinal.

Block Party
The Spartans set the school record with 17 blocks against Morgan State, surpassing the previous best of 13 set at Savannah State on Jan. 5, 2005. The team's 17 swats is tied with Houston Baptist for the most this season in a game in NCAA Division I. NSU has 24 blocks the last two games.

NSU ranks No. 34 in the nation with 5.1 blocks per game. The top four seasons in NSU history in terms of total blocks have all come within the last five years. The Spartans have averaged 161.0 blocks per season over those last five years and currently have 137 for this season.

Player Tidbits
Jeff Short
 • Averaging 16.8 points on 27-of-58 shooting and 2.0 assists last 5 games
 • Has 7 steals the last 2 games
 • Averaging 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 46.5 % from the floor in league games
 • Ranks 6th in the MEAC in scoring (16.0), 7th in free throw % (80.5),  and 3-point field goal % (37.6) and 10th in 3-point field goals (2.2); Sits No. 164 in the nation in free throw % (80.5), 198 in points per game (16.0) and 212 in 3-point field goals per game (2.15)
 • Stands No. 118 in NCAA D-I in career scoring average (13.1) and 134 in points (1,247)
 • Ranks 2nd in NSU career records in free throw % (.814), 7th in 3-point field goals (125), 8th in 3-point field goal percentage (.386), 10th in 3-point field goal attempts (324), 16th in scoring average (17.8) and 34th in scoring (1,065)
 • Ranks 7th in a season in NSU's D-I history in free throw % (80.5) and 11th in scoring average (16.0) and 3-point field goals (56)
 • Has made a 3-pointer in 17 straight games

D'Shon Taylor
 • Has scored 12+ points in 11 of the last 12 games and is averaging 16.0 points and 5.5 rebounds last 6 games
 • Has 11 steals the last 6 games
 • Averaging 13.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in league play while shooting 46.2 % overall and 39.1 % from the 3-point line
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (36.6), 12th in field goal % (45.3) and 17th in scoring (12.7)
 • Ranks 13th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal % (.359) and 16th in 3-point field goals (84) and 3-point field goal attempts (234)

Charles Oliver
 • 22-of-24 from the free throw line the last 5 games
 • Averaging 13.3 points in league play while shooting 42.7 % from the floor, 39.4 % from 3-point range and 84.6 % from the free throw line
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in free throw % (83.1), 13th in 3-point field goals (1.9), 14th in 3-point field goal % (35.6) and 18th in scoring (12.5); Sits No. 94 in the nation in free throw % (83.1)
 • Stands 3rd in NSU D-I season records for free throw % (83.1) and 14th in 3-point field goals (52)

Zaynah Robinson
 • Averaging 10.3 points, 5.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds in the last 4 games
 • Averaging 7.7 points and 3.5 assists in league games while shooting 40.0 % overall, 40.6 % from 3-point range and 84.4 % from the free throw line
 • Has hit 30 of his last 34 free throw attempts
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in assist-turnover ratio (4.0), 4th in 3-point field goal % (40.8), 6th in steals (1.4) and 10th in assists (3.1); Stands No. 7 in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (4.00) and 202 in steals per game (1.41)

Jordan Butler
 • Averaging 12.4 points on 20-of-35 shooting with 8.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks the last 5 games
 • Shot 12-of-16 from the free throw line at Delaware State, the most attempts by an NSU player since Corey Lyons had 18 on March 12, 2009; Has gone 19-of-25 from the line the last 2 games
 • Has 13 blocks the last 2 games; Tied career high with 7 blocks against Morgan State, tying the NSU D-I record shared by Kyle O'Quinn; Fell 1 short of tying the overall school record of 8
 • Averaging 7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.2 assists in league play while shooting 52.8 % from the floor and 76.0 % from the free throw line
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in blocks (2.3), 8th in offensive rebounds (2.4), 9th in rebounding (6.9) and 11th in defensive rebounds (4.5); Also stands No. 30 in the nation in blocks (2.26), 174 in offensive rebounds (2.41) and 219 in rebounds (6.9)
 • Stands No. 45 in NCAA D-I in career blocks per game average (1.62)
 • Ranks 6th in NSU career records in blocks (97)
 • Also stands 5th in NSU D-I season records for blocks (61)

Alex Long
 • Averaging 8.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 assists while shooting 59.1 % from the floor and 88.0 % from the free throw line in league play
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)
 • Has hit 24 of his last 27 free throw attempts

Preston Bungei
 • Averaging 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in league play while shooting 51.3 % from the floor and 77.4 % from the free throw line
 • Ranks 12th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)

Jonathan Wade
 • Averaging 7.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 43.5 % from the floor and 86.7 % from the free throw line in league play

Good from the Line
NSU, which ranked No. 282 in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 77.3 percent this season, which currently ranks the Spartans fifth in the nation. NSU is attempting to hit better than 70 percent this year for the first time since the 2003-04 season and break the school record of 72.3 set in 1968-69.

On the year, the Spartans have shot 330-of-413 (79.9 percent) from the free throw line after intermission but just 168-of-233 (72.1 percent) beforehand. They have also hit 146-of-178 (82.0 percent) in the last five minutes and overtime of their games this year.

Good From Long Range
With 202 3-pointers this year, Norfolk State has set the school record for most makes in a season, surpassing the previous best of 198 set in 2011-12. NSU is hitting 35.9 percent from beyond the arc, just ahead of the school's Division I record of 35.7 percent set in 1998-99.

Big Win
NSU's 32-point victory over Coppin State in December marked the Spartans' biggest victory against a MEAC team as well as any Division I opponent. The previous best for a D-I opopnent was a 31-point victory (81-50) at Savannah State (then a D-I independent) on Jan. 5, 2005. The previous best against a MEAC opponent came on Jan. 16, 2006 in a 28-point win over Morgan State (81-53).

Up That Scoring
NSU is averaging 73.5 points per game this year, the most since the Spartans tallied 76.0 per game in 1999-2000.

Conference Streak
NSU has secured its 18th straight season this year with a .500 or better record in the MEAC. In fact, in Norfolk State's 61 seasons in a conference, the program has had just one losing conference record (9-10 in the CIAA in 1990-91).

NSU is tied with Wisconsin for eighth in the nation for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records in a row in Division I (See table page 5). NSU has posted 23 straight .500 or better conference records, dating back to that 1990-91 campaign.

Limit Those Giveaways
The Spartans on the season are averaging 12.8 turnovers per contest. The school record for fewest giveaways per game is 13.1 set in 1987-88. NSU has also had as many or fewer turnovers than the opposition in 12 of the last 13 games. On the flip side, NSU is averaging 20.6 points off turnovers the last eight games.

Rackin' Up the Points
In five of NSU's wins this year in conference play, the Spartans have scored 99, 92, 88 (twice) and 87 points. In fact, NSU has scored at least 70 points in 11 of 12 MEAC games this year and is averaging a league-best 80.9 points and shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from 3-point range and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe in conference games. The Spartans also have a 73-34 edge in blocks against MEAC teams this year.

MEAC Rankings
The Spartans continue to lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage (35.9) and free throw percentage (77.3) while also ranking second in scoring offense (73.5), field goal percentage defense (42.6), 3-pointers per game (7.5) and blocks (5.1) and third in scoring margin (-0.5), assists (12.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.0).

Scoring Around the Basket
NSU is averaging 25.3 points in the paint this year but 33.2 in the last five games.

Winning Record
NSU is aiming for its fifth straight winning season. Prior to the start of that streak in 2011-12, NSU had a winning record just twice in 14 seasons since moving to Division I in 1997. The Spartans owned an 86-51 record over the previous four seasons, the best four-game stretch for the program since 1993-97 (94-26).

Best in the Conference
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, NSU is 61-15 in regular season conference play (29-8 at home, 32-7 on the road), just behind North Carolina Central (62-14) during that time for the best record in the league. Counting MEAC tournament games, the Spartans are 67-18, while the Eagles are 67-17 during that time. NSU also owns a 99-65 overall record since the start of the 2011-12 season, second in the conference to North Carolina Central (103-53).

Good from 3
Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 208 straight games, dating back to a contest at South Carolina State on Jan. 25, 2010, when NSU finished 0-of-17 from 3-point range.

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

MSU Lady Bears Knock Off N.C. Central, 66-55; Takeover First-Place In MEAC Standings

COURTESY MSU ATHLETICS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Durham, North Carolina native Zuri White recorded her third double-double of the season, finishing with a game-high 12 rebounds and 10 points, to help the Lady Bears to a 66-55 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over visiting North Carolina Central (NCCU) on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House.

Braennan Farrar finished with 15 points, seven assists and four steals, all game highs for the Lady Bears (12-13, 10-3 MEAC), who improved to 7-3 at home. Benedicta Makakala added 10 points, while Lexus Spears and Tykyrah Williams each added eight points apiece for Morgan State, who won their fourth straight at home and improved to 5-1 in MEAC play at Hill Field House this season.

It wasn't pretty all the time, but in the end the Lady Bears ended a two-game losing skid to NCCU and also got some help from their crosstown rivals at Coppin State. Morgan State's win, coupled with Bethune-Cookman's loss to Florida A&M, along with Coppin State's four-point upset win over league-leader Hampton on Saturday, has the Lady Bears sitting in sole possession of first-place in the league standings.

The visiting Lady Eagles (4-20, 2-11 MEAC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held a 9-2 advantage, before Morgan State got going with a 12-0 spurt to take a 14-9 lead into the second quarter. Two free throws by Makakala got the run going and Spears' layup at the 2:15 mark in the first quarter gave the Lady Bears their first field goal of the game and cut the guests lead to 9-6. Morgan State then scored the next four points, capped off by a layup from Farrar to give the hosts their first lead of the quarter at 10-9 after one.

The Lady Bears concluded their 12-0 run, scoring the first four points to start the second quarter for the 14-9 lead. Back-to-back three-pointers by Farrar and Danielle Robinson gave Morgan State a 22-16 lead with 4:52 left in the quarter. North Carolina Central pulled within 24-20 on a basket by Tisha Dixon with 1:44 remaining, but the Lady Bears closed out the period with a three-pointer by Robinson, followed by a trey by Farrar, as time expired to give the hosts a 30-20 halftime advantage.

NCCU came out in the second half scoring the first six straight points in part of a 12-4 run to cut the Lady Bears' lead down to two points (34-32) with 4:56 left in the third quarter. Morgan State responded with a 9-4 run to extend its lead to 43-36, following a basket by White with 2:10 left in the quarter. The Lady Bears would cling to a 45-40 lead after three.

The guests pulled within 53-51, following two free throws by Kierona Morton with 5:39 remaining in the game. That would be as close as the Lady Eagles would get. The Lady Bears would score the next seven points, while holding NCCU scoreless for the next 5:17 to take a 60-51 lead.

A layup by Monique Whaley-Briggs with 22 seconds to play ended the scoring drought for the Lady Eagles, who would suffer their fourth consecutive game and eighth straight MEAC contest this season.

Dixon led NCCU with 13 points and 11 rebounds to earn a double-double. Chantal Thomas scored 11 points and had a team-high five assists and a game-high four steals. Whaley-Briggs came off the bench to score 11 points.

Both teams tallied 40 rebounds for the game. NCCU committed 23 turnovers, which Morgan State turned into 21 points. Morgan State had 15 turnovers as a team and the Lady Eagles scored 10 points off those turnovers. NCCU's bench held a 22-15 advantage.

Morgan State will battle North Carolina A&T State (11-13, 9-3 MEAC) in a crucial late season MEAC contest on Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House. The Lady Aggies, who enter Monday's game tied with Hampton in second-place, were off on Saturday and was in a three-way tie for second with the Lady Bears and Bethune-Cookman, before Saturday's games were played.

The Lady Aggies hold a 36-21 alSCl-time series advantage over Morgan State and have won the last four contests against the Lady Bears. Last season N.C. A&T defeated Morgan State, 69-57 in Greensboro, N.C. (2/23/15).

BOX SCORE

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Texas Southern wins SWAC Indoor Track and Field Championship

PHOTO COURTESY: SWAC.ORG

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama  – Texas Southern University repeated as Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Track and Field champions, winning the 2016 meet with 122 points. Sunday afternoon at the Birmingham Crossplex.

Clyde Duncan from Texas Southern University was presented the 2016 Men's Indoor Coach of the Year award.

Alabama State placed second with 99 points.  Grambling State finished third with 91 points.  Rounding out the final standings were: Jackson State (78), Prairie View (73), Mississippi Valley (46)  Southern (44), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (41), Alcorn State (21) and Alabama A&M (9).

Southern’s Reginald Redding and Alcorn State’s Darryl Jones were the 2016 Co-Men's Most Outstanding Field Performers.  Redding won the men’s shot put and was second in the weight throw, and Jones was second in the triple jump and long jump.  Grambling State’s Hassan Chepkwony was the 2016 Men’s Most Outstanding Field Performer, winning the men’s 1-mile run, 3000m run and 5000m run.

WEIGHT THROW
Grambling State’s Samuel Reese claimed the SWAC crown  in the men’s weight throw with a toss of 15.59m (51-01.75 feet). Reginald Redding of Southern was second (15.44m; 50-08.00 feet), and Texas Southern’s Trauvon Martin made a throw of 14.89m (48-10.25 feet) to earn third place.

POLE VAULT
Jawalyn Brooks repeated as SWAC champion in the men’s pole vault, outdueling Southern’s Desmond Thomas to win the 2016 title. Brooks cleared 4.55m (14-11.00 feet) to earn first place. Thomas, who finished second, also cleared 4.55m, but had more unsuccessful attempts than Brooks during the event. In third place was Alabama State’s Christopher Amisal (4.25m; 13-11.25 feet).

TRIPLE JUMP
Tevin Kimble of Texas Southern notched a jump of 15.08m (49-05.75 feet) to capture the top spot in the men’s triple jump. Alcorn State’s Darryl Jones (15.02m; 49-03.50 feet) was second, and Jackson State’s Javauny Hyde earned third place with a distance of 14.74m (48-04.50 feet).

60M HURDLES
Jackson State’s Bentrell McGee broke the SWAC Indoor Championship record in the 60-meter hurdles, as he took home the gold with a time of 7.85 seconds. The previous record was set in 2005 by Jackson State’s Michael Tinsley. Mississippi Valley State’s Shane Martin earned second place (8.02 seconds), and Texas Southern’s Mykele Young Sanders was third with a time of 8.04 seconds.

60M
Alabama State’s Josh Davis won the men’s 60-meter dash with a mark of 6.81 seconds. Coming in second place for the second-straight year was Prairie View's Keon Campbell, running a time of 6.82 seconds. Finishing third was Jackson State’s Bentrell McGee with a time of 6.83 seconds.

MILE
Grambling State’s Hassan Chepkwony took the gold medal in the men’s 1-mile run with a time of 4.25.32. Bryont Brown of Alabama State overtook Jackson State’s James Curtis down the stretch to gain second place with a time of 4.25.85, and Curtis was third with a time of 4.25.99.

400M
Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Jerrel Wilson won the men’s 400-meter dash with a time of 47.93 seconds. Grambling State’s Jamael McTear finished second at 48.01 seconds, and UAPB’s Justin Cooper claimed third with a time of 48.18 seconds.

800M
After a third-place finish in 2015, Southern’s John Haynes nabbed first place in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.35. Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Malique Smith finished second at 1:54.51, and Texas Southern’s Jalen Wade was third (1:55.26).

200M
Jackson State’s Bentrell McGee notched a time of 21.14 seconds to claim the men’s 200-meter SWAC title. Finishing second was Texas Southern’s Clyde Lee (21.45 seconds) and Mississippi Valley’s Eric Chism finished third at 21.51 seconds.

5000M
Grambling State’s Hassan Chepkwony won the 2016 SWAC championship in the 5000m run with a time of 15:43.46. Aaron Albert of Mississippi Valley State was second with a result of 16:07.75, and Syed Hussain of Prairie View finished third (16:14.38).

4x400M RELAY
Arkansas-Pine Bluff set a new SWAC Indoor Championship record, as Jordan Haley, Lamarques Woodard, Jerrel Wilson and Justin Cooper won the event at 3:12.54, breaking the previous high mark of 3:13.26 set by Jackson State in 2005. Finishing second was Grambling State, and Alabama State was third.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

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.

BOX SCORE

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.

BOX SCORE

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.

CONTINUE READING

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.

BOX SCORE

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.

CONTINUE READING

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.

CONTINUE READING

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."

CONTINUE READING

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.

CONTINUE READING

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.”

CONTINUE READING

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.

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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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