Not your average game, Norfolk State & Hampton get set for Battle of the Bay

HAMPTON, Virginia -- — It’s the marquee game on the calender for our local MEAC football teams. Norfolk State against Hampton, the Battle of the Bay with bragging rights and more on the line this Saturday at Armstrong Stadium.

“We know the guys from the other side of the water are going to bring it,” Hampton wide receiver T.J. Mixson said. “No matter what the records are you’ve gotta expect to go hard.”

“We know those guys, they know us,” said Norfolk State senior Brandon Walker. “The intensity is definitely gonna be ramped up.”

Norfolk State has struggled this season, but the Spartans have won two of their last three games. Saturday is the Spartans final game of the season, Hampton still has a game next week against Coastal Carolina, so for the Norfolk State seniors, this is their final college football game.

“Why not end the season with a win,” NSU senior quarterback Greg Hankerson said. “I feel like this would be a confident boost for the guys coming back next year.”



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Breaking down Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Golden Lion Stadium, Pine Bluff, Ark.

Radio: 91.3 FM

Series history: Prairie View leads 46-22-4.

Key players: PV - QB Jalen Morton, RB Caleb Broach,
DT James Harper; UAPB - QB Brandon Duncan,
WR Willie Young, ILB Willie Duncan.

Who has the edge: Offense - Prairie View. The Panthers
are fourth in scoring offense in the SWAC with 30.3
points per game. Pine Bluff is dead last at 14.3. It has
18 TDs on the season. The Panthers have 41.

Defense - Prairie View. The advantage is slighter here.
Both rank near the bottom of the SWAC, with Pine Bluff
last in total defense (484.1). But Prairie View leads the
SWAC with 34 sacks.

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FCS CO-GAME OF THE WEEK: NCAT Aggies at NCCU Eagles

The Matchup: No. 9 North Carolina A&T (9-1, 7-0 MEAC) at No. 24 North Carolina Central (8-2, 7-0)

Kickoff: 2 p.m. ET at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10,000) in Durham, North Carolina

Television: ESPN2

Series: North Carolina A&T leads 49-33-5 (last meeting: North Carolina Central won 21-16 in Greensboro on Nov. 21, 2015)

The Skinny: It's winner-take-all - the outright MEAC championship and Celebration Bowl bid. The losing team can be considered for an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs. N.C. A&T coach Rod Broadway was N.C. Central's coach from 2003-06. The visiting Aggies have won all of their MEAC games by an average of nearly 24 points. All-American RB Tarik Cohen (1,769 all-purpose yards, 18 TDs) has gone over 100 rushing yards in each of his three games against the Eagles, gaining 203 yards and two TDs in a 2014 loss. N.C. Central QB Malcolm Bell, who has thrown for the most yards (2,007) and touchdowns (15) in the MEAC, will attack an Aggies defense that ranks last in pass defense. DEs Antiono Brown (7) and Henry-Ajudua (6.5) rank third and fourth, respectively, in the MEAC in sacks.

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Wolf Pack pull away from Gold Nuggets in 2nd half

NEW ORLEANS — Junior guard Zoie Miller scored all 19 of her points in the second half, including 4-of-4 3-pointers in the third quarter, to lead NAIA No. 24 Loyola to an 81-53 basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

After leading the Gold Nuggets 31-24 at halftime, the Wolf Pack outscored XULA 28-6 in the third quarter. Miller scored 16 in that period. Loyola increased its lead to 35 in the fourth quarter.

Di'Mond Jackson scored 15 points, Meghan Temple 11 and Kylah Jones 10 for Loyola (3-1). Temple grabbed 12 rebounds and set a school record with eight blocked shots.

Ireyon Keith, with 10 points, was the only double-figure scorer for XULA (3-2). Freshmen Gina Smith and Maya Trench scored seven points apiece.

Loyola outshot the Gold Nuggets 46.4 percent to 28.4 percent from the floor, 51.7 to 29 percent in the second half. The Wolf Pack outrebounded XULA 49-34.

Loyola beat the Gold Nuggets for the third consecutive time and the second time in three years at XULA's Convocation Center.

XULA will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for three games — two against ranked Frontier Conference opponents — in the Las Vegas Shootout Friday through Sunday. The Gold Nuggets will play NAIA No. 7 Lewis-Clark State at 8 p.m. PST Friday.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Wolf Pack edge Gold Rush to extend XULA streak

NEW ORLEANS — Nate Pierre's basket with 23 seconds remaining lifted Loyola to a 78-76 victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in a men's basketball matchup of NAIA city rivals at XULA's Convocation Center.
     
Pierre, one of five double-figure scorers for the Wolf Pack (3-2), scored on a pass from Johnny Griffin. The Gold Rush (1-4) missed twice from the floor in the closing moments, including a short shot in the lane with two seconds remaining.
     
There were 15 lead changes and five ties in the second half.
     
Eric Brown scored 20 points and made 6-of-7 3-pointers for Loyola. Pierre scored 17, Griffin 14, Nick Parker 12 and Jalen Gray 10. Griffin had 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks, and Gray had a career-high 11 assists.
     
Mike Williams scored 25 points, the most by a XULA freshman since the 2006-07 season. Redshirt freshman Innocent Kukulu scored a career-high 18 points, and Jalen David had 15. Williams and Kukulu both made 4-of-5 3-pointers.
  
Loyola led 39-38 at halftime.
     
Both teams shot well from the floor — Loyola was at 65.3 percent overall, 66.7 (12-of-18) on 3-pointers; XULA finished at 54.9 percent overall, 62.5 (10-of-16) on 3-pointers.
     
It was the fourth consecutive loss for XULA, which is ranked 25th. The Gold Rush will play LeMoyne-Owen of NCAA Division II for homecoming at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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HBCU Scoop: A Look at James Daniel III

The Howard University Senior led all scorers last season and you probably didn’t know it.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --Who was the leading scorer last year? Grayson Allen? No. Melo Trimble? No. Buddy Hield? Nope. None of these people lead in scoring last year......it was James Daniel III. You read that right. You just read the name of a guy you probably never even heard of, but it is time to get to know him. Let’s take a look at the senior point guard from Howard.

Standing at 5’11, Daniel has an impressive resume for his junior campaign. He performed very well despite being overlooked by mostly everyone in the country. The Virginia native even dropped 38 points in their 92-91 loss against Radford last season, the same team that beat Georgetown in their season opener. His spectacular performance last season led Daniel to lead all Division I players in scoring, averaging 27.1 points per game. Along with that, he led all players in free throw attempts with 331, making 280 of them.



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14-Ranked Tuskegee Ready For Division II Playoffs

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- Tuskegee has put together one of the top Division II football programs in the country. The Golden Tigers will have a chance to compete on the big stage as the postseason unfolds this weekend.

Tuskegee (8-2) will face Newberry (10-1) in the NCAA Division II playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. The Golden Tigers currently ranked 14th nationally are seated seventh and will battle the second seeded Newberry on the road.



Tuskegee is coming off a 45-35 loss to Virginia State last Saturday. The Golden Tigers will have to regroup as they prepare to make a strong run in the playoffs. Tuskegee will be led by quarterback Kevin Lacey who chosen as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Lacey completed 113-of-208 passes for 1,768 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The Golden Tigers’ linebacker Osband Thompson was named the SIAC Defensive Player of the Year. Thompson has 112 total and 57 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception. Lacey and Thompson will be key player for Tuskegee in the first round playoff matchup.

Miles College (5-4) won’t return to action until Thanksgiving Day against Alabama State in the Turkey Day Classic. The kickoff will be at 3 p.m. for this game in Montgomery, Al.

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Breaking down Texas Southern vs. Grambling

HOUSTON,Texas -- When: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: BBVA Compass Stadium

Radio: 90.9 FM

Series history: Grambling State leads 42-18-3.

Key players: TSU - QB Johnathan Bowen, RB Brad Woodard, CB Zafir Murphy; GSU - QB Jonathan Williams, RB Jestin Kelly, DB Guy Stallworth.

Who has the edge:

Offense - Grambling State. Grambling State leads the SWAC with 42.6 points per game, which also ranks fourth in all of FCS. It is also one of five FCS teams producing at least 500 yards per game. Texas Southern is well off that pace in both categories, with 22.8 points and 323.2 yards per game.

Defense - Grambling State. Grambling is unbeaten in SWAC play for a reason. It's almost as dominant on defense as it is on offense, leading the conference with 307.5 yards per game surrendered. Texas Southern is averaging a respectable 389.8 yards per game allowed, which ranks third in the conference.

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S.C. State: A 55-year-old man is trying to make college football history

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina — An hour before sunrise, the first player pushes open the doors of the locker room and bounds into the bright lights of the stadium. It's half past six in the morning, and this is South Carolina State's final full practice before its Homecoming game. For the next 10 minutes, players stream out to a playlist booming from speakers set on top of a laundry bin. Trainers top off water jugs and wheel them to the benches. Cheerleaders wearily sway on the opposite side of the field. The head coach, Buddy Pough, spins in on a bicycle and begins issuing orders to assistants.

Joe Thomas Sr. strides out to join the team. He's the only player without even a single accessory: no leggings, no wristbands, no gloves, just team-issued blue-and-white striped shorts, his No. 47 jersey and an unadorned helmet. With the pads bulking his chest and the helmet guarding the wisp of grey at the peak of his hairline, he hardly seems 55 years old.

Midway through practice, he slips a yellow scout team sleeve over his helmet and jogs onto the field to rehearse kickoff return coverage. He's been at this for the better part of four seasons, enduring bleary-eyed predawn practices designed for players 35 years younger and in peak physical condition, with one goal in mind: To get in a game and make history as the oldest man ever to play Division I football. Detractors be damned: Joe was born to a sharecropper and raised a Green Bay Packer. He could barely hear until 17 and still graduated high school. And no one will be able to convince him that he can't compete until he takes the field and tries for himself. "I believe that if the coaches looked past my age and just let me play football," he says, "I'd steal someone's position."

Age isn't the only way time that is taunting him: South Carolina State has only two games left this season, and because he's a senior, he's running out of opportunities.

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Texas Southern Shocks Rice Owls 71-68 Behind Lofton's 26 Points

 Photo Gallery

HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern won its second straight game as Zach Lofton scored a game high 26 points and blocked a 3-point shot attempt as time expired helping hand TSU a 71-68 victory over the Rice Owls on Wednesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Texas Southern secured the lead for good with roughly 17 minutes left in regulation, as they led by as many as seven points during the contest.

The Owls would subsequently make the game interesting as Marcus Evans converted a 3-pointer to pull Rice to 69-68 with 45 seconds left.

After both teams missed shots on their next possessions TSU's Kevin Scott made a pair of free throws before Lofton blocked Marcus Jackson's final heave at a game tying 3-point attempt.

Lofton was 10-of-27 from the field and made three 3-pointers. Derrick Griffin had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Texas Southern (2-1).

"I was really happy we got the win for TSU as a university because we're both from Houston," said Lofton. "They don't expect us to come in and beat another mid-major school. That was big for me that we got the win for them."

With the win TSU head coach Mike Davis adds yet another impressive win to his TSU coaching resume. The Tigers program has also beaten the likes of Temple and Michigan State during Davis tenure as head coach.

Davis had his team primed for an upset on Wednesday night as the Tigers came out aggressive to start the second half of play. Davis was intent on keeping his team focused on their intensity level after watching film of the Owls win over James Madison.

"They were up four or five at the half and they ended up winning by 24," Davis said of the Owls win over James Madison. "We were really conscious of not coming out going too slow. Push the basketball in transition. Try to get some earlier baskets if we could."

The Tigers will now get set to travel and face LaSalle on November 19th in Philadelphia.

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TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NC A&T Stays Atop FCS; Saturday Shakeup Propels WSSU in HSRN Football Polls

HARTLY, Delaware  --  North Carolina A&T maintained its first place position but a scheduling adjustment helped push Winston-Salem State to the top in week 11 of the HSRN Football Polls.

 

A&T, Grambling, N.C. Central, Southern and Tennessee State stayed firm in the top five positions in the FCS Poll.  Florida A&M made its first appearance after edging Morgan State, 22-21.  The Rattlers have won three of their last four games and head into a Florida Classic showdown against Bethune-Cookman this weekend.

 

After missing the SIAC Championship game, Tuskegee needed a tenth regular season contest in order to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.  The Golden Tigers scheduled Virginia State to an afternoon affair and promptly lost to the Trojans, 45-35.  Meanwhile, Winston Salem State knocked off Bowie State to capture its second straight CIAA Title and move into first place in the Division II/NAIA Poll.

 

VSU’s win pushed the Trojans into second position while Tuskegee dropped to third. Bowie State and Chowan round out the top five.  

 

Despite the loss, Tuskegee received a berth in the Division II Playoffs, joining WSSU as the only HBCU representatives in the Division II postseason.

 

Division I FCS
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	North Carolina A&T (11)	9-1	109	1
2	Grambling State (1)	7-1	100	2
3	North Carolina Central	8-2	86	3
4	Southern U.	7-2	77	5
5	Tennessee State	6-4	57	4
6	Prairie View A&M	6-4	51	6
7	Hampton	5-4	41	7
8	Alcorn State	4-5	36	9
9	Florida A&M	4-6	15	NR
10	South Carolina State	3-6	8	8
	Others receiving votes
	Texas Southern, Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Bethune-Cookman

 

 

Division II/NAIA
	School (First Place Votes)	Record	Pts	Last Week
1	Winston-Salem State (8)	9-2	105	2
2	Virginia State (2)	9-2	91	4
3	Tuskegee (1)	8-2	88	1
4	Bowie State	7-4	82	3
5	Chowan	6-4	47	5
6	Miles College	5-4	35	6
7T	Fort Valley State	5-6	34	NR
7T	Virginia Union	5-5	34	8
9	Langston (1)	7-2	28	9
10	Albany State	5-4	26	7
	Others receiving votes
	Kentucky State, Johnson C. Smith, Lincoln (MO)
	Clark Atlanta, Elizabeth City State, Lane College