Albany State concludes spring football practice with Blue & Gold Scrimmage

ALBANY, Georgia -- Spring practice will officially conclude Thursday at Albany State with the team’s annual Blue & Gold Scrimmage at 6 p.m. at the Albany State University Coliseum.

After a successful 2015 regular season that ended with a disappointing loss in the SIAC Championship game, ASU head coach Dan Land said they’re looking to take it to the next level. In order to do that, Land said they have to better learn their personnel.

“When you’re talking about spring ball, you’re talking about evaluation,” he said. “You get a chance to evaluate some of the guys who didn’t play enough last year and upcoming guys may get to play, so we need to know what they can and cannot do and as coaches, we need to know what we can run offensively and what we can’t run, what we can run defensively and what we can’t run.”

Land added that spring workouts give them the freedom to experiment just a bit.

“Right now, what we’re doing is a lot of technique,” he said. “We’re trying some stuff to see if they’re gonna work for us offensively, defensively, special teams, if it don’t, we’re gonna kick it out.”

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Blount brings order to Johnson C. Smith spring football practice

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Familiarity is a good thing for Johnson C. Smith football.

There are more Golden Bulls participating in spring drills under coach Kermit Blount for a complete practice period, something he didn’t have an opportunity to do last year.

“The biggest change is the amount of bodies we have,” sophomore cornerback Daryl Napper said. “I think we were down to 35 last year for spring ball and now we’re up to about 50, so that’s definitely a good thing for competition.”

The competition is most keen on offense, where freshmen Jordan Lane and Harold Herbin try to earn the starting quarterback job. Because Blount was hired with a week left in 2015’s spring practice, the Golden Bulls were late implementing the pro-style scheme.

“It gives us a chance to go back,” Blount said. “Last year in spring ball we did not have a chance to actually go through our offensive regimen. The defensive regimen was already in place, so they were able to go through it, so we get a chance to go through the offensive regimen with the quarterbacks, backs, receivers and the O-line.”

The results have already been realized.

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Virginia Union Advances to NCAA Elite Eight with 91-77 Victory Over West Liberty

JOHNSON NAMED TOP FEMALE COLLEGE PLAYER IN VIRGINIA

Kiana Johnson leads NCAA Division II in scoring (29.3 ppg) and is ranked No. 2
nationally in assists (8.7 apg). Not coincidentally, she and her VUU teammates
 are preparing to play in next week's NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

RICHMOND, Virginia -- In her final game on the Virginia Union campus, Kiana Johnson accomplished exactly what she wanted: She led the Panthers to victory and put on a show.

Johnson scored 49 points and had eight assists and six steals, Lady Walker and Taylor White each posted double-doubles and Virginia Union rolled to a 91-77 win over West Liberty in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region final Monday night at Barco-Stevens Hall.

The Panthers advanced to the Elite Eight, where they'll face East Region champion Bentley (Massachusetts) on March 22 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Falcons won the national title in 2014.

Under the 1983 women's national championship banner that hangs in Barco-Stevens, VUU didn't lose a game this season (15-0). The Panthers haven't lost since Jan. 25.

Virginia Union has been playing basketball in Barco-Stevens Hall for 69 years. Monday was the first time the nets were cut down.

"It just feels good to be a part of history," Johnson said. "I'm just embracing the moment."

It was never lost on her that Monday's game would be her last on campus.

"I just wanted to give the fans a show, make sure they enjoy watching me play for my last time in Barco," Johnson said.

Walker scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. White added 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Johnson and Walker were named to the all-tournament team. Johnson was named the most outstanding player.

Liz Flowers led West Liberty with 33 points. Kierra Simpson added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

The Panthers dominated on both ends of the floor in the first half to build a substantial lead, which they held throughout. They forced West Liberty into 11 turnovers and held the Hilltoppers to 37.5 percent shooting. Johnson had four of Union's eight steals.

West Liberty finished with 17 turnovers and shot 36.6 percent. It hit 12 of 42 attempts outside the arc.

The Panthers' offense started hot, posting 30 points on 64.7 percent shooting for a 14-point first-quarter lead. With 19 points, Johnson outscored West Liberty (16).

Johnson scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field (3 of 4 from 3-point range, 5 of 5 from the free throw line) to lead Union to a 49-34 lead at halftime.

The only trouble for the hosts came late in the third quarter, when Johnson picked up her fourth foul and was forced to sit with just under 3 minutes to play. Flowers hit back-to-back 3s to pull West Liberty to 68-53 entering the fourth quarter.

Johnson returned to start the fourth, and the Panthers scored the first 9 points of the quarter to open a 77-53 lead before cruising to the win.

Union finished shooting 50.8 percent from the field. The Panthers registered 12 steals and outscored the Hilltoppers 48-26 in the paint. They scored 31 fast-break points.

"It's a great accomplishment," first-year Panthers coach AnnMarie Gilbert said.

"It's been a special journey with a special group of people.

"Everything that you dream about as a coach, you know, we've got the player of the year, the defensive player of the year, the most outstanding player of the tournament, the most outstanding player of the Atlantic Region. Those are all things that you tell kids, you're student-athletes, that if they work hard, they can achieve those things, and for us to do it all in one year, we just give all the praise and honor to God.

"In one year, what this team has done, they don't have any idea."

Box Score

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State tops Sam Houston in CIT

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Chance Franklin hit a three-pointer with 47 seconds left and three free throws in the final 15 seconds to lead Jackson State to an 81-77 overtime victory over Sam Houston in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament Monday night in Huntsville. The victory marked their first postseason win since JSU’s 1993 upset win over UCONN in the NIT.

Paris Collins and Franklin led the Tigers with 25 and 24 points respectively. The runner-up in last Saturday’s SWAC Tournament championship game, Jackson State ups its record to 20-15 with the win.

Sam Houston trailed by 17 points, 48-31 at half, but outscored the Tigers 40-23 in the second period. A lay-up by Jamal Williams with 27 seconds remaining forced overtime.

Williams led the Bearkats in scoring with 20 points. Aurimas Majauskas added 18 for Sam Houston. The Kats end the season 18-16.

Yettra Specks and Raeford Middleton each added 11 points for the Tigers. Jalin Barnes and Josh Delaney scored 10 apiece for Sam Houston.

Sam Houston held early four-point leads in the opening period and the game was tied 24-24 with 8:24 left in the half. The Tigers hit a string of three-pointers to pull ahead, building a 17-point lead at intermission after finishing the period on a 24-7 run.

The Tigers are the first team from the SWAC to notch a victory in the CIT. Alabama State is the only other team to ever receive an invite in 2014.

The Bearkats fought back, cutting the margin to nine points, 69-60, with 4:36 remaining in regulation. Sam Houston outscored JSU 11-2 in the final three-and-a-half minutes.

Josh Delaney hit a three-pointer with 1:13 remaining in overtime to give the Kats a 77-75 lead. The Tigers finished the contest with a 6-0 run to earn the right to advance in the CIT.

Collins ended the night with five three-pointers. JSU hit 14-of-31 from beyond the arc for 43.5 percent shooting.

Prior to Monday night, the two schools had never met. The win gave JSU 20 wins for the first time since 2007.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 2007 vctory over Winthrop was the last time postseason win for the SWAC.

 Box Score

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

SWAC spring football primer

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --  Road field advantage?

There's always something unpredictable going in Southwestern Athletic Conference football - often a title race that nobody sees coming. In fact, in five seasons from 2009-13, each of the five West Division teams won the conference championship game (although Texas Southern later vacated the 2010 title).

In 2015, home (and Homecoming) might have been where the heart was, but the victories weren't for that side of the field. Incredibly, road teams went 26-16, with East Division and conference champion Alcorn State, Alabama State, West Division champ Grambling State, Prairie View A&M and Southern going unbeaten in conference road games.

Those teams are expected to remain among the division elite in 2016, but the usual wild races say to expect the unexpected.
All of the SWAC teams will play each other in a nine-game conference schedule again this season, but in 2017, they will revert to a seven-game conference schedule - which was last in effect in 2008.

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Dwight Floyd Commentary: Rattlers Supporters Show Up BIG

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- You can always count on family and friends of the Ratter baseball team and Rattler diehard fans like me to show up for a Rattler game. What you don’t expect is to hear the MEAC Champion Rattler cheerleaders rooting the team on from the stands or see an organized Rattler baseball alumni squad presenting a check to the FAMU Foundation in between games. From the hill overseeing the rear of the stadium it was a festive occasion as Rattler fans tailgating shared good food and music.

The baseball team responded in resounding fashion out slugging the Bethune Cookman University Wildcats in route to a 15-3 win. FAMU would score in every inning. The aggressive play of the Rattler offense and the steady pitching, double plays (2), and home runs (2) in the first game silenced the bats and the voices of the Bethune Wildcats as they stared at the Rattlers almost in awe at how fast that first game got away. The Wildcats and their fans grew uncharacteristically quiet.

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Pi Day: state-best 97 3's for XU's No. 14, Wright

'

NEW ORLEANS — It's Pi Day, an annual celebration of the mathematical constant Π (pi). The first three figures of pi — the ratio of a circle's circumference to diameter — are 3, 1, and 4: 3.14.
    
It's a great day to work Xavier University of Louisiana's Morris Wright into the equation.
    
The senior guard from Zachary, La., leads Louisiana men's college basketball in made 3-pointers this season with 97 — 18 more than his nearest rival. That's a lot of 3's for a student-athlete who wears No. 14 on his jersey.
    
Wright — a three-time first-team All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection and a former Zachary High School and Baton Rouge Community College standout — will get another chance to add to his total when the Gold Rush (21-12) play Lewis-Clark State (28-4) at 8 p.m. Thursday in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

2015-16 Louisiana Men's College Basketball:
Leaders in Made 3-Pointers

Made 3's		Name	School
97		Morris Wright	Xavier
79		Adrian Rogers	Southern
64		Christavious Gill	New Orleans
63		DeAngelo Coleman	LSU-Alexandria
63		Malik Morgan	Tulane
61		T.J. Carpenter	Nicholls State
60		James Harvey	McNeese State
60		Rashard Owens	LSU-Shreveport
59		Majok Deng	Louisiana-Monroe
57		Zeke Woodley	Northwestern State

    
More notes about Wright's perimeter performance:

•  Wright's 97 3's are tied for second on Xavier's all-time season list — Mark Stewart made 109 in 2006-07 and 97 in 2007-08 — and Wright's 214 career 3's are second at XU behind Stewart's 299.
  
 •  Among Louisiana players with 40 or more attempts, Wright ranks third in 3-point accuracy this season at .424 (97-of-229). The leader is LSUA's Coleman at .447 (63-of-141). Louisiana's two most prolific 3-point makers this season also are among the most accurate.
  
 •  Wright has an active streak of 40 games making at least one 3-pointer. The last time Wright was shut out was Feb. 14, 2015, at Philander Smith (four attempts). Since then Morris is 114-of-268 (.425) from behind the arc, with 2.85 made 3's per game and three-or-more 3's 22 times.
    
•  Wright is XU's career leader in 3-point accuracy at .424 (214-of-505).
    
•  Wright's single-game high for made 3's is six against Edward Waters on Jan. 24, 2015. Eight times he has made five 3's in a game. The XU game record for made 3's is eight, set by Percy Bland against Louisiana College on Feb. 23, 1989, and tied by Stewart against Mobile on March 7, 2008.
    
•  Wright is 8-of-14 in two games at nationals. He was 4-of-6 against Hope International in 2014 and 4-of-8 against Mid-America Christian in 2015. Stewart (6) and Shaun Dumas (5) were the last XU players to make more than four 3's in a game at nationals. Both did it against Northwestern Oklahoma in the 2007 second round.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

NSU to Play Columbia Wednesday in CIT

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Norfolk State men's basketball team will make its fifth straight postseason appearance and third straight in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) when the Spartans play at Columbia on Wednesday at  7 p.m. in New York City.

NSU will face a Columbia squad that finished 21-10 overall and 10-4 in the Ivy League. The Lions are making their second CIT appearance in three years. They posted their best conference record in 22 years and their most regular season wins since 1950-51.

The Spartans own a 17-16 overall record this season after finishing in a tie for second in the MEAC at 12-4. NSU advanced to the MEAC tournament semifinals for the third straight year. The Spartan program is the only one in the league to advance to the postseason in each of the last four years, much less five. NSU competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, the NIT in 2013 and the CIT in 2014 and '15 in addition to now this season.

"We are honored and excited to be chosen for postseason for the fifth straight year," said head coach Robert Jones. "In a one bid league, being chosen for any sort of postseason is a bonus. A postseason bid acknowledges the overall body of work throughout the whole season. Our seniors can get at least one more game together and our underclassmen can continue to grow and develop for next season."

Live video of the game against Columbia at Levien Gymnasium will be available on www.CollegeInsider.com. The game will also be broadcast locally on Hot 91.1 FM and Star 1310 AM with Ross Gordon on the call.

To order tickets or for more information, visit www.GoColumbiaLions.com.

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was created in 2009. Invitations to the 32-team postseason tournament are extended only to teams outside of the BCS power conferences. There is no formal bracket for the tournament. The match-ups for each round are determined after the preceding round is completed.

The first round of the tournament will be played on Monday through Wednesday. Second-round CIT games will be played Friday through Sunday, quarterfinal games on March 22-24 and semifinal games March 27. The championship game will be played on March 29. The semifinals and the championship game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

 

Mike Bello, Asst. SID

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Texas Southern earns NIT bid; Play at Valpo

VALPARAISO, Indiana

-- Texas Southern earned the eighth seed and will face one-seeded Valparaiso in first-round action of the National Invitation Tournament at the Athletics Recreation Center on Tuesday evening, at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN3.

 

2016 NIT Bracket

The Tigers own an 18-14 overall record and went 16-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action, winning the regular season crown by three games. Like TSU, Valpo also fell in the semifinals of its conference tournament. The Crusaders enter the NIT at 26-6 overall and 16-2 in Horizon League play.

The winner will face the winner of the Florida State-Davidson first-round game. Dates, times and sites for games in the second round and quarterfinals will be available as the tournament progresses. The semifinals will be held March 29 and the championship game March 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

TSU is making its third straight appearance in postseason play and its second trip to the NIT in the school’s history.  The Tigers fell to Colorado in 2011.  In 2014, they fell to Cal Poly in the First Four and last year eliminated in the NCAA Tournament to Arizona.

This marks the third time that the Crusaders have earned a spot in the postseason NIT, as Valpo previously lost in first-round action in 2003 at Iowa and in 2012 at Miami.UR This year is the sixth straight season that the Crusaders have advanced to postseason play.

 

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

SSU Men’s Basketball To Host CIT Game vs. UT-Arlington

WATCH LIVE: http://www.watchcollegeinsider.com/watch/?Live=39

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  The Savannah State men's basketball team will host the University of Texas at Arlington in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) on March 16 at 7 p.m. in Tiger Arena.

This will be Savannah State's second appearance in the CIT, having last played in the tournament in 2013.

The Tigers enter the tournament with a 16-15 record. SSU entered the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament as a fifth seed and advanced to the semi-finals where they lost to the eventual MEAC tournament champion, Hampton.

SSU is led by a trio of players in Troyce Manassa, Chris Martin and Lenjo Kilo.

Manassa averages 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while Martin averages 12.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists while Kilo averages 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

UT Arlington competes in the Sun Belt Conference and  has an overall record of 23-10. The Mavericks lost in the Sun Belt semifinals to Louisiana-Monroe.

Kevin Hervey leads four UT Arlington players who average in double figures with 18.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

This year's CIT features a 26-team field.  The first round of the CIT will take place March 14th-16th followed by the second round March 18th-20th with the Quarterfinals March 22nd-24th. The Semifinals on March 27th will broadcast on the CBS Sports Network along with the Championship Game on March 29th.  Additionally, all games will be streamed lived on SIDEARM Sports which is the number one provider of college athletics.

 The CIT uses the old NIT model in which there is no set bracket. Future round opponents are determined by the results of the previous round.

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Men's Basketball Accepts CIT Invitation; Hosts Ball State in First Round on Tuesday

TENNESSEE STATE (20-10)
vs. BALL STATE (19-13)
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament First Round
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Gentry Center | Nashville, Tenn.

POSTSEASON GUIDE: TENNESSEE STATE
GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE | BALL STATE
VIDEO (FREE): CollegeInsider.com (Albert Dawson [play-by-play] and Mark Pittman [color] on the call)
RADIO: 102.1 FM The Light (Albert Dawson [play-by-play] and Mark Pittman [color] on the call)
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter - @TSU_Tigers | Instagram -@TSUTigers | #BigBlueRising

WATCH LIVE:  http://www.watchcollegeinsider.com/watch/?Live=38

 

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – For the first time in the program’s Division I history, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team wiWll host a postseason tournament game as the Tigers will play the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. at the Gentry Center versus Ball State. 

 

“I’m truly pleased that our men’s basketball team will have the opportunity to play in the postseason after what was a very successful year tying our D-1 record with 20 wins,” TSU Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips said. “Actually hosting the game in the Gentry Center will be special. I’m calling for all alumni, students and supporters to show their ‘Blue’ on Tuesday to show this team their support.”

 

TSU, which is 20-10 on the season, has reached the 20-win mark for the third time at the Division I level (1978-79 and 2011-12). With an 11-2 home record, the Tigers have also tied the record for most wins in a season at the Gentry Center, which opened prior to the 1980-81 season.

 

“We are very thankful for the opportunity to participate in this year’s CIT," TSU Head Coach Dana Ford said. "We are excited that our seniors will get the chance to continue their final season here at Tennessee State University. This postseason invitation is a true testament of the hard work and dedication that our players and staff have put forth in bringing back excitement to TSU basketball.”

 

The CIT will feature a 32-team field with all 31 games set to be played at campus sites. The first round of the CIT will take place March 14th-16th followed by the second round March 18th-20th with the Quarterfinals March 22nd-24th. The Semifinals on March 27th will broadcast on CBS Sports Network along with the Championship Game on March 29th. Additionally, all games will be streamed lived on SIDEARM Sports.

 

Tennessee State will be making its third appearance in the CIT after falling to Mercer in 2012 and Evansville in 2013. Overall, it will be the program’s fifth postseason appearance at the D-1 level with trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1993 and 1994.

 

Ball State enters the CIT with a 19-13 overall record under the direction of former Arizona assistant James Whitford, who is in his third season as head coach in Muncie, Ind. Hailing from the Mid-American Conference, the Cardinals earned the sixth seed in the MAC Tournament before falling to Miami (Ohio) in the opening round. The Ball State offense features three players averaging double figures including Franko House and his 12.5 points per game.

 

TSU has faced Ball State twice, beating the Cardinals during the 2005-06 season and the 2006-07 season.

 

For tickets, please visit the TSU Ticket Office located on the first floor of the Gentry Center or call (615) 963-5841.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State faces Sam Houston in postseason tournament

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Jackson State and Sam Houston State, two teams eliminated from their conference tournaments by buzzer-beating baskets, will meet in a CollegeInsider.com Tournament post-season first round game Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

In just his third season as head coach, Wayne Brent has his Jackson State participating in post-season player for the first time since 2007 when they defeated Alabama State.

JSU brings a 19-15 record to the game Monday night. Raeford Worsham, who scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the championship final, leads JSU.

Live Stats

Watch Live (Click Here)
 

The Bearkats fell 79-76 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday night after an Islander three-pointer with seven seconds left. Jackson State lost to Southern 54-53 on a last second basket Saturday in the finals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

With no starters returning from last year’s 26-9 squad that reached the CIT second round, three reserve players stepped up as starters this year. Juniors Aurimas Majauskas and Dakarai Henderson lead the team with scoring averages of 14.2 points each. Both were 2016 All-Southland Conference selections.

Sophomore Jamal Williams adds 9.3 points per game and ranks high in the Southland with 4.7 assists per game as the Kats’ point guard. Transfer Jovante’ Spivey and red-shirt freshman Albert Almanza have posted scoring averages of 8.4 and 6.8 points per game, respectively.

Two years ago, Sam Houston defeated Alabama State 71-49 in the CIT first round and lost to San Diego 77-72 in the second round. Last season, the Bearkats knocked off UNC-Wilmington 87-71 in the CIT first round before falling 71-70 to Louisiana-Lafayette.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Hampton University Pirates Takes On No.1 Seed Virginia Cavaliers in March Madness

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University men's basketball team, fresh off its second straight MEAC Tournament title, will take on No. 1 seed Virginia in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Game time is set for approximately 3 p.m., and the game will be shown live on TruTV.

The winner of that game will face either No. 8 Texas Tech or No. 9 Butler in the round of 32.

The Pirates (21-10) won their second straight MEAC Tournament crown on Saturday with an 81-69 win over South Carolina State in the Norfolk Scope Arena. Reginald Johnson, Jr. was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while both he and Quinton Chievous were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Johnson and Chievous were also both First Team All-MEAC selections.

Hampton is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Edward Joyner, Jr. and its sixth overall. The Pirates have NCAA Tournament wins in 2001 (the historic upset over Iowa State) and 2015 (over Manhattan in the First Four).

The bracket was revealed Sunday evening, and Virginia was awarded the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. The Cavaliers (26-7) are coming off a 61-57 loss to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament final on Saturday. Before that, the No. 4/4 Cavaliers had won five straight.

Redshirt senior guard Malcolm Brogdon is averaging a team-high 18.7 points per game for Virginia, while redshirt senior forward Anthony Gill is averaging 13.3 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per contest. Junior guard London Parrantes is averaging 11.0 points a contest.

The ACC coaches and media both elected Brogdon as the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

The Cavaliers are averaging 70.4 points per game, while giving up just 59.7 points a night.

The Pirates are 0-7 all-time against Virginia, with six of those seven meetings in Charlottesville. The two teams last met in 2013, with the Cavaliers winning 69-40.

Hampton is 1-14 against schools currently in the ACC.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Rattlers Complete Sweep of Bethune-Cookman with 5-3 Win on Sunday

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M (11-5, 3-0 MEAC) won its’ eighth straight game and competed the sweep of Bethune-Cookman (5-10, 0-3 MEAC) by a score of 5-3 at Moore-Kittles Field on Sunday afternoon. It marks the first time the Rattlers have swept B-CU since before 2000 and the first time the Wildcats were swept in a MEAC series in more than a decade.

FAMU starting pitcher Chase Jarrell (2-1) pitched a great game and picked up the win as he tied a career high with six strikeouts. Jarrell allowed just two unearned runs in 7.2 innings of work. Alec Wong led the offense going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Dylan Dillard and Cameron Johnson added two RBIs a piece.

Hunter Fillingim earned his second save of the season as he recorded three strikeouts in the ninth inning after giving up a leadoff home run.

Bethune-Cookman scored first with an unearned run in the top of the first inning. Akevious Williams led off with a single through the left side, stole second and advanced to third base on an errant throw to second before coming home to score on a sac fly from Michael Cruz for the early1-0 lead.

FAMU answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead. Marlon Gibbs was hit-by-pitch and Wong singled through the right side to start the home half of the first inning. Ben Ellzey advanced both runners with a nice sac bunt and Dillard drew a walk to load the bases with one out. After Jacky Miles, Jr. popped out, Johnson drove in both Gibbs and Wong with a single to center field to give Florida A&M the lead.

The Rattlers increased the lead to 5-1 with three, two-out, runs in the second inning. With two outs, Gibbs was hit-by-pitch again, Wong singled and Ellzey walked to load the bases for the second straight inning. Dillard then came through with a two-run single through the left side, as Ellzey also was able to score when left fielder, Rakeem Quinn, bobbled the ground ball.

B-CU cut the lead to 5-2 with another unearned run in the eighth inninng. Kyle Corbin reached on a fielder’s choice and with one out came around to score as Williams ripped a single into center field. Willis McDaniel misplayed the ball, which allowed Corbin to score.

In the ninth inning, Rodriguez quickly cut the lead to 5-3 with a solo home run to lead off the top of the ninth. Fillingim was able to hold the scoring there, as he had three strikeouts in the inning to earn the save.

Wildcat starter Alex Seibold (0-3) took the loss after he allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits with two walks in 1.2 innings of work.

Florida A&M next travels to Alabama State on Wednesday, with first pitch scheduled for 5:00 PM ET.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook.

Box Score

 

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Virginia State Trojans Take On West Liberty

VIRGINIA STATE vs. WEST LIBERTY GAME

WHEELING, West Virginia -- The Virginia State University Trojans men's basketball team will take on the Hilltoppers of West Liberty University on Sunday, March 13 at 5 PM.

The No. 6 seed Trojans defeated the No. 3 seed Falcons of Fairmont State, 76-66, in Round 1 to advance, while No. 2 seed West Liberty defeated No. 7 seed Concord, 90-68.

Junior guard Kevin Williams (Franklinton, NC) leads the Trojans offensively scoring 14.9 points per game. The Trojans are defensively pioneered by junior forward Elijah Moore (Yorktown, VA) recording 5.8 rebounds per game.

The Hilltoppers are offensively led Seger Bonifant averaging 24.9 points per game. Zach Grossenbacher fuels their defensive effort recording 9.7 rebounds per game.

For a full list of links and broadcasting information for the 2016 NCAA Atlantic Region Playoffs, click HERE.

Stay connected with VSU Trojans men's basketball by following Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or by calling 804-524-5030.

 

COURTESY VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

VUU Lady Panthers Reach Atlantic Region Championship

RICHMOND, Virginia  (3/12/16) -- The Panthers are going to the Atlantic Region final.

Kiana Johnson scored 31 points, Lady Walker added a double-double of 14 points and 17 rebounds, and Virginia Union led for more than 35 minutes in a 75-66 win over Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday in the NCAA Division II region semifinals at Barco-Stevens Hall.

The Panthers will face West Liberty, a 68-62 winner over California (Pa.) earlier Saturday, in the final Monday at 7 p.m.

Jaila Bryant scored 18 points, and Chenelle Moore added 13 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Mountain East Conference champions.



"This was a very resilient Wheeling Jesuit team," said Union coach AnnMarie Gilbert. "They played very hard. They hit shots. They drove us to the basket. Just a nice inside-out attack, but I was really pleased with how our kids fought back.

"We were able to manage a 10-point lead early, and Wheeling Jesuit continued to chip into that lead, but I'm just really excited about how our kids fought."

Rahni Bell provided an early spark, scoring Union's first nine points, including a pair of 3s, propelling the Panthers to a 19-15 lead after one quarter.

Bell finished the game with four 3s and 17 points.

Union outscored the Cardinals 24-18 in the second quarter for a 43-33 lead at halftime. Bell and Johnson each scored 17 for the hosts before intermission. Union hit 5 of 9 3-point attempts, four coming from Bell.

Jaila Bryant led Wheeling Jesuit with 18 points, Chenelle Moore had 13, and Mariah Callen added 10. The Cardinals were 4 of 9 from behind the arc.

The lead fell to single digits for moments, but was 10 points for most of the third and fourth quarters. Union held a 60-50 lead entering the final quarter.

The Cardinals cut it to 7 with about 90 seconds left, but Union hit free throws late.

Lots of rest (Johnson and Walker played all 40 minutes Friday and Saturday), film study and a light walkthrough are what the Panthers have planned to prepare for Monday.

"Just trying to figure out how to guard (West Liberty)," said Gilbert. "Just best strategies is all we're going to be working on. The rest is just going to be lots of rest, hydration, and try to get the win on Monday night."

It will be the last game of the season at Barco-Stevens Hall for the Panthers, who are undefeated in their home building this year.

West Liberty, the No. 3 seed, received an at-large bid to the tournament after falling to Wheeling Jesuit in the Mountain East championship. 

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VUU Advances in NCAA Tourney with 91-72 Win

RICHMOND, Virginia (3/11/16) -- The Virginia Union women are one step closer to reaching their third goal of the season.

Following CIAA Northern Division and conference titles, all that's left in the eyes of the Panthers — the top seed in the Atlantic Region — is the Division II championship.

Their pursuit started Friday with a 91-72 win over eighth-seeded Indiana (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament at Barco-Stevens Hall on VUU's campus.

Three Panthers recorded double-doubles in Union's 13th consecutive victory. The team will face Wheeling Jesuit at 7 p.m. today at Barco-Stevens Hall.

Kiana Johnson scored 27 points and dished out 10 assists. Lady Walker scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Taylor White had 17 points and 17 rebounds.

Megan Smith scored 22 points to lead the Crimson Hawks.

Union's last game before Friday was Feb. 27 in the CIAA title game.

"It is just really exciting to see your team come out after almost a two-week layoff and be able to put 91 points up on the board. That was pretty impressive," Panthers coach AnnMarie Gilbert said. "The two stats that I'm more impressed with are us having 49 rebounds, 18 of them offensive, and only six turnovers.

"For a team that really has tried to balance the days that we rested and then the day we came back and prepared, I just thought our team did a magnificent job."

Indiana had 34 rebounds. VUU scored 46 points in the paint, got 24 second-chance points and 30 fast-break points. The Panthers scored 21 or more points in every quarter.

Just 2 points separated the teams after the first quarter, but the Panthers closed the second on a 16-7 run to take a 47-38 halftime lead. White already had a double-double in the first half with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson had 14 points. Walker added 13 points and eight rebounds.

Smith hit 4 of 5 from the field and two behind the arc for 12 points to lead the Hawks at halftime.

Union scored 9 unanswered just before the midway point of the third to make it a 15-point game at 59-44. The Hawks cut it to 68-56 after the third, but the Panthers outscored Indiana 23-16 in the fourth for the win.

"I thought we did a pretty good job of trying to negate the hot hand," Gilbert said of the Union defense. It held the Hawks to 40.9 percent from the field and 11 of 33 from 3-point range. "Kudos to them, because they hit a lot of big shots. They played us well early on. We just withstood some of their runs and finished the game strong."

The tournament originally was scheduled to be held at the Arthur Ashe Center, but was changed to Barco-Stevens on Wednesday night due to the floor of the Ashe Center not being a hardwood court.

The last-minute change didn't affect Johnson and the rest of the Panthers. In fact, they prefer Barco, where they haven't lost all season (12-0).

"We're comfortable at home," Johnson said. "We've played here all year. We haven't lost a game here. We don't plan on losing a game here, and we love our fans."

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Southern is No. 16 seed in NCAA tournament, will face Holy Cross in First Four game in Dayton, Ohio

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern will play fellow No. 16 seed Holy Cross in a First Four game in the NCAA tournament Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

The teams will tip off at 5:40 p.m. CDT, and the game will air on truTV. The winner will play the No. 1 seed in the West region — Oregon — at 6:27 p.m. Friday in Spokane, Washington. That game also will air on truTV.

“At the end of the day, it didn’t matter who or where,” Jaguars coach Roman Banks said. “We were just glad to see our name pop up on the screen.”

Southern (22-12) is playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in four seasons after claiming an automatic bid by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship. The fourth-seeded Jaguars edged third-seeded Jackson State 54-53 in the title game Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston. The program had been ineligible for postseason play the past two seasons because the university had submitted “unusable data” on student-athletes Academic Progress Rates to the NCAA.

“To make the NCAA tournament the first year after the ban was lifted speaks volumes about these student-athletes,” Banks said.

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Hampton and the coach who called Jesus back in NCAA tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia -- One of our favorite results from a lengthy list of conference championship games across the nation Saturday came in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference where Hampton beat South Carolina State 81-69 to advance to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

Nothing against South Carolina State. It had a good season and was equally worthy of the title, but Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. is just too much fun. He’s the kind of coach you want to see succeeding at this time of year because he seems to have a way of adding to the fun.

You might remember Joyner from last season. After his team won a play-in game in the First Four against Manhattan, he was asked in the press conference about facing Kentucky and he picked up his cell phone and pretended to call Jesus.

As he continued the gag, he asked Jesus how to handle Kentucky and Jesus apparently hung up.

So there was Joyner again Saturday in the final seconds of his team’s victory. He stalked the sidelines like a wild man who couldn’t wait to celebrate his third MEAC tournament title and NCAA trip in six years. . When the game was over and he shook hands with opponents, he climbed up on a short wall behind the bench area to pump his fist at Hampton supporters and celebrate the moment with them.

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MLB Diversity Business Summit explored the advantages of diversity

Marian Rhodes
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer
MLB: Arizona Diamonbacks

Rhodes earned an Accounting degree from Florida A&M University and
an MBA in Marketing from Webster University.

PHOENIX, Arizona -- Valuing diversity starts at the top was the message that Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. promoted at Chase Field on Mar. 8, 2016. On Mar. 9, the third and last day of the MLB Business Diversity Summit, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona, executives from various teams acknowledged past problems, focused on their visions of the future of the game, and described actions they are taking to ensure, not just the diversity of the game, but the viability of the baseball.

Common understanding is important to any cause. When asked what they thought “diversity” meant, answers from a panel of MLB executives included “inclusion,” “representative,” “balance,” and “opportunity.” Marian Rhodes, DBacks Senior Vice President/Chief Human Resources & Diversity Officer, a FAMU alumnus who played a prominent role throughout the conference, described how she does not want to do business with companies that are not diverse. Ken Hendricks, the Managing General Partner, stated that achieving diversity has to be a core principle and is a full-time job.

Seminars and panel discussions that day described how baseball is making a difference in communities and how the demographics of players, employees, contractors and fans must change to ensure the future of the game. For example, Debbie Castaldo, DBacks Vice President of Corporate and Community Impact, cited the jersey distribution plan benefitting 40,000 kids in 75 Arizona little league teams.

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FAMU’s athletic department will control game-day parking under new proposal

MILTON OVERTON, JR.
FAMU Athletic Director

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- In a bid to bolster Florida A&M’s cash-strapped athletics department, the university’s Board of Trustees on Thursday agreed to take control of game-day parking away from the Rattler Boosters.

Parking during football games has been controlled by the Boosters, but the board agreed the athletics department should oversee the lots surrounding Bragg Memorial Stadium. Revenue from parking under Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr.’s new plan is projected to be $300,000 in 2017, according to documents provided to the board.

By 2019, the revenue should increase to $350,000. The BOT approved Overton’s plan, but only under the condition he meet with the Rattler Boosters and President Elmira Mangum to ensure an “amicable” transition.

“It’s standard in intercollegiate athletics that the athletic department utilizes (university-owned parking lots),” Overton told trustees.

In an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat after the meeting, Overton said, “It’s very important in that we’re able to respond to our fans. The fans asked for it in the survey. All we’re doing is going down a line, making sure we respond to our fans.

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Tournament MVP Gathright is GCAC Player of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time this season and the fourth time in her career, Xavier University of Louisiana's Whitney Gathright is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball.

Gathright — a 5-foot-4 senior point guard from New Orleans and a graduate of John Curtis Christian School — averaged 19.7 points, four rebounds, 5.3 assists and two steals in three games to lead the Gold Nuggets (22-11) to the GCAC Tournament championship for the second time in three years and the fifth time in the last seven seasons.

  

Gathright shot prodigiously during the tournament, making 38 shots and missing 10 (16-of-24 from floor, 5-of-7 3-pointers, 22-of-24 free throws). She produced game-highs of 25 points, six assists and three steals in the tournament final Sunday, a 75-68 victory against 15th-ranked Talladega.

Gathright and Brittany Powell (2008-10) are the only XU women's basketball players to win four GCAC weekly awards in a career.

Xavier will compete March 16 or 17 in the opening round of the NAIA Division I National Championship at Independence, Mo.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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XU's French connection earns two more GCAC awards

NEW ORLEANS — It hasn't taken long for freshmen Thomas Setodji and Charlene Goreau to achieve success with Xavier University of Louisiana tennis.
    
Setodji and Goreau, both French residents who enrolled at XU in January, were named Tuesday as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players of the Week for Feb. 29-March 6. It's the second GCAC weekly award for both.
    
Setodji, from Domont, France, was 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles for the Gold Rush. He defeated Vivien Versier 6-7 (6-8), 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) in a 6-2 dual-match victory Friday at NAIA No. 10 William Carey, and he beat William Woods' Marcos Constantino 6-1, 6-2 in a 6-0 home victory Sunday. In doubles, Setodji and Kevin Chaouat beat Clement Fosse and Andreas Brune of William Carey 8-5 and David Barbieri and Adam Deen Qurban of William Woods 8-0.
    
Goreau, from Toulouse and a graduate of Raymond Naves School, won all three of her singles matches, all at the top flight against top-25 NAIA teams. Goreau defeated Nataliia Baliaeva of William Carey 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, Gisela Amor of LSU-Alexandria 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7) and Paige Smith of William Woods 6-0, 6-1. Goreau and Brandi Nelson won 8-5 in doubles against LSUA's Amor and Ariadna Cabezas.
    
Setodji is 5-0 in singles and 3-2 and doubles this season, and Goreau is 8-2 in singles and 4-5 in doubles and has a six-match singles win streak.
    
Both XU teams will travel to Jackson, Miss., to play Saturday against Tougaloo at 10 a.m. and Jackson State at 2 p.m. The Gold Rush are 7-3 and ranked third in the NAIA, and the Gold Nuggets are 4-6 and ranked 14th.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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S.C. State men to play in Coach John McLendon Classic to start CIT

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The season is not over for the South Carolina State men’s basketball team, despite falling to Hampton in the MEAC Basketball Tournament championship game in Virginia on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (now 19-14 overall) have accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural Coach John McLendon Classic in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) beginning on Monday in Phoenix, Arizona.
 

S.C. State will play at Grand Canyon University against the GCU team (25-6 overall record) in a 10 p.m. EST game that will be broadcast nationwide on CBS Sports Network. The Antelopes of GCU are coached by former NBA player and three-time NBA All-Star Dan Majerle.

The Coach John McLendon Classic – “This Game is No Secret” – will be a first round game in the 2016 CIT and will officially commence the start of college basketball March Madness among NCAA teams.
 

Both teams playing in the Coach McLendon Classic will don shirts declaring, "This Game is No Secret," in tribute to “The Secret Game” played in 1944 between Coach McLendon's North Carolina College for Negroes (now North Carolina Central) and an all-white team of former college basketball stars attending Duke's Army and Navy medical training program, who were superior to the varsity squad in Durham at the time.

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Southern Wins Second Tournament Title in Three Years

HOUSTON, Texas – An Adrian Rodgers tip-in with just over 16 seconds left lifted Southern to a 54-53 victory over Jackson State and the 2016 SWAC Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship.

The tip-in came just after Raeford Worsham made a go-ahead lay-up with 33 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Rodgers rebounded a Jared Sam shot attempt and after missing his first tip-in, he was able to get his put back to fall on the second try. JKST's Chace Franklin’s three attempt and Janarius Middleton’s ensuing put back were no good, giving the Jaguars their ninth SWAC Tournament championship and – under the guidance of  Coach Roman Banks -- their second conference crown in three years.

After trailing for much of the game, Jackson State used an 11-2 run to go ahead by one at the midway point of the final half. Trelun Banks took the lead back for SUBR with a jumper on the next possession, and Southern held a slim lead until a 9-2 run by the Tigers put them ahead 48-42 with less than four minutes left.

The Jaguars were able to get within one possession with 2:40 left, and subesquently tied it with a Banks three-ball on their next turn with the ball.

Paris Collins buried a corner three to put JKST ahead 51-48 with just over a minute and a half left. SUBR was able to claw back in it, as Christopher Hyder free throws made the game 52-51, setting the stage for the final moments.

Banks, who was named tournament MVP, led all scorers with 19 points. Shawn Prudhomme added 10 points, and Rodgers scored seven points to go with 11 boards.

Jackson State was led by all-tournament performer Worsham, who notched a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Paris Collins added 11 points and seven rebounds. The full all-tournament team is listed below.

MVP:Trelun Banks, Southern University

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:Marcus Romain, Mississippi Valley
Raeford Worsham, Jackson State
Trelun Banks, Southern
Malcolm Riley, Texas Southern
Adrian Rodgers, Southern

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