Florida A&M Rattlers Baseball Wins10th Straight, Splits Doubleheader at Savannah State

SAVANNAH, Georgia  – Florida A&M (13-6, 4-1 MEAC) won it’s 10^th straight game, but split the doubleheader at Savannah State (6-14, 1-1 MEAC) by scores of 7-2 and 1-2 at Tiger Field on Saturday. Senior Ricky Page struck out a career high six batters in the game two loss, while starter Danny Rodriguez (3-0) earned the win in game one after he pitched a season long seven innings and allowed two unearned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Page (1-1) pitched a complete game in the loss and allowed two unearned runs on six hits with the career-high six strikeouts and one walk. Dylan Dillard (2-for-4), Brian Davis (2-for-3) and Jacky Miles, Jr. all had multi-hit performances in game one, while Ryan Hutson went 2-for-3 in game two.

The Tigers scored first in game one with a pair of unearned runs in the home half of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Jalen Atterbury reached on an error by Dillard on a ground ball at first base to lead off the inning. Jonathan Moore followed with a single to left and Charles Sikes walked to load the bases with no outs. Atterbury came home from third for the first run of the game as Mendez Elder grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and Moore was also able to later score on a wild pitch.

FAMU finally was able to get on the board with an unearned run in the sixth inning to cut the lead in half at 2-1. Alec Wong reached on a throwing error by the pitcher and after Ben Ellzey flew out to right field, Dillard singled through the left side. Davis was then hit-by-pitch to load the bases and Jacky Miles, Jr. plated Wong from third with a sac fly to left field for Florida A&M’s first run of the day.

The Rattler offense erupted for five runs on five hits in the seventh inning, including a two-run triple from Miles, Jr. to take their first lead of the game at 6-2. Willis McDaniel led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Peter Jackson. Marlon Gibbs then singled through the left side to place runners on the corners with one out. FAMU loaded the bases as Wong was hit-by-pitch and Ellzey brought home McDaniel with an RBI single to left that to tie the game at 2-2. With the bases still loaded, the Tigers made a pitching change as Alex Wright came into the game. Dillard, the first batter Wright faced, singled home Gibbs from third and a sac fly to right field by Davis allowed Wong to come home for the third run of the inning. Miles, Jr. then roped a two-run triple, his first of the year, into the left-center gap.

Florida A&M scored their final run of game one in the eighth inning in what proved to be the final score of 7-2. Gibbs and Wong drew back-to-back walks with one out and Ellzey was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Gibbs was then able to score on a sac fly from Dillard.

Tiger starter Trevor McKenna (1-2) suffered the loss in game one after allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits in 6.2 innings of work. McKenna had six strikeouts and two walks.

In game two, it turned into a pitchers duel. The Tigers scored all they would need with two runs in the bottom of the third inning for a 2-0 lead. Atterbury drew a walk with two outs and a misplayed ball by Ellzey allowed Moore to reach second before Sikes' two-run single into left field gave SSU the lead for good.

FAMU had a chance in the seventh inning, but was only able to come up with one run. Dillard led off with a single to left and went to third, with one out, as Cameron Johnson singled to right. Shane Gordon then came in to pinch run at first base for Johnson before Dillard came home on a pinch hit groundout from Miles, Jr. With Gordon representing the tying run at second base with two outs, Hutson popped up to second base to end the game.

Savannah State game two starter Ryan McCranie (1-1) had a solid outing as he allowed just one run on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk in a complete game win.

The Rattlers and Tigers will close out the three-game series on Sunday at 1:00 PM.
As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook.

Game 1 Box Score                                                                 

Game 2 Box Score

 

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State Hall of Famer Eugene Short Dies

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Eugene Short, one of the best basketball players in Hattiesburg High history, died Wednesday in Houston, Texas, following a long battle with diabetes.

Short was 62 years old.

The 6-foot-6 Short, along with his younger brother, Purvis, helped lead Hattiesburg High to the school’s first state championship in the 1972-73 season.

“Eugene was so instrumental in Hattiesburg High’s success then,” said Hattiesburg High athletic director Cheyenne Trussell. “But it was also a unique time since it was right after integration. He helped bring the community together. It wasn’t about black and white. It was about Hattiesburg High School.”

After graduating from Hattiesburg High, Short was a star player at Jackson State, earning SWAC Player of the Year honors twice. He was inducted into the Jackson State Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

Short was picked by the New York Knicks in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1975 NBA Draft. The year before, he was chosen in the fifth round by the San Antonio Spurs of the American Basketball Association. Short also played for the Seattle Supersonics during his two-year NBA career. In addition, he was a member of the U.S. national team at the FIBA World Championship in 1974.

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Les East: Postseason opportunities gave Southern teams an extra edge

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Both Southern basketball teams saw their seasons come to disappointing ends in the past few days.

The men followed their Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament championship with an uneven performance in a 59-55 loss to fellow No. 16 seed Holy Cross in the First Four of the NCAA tournament Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

One night later, the women, who had fallen one win short of an NCAA tournament appearance of their own, couldn’t get going offensively and lost at Arkansas State 68-45 in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

But the fact that both teams were automatic qualifiers for postseason play in the first season in three that they were eligible for such drove home the significance of being able to compete for championships.

The men’s victory in the SWAC tournament earned them the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

CONTINUE READING

#2/3 Irish Win NCAA Opener, 95-61, Over North Carolina A&T

Box Score  |  Box Score |  Notes |  Photo Gallery  | NCAA 1st/2nd Rounds Central | Irish NCAA Tournament Central | ND Post-Game Quotes 

SOUTH BEND, Indiana -- Top-seeded Notre Dame dominated No. 16-seed North Carolina A&T for three quarters, earning praise from coach Muffet McGraw for unselfish play.

The Fighting Irish had 20 assists on 21 baskets in the first half and finished with 29 assists on 34 field goals en route to a 95-61 victory Saturday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

''That is amazing how unselfish we were,'' McGraw said. ''There were times somebody had a wide-open shot and they gave it to somebody for just a little better shot. It's really fun to watch them play that way when they share the ball.''

Brianna Turner scored 16 points on 7 of 8 shooting, Madison Cable added 14 points and seven rebounds and Notre Dame 32-1) dominated inside, Aggies (19-12) 52-18 in the paint.

''LA (Lindsay Allen) just got me wide open layups. So I just had to finish it,'' Turner said.

Kathryn Westbeld added 12 points as the No. 2 Fighting Irish (32-1) shot 59 percent to win their 29th straight at home, the third longest streak in school history. Notre Dame outscored the Aggies (19-12) 52-18 in the paint.

The Irish jumped quickly to a 7-0 lead and pulled away throughout most of the game, leading by 28 at halftime and 41 at the end of three quarters.

Kala Green, who missed her first 10 shots, led the Aggies with 12 points on 5 of 18 shooting, Dana Brown scored 11 and Aprill McCrae had 10 points and seven rebounds. The Irish held North Carolina A&T to 33 percent shooting, repeatedly forcing the Aggies to settle for outside shots.

''When they doubled me I couldn't make my moves like I wanted to so I had to kick the ball out,'' McCrae said.

Aggies coach Tarrell Robinson said his team was overwhelmed by the Irish defense and the large Notre Dame crowd.

''The environment, us not having been there before and not understanding how crazy it is in this arena, and I thought our girls weren't in it mentally. I know they wanted to play hard and wanted to show up. But when you are playing one of the best teams in the country you've got to be rolling on all cylinders and we weren't today,'' he said.

''The environment, us not having been there before and not understanding how crazy it is in this arena, and I thought our girls weren't in it mentally."

The Irish jumped quickly to a 7-0 lead and pulled away throughout most of the game, leading by 28 at halftime and 41 at the end of three quarters before being outscored 21-14 in the fourth quarter. McGraw wasn't pleased.

''I thought we were just lackadaisical. I don't think we were aggressive in coming to the ball,'' McGraw ssaid. ''We just got careless. I thought it was really careless, just sloppy and careless.''

Marina Mabrey added 13 points and Mychal Johnson matched her season-high 12 points as the Notre Dame's reserves outscored the Aggies bench 45-23. Allen had 10 assists in 21 minutes and Michaela Mabrey had six.

GAME STATS

The 29 assists were the most ever by the Irish in an NCAA Tournament game. The previous record was 26 against Tennessee-Martin in 2013. ... Allen's 10 assists were the fifth most by the Irish in the tournament and the most since Skylar Diggins had 11 against Maryland in 2012. ... Turner's 87.5 percent shooting was the third best for the Irish in the tournament and the best since Ruth Riley was 6 of 6 against Alcorn State in 2001. ... The 95 points tied for the third most by the Irish in a tournament game.

TIP-INS

North Carolina A&T: The Aggies fell to 0-3 in NCAA Tournament play. ... North Carolina A&T, which finished second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring defense at 57.6 points a game, hadn't given up more than 89 points in a game this season. ... The loss wasn't the most lopsided ever for the Aggies in the tournament. In 1994, A&T was beaten by 74 points by Tennessee, 111-37, which remains the largest margin of victory in tournament history.

Notre Dame: improved to 19-4 in opening-round games. Its last loss was 79-71 to Minnesota at home in the first round in 2009. ... Notre Dame improved to 13-0 against first-time opponents in the NCAA Tournament over the past 15 years. The last first-time opponent to beat the Irish in the tournament was Texas Tech 82-67 in the second round in Lubbock, Texas, in 1996. ... Notre Dame is 23-0 when scoring 80 or more points in the tournament.

UP NEXT

North Carolina A&T: Season's over.

Notre Dame plays No. 9 seed Indiana on Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2/WatchESPN.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS

No. 7 Texas Women's Basketball advances to Second Round, downs ASU, 86-42.

The 44-point win ties Texas’s largest margin of victory in the NCAA tournament since playing No. 15 seed Hampton on March 23, 2003.

AUSTIN, Texas— Sophomore forward Ariel Atkins scored a team-high 15 points and senior center Imani Boyette brought down a team-high 10 boards to propel No. 7/7 Texas over Alabama State, 86-42, in the First Round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament inside the Frank Erwin Center on Saturday night.

With the win, No. 2-seeded Texas (29-4) advances to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season. The Longhorns hold an all-time record of 36-27 in Tournament play, including a 20-9 mark when hosting. The 44-point win ties Texas's largest margin of victory in the NCAA tournament since playing No. 15 seed Hampton on March 23, 2003.

Boxscore (PDF) | Postgame Notes | Postgame Quotes | Photo Gallery
 

"I thought our team was really ready to play, and our starters got us off to a good start," said Texas head coach Karen Aston. "It took us a half to sort of settle into the discipline of the game, and once we did that, I think we played pretty good basketball. I thought they had a good rhythm the entire evening."

Senior guard Empress Davenport tallied 13 points for the game featuring three triples, her new career-high. Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty added 12 points, and freshman guard Lashann Higgs scored 10 points, including a perfect 6-of-6 effort from the free throw line. Senior guard Celina Rodrigo led with a team-high four assists.

All 13 eligible players on the Texas roster scored at least two points on the night for the first time this season. As a team, the Longhorns shot 46.4 percent (32-of-69) from the field and 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from behind the arc. Alabama State shot 22.2 percent (12-of-54) from the floor and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from downtown. The Horns dominated the battle of the boards, 50-29, and outblocked the Lady Hornets, 7-2.

No. 15-seeded Alabama State (19-12) was led by junior guard Danielle Clark with 13 points.

Davenport got Tournament play rolling with the first five points for the Longhorns, and a three-point conversion from Atkins coupled with a Rodrigo layup put the Horns up 10-3 at the 6:35 mark of the first. After one ASU free throw, Texas went on a 9-1 run to lead by 13 (18-5) with 2:18 remaining. The Lady Hornets responded by grabbing the last eight points of the quarter to cut the margin to 18-13 Longhorns.

Boyette got her first two points of the night from the free throw line to open the second and added a layup to hand Texas the 22-15 lead at the 8:59 mark. A Davenport triple and an Atkins jumper pushed the advantage to double-digits again (29-18) with 2:57 remaining in the half. The teams would trade shots from the line in the closing minutes of the first half, and a long Lady Hornet jumper ended it, sending Texas into the break with a 32-22 advantage.

The Horns wasted no time in the third, jumping out on an 11-0 spurt (43-22) to force an ASU timeout at the 6:48 mark. Texas only allowed Alabama State five points in the third, and the Longhorns found their groove behind conversions from Atkins and McCarty, who tallied 18 points together for the quarter. A jumper from junior center Lang ended the third, putting Texas ahead by 31 points (58-27).

The Longhorns continued to dominate play in the last quarter, scoring all 28 points from the bench. Freshman forward Jordan Hosey added a huge block followed by a three-point conversion to make it 72-34 Horns with 4:54 remaining in regulation. The Lady Hornets found their bright spot behind back-to-back triples from junior guard Daniele Ewert, but a long jumper from junior Sara Hattis ended the game, 86-42 Texas.

Up next, Texas will play No. 10 seed Missouri in the Second Round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Monday, March 21. Tip is set for 8 p.m. CT, and the game will be carried live on ESPN2.
 

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LONGHORNS MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU forward Malcolm Bernard confirms he's leaving the program

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M forward Malcolm Bernard will finish his collegiate career with a different team.

Bernard confirmed in a phone interview with the Tallahassee Democrat he is leaving the team. He led the Rattlers in points (14.4 per game) and rebounds (7.1). He also led the team with 119 assists.

Bernard has one year of eligibility left.

"I just wanted another opportunity," Bernard said. "An opportunity to do something different. I believe to do that, I have to separate myself from FAMU. You have to do what's necessary, especially when you're trying to reach other goals."

Bernard said he's "weighing his options" in regards to where he'll transfer, but the decision to leave "wasn't easy." He said was granted his release Monday afternoon.

This is the second year in a row FAMU's leader has left the team. Guard Jermaine Ruttley (who also led the Rattlers in points, assists and rebounds) transferred after the 2014-15 season and now plays for Arkansas-Little Rock. The Trojans (29-4, 17-3 Sun Belt) will play fifth-seeded Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.

Ruttley averages 3.4 points per game for the Trojans.

CONTINUE READING

S.C. State's Buddy Pough Looks Back And Ahead

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State head football coach Buddy Pough is home. He grew up in Orangeburg and went on to earn All-MEAC honors as an offensive lineman at South Carolina State.

Now as he prepares for his 15th sesaon as the head coach of his alma mater, Pough looks back on his career that has seen him lead the Bulldogs to a pair of MEAC title outright and four shared conference titles.

"You can't believe it's been that long," said Pough.

"You know, 15 years - has it really been that long? Well, it is. I've enjoyed every minute of it."

But the coach quickly turns his attention to 2016 and his lofty goals for his program.

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Demetric Austin was 10-for-10 from the free throw line and finished with a double-double.

Kansas City, Missouri (excerpts taken from NAIA.org) — No. 6 seed Campbellsville (Ky.)qualified for the quarterfinal round of the 2016 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship with an 81-73 win over sixth-seeded Dillard (La.). The Tigers take on the winner of No. 1-seeded LSU Alexandria (La.) and No. 5-seeded Carroll (Mont.) in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. CDT.

Elliott Young led the way for Campbellsville with 22 points and eight rebounds, converting 4 of 7 three-point shots. Sekou Harris chipped in with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, Dii'jon Allen-Jordan added 13 points, eight rebounds and six steals, while Hagen Tyler tallied 12 points.

"I didn't think we played our best basketball tonight," said Dillard head coach Mike Newell.

"We made a lot of mental mistakes and you can't do that in March. This group accomplished a lot of great things, but we didn't win a national championship, and that's why I came to Dillard."

Campbellsville (24-10) forced 10 turnovers in the first half on the way to a 37-28 lead at intermission, limiting Dillard to 10 of 33 shooting (.303) that included two three-point shots on 10 attempts. The middle third of the half was a pivotal stretch for the Tigers, who turned a 10-9 deficit into a 26-16 advantage thanks to six points from Harris.

The second half saw the Tigers' advantage swell between one and 10 points throughout the second half before Harris and Young helped finish off the game with conventional three-point plays prior to four free throws by Rob Robinson.

"I am really happy for Houston Chatman (JR/Houma, La.)," said Newell. "It's really special to go out in your last year and win a conference championship, get a chance to go to the NAIA tournament and go as far as the sweet 16. He's a great young man and I am very fortunate to have coached him." Chatman finished with just three points and two boards in his final game as a Bleu Devil.

Campbellsville shot 51.7 percent in the second half (15 of 29), including 6 of 12 from beyond the arc. Dillard owned the battle of the boards with a 50-40 advantage, but the Tigers committed just 10 turnovers and recorded 12 steals.

Demetric Austin (JR/Washington, D.C.) scored a game-high 23 points, hitting all 10 of his free throws, to go along with 11 rebounds for the Bleu Devils. Dennis Reed (JR/England, Ark.) also pulled down 11 rebounds, while Dennis Hightower (JR/Chicago, Ill.) (JR/Chicago, Ill.) recorded 19 points, five assists and four rebounds.

Dillard finishes its season with a 22-11 record.

Game notes:

Campbellsville – All-time in the championship, the Tigers improve to 2-3 in the Second Round – their previous such victory came in 2008 against former member McKendree (Ill.), 80-64… The margin of victory/defeat in four previous second round games was 8.3 points… Moves to 8-10 all-time in the championship… Hagen Tyler made 4-of-9 three-pointers tonight – he entered the game ranked No. 4 in NAIA in treys made (101)… As a team, Georgetown has knocked down 23 triples in two tournament games … Of the five teams to qualify for the quarterfinals thus far, the Tigers become the second program with double-digit losses… Campbellsville joins fellow Mid-South Conference members Cumberlands (Ky.) and Georgetown (Ky.) in the round of 8, which will be played on Saturday.

Dillard – In first appearance since 2003 – fifth overall – Blue Devils fall to 3-6 all-time in the National Championship … Was riding a five-game win streak heading into second round game … Dennis Hightower averaged 28.5 points over two games in this season's championship to finish this season with at least 10 points in three of his last four games… Demetric Austin, who had a season-low five points in the tournament opening win Thursday, collected a team-high 23 tonight… Grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, which was right at the team's season average, which ranks No. 2 in the NAIA.

COURTESY GULF COAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEDIA RELATIONS

Sean Mapson Named as MVSU New Head Women’s Soccer Coach

ITTA BENA, Mississippi – A new day has dawned for the Mississippi Valley State University women's soccer program, as Sean Mapson takes the helm as the fourth head coach in the program's history.

"I am very pleased with our selection of Sean Mapson to lead the Mississippi Valley State University women's soccer program. He has followed our program over the years and is fully aware that our program is one of the best in the SWAC. He has a solid background in the sport; having played professionally, coached on various levels (youth to collegiate), and continues to be a student of the game by earning several soccer coaching certifications. I believe Coach Mapson will build on our successes," said Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee.

Mapson takes over a program that won the 2015 regular season Southwestern Athletic Conference title. He comes to MVSU after serving as the assistant coach for the women's soccer program at the University of Southern Mississippi, a position he began in 2011.

In 2013, under Mapson and USM's Head Coach Mohammed El-Zare, the team finished 7-9-4, one of the best records recorded in the past decade, however the two were far from done. In 2015, the team finished the season with their highest conference ranking in the past seven years. In addition to coaching, Mapson was also responsible for developing technical and tactical training sessions, organizing and managing the travel budget and match and player analysis. He was also, the goalkeeper coach, recruitment coordinator and camp director.

While at Southern Miss. Mapson coached one 2015 Conference USA All-Academic First Team honoree, one 2015 Conference USA All-Freshmen Team honoree, two 2014 Conference USA All-Academic First Team 2014 honorees, one 2014 Conference USA All-Conference Third Team honoree, two 2013 Conference USA All-Academic First Team honorees and one 2013 Conference USA All-Freshmen Team honoree; the team also scored an overall 3.23 Team GPA in 2014.

Prior to arriving at USM, Mapson served as the assistant coach of the men and women's soccer program at William Carey University.

While serving his alma mater, Mapson assisted in helping the men and women's teams reach the NAIA National Tournament in consecutive seasons. In addition to this achievement, both goalkeepers received NAIA First-Team All-American honors.

Mapson also served the Hattiesburg Youth Soccer Association as the Youth Coach and Director of Goalkeeping from 2007-2015.

His playing achievements at William Carey, includes the GCAC All-Freshmen team in 2006 and selections to the GCAC All-Conference Team in 2007 and 2009, as a goalkeeper. He also played with Leicester City (England) and Macclesfield Town F.C. (England).

In addition to being a student-athlete, Mapson was a double major at William Carey University. He received his Bachelor of Science Degrees in Social Science and Physical Education and Coaching in 2011. In 2014, he graduated with a Master of Science Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Sports Coaching Education.

Mapson is married to Rachel Maximo-Mapson; the two have three dogs and one cat.

"I would like to thank the Mississippi Valley State University family and Athletic Director, Dianthia Ford-Kee and the rest of the search committee for trusting in my ability to lead the program forward. I would also like to thank the players at the University of Southern Mississippi, the Senior Women's Administrator Sonya Varnell and Coach Mohammed El-Zare for the opportunities they provided for me to develop as a coach. I look forward to newest chapter in my coaching career and working to make a positive impact on the team, university and community," said Head Coach Sean Mapson.

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU's Allen, Coleman, relay team finish in top 10 at Rhodes meet

MEMPHIS, Tennessee -- Xavier University of Louisiana got top-10 finishes Friday from triple jumpers Clarke Allen and Keairez Coleman and a relay team at the Rhodes Invitational.

Allen placed sixth in the women's triple jump with a best mark of 10.84 meters (35 feet, 6 3/4 inches), two-tenths of a meter less than her XU-record performance of two weeks earlier. Coleman was 10th in the men's division in 12.35 meters (40-6 1/4).

In the women's 3,200-meter relay, the XU team of Brianna Pace, Dionysia Love, Chinyere Jones and Maliya Vaughn placed fifth in 10 minutes, 18.50 seconds. It was the first time since 2014 that the Gold Nuggets competed in this event.

There was no team scoring. The two-day meet will conclude Saturday. The meet is Xavier's second of the season.

Here are all the Xavier Friday results from the Rhodes Invitational:

Women
5,000: Hannah Finnegan, 39th in 22:29.29
3,200 Relay: Brianna Pace, Dionysia Love, Chinyere Jones, Maliya Vaughan, 5th in 10:18.50
Triple Jump: Clarke Allen, 6th in 10.84 meters (35 feet, 6 3/4 inches); Dorian Hill, 16th in 8.91 meters (29 feet, 2 3/4 inches)
 
Men
5,000: Christopher August, 37th in 16:41.09; Darrick Williams, 46th in 18:02.91 
Triple Jump: Keairez Coleman, 10th in 12.35 meters (40 feet, 6 1/4 inches); Christopher Kennie, 11th in 12.11 meters (39 feet, 8 3/4 inches).

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

Nicholls State defeats Xavier Gold Nuggets 4-0

THIBODAUX, Louisiana -- Nicholls State did not lose a set Friday in a 4-0 women's tennis victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

Andrea Mastrippolito clinched for the Colonels (4-11) with her 6-3, 6-3 victory against Vashni Balleste at No. 6 singles. Clemence Krug defeated Jana van der Walt 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4, Julia Melendez beat Brandi Nelson 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2, and Laia Charles defeated Tess Guarino 6-3, 6-0 at No. 5.

Charlene Goreau and Sha'Nel Bruins of the Gold Nuggets, 5-7 and ranked 16th in the NAIA, still were on court when Nicholls clinched. Their matches were not completed. The doubles matches were not played.

Next for Xavier's women and men will be a trip to Florida for three dual matches, starting with St. Thomas at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
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NCAA tournament preview: No. 7 Texas vs. Alabama State

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Erwin Center (16,500)
Records: Alabama State, 19-11; Texas, 28-4
TV: ESPN 2
Radio: 104.9, 1260
Note: Winner will play BYU-Missouri winner at 8 p.m. Monday.

Alabama State update
The Hornets beat Southern 55-51 a week ago to win their second straight SWAC Tournament championship. Tournament MVP Britney Wright scored 17 points in the victory while teammate Daniele Ewert added 12. … Jasmine Peeples holds the single-season team record of 95 blocks. She recently passed Gail Norris as the school’s all-time leader in blocks with 195. … Coach Freda Freeman-Jackson, who played at Alabama State, has a record of 275-258 in 18 seasons at her alma mater.

Texas update
Last season, senior post Imani Boyette combined for 51 points and 33 rebounds in three NCAA tournament games. … The Longhorns, who are making their 29th appearance in the NCAA tournament, hold a 35-27 all-time record. This will be the first time they have been the host for early round games since 2010. Texas has a 19-9 record in NCAA Tournament games at the Erwin Center. … This season is the fifth time Texas has been a No. 2 seed in the tournament. It also happened in 1983, 1984, 1989 and 2003. The Horns are 10-4 in tournament games when seeded No. 2.

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Return to NCAAs is extra special for ASU’s Peeples

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State senior center Jasmine Peeples said her final season with the Hornets has meant more to her than any time in her basketball career.

Her season almost ended before it got started as Peeples suffered a leg injury during a pick-up game last summer.

Peeples was going for a rebound when she landed on another player. Peeples required micro fracture surgery in her knee.

“At first when I went to the doctor and did an MRI, they couldn’t find anything,” Peeples said. “It was crazy because I couldn’t put any weight on it. Finally, they did a scope on my knee and found pieces of bone from my femur. I was on and off crutches, hopping around all summer.”

Peeples said doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to play again until January, but she was determined to prove them wrong.

Peeples rehabbed twice a day after surgery and returned to the team for the Preseason WNIT in November, but she admits she wasn’t the same player.

CONTINUE READING

XU Rush lose 69-68 in OT in opening round at nationals

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Rich Tesmer's basket with five seconds remaining in overtime Thursday lifted fourth-ranked Lewis Clark State to a 69-68 victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship at Municipal Auditorium.

Tesmer scored a career-high 20 points, including a layup with four seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 61.

Xavier's Gary Smith missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer in regulation, and teammate Morris Wright missed a 2-pointer at the buzzer in overtime.

The Gold Rush (21-13) led 53-43 with three minutes remaining in the second half and missed four free throws in the final 1:09 of that period. Xavier made 15-of-29 free throws for the game, 9-of-20 after halftime.

The Warriors (29-4) led for about two minutes out of 45, including 46 seconds after halftime, and never led by more than a point. Xavier led for approximately 39 minutes.

Wright's fast-break basket at 1:36 gave Xavier its final lead, 68-67.

RJ Daniels had 14 points and seven rebounds for Xavier. Wright scored 12 points — his 42nd consecutive game in double figures — and Smith and Lucas Martin-Julien scored 10 apiece. Wesley Pluviose-Philip led the Gold Rush with eight rebounds, his most since late November.

Xavier's defense was stellar against one of the NAIA's most proficient offenses. The Gold Rush limited the Warriors to their second-lowest point total this season — they entered the tournament averaging 89.1 points per game — and a season-low 35.1 percent from the floor. LC State entered shooting an NAIA-best 51.4 percent. The Warriors also committed a season-worst 19 turnovers, well above their 11.7 average.

Nick Emerson scored 13 points for LC State, and Jacob Wiley had 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

"This was a good game against a good team, but unfortunately we needed a couple more plays down the stretch to close it out," XU coach Dannton Jackson said. "It was a tough loss and some calls did not go our way at the end, but we hurt ourselves by not making free throws."

Xavier was eliminated in the first round at nationals for the sixth consecutive year. It was Xavier's second overtime game of the postseason — it beat Tougaloo in double-OT in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament — and its first in 17 trips to nationals.

LC State will play Our Lady of the Lake, an 87-81 winner against Freed-Hardeman, in the round of 16 at 9:45 p.m. Friday.

NOTES: The overtime game was Xavier's fourth of the season and third in its final five games . . . It was the final XU game for four seniors: Daniels, Smith, Wright and Jarvis Thibodeaux . . . Wright extended his streak of consecutive games with a made 3-pointer to 41 . . . Wright also became the first Gold Rush player to reach 600 points and 100 assists in the same season (626 and 101) . . . Wright finished with 99 made 3-pointers, No. 2 on XU's all-time season list, and 1,552 career points to rank No. 4 at Xavier . . . Sophomore Elex Carter blocked two shots to finish with 41. He's the second XU player in the last 28 seasons to reach 40 in a season . . . Smith's 131 games played are an XU career record . . . Xavier was trying to become the third first-round winner from the GCAC, which would've been the most ever for the 35-year-old league. Regular-season champion Talladega beat Westmont 63-61 Wednesday, and tournament champion Dillard defeated Hope International 111-91 Thursday. It's the first time since 2004 that two GCAC teams advanced.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Baltimore Ravens (Texas Southern) cornerback Tray Walker dies of injuries from dirt bike crash in Miami-Dade

MIAMI, Florida -- Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker, who was hit by a car while riding on a dirt bike in northwest Miami-Dade on Thursday night, died Friday, according to both his agent and his team.

Walker, 23, who grew up in Miami and graduated from Miami Northwestern High, was pronounced dead at around 5 p.m., Walker’s agent Ron Butler told the Miami Herald.

“There was a lot of head trauma. The doctors tried to get the swelling down but I guess his brain went too long without oxygen,” Butler said.

Miami-Dade police could not immediately confirm the report. But the Ravens issued a statement at 7 p.m. confirming “that Tray has passed.” Both Butler and the team cited conversations with the NFL rookie’s godmother.

Walker was critically injured at about 7:50 p.m. Thursday while riding a white Honda dirt bike westbound on Northwest 75th Street, according to a statement issued by the Miami-Dade police. He collided with a Ford Escape going southbound on Northwest 21st Avenue driven by Donzetta Coaxum, 62. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where, Butler said, he may not have regained consciousness after the crash.

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Florida A&M Baseball Wins 9th Straight, 14-8 Over Alabama State on Wednesday

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  – Florida A&M (12-5, 3-0 MEAC) scored in seven of the nine innings and used home runs from Dylan Dillard and Willis McDaniel to win its’ ninth straight game, a 14-8 win over Alabama State (10-9, 3-0 SWAC) at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex on Wednesday. The Rattlers had 15 hits in the win, while Jacky Miles, Jr. went 3-for-6 to help pace the FAMU offense. The Rattlers have now had at least 10 hits in 11 games this season.

Dillard drove in three runs, while going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Alec Wong (2-for-6), Ryan Hutson (2-for-2) and Peter Jackson (2-for-4) had multi-hit performances.

FAMU starter Ryan Anderson (2-1) earned the win after working a pre-determined outing. Anderson allowed five runs (three earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 4.2 innings of work.

The Rattlers jumped out early with two runs in the top of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. Marlon Gibbs led off the game with a walk and came around to score as Wong ripped a double down the left line. With two outs, Miles, Jr. singled off the pitcher to put runners on the corners and Wong came home for the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.

ASU cut the lead in half at 2-1 with an unearned run in the home half of the first inning. Carlos Ocasio reached on a throwing error by AJ Elkins that would have ended the inning. Dillon Cooper then doubled down the left line and a misplayed ball in left field allowed Ocasio to score from first.
Florida A&M added to its’ lead in the third inning with a two-run home run from Dillard to make the score 4-1. Ben Ellzey was hit-by-pitch with one out and Dillard followed with an opposite field, two-run, home run to push the FAMU lead to three runs.

The Hornets picked up another unearned run in the third inning for a score of 4-2. Diandre Amion led off with a single just passed the diving Dillard at first base and was later able to advance to third on a throwing error down to first base from Miles, Jr. Amion later came home on a sac fly to center field from Cooper.

FAMU kept the offensive pressure going and increased its’ lead to 8-2 with four unearned runs in the fourth inning. Elkins led off the fourth reaching on an error as Hornet shortstop Priolea booted a ground ball. McDaniel then advanced Elkins to second with a sac bunt towards third base before Jackson plated Elkins with an RBI single to center. Gibbs then dropped in a one-out single to right center to place runners on the corners and Ellzey was hit-by-pitch for the second straight at bat to load the bases with two outs. Jackson was then able to come home from third as Dillard drew a bases loaded walk. A wild pitch from Hornet pitcher Michael Tellado scored Gibbs and Miles, Jr. followed with an RBI single to bring home Ellzey for the fourth run of the inning.

The Rattlers scored for the third straight inning, courtesy of a two-run home run by McDaniel that made the score 10-2. Elkins led off the inning, just as he did the last inning, by reaching on an error, this time by the first baseman Chris Biocic. McDaniel then crushed his third home run of the season, a deep two-run shot to left field.

Alabama State cut the lead to 10-5 with three runs in the fifth inning. Ocasio walked and Cooper followed with a single to left to put runners on first and second and no outs. Biocic was then hit-by-pitch to load the bases as Hernandez then singled home Ocasio. Still with the bases loaded and no outs, Hunter Allen grounded out to short as Cooper scored from third. Biocic would later score on an infield single from Eriq White.

FAMU was able to answer back with a run in the sixth inning for a score of 11-5. Dillard led off with a walk and stole second as Miles, Jr. went down on a called third strike. Dillard went to third on an infield single from Hutson and later came home on a safety squeeze from Elkins.

ASU kept battling and made the score 12-7 as they were able to get a two-run home run from Amion in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Florida A&M plated a single run in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth for their final runs of the day. The Hornets would score an unearned run in the ninth for the final score of 14-8.
Hornet starter Patrick Coffin (0-2) suffered the loss after he gave up two runs on two on two hits in the first inning including a leadoff walk to Gibbs.

Florida A&M returns to MEAC play this weekend as they travel to face Savannah State for a three-game series. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1:00 PM, and Sunday’s series finale will also start at 1:00 PM.

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

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Campbellsville eliminates Nuggets in NAIA's 1st round

INDEPENDENCE, Missouri — Xavier University of Louisiana made a late-season push to qualify for the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, but Campbellsville snuffed out that momentum with a 75-50 victory Wednesday morning in the tournament's opening game.

The Lady Tigers (26-7), ranked eighth nationally and a No. 2 seed at the tournament, used a 21-2 first-half run to pull away from the Gold Nuggets (22-12), ranked 25th and a No. 7 seed.

"I had really big hopes for our team," XU coach Bo Browder said. "I felt we were capable of making a great run in the tournament. But we didn't play very well, and Campbellsville played great throughout."
    
Whitney Gathright, one of six seniors in their final XU game, led the Nuggets with 16 points and became the program's eighth to reach 1,400 for a career. But no teammate scored more than five points.
    
Campbellsville had three double-figure scorers, led by Lindsey Burd with 22 points and Emily Fox with 21. Fox made five 3-pointers, the most by an XU opposing player this season, and made a pair of treys during the Lady Tigers' first-half run which gave them a 26-7 lead at 8:29 of the second quarter.
    
Campbellsville led 20-7 at the end of the first quarter, 36-22 at halftime — Xavier closed the half with a 13-8 run in the final six minutes — and twice by 29 points in the final 90 seconds.
    
The other XU seniors are Emoni Harvey, Trana Hopkins, Donyeah Mayfield, Amara Person-Hampton and Alesha Smith. Person-Hampton led her team with five rebounds and matched her career high.
    
Xavier, ranked ninth in early December, fell out of the top 25 for four consecutive weeks and was approaching the tournament bubble late in the season, then won five in a row, three in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, to earn its 19th trip to nationals in the last 22 seasons. But the Lady Tigers outshot the Gold Nuggets 46.4 to 35.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 38-27. Campbellsville made nine 3-pointers, the most by an XU opponent this season.
    
Campbellsville is 4-0 all-time against Xavier, including a 59-55 victory at nationals in the 2014 second round. Xavier had won in the first round in three of its previous four trips (also 2011 and 2012).
    
Campbellsville, the national runner-up a year ago, will play seventh-ranked and No. 3 seed The Master's — a 59-57 winner against another New Orleans school, Loyola — in the round of 16 at 9 a.m. Friday. Eight more first-round games will be played Thursday, including GCAC regular-season champion Talladega against Lindsey Wilson at 4:30 p.m. The 32-team tournament will conclude Tuesday.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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XU's Gathright selected first-team NAIA All-America

NEW ORLEANS -- Not long after Xavier University of Louisiana was eliminated Wednesday morning from the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship, senior point guard Whitney Gathright received news to lessen the sting. She was named first-team NAIA All-America by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

Gathright -- from New Orleans and a graduate of John Curtis Christian School -- is the first Gold Nugget to earn first-team All-America since Cassee Davis in the 1997-98 season. Gathright was honorable mention the past two seasons on the NAIA's committee-selected teams and last season on the WBCA team.

"What can I say? Whit is most deserving," XU coach Bo Browder said. "She has been a huge part of our success during her time at Xavier and a steadying influence. She will be very difficult to replace."
Gathright led the Gold Nuggets with 16 points in a 75-50 first-round loss to Campbellsville at Independence, Mo. She led Xavier in scoring this season with 14.4 points per game and set XU season records with 184 free throws and 226 attempts. She is the Nuggets' career leader in made free throws (463), free-throw percentage (.782) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.367). She scored 1,414 career points and is the eighth at Xavier to reach 1,400.

Gathright was first-team All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference three times and third-team All-Louisiana each of the past two seasons. She was MVP of the GCAC Tournament this year and in 2014.

The 2015-16 WBCA NAIA All-America team:

Natalee Faupel, Montana State-Northern
Lindsey Burd, Campbellsville
Jatoria Carter, Auburn-Montgomery (Player of the Year)
Taleeah Cross, Freed-Hardeman
Whitney Gathright, Xavier 
Abbey Hengesbach, Olivet Nazarene
Alex Kneeland, Mount Marty
Kara Krolicki, Saint Xavier
Melissa Norman, Vanguard
Daniela Wallen, Oklahoma City

Honorable Mention
Petrolina Chilaka, Columbia (Mo.)
Kassidy De Jong, Northwestern (Iowa)
Samantha Doucette, Vanguard
Jessica Foster, Georgetown (Ky.)
Emily Fox, Campbellsville
Sydney Greiner, St. Ambrose
Taylor Hamilton, Our Lady of the Lake
Erin Legel, Great Falls
Aundrea Matchen, Pikeville
Caelyn Orlandi, Lewis-Clark State
Miranda Palmer, Huntington
Alyssa Ramos, Southeastern (Fla.)
Charnelle Reed, St. Francis (Ill.)
Chanel Roberts, Lindsey Wilson
Ashley Romig, Ottawa
Chayla Rutledge, Benedictine (Kan.)
Christin Strawbridge, Southeastern (Fla.)
Brandy Uchtman, Ozarks (Mo.)
Martessia Williams, Bethel (Tenn.)
Hannah Wisdom, Ozarks (Mo.)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Albany State releases 2016 football schedule

ALBANY, Georgia  --  The Albany State University Golden Rams have unveiled their football schedule for the 2016 season, ASU Athletics Director Dr. Richard H. Williams and interim head coach Dan Land announced Friday afternoon. Highlighting the nine-game slate is a game with a familiar non-conference opponent, six SIAC conference games, two classics, and matchups with three teams that made appearances in the 2015 NCAA Division II football playoffs.
 
"Albany State has generated a challenging schedule that will provide a lot of excitement during the 2016 season," said Williams. "Our Golden Rams are making great preparations, and they are ready to deliver some solid football action this season."
 
Land believes the competition is stiff, but he believes Albany State will benefit from the tough tasks on his team's schedule.
 
"To get better as a team during the course of the season, it's important to play against good programs," Land said. "All the teams on our schedule have good coaches, good players and winning attitudes. "We have a tough schedule, but we'll definitely put in the hard work this offseason and prepare for each of them."
 
The Golden Rams, who finished their 2015 season at 6-4, will kick off the season on Sept. 3 in Albany, Ga in a road game with the Valdosta State University Blazers. Valdosta State, a member of the Gulf South Conference, went 9-3 and made the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs last season. Last year, ASU lost to the VSU 21-13 in Albany.
 
Albany State will open SIAC play and continue a rivalry when it faces the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers on Sept. 10 in the 3^rd Annual White Water Classic in Phenix City, Alabama. Tuskegee, who made an appearance in the 2015 NCAA Division II quarterfinals, finished last year with a 10-3 overall record and defeated the Golden Rams 27-14 in last season's classic. The Tuskegee game is the first of two SIAC West Division crossover games.
 
Albany State returns to actions on Sept. 17 against the Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla. The Fire program is a member of the Sun Conference that competes at the NAIA level. SEU finished with a 6-2 overall record last season.
 
ASU will play its first home game on Sept. 24. Golden Rams will host the University of West Georgia, who made a trip to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 2015. The Gulf South member recorded a 12-2 record last year.
 
Before an open date on Oct. 8, the Golden Rams will host the Miles College Golden Bears on Oct. 1. Albany State defeated the SIAC West Division opponent 29-16 in last year regular season meeting in Fairfield before losing to the Golden Bears 20-7 in the SIAC title game. MC finished the 2015 season with a 7-5 record.
 
The Golden Rams will take on four SIAC East Division opponents beginning Oct. 15. They will battle with the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College in Atlanta. Albany State defeated Morehouse 38-0 in the 2015 contest. The Maroon Tigers were 5-5 last season.
 
Albany State will then journey back home to take on the Clark Atlanta University Panthers on October 22. The contest will serve as the university's annual homecoming celebration. ASU beat CAU 26-14 in route to the Panthers' 1-8 overall record.
 
Albany State will back on the road on October 29. ASU will visit the  Benedict College Tigers in Columbia, S.C. The Golden Rams defeated Benedict 35-9 in last year's meeting, and the Tigers finished with a 0-10 overall record.
 
The two biggest rivals in the SIAC, Albany State and Fort Valley State University, will close its regular seasons in the 27th Annual Fountain City Classic on November 5 at the A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Georgia. The Golden Rams defeated the Wildcats (5-4 overall last season) 21-17 in the 2015 classic game. The FCC is touted as one of the biggest and best HBCU football classics in the nation.
 
The winners of the SIAC East and West divisions will play for the 2016 SIAC Championship game in Montgomery, Ala. on November 12.
 
For more information about the Golden Rams 2016 football schedule, contact Stan McCormick at (229) 420-7013 or stanley.mccormick@asurams.edu.

Albany State 2016 Football Schedule

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